"I don't want you to go," she said grasping his hand in her own, trying to pull him away from the docks. There was a ship at the end, and she knew well that this one, like in her dreams, had a chance of not returning. "Please, stay with me." Her voice was soft, tender, young and naive. IT held love and devotion, and fear, she was scared, she didn't want to be left alone. Not again.
He didn't turn around to face her at first, he merely sighed and ran his free hand through his hair, "You know I can't," he replied. He looked forward to the ship, to the new beginning that waited upon it. There were so many possibilities there, he could research, see the oceans wide, travel to new lands, there was only one problem, he was ordered to not take her with him. It was captain and crew only, no exceptions.
As he turned to face her, his eyes held sorrow, his stubbled face evident of his lack of desire to do any extra action, his hair was greasy, mussed, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. "I need you to be strong." She turned her face away from his, and his hands went to her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing circles against his exposed skin as her scarf had fallen loose, "I need you to be strong K., can you do that for me?"
"James," she looked to him then, eyes pleading, she looked to his build, his broad shoulders, his eyes, and she fell forward, her forehead leaning against his chest and his arms enveloped her pulling her close. HIs chin rested atop her head and he kept her close inhaling her scent, smiling, feeling the warmth of her against him.
"You know I can't bring you with me, I wish I could. I'll see so many places but, they will feel empty without you, without your eye and the light within them," he pulled back slightly, lifting her chin with his hand so that she would look into his gaze, and a faint smile crossed her chapped lips, "It won't be easy, for either of you, but I promise," he pulled her tightly against him again, "I'll come back. I swear. I will return to Akoya again."
They stayed there for a few moments, embracing one another on the docks, and feeling one another's breath, one another's heart beat. They beat together as one as they were meant to be together.
"I know," he began, "that you're afraid," and she winced in his arms, "that you don't want to be alone. But, I have something for you." He broke their embrace for a mere moment and clasped her hand with his and then they walked down the dock together towards the ship : it's sails had already been hoisted upwards, he would have to leave soon. "I hope, that it will help," he went to pull from her grasp but she didn't want to let go, and held on tightly. He looked to her, blue-near green (though she swore they became hazel as her own) eyes meeting their equal and smiled, "Don't worry," he said gruffly, his once almost crooning, "I'm not going just yet."
She watched him walk close to the ship and his heart wrenched in her chew, but a wave of relief washed over her like the waves beside the dock when she saw him speak to a man who went onto the ship and returned with a small, wooden crate. James shook the man's hand, the man chuckling and waved to K. who waved back meagerly. As James returned to her on the dock, he smiled and spoke,"Close your eyes," and she did.
She heard him open the crate, and heard rustling, and then she felt him take her hands away from her body. He then placed something warm, small, and wriggling in her arms and he pushed her arms close to her chest once more so she could cradle the small bundle. "All right," he spoke, "look."
Opening her eyes she looked down to a wriggling brown mass of fur, ears and paws. It wriggled, made small noises and turned so that it was on it's back, and then blinking, it opened it's eyes, blue, just like his. She smiled and lifted her loose hand and let a finger down near the small furry belly,and small paws tried to grasp it.
"I thought you might want one of your own…" James spoke while looking at the little fur ball. "He can protect you, when he is old enough, and be your companion. You can have him go with you where you wish, and you can even let him sleep in bed with you. He'll be strong, it's in his blood." K. went to question the statement but James cut her off, "He'll be a fighter, like those in his family."
"A fighter like you," she said with a smile.
"Yea, a fighter like me."
She looked at her small male mokai. Inquisitive, anxious, excited, but strong. She could sense a strength deep within him, even now.
"What should I call him?"
James leaned over the two and ran his hand across the mokai, looking him over, looking at his eyes, then to K., "Perhaps, Kuruk?"
"Kuruk?"
"It means, "bear," in a language I've read about in books. The native people called a creature in the wild, Kuruk, the bear, a great creature of strength and wisdom."
"Kuruk," she said softly, "do you like that? Kuruk?" The male mokai made a soft wuff noise in her arms, close his eyes and snuggled against her chest, his paws kneading her side, and his breath quickly came to be at ease. "My little Kuruk." She looked to James, fear slowly fading from her hues, "I'll raise him to be strong."
"I know you will."
James leaned forward, his hand behind K.'s head and pulled her forehead against his, little Kuruk nestled in her arms between them.
This was just the beginning.
