Camelon's Courage: A Star-Crossed Love Story

Rikesh pulled his ship close to the dock. The sea was rough today, but he was a good captain and knew how to navigate the water. He tied up the boat and took a deep breath as he gazed at the town in the distance. It looked so different from the last time he had been here. He could hear voices now where there were only sounds of fish before. He smelled food cooking now, where before he had only smelled fish drying in the sun.

He picked up his bag, which contained his map, some clothes, and dried meat for later. He would have preferred to stay on board with his crew but he didn't want to be seen leaving them so soon after docking. He knew it would be harder for them to find another job if people assumed they were going to stay in town for a long time.

"Stay safe," he told them as he left the boat. "I'll see you in a few days." A few of his crew waved back or nodded their heads but most were too busy eating their lunch or drinking ale to notice him leaving. They all got paid as much whether they stayed with him or not and they all liked it that way. Nobody likes being tethered together when they are out trying to make a living on their own.

He turned away from his boat and started walking into town. It wasn't hard to get directions once he was inside. Everyone knew who lived near the sea and it wasn't long before he found himself knocking on Menna's door. Her father answered and stared at him with a frown on his face before remembering who he was.

"Oh! Rikesh! Come in, my boy." Rikesh smiled as he stepped inside, removing his hat and coat as her father led him through the house toward the back door, "Menna told us you'd be passing by on your travels today so I made some lunch for us."

Rikesh stopped in his tracks, "But I thought..."

Her father looked at him with confusion in his eyes, "You mean...you're not just passing through?"

"Well no sir...I thought..." Rikesh trailed off as Menna walked into the room through a side door carrying a tray of food that smelled delicious. Her father turned around to face her and she put down the tray on a small table between them. She gasped when she saw Rikesh standing there and ran over and wrapped her arms around him tightly as she kissed him soundly on the mouth. When she let go of him she stared at him with tears running down her face before looking over at her father and then back at Rikesh again with an expression of terror on her face as she realized what she had done in front of her father who had never allowed such behavior from either of his daughters before now.

"Father...I'm...I'm..." she stammered looking back and forth between her father and Rikesh as she tried to figure out what to say next but couldn't get anything out through her fear that she would be disowned by her family because of what had just happened between herself and Rikesh in front of her father's eyes while having lunch all alone together like they were married already or something like that which they weren't since Rikesh still hadn't got permission from her father yet to marry her which he definitely wouldn't get if he saw this little display right here today what had just happened between them right here right now it was hopeless it was all hopeless...