![Scarlet and the White Wolf [02] - Mariner's Luck](https://fs.ageofbook.com/492809/thumbs/152x264/scarlet-and-the-white-wolf-02-mariners-luck.jpg)
as he brushed his unkempt hair out of his eyes. "I've been thinking; when we first met, it felt like you were chasing me. I wished 90
Mariner's Luck [Scarlet and the White Wolf Book 2]
by Kirby Crow
you'd stop and just leave me alone. Now I feel like I'm chasing you."
Liall stared at him, then put his hand on Scarlet's chest, just over his heart, and left it there. Scarlet's heart beat with a slow, trusting rhythm, and his warmth seeped into Liall's palm. Liall shook his head sadly.
"Therein is the problem, little Byzan. You have already caught me." Scarlet began to answer him, but Liall put his fingers to Scarlet's mouth. "No more," he begged. "Not just yet. Can we not sit quietly together?"
Scarlet nodded, though Liall saw it was an effort for him.
How this Hilurin hated to let go of an argument! They sat together until the moon drifted under the sea and the colorless dawn slipped in thin and sibilant as a whisper in the dark. Soon, there would be no more dawns, for in less than twenty days they would cross into the Seas of Night and the sun would become a memory.
And he is not ready for it, Liall worried, taking Scarlet's hand. Scarlet allowed it and even slid closer to rest his head on Liall's shoulder.
He is not ready and you are not ready, he mused. And the past will not heal. It draws nearer.
* * * *
Liall's wound healed well over the next week and was nearly closed when Qixa requested that Liall and Scarlet stay off the main deck as much as possible. Once they crossed into the Norl'Uhn, the great North Sea, there was little to do, and 91
Mariner's Luck [Scarlet and the White Wolf Book 2]
by Kirby Crow
the hazards of ice and heavy winds made it more sensible for the passengers to stay below, Qixa explained.
After the pirate raid, Qixa seemed to think it was his personal responsibility to deliver Liall to Rshan in one piece. It was also true that the closer they came to Rshan, the more likely another attack would be.
So here we are, Liall thought as another long afternoon with Scarlet droned by. Just the two of us penned together in a small space. You would think that would make me happy.
Instead, Liall found he was growing increasingly morose and ill-tempered. He talked no more of love with Scarlet, and after three days the monotony of listening to the sea batten against the hull and the wind whistle through the cracks of the porthole began to weigh heavy on him. He taught Scarlet to speak a little Sinha to pass the hours, teaching him the nuances of certain words, how to say simple greetings and the names of everyday things. Scarlet was a quick study and forgot nothing, and Liall was amazed at his memory. Then, he recalled that a pedlar who could not read or keep books would have need of a sharp memory. Scarlet's pronunciation was so far off that Liall despaired of Scarlet ever making himself understood once they reached Rshan, but the pedlar never gave up trying, even when it was painfully obvious that a lifetime of speaking Bizye had left him unable to curl his tongue around the more complex Sinha consonant blends.
"Hunge sinir ch'th sun rl'er'r."
Liall smiled, which made Scarlet scowl and purse his mouth to try again. It still sounded like toddler speech. If 92
Mariner's Luck [Scarlet and the White Wolf Book 2]
by Kirby Crow
Scarlet spoke to anyone in Rshan with that abominable accent, they would laugh at him.
"Try blowing your breath out a bit more when you say the words, Scarlet. You will never make yourself understood if you do not speak with more strength."
"If I speak with any more strength, I'm going to be spitting."
Liall shrugged. "At least you will be saying good morning when you spit, not 'where is the bear buried'?"
"You just made that up," Scarlet accused.
"Nothing of the sort. Here, try again; hunge sinir ch'th —"
When Scarlet tired of learning and Liall wearied of teaching, tedium returned and Liall settled for watching Scarlet as a pastime: the way the candlelight shaded
Mariner's Luck [Scarlet and the White Wolf Book 2]
by Kirby Crow
you'd stop and just leave me alone. Now I feel like I'm chasing you."
Liall stared at him, then put his hand on Scarlet's chest, just over his heart, and left it there. Scarlet's heart beat with a slow, trusting rhythm, and his warmth seeped into Liall's palm. Liall shook his head sadly.
"Therein is the problem, little Byzan. You have already caught me." Scarlet began to answer him, but Liall put his fingers to Scarlet's mouth. "No more," he begged. "Not just yet. Can we not sit quietly together?"
Scarlet nodded, though Liall saw it was an effort for him.
How this Hilurin hated to let go of an argument! They sat together until the moon drifted under the sea and the colorless dawn slipped in thin and sibilant as a whisper in the dark. Soon, there would be no more dawns, for in less than twenty days they would cross into the Seas of Night and the sun would become a memory.
And he is not ready for it, Liall worried, taking Scarlet's hand. Scarlet allowed it and even slid closer to rest his head on Liall's shoulder.
He is not ready and you are not ready, he mused. And the past will not heal. It draws nearer.
* * * *
Liall's wound healed well over the next week and was nearly closed when Qixa requested that Liall and Scarlet stay off the main deck as much as possible. Once they crossed into the Norl'Uhn, the great North Sea, there was little to do, and 91
Mariner's Luck [Scarlet and the White Wolf Book 2]
by Kirby Crow
the hazards of ice and heavy winds made it more sensible for the passengers to stay below, Qixa explained.
After the pirate raid, Qixa seemed to think it was his personal responsibility to deliver Liall to Rshan in one piece. It was also true that the closer they came to Rshan, the more likely another attack would be.
So here we are, Liall thought as another long afternoon with Scarlet droned by. Just the two of us penned together in a small space. You would think that would make me happy.
Instead, Liall found he was growing increasingly morose and ill-tempered. He talked no more of love with Scarlet, and after three days the monotony of listening to the sea batten against the hull and the wind whistle through the cracks of the porthole began to weigh heavy on him. He taught Scarlet to speak a little Sinha to pass the hours, teaching him the nuances of certain words, how to say simple greetings and the names of everyday things. Scarlet was a quick study and forgot nothing, and Liall was amazed at his memory. Then, he recalled that a pedlar who could not read or keep books would have need of a sharp memory. Scarlet's pronunciation was so far off that Liall despaired of Scarlet ever making himself understood once they reached Rshan, but the pedlar never gave up trying, even when it was painfully obvious that a lifetime of speaking Bizye had left him unable to curl his tongue around the more complex Sinha consonant blends.
"Hunge sinir ch'th sun rl'er'r."
Liall smiled, which made Scarlet scowl and purse his mouth to try again. It still sounded like toddler speech. If 92
Mariner's Luck [Scarlet and the White Wolf Book 2]
by Kirby Crow
Scarlet spoke to anyone in Rshan with that abominable accent, they would laugh at him.
"Try blowing your breath out a bit more when you say the words, Scarlet. You will never make yourself understood if you do not speak with more strength."
"If I speak with any more strength, I'm going to be spitting."
Liall shrugged. "At least you will be saying good morning when you spit, not 'where is the bear buried'?"
"You just made that up," Scarlet accused.
"Nothing of the sort. Here, try again; hunge sinir ch'th —"
When Scarlet tired of learning and Liall wearied of teaching, tedium returned and Liall settled for watching Scarlet as a pastime: the way the candlelight shaded
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