Strena The Voyage Part Four

 The Lesson Before Sailing

Strena, Bash, Chashathrophogh, Zaryb and Cerpheres walked onto the ship. It seemed smaller than the one that she boarded when she was seven years old, but it was large and it was made up of the same wood as her violin. At the front was silver writing.

The Quest Voyager

It was called. She walked onto the deck and looked back to Cerpheres walking up to her. He helped her adjust to the violin. She was soon able to stroke it well.

“Right, time to start on notes. Now move your fingers like this.”

“I’m not going to read them?”

He chuckled.

“Not yet my dear! Right now, you need to learn the motion first.”

“How come?”

“Did your dear Uncle Zarry teach you the names of fighting moves before he taught you them?”

“No.”

“Why is that?”

“He told me what I needed to know and do the moves before I learnt their names.”

“Then this is no different.”

She nodded. He soon taught her how to place her fingers on the neck and stroke the strings. Soon he went on to tell her the names of the notes. She kept repeating this again and again and again. She soon felt almost like she was sleeping as her mind felt calmer and calmer. She smiled as, with each stroke, she enjoyed the peace in her mind. It felt good, like a darkness was being melted away.

Then she found herself playing the tune that her father and Zaryb used to hum to her to get her to fall asleep. Yet with the sound of the violin it seemed different and clearer. She liked how it sounded and found that it sounded like a sorrowful tune.

Once she was done, the sun was sinking. She looked back as Cerpheres clapped.

“You’re a natural!”

She smiled, feeling slightly shy.

“Now, take the violin to your cabin.”

She nodded and ran to her cabin, which she was sharing with Bash. Once she rejoined the others Cerpheres placed a hand on her.

“Tag! You’re it!”

He then ran away. She frowned.

“What do you mean?” She shouted, chasing after him.

He ran to the left and she followed as he jumped onto the ropes. She followed as she climbed up, he jumped down. He was laughing as he threw a wet ball of cloth. She dived out of the way and ran on. He jumped upon a banister and ran along it and she raced after him. She then jumped up and as he ran along she caught him by his shoulder.

“What do you-”

“No! You’re supposed to say ‘tag’! Don’t you know how to play tag?”

“What? No. Wait, that was playing?”

“Yes. Oh? Were you never taught how to play?”

“No!” She snapped moodily.

“Then my dear, I’ll teach you!”

“But I’m-”

“I know! But you shouldn’t shun childish fun for the sake of being an adult!”

She looked up as the sun started to dip and they started to sail. Strena yawned as she made her way back to the cabin. There she fell asleep to the same repeating dream of killing that man and leaving her kingdom forever.