Novalog Heist Fanfiction Contest

Olive by Ellen

Olive.
Two years. Two years he’d been haunted by her name. She was the last thing he remembered before finding himself back in Gallitan, and the first thought he’d had that evening when Velvare and Avidan had come for him. She was his only comfort when he woke from the nightmares.
And now her name sounded through his head in time with his echoing footsteps. O-live. O-live. O-live.
Ruya must hate him. He’d promised he wouldn’t leave this time. Noah didn’t blame her if she did hate him. He hated himself most days.
But when he thought of Olive…
How could his heart feel so full and yet so broken at the same time?
He hardly noticed the palace around him. It could have been on fire or falling to pieces like the Capitol for all he knew. All thoughts were for Olive. He was closer than he’d been in years.
The guards posted outside Avidan’s rooms recognized Noah immediately.
“He’s sleeping,” the nearest guard said.
“Wake him.”
“He’s sleeping. Come back tomorrow.”
“I need to talk to him now. Let me in.”
“You can talk to him in the morning.”
Noah pointed to the windew at the end of the hall where the dark of night was giving way to grey. “It is morning.”
The guard scowled and took a step toward Noah.
“What’s all this?” Avidan appeared in the doorway, hair flopping into his eyes.
“We’re dealing with the situation, Sire,” the guard said.
Avidan’s eyes landed on his cousin. “Noah?”
“We need to talk.”
They held each other’s eyes a moment before Avidan sighed and held the door wider. “Let him in.”

* * *

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Avidan shoved his bangs out of his face and leaned back in the chair. “I’m the future king of Gallitan. I can’t go around stealing ships.”
“Commandeering, not stealing.”
“I’ve got enough problems to deal with, Noah. There are still people trapped in the rubble and half the kingdom blames Raritan for the collapse. They’re ready to declare war when King Gosport arrives tomorrow—“ He glanced at the window, “—today. And now Velvare’s missing—“
“He’s missing? This is the perfect time, Avidan. Use the unrest to your advantage.”
“So you get to be safe on the other side of the world while I’m left to clean up another one of your messes?”
“I wouldn’t call it safe,” Noah muttered, gripping his left arm. He could feel the puckered skin of scars through his sleeve. The hand still twinged sometimes from all the damage he’d done. “But this is the best chance I’ve ever had to go back. You know what’s at stake. If, by some miracle, Apen’s plan works, I might finally…”
He trailed off, staring out the window to where the stars were disappearing, one by one.
“She’ll be walking by now,” Noah whispered. “Learning to talk.”
He’d watched his mother raise enough babies to know the milestones he was missing. First smile, first laugh, first steps… What was her first word? What was she like?
He prayed she had Ruya’s optimism. The world needed more of that. He needed more of that. And if Olive was anything like Noah, Ruya’s hands were more than full.
“I know, Noah.” Avidan twirled his circlet between his fingers, not looking at his cousin.
“So help me. You never knew your father. I barely got to know mine. If you help me, we can spare Olive that same grief.”
Her name was always on his mind, but he hadn’t spoken it aloud in years. Not since he first came back to Gallitan. Some days he wanted to say it, just to remind himself that she wasn’t just some fantasy conjured by Syllor’s Curse. But she was too bright, too wonderful, to be anything but real.
“Fine.” Avidan set the circlet on his head stood up. “What do you need me to do?”

* * *

Noah shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to hide their trembling from Avidan. He was used to shaking, of course, but from curses, not fear. If Avidan noticed, he would blame it on the chill in the air.
The tremors only got worse when the Novalog came into view.
The ship brought back half remembered events from his past trips to Levant, none of them good. He tried to distract himself with thoughts of Olive, grasping at the few memories he had. Soft hair beneath his palm. Wide eyes staring up into his own. Her screams mingling with Ruya’s; the best and worst thing he’d ever heard.
But her face—her face. He’d drawn it once, back before he left Levant, but Syllor’s Curse had left its mark on that as well. The lines were so faint, so jagged, it was almost unrecognizable as a face, let alone his daughter. But it was all he’d had to cling to until that failed trip home when Ethelinda—
Noah shook his head. He may have lost the original sketch, but there were others, all carefully torn from his sketchbook and hidden where only he could look at them. For two years, he had wrestled with his half-shattered memory, trying to match the passage of time to what he recalled of her face. He imagined her a million different ways, tracing her growth from infant to the toddler she’d be today. Sometimes she looked like Ruya; others, she was the spitting image of Idony. Once or twice he’d surprised himself by giving her his mother’s eyes. But never his own eyes. He was absent from her life in every other way. Surely her face was no different.
“What ship are you planning to take?” Avidan asked, yanking Noah’s attention back to the harbour. Not yet dawn and the place was already bustling.
“That one.” Noah pointed.
Avidan looked then turned back with a grin. “The Novalog?”
Noah shrugged. “It’s a good size for our needs and I already know my way around.”
“And it doesn’t hurt that you’ll be messing with the crew?”
“Call that a fun bonus.”
“I agree,” Avidan laughed. “You’ll meet me by the bridge?”
“Yes.”
The prince made his way toward the Novalog.
Noah should have started making his way to the Greenway Bridge, but he wanted to stick around long enough to make sure the plan worked. So he slipped into the shadows of the harbour office to watch.
“I need your ship,” Avidan said when he reached the Novalog.
“For what purpose?”
Noah shrank deeper into the shadows as the captain appeared at the railing.
“Velvare Bamidele has need of your vessel. His purposes are his own.”
Oh, he’d be a good king yet.
“And there are no other ships for him to take? We have orders—from Velvare himself—to sail tomorrow. We can’t waste time running errands for you when we need to gather supplies.”
“He specifically requested the Novalog. As your prince, I command you to obey.” Avidan’s voice shook a little on the word prince.
The captain squinted at Avidan, but apparently had no further arguments. She beckoned him aboard to make the arrangements.
That was Noah’s cue. He had to get down to the bridge in time to meet them.
But as he turned his back on the Novalog, he crashed into someone coming from the other direction.
He took a step back, then another when he recognized her.
Her.

* * *

Chains. Curses. Pain.
The memories came in bits and pieces, darkened by the shadows of that voyage. His vision blurred. Past and present tangled together in his head.
“Hello, Noah,” she chirped sweetly. “You joining us tomorrow?”
Noah clutched his arm, though there was no more malice in her words than mere hatred.
She offered a smile that would have been friendly if he didn’t know better. “I’m sure the others will be thrilled to see you. Come along, Noah.”
His muscles seized on that last sentence. Digging his fingers into his arm, he snatched at whatever pieces of himself he could find.
Doctor. Wife. Olive.
But no matter how hard he tried, his body wasn’t his own. He was walking down the dock, following her to the Novalog. He passed Avidan and looked away.
“You were supposed to leave,” the prince hissed. “What are you doing?”
But Noah couldn’t respond.
“Look who’s joined us,” the sailor crowed.
The rest of the crew laughed. He lowered his eyes, memories, pain, flickering through the back of his mind. Something hurt. His nails were digging into his arm.
“We’ve got your usual room ready,” someone shouted.
“We’ve been missing you.”
“Welcome back, Noah.”
“Shut up!” Avidan screamed, hands in fists. He glared at each member of the crew in turn. “Go away. Get off this ship!”
“It’s my ship,” the captain said, leaning back against the mast.
“Get off.” Avidan thrust a finger toward the dock, eyes blazing. “That’s an order.”
The captain smirked. “What’s this? Giving orders without Velvare standing over your shoulder to give them for you?”
She took one step toward the prince, but before either cousin could say anything more, a dark blur came hurtling through the air, swinging on a rope from another ship to crash into the captain and send her thudding to the deck.
Joe Alvarado shoved the hat back from his face and placed himself between the crew and the two cousins.
“Listen to your prince,” he said, staring them down.
The crew slowly filed down the gangplank, the captain last of all.
“Everyone okay?” Joe asked when the last of them had disappeared.
“How did you know we needed help?” Avidan asked.
Joe narrowed his eyes at Noah. “My family’s safety rests on Noah. You really think I’d let him out of my sight?”
Noah’s anger was tempered by understanding. It was a father’s duty to protect his daugher, his family.
What would that feel like?
“When you said you would arrange the ship, I didn’t expect you to steal it! What are you thinking?”
“Technically, we’re commandeering it,” Noah offered.
“If you knew what these people have done,” Avidan growled, “you wouldn’t be so upset.”
Joe looked between the two men, then sighed. “What do you need me to do?”
“We need to get this ship down to the Greenway Bridge.”
“Let’s go.”

* * *

Between the three of them, they managed the ship just fine. By the time the bridge came into sight, the sun was over the horizon, gleaming off the white stones. Bright and beautiful as the bridge was, that wasn’t what stole Noah’s attention as they neared the meeting place.
Joe let out a low whistle. “I’ve never seen so many ships.”
Like a wall of enemies cutting him off from any hope of seeing Olive again.
“The Raritans,” Avidan said, eyes wide over the ship’s wheel.
Noah clutched at his arm, staring at the approaching ships. Syllor’s Curse. If they came too close, if the person using the curse recognized him as a St. Claire…
He shuddered. It was too late to worry about that. He was committed to this path.
Avidan brought the Novalog into shore in the shadow of the bridge. Noah hardly noticed the shaky docking. What if there were already Raritans in Greenway? What if they found Idony?
Gritting his teeth, he took the line Joe tossed him and helped tie the ship to her place.
“Do you need anything else from me?” Avidan asked. “I need to see to the Raritans.”
“Go,” Noah growled. “Be Velvare’s little puppet.”
Avidan turned and followed the river toward the visitors.
“I’ll go get my family,” Joe said.
Noah nodded. “I’ll find the others.”
They parted ways, Joe dashing across the bridge toward his farm, Noah heading deeper into the city for Idony and—ugh—Marcus. But it was no use leaving the moustache behind. He was as cursed as the rest of them.
Noah paused and turned back in time to see the rising sun catch in the Novalog’s red sails, gleam off that polished deck. She was beautiful, if he looked past the memories. He would have to spend months at sea with those ghosts, but he’d done worse. And if it brought him back home, he could face anything. Even curses.
Allowing himself a small smile, Noah turned to find Idony. The first piece of his fractured family.
Once he had her, he would go back to Levant. Back to Ruya.
Back to Olive.

Nothing Causes Family Bonding Like Arson and Theft by Murry

It was a fine evening for enjoying the outdoors and making outrageously expensive purchases, and Noah was prepared to do both. He had everything he needed– money (because apparently you need that to buy things), a knife tucked in his boot (where most people wouldn’t be able to find it and force him to use it on himself), and a prince of Gallatin (just in case).

“Where are we going?” Avidan asked, rubbing his head. It was still sore from his fight with Enel. No concussion, though, Noah had checked.

“The port,” Noah replied airily.

“I mean, I knew that, but why?”

“Because–” Noah faltered, then swore. “Marcus’ mustache.”

“What?” Avidan asked, amused.

Noah grabbed Avidan’s arm and hauled him around the corner. “We’re going this way.”

“Did you just curse on Marcus’ mustache?”

Noah ignored him, mind racing almost as fast as his heart. The crew was supposed to be in Levant until next month. Noah knew this because he had checked and re-checked the schedule.

But strolling down the port, carefree and whistling, was a burly, dark-haired man who Noah recognized. A man who Noah detested. He had seen that man, as he was guided up the stairs by Avidan all that time ago. The man had been laughing- Avidan had snapped something at him- Noah didn’t remember what Avidan said, but he could clearly recall the man laughing louder and saying, “be glad I didn’t snap both his wrists.”

Noah didn’t remember anything happening to his wrist, but– his left hand still hurt sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time. And it was that man’s fault.

And Noah didn’t even know his name.

That was one of the most maddening bits. How Noah couldn’t fill in those gaps. How he had scars from things he didn’t even remember happening. He still flinched when he heard the thud of boots on the floor above him, and he didn’t even know why.

Noah wished he remembered his time on the ship. At least then he’d know what to fix.

But no, all Noah had left from that trip was blurry images, distorted screams, and the glimpses he’d seen as Avidan pulled him off that cursed boat.

“Seriously, where are we going?” Avidan asked, struggling to keep up with the now-running Noah.

Well, they had been going to buy a ship –and Noah had brought Avidan because people were less prone to curses around his cousin– but if that man was here, the rest of the crew must be nearby as well. Noah had not accounted for this. Noah had specifically planned his schedule around being away from these people.

So, change of plans. His old crew would be heading to the port’s office-slash-inn to check in and stay for a few nights. If Noah wanted to buy a boat, he would risk being near them. And no way was Noah going anywhere near them.

They made him scared.

He never used to be scared of them. He never used to be scared of anyone. He never used to freeze at the sight of certain people. But he had been changed, turned inside out and upside down without his permission, and they had done the changing.

They made him scared. And that made him angry.

Noah slowed from a faltering sprint to a purposeful walk, and Avidan slowed beside him.

It wasn’t fair that Noah had to hide if he wanted to avoid breaking his own fingers.

“You don’t mind a bit of healthy theft, do you?” Noah asked Avidan, face shining with determination.

It wasn’t fair that Noah woke up screaming over things he didn’t remember.

“Do I mind– Noah, I’m the prince.”

“That just means you’re above the law.”

“…That’s a gross abuse of power.”

Noah scoffed. “Kid, you have no idea what abuse of power is.”

It wasn’t fair that Noah felt so scared. Noah hated feeling scared. And the best way to overcome fear was to face it head-on, right? If that meant a bit of healthy revenge, all the better.

Noah was going to steal their ship.

Was stealing fair? Maybe not. But fairness had stopped caring about Noah a long time ago, and it was only fair that Noah returned the favor.

–

“Why are we doing this?” Avidan whisper-hissed, crouching next to Noah behind the fish-barrels. Noah could barely make him out in the dark night.

“Because I need a boat,” Noah said.

“Okay, but why are we stealing one!? I’m a prince! I have money!”

“Does it make you feel better to know that we’re stealing it from them?” Noah jerked his head to his crew, standing under one of the street lamps, drinking, and laughing.

Avidan leaned forward and squinted at the group. It was almost funny how Noah could pinpoint the exact moment Avidan’s face drew up in disgust.

“That’s your old crew,” Avidan said.

“Yup.”

An angry light flashed in Avidan’s eyes. “You know what? Yes. That actually makes me feel so much better about this.”

Noah grinned. “I knew I could count on you.”

–

“Most guards are on the main ships,” Noah told Avidan. “And a smaller vessel would work better for my purposes, anyway.”

“So they just leave the smaller vessels unguarded?” Avidan asked skeptically.

“No, they’ve got guards everywhere.” Noah pulled out a bottle of alcohol he’d found on the ground earlier. “We’re just going to draw them away from the smaller ships.”

“How so?”

Noah pulled out a match. “By setting their largest ship on fire.”

–

Noah, after giving a few brief instructions, left Avidan to the task of setting the carrack on fire. He felt slightly guilty for asking that of his cousin, but life wasn’t fair and Avidan seemed more than willing, so, whatever.

In the meantime, he snuck his way towards the boat he had his eyes on– a moderately-sized and well-kept cog, at the far end of the deck. The Admulog.

A shout made him flinch, and he turned back to see his crew’s carrack go up in flames. Well done, Avidan.

People started streaming toward the boat, and Noah cursed under his breath. He hadn’t counted on getting that fast a response. There was no way he’d be able to make it all the way to the end of the port without being seen and recognized. He said a mental goodbye to the Admulog, climbed aboard the nearest ship– a smaller, dingier vessel that he didn’t quite catch the name of– and began untying the ropes.

Avidan came sprinting down the port moments later, and would have run right past Noah if Noah hadn’t grabbed his cloak and yanked him back.

“All aboard,” Noah said cheerfully, pulling him on deck. He was in fine spirits now that he was away from his ex-crew.

“Don’t scare me like that,” Avidan hissed, already brushing himself off. “I thought you were going for that ship at the end of the port.”

Noah shrugged. “Couldn’t make it. Welcome aboard–” he glanced over the ship’s edge to read the words on the side, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. “–The Noahlog. Huh. Cool name.”

Avidan frowned and peered over next to him. “Pretty sure that says Novalog.”

“Oh.” Noah shrugged. “Same difference.”

“Sure.” Avidan rolled his eyes and made his way across the ship to the steering wheel. “I’ll steer, you do everything else.”

Noah grinned as untied the sail. “Classic royalty, putting all the responsibility on the working class.”

“They’re called working class for a reason,” Avidan called across the deck.

“Ooh, don’t let Velvare hear you say that.”

“I don’t care what Velvare thinks,” Avidan grumbled, looking away, clearly caring what Velvare thought.

Noah nearly laughed out loud. Ah, to be young again and be worried about nothing more than Velvare’s ever-present burden on your emotional life. He was going to miss Avidan. For a fleeting moment, Noah imagined what it would be like to have his whole family -Avidan and Idony and Ruya and Olive and, okay, maybe even his mom- together.

It was just a pipe dream. Avidan was needed here and his mother would never cross the deadlands and who knew where Ruya was. And Thoth was dead. There was no family reunion in store for Noah.

He pushed those thoughts away -no reason to ruin the night- and smiled as they glided away, their theft unnoticed. Behind them, the carrack crumbled into flames, destroyed beyond any hope of repair. Neither cousin noticed, and neither cousin cared.

–

Later, once they were all aboard the Novalog and packing up to leave, Noah watched Marcus arrange his books. A sketch of Enel slipped out of one of the pages- he must have been using it as a bookmark. Marcus looked at the sketch and smiled, as if he was just happy to see his kid, even in a picture.

Noah looked away. He could barely remember Olive’s smile.

But maybe… maybe he’d see it again soon.

No.

There was no ‘maybe’ in this.

He would see his daughter again. No matter what. Noah would steal every ship in the port, break every bone in his own body, for the chance to be reunited with his family. For the chance to introduce Ruya to Avidan. For the chance to watch Idony fawn over Olive. For his mom to discover that she was a grandmother. It was a pipe dream, yeah. But right now, under layers of confusing curses and muddled memories, it was all that Noah had. So if he could at least find his daughter again- maybe even introduce Ruya to Idony-

If Noah could do that, he would be happy.

So Noah smiled, as he sailed off. Even with bloody fingers and aching arms and a sore wrist and no legal right to this ship, he smiled. Because he wasn’t just sailing off to escape his past. He was sailing off to reunite his family.

A Slight Case of Possible Death by Maris Richmond

The stars were out tonight. Blanketed across the sky as if someone had scattered glittering diamonds upon its unseen edges. They were smiling and winking in sharp contrast to the frowning man walking beneath their gaze. Noah St. Claire had his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed as he strode along the quay. He was looking for a ship, the Novalog, and was approaching section 34 of the port on an empty stretch of walkway. Section 34 was right where he remembered it. He carefully slipped further into the shadows as he neared it.

There would be guards near the boats. Usually there were more, but with the sickness going around there were fewer than usual. Regardless, Noah wasn’t going to risk getting caught so near the Novalog.

He slipped from alley to alley next to the docks, sure that if he saw the Novalog he’d recognize her. The silence and stillness of the night pressed down on him, glaring at his every movement and hushed breath.

Then he saw her. She had her sails down and her masts struck into the air like needles. The light of the moon and stars seemed to die in her shadow as their light reflected off the softly heaving water around the Novalog.

He stood there staring, lost for a brief moment in memories, then he knelt down next to the hard wall beside him. Leaning into its shadow he gazed at the Novalog and planned.

—

The next day he set out to find Donald, a former crew member aboard the Novalog; he was thin and small, a greasy form of character with no spunk or wit. Easily scared and manipulated yet proud, a perfect combination for a traitor.

The streets were crowded despite the rapidly spreading sickness, so Noah took to the alleyways and happened upon surprisingly many obstacles, most of them detourable. A fight between two rival gangs, an angry chief with his likewise pet pitbull, a lost delivery boy and worst of all, a girl in distress.

She was obviously out of her element and trying very hard not to look like it. Two street girls had cornered her and were having fun mocking her and laughing uproariously at her. She looked to be around twelve with strawberry blond hair, dark blue eyes and millions of freckles over every visible part of her skin. Her shirt and pants were dirty and torn but still recognizable as the men’s height of fashion. No wonder the bullies had singled her out. A rich girl pretending to be a boy was a tempting source for mockery. They liked feeling power over her fear, or rather, her attempts to hide it. They threw sand and kicked out at her, sneering and pacing back and forth like wolves.

Noah quickly dispatched them by charging at them and yelling like a mix between Tarzan and Samson. He shook and slashed through the air with his medical kit (perhaps it looked like a deadly assault weapon.) Fear was a tool at times more useful than physical force, especially against two sneaky street girls. They quickly skittered away, as Noah also planned to do before the little girl started following him.

“Where are you going?” The question loudly burst forth like she was combating shyness and inner uncertainty.

Noah replied grouchily, “Wherever you aren’t,” hoping she would leave him alone. But she annoyingly seemed more intrigued than before and walked beside him, peering up into his shadowed, bowed head.

“Now that wasn’t very nice.”

Noah glanced out of the corner of his eye. The girl was smiling like she’d caught him in a sneakily set trap of hers. A wary feeling settled in Noah’s stomach; little kids shouldn’t have evil plans, it was especially creepy.

She said, “Well, don’t want any reward for saving me?”

“Well,” Noah replied, glancing both ways before crossing an alleyway, “you could leave me alone.”

“That’s not really a reward. If you could pick anything in the world to have, what would you pick?”

He could think of several things, especially one, but there was no way he was going to tell her. The girl watched him intensely for a reaction. He met her gaze; he sped up his gait.

“Pleeeeeeaaaaaaassssse? She skipped sideways beside him, her hands clasped and her eyes pleading.

“Why do you want to know?” There was a slight growl undertone in his voice but it went right over her head. Her skipping made loud clapping sounds so he slowed down, resigned to her sticking to his tail at the moment.

She slowed down with him and shrugged, “Because, I’m curious.”

There was a beat of quiet as their footsteps padded across the stones. Then the little girl spoke again as if she were at the zoo introducing a toad with weird eating habits. “Plus I’ve got spare time, and you’re tons of fun to interrogate and annoy.” She grinned at him and tossed her hair, putting her hands in her pockets.

Despite her sparkling eyes, though, when she’d said that Noah was reminded of all the times he’d been abused. “Apparently so.” His voice was tinged with a bit of bitterness and anger.

The girl could sense that, and after studying his face with narrowed eyes for a futile moment she gave up, tossed her head again, and chattered on.

“You know, you’re like one of those grumpy Persian cats that loll about the place and can’t talk so you never know what they’re grumpy about and—”

“You talk way too much.” Noah interrupted with a sigh.

She frowned at him reproachfully and continued.“Or maybe you do know what they’re grumpy about. You just ignore them because you can’t do anything to help them.”

“You can help me by shutting that trap of yours.”

“Oh, I don’t have traps and I was talking about the cats, not you; I don’t know what you’re grumpy about and I don’t think you’d like to be helped.”

“Can you stop talking?!”

“Well, of course I can, anyone can, but I don’t want to. And you’re such a good listener, most people aren’t, at least towards me. I can’t imagine why.”

“Humph. I can.”

She didn’t respond for a long time, which Noah was very grateful for. However, a feeling of impending doom started to hang over him as he waited for the girl to speak again. It was inevitable, yet was there hope of finding escape in time?

“I like graham crackers.”

“What?!”

Smiling all the while she switched subjects like a cunning general changing tactics. “What’s your name? John? Bill? Bob? Habakkuk?”

“Habakkuk?”

“So it is Habakkuk! What a coincidence-“

“No! Why would you-” He gaped at her, totally thrown off guard, (which was probably her evil plan all along). Then he gulped and answered, “It’s Noah.”

“Oh, then why did you say your name was Habakkuk?”

“I didn’t! Why-” He paused, overcome with confusion and irritation. Then he finally noticed her trying really hard to hide a smile. She must’ve known that the game was up because her smile erupted. He rolled his eyes, “You really enjoy this a lot, don’t you?”

She only grinned wider at him.

“Can’t you do this to someone else? Preferably someone who actually likes your kind of banter?”

“Awww, are you saying you don’t like my sense of humor?” She laughed and then continued, “You know, I think it’s an impossible choice between graham crackers and sugared strawberries. Life wouldn’t be the same without either of them. And I’m glad your name’s not Habbakuk.”

But Noah didn’t answer, only continued to walk forward, his eyes darting from side to side.

Watching his face, the girl got the sense of a haunted and hunted look about him.“Do you know what the name ‘Noah’ means?” She said, looking for a reaction. But it was almost as if he’d shut down. He didn’t even look at her this time.

For the first time since she’d started following him her face creased into a frown and her head bowed, hanging over her feet. She watched the gray, cobbled ground pass by below her. Her voice was clear and philosophical. “Noah means ‘rest.’”

There was silence after that as they walked down the rundown alleyways. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable, just…sad.

—

Noah eventually lost the girl by squeezing through a crevasse between two leaning buildings. Apparently she didn’t like the dark and couldn’t convince herself into following him.

After transferring a specially prepared packet from his medical kit to his satchel, he stored the kit away before he set off once again. He quickly arrived at the Novalog crew’s preferred bar room close to the harbor; Donald’s favorite temporary residence night or day.

Noah creeped up to its partly shuttered window and peeked in. Donald was there, gambling with greedily lit eyes at a round table near the center with seven other rowdy, smoking gamblers.

So Noah hid a little ways from the front door and waited. At about noon Donald emerged with a burst of smoke from the bar. He scuttled past Noah’s hiding place with his head hunched over and his hands in his pockets.

Quickly Noah followed him, imitating Donald’s don’t-look-at-me posture. After a while, though, Donald must’ve noticed Noah following him because he suddenly darted into an alley. Noah grinned and ran after him; Donald couldn’t have made a worse attempt at a getaway.

In no time at all Noah had run him down and dragged the desperate, flailing creature off a brick wall. “Leave me alone!” Donald wailed as Noah grasped him tightly with his back to the wall, then patted the satchel at his side.

“Oh, sure, Donald, but first I need a favor from you. And I think you owe me, remember? A lot.”

He was referring to all of the times the other members of the crew, the descendants of Dolan, had practically tortured him and Donald had taken part in the background, mocking and jeering from a safe distance. Ironically Noah wasn’t even threatening physical harm yet and Donald was already crying and weeping for his life. Evidently it wouldn’t even be as hard as he’d originally thought to get Donald to do what he wanted. Donald was going to poison the crew of the Novalog.

—

Noah made sure Donald knew that he was following him. It was mostly to make sure Donald did as he was told and didn’t run off, but he couldn’t deny that it was also a great source of amusement to watch him run into walls and trip over barrels when he glanced nervously over his shoulder.

Finally, Donald reached the ship and walked up the gangplank. The rest of the crew were preparing to set sail in the next few days. With one last glance over his shoulder he went into the hold where the water stores were kept.

So far everything seemed to be going according to Noah’s plan. He spent most of the afternoon there watching the ship, waiting for the first signs of sickness.

After a quick lunch break, he came back to find some kind of port official leaving the Novalog. Usually this wouldn’t be odd, but his wife and child were with him, almost chasing him down as he hurriedly walked off, ignoring them and rifling through papers in his hands.

The wife looked to be both flattering her husband and snapping at her child who was lagging behind. The girl was bending to pick up the papers that kept blowing away out of her father’s busy hands. After a half-minute of flattery the wife started wailing and dramatically ripping her accessories off herself.

Noah couldn’t hear the words being spoken but he could tell clearly from their body language that the child and the wife were upset, while the husband ignored them both with the grace of one skilled by experience.

Then the girl looked up and Noah recognized her as the one he’d rescued from the street girls that morning, only now she was clean and wearing a dress. As they came closer toward him Noah could hear them.

“I don’t understand you, Habakkuk! Luincin’s wife, Phyrisia, she just got that cute-Oh!-I don’t see why you’re so stubborn with spending money,” She wailed very dramatically then turned around and snapped at her daughter, “Hurry up, you’ve been enough trouble as it is! And do not lose those papers! Or my bracelets and scarfs! WATCH THAT-Ugh, nevermind, quick, give them to me before you do something dreadful to them.” Quickly snatching her things she paid no attention to the girl’s obvious distress.

“Mom-“

“Not now,” The mother snapped again.

“But, Mom, I heard-“

“I don’t want to hear it, Missie!”

“Someone’s going to poison the Novalog crew!” It was the girl’s turn to near-wail but the wife was paying no attention and was already back to pleading with her husband several yards ahead. Then she abruptly became distracted by a passing merchant with his cart on his way to the market. Oblivious, the husband made his exit while the wife ordered Missie to take out several shoes for her mother to try. She practically snarled when Missie dropped a shoe by accident, and shouted at her. It didn’t seem to shock Missie, though. Once she’d gotten the shoes for her mother she tried to speak again but her mother was bickering with the merchant and paid no attention to her.

Missie started to wander away, only to pause as her mother snapped an order to not leave her sight. The girl consented with a nod then sneakily walked away faster behind her mother’s back. She was just looking back at her mother when Noah slid right in front of her path.

“Someone’s going to poison the crew of the Novalog?”

The girl’s head whipped around, wide-eyed, but then awareness dawned in them; she’d recognized him. “I heard it! On the ship, they were talking about it!”

Noah kneeled down to talk to her face to face. “What did they say? How many were there?”

She hesitated. Sensing her hesitation Noah urged her and said, “You can tell me; I will help you. You know that.” (Plus he needed to know what she’d heard and if Donald deserved a good whack on the head.)

The girl stared searchingly at face for a minute then seemed to come to a conclusion and with a decisive nod she said,

“I didn’t hear much, only one person saying, ‘he wants to kill us!’ and the captain replying something like, ‘we’re leaving in two days…change out the water before…just in case he manages to poison it…can’t let him know…we’ll be safe.’ Like I said, I didn’t hear very much.”

“I’ll check it out. And don’t tell anybody else; you don’t want to warn the poisoners that you’ve caught on to them.”

The child still looked worried with a slight furrow between her brows. Something twisted in Noah, causing him to firmly place his right hand on her shoulder and say, “Don’t worry anymore, it’ll be okay. Anyway, it’s out of your hands now.”

—

Once he’d retrieved his medical kit Noah found his way to the ships’ water reserves to wait for the crew. The girl had revealed that their plan was to restock the night before they set sail. He watched the front door of the warehouse, and the desk where the stockholder stood.

Eventually in the descending darkness a group of men came to the stockholder, who was just preparing to leave his shift. Noah recognized them as part of the Novalog crew.

Noah watched and listened as the men talked with the stockholder. He wasn’t close enough to hear exactly what they were saying but he could somewhat tell what was going on. They argued for a while; their voices raised a couple times in aggravation. No doubt the stockholder had found out that they’d already gotten their ration, and was questioning their reasons for a restock. Their reasons, clearly, weren’t good enough. The stockholder did not back down from his questions or leave his post (though he probably wanted to).

The men must’ve realized this, because finally they took out money and gestured angrily with it at him. The stockholder threw his hands up in the air frustratingly and took the money, writing something down in the account books in front of him.

The crew moved as if to enter the warehouse but the stockholder shouted at them to stop and after lots more arguing another man entered the scene with a questioning countenance. He must’ve been the person to take over the stockholders shift because both of the two men ended up shaking their heads at one another and the crew.

Noah could hear enough from the yelling to know that the stockholders weren’t allowing the crew to pick up their water until morning. After a minute, though, they compromised by letting them reserve their water in the warehouse

If the water wasn’t specially reserved, the stock might’ve run out since the water would’ve been given mostly to those the stockholders deemed worthy. (Of course, the crew would’ve gotten their money back; the stockholders didn’t want it in the first place.)

Noah wouldn’t have known any of this had not Agrutane, the first mate, been the primary speaker. He was especially loud when ticked off (which was all the time,).

Eventually the Novalog crew departed, cursing and muttering all the while. The two stockholders talked for a few minutes before the younger one left, leaving the old bearded one with the hat and pipe in his place.

It was night time by now, and the amount of guards on patrol had increased. Noah frowned at the opening to the warehouse and the old man, who had dragged an empty wooden crate behind the desk and sat on it. He couldn’t see the old man’s face beneath the hat.

Noah needed a diversion, so he sank into the shadows and left to find a bucket and a well.

—

He found an old, rusty bucket with a gash in the middle of its side which would work well enough for his purposes. When he had filled it some with the water from the community’s well he brought it to an alley near the warehouse.

Noah knelt down on the ground, placing his medical kit and the bucket quietly on the ground in front of him. He glanced from side to side, scanning the area. It would be a very inconvenient time to get caught. Quietly, he opened his medical kit. He reached in and withdrew a small glass bottle stopped with a cork. It was a purple, powdery substance, Evelien, used to clean cuts and wounds once mixed with alcohol or brandy. Noah had discovered that in addition to cleaning wounds it would also make consumers sick. A person sickened by Evelien, which was odorless and tasteless, shared symptoms of the current sickness going around. If the crew was sick, then they couldn’t sail the Novalog.

Once he opened it he started to sprinkle some into the water. Subconsciously he eyed just the right amount to put in. Too little and the substance wouldn’t affect them. Too much…and they would die.

Suddenly he paused and held his breath, all the memories came back. Wave after wave of hurt and pain hit him and pulled him under like a current. Yet one thought surfaced above all these memories; he had been powerless then, who was there to stop him from fighting back now?

The space around him was as hollow and dark as his memories, and the silence felt as if it were on the brink of being dashed to pieces, as if someone would take a dagger and angrily slash the cobbles stones beneath him. Perhaps the screeching of steel on stone would drown out the past echoes of his screams.

Then just as suddenly and as piercing as a dagger a quiet voice whispered in his head, “You told her that it would be okay.”

Hadn’t he tried to make lots of things okay for lots of people? Didn’t he deserve this?

“She trusted you.”

Uncertain, he held the bottle swaying over the water. The small voice reminded him that he’d tried this before, to kill. He felt like his swirling emotions were holding him captive underneath churning waves and the fresh air was so far away.

What did fresh air feel like?

Like Idony, smiling.

And Ruya.

Then, strangely, the little girl returned to his mind. Someone so innocent and carefree despite all of the pain that besieged her. That wouldn’t last long, he knew.

A beat of uncertainty followed, then with a violent motion he threw the bottle far into the shadows beyond him. All of this was beyond him.

There was the sound of glass shattering then loud voices coming towards him. Quickly he picked up the bucket and his medical kit and swept away like a moving shadow.

By the time he came to the entrance of the warehouse he realized he’d unintentionally caused a diversion; the old man had left his post. Without a seconds delay Noah dashed into the warehouse and found the Novalog’s reserve of water. He carefully poured the bucket into the barrel. It would only take a day for the crew to drink the water and become sick. Then he warily exited the warehouse; it was imperative that the crew not know that Noah had found them out. No sooner had Noah left the area then the old man waddled back to his post, murmuring about some sort of indecency. The man creaked and complained about his bones before sitting down and soon sleepily watching the smoke wisp from his pipe to glimmer in the night air.

—

It was the next day, the day before the Novalog was scheduled to set sail, and Noah was starting to get tired of sneaking about and spying on people. Especially since he was spying on something quite boring: the crew preparing to sail.

Clearly they meant to sail out that evening, ahead of schedule. They had retrieved their water early that morning before most people were up.

So Noah watched them closely and waited as the hours passed. And as the day passed less and less of the crew moved about the docks

He supposed that some of them were sick already but that they didn’t want to tell the authorities. If they did, the crew would be stuck here in quarantine where Noah could get to them more easily than out at sea. If killing them was truly what Noah actually wanted, which is what they thought he did.

Despite their best efforts, however, Noah sensed what was going to happen before it even took place, and watched it play out from his hiding place.

Two officials alongside Missie’s father, Habbakuk, came to the ship. Apparently the stockholder had dutifully reported the crew’s actions to the port authorities, Noah sighed with relief at that.

The three men boarded the ship and found the sick men. There was a bout of yelling and wild gesturing before it quieted and one of the officials trotted off, no doubt to get reinforcements.

As Noah watched, the official came back with more men and the crew was escorted away to a quarantine facility.

When everyone had left, Noah carefully abandoned his hiding place and approached the ship. He was preparing to climb the gangplank when a thought occurred to him.

His face creased into a frown and he placed his hand against the ship’s side. Maybe he wouldn’t have to steal the ship.

—

Noah was still having second thoughts as he entered the marina office. Each time he did he reassured himself with the thought that if this plan didn’t work out, he would simply revert to his old plan and steal the Novalog right from where she lay.

Before he could change his mind he committed himself by marching up to the portsmaster secretary’s desk and said, “Excuse me, sir, I heard you were looking for someone to transport the Novalog. I offer my services.”

“Name?” Habakkuk barked.

“Noah St. Claire.”

“Are you part of the crew? If so, have you been on board the Novalog in the past two days?” Habakkuk scurried through drawers and papers, glancing up every now and then to glare effectively at him. As if Noah wouldn’t tell the truth otherwise.

Noah cleared his throat before replying, “I have been on the crew before, sir, but not in the past two days.”

“Ah, here you are.” He pointed with his index finger on a piece of paper and nodded approvingly. “Alright St. Claire, you’ve got the job. You will get half your pay now, and the rest upon delivery. Here’s the receipt to give to Orsino’s portmaster, he will give you the rest of your pay.” After Habbakuk gave Noah the receipt and the money he took no more notice of him.

Noah took that as his cue to leave but thought it might be suspicious if he didn’t ask a few questions so he turned back to ask, “Sir, what happened to the crew?”

Habakkuk was writing something furiously down on a piece of paper, but masterfully multitasking he replied, “The captain is going to serve a sentence for attempting to get away with two rations of water. The rest of the crew is dismissed into quarantine but the cabin boy will be at your disposal. Surely you can handle the ship as is?”

“Yes, of course, sir. but if any of the men are healthy why can’t they sail the ship with me like the cabin boy?”

Blinking at him with an air of perseverance Habakkuk sighed,”The fellow maintains that he hasn’t been on board in the past two days and we didn’t apprehend him on the ship so we can’t disprove his witnesses. As for the other men there is a possibility that they will become sick by the time you dock at Orsino. Do you want to deal with sick people?

“No, sir.”

“Any more impertinent questions?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Then be off, and be sure you stay in quarantine for a set period before you leave the ship for your next job.”

“Yes, sir.”

—

Quickly Noah turned and exited the building to make his way back to the Novalog. As much as he tried to act inconspicuous he felt he was doing a terrible job at it. Tingles ran up and down his spine and it seemed like everyone was watching him, boring holes in his back.

And apparently someone was watching him, because quick footsteps raced up behind him.

He spun around, ready to spring when, in an instant, he saw who it was and stopped.

Missie had followed him from the marina office, where she’d evidently seen him talking to her father.

She stepped hesitantly toward him. “You’re leaving?”

Noah stepped back from her and glanced over his shoulder longingly. He wondered if he could use a diversion again. Maybe point over her shoulder and scream, “Watch out! There’s a man-eating yellow-bellied sapsucker!”

But before he could do anything she said, “What about the Novalog crew? And the poison?”

He sighed, “Didn’t I tell you not to worry about it?”

She didn’t blink at that. (Apparently this method of diversion wouldn’t work, so he reverted to plan C.) He gestured exasperatedly and said, “They’re safe now.” He meant it. At least, he meant they were safe from him. He turned to leave but she followed at his side.

Missie could sense his secretiveness and narrowed her eyes at him, “How do you know?”

He continued to avoid eye contact. “I just do.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

Noah growled in frustration and spun to face her. “Then understand this, you’re not old enough to understand that the world isn’t as clear and uncomplicated as you think it is. The fact is, those guys are hiding something; that’s why they didn’t go to the authorities. Don’t you see? They’re bad and they don’t deserve your help.”

He paused to catch his breath then continued evenly. “The circumstances surrounding this are way too complicated for you to get involved in. And bad things would happen to you if you did get involved.”

For the first time since he’d met Missie her eyes flashed with anger, but then it turned into something else, and she hung her head. “They already do.”

Noah was confused, “What?”

“Bad things happen to me.” She shifted like she wanted to avoid the question, and was regretting bringing this up. Which was enough for Noah, at least he wasn’t getting the interrogation anymore. But then she was rubbing her right shoulder and her eyes were darting from side to side. That action was familiar to him. He frowned and almost kicked himself when the words slipped out, “What bad things?”

She cleared her throat and croaked, “My guardians. They….well…I guess they don’t love me.”

Oh man. Noah glanced up at the sky and wished with all he had in him that she wouldn’t cry. Anything but that. Still, he had to say something didn’t he? He cleared his throat and coughed in his fist, “Missie?”

The girl sniffed but replied sourly, “That’s not my name.”

Noah sighed with relief and quickly took the change of subject. “It isn’t?”

“No, my name’s Marl. See, they don’t even…” She cleared her throat again and rolled her eyes, “The point is, I may not understand the circumstances,” she paused for emphasis, “but just because people have done bad things or hide things doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help them.”

Noah silently watched her. Her tone definitely indicated that she was talking in much broader terms now. He walked past her; It was time to go.

But still she followed at his side, so he spoke before she could come up with another uncomfortable subject, saying, “Why do they call you ‘Missie’?”

She shook her head, frowning, “It’s a long story.”

Right. Noah nodded to himself, now he was bringing up the uncomfortable subjects. He tried again, “What does ‘Marl’ mean?”

Finally the cloud of melancholy lifted off her face and she smiled, “It means ‘pleasant wood’; so you need to go find a ‘pleasant wood’ to ‘rest’ in.”

“That would be nice.” Noah replied generally.

They had made it, finally, to the ship, and Marl was still following him as he made the final preparations to set sail that had been abandoned by the crew.

She said, “Why are you leaving, anyway?”

He sighed as he coiled a rope, “Would you believe that I actually want this job?”

After she’d sat herself on a low piling of the dock, she shook her head, swung her feet and replied, “Nope.”

Noah rolled his eyes. She would never be satisfied with silence. “Alright then, fine, how about ‘I’m looking for something,’ that’s suitably ambiguous.”

She rolled her eyes back at him. Then not much later she spoke up again, only this time with a philosophical ring to her voice. “Noah, you know what cats do when they’re trapped in a corner?”

Not answering, Noah mentally crossed his fingers that for once she would be diverted through his silence. He pretended to be too busy gathering items off the dock floor to hear her.

“They fight like that’s all that matters. Like there’s no tomorrow. Like they’re their only savior.”

Noah laughed as he draped the coil of rope over his shoulder. “‘They’re their,’ sounds pretty weird.”

“Ugh.” she grunted, sounding embarrassed as well as exasperated, “You’re missing the point.”

“No,” He went on board, then came back to get the last of the supplies. Keeling down, he said,“I’m avoiding the point and fighting like my tail’s on fire.”

Then he heard a thump of feet on wood and Marl came right up next to him. She bent down and picked up his medical kit. “You don’t have a tail.” There was a smile in her voice.

He stood and replied sarcastically, “Yet somehow you still manage to relate me to a cat.”

He walked to the ship’s side and threw the last items onboard. Irresponsible, perhaps, but he was ready to leave this place.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Marl said quietly beside him. “Can I come with you?”

So that’s why she’d been stubbornly following him. In fact, she had just followed him, right up to the ship’s side.

Noah stared at the wood paneling in front of him and heard the Novalog’s red sails flap up above him. It was time to go. He sighed and turned to her, “Marl…”

His mind wandered through a thousand ways of escape, but all of them were harsh, and he just couldn’t make himself do that. So suddenly Noah went with his instincts. He picked her up and sat her on the edge of the boat. Then he took his medical kit from her hands. “You don’t even know what you’re asking.” He said somberly as she looked at him with pleading eyes.

“I know I’ve always wanted to run away and see how far I could go.”

“Not very far,” He said and heaved himself along with his medical kit up onto the gangplank next to her.

“Pleeeeeaaaaaase?”

“No.” He replied firmly.

“Why?” Marl shot back.

He shook his head at her and counted the reasons on his fingers. “Because I don’t want to get arrested for kidnapping and you’re not old enough to make life changing decisions like that.”

“Every decision is life changing!” Her voice rose excitedly as she argued her case.

Noah raised an eyebrow at her, amused, “Like deciding between graham crackers and sugared strawberries?”

“Exactly!” She clapped her hands once then pointed at him. “And if you take that ship you’ll be wanted for stealing anyway.” She shrugged and smiled, gesturing with her hands on either side of herself, invitingly.

He shook his head again and said quietly and somberly, “I won’t. And the answer’s no.”

Her shoulders slumped in disappointment and her head hung a little.

Noah left her to herself for a minute. While putting his medical kit away he saw a familiar sleeping figure, tucked away, snoring asleep in a berth with an arm wrapped around a bottle. The apparent “cabin boy.” Noah smiled deviously then went back onto the dock to detach the gangplank.

Once he’d done that he went to stand in front of Marl.

She wiped her face clear of the wet streaks that had been there, then bravely smiled at him with a little smile of acceptance.

At the same time that he held out his hands she slid forward; her hands braced to fall on his shoulders. He caught her and smoothly landed her with both feet on the docks.

Noah turned to climb aboard but she held him back with her small hands, a look of fear slowly clawing its way into her eyes. Suddenly with an almost violent motion she hugged him, then dashed away to halt a few yards away, sniffling a little.

She’d found a friend in him. And somehow Marl knew he was someone who for reasons she still didn’t understand was just as much a slave to circumstances as she was.

He was stunned for a second, but he soon climbed into the ship and tied down a loose rope. As he prepared to cast off Marl said, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Noah looked up, her face was brighter now, blue eyes glowing as she smiled; all of it wreathed with shining reddish-blonde hair.

He flashed a crooked smile and replied, “Me too.”

—

The boat had gone a decent way from the docks before Noah woke Donald up.

As Donald sat up spluttering he saw the empty bucket in a man’s hand and a smile on his face. All of which marked him as being the culprit of the water now soaking his head, neck and shoulders.

How had he gotten on the floor?

But before Donald could fully make sense of where he was or who the fuzzy man was standing above him, the man had taken him by the collar and forced him out onto the deck where Donald tripped, stumbled and fell on his backside. He coughed and dragged himself to lean against the ship’s starboard side

“Hello, Donald.” A voice said.

Fast recovering from his head feeling like it was full of mud Donald looked up, snarling and preparing to let the man have it. But then he stopped with his face gone slack and his mouth agape; he’d recognized Noah.

Noah had since foregone the bucket and now stood with his arms crossed and an ominous smile growing on his face. “You know, a strange bird told me you sold me out.”

Donald scrambled to his knees rather clumsily. “Please—”

“Is definitely not the magic word aboard the Novalog,” Noah interrupted.

Donald held out his hands, pleading, “I’ll do anything—”

“You’re full of bad ideas, Donald, why don’t you just do the opposite of whatever you think about doing? I don’t have this problem; see, I know exactly what I’m going to do with you, and it’s a brilliant idea.” Noah had a particularly menacing, mischievous look in his eyes.

Donald gulped.

There was a splash and then consistent little shrieking whimpers and cries that faded away as the ship cut through the shimmering water.

Noah grinned and tightened the sail; the speed increased and he hurried to steady the wheel as the Novalog soon slipped out of the port and into the open sea.

—

Two weeks later, the captain’s first mate, Agrutane, who had finished quarantining, came to the docks that evening only to find a little girl instead of the Novalog. She was sitting on the edge of the dock with her feet swinging.

He stuttered, “Missie! Where’s the ship? And Donald!?”

Marl started at his voice before pausing, hesitating as she pretended to be hanging her head submissively when really she was gazing at a piece of paper in her lap. There was a chance of regretting what she was thinking to say. It only took a second, though, for her to grin with a mischievous glint in her eye and reply, “What ship?”

—

Subconsciously Noah heard Pigeondove flutter in the sky behind him and felt the bird land on his shoulder. The wind whistled past his ears and caressed his cheek, cheerfully ruffling his hair this way and that. It was refreshing though he wasn’t thinking about it. He was thinking about Marl. He was thinking about Idony, who he would see very soon. Lastly, he was thinking about Ruya. He didn’t know how or where or when, (he wasn’t going to think about the logistics), but he yearned to see her again. Someday.

As he thought about this and sailed in the light of the sunset, the stars were coming out again. Peeking from behind the clouds they were twinkling and laughing. Perhaps it was because the serene peace on Noah’s face was close enough to a smile for them.

—

It wasn’t long before he arrived back in Greenway, however, that the peace he’d had that night faded in a flurry of activity. Would he come by that peace ever again? Who knows. Maybe peace is not so much dropped upon our laps as it’s something we strive or fight for. It certainly seems that way for Noah, whose name means rest.

Changing Hands by Nathan H.

The plan was all in order. Noah, Apen, and the others would cross the DeadWaters so that Apen could reclaim his throne in Cedulan. Apen had wanted to go through the Deadlands, but Noah had made sure that plan didn’t go anywhere. The Deadwaters were safer.

Now the only problem was how they would actually get across the Deadwaters. Obviously they would need a boat. But how would they get the boat?

Luckily, Noah already had a plan for that.

Noah crouched silently on the edge of a building overlooking the Port of Gallitan. Ships upon ships sat silently in the water, rocking back and forth in the gentle rise and fall of the waves. But Noah’s attention was fixed upon one boat in particular. No name was painted on the sides, but Noah knew it well.

The Novalog.

At least a dozen sailors walked around on the deck of the Novalog. Some of them Noah recognized, but he had no memory of at least half of them ever being on the Novalog. Its red sails flared outwards in a simple yet purely elegant fashion. The narrow build of the boat only added to the simplistic elegance.

But the majority of the memories Noah had of this boat were anything but elegant. Going days and nights locked in a room, ripping at his wrists with nothing but his fingernails. Slamming himself into the walls until his shoulder yanked itself out of its socket. All so that he wouldn’t, couldn’t, do anything terrible without himself realizing it. All because of the cursed Shephards. And now he was trying to help a Shephard regain his throne by stealing the boat where his worst memories lay.

But first he had to steal the boat.

Where is she? Noah thought angrily. Most of his thoughts were angry, but this one was especially so.

Suddenly, Noah heard a soft whumph behind him, and he slowly turned around to see who had just landed on the roof behind him.

“Alera?” He asked softly.

“Who else would it be?” Came the response.

Noah stood up slightly from his crouched position and began walking slowly towards the voice. As his eyes slowly began to adapt to the absence of the lantern light, another crouched figure faded into view.

“Howdy, stranger,” Alera said, flipping her strangely white hair out of her face, “Now why exactly did you need me to sneak up on you on a random roof tonight?”

“I need your help,” Noah whispered, “I need you to help me steal something.”

“Well I guess that’s all I’m good for,” came Alera’s response, “What exactly will I be stealing today?”

Noah took a breath. Now he had to convince her to actually do it.

“I need to steal a boat.”

Alera snorted. “Well I figured that out when you called me to meet you at the Port of Gallitan. But which one am I stealing?”

Noah beckoned her over to the edge of the roof and pointed to the Novalog. “That one.”

Alera squinted through the darkness, turning her dark eyes into slits. Suddenly, recognition dawned across her pale face. “Wait, isn’t that-“

“Yes,” Noah said gruffly, “Do you think you can help me?”

Alera looked back at the Novalog and ballooned her cheeks. “Well, there’s a lot of people on it. We would have to get rid of them first.”

“I already have a distraction planned,” Noah said, “I rigged some explosives to go off.”

“Not on the boat, I hope?”

“Of course not! I’m not an idiot. They’re in an adjacent alleyway.”

“Well that would certainly help. But some would stay behind on the boat.”

Noah smiled ruefully. “Well, I figured you would be able to take them out.”

Alera smiled back. “You know me so well.”

But I really don’t…

“Oy, Elend!” A sailor on board the Novalog shouted to one of his crewmates, “Didja’ clean tha’ sails like I told ya’ to?”

“Ay!” came the distant reply from the cabin boy.

“Hmm,” the sailor said disbelievingly, “Well it does-“

But before he could finish his sentence, an enormous explosion erupted from the dock, the Shockwave rocking the boat in the water. Fires immediately erupted on multiple buildings, spreading fast.

“Everybody, get a bucket! Hurry!” The sailor shouted, grabbing a bucket that was laying on the deck nearby, “Elend, stay back and guard the ship!”

“Y-yessir,” Elend stuttered, offering a quick salute before the rest of the crew hurried to land.

But what they didn’t see was the two figures silently dip into the water from another boat, completely undetected. The two completely submerged themselves, and after a few moments, resurfaced next to the boat.

“C’mon,” Noah whispered silently, “There’s a port hole we can climb through a few yards away.”

Alera nodded and followed Noah as he saw silently through the water and resurfaced once again next to a glass window embedded in the side of a boat. He reached up to it and tried to yank it open, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Oh, move out of the way,” Alera hissed, taking out a thin piece of metal and working it into the groove where the glass and the wood met. Carefully, she slid the metal all the way around the circle, grunting in exertion. Finally, the glass bubble fell clean off the side of the boat, plunking softly into the water.

“C’mon,” Alera said, climbing through the newly made hole and offering her hand out to Noah. He took it, and she pulled him out of the water and into the dimly lit room.

“C’mon,” Noah said, standing up and walking to the door.

“Noah, wait!” Alera hissed at him, stepping quietly up next to him and grabbing his wrist, preventing him from opening the door. She held a finger up to her lips with a meaningful glare at Noah. Then she reached for the doorknob and opened it silently, looking up and down the hallway through the crack. When she saw the coast was clear, she nodded and opened the door, beckoning Noah into the hallway.

“I was going to do that anyway,” Noah grumbled.

“Sure you were,” Alera whispered back to him, “Then you wouldn’t have needed me here at all. Hurry up, they’re going to be back soon.”

“I’ll lead the way, thanks,” Noah said grouchily, “I know the boat better than you, anyways.”

“By all means.”

Noah took the lead and the two began walking down the dark, shadowy hallways. Dark figures climbed the walls and jumped out at them as they moved silently down the hall, pressed tightly against the wall. More than once, Noah thought he saw an enemy sailor, only to turn around and realize it was simply another shadow.

“Can we pick up the pace?” Alera whispered behind him, “We’re running out of time here.”

Noah rolled his eyes, but began walking faster, ever so slightly. He didn’t like making any extra sound, but he supposed Alera was the expert here. She was a professional thief after all.

But that didn’t mean she was allowed to act like she was the-

Before Noah could finish that thought, Alera grabbed his arm and yanked him through a door to their left, closing it and putting her hand over his mouth, holding up a finger to hers.

Noah gave her a questioning glance, and she cupped her hand around her ear.

Listen.

So Noah strained his ears to listen for any type of suspicious sound coming from the hallway. After a few seconds, he could make out the soft fall of padded feet.

“Hah! I’ve got yo-ooooo…?”

The confused voice of the cabin boy floated down the stairs. Evidently, he had thought that he was about to catch burglars on the boat. And if it hadn’t been for Alera, he would have. Slowly, the footsteps receded, and Alera took her hand away from Noah’s mouth.

“Thanks,” he whispered, turning to open the door. But before he did, something at the corner of the room caught his eye.

A mark on the wall. Something… red.

Blood.

And right next to it, a chain hung from a hook embedded in the wall.

Blood.

His blood.

A tsunami of more than unpleasant memories came rushing to the forefront of his mind. Beating himself against the wall, clawing at veins, even managing to yank some free of his skin.

Bile rose in his throat. He needed to get out. He needed to get out now.

He turned around and threw himself at the door. He vaguely heard Alera hissing at him to stop, but he ignored her. He needed to get out.

Finally, the doorknob turned, and he burst out of the room, sprinting down the hallway, running into the cabin boy, before finally collapsing at the end of the hallway, breathing heavy, shuddering breaths. He heard someone cry out in pain behind him, and a soft whump followed.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder, pulling him back into reality.

“Noah?” Alera’s voice came, “Are… are you okay?”

Noah slowly shook his head. All those memories…

“Was that… was that the room?”

Noah took a gulp of air. “Yes.”

Alera went quiet for a few more seconds, before finally saying, “Listen, I’m sorry, but we really need to get to stealing this ship before anybody else comes back. The cabin boy is out for now, but the others will be coming back soon.”

Noah nodded and stood up on shaky feet. “Yeah… yeah. We need to do this.”

Think of Idony.

Thinking of his blind sister always helped him focus. It reminded him of what he had to live for. Reminded him that there was something to live for.

Think of Idony.

After a few moments, Noah opened his eyes again, this time steely with determination.

“C’mon. We need to finish this.”

The two of them abandoned all previous stealth and sprinted down the hallways of the boat, eventually finding the stairway leading up, and climbing aboard.

“Untie the boat!” Noah ordered, and Alera nodded, running to where the boat was tied. Noah ran to the wheel while Alera unwound the rope from where it was tied, and pushed off from the port.

But before they got far, a group of angry and smoking sailors burst from the alleyway. The one at the lead immediately locked eyes with Noah. And recognition burst forth in this eyes.

“You!” he screamed, pointing to Noah, “Get them!”

The group of sailors exploded towards the boat.

“Alera, we need a little more momentum!”

“I’m… trying!”

Suddenly, the boat began moving faster out of the dock.

“That’s great, Alera,” Noah shouted, turning the wheel. But when he looked back to the front of the boat, his heart almost stopped.

The sailors were jumping from the dock, trying to land themselves on the deck.

And they were getting closer.

Alera was doing her best to bat them away with an oar she had found on the deck. But they latched onto the edge of the boat and began climbing up, grabbing at her.

“Alera!”

“Don’t worry about me! Just steer the boat!”

“But-”

“Just do it!”

Noah gripped the wheel harder than ever, focusing on the job at hand. Alera could handle herself. But he still kept one eye on her, just in case.

And that just in case came sooner than he thought.

After whacking another sailor off of the edge of the boat, Alera turned around to Noah, evidently believing that all sailors were gone. But one still stood on the dock, and as Alera turned to look at Noah, that Sailor ran and took an enormous leap, nearly clearing the gap, latching his hand around Alera’s leg, pulling her down with him as he fell into the water with a sploosh.

“Alera!”

No response came.

“Alera! Are you okay?”

A few seconds went by, and Noah heard the sound of someone breaking the surface of the water, and Alera’s voice floated over the water to him.

“I’m fine! Just keep going! I’ll keep these buffoons occupied!”

Noah grinned in spite of himself, but his insides still churned in worry. There was no telling what those sailors would do to Alera to get information out of her. He himself had been on the receiving end of their wrath more than once.

Then again, Alera could take care of herself.

Right now, Noah’s only job was to get his boat to where the others could board it.

And as the wind caught the sails of the Novalog, all that Noah could think about was the journey ahead.

The journey back to Bellingrath. And then to Cedulan.

The journey that would be his last.

~The End~