"I killed them." Eboni whispered again, trying to come to terms with what she had just done.

"You had to Eboni, they would have killed us all otherwise." Bren ran a comforting hand across her shoulders and she sighed, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

The first lesson they had ever been taught at the temple was the importance of life and how no one should decide who lives and who dies. She had just killed 3 men. Bren was sure it would haunt her forever.

"Let's go" she said pulling the group forward, refusing to look at the cloaked figures at their feet as they passed.

Climbing the gangplank of a small cargo ship, Eboni pulled herself away from Bren's grasp, blindly searching for a corner in which she could curl up and reflect on what she had just done.

"Anyone know how to sail this thing?" Princess Iasa said, glancing around taking in their home for the next few days.

"It's not quite your father's ship, but it will be easy enough to sail." Replied Orlan who was busy assessing the ropes with his free hand, after sheathing his sword.

Bren lead the Princess and sat her down on the opposite side of the deck to Eboni, leaving Orlan blind for a few moments before he returned and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll have this sailing in no time." Bren remarked as the men pulled up the anchor and let the gangplank fall into the water below. Releasing the rope holding the sales they unfurled, catching the light breeze flowing through the dock.

Slowly the boat began its journey out of the bay and into the freedom of the vast ocean. Taking the wheel Orlan steered it towards the shore of Rolezal.

They had all regained their sight a few minutes into their journey. Now surrounded by the natural darkness of night, Eboni had retreated into the underbelly of the small ship, not wanting the view of an ever-shrinking God's Land to haunt her vision.

She had decided to explore the vessel. It had three rooms, all lit by moonlight that streamed in through the small portholes in the side of the ship. Each room held a simple wooden single bed and a small set of draws.

Empty.

She sighed, even though there were more important things to worry about now- like finding food aboard for their journey- the idea of setting foot in Rolezal wearing a muddy nightgown and a ripped white Sisters cloak was not how she imagined her first journey over the seas to go.

"Have you found any clothes?" A soft voice floated over her shoulder. Turning around she saw the Princess smiling sadly at her, clutching her own cloak around her tightly to try and find a little more warmth.

She sounded almost- Nice- Perhaps she had been too judgemental in their first meeting.

"Orlan and I will get into the city fine, people know who we are- but you and your friend look like peasants you'll never be aloud through the gates." Her face remained sincere while her voice sneered.

Nope. Not misjudged at all. Eboni turned away from the Princess to hide her sorrow.

"No, all the draws are empty. I was about to go and check the cargo hold. Don't you think we should be worrying about food right now? We're going to be sailing for two days."

She brushed past the Princess whose face was now scrunched up in horror- She probably doesn't even know where food comes from, it's always just handed to her when she is hungry.

"You're right!" she cried out "We're going to die!"

"We won't die Princess." Eboni sighed, rolling her eyes. "We can last without food for many days so long as we have fresh water, which we do, as you can light a fire to purify the water of the ocean all around us." This was going to be a long few days.

Eboni found the door to the cargo hold and eased it open, inside were piles of non-descript wooden boxes piled on top of one another. Unlit torches lined the walls, holding the promise of light should they ever be lit.

"Princess, do you think you could?" Eboni asked pointing to the torch nearest to them.

Iasa stepped back quickly her face filling with fear "No!" she cried out, shuddering "I can't control it- not like you can." Her voice grew quiet and sad.

"I can easily put the flames out if you lose control, just like I did the last time." Eboni smiled softly, trying to reassure her.

"O-Ok" she stuttered, raising a hand slowly to towards the torch.

"Just think about the torch and only the torch, then will a little bit of your power at a time- only a little, until it catches fire." Eboni instructed softly. Remembering her lessons with the High Priest and Priestess. A sharp pain flooded into her heart. They could be dead. They could all be dead. And she had just run away like a coward. NO. She told herself, don't think like that. Shaking the unwanted thoughts from her mind, she began to concentrate hard on the torch in front of her, waiting, ready to stop any wild flames from setting the boat alight.

Slowly it began to smoulder and grow red as the heat grew. After a moment, a small delicate flame flickered into life. The Princess's hand fell limply to the side, her eyes weary from exhaustion as they watched the flame grow a little bigger, filling the capacity of the torch and then stop, not spilling from its boundary.

"Well done! How about the next one?" Eboni asked smiling as the Princess grinned triumphantly.

They made their way slowly around the hold, each torch taking a little less time to light.

Now bathed in a warm orange glow from the torches, happily flickering around them, the Princess sighed.

"That was incredible" she looked down at her hands and then at the lit torches in awe. "I guess we should open them all, too see what's inside?"

Iasa pointed towards the boxes, moving to take down the first box from the pile closest to them.

"It's quite light." She said her brows creasing, Eboni flinched as Iasa pried the top off with her long nails 'glass' was the only description of the contents that she received.

Moving closer to the box, Eboni saw 30 little glasses, all intricately coloured and shaped.

"Rolezal glass?" she pondered aloud.

"Yes, I think so." The Princess replied, lifting the next box down to open.

For an hour, they opened boxes in silence, the Princess sighing with disappointment every time. None contained food- or dresses.

"I'm tired." She announced with only 7 more boxes to go.

"There aren't many more left, if there is fresh food in any of them when we wake up it may have gone off." Eboni reasoned with her, and after a small nod she accepted the next box from Eboni's waiting arms. Holding her breath in anticipation Eboni was not let down once the lid had been removed.

"Letto's! Princess Iasa shrieked.

Inside the crate sat over 100 small round leathery looking fruits, their bright red skin holding back the sweet flesh that lay inside. The door to the hold was thrown open with a bang, Bren stood in the doorway, his eyes awake ready to take in a potential new threat.

"I heard a scream?" he asked slowly, taking in the scene of open crates strewn across the floor, slumping into the doorway when he saw no threat.

"Oops!" Iasa giggled nest to Eboni, her hand feverishly tearing away at the skin of the Letto fruit.

"We found food." Eboni explained scooping up 4 balls, she thrust them into Bren's hands. "There are three rooms, go and sleep, you look tired." She said softly, nudging him towards the far bedroom door.

"Ok, we'll talk plans when I wake up." His eyelids drooped as he staggered off to his room.

Going back into the hold Eboni found another box had been opened, this time filled with lots of little other boxes each with different hand painted scenes on them.

"What are those?" she asked as the Princess gabbed a box eagerly.

"What!" she gasped her eyes wide "You don't recognise them?" sliding the lid open a delicious sweet aroma filled the room. "It's chocolate!" she giggled again "I guess we won't starve after all!" She popped a small brown square into her mouth and chewed. Eboni followed suit, not sure how a solid brown square could make the Princess so happy. Questioning thoughts about the Princess's sanity stopped abruptly as a sweet, sticky delicious flavour filled her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock.

"I know." Iasa grinned

"This stuff is amazing!" Eboni said, reaching for another.

"Here, try it with the Letto fruit at the same time." Iasa said, handing her the small fruit. She peeled back the skin and bit down, the sweet flesh filling her mouth, complementing the chocolate as though they had always been destined to be eaten together.

"I'm guessing you have never had Letto fruit either?" Iasa asked handing her another fruit.

"No, all we ate at the temple were what we could grow ourselves. The chocolate and fruit would have been going to the people from the town. Those who could afford it anyway." She took another bite of the fruit, savouring its foreign taste and texture.

"Yes, well when you get to Rolezal you can eat, drink and wear whatever your heart desires!" Iasa opened the next box with a flurry of new energy- "Speaking of new clothing!" She reached in and pulled out the most garish pink dress Eboni had ever laid her eyes on. Sighing she committed to herself that she would rather wear rags into Rolezal than that pink dress.

"I am no wearing that." She said flatly.

"Good, because I am!" The Princess held it up to her body in glee, marvelling at its cut, colour and beadwork.

"Oh!" she gasped reaching into the box again, this time withdrawing matching pink shoes. "They are a little small but they will have to do." She placed them both down next to her and continued to rummage around.

After opening all the remaining boxes- all of which contained clothing much to Iasa's delight- Eboni had been given a dress, shoes and a ribbon for her hair, all to be worn on her first day of Rolezal. She would have objected whole heartedly if it wasn't for the fact that they were all the same light green as her eyes- a point Iasa had been very keen to point out once she had started grumbling about the colour.

They had also set aside fresh tunics and trousers for the men, along with thick black cloaks to keep away the chill of the sea breeze until they reached warmer climates.

"I will go up and give Orlan a cloak and some food." The Princess announced "the room next door will be mine, I'm going to rest for a few hours or at least until the sun comes up." Iasa grabbed a cloak, a handful of Letto's and a box of chocolates before heading back up onto the deck.

Eboni smiled. The Princess could be good company when she wanted to be, she had just proved that. Snuffing out the torches she slipped into the free bedroom, eager to try and sleep away the remaining hours until the sun began to rise.

Iasa had been a good distraction for a few hours, but now laying down and closing her eyes the images of home came flooding back to her mind. The screams of her fallen Brothers and Sisters filling her ears again. Her pillow growing wet from the tears she let freely fall, unable to stop them even if she wanted to. Letting sleep overwhelm her she dropped into a deep dreamless sleep.