18. Sage
Sage
Imade my way up to the deck, my body suddenly flashing with nerves. This was the first time I’d been near the water since the incident. Well, I technically was on a ship, but without seeing the water, it was easy to forget. It was interesting what your brain would do to protect itself.
But now I was going to have to see evidence that I was on the water, and I wasn’t sure I could do it. I briefly considered saying never mind and turning back around, but then what did I argue with Shadowhart for in the first place?
After a few minutes standing at the stairwell, my stubbornness won out against my fear, and one by one, I took the steps up to the main deck.
The first thing I noticed was the thick, salty air that always accompanied the ocean, and the sun. I’d been sitting near windows, but the direct sunlight I received was different.
It also wasn’t… as bad as I thought it would be. The deck was so big, that unless I went to the edge, I couldn’t see the water, and the city was in front of me.
“There you are,” Shadowhart said, scaring me out of my thoughts. “We need to go.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said. “You gave me no warning, by the way.”
“I didn’t think you’d be coming.”
“Should have thought differently then.”
He huffed, a sound I wasn’t sure was annoyance or amusement.
We started towards the edge, where the plank was set up. It was plenty wide enough, but walked us right over the water.
Just look straight, I coached myself. Look up, don’t look down.
But I couldn’t stop myself. My eyes glanced down into the dark depths of water beneath me. I could almost feel it cloying to my skin, sucking me under, taking my last breath.
You’re not going to battle, you’re just walking across a plank.
I tried the words again, and while it wasn’t a perfect solution, it did help a bit. A little reminder to my body that what was happening wasn’t life or death.
“Sage,” Shadowhart said. “Come on, it’s better if you just don’t look.”
He held his hand out, waiting for me to take it. I grabbed it as if it were my only lifeline, and kept my eyes on it until we were off the planks and onto the dock. Shadowhart glanced at me after my reaction, but was smart enough not to say anything as we moved.
We traveled along the flat red stone pavers of the city street. Although I’d been to Quvill a few times, I’ve never visited this close to the shore. This city was so different than others I’d seen. It made sense, being on the shore. The influence from other countries was obvious.
Still, it was unmistakable we were in Quvill.
Being the fae lands, where almost everyone practiced magic, all of the storefronts consisted of people selling healing potions, luck charms, or even hexes, which had their varying results.
There was also a low hum of music in the air.
I wasn’t sure where it came from, but it was as if someone was plucking a harp off in the distance.
It was busy and crowded, as expected of a large port city. I walked between Captain Shadowhart and Bramwell, towards whatever library they were set to go to.
Until my eye caught on a sewing and mending store. I paused, but the two kept going, briefly releasing me from the physical barrier they were keeping me in. They had been lost in conversation for a little while, and it seemed they were distracted enough to leave me behind.
I wandered towards the store, weaving through the crowd around me.
A hand caught my arm, but it was only Shadowhart, realizing how far I’d gotten.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
I pointed. “The mending store. I told you I needed patches.”
“And I told you we weren’t making any stops.”
“You said you weren’t making any stops.” I quirked a brow. “I told you what I needed.”
“We don’t have time to—”
“I can go ahead,” Bramwell cut in before Shadowhart could continue. “We can meet when you’re done. It shouldn’t take too long.”
My smile widened. “Thank you, Bramwell, we’ll be right behind you.”
Shadowhart looked like he wanted to argue, but Bramwell was back in the crowd, sticking out with how large he was.
“Shall we?” I asked.
His jaw was set in irritation. It was obvious things usually went his way, but sorry for him, things always went my way.
“Five minutes,” he clipped before we continued towards the store.
It was a small shop; threads, fabrics, and needle sets littered the space around us. The shelves in the shop were narrow, and for a moment, I worried the captain wouldn’t be able to squeeze through them, large as he was.
“Welcome,” a woman around my age said, appearing from behind the counter, as if she’d poofed into existence suddenly. “Can I help you find something?”
“No thank you,” I said. “Just picking up a few mending supplies.”
She nodded. Her hair fell in braids around her, pointed ears sticking out from them on the sides. They were lined with gold jewelry all the way down, matching her deep skin color well.
“Excellent. Just so you know we’re having a sale on our small cut fabric that’s perfect for patching.”
“Wonderful, thanks.”
I perused the store, taking stock of what I would need. The kit I had was useful, but it only got me so far. I knew I needed a few other things.
There was a basket to shop with when we walked in, and I grabbed it, filling it with different colors of thread, some different needle sizes, and a tambour frame to stretch the fabric over.
And I couldn’t pass up the sale on small cut fabric.
It was obvious tears were common on the ship, so stocking up would be best. The fabric squares were organized in a range of color and material.
I sifted through carefully, trying to find good matches and neutral colors that would be useful universally.
If Shadowhart had feet, I’m sure he’d be tapping one of them at me. Instead, he followed me around listlessly, his arms crossed and looking for any means of escape, as if we were in a dungeon and not a fabric shop.
Though he didn’t have a foot to tap, he did have a tail to rattle, and rattle it did. The floor was wood, and the sound bounced off it through the shop.
“Your impatience is showing.”
“You said five minutes,” he replied.
I shrugged. “Can’t rush sorting.”
“You can if you decide you don’t need it.”
“But I do need it,” I argued. “A small sewing kit will only get you so far.”
He grumbled, but didn’t argue, the only protest being the flick of his tail.
“Have you always done that?” I asked.
“What?” he said, turning his attention to a jar of buttons on the shelf.
“The rattling.”
He paused, as if he just noticed his body moving on its own, and tucked his tail up and between where he was coiled up.
“No,” he said. “I used to, but I had stopped.”
“Doesn’t seem that way,” I said.
He didn’t answer. Part of me wanted to prod further, but I didn’t. That would put me in the line of fire for questions I didn’t want to answer either.
Once I sorted my selection, I took it to the counter to ring up. I had a satchel with some coins in it from my bag, but Shadowhart was quicker, placing the amount needed on the counter.
“I can pay myself,” I insisted.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Keep the change.”
The shop keeper was obviously pleased. “Thank you.” She bagged everything up as I tucked my satchel away.
We stepped back out onto the street, Shadowhart carrying my bag since he’d insisted.
Only a few doors down was a dress shop, exactly what I was looking for.
“I’m going to stop for a second,” I said, moving towards the door.
“No more stopping,” he said, trying to press me forward. His hand touched the small of my back. The touch was warm, working up my back like growing vines.
But I didn’t listen, turning a bit out of his guidance and continuing towards the shop.
He grumbled, but followed me forward. Racks lined each side of the room, with a changing area and mirrors at the back. Though the space was similar to the sewing shop, it was more open than the organized chaos of the other store.
As I looked over the selection, it was clear none of them were my normal style. They were all a darker shade, in blacks and navys and maroons. But they were striking. Many of them had a shimmery overlay that shifted depending on the angle you looked at it.
One of the lighter blue ones caught my eye. Still darker than I would have normally wanted, but it had this sparkly quality I couldn’t take my eyes off of.
I pulled the garment from the rack, deciding to at least try it on.
“Great, ready?” Shadowhart asked.
He was so quiet I would have forgotten he was there if he wasn’t looming over me like that.
“Not yet,” I said. “Have some patience.”
“I think I’ve been very patient thus far.”
I lifted a brow. If this was what he considered patient, I would hate to see what he thought of rushing.
“I need a few more,” I said, instead of sharing my thoughts. “And I should try them on to make sure they fit.”
“This research is important, and we don’t have all day.”
I grabbed a maroon one. “We actually do have all day. Unless you had other grand plans.”
He scowled. “Just hurry.”
I only smiled.