Rabbo Tales II-Chapter 13

By Mark Crocker

It was almost sunset when Rabbo, Athena, Merryn, Wenna, Angus and Solee arrived at the village square.

Athena was dressed in a white short skirt with red and gold trim. She had on a thick silver belt that circled her waist and pointed down in a “V”. Her top was a low cut backless tube top. Her sandals had silver straps that crisscrossed up her legs to just below her knees.

The twins were dressed in matching toga’s that had silver and green trim. They too had sandals with silver straps that crisscrossed and came up to just below their knees.

Athena had brushed and brushed their hair so that it looked like they had a halo of almost gold around their heads.

Rabbo’s fur too shined so brightly that he felt like that he would blind people if the sun hit him just right.

Bastet came walking up from where the harbor was wearing a long purple toga that shimmered in the late evening sun. As she came closer Rabbo noticed that she could see her legs though the fabric.

The toga its self was low cut with slits up the sides that showed Bastet's long legs when the wind caught the toga with a gentle breeze.

Walking next to Bastet was Merwyn who was wearing a kilt of red, green and blue with a white shirt and white socks and knee high boots with the white socks turned down over the tops of the boots.

From the house that they were all staying at came Angus who was dressed in the same manner as Merwyn and on Angus arm was Solee who was wearing a short red backless toga that only went down to mid thigh. They all walked towards each other finally coming together at the far end of the village square.

Around the dancing area more tables had been added and at the far end furthest away from the small group was a long table that had places set for twenty two people.

Suddenly the touches that dotted the dancing area ignited themselves as did the candles on all the tables.

A great hush fell over the square and all the locals turned towards the main administration building and from there came Yhva with the other Sirians.

In pairs they walked towards the dancing square then around it towards the long table that they would be seated at for the feast that was to come.

But instead of walking to the table they stopped at the edge of the dancing area turned and faced the far end of the square were Rabbo, Merwyn, Angus, Bastet, Athena, Solee and the twins were standing.

The group of Sirians bowed towards Merwyn and the others.

“This is going to be a bloody formal affair” said Merwyn to everyone in his group. “Ok the twins up front then everyone pairs up with myself and um who is going to be on my arm”

“I will” said Athena on the group telepathic mode.

They lined up with the twins in the front followed by Bastet and Rabbo then Angus and Solee and at the back Merwyn and Athena.

As they marched forward a faint low hum and a droning sound with a musical hint could be heard filling the air. Then a tune could be picked out.

The tune made both Merwyn and Angus stop briefly in mid stride. Both Merwyn and Angus stiffened and slowly in a measured pace walked forward.

“Dad you ok? What’s wrong” said Athena on the group mode.

“Just the tune my dear daughter” said Merwyn.

“It’s our old regiment march” said Angus with a sad tone in his voice.

As they walked forward slowly flags suddenly unfurled from the front of the administration building and they were a mix of regiment flags that Merwyn had commanded and of the states of the planet that they had come from.

“Dam this is going to be dam formal indeed” said Angus on the group mode.

Again Merwyn and Angus hesitated then continued their walk forward aware that all eyes where now turned toward the little group.

Suddenly without warning Wenna squealed in fear and started running back down the little procession running straight up to Athena and burying her face in Athena’s skirt.

“Mommy I’m scared” cried Wenna as Athena reached down and picked her up.

“Hey its ok mommy’s here. Its ok baby shhhhh” said Athena rocking Wenna in her arms.

“That’s torn it” said Merwyn leaning into Athena.

“I am not going to push my own daughter way” said Athena her voice hissing.

“I know and now the truth is out it will be easier on us all” said Merwyn.

Merwyn looked up the line and saw Merryn turning back trying to look brave while still walking forward.

“Come here sweetie” said Merwyn.

Merryn turned and came running down the line and leaped into Merwyn’s arms. She wrapped her arms around Merwyn’s neck and buried her face into Merwyn’s shoulder.

Once again the small group walked forward until finally they reached Yhva and the other Sirians.

Yhva bowed low and then looked at Merwyn.

“General Merwyn commander of the 4th mountain army I bid you welcome to our celebration of arrival on this your planet” said Yhva in a loud voice.

In the back ground faintly could be heard the young man who acted as translator translating for the villages who could not speak or understand Sirian.

The crowd cheered wildly scaring Wenna and Merryn even more and making Rabbo jump.

“Come join us in this feast of thanksgiving and welcome and also in your honor” said Yhva.

Yhva and the other Sirians walked towards the long table mixing with Merwyn and his small group.

“Why did you hide the fact that Merryn and Wenna where Athena’s children and not Bastet's” said Yhva on Merwyn’s private telepathic mode.

“Mostly to protect them from Ra and partly because we were not sure if you would be offended when you found out their parentage” answered Merwyn on the same mode.

“Then you are their father” said Yhva. “I think I understand why you and Athena wanted to keep that secret. But children have away of letting the truth be known”.

“Yes they do. It was hard for all of us to keep that secret. It worries me still that Ra might try something. And if he harmed them or Athena I would become something I don’t wish to be. I promised my bond mate Isis that if anyone harmed our daughter or her children I would return the harm a thousand fold before I faded” Merwyn dryly.

“I don’t think that will happen. As I said earlier in our meeting I will keep the peace but if pushed I will side with you as my people and I owe you for helping us. And beside I do not wish to see a new Toner on this or any planet” said Yhva still on Merwyn’s telepathic mode. “And Ra seems to be modeling himself on Toner”.

“Very true. And I assume that you know how bad Toner really was seeing as you are his grand son” said Merwyn keeping his tone neutral.

“How did you figure that out” asked Yhva very shaken.

“I met your grand father a few times. I even spent a couple of weeks talking with him” said Merwyn. “But let’s not talk about the passed tonight. You and I are both here to celebrate a new beginning and not to look back to the past. But we must never forget the horrors that were visited on our people”.

“I agree tonight is for enjoyment. But I would like to hear more about my grand father. I was not born yet when he faded. So I never got to know what he was truly like just what I heard with my own ears and that was enough. My father was almost as bad and I hated what they did. I promised myself that I would never be like them. My mother once told me about the great hero that did not want to fight. The great hero that wrote poetry and would sooner sit by a river and watch the beauty of the world than fight a battle or a war. I have to admit she kind of made you into a hero for me. And I so needed a hero as well my grand father and father where too busy destroying anyone who did not agree with them. What really pushed me over the edge was when my father had my mother killed for preaching in the royal residents about all of us living together in harmony. Seeing her killed before my eyes really turned me away from the path that my father and grand father wanted for me. To survive I had to act like I was of their mind and that was hard. I wanted to cry but I could not. And now I can’t cry. I try I want to sometimes but the tears just don’t come. But I remember what my mother said about you once. She said that you were honest fair kind and treated all people as equals. And that if ever I was lucky enough to meet someone like you I should listen to their council and act upon it” said Yhva. After a brief pause Yhva added “Only Pele knows who my father and grand father was. Please let’s keep it that way. I am ashamed of whom my father and grand father was plus they would not trust me anymore as they would fear that I would become like my father and grand father”.

“I understand” said Merwyn.

Pele walked over carrying two plates and placed one plate in front of Yhva and the other in front of Merwyn.

“Eat up and enjoy” said Pele as she turned away to get a plate for herself.

Athena who was sitting next to Merwyn was busy cutting Wenna’s steak into small pieces.

Athena turned to ask Merwyn a question when her eyes met those of Yhva. For a moment they both just looked at each other and then turned away both blushing.

Rabbo sat in a chair that had block of wood and a cushion so that he was at the right height to eat without any problems. Sitting next to Rabbo was Hestia who kept adding uncooked vegetable to his plate when he was not looking.

Finally Rabbo turned and looked at Hestia “would you not mind piling my plate so high with all those veggie”

“I just want to make sure that you don’t go hungry” said Hestia.

Rabbo laughed “does it look like I miss a good meal or are you fattening me up for some other reason”.

Hestia laughed “I am sorry just after being of half rations for so long and all the food we now have I just don’t want to see anyone go hungry. I am still getting use to being able to eat when I want and feel like it and not just one small meal a day”.

“It must have been hard for you and the others” said Rabbo as he used his fork to stab a carrot.

“It was. We barely had enough food when we where on the fourth planet. But here we have more than we can handle and eat. And everything taste so good too” said Hestia with a thoughtful look on her face. “Rabbo have you ever been so hungry that you will eat anything and that you spend your time thinking of the taste of something so simple. Something like that carrot you are about to pop into your month”.

Rabbo looked at the carrot that he had on his fork and thought about it for a moment. Then he looked at Hestia for a moment smiles popped the carrot on his mouth and ate slowly trying to think about its taste rather than the words that Hestia had just said to him.

“To be honest I have never been that hungry” said Rabbo as he swallowed the carrot.

The formal meal went on until well after dark with light talk between the occupants of the head table.

Once the formal meal was over the entertainment started. Pele walking out into the center of the dance square holding a long thin silver tube with keys and valves all down the top.

Pele brought the far end up and started to blow gentle into the long silver instrument making a strange soft almost haunting sound that filled the whole village square.

For the next fifteen minutes Pele played a number of different tunes on her flute before she came to her finally playing a lively tune that had people’s toes tapping.

Then Erin walked out to the center of the dance floor with Breasal and Bladud.

Erin had a violin that she placed under her chin and started to play solo while Breasal and Bladud stood watching holding their instruments.

The tune that Erin played was a lively tune that soon had people clapping along and once she finished the applauses started and the people stood up making it clear that an encore was needed.

Once Erin had played her encore Breasal and Bladud walked up next to her and together the three of them moved off to one side of the dance square.

Bladud had a strange looking instrument that Rabbo had never seen the likes of before.

The instrument had three long tubes that stood up over Bladud’s right shoulder a bag that went under his right arm another tube that he placed in his mouth and finally a tube that hung down and that he had placed the fingers of both hands.

Breasal held in his had a small brass trumpet.

Erin looked at both Bladud and Breasal and together the three of them started to play a dancing tune.

Yhva stood up and walked over to Pele who was standing off to one side. He took her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor and together the started to dance.

Merwyn turned to Athena and offered his hand and together they walked out onto the dance floor and joined Pele and Yhva.

After Erin Breasal and Bladud played the first dance Solee walked up carry another Violin that she gone and gotten from her ship while Pele had been playing her flute. She walked up next to Erin and spoke softly to her before she joined them to play the next dance tune.

The next forty five minutes Solee, Erin, Breasal and Bladud played tunes that were Sirian dance tune that almost all the Sirians had grown up with.

Then once Solee, Erin, Breasal and Bladud had finished their set they stepped down to refresh themselves and to let the dancers cool their toes from all the dancing that they had been doing.

“I did not know that Solee played the Violin” said Rabbo to Bastet and Merwyn.

“I did not either Rabbo. I think there is more to Solee than just the ocean and sailing” replied Merwyn sipping on his wine to refresh himself.

“Oh there is a lot more to Solee that neither you nor Rabbo now about” said Bastet laughing.

Five of the local villages walked out to the far end of the dance area and stood silently waiting to be noticed.

Once all the talking had died down they started to play their instruments which was a local dance tune that brought those of the village that had not danced out on to the dance square.

Rabbo noticed among them Athena and Yhva dancing together closely and clearly talking to each other about something that amused them both.

Rabbo reached over and grabbed the wine flask that was sitting close at hand. As he did so he noticed that the twins where curled up against Bastet who was gentle caressing Wenna’s hair.

“Bastet you want me to take them back to the house” asked Rabbo on Bastet's private mode.

“Not just yet” replied Bastet on the same mode.

Rabbo refilled his small wine goblet and watched as Merwyn leaned over and started to talk with Angus about the music and the Sirians had played and that it so reminded him of his younger days before he was an oath keeper.

After a while Rabbo hopped down a little unsteady and stood up on his hind legs and looked around to see what was going on.

Rabbo could see lots of people dancing and some of the Sirians where dancing with some of the local people.

Rabbo saw that off to one side Angus and Solee where snuggled together kissing and talking while Bastet stayed at the main table talking with Merwyn and taking care of the twins who were now almost a sleep.

The local musicians played for a while longer before they needed a break and so that those that had been dancing could stop and cool their feet and to quench their thirst.

Athena came skipping over and sat down in Merwyn’s lap stole his glass of wine and looked at Rabbo who had returned to his chair so that he would not get stepped on as people moved around.

Yhva sat down next to Merwyn and was about to talk when Erin looked over.

It was clear that there had been some brief interplay as Yhva turned his head looked towards the harbor.

“Pardon me I need to deal with an issue” said Yhva.

Yhva turned to Athena and took her hand and kisses it gentle.

“My lady could you save me a dance. Sadly I need to deal with affairs of state” said Yhva as he stood up and walked towards the harbor.

Rabbo turned and watched Yhva leave and wondered what could be going on down in the harbor as such an hour that would require Yhva’s attention.

Rabbo closed his eyes and traveled down to the harbor.

Once at the harbor Rabbo saw Bastet's ship, the trading ship plus the normal fishing boats that were all docked. But just outside the breakwater Rabbo saw three large ships that the sea raiders used to attack Athens.

Rabbo was about to return to his body when he heard Yhva voice in his head.

“Glad you came along my furry friend. Tell me are they warships or traders” said Yhva.

“They are warships. They are same kind that raided Athens a few years ago. Ra has warships like these but I don’t know if they belong to Ra or not. Would you like me to look closer” asked Rabbo.

“If you could please” replied Yhva.

Rabbo moved out across the water to the three ships that had just dropped anchor and were getting ready to send boats in.

The men in the boats had on just white kilts and as far as Rabbo could see they had only short eating knifes with them. Plus eat boat had only three men in them.

“I don’t think they are Ra’s people. But I am going to look on the ships to see what if anything is going on” said Rabbo.

Rabbo moved onto the first ship and was surprised to see that there was jumble of broken wood and wounded men laying all over the place. He then moved across to the second ship and saw that it was pretty much the same. When he reached the third ship Rabbo was shocked to see dead and wounded laying mixed together and huge chucks of broken wood littering the whole ship.

Instead of telling Yhva right away what he had seen Rabbo hailed Merwyn on his private telepathic mode.

“Merwyn there are three ships here that have been in some kind of fight or storm. There is lots of wounded and dead on one ship and the other two have lots of damage. I just thought you might want to know” Rabbo informed Merwyn

“Thank you dear rabbit. One of Bastet's sailors just arrived and said that there was a huge storm off the coast early this afternoon and that the ships could have been caught in the storm”.

Rabbo then relayed to Yhva what he had seen on the three ships and that from the three ships three boats where heading his way with three men in each boat.

“Thank you my furry friend” said Yhva.

As Rabbo drifted back across the water Rabbo saw that the translator had joined Yhva at the harbor and that there were two others walking down the pathway towards the harbor. As he passed them he saw that they were Pele and Erin who were both carrying large white bags.

Rabbo returned to the village square just in time to see Merwyn and Athena dancing together.

Most of the other Sirians were dancing as well as a lot of the locals.

Angus and Solee were nowhere to be seen and Bastet had Wenna on one hip and Merryn on the other.

Bastet headed towards the house so Rabbo followed along behind as he was feeling sleepy and the thought of sleep had become very appealing to him.

Rabbo awoke once during the night and that was when he heard Merwyn and Athena come in and go to the bedroom next to the twin’s bedroom.

The second time he woke up was when Wenna was poking at him as he lay on the window sill.

“Mom said mup as breaky is ready” said Wenna poking Rabbo again.

Rabbo slipped off the window sill hopped to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and fur before hopping down the stairs slowly one at a time.

In the dinning room sitting at the far end of the table was Merwyn Angus Solee Bastet Athena and Merryn.

Wenna came thumping down the stairs behind Rabbo and then she skipped across to Athena and pulled herself up into the chair next to her sister.

“Rabbo you saw the ships last night. Tell us how many men do you think were on each ship” said Merwyn.

“The first two I would say maybe ten healthy on each ship and about the same number wounded. As for the third ship I don’t want to think about that death ship. They had wounded and dead all over the place” said Rabbo trying to keep the tone of his voice level.

“Death ship” said Athena.

“Please I don’t want to talk about it” said Rabbo.

“How much damage to each ship” asked Solee?

“I don’t know all I can say was that there was wood all over the place and that they sat low in the water. I am just glad that I could not smell anything” Rabbo answered.

“I think we should go and look and then find Yhva to see what we can do to help” said Angus.

Merwyn Solee and Angus stood up and walked out of the dinning room.

Athena placed a bowl of fresh greens in front of Rabbo and then returned back to Merryn and Wenna.

“I saw you dancing a lot with Yhva last night” said Rabbo looking at Athena.

“I was just being nice” answered Athena who started to blush.

“I wish I got some of that nice last night” said Bastet.

“You did after Merwyn went to sleep” giggled Athena.

Bastet giggling hard as she looked at Athena.

Wenna reached over to her sisters plate and grabbed a half eat slice of toast off the plate making her sister squeal.

Wenna jumped down from her chair and while taking a bit from the toast ran off towards the door.

Merryn jumped down and was about to give chase when she closed her eyes and made Wenna’s feet stick to the floor.

Wenna squealed in anger and tried to turn and face her sister.

Merryn came running over grabbed the half eaten slice of toasted and went running towards Athena and Bastet who were sitting watching the twins.

Rabbo looked at Merryn as she climbed back up on her chair and wiggled close to him while still keeping an eye on her sister whose feet were still stuck to the floor.

Wenna closed her eyes and the one hand that Merryn had placed on the table became stuck to the table.

“Will you two stop it” said Athena trying to sound upset and failing.

Merryn looked at her sister and closed her eyes again and Wenna was able to lift up her feet from the floor. As she lifted up one foot then the other she floated back across the floor towards her sister that still had one hand stuck to the table.

Wenna stuck out her tongue and Merryn was able to free her hand from the table.

Rabbo finished his bowl of greens and hopped down from the table and headed to the kitchen to put his bowl in the sink to be washed.

Merryn slid off her chair with her now empty plate and followed Rabbo into the kitchen.

Rabbo levitated himself up so that he could place the bowl in the sink then he turned and reached for Merryn plate so that he could place that too in the sink.

As Rabbo and Merryn went back into the dinning room there was a knock at the front door.

Wenna slipped down from that table leaving what was left of her breakfast and was about to run to the door when Athena spoke.

“Wenna finish your breakfast” said Athena sternly.

Bastet got up and walked towards the front door.

A few moments later she returned with Yhva next too her.

“You have a gentleman caller darling” said Bastet giggling.

Athena turned and looked at Yhva and smiled. She stood up half bowed and then sat back down to finish feeding Wenna who had now become more interested in Yhva than the last of the food on her plate.

Rabbo hopped back into the dinning room and suddenly he remembered something that had been buried deep in his subconscious. The voice in his head was not a telepathic voice but a memoir of a conversation “Athena will fall for a man that will break her heart”.

Rabbo wondered if Yhva was that man but thought it best to keep his thoughts to himself as he could not remember what the context was of the conversation but he was sure that it was from one of his dreams from when he had traveled forward in time.

Yhva sat down looked at Wenna “You best do as you mum tells you and eat up your breakfast so that you can grow up big and strong and as beautiful as you’re your mum”.

Wenna looked up at Yhva with her mouth wide open and huge eyes.

Merryn skipped back into the room stopped and looked at Yhva poked out her tongue and blew a raspberry before running past and up the stairs to wash up after breakfast.

“I am sorry about Merryn” said Athena blushing. “Just sometimes she is full of herself and she is not use to all these people she keeps meeting”.

“That’s ok I do understand. I kind of grew up alone in a manner of speaking so I know what it’s like” said Yhva. “Actually I am here to request your help. Well you, Bastet, Angus, Solee and Merwyn really. Where is Merwyn by the way?”

“I am not sure where my father is” said Athena.

“I think he is down at the harbor helping load my ship” said Bastet not wishing to tell Yhva the truth.

“Oh that’s good because it’s down at the harbor where I need help” said Yhva.

“Is it something to do with the three ships that arrived last night” asked Bastet.

“Yes it is. I would like help treating the crews and repairing their ships so we can get them out of here. Something about them does not feel right” said Yhva looking very thoughtful.

“Ok let me finish taking care of my two monsters” said Athena “and we will be down to the harbor as quick as we can”.

“Thank you so very much” said Yhva bowing.

“Oh would you like something to eat while I take care of the monsters” said Athena blushing a little. “I would love a little toast” said Yhva looking at the toast that was sitting in the toast rack.

About an hour later Rabbo, Merwyn, Athena, Solee, Angus and Bastet stood on the harbor wall looking at the three very battered ships that had been moved in behind the mole to protect them from any storms that might hit them.

The ships themselves were a mess of broken wood sail and rigging.

Rabbo, Bastet, and Athena turned and walked over to the warehouse that had been turned into a hospital for the sailors.

Lying in make shift beds were about twenty or so sailors while the remaining somewhat healthy sailors sat in a small group talking with the village translator.

The translator walked over to Rabbo, Yhva, Athena and Bastet. “They are saying that there were six ships and that the storm came out of nowhere. One moment the sky was overcast and then next thing they knew they had what they called high seas and huge waves hitting the ships. The leader of the group was on one of the ships that sunk. As they said “it was huge waves that grow and grow and just turned the lead ship over and over spilling the crew and sinking the ship”.

“The storm just sprung up” said Bastet looking at Athena.

“Yes my lady” said the translator. “They said that wind started blowing from a different quarter and the seas became high and that they had no time to umm reef the sails”.

“I don’t like the sound of that” said Athena.

“Me either” answered Bastet very thoughtfully.

Merwyn and Solee came walking in talking to each other about what needed to be done to the three ships to get them ready to sail again.

Bastet turned and started to explain to Merwyn and Solee what the translator has said about how the storm just sprung up out of nowhere and how the lead ship had been sunk.

Suddenly around them a thin shimmering dome sprung up.

Merwyn grinned and looked at Yhva “You will have to pardon me for putting a shield up over us. But I don’t want Ra hearing or seeing us”.

“You think this is Ra’s work” said Yhva.

“I am pretty sure of it. Now the question is why? And I am pretty sure I know the answer. But we need to question the sailors as I know Ra won’t just attack head on like that. There has to be more than just a single attack. But I do think that these poor sailors were just test run to see how he could animate a storm and use it” said Merwyn looking back out the door towards the southwest.

The group walked over to the sailors who where being treated for their wounds and who were in make shift beds.

Though the translator Merwyn asked each sailor what he saw and what they thought happened. The story was pretty the same for all of them.

At the end of the make shift beds one old sailor weakly sat up and looked at Merwyn.

Speaking weakly and hoarsely he said with out the aid of the translator. “The sky was grey and the sea was calm with just a breeze that pushed us along. Then the sea seemed to start to boil and the waves got bigger and bigger fast. I did not even have time to order the sail reefed. The wind picked up the same way. It was mere heart beats from the sea starting to get high and the wind picking up. It was almost as if the gods themselves were in control of the storm and that they picked us to vent their fury on. I saw that just a boats length away that the sea was as flat as plate yet all around us the sea was so high and the winds howled with fury. Yet if I could have gotten our boat just a length further away I would have been safe”

“What were you doing out so far in what are clearly coast ships” asked Merwyn.

“We were not that far out. We could still see land and then some how we got further and further out and we could still see land as if it had not got further away” said the old sailor. “When I was young they use to talk that the gods of the south would push the wind around like that. But I never believed that. Now I do. The southern gods had to be behind it”.

“I think you might be right” said Merwyn.

Merwyn looked at Yhva with a knowing look.

Rabbo hopped over and hop up on the chair next to the old sailor and looked at him.

“I heard what he said” said Rabbo on Merwyn’s private telepathic mode. “I think Ra was behind the storm. I mean it sounds like someone was pushing that storm around”.

“I have to agree” answered Merwyn in the same mode.

The group of Sirians with Rabbo and Solee walked back outside to the harbor and looked towards the three ships that were being towed in so that they could be repaired.

“They look like warships” said Rabbo looking at the ships as they got close.

“They do don’t they” said Angus.

“No darling” said Solee as she slipped her arm around Angus’s waist. “They are part time warships and part time traders. See how they are wider in the hull and that the stern is rounder and there is no ram at the water level”.

“Oh” said Angus and Rabbo.

“You know when we head back to Athens that we will have to take turns watching to see if Ra tries a storm on us” said Merwyn.

“I think that might be his plan” said Athena. “I don’t mean to sink us with a storm. But to tire us by making us watch him. That way we will be weaker if he does attack us”.

“Good point” said Bastet and Merwyn together.

“I hate to say this. But if they attacked the six ships and sunk three it would be a good idea if we left here as soon as possible as right now Ra and the others would be recovering from their attack” said Angus.

“Sadly you are right Angus” said Merwyn sounding like the general that he had once been.

Merwyn turned to Solee “How long before you could set sail”.

“Once I round up my crew we could be out of here in an hour” said Solee.

“Make it so” said Merwyn as he turned back to Yhva.

“I am sorry but we have to leave. I need to think of my family first before any pleasure. And in light of this possible attack by Ra I think for the safety of my family that we should leave here. I would like to stay longer but I don’t want Ra attacking us when we are at sea. So please forgive me for departing so fast and in such a manner” said Merwyn bowing to Yhva.

“To be honest I was thinking the same thing. If you would like I will travel with you as an extra mind would help you” said Yhva smiling. “I can always come back on a trade ship later”.

Athena smiled and looked at Merwyn with a hopefully look on her face.

“Thank you Yhva for your offer but you are needed here. I do appreciate your offer. Honestly I do and clearly Athena would like your company but your place is here with your people” said Merwyn.

“I best get the children and our belongings from the house” said Bastet about to turn away.

“I have that already taken care of” said Yhva turning and looking up the pathway towards the village. T

he twins came skipping down the pathway with Pele and Erin. Behind them were a couple of the local villagers carrying the bags that held their belongings.

About twenty five minutes later Solee returned with her crew who were loaded up with items that they had picked up around the village that they had purchased from some of the shops that had been set up.

Merwyn was the last to board the ship and as he got to the gangplank he turned and looked at Yhva who was standing on the harbor looking at Athena who was standing at the bow looking back.

“He is up to something” Merwyn thought to himself.

Click on Mark Crocker for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.