Chapter 16
16
T he captain waved Anton a little closer before he began to speak in a whisper, his eyes moving back from Anna to the giant. "I was thinking about who could be behind all this. Who wins from all this chaos?"
Anton eyed him suspiciously. He still wasn't thrilled about the situation, but he held his skepticism in check. "And? What conclusion have you reached?"
"The fairies are dying, the Kingdom of Flowers has grown weaker, and all trade has suffered. Everyone knows that no land can produce as much as the Kingdom of Flowers and that many important goods have disappeared or are rarely available anymore."
"Who benefits?" Anna asked.
"Patience, madam. In addition, we, the pirates and masters of the seas, have taken on the giants. Our conflict is still ongoing, which is why none of us can take advantage of the power vacuum. On top of that, the Kingdom of Rocks was also pushed out of the market. So, who's left?"
"The Kingdom of Winter," Anna and Anton whispered in unison.
The pirate nodded. "Aye. And who would have the power to make magical creatures like fairies disappear, take their fairy dust, and put the men who hijacked my ship and brought you back into an endless sleep?"
Uncertain, Anna shrugged. She didn't know enough about this land to come up with an answer. Anton, however, clenched his hands.
"The Snow Queen."
"Aye."
The giant sat up. He took a moment to mull over the theory. Anna frowned. "The Snow Queen?" She didn't know anything about her. Anton had mentioned that they had wanted to visit the Kingdom of Winter. And someone had told her that the Snow Queen was the person with the most magical powers, but other than that, she didn't know anything else about her. So, the theory sounded plausible.
"Has she seized power?"
The captain shook his head. "Something must have gone wrong with her plan. That's why she rallied five of my men to her side to bring you back. But that wasn't all. I was talking to a few people earlier — old contacts. They say that some of the Snow Queen's representatives have been in the Kingdom of Flowers over the last few weeks to talk about trade deals."
Anton scratched his head. "You mean she's planning something?"
"I think it is absolutely necessary to snoop around the Kingdom of Winter. We should visit the Snow Queen in her palace, listen quietly to her and the residents, and find out if she has anything to do with the fairies or their magic. Maybe we'll discover she's behind all this and stop her."
Anton nodded while Anna raised her hands to indicate she had a question. "So, what's my role in all this?"
"We have to find out. That's why we're going to sail north to the Kingdom of Winter."
Goosebumps immediately made their way up Anna's arms and she huddled her shoulders, shivering. She hated snow. "How cold is it there?"
The captain gave her a smoldering look. "Don't worry, I'll keep you warm."
Before he could raise his eyebrows again, Anton slammed his fist onto the ground just millimeters from the captain and exploded, "If the Snow Queen is the villain, you can't take Anemone to her. That's what she wants!'
Unimpressed, the pirate stood still and looked up at him. "How do you know what she wants, giant?"
Anna intervened like a referee. "Toni is right, it isn't safe. But we must stop the fairies from dying before there aren't any left. We need the fairy dust so that they can do their work and make the flowers in the Kingdom of Flowers bloom. And to do that we have to find out what the Snow Queen is up to."
The giant grumbled. Then he sat up, pondering. He bent his legs. The knees were so high up that trucks could have driven under the legs, as through a tunnel. Anna smiled at the thought before turning serious again. The Snow Queen. The Kingdom of Winter. Even though she didn't like the sounds of the weather, Chris was right.
"How do we manage to sail into her realm without her knowledge so that we can snoop without being noticed?"
"We have to get there secretly. That's where your friend comes in." The captain pointed at Anton, who leaned in, listening closely.
"Do you want me to carry you?"
"No, that would be too obvious. But can you convey my sincerest apologies to the giants?" Anton snorted in disbelief, but the pirate was not discouraged. "Tell them I'm calling for a ceasefire. I am well aware that I invaded your territory with my flying ship. Explain to them that I did it to find Ani, not to challenge you for your kingdom. If we can shelve the war with the giants so that they allow us to sail through, we can come from the east. She won't expect us to be coming from that direction."
From the east? Slowly, the puzzle pieces in Anna's head came together to form a map. In the north was the kingdom of the Snow Queen and the giants were in the east, so the Kingdom of Flowers had to be in the southwestern part. "Why wouldn't the Snow Queen expect us to come from the east?"
"Because since our falling out, the giants have blown such strong winds along their coasts whenever they see a ship that no sensible sailor would sail past their realm. As things are, all shipping traffic only takes place on the west and south sides, which is why the east coast of the kingdom is ignored."
"That sounds like a good idea. What do you think, Toni? Can you convince the other giants to stop fighting the pirates?"
Anton scratched his head. "I can try, but I can't promise anything. But if Anemone is on your ship, I will stand on the shore myself to make sure that not a breath of wind capsizes your ship — at least until she can turn into a fairy and fly away. I wouldn't be sorry for you."
The captain grinned half-heartedly. "Very kind of you."
Meanwhile, Anna stroked the giant's hand. "Thank you, Toni, I knew I could count on you."
Anton took her in his hand and brought her to his face. He tried to whisper, but his voice was still so loud that the captain could hear everything. "Take care, Anemone. If you get a bad feeling, trust that feeling and leave. I will find you and help. Even if I have to fight all the pirates at once!"
"Thanks, Toni. You take care of yourself too. We'll see each other again soon." She smiled and stroked his hairy cheek. He was so friendly. She hoped none of his gruff companions would harm him. Then again, she had to have faith that the plan would work.
After Anton set her down on the meadow, he shot the pirate a warning look. "If she disappears again or anything happens to her, or if she forgets me again, I will find you and hold you personally responsible."
"Aye, understood, giant. And now come on, Ani, we can't waste any time. The guards recognized me and it would be a miracle if they didn't try to follow us."
"I'll distract them." Anton winked at her and Anna laughed. With her heart pounding, she took the captain's outstretched hand. Now she was going on an adventure with him. Where would the journey take them? What would develop — or be rekindled — between the two of them?
She waved at Anton before hurrying down the country road with the pirate. They rushed along the dusty road until the captain stopped to look around. Nobody was following them. He pulled her into the bushes, through the tall grass, and led her in an arc back to the city.
"Where is your ship?"
"Shh." He put his finger to his lips and pointed through the tall grasses. He ducked and she instinctively took cover too. They weren't far from Linnenberg and saw over ten armed men burst through the gate and scurry down the country road. Were they following Anna and the captain?
Anton had walked a few yards across the meadow, but with just two more steps, he was standing in the middle of the road with his oversized feet. "Is this the right way to the giants' kingdom?" His voice was so loud that it echoed all the way to their hiding place. Unfortunately, they couldn't understand the men's reply, but Anton engaged them in a conversation that they obviously didn't like. They tried to push past him with their knives and swords aggressively raised.
"I hope they don't hurt him," Anna whispered.
"Oh, a few scars never hurt a man. Come on!" He motioned her forward and they skirted Linnenberg by following a wide arc. The grass was so tall that they easily remained hidden while remaining stooped over. Even the farmers who were trying to cultivate the barren fields outside the city walls never once raised their heads.
Without attracting attention, they left the city behind. Ahead of them lay a rocky landscape. Wait. Rocks and barren ground — were they heading east? "Are we going to the giants' kingdom?"
"No, Ani, we're approaching the coast. It has some hidden coves. I know a few secret paths leading down."
After a while, she heard the surf. The stormy sea was pounding the rocky coast, which they reached shortly afterward. The seemingly endless sea stretched out before them. The sun was glittering on the surface and two ships were sailing in the distance.
Anna peered down and saw nothing but cliffs and the roaring sea. Her hair whipped wildly around her shoulders, so she had to use both hands to put it behind her ears and hold it so she could see.
"I thought the giants only blew such strong winds in the east."
"In the east, it's the giants, in the west, it's the spring storms."
A shudder ran through her, and she paused. As far as she knew, she had never been on a ship except for when she had been abducted from her home. Still, she was certain a rough sea wouldn't sit well with her. She glanced over the edge of the rocks and peered into a never-ending abyss. No one would survive a jump from there, even if there hadn't been any rocks below.
"Are you okay?" He was standing right behind her, his breath blowing through her hair onto her neck. A shudder ran through her again. What had Anton been thinking, leaving her alone with such a man?
She took a step to the side, away from the abyss and the captain. She couldn't let him muddle her senses. Even though he had sworn to her that she would be safe on his ship, she had to keep her eyes and ears open and not allow herself to be swept away. "Where is the bay?"
"You can't see it from up here, but look over there…" He stepped behind her again and pointed to a spot down by the water. He put his arm over her shoulder. The touch sent shivers through her body. "…next to the leaning rock that sticks out of the water, that's where the Fortuna is anchored."
"So, how do we get to it?"
"I'll show you." He took a few steps along the precipice, jumped down onto a rocky outcrop that was really way too small, turned to her, and held out his hand. "Are you coming, Ani?" The gesture gave her the impression that he was one of those long-extinct gentlemen who was asking her to dance. Unfortunately, it wasn't like that. He wanted to lead her down a high cliff along a path that was far too narrow. No wonder his ship was safe down there. Who would be so stupid as to follow this perilous path?
It was only with difficulty that Anna managed to suppress a shudder. "Is there no other way?"
"Aye, there is. If you transform, you can fly down." His eyes lit up as if he was just waiting for her to do so.
Damn. "All right, but I swear, if I fall into the depths, I'll never forgive you."
A storm raged in his dark eyes. "I would never let go of your hand, Ani."
She cautiously placed her hand in his and he held it so tightly that a little confidence flowed through her. Maybe with his help, it could actually be done. Carefully, she stepped down onto the small, barely discernible path that appeared to be more of a natural illusion tricking them before they plunged into the never-ending depths. But she had to trust him. He would know where to step. He wanted to get to the bottom alive too, after all.
The path was narrow and steep. Chris walked slowly, minding every step so that Anna could keep up with him. Not even for a moment did he let go of her hand. He wouldn't have been able to do it anyway because her fingers were wrapped so tightly around his. Her heart was beating wildly and she stopped herself from peering down into the depths. With her eyes fixed on her feet and the tiny rocky outcrop, she nervously followed him. At least the thousands of thoughts that had been filling her mind lately were giving her a break for the time being. They worked their way down, highly focused, one step after the next.
"We're more than halfway there. You're doing fabulously, Ani."
She just nodded, unable to answer. Beads of sweat were running down her back and her hands were ice cold. Was it because of the strong wind or her excitement? She was overcome with dizziness and she had to stop for a moment. Being up so high was giving her so much trouble — it was no wonder, given her slight fear of heights. Anyone could stumble here. Her breathing grew shallower and panic gripped her. The captain sensed it and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Five minutes at the most and we'll be on the beach. You're almost there, Ani. Trust me, you can do it."
Anna nodded and followed close behind. How could she be a fairy who flew up so dizzyingly high if she was so afraid of heights?
Finally, they were standing on white sand. Her heart was pounding as if she'd been running. Her head hurt and the icy air made her eyes water. She felt his hand on her back and his arm around her body, but it wasn't until he pulled her into a hug that she realized it was over.
"We did it, Ani. Breathe slowly."
She laid her head on his chest and breathed. Deeply and evenly. As he held her, gently rocking her back and forth, she calmed down and the flood of thoughts returned. She would be placing herself at his and his crew's mercy as soon as she boarded his ship. Anton's warning and those of the fairies tried to slink back into her mind again, but as she listened to the captain's heartbeat, she knew — she knew it! — she had nothing to fear from him. They were Ani and Chris, back then and now. An image flashed so quickly it might have been her imagination, but she knew it wasn't. She and Chris in a bay, laughing together, and the look he gave her showed the love he felt for her.
Tears welled up in Anna's eyes. That little memory, that scrap — it wasn't anything more than that — was worth more than all the gold in the world.
She slowly raised her head and stroked his dark stubble and the shimmering silver scar. "I remembered us."
His eyes widened for a moment. When he answered, his voice was deeper than usual. "What did you see?"
She peered up at him and her heartbeat quickened. "We were in this bay and… laughing."
A brief grin appeared on his lips before he nodded. "Aye, it was a beautiful day." Before she could ask him what had transpired, what they had done, and how that day had come to be, he leaned down and kissed her. His kiss was as turbulent as the waves crashing against the cliffs, yet as gentle as the sun that cast its rays on them. Anna lost herself in this kiss, letting herself be taken in by his smell, knowing that she never wanted to be anywhere else but by his side again.