Shadows To Call

After two months out on sea some progress began to fill their minds. Nikolai grabbed a compass and a map and looked around. They were really close to reaching Spain maybe an hour or two away. He sat down on a bar stool and tilted his head back. "We're so close." He grinned.

Roman laid on his back in only a piece of clothing covering crotch as he sunned himself. "This sucks." He grumbled. "So close but so far."

"Oh hush you whiner." Mika said and rolled her eyes.

Samee nodded and sat in her chair, cradling Alisa close to her.

"I'm tired of eating coconuts and fish, I want fried food." Roman continued to complain. "You can cook right?"

Nikolai sat down beside Samee and kissed her neck lightly.

"Cook?" Mika asked, a bit confused. She knew how to warm things over a fire, but the term 'cook' was new to her.

Samee began to giggle. "Stop it tickles." She said and lifted her shoulder to her face to protect herself from him.

Nikolai grinned and leaned forward. "Let's hope you know how to get back home from wherever we land."

"Oh. Nevermind." Roman said waving it off. "It's alright."

Mika narrowed her eyes, she always found it frustrating when he used words she didn't know and then didn't explain them to her. Standing up she walked off towards the bedroom.

"How could I forget?" Samee grinned.

"Mika! Come back! I didn't mean it like that!" Roman rubbed the back of his head. "I felt like sexist if I told her what cooking was." He mumbled to himself.

Nikolai leaned in and kissed her cheek then leaned back to wait.

Mika ignored him and walked into the room to go straight into the bathroom and shower.

Samee sighed. "There is nothing to do on this ship Nikolai." She grumbled.

"We have been doing nothing for months, we can do nothing for two more hours." Nikolai said and tap kissed her. "You'll be okay."

"Do I follow?" Roman asked his sister lazily.

Samee hadn't been following her brother's situation and waved him off. "Yeah, but I can't wait anymore. The anticipation is killing me!"

"Well we can't drink we're all out of alcohol, and it'd be bad to show up drunk." Nikolai said and tilted his head. "Uh I don't know Samee."

Samee groaned and set Alisa down to roll on the ground.

Nikolai leaned in to kiss her face. "What are you doing you are going to get dirty!" He laughed then shut his eyes and rested. When he opened his eyes again he felt Roman prodding him. He had docked the boat.

Roman looked at the people who were talking about them in spanish already. "Come on everyone." He said and gestured for them to follow.

Mika remained in the bedroom, drying off her hair, tying it into braids agian.

Samee hopped up excitedly. "casa!" She shouted.

Roman waited waited for Mika then got off the boat and began to ask around for the nearest airport till he finally got it. "Let's go." He said and began to walk.

Nikolai followed along with his arm around Samee.

"We don't need the airport Roman." Samee giggled. "We are only a few hours away from home."

Mika stood quietly, she had taken the paint off of her face, but kept the feathers in her hair, taking no notice of anyone staring.

"Are you sure? I think we can get there faster by plane." Roman responded to his sister. "That or we can just rent a van." He suddenly became uneasy about returning to his neighborhood but tried not to show it.

Nikolai looked around at all the people and grew a bit nervous.

"We should just walk, we've been stuck on the boat for too long." Samee said and began to walk.

"Oh Samee..." Roman groaned and walked after her. "We've done enough walking I just want to see mami and papi." He whined.

Nikolai walked along holding Alisa firmly to him.

"Don't be so lazy." Samee muttered and rolled her eyes.

Mika followed behind Roman quietly.

Roman looked back at Mika and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Are you still mad at me?" He asked quietly. "I'll teach you whatever you want to know."

Nikolai looked at Roman then Samee and around the scenery. "How long is it by foot?"

"An hour." Samee said, having given them the time it would take on foot originally.

Mika frowned. "I just want to know what it means."

"Cook means to make food like here we use oils to fry food and it's delicious. You'll get to eat lots of new things like ice cream. Have you heard of ice cream or had ice cream?" Roman rubbed the back of his neck. "And school. You will go to school by law."

Nikolai nodded and walked along patiently. "Are your parents nice? Do they speak English?

"Yes, and yes. My whole family speaks English...just not well." Samee nodded.

"What is school?" Mika asked curiously. "I have never tasted this ice cream."

"Oh it's like ice- Well I don't think you've ever seen ice." Roman thought for a moment. "Okay has it ever like stormed little hard things from the sky and they're clear? That's called hail and hail is ice. Ice cream is that but flavored and softer." He nodded. "School is where you go to learn how to read and write and you need to do that to be here. I finished though so I can't go to school with you."

"Oh." Nikolai said a bit relieved. "They won't be upset? Over our family then?"