The Cateraman boat was trussed on the sea–shore.
The wind rustled the trees, the sky blistering the earth with lightning bolts and rumbling thunder.
Distant carooning of owls, chirping of crickets and hoots of wild creatures echoed the forest.
Ishmael held Isaiah, and was leading the way through unmade trails.
Isaiah was cautious and curiously wide eyed, observing this extraneous Island.
Ace walked closely beside with a flashlight. The bright lumination unraveling the barbed path with trees, crawling vines and shrubs.
Isaiah gasped as a white rabbit with glowing scarlet eyes hopped accross.
"A rabbit, Papa!" Isaiah exclaimed, excitedly pointing a finger at the rabbit vanishing into the bush.
Few steps behind, Rhean walking with his parents roved his gaze to capture a glimpse of the rabbit.
Neva felt a drop of cold rain on her head. She was bearing a sleeping Inaya. Her fever fortunately subsided.
Carefully untangling her hand holding Rhean's, she adjusted Inaya's sweater hood drifting astray from her head.
Neva found Rhean's hand again.
Securing the little hold of him in her firm grip.
Rhett was walking beside with a flashlight on. Of all the luggages prepared, there was only the bag hanged around his shoulder with the belongings proved crucial had anything went offshore, considering he had a lack of trust in Ishmael, and in the Island.
There was surveillance cameras mounted on tree trunks and poles, he had discerned even some of the camouflaged ones with infrared LEDs blinking red as it operated.
"Are you tired?" Neva asked Rhean in a murmuring tone. Rhean glanced up at her and shook his head.
She smiled and softly squeezed his hand.
They had walked for about twenty minutes now. The wind was growing harsher.
She felt more droplets of rain dripping on her.
And surely... Fortunately there was a faint golden gleam of light that slit through deep in the murky forest.
"Is this it?" Ace asked, slowing down.
A brow raised, mildly surprised at the lodge reared in the heart of the forest.
"Indeed." Ishmael replied monotonously.
Neva released a breath in succor she didn't know snared in anxiety.
Then Ishmael seized shortly after.
The massive three–storey wooden lodge apparent to the eyes in the closed clearing of forest.
"I'll head in first." Ishmael said and placed Isaiah on the ground.
He gazed down at Isaiah looking at him inquisitively. Ishmael caressed his head. "Go to your mother."
Isaiah nodded compliantly and ran to Neva.
"Ace go with him." Rhett said.
Ace nodded in return.
There flashlights were now turned off. Ishmael proceeded towards the lodge alongside Ace.
"Are we staying here tonight Mumma?" Isaiah queried spiritedly, glancing up at his mother adapting an arm under a deeply slumbering Inaya's butt, the other strained hand now holding her head.
"I think so," Neva mumbled, her sight not straying from the towering wooden lodge.
The iron gate estimatedly thirty steps away from the land they were standing on.
The tall poles of victorian lanterns paneled on the pathway leading to the lodge cabin eminating a warm golden luminance.
But it was awfully eerie and silent apart from the closening rumble of thunders, whooshing of trees from the wind and faint chirupping of crickets.
She was in Miraeth. The seven of them.
Three adult men and a woman, and three of her young children.
They had come with her to assist her in 'The Calling.'
The smell of dirt and bitter grass of Miraeth symphatized with her respiration, familarizing and lived by her heart.
This Island that she had a mysterious connection with, an antiquity with, hopefully to evoke along a fortuity of dawn with.
She was suddenly hit by this realisation that none of the happenings in her life was coherent, but rather an uphill of blessings, and valley of bleak shadows and obstacles.
Everything that she went through had made her.
And each hair's breath of her life was meaningful—and it prepared her for this Holy grail.
He had led them to Miraeth without harm. And Neva had faith; He will usher protection over them for as long as the soul lives.
"Sleepy?" Rhett asked seeing his son yawn.
Rhean nodded dizzily. His eyelids heavy and drooping.
"Is it okay if we sit there?" Neva gestured at the victorian bench further away by the front gate.
Rhett scrutinized the bench, then looked straight ahead at the lodge where Ace and Ishmael dissapeared inside.
"Sure," he answered, and Neva in an instant made for the bench, ushering along her children.
She sighed in relief as she sat down on the bench and carefully stabilized Inaya on her lap.
She was weary from walking and her arms were starting to hurt from holding Inaya.
Isaiah and Rhean sat on either side of her.
Rhean leaned on her, Neva's arm instinctively wrapping around to secure him in. Comforted, his eyes slowly closing.
And a fascinated Rhett stood near watching the two fatigued mother and son.
They were both equally, painfully stubborn.
He had offered to carry Inaya, but Neva refused, the same answer favoured from Rhean when he yielded to support him.
Soon enough, Ace walked out the entrance door.
Ishmael trailed behind shortly with two men dressed in a pleated navy blue shirt under a black vest coat and trousers, dragging along with them hotel baggage carriers.
They were presumably the staff members of the unnamed lodge–cabin.
They walked out the gates and the two staff members learning their presence in regards bowed their head.
Neva returned the gesture as did Isaiah.
"They'll bring the rest of the luggages." Ace indicated.
"And the boat?" Rhett inquired.
"They'll look after them." Ace replied.
Rhett inspected the two strangers and eventually nodded, sending off the personnel towards the route they arrived to fetch the rest of their belongings.
Rhett became alarmed as Ishmael neared Neva.
But before he could charge at him, Ishmael asserted Neva to carry his daughter.
And Neva aided to shift Inaya in Ishmael's arms.
This time around, Isaiah walked and Rhean was carried by Neva.
Rhett closed the gate, but before he entered further, he scanned the stiffened atmosphere obscured in shadiness.
And he hypothesised, they would have the pleasure to sought rest in the lodge only for tonight.
"Rhett?" Neva called.
Rhett looked at her.
She was turned to him, standing progressed ahead, patiently awaiting him.
"Coming," Rhett responded, and jogged towards Neva. His heart warm and stirred.