Mam had concocted a new
formula to battle my seasickness and I was anxious to test its worth. I
went to stand in the prow and took on the stance I had seen Andreas
take so many times when we had sailed before. The feel of the wind
against my face was a triumph. Joy came up in me and I threw wide my
arms, tossed back my head and laughed. The wind played through my
fingers and I felt like a bird in flight. I had often been jealous of
Andreas as he stood reveling in the sensation of flight across the
waters. I would not have to be jealous again. I blessed my mother for
the gift she had given me. She did not know how great a gift it was.
“Find your wings, Angel?” I heard Andreas ask as he came to put his arms around me.
“It feels like that to me
now. I used to hate that you could feel this and I could not. My
mother’s brew works perfectly! This is awesome!”
“Can I tear you away? I have something equally awesome to show you.”
“I don’t know what that could be, but I’m curious.”
He took me to where several
sailors were pointing at the water, laughing, and calling out in
merriment. As we came to the rail I saw a school of large black and
white fish. They were about twelve fotmal in length. They jumped in
and out of the water, following along with us, just along our starboard
side.
“You have always been so
taken with the sea sickness that you’ve missed this before. See how the
pure white center and sides of their bodies look like wings? That and
the legends about them saving drowning sailors have gotten them named
Angelimare. In the ancient tongue it means angel of the sea.” Andreas
told me this and I turned to meet his eyes.
“Yes,” he said, “Angels seem
to be coming at us from all sides, a synchronous situation. Everything
happening seems to be connected.”
“It is an odd series of coincidence that’s all,” I said as a way of dismissing what I felt but denied—synchronous.
It was enough to start me
questioning my beliefs. Perhaps God was greeting us; giving us welcome
to a mission he had patiently waited for us to take up. I watched the
Angelimare and asked one of the crew how often this sort of thing
happened.
“They like to play in the
wake of swift ships. They stay mostly to the southern waters so it is
not uncommon, but usually it is two or three. Here we have seven. That
is the biggest flock I’ve ever seen. We sailors are a superstitious
bunch. A sea angel at the start of a voyage is good luck. We must have
very good luck ahead to have such a big flock to escort us.”
“Flock?”
“Well they are angels and angels fly. Flock seems appropriate.”
“Yes, so it does.”
We spent the entire day along
that rail watching and laughing and wondering at the great creatures
that they were. The Angelimare were with us even as we turned north
toward the southern coast of Ahnges. Often they would chirp and dance
on their tails through the water. They made the most eerie, yet
beautiful sounds as they chattered. They seemed to have something to
say. I only wish I could have known what that was. As the suns set,
the wind died, and as suddenly, as if called home the Angelimare turned
as one, dove into the sea, and swam away.
The cook came to the deck and
banged a wooden spoon against the deck bell to call us to dinner. We
ate, then went to our cabin to gather a few instruments, then went up on
deck to play for the crew.
The ship moved through the
water propelled more by current than wind, but we were still on our
heading and the quiet seas allowed us a good audience.
We played well into morning until the spotter called out, “Land!”
