Tales of the Blooded Tides

“I didn’t want this to be passed on to you, Sara.

Sometimes I ask myself where did it all go so terribly wrong that you have got involuntarily involved in this mess. & it drives me mad to not find an adequate answer.

It drives me mad even more, when I get myself forced somehow into realizing the truth, your involvement was a must, whether I liked it or not. I have been shameless enough to look for someone else to put the blame on. I sold my soul to the devil because of what he’s capable of doing & felt shocked to see what kind of plans he needed my soul for.

I knew from the very beginning that this would come to an unpleasant ending. & though it took me too long to accept that fact, I’m not worried about what’s happening I’m just worried that, despite everything that’s happening now, this is not the end.

I’m afraid that this is not over… not by a long shot.”

________________________________________________

“Mother?”

I still remember that day as if it was yesterday; my small hands were all over the paintings, trying to get them back into that big wooden chest without messing them up.

“Yes, sweetheart?” She said as she left what she was doing & wiped her hands clean across her apron, she shook her head before she laughed shortly & stepped in to help me in controlling the mess. I still remember how she looked back in those days, her tanned skin that stretched over her slim body, shining with sweat drops that covered her thin arms & her long, light auburn hair that was messed-up most of the times from all the house work she was doing that some of it was partially covering her deep dark eyes, but she looked beautiful, nonetheless.

“Girl, girl, did you really need to see them that much?” She softly reproached me as she carefully rolled a painting & returned it to its place.

“Yes! I did! & I actually don’t know why did you keep them as a secret that long?” I asked in childish anger.

“I didn’t!” Her thin eye brows met for a second as she continued “I have showed you a lot of them already, remember?”

“A lot?” My eye brows jumped up as I asked. “I didn’t know that less than half of them can be actually called ‘A LOT’ “

“All in due time, girl, but now that you have seen them all anyway…” She said as she rolled another painting.

“No! Not this one!” I interrupted her.

“Sara!” I could see a clear glimpse of anger in her voice tone.

“Mother, please…” I pleaded her with widened begging eyes as my feet repeatedly & uncontrollably hit the floor. “Can I just keep this one? I really like it so much.”

She closed her eyes & sighed.

“Please…” I used that one superpower that all of the children have as I begged her again.

She opened her eyes & unfolded the painting; I found myself smiling widely as I looked at it. In the painting, he was holding his famous sword as he stood above his ship’s prow, his brown eyes were glowing with the thrill running through his veins while the sun sat by his side, his partially-dark skin that covered his muscular body, his wide forehead & even his goatee & his very short black hair, they all seemed to contribute to the mysteriousness of the moment this painting was created to capture. & in front of him, it was emerging slowly from the sea, splashing water all over him & itself as it bared its teeth ready for shredding him down.

“What’s really special about this one?” She asked.

“I… I don’t know, but I really like how dad looks in this one. Sometimes I feel that the painter was there with him during that battle.” I answered quickly as I grabbed the painting from her hands. Years later, I realized what was really special about it. In the painting, the serpent's face was too close to dad's, staring him in the eye as if it had a personal vendetta against him, & dad had this look in his eyes, the look that doesn’t say “I’m ready to face death as a man”, it’s actually the look of someone who has been seeking this moment for his entire life, as if he believed it was the sole purpose of his existence. Sometimes I wonder if he was that excited when he got married to mom.

“Your father is a one-of-a-kind hero, Sara.” She murmured as a wide smile drew itself over her face, forcing the bones of her apple cheeks to protrude & making her look even more beautiful. She didn't try to hide that fascinated, proud look she had in her eyes as she looked at the painting along with me.

I didn’t comment, I was too overwhelmed with the painting.

“Now, don’t you want to help your mother with the things she needs to buy from the market?” She asked rhetorically as she softly grabbed my hand & stood up. I nodded in silent acceptance before she printed a kiss on my forehead.

“Ok, go change your clothes.” She said as she rubbed my hair.

“Mom…” I pleaded as I looked up at her. She sighed & smiled as she said: “Yes, you can keep the painting.”

“Thank you, mom.” I screamed joyfully as I threw my arms around her neck & kissed her cheek… it wasn’t long before we went out to the market in a little trip that has caused this day to be totally unforgettable for me.

________________________________________________

“So, what are we buying?”

I asked casually as I struggled to keep on with mom’s steps, looking around the market at all the faces behind the carts & stands, they all seemed to recognize my mother as they all greeted her warmly as she passed them by.

“Vegetables & rice, sweetheart.. & we are going to cook one of the hens we have, as well.” She answered as she held my hand to make sure I won’t go astray as I always do… I used to have an incurable curiosity when I was a kid. I have almost got myself caught by the king’s guards once when I got too close to the walls of his castle, & thank heaven they were rational enough to realize that I’m just a child who got herself lost before they even knew that I’m Aaron Claville’s daughter.

“Oh, well… look what do we have here!”

We were on our way back home after we have bought what we needed when I heard someone saying this out loud from behind, right then mom froze in her place. & before I could even look back to see who said that, I felt my feet jumping involuntarily off the ground as mom caught my hand firmly & started again to walk in strides that I could barely keep up with.

“Wow! Mom, what’s going on?” I asked in confusion.

“Don’t say a word, Sara! Just keep on walking!” She was truly panicked.

“Where do you think you are going, Leila?” The same voice shouted aggressively, my eyes went wide, it was the first time for me to hear someone else other than my father calling my mother with her first name.

I could clearly hear mom as she gulped out loud, I could swear that I could hear the frantic beats of her heart, as well. But she didn’t stop, instead, she pulled me up from my arm pits & held me on her arms.

I laid my head on her shoulder as I looked behind again at the man who was stalking us,, his eyes were glaring with evil, the same look you would see in the eyes of a rabid dog that’s about to dig his canines into someone’s back. He wasn’t alone, there were two more men standing next to him & though they didn’t say a word, they had that same look in their eyes.

Shortly after, I’ve got infected by my mom’s obvious dread when he ran across the short distance that was separating us from him to stand before mom, forcing her to cut her strides abruptly.

“Not so fast...” He grinned in sick fascination. Mom didn’t respond right away, though I could hear her as she gulped again… & again.

“What do you want?” She finally managed to ask.

“Hmmm..” He thought for a moment “Let’s start with your daughter. Why don’t you let us see her pretty face?” I shivered as I felt a cold hand stroking my hair for a second right before I heard my mom screaming.

“Don’t you even dare to touch her!” She shouted at him nervously, trying desperately to hide her fear. I looked at the faces of the people around us. The merchants, the passers-by, even the guests of a near caravanserai, they were all watching what was happening intently, & though I could see in their faces that they don’t like it, none of them has tried to stop it.

“Be calm! I’m just trying to be nice to the little girl.” He said as mom stumbled back a few careful, steps. She looked around her at the silent audience, pleading them with her eyes to do something but it was all in vain, I felt her disappointment as she sighed loudly & shook her head.

“Sam, please… not in front of my daughter.” She murmured softly.

“What are you so afraid of?” he asked sarcastically & smiled as he exclaimed “Isn’t your heroic spouse going to protect you as he always does?”

“My father will teach you a lesson.” I found myself saying this without a specific reason, I was too childish to comprehend what’s going on, but I wanted to do it, & just like a very normal child in this world, I simply did what I wanted.

He grinned as he responded: “Oh, will he? Well, I would be really glad to see him doing another heroic act.”

“I’m more than happy to oblige.” A familiar voice said confidently.

“Dad!” I screamed joyfully as he appeared out of nowhere, his fist immediately collided with Sam’s face in a thickening sound, forcing the latter to stumble back as he groaned as one of his men lunged forward to attack dad, only for dad to greet him with a hammer-like blow to his abdomen. Sam’s second man tried to do the same, but he was forced to stop when dad’s other hand moved quickly, getting his own knife out of its holster & putting it on the second man’s neck, threatening him to end his life. The man froze for a few seconds before backing away.

“It’s alright, fellas. Let us resolve our issues.” Sam finally said to his men as he looked up at my father with obvious, extreme hatred as he held his jaw in pain. He traded looks with my father who stood tall. I was watching in utter fascination & I looked at Mom’s face to see if she shared me that, & indeed, she was watching breathlessly, but she didn’t seem to be worried or even excited the least, quite the contrary, she seemed to be sick of it.

“Stay back.” Dad ordered mom as he clenched his fists & sent two blows into Sam’s abdomen, Sam bent over in pain, surprisingly though, he didn’t fight back immediately, he didn’t even start to throw insults at dad, and all he had done was chuckling nervously before he said: “You never fail to meet my expectations. You are st…”

He cut his words when dad almost cracked his jaw with another fist before he took a handful of his outfit.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Dad hissed through his teeth.

“Would you believe me if I told you that this was a mere coincidence?” He said with a grin between his gasps for air.

“It better be.” Dad coldly commented.

“Or you will do what?” Sam asked rhetorically as he spat blood & a broken tooth on the ground “Oh, I almost forgot! You are Aaron Claville, the king's trusted warrior & the great sailor who once slayed Covcas, the terrifying sea serpent.”

Dad didn’t offer any words; he just kept on staring into his soul.

“You are a public hero, but you know what the problem is? Those people, who should owe you their lives because they know can travel across the sea safely, stood there watching me as I tried to have a short conversation with your wife, though they consider me an enemy… they are just too… I can’t even think of a good enough word to describe them with! They just stood there watching instead of helping your wife & daughter.” He exclaimed.

“I don’t need their help in protecting my family. & more importantly, I don’t need them to get rid of you.” Dad coldly stated as he let go of his clothes & pushed him despicably.

“I’m sure you don’t, but you know, when I deeply think about it, I realize that you will never be able to kill me.” He stopped to take a breath, then he continued with a grin: “It’s not like you can’t, you absolutely can… but you just don’t want to, you want this to go on as much as I want it to. As a matter of fact, you need this feud to last for as long as it can much more than I need it… it gives you a cause to fight for, you won’t give that up so easily. You love similar heroic moments where you appear out of nowhere & save the day. They offer you some sort of reassurance that your worst fear isn’t going to happen… a fear that I know so well. I know it, you know it… & more importantly, your wife knows it.”

Dad didn’t say a word, he just traded Sam’s smile with one of his own.

“& that’s why, although I’m much weaker than you, I’m going to kill you at the very end of this, there will be that perfect moment to do it, & I will know when it’s around.” He almost whispered as he wiped his bleeding lips with the back of his hand.

“I’ll be waiting.” Dad promised.

Sam’s smile widened then he started to laugh madly as he stepped back along with his men, mockingly saluting dad as he disappeared among the crowds.

There has been this moment of silence that felt like hours, as everyone froze there before dad finally moved, looked around at the people & shouted: “What are you all looking at?”

They gazed at him for another moment before they slowly returned to what they were doing, dad then approached me & mom & grabbed me softly, allowing Mom’s tired arms to relax from the uncomfortable weight they were carrying.

“Let’s go home.” He said as he held me with one arm & put his other arm around Mom’s shoulder. I didn’t understand why mom was silent all along; she was smiling warmly at him, holding onto his arm so tightly as she laid her head slightly on his shoulder. But she was clearly hiding something.

“I knew you would come, dad.” I said as I laid my head on his shoulder as well.

“No one misses with my little princess & get away with it.” He said as he playfully tickled me. I burst out laughing as mom finally spoke out: “Aaron, he appeared out of nowhere & I tried to evade him but…”

She cut her words when he softly hushed her saying: “I don’t care who started what, he was there to harm you & that’s something I will never allow… I would do whatever it takes to protect you both, even if you threw yourselves into hell. “

He stroked her hair & caressed her face before he shook me softly & said: ”Well, little girl, don’t you think it’s about time for you to share us our walk?”

I shook my head in acceptance as he put me down on the ground, I held his hand as I started to walk by their side.

“Dad?” I said as I remembered something.

“Yes, Sara?” He asked.

“That man, he… he said that he knows your fear, but you’re fearless, dad, aren’t you?” I hesitantly asked.

He didn’t answer right away, Sam’s words seemed to hit something deep inside him, he exhaled & smiled as he said: “A man who lives without fears is a man who lives without a cause, Sara. & a man without a cause is a man without morals. Most heroes, most good people anyway do what they do out of their fear of something… what differs one man from another what he does to seize the damages that this fear does to his life. But they have fears indeed. “

I couldn’t understand what he meant right away, the words were too sophisticated for my little mind to understand, he laughed as he saw my confusion clear on my face & continued: “You will understand what I mean one day, sweetheart.”

“Let her tell you what we did today.” Mom said, he looked down at me curiously as I cheerfully explained: “Mom let me open that wooden chest where you keep all the paintings.”

“Oh, she did?” Dad asked as his eye brows jumped up.

“She was too stubborn.” Mom laughed shortly as she commented.

“She’s my daughter, of course she’s stubborn.” He chuckled as he rubbed my head playfully.

“& I asked mom to keep one of the paintings in my room & she agreed.” I gloated as I jumped over a little block of stone before I innocently continued: “She said you are one-of-a-kind hero, dad.”

Mom blushed for a moment as dad gave her a loving smile before he said: “Well, that’s because I’m married to one-of-a-kind extraordinary woman.” He followed his words by kissing her hair. I looked up at them in happiness.

It was one of the very few happy moments we had together, but even during that one, I could never forget what that man Sam said about my parents, though it took me too long to comprehend it.

“You love similar heroic moments where you appear out of nowhere & save the day. They offer you some sort of reassurance that your worst fear isn’t going to happen… a fear that I know so well. I know it, you know it.

& most importantly, your wife knows it.”

________________________________________________

To be continued…