Page 79 of Dawn of Hope
Dane said maps weren’t allowed, but clearly Dawnlin doesn’t agree.
I will deal with him if he ever finds out, but I need the cure, and having this tool is the best way for me to do that.
What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
I need a plan of attack, not just a haphazard way of searching as it seems that the others have adopted. Edmond always taught me to be methodical and purposeful, and that is what I am going to do.
I close my eyes and picture everything I have seen over the recent days. Once I determine where I need to start, I open them, put the charcoal to the page, and start to draw.
“Are you ready?”
I pull my focus away from Fin and his story to look toward the owner of the deep, gravelly voice. Dane stands over the table where Fin and I are eating a quick breakfast, the dawn still barely over the canopy of trees.
“Yes,” I say, brushing off my hands over my empty plate and swinging my leg over the bench. “Who am I with today?”
One corner of his smile turns up and I feel my eyes drawn to his lips. We haven’t kissed again since that early morning sunrise. He has been keeping his promise and not distracting me from the search, but I can’t help but miss the feeling of his arms around me, his tongue stroking mine.
“Lennox?”
My attention snaps back away from thoughts about his mouth. “Yes?”
He crosses his arms over his chest, smirking at me as if he knows exactly what I was thinking. “I thought it was time for you to do something different today.”
“Okay,” I breathe. “Am I going with you?” Searching the island alone with Dane wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Focus Lennox. The cure is the goal.
“Nope. I think it is time for you to head out on your own. Are you up for it?”
“Yes! Absolutely. I’m ready.” I try to squash down my excitement and seem more serious than I feel. I am ready. I am prepared. I am stronger than I ever have been. I know how things work, and I have gotten out of quite a few difficulties since being here. I want a chance to do things my way.
The map that I shoved into my shirt, hiding it in my undergarments, burns against my skin. I worked on it until morning, drawing in every detail I could remember, including all the large landmarks of the island. I need to keep it on me at all times to ensure no one else sees it, especially Dane.
He nods. “Good. Fin?” He leans to the side to look past me. “You’ll be with Taril today.”
Fin is learning a lot in the time he’s been here, but he still needs some help before Dane decides the youngest of us all is ready to venture out on his own. Everyone is being so patient with him, including Dane, and helping him as much as we all can.
I reach over and ruffle Fin’s hair. “Stay focused out there, bud.” A few days ago, Fin told me I remind him of his sister, and since then I can’t get it out of my head. He might return to find her gone, his last bit of time with her stolen away in an attempt to help her. My vision blurs at the thought, and I look up at the sky to blink the tears away.
I don’t know what kingdom Fin is from, but I know it would hurt to not have him in my life anymore. I know he doesn’t come from much, and I wonder how I can find him after leaving Dawnlin. I will do everything in my power to take care of him and his family. Send them money, offer them jobs, whatever they need, if I can find them.
I may never have siblings, and if Fin is the closest I get to it, I don’t want to let him go.
“You too Lennox,” he says through a bite of eggs.
I giggle, ruffling his hair again before turning and heading out to the armory. Dane stands off to the side of the tavern in a deep conversation with Storm. He glances up as I pass and offers me a small wave.
“Be careful,” he grumbles, and turns back toward Storm.
My cheeks heat and I turn away, stepping out onto the walkway, quickly heading over to get my bow. It still feels odd having someone care about my well-being like Dane does.
I am going to be alone today, with no one else to rely on for help or protection. I’ve been traveling light, but now I feel the need to make sure I have a little bit more protection without weighing me down too much.
I pull on my bow and quiver and look at the selection of blades. I don’t want to carry a sword like Mara. I’m not great with one, and it would just weigh me down. Same with the axes. They can be helpful for survival if I get stuck somewhere, but I’m not prepared to use one for self-defense.
I settle on a long blade with a serrated edge. Gauge carries one, and it was useful cutting through branches and make-shifting any traps or warnings that we needed.
I wrap a leather belt around my hips and cinch the buckle tight, then attach the sheath with a snap. Sliding the knife in I make sure everything feels secure. I keep my dagger in the back of my waistband. It is a comfortable reminder that I still have a piece of home, a reminder of who I am, and a deadly weapon to use against any of the Castaways that want to hurt me.