Ever since the disappearance of his twin Farah had grown to hate storms. While there was no proof the flood had carried Faydis away that was the only explanation he could think of. She’d stayed by his side through everything else, so why now? Why this?

And now that the spring storms had settled in with full force Farah found himself agitated. Taavetti had tried desperately to get his son to leave the island just incase it flooded once more, but Farah wouldn’t budge. Now that he was older his father couldn’t sling the boy over his shoulder and carry him off whenever he wished. Even if Farah was thinner than his father it would have taken work, especially if Farah had a fit, so in the end Taavetti had been forced to concede.

“Please come to the mainland, Farah. We’ll be waiting for you.”
That had been two days ago and now that the water had nearly swallowed the shoreline Farah had started to worry. What if the same flooding that took Faydis away took him? What if that was a good thing? Did he want to be here anymore, now that she wasn’t around? Thoughts of rich, orange curls came to mind and he frowned. The young hybrid stood out atop the sand, his own curls a maelstrom around his head as the wind jostled him to and fro. If he left she might get sad and yet…the sea called to him. It begged him to draw nearer and so, against his father’s better wishes, Farah set out in his little dingey.

He didn’t make it far. His vessel was small, clearly meant for fishing and little else, and with the waves whipping about as they were it came as no surprise when it tipped over. What did surprise him was, during his struggles and fighting the waves hands reached down into the dark water to pull him up.
It wasn’t Faydis. He’d wanted so badly to see her again and had dreamed of sailing through the storms that took her to find her once more, but this – this was a fisherman. A man he didn’t recognize, on a boat he didn’t know and that – that was lightning coloring the sky behind him.

“Are you daft?!” The man bellowed over the gales. “You shouldn’t be out!”

“I’m looking for my sister!”

“Was she in the boat with you?” The man’s voice was barely audible and with the next crack of thunder their ship – a much, much larger vessel – nearly flipped to the side.

“No! No she…she’s been gone for a while.”

“Well, then the only thing you’ll find out here is your death! You’re a long way off from shore; too far for that little thing, even if it wasn’t stormin’.”
And at that point Farah looked back to where the shore was – or rather, should have been. He’d only been gone a few hours, hadn’t he? So then, why couldn’t he see the beach? Where was his hut?

Where had he gone?

He gripped the railing as the sailor went about, conversed with his crew some, and set to pulling a few ropes before coming back to Farah’s side. The lot of them were being absolutely pummeled by the storm, but seeing as there really wasn’t anywhere on the ship where one wouldn’t get assaulted they had little choice.

“Where ya from? We’re gonna make landfall in Besaji, once the sea calms.”
“I don’t…I don’t know.” What was his village called? His father had told him once or twice before, but since Farah never left he never bothered to learn. And where was Besaji? It seemed familiar and yet…

“You doin’ alright? Swallow any sea water?” The older Matorian leaned in, trying to get a look at Farah’s eyes but when he made eye contact Farah looked away. It just made the older man ‘hmm’. “Get below. Ain’t much, but it’s dry. You can rest down there.”

“I’d rather stay here.” He didn’t want to explain why. He couldn’t imagine telling a stranger that the sea, even at it’s most volatile, calmed him or that there was still hope in his heart of seeing Faydis. When he’d made it clear he wouldn’t be moving the older man fetched a rope for him – for safety, same as they had. One end was tied around the mast and the other would be tied around Farah’s waist.

While he wasn’t sure where he was or even too sure of his company, at least he had the storm.

[757]