The Lore Wain and Her Nephew Pt. 14

Echo's screams and cries rung in the air as the eyes of the girl and the stranders stared at Zarabean. This sound was all that could be heard. Captain Sealen Silver-eye watched his pocket watch, waiting for the crying to stop in silence. Zarabean rocked Echo back and forth, trying to soothe him so he would stop crying. Echo's crying continued, completely ignoring Zarabean's efforts. "Ye have 3 minutes left." The captain told Zarabean, hoping to inflict some fear but also hoping it would speed up the process. Zarabean gritted his teeth anxiously, trying not to panic. "Little Wingfeather, please calm down..." He tried to keep himself from screaming, knowing it would only cause more problems. Echo didn't respond to any baby talk or whispering Zarabean attempted. It was like he was too upset to be soothed. "Please, Echo, Zarabean's trying to save us." Zarabean murmured to him anxiously. Thankfully, that's when Zarabean finally remembered what helped soothe Echo just earlier that day. "Wait- The song of Anniera..." He murmured to himself. "You have one minute left, ridgerunner!" Captain Sealen barked impatiently. Zarabean took a deep breath, trying not to mind the eyes staring at him and began to sing the song to Echo. It wasn't horribly off pitch but there was something haunting about hearing this song in the voice of a ridgerunner. The way the song was sung by Zarabean sent shivers up ol' Captain Sealen's spine. Before the time was up, Echo was finally appeased and resting in the arms of the ridgerunner peacefully. "Hmph." Remarked the Captain, "Looks like ye live another day, ridgerunner. Ye will care for the little babe but neither of ye will leave that cage. Can't risk ye runnin' off." "S-sir, does that... Does that mean I- I can come out now?" The girl asked from inside the cage. Silver-eye stared at the girl for a moment before nodding to her. "Aye, let her out. She can fetch our two captives some rations. Make sure she gets the good milk for the babe, we need it alive." The captain commanded before disappearing into his cabin. The girl was let out of the cage and directed to get food for Zarabean and Echo. The crowd of stranders dispersed, most of them going below deck for a good night's rest. Zarabean took a big sigh of relief and carefully sat down on the hard cage floor with Echo sleeping in his arms. He was still shaking anxiously but at least there wasn't an impending doom looming over his head. The unusual girl returned to the cage and pushed a bottle of milk and an apple through the bars. She intended to just drop off the food and leave but her curiosity got the best of her. Zarabean carefully grabbed the bottle of milk and set it beside him for when Echo would wake up. He grabbed the apple and began eating it rather slowly. She stared at Zarabean with great intrigue. Zarabean could feel her staring and he looked back at her with a big piece of apple in his cheeks. "..." She slowly sat beside the cage bars. "..." Zarabean stared with the lumps of apple making him look like a fluffed up squeeblin. He himself wasn't necessarily scared of the girl but he was wary of her after she hurt him. "You're not... Like normal ridgerunners..." The girl finally spoke, still seeming quite miserable. Zarabean quietly finished his bite before replying, "Zarabean is Zarabean. That's all that's to it." She looked at the sleeping Echo and then back at Zarabean, "... I don't think I've seen a ridgerunner with glasses... Or heard one sing." "Well, when the situation calls for it." Zarabean softly huffed, "I'm not much of a singer but this little one was calmed when he heard that song earlier." "Huh..." She tilted her head quietly and observed Echo with intrigue. Zarabean looked at the girl's talon-like hands curiously. "... What's your name?" He asked, wanting to know more about this young lady. "They call me Cy... My name is actually Cynthia." Cy replied, not making eye contact with Zarabean. "Ah, Cynthia... It's nice to meet you." Zarabean said half heartedly. His arm still hurt from the scratch she had given him and he didn't know how long he'd be on the ship for. Cy read Zarabean's lack of enthusiasm and glanced at where she struck him. "... I'm very sorry for hurting you..." Zarabean sighed, "Zarabean knows you didn't have much choice. He might of done the same if he were alone." "... Why wouldn't you give the baby up? I've never seen a ridgerunner turn down fruit for anything..." Cy asked with confusion. "Some things are more important. My closest friend asked me to watch her nephew... I couldn't betray her." Zarabean replied, looking down at Echo once again. Cy watched Zarabean a moment before asking, "You love your friend a lot, don't you?" Zarabean nodded and responded without hesitation, "She's sweeter than the finest apple. To betray her is like betraying my own family." He looked back at Cy, "I know something of that." "Did your family betray you?" Cy asked, not being afraid to pry into this strange ridgerunner's business seeing that he cannot evade her from inside a cage. "Zarabean doesn't wish to speak about it." He responded quickly, keeping his eyes on Echo to avoid eye contact with Cy. Cynthia scooted a little closer to the cage, "Why do you do that?" Zarabean glanced at her, "Do what?" "Start saying your name instead of... You know..." Cy wasn't sure how to word her question but Zarabean knew what she meant. He sighed at the question, "Zarabean just does sometimes. It doesn't mind him, don't let it mind you." "But why?" She asked again, starting to seem more curious than miserable. "..." Zarabean sighed again and decided to deflect the question with another question, "Is there anything soft Zarabean can lay Echo on? Zarabean can't sleep with a baby in his arms." Cy blinked and stood up, "I'll go look for something... I feel like I owe you for scratching your arm..."