Rosaleen says, “My friend is recovering from a little mishap so we will need something that can carry the two of us. We would prefer that it is a smoother and more comfortable ride.”


    His eyes automatically scan me looking for my injury, but he does not see anything. He is then conscious of the fact that he is staring at me, and I know. Our eyes meet, and I automatically look down. I can feel a slight blush in my cheeks, I quickly look back up, meeting his eyes again and he gently says to me, “I am sorry to hear you had a mishap, I hope that you feel better soon.”


    I find comfort in his warm gaze, “Thank you” I reply in a murmur.


    He smiles then returns to the conversation with Rosaleen, “I have just the thing for the two of you.” He hops back moving closer to his store building. Tucked in next to the front wall of the store is a clean white two-seater bike. He rolls the bike out, walking it over to us. The passenger seat of the bike looks comfortable. The seat is higher so that I would be able to see over Rosaleen. There are armrests and a backrest for me. I also spot generous footrests for the passenger.


    He gestures and says, “Please come take a seat and try it out.”


    He extends his hand out to me, and I take it, accepting his lead while stepping closer to the bike. He explains, “So you will get on the bike first, take a seat, and your friend will take a seat in front of you.”


    I step up to the bike, straddle my leg over and then rest my body into the back seat. This is comfortable! Rosaleen quickly follows and sits in front. Even though I can’t see her face, I can somehow sense that she is satisfied with the bike.


    The man then gives Rosaleen a quick rundown on how to operate the bike. “Have you ever driven a solar bike before?” He asks.


    “Yes,” Rosaleen replies.


    “Okay great, this one is the same as most of them. Your key is here, turn it to start it and stop it. Your break is here; your power over here and the kickstand is down here. The pleasant thing about this machine is, even though it is a little larger than your typical solar bike it is still light. If you happen to be unfortunate and fall the bike will sense the movement and shut off. There isn’t much more to it. Do you want to take a quick test run to make sure that you like it?”


    Rosaleen grins and answers, “Yes please.”


    “Okay” He smiles, hands the key to her. Rosaleen starts it up, leans back turning her head halfway to glance back at me with her right eye, “How are you feeling, are you ready to give this a try?”


    “Yes” I reply, I am a little nervous, but at the same time excited. I have never ridden on the back of a solar bike. It is a welcome distraction to what happened in the last little while.


    We head down the street, Rosaleen assesses the speed, and breaks, we then turn around, drive back to the store, and turn it off. She leans over to me, “Well it is perfect. How do you feel about getting this one?”


    “I’m comfortable, it’s a smooth ride.” I return a polite smile, and the man seems satisfied that we are both clearly happy with his first pick for us.


    She says to the man, “We will take this one.”


    He smiles and nods, “Okay great I will be right back with the form for you to sign and your fee.” He hops back and quickly enters his store, returning to us seconds later. Rosaleen signs and hands him some currency. We are ready to go.


    He casually asks, “Where are you two planning to go?”


    Rosaleen replies, “I am going to visit Newlyn’s home.”


    “Ah yes, I should have known. You know, I thought that you were Newlyn, but immediately thought otherwise; you carry yourself differently. You are related, right?”


    Rosaleen answers, “Yes, we are related.” Rosaleen leaves it at that, revealing nothing more. Even though the people from this area seem friendly, Rosaleen keeps her guard up at this friendly stranger.


    The man says, “I am not sure how familiar you are with this area, but at this time of year the current from the ocean washes up tons of large fish and sea life on the flat rocks that are not too far from the road that leads to Newlyn’s home just outside of town. The fish attract a lot of wildlife. There is a pride of large cats in the area. There have also been a few dire wolves spotted in the area.” I gasp.


    He continues, “The cats and the wolves will leave travelers alone. They care for the fish, but some have said that they are bold and have been seen attacking curious elephants that roam to close to them. My guess is if they feel threatened, they wouldn’t hesitate and attack. If you see them near the road just keep your distance and wait for them to move along. They are protective of their families and defensive when it comes to their food supply so just remember that, and you shouldn’t have any problems.”


    Curiosity overcomes my shyness, I ask, “Have they ever attacked, or killed a person?”


    He gives an assuring smile, “No, not in these parts. The animals that are here are interested in the fish. It’s a treat for them; the fish only wash up like this, on the rocks every six months. The fish are constantly migrating, and they only reach these parts for a brief period. The fish that wash up are the ones that happen to be too close to the rocks at high tide. Once the schools of fish move on the cats and the dire wolves retreat up to the mountains, beyond the horizon.” Rosaleen does not look concerned, but kindly thanks him for the information and the solar bike.


    “My pleasure ladies, see you in a couple of days, have a safe trip.” He waves goodbye.


    The cobblestone road narrows, turning into a dirt road as we leave the town. Rosaleen is driving at a conservative, but steady pace. It is open fields of tall golden grass and there are small herds of sheep, goats, buffalo, and elephants. I have never seen so many animals all together like this, enjoying the grassy vegetation. I have seen goats and sheep near my home, but the Buffalo and the elephants they are new to me. I knew they were large animals, but I never realized that they were giants. The heat out in the field in comparison to the ocean is much different. It is more of a dry kind of heat, there is a breeze, but it is not as cool, or as refreshing as the breeze that comes off the ocean. My eyes fix on the dirt road as we move along, and I spot tracks as well as the odd animal excrement on the road. The smell is hard to get used to in comparison to the sweet smells from the shore when we first set foot on the island earlier today.


    Rosaleen slows the bike coming to a steady stop. She leans over and whispers to me, “They are beautiful, aren’t they?”


    I whisper back, “Yes” that is all I can say as I stare at the elephants that are grazing not too far off from the road.


    Rosaleen points in the direction of the ocean, “The flat rocks that the bike shop keeper had mentioned are just over there.”


    I follow Rosaleen’s gaze and set my eyes on the shore. I see a pride of large cats moving along the rocks. The tide is down, and they are picking up what is left by carrying their finds back to the more comfortable grass to devour. I also see a couple of dire wolves patrolling the rocks; they seem to be a little timid and skittish around the cats. The wolves are quickly maneuvering to get some juicy fish without the cats noticing. There is a light breeze in the air now; coming from the direction of the ocean, carrying all the sweet scents of the area, the most noticeable scent of all is the cinnamon, even out here in the field away from the trees. You not only feel the breeze, but also you can see it approach as it ripples through the grass like gentle waves. A refreshing change to the smell of the animals. I cherish the sight of the ocean.


    “Shall we continue?” Rosaleen whispers.


    I nod, Rosaleen discreetly starts up the solar bike, and we are slowly gliding down the dirt road. We never came across any other people. There were not any homes, cottages, or tree huts, nothing. The road deviates, as it follows the ocean in the distance. The ocean is always to our right. Eventually, the open fields start to incline, and we emerge into a forested area. It is not a lush tropical forest like the forest near my home. My mother’s house was built around a large tree. The trees in this forest are young; their trunks are at most just big enough that I could wrap my arms around them and still touch the tips of my fingers. The trees are spaced out nicely; you can really peer deep into the surroundings without getting lost in lush vegetation. Unlike the golden yellow color of the fields, the forest is a vibrant green, and lines of light pierce the canopy, touching the grassy green forest floor. Smaller animals live here. You can hear over the noise of the bike carrying us along our voyage the songs of many birds up in the treetops. I also spot the odd rabbit and chipmunk running across the road in front of us as we move along the trail.


    It is not long that we are in the forest. The road begins to descend, opening into a new field. That is when I see it and know that it is Newlyn’s home in the distance. It is like a mini castle, surrounded by large stone walls, as we approach the entrance there is a large, barred gate. Everything seems to keep to the same color scheme. These stone walls and the buildings within them are the same light beige except for their roofs are an orange-red color. For Newlyn being exiled from the Palace, this looks like some kind of holiday retreat. As we emerge from the forest, we descend into grassy light green hills and still to our right is the ocean. The gates to the home face the shore. The beach shores’ sand is the same light beige as the home. On the far side of the home with looking passed, the walls there are more grassy fields, a couple of ponds and forest that turns into mountain. We descend into the field. I start to notice animals, mostly farm animals, sheep, goats, a few cows, and horses poke their heads up from grazing as we pass. When we approach, the gates are already open, we putter in, and Rosaleen parks the bike.


    “Ah finally, how was that Taylan?”


    “It was awesome; what a nice area.” I look around at this retreat, I mean home. Wow, the yard has so many fruit trees that are evenly spread out, flowers that accent the yard and the buildings. There are a few small water fountains and neatly trimmed flowering shrubs that provide color to the yard. The main building is a two-story structure with a raised porch that surrounds the front and side of the home. I see a couple of tables and chairs as well as comfortable looking swings for lazing around in and wicker furnishings with generous fluffy cushions. There are smaller buildings that look to be homes that match, complementing the main structure. The only difference is that they are on a smaller scale, and the path that we are on that led us through the gate splits in two. One way leads to the main home. The split is at the entrance where the road turns right, from what I can see it hugs the wall of this retreat, going around the area of the inside walls. To the right, it looks like there is another building that is used for horses, livestock, equipment, and another structure that appears to be for storage. It is hard to tell what all these structures might be because most are tucked away within the confines of the wall, and they are behind the beautiful buildings of the main area where Rosaleen and I are.


    Rosaleen gets off the bike first and then helps me off by giving me her hand. A young boy runs to us. He is about chest high to me.


    “Hey Rosaleen!” he plants a big hug on her. “We missed you.” He looks up at her while still squeezing her in embrace.


    Rosaleen smiles and playfully says, “No you didn’t, go on, run along.” She winks at him and pats his head.


    Before he takes her advice, he asks, “Rosaleen who is this lady?” He is not shy at all.


    “This is Taylan my new friend and helper.” Rosaleen looks to me and says, “Taylan, this little squirt is Sid.”


    I smile, saying, “Hey Sid.”


    He returns the smile, “Hey Taylan.” Sid quickly sets his eyes on the bike then to Rosaleen, “Rosaleen can I play on your bike?” He begs.


    “Sid it isn’t mine. It is the merchant’s from town. I only rented it for a couple of days. Tell you what, could you walk the bike around the back and store it for me, later I can take you for a ride?”


    Sid kicks the dirt frustrated; he is old enough to understand that the bike is not hers to lend. He says, “Oh okay Rosaleen, maybe later then.” Sid walks the bike around back to store it.


    Rosaleen and I walk up to the main building where we see someone sitting out on the porch. I can tell it is Rosaleen’s Mother Newlyn. It is as though they are identical twins.


    She sits up, rises from her chair and steps down to meet us on the grass. She hugs her daughter in a long, warm embrace. “Rosaleen, I don’t think I can ever get used to seeing you. I missed you.”


    “Oh, Mom I think about you every day.” After their embrace, they hold each other at arm’s length, gazing at one another and in unison, they laugh.


    Newlyn peeks over at me, “Rosaleen, tell me who this beautiful creature is?” There is warmth to Newlyn’s face. I blush when she compliments me.


    “This is Taylan.” Newlyn extends her hand to me, and she politely says, “It is nice to meet you and welcome to my home.”


    “Thank you, it is nice to meet you, your property is breathtaking.” I smile.


    “Thank you, that is so kind of you to say.” Newlyn answers.


    Rosaleen asks her mother, “I trust that Soolena and Ashlea have already arrived?”


    Newlyn confirms, “Yes they arrived just before lunch.”


    Rosaleen explains, “Ashlea and Taylan are sisters that I met not far from a place called the North Shore, it’s a couple of days journey by ship from here.”


    Newlyn answers, “Ah yes, I know that place and Taylan; you and your sister are lovely. Come let’s go to the porch and sit.” Rosaleen and I follow Newlyn; she leads the way up the steps. “Would you like anything to eat, or drink?”


    Rosaleen says, “Could I have some juice please.”


    I answer, “A juice would be lovely, thank you.”


    Newlyn glances at a man relaxing in the hammock, “Could you be a dear?”


    He nods, “Of course I will be right back.”


    “Thank you!” Newlyn turns her attention back to Rosaleen and me. “So, let’s cut to the chase and figure this out together. Soolena tells me that there was trouble with Shrago last night.” She leans forward with her arms crossed on the table as she speaks to us.


    Rosaleen answers, “Shrago attacked Taylan in the night. We killed him this morning and disposed of his body overboard.”


    Newlyn glances at my scarf, “Taylan dear, come here, I want to see.” I get up quietly and take a couple of steps towards Newlyn leaning over slightly to meet her at eye level. She carefully removes my scarf and sees my white bandage; looking up at me Newlyn asks, “May I?”


    “Yes of course,” I answer. Delicately Newlyn removes the bandage. It is late afternoon; it needs to be aired out and checked anyway. I don’t mind her looking and from the moment I set eyes on her, I sensed that she was genuine. I trust Newlyn, even though she and Rosaleen are almost identical in appearance, Newlyn does not remind me of Rosaleen. She reminds me of my own Mother.


    “This happened last night?” Newlyn questions but is not directing it to anyone specific.


    I answer, “Yes,” in a whisper.


    “Who did your stitches?” Newlyn gently touches a couple of them.


    “Izavelle” I answer.


    “She did an excellent job; your wound is already healing well. The cut is clean, and the scab is nice, these stitches will be easy to remove.”


    Rosaleen peeks over, “Taylan it looks like your swelling has gone down already?”


    Newlyn answers, “Whatever you gave her seems to be working there is only a touch of pink along the edge of the scab.” Newlyn takes my hand, motioning me to sit down. I place my chair at an equal distance between Newlyn and Rosaleen. Newlyn continues, “You look to be doing well for someone that has been attacked and injured.”


    “The women have been taking diligent care of me, making sure that I eat. Today has been easier than I had expected.” I have convinced myself that I feel one hundred times better than I did this morning.


    “Good to hear.” Just as Newlyn answers, the man returns with a jug of orange juice, and three glasses are set before us. The man smiles and retreats to his hammock. In a more hushed tone, Newlyn confirms leaning in closer to me, “I understand that you carried out the sentence?”


    I nod, Newlyn looks a little relieved, “It is better that Taylan did the deed and not you Rosaleen. This certainly gives us something to think about?” I am not completely sure that her comment makes sense. I pretend to understand and try my best not to interfere with the discussion. I conclude to let them figure out whatever this is. This mess involves me however, these two women in my company are leaders with the strength to back them and I am nothing in comparison to them. If anything were to go against my favor, I am not sure what I would do, and I believe that I would be trapped. Right now, these women, I believe are acting with their best interests which also I think happens to be in my best interests. I decide to keep quiet and listen.


    Newlyn is mulling something over, “What to do with Shaylo is the next decision that we have to make before your departure.”


    Rosaleen looks flustered, “How come you didn’t do away with her while I was away?”


    “Hun that wasn’t a part of our agreement all I said was that we would trade. I would keep her here and you would take Zethel. Besides, had you returned to an anxious Shrago, and if he were to find out that his wife was disposed of then what?” She raises her eyebrow to Rosaleen and continues. “Out of pure luck these unfortunate events happened, and you walk away with clean hands.” Newlyn sips her juice after making her point. I get the feeling that she is referring to me killing Shrago as the “unfortunate events.”Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I blurt out, “What about me; if she finds out what I did to her husband she will surely seek revenge on me. Am I wrong?”


    Newlyn chuckles at my worry, “We won’t let that happen. She will never find out.”


    Newlyn clasps her hands together “So now the question remains, do we keep Shaylo, or do away with her?” She asks Rosaleen.


    Rosaleen asks, “Do you think that she is a threat?”


    Newlyn without hesitation says, “Well of course. If word were to get back to the imposture King Wolfrim that you and I were reunited your life would be over, you know that Shaylo would be the one sharing the news as retaliation for us keeping her here.”


    Rosaleen satisfied with the answer, “Well then we must do away with her.”


    “Not so fast my child. It is safer no doubt if she is dead, but Shaylo could be an asset in figuring out details on the people who serve the imposture in the castle. If you want to avenge your father and me, I sense that you do because you wouldn’t have left Shaylo with me if that was not your intent. You didn’t want Shaylo telling anyone that the truth was uncovered in finding me. It may be in your best interest to keep Shaylo alive to gain information on relationships that you never knew existed.”


    I glance over at Rosaleen who is deep in thought and frankly looking to be having some kind of internal battle. “It’s better to keep Shaylo alive; it obviously won’t be easier to do it, but surely possible. Shaylo may prove to be an asset for us. I see the value if we keep her.”


    Newlyn says, “It is agreed we keep her; we will work out the arrangements later.” Newlyn glances at the entrance gate, and automatically I look over my shoulder to follow her gaze.


    Soolena and Ashlea are riding upon two large bay-colored horses. I admire Ashlea, this is her first time on horseback, and she seems to be a natural at it. They both dismount just inside the gate and Sid runs up, each handing over their reins to him. Sid’s quick movements do not startle the horses. They like him because it appears from way over here that the horses are bringing their heads down to touch him with their muzzles as though they are saying hi to their little friend. Sid leads them to the barn that is situated behind the smaller homes on the property.


    Rosaleen, Newlyn, and I get up, and I hurry over to hug my sister. I have last seen her this morning, but it feels like it has been a month.


    “Ash, you learned how to ride.” I have my arm around the mid side of her back. She matches my gesture. We follow the three women back to the table.


    Ashlea giggles, “Yes, I think that I would say that riding is one of my most favorite things to do along with flying. I had so much fun this afternoon. Soolena taught me how to ride after we flew in from the ship. Before we arrived at Newlyn’s, she also showed me the bird’s eye view of the land. We went as far as the tips of those mountains up there and then down over the forests and the valleys.” Ashlea points in the general directions to the different landmarks. Ashlea asks, “So, how did you and Rosaleen make out?”


    I shrug, “Nothing compared to you. I am so jealous, but anyways, Rosaleen and I took that small boat to the shore and then walked along the beach and strolled through a town close to here. We stopped for a bite to eat, then after lunch, we rented a solar bike and drove here.”


    She smiles, “Sounds like just as much fun, I’m jealous.”


    “No, you’re not!” I stick my tongue out at her. Just before we sit down with the women, I whisper into her ear, “We have to catch up later.” She nods and we sit.


    The women are re-acquainting, and the man in the hammock has retreated into the house, comes back out with more juice and now some beverages, and snacks for all of us. He sets them out on the table, like a ghost without interrupting the discussions and retreating to his hammock unnoticed.


    Newlyn asks, “Ashlea how did you like horseback riding?” Newlyn pours some more juice as she awaits a response.


    “Loved it and by the way, you have beautiful horses.”


    “Thank you; the one that you were riding, he is one of my favorites.” Newlyn lights up as she tells Ashlea.


    Soolena asks Newlyn and Rosaleen, “Will I be teaching Taylan how to ride tomorrow?”


    Rosaleen begins to speak but is immediately cut off by Newlyn, “we have other plans for Taylan. She isn’t quite ready physically to ride, but I have a better idea for her that I would like to propose to all of you to see what you think.” My eyes must have gone wide because whatever this is its news to me.


    We all give Newlyn the attention that she commands. “I hate to end the lighthearted conversation so soon, but we should hash this out sooner rather than later.” Rosaleen nods in understanding and by no means seems bothered by her mother’s interruption. Soolena tilts her head in confusion as if she isn’t quite following where this is going. Ashlea and I have the same reaction, frozen and lost with no clue as to what to expect.


    “We have a problem on our hands, and she has been here with me for a few months. Rosaleen’s initial thought was to do away with her since we know where her true legions lie however my thought and Rosaleen has agreed that we keep her alive.” Rosaleen nods. Newlyn grins, clearly pleased by Rosaleen’s acceptance thus far, “We all know that Shaylo won’t openly divulge anything that would be of value to us, if anything, Shaylo would try to mislead us.” Soolena and Rosaleen nod while Newlyn continues, “Shaylo hasn’t set eyes on either of these girls.” Newlyn gestures to Ashlea and me.


    Rosaleen leans over the table “Go on Mother.”


    “Yes, sweetheart.” Newlyn says to Rosaleen in a teasing way and continues, “What better opportunity to introduce either Taylan, or Ashlea to her as a fellow prisoner? I would choose Taylan over Ashlea because we can work in the injury to the story of making it look like she tried to escape her obligations to her new master and make something up along the lines that Taylan is just too young and stupid to realize that she would get caught.” I immediately look to Newlyn for more explanation. Do they think that it is a clever idea to coupe me up with a traitor let alone the wife of the person that I killed? Are they insane?


    Newlyn continues, “Taylan wouldn’t be a real prisoner, but instead she would be our spy, the link, in order to get information that we need out of Shaylo.”


    I wave my hand to get the groups attention, “I am not sure that I know how to be a spy, what if Shaylo figures me out, then what?”


    Rosaleen answers, “We will guide you and won’t let you fail. You must trust us and trust yourself.” She is frustrated in my self-doubt. It is true. I am not a spy. I am not sure how to be one. I am sure that given the fact that Shaylo is older, I am sure she can sense a lie when it is staring her straight in the face.


    I answer, looking into Rosaleen’s eyes, “I will learn.”


    “Good.” Rosaleen looks at ease with my response, she takes some snacks in her hand and pops them in her mouth with a satisfied look and washes it down with her drink.


    Newlyn, just as she began, guides us along, “Okay, now that this is settled let’s catch up on more lighthearted matters.”


    Everyone converses about their day and things that took place over the past few months and when they had last saw each other. The man in the hammock seems to know some unspoken queue, and over the course of a couple of hours, he serves us dinner, followed by dessert and tea. He disappears for the night. My sister and I catch up in running through our day in more detail.


    Soolena is the first to retire for the evening. “The sun is going to set in the next hour. I am going to return to the ship and advise Izavelle what we discussed here.”


    Rosaleen says, “Yes that’s a good idea, thank you.”


    Soolena excuses herself and as she leaves the table, she gives Ashlea a gentle pat on the shoulder. Ash gives a quick glance, and a smile is shared between the two. I can see that Ash and Soolena’s bond is growing stronger. As a welcome change, Rosaleen decides to take a walk around the property with Ashlea. It is just me and Newlyn left.


    “Okay dear let’s get you cleaned up, and we will take care of that wound.” She rises from her seat at the table and motions me through the entrance.


    When you first set foot into Newlyn’s home, you immediately feel tiny. The entrance is massive and impressive, all at once. The spacious entrance has a staircase that starts as one and then splits off in opposite directions. It is composed of stained wood, the same color as the sand on the nearby beach. The effect of it is a light, but also a warm tone. Everything is polished and has a clean shine to it. The floors are also of wood. They match the railing. Off to both sides of the entrance are rooms that are closed off by rows of smoky glass panel doors with gold color handles that are shaped like hooks. The ceiling above the stairway extends passed the second floor to the roof. It is in the shape of a small cathedral, and it is made entirely of glass to let the natural light in. Newlyn does not stop to give me a tour but instead leads me up the stairs, then off to the left and down the hall.


    We enter a room with a massive four-poster bed; the posts almost touch the ceiling. They are as thick as mature tree trunks and carved into a beautiful spiral design. There is a fireplace to the left of the door and to the right a luxurious bathtub. Behind the tub, a smaller bathroom has a shower and a sink. On the far wall is a walk-in closet filled with clothes.


    Seeing how taken aback I am, Newlyn chuckles. This room is more luxurious than the rooms on the ship. She says, “Don’t get used to it. Remember you will be a prisoner tomorrow.” She winks and I shudder at the thought. I don’t remember it being decided that this was all going to be finalized tomorrow. I thought I was going to be trained a bit before having to face Shaylo?


    Newlyn says, “Come on, it won’t be that bad, you will never be alone, and you will get regular breaks with us to discuss what you have learned from Shaylo.”


    I ask, “How do you suppose there will be so many opportunities to talk?”


    She smiles, “We have our ways.” She walks over to the tub and lets the water run.


    I undress before her without a second thought that this is weird that a stranger is tending to me. I am getting used to the peculiar lifestyle that they have. I step into the tub as it continues to fill. Newlyn sits on the top step of the tub, and she ties my hair up.


    “Dear, can I ask you a personal question?”


    “Yes,” I am not sure where this is going.


    “How old are you?”


    “Eighteen,” I answer a little confused because my age isn’t something that I feel is personal.


    She gushes, “You are so young, and this is good you will learn fast.” Newlyn silently decides something. “How do you like Izavelle? I assume that she is the one who is teaching you, I can see that Ashlea’s teacher is Soolena.”


    I nod, “Izavelle is kind, and I sense that she is wise. She is an expert in observation and appears to be well-liked by others. People seem drawn to her.”


    “Yes, she is well received.” Newlyn turns the tap off; the tub is full, and I soak in it.


    “You know I have someone here who is like Izavelle who can teach you how to listen and show you how to become someone that is easily trusted by others. He can teach you how to act to get what you need from different situations like for instance portraying compassion or appearing to be sincere.”


    Looking at Newlyn I reply, “I have Izavelle, and besides I think I know how to express myself.” She is mentioning the same things as Rosaleen.


    Newlyn sits up, “Taylan, explain to me, who are the loves in your whole entire life please name all of them.”


    I look up at her, hugging my knees under the water; I know where she is going now, “My mother, Nafeeza and my sisters, Saydira and Ashlea, and I really like my new family, Rosaleen, Izavelle and Soolena.” I added them because I feel obligated.


    Newlyn inhales and exhales, “You only ever known and expressed your emotions to people that you know, and they have only been real emotions. There are so many situations that you have yet to face like for instance, you have never loved a man, or have been subject to feel, or show compassion for strangers, or even act the part even if, you don’t feel that way in your heart. Your entire life you have been surrounded by women and those you have known, your family and you haven’t had to face, or express yourself in an un-sincere way to strangers, or potential foes.”


    “You’re right, about it all, there were only a few that lived near to us, and the extent of my relationships with others was being a good neighbor. I never have faced a situation where I have had to act a certain way even though I didn’t feel it.” I confide, I am not sure why, but I feel embarrassed by this realization and divert my eyes to the water rippling around my body.


    Newlyn asks, “Have you been with a man?”


    “Yes, last night Shrago entered my room and me before my sister came to my rescue.” That thought hurt. Newlyn knew this, why is she asking?


    “I didn’t mean to upset you I’m just trying to understand what your relationships have been up to this point in your life. You must realize that you are still green to many interactions that are crucial for you to become used to, and this needs to be learned if you want to properly serve my daughter and protect yourself. You need to learn to adapt so that you can better relate to and understand others. You need to develop some acting skills to get by until you become so good that you believe your own act. These are all skills that we need to teach you and need you to learn quickly.”


    “Why?” I feel like this is being forced on me suddenly out of nowhere, isn’t it enough that they are ordering me to befriend their prisoner.


    She touches her head for a second and explains, “Look Taylan please, you can’t push this away. It is going to happen. Just think of it this way, one of Shaylo’s strongest relationships was with her husband.” Her eyebrows rise, putting little wrinkles across her forehead.


    Rosaleen stands up, stepping down the steps of the tub, walks to the cabinet, then returns with soap, shampoo, and a container of first aid supplies. She sets everything along the ledge of the tub and starts with carefully cleaning my wound. “You know Taylan I have someone here that isn’t much older than you. He is handsome, smart; he can teach you these skills quickly and step in for Izavelle since she is back at the ship. We need you to learn soon to perfect the task we are setting before you. Izavelle is a good teacher for you, but now Rosaleen needs Izavelle more than you do.” Newlyn dips her hands into the water, cups them and slowly glides her hand back up my back, letting the water drain out through her fingers back down my back. She calmly takes her hands out of the water and pats them dry with a towel. “I will let you be for a bit.” Newlyn gets up and quietly leaves my room, closing the door behind her.


    I sit there in the tub considering the idea of this new teacher, not that I have a choice in the matter. Should I welcome the opportunity? Am I open to building a new relationship? Is this man also being forced into a situation just like me? Does he even want this? This is weird. I close my eyes and soak, trying to forget all of it. I go back to the day in my head, when it was just my sisters and I pearl hunting off the coast of the North Shore, carefree and oblivious of what was to follow. I recall the conversation where I asked Saydira about why there were so few people our age and on top of that even fewer men. I am ready for this. I was longing back then for building this sort of relationship without realizing that my heart was looking for it back when I was at the North Shore. Okay, I don’t have the choice in this matter, so I am going to make the best of this and do what they ask. Hopefully, Shaylo won’t figure out that I am just a spy, but here goes, I have this.


    Satisfied with my reasoning and decision on how I am going to handle myself I carefully wash my hair; lather my body, mindful of my stitches, and rinse off. Wow, this is going to be the last bath like this for a while. Satisfied that my hair and body are rinsed I stand up to step out of the tub when I hear the door creak open. My first thought is, it is Newlyn, Rosaleen, or Ashlea, but it is neither of them. A taller figure enters the room. I immediately sink back into the water and wrap my arms around my body, feeling vulnerable. This has never bothered me before when at the beach with my sisters, but this is different, I am in a private place, and this is a stranger. He quietly closes the door behind him and looks in my direction.


    His voice is warm, “Please don’t let my presence make you feel uncomfortable.”


    I quickly muster up some authority in me. What does Newlyn know? I know how to act a part even if I don’t feel it in my heart. I answer with a slightly raised voice, “What are you doing in my room?”


    “I am here because Rosaleen and Newlyn ordered me here.” He keeps his distance, sensing my discomfort; he decides to take a seat on the large bed. “Are you okay if I just sit here?” He asks.


    “Not really, but I’m guessing that I don''t have much of a choice, do I?” I answer a bit annoyed. I never catch a break, but I do have to admit that he is beautiful. Newlyn knows how to pick them. I know who he is; he was the man who was sitting in the hammock, the person who was serving us throughout the evening. He was like a ghost moving unnoticed, performing his duties. I really didn''t notice what he looked like until now.


    He says to me, “Look I understand that this is weird for you, trust me it is weird for me, and this literally just got sprung on me.” He clasps his hands together and looks down.


    “I know,” I sigh, “So what were your instructions from Rosaleen and Newlyn?”


    With calming eyes, he replies, “I was asked to be your mentor while you stay here; teach you how to blend and be accepted into unusual situations and teach you how to fend for yourself.” He pauses as though collecting his thoughts, then elaborates, “I am basically teaching you to become a good liar and teach you some skills on the art of deception.” He has a handsome smile and winks; I blush a little and I roll my eyes at him. Wow, I can''t stay mad at Rosaleen and Newlyn for springing this on me; he is just too handsome to stay upset although, I find myself very self-conscious right now.


    I am getting curious about him, “So you never told me your name?”


    He smiles “No I haven''t, Taylan.” There is an awkward pause where neither of us says anything.


    “Well, what is your name, stranger?” I ask as I lean over the tub with my arms crossed on the ledge of it.


    He smiles “It’s not my name that matters.”


    “Okay then what do I call you?”


    “Call me Sir.”


    “Is that your name?” I ask; I am confused.


    “You don''t need to know my name right now, but if you need to call me something Sir will do.” He is quite serious in his expression, and I decide not to push it any further.


    Deciding on a new topic, I change the direction of the conversation. “So, you said your name doesn’t matter, please tell me what does matter?”


    He smiles again, “Good question, for starters we need to get used to each other, understand what our relationship is to one another and what we want others to perceive our relationship to be.” He eagerly waits for my response.


    “Well for starters we don''t have a relationship.” I say.


    “Sure, we do, you know me as your mentor.”


    I pause for a moment to think about it and respond with a shrug, “Well sure I guess.”


    He elaborates, “You’re going to be put in the presence of Shaylo for starters, my relationship with her is she is Newlyn''s prisoner, and I am the one that cares for her. I make sure that she is cared for and that her living quarters is kept clean. I also see to it that she carries out her chores. When she miss-behaves she is punished, and when she does what is asked, she is left alone.”


    I ask, “Is your relationship with her good?”


    He tilts his head; “If you’re looking at it as a prisoner and guard relationship than yes, I am fulfilling all of my duties that Newlyn has asked of me,” he pauses, “but if you’re asking me specifically about the human relationship than I would say that it''s pretty bad. Shaylo is nothing more to me, only a prisoner, she doesn’t trust me, which makes sense, and because of that, I can''t push her to divulge any intelligence. Apart from Shaylo holding back information the only good thing is for everything else that we have asked of her, like completing all the daily chores she does without hesitation.”


    I chime in, “So from what I gather from Newlyn, this is where I come in right?”


    He clasps his hands together, “Precisely” he says and gets up off the bed, making his way over to the tub, “I think it''s time you come out of the bath.” I look up at him reluctantly and blush, not moving. He is now standing by the tub with a towel in hand for me. He says, “Newlyn told me of the place you came from, I understand that being nude is normal. People swim in the nude and sunbathe nude most of the time where you are from; am I wrong?”


    “No, you’re not wrong.” I sigh “It''s just that this is weird you are a stranger to me and it''s not like we are out swimming in the ocean. You are here in the privacy of my bedroom watching me bathing. To tell you the truth this feels uncomfortable, and to be quite honest it’s well, creepy.”


    He shrugs, “You have to put your feelings about this aside because this is going to be a fast-forming relationship for the sake of Newlyn and Rosaleen’s plans.” He glances down at the floor and says, “Come out of the tub.” I blush and cross my arms in the soapy water. He peeks up at the splashing sound of me moving in the water and asks, “Would it help if I was nude?” He smirks, raises his eyebrows. He is still waiting for me to answer or to do something. Now he is holding a towel meant for me in hand.


    I snort, “Keep your clothes on.” I give in, this is weird, but I know that all of this is just the nature of the work that he and I must do. I step out of the tub slowly, mindful of my step and allow him to wrap the towel around me. I walk away to the closet to search out some panties and a nightshirt and disappear into the washroom out of this man’s sight to dress my wound and clothe myself to get ready for bed. I emerge a few minutes later. He is back on the bed, but this time he is under the covers. I stop in my tracks and stare at him, what is he doing? He sees my reaction and somehow knows that I would react this way.


    “Come to bed.” He motions with his hand as if this is no big deal; I stand at a still. He urges, “Come, trust me I’m the least of your worries. Soon you will be put in the company of Shaylo.” I reluctantly approach the bed and crawl in. This must be Rosaleen’s bright idea of me getting comfortable with men especially only after a day of being attacked. He takes a strand of my hair and tucks it behind my ear, “This is your first lesson of many. I know that you are uncomfortable with this sleeping situation. I know, I am an intruder to your space, do you know how I can tell?”


    “I hope you can tell because I am making it clear to you.” I answer.


    “You are.” He says, “This is your first lesson on hiding your emotions and trust me you are going to need this skill when facing Shaylo. You are stiff and ridged right now. I need you to start with concentrating on your breathing, slow it down, in through your nose and out through your mouth.” I breathe in deeply, he continues, “You are going to fool me into believing that you are relaxed in my presence even though I know right now that you aren’t. Okay, so keep your breathing slow and rhythmic. Now you are going to think about every muscle in your body and you are going to relax them, let them all relax while continuing with your steady slow breathing.” I can feel myself start to relax. “Good.” He says, “The last thing with this lesson is I always think of something that makes me happy, it helps calm me, I want you to do the same. This will keep the act going, and I would even go as far as saying that you will start to actually believe your own act.” My thoughts immediately take me back to the day on the North Shore, pearl hunting with my sisters, and I start to forget that I am in bed with another stranger who is preparing me to take residence with a prisoner. “Tomorrow, we will train you and get a solid story put together for you, for Shaylo, go to sleep.”


    I decide to turn over on my side; my back is towards him, I ask, “Where is Ashlea?”


    He yawns, “She is safe you will see her briefly in the morning, rest now.” I decide that he is right, and I drift off into sleep in the presence of this stranger. This has been such a long day and tomorrow promises more work. I drift off thinking about my family and all the landscapes that I have seen today on the back of the solar bike.