75th of Spring, 508 AV The young Svefra examined the worn-out map which was spread before her. Their ship was entering the southern Suvan Sea, somewhere in the Faleyk Gulf. After roughly more than a year and a half of traversing the western shores of Sylira, they were finally on their way back to their home which was the Northern Suvan Sea. Just outside the cabin, she could hear her sisters singing a catchy tune about the dance of the waters. Amidst the songs, she could hear a woman calling for the name of her brother. 'What's he up to now?' Gabrielle asked herself absently as she traced her fingers across the map. If the waters were good, they would be back home in a season or two. The sky was dark, which meant that the sails were down and their movements would be slowed. Her Lia preferred to sail at full speed when the day was bright, and at night, it was mostly sleep or festivities. Currently, she knew it would be a night of festivities. Her family was celebrating their entrance to the Suvan. Coincidentally, their ship had also come across a ship of inland hunters who were on their way out of the sea and travelling to adventures in far lands. They seemed cautious of the seas, and this amused Gabrielle’s sisters. Even if they were not really of the sea, the Lia had invited them aboard and to the festivities, believing that the more people made a party better. She could hear the men’s voices as they tried their best to sing along to the songs of the Svefra. Gabrielle rolled the map and stuffed it under her bunk bed. She hopped down to the ground and heard her stomach grumble loudly. "Oh, geez, Gab, control that thing," a voice groaned. Gabrielle blinked and looked behind her, and that was when she realized that her older brother was lazing around on one of the net hammocks that were strapped between two wooden poles. "What are you doing here, Marcus?" Gabrielle inquired, shooting him a curious look. "I thought the Lia told you to prepare the fish. Is that why they’re calling for you?" He gave a yawn. "Eh, I don't like the smell of fish, and don't get me started on the sliminess." Gabrielle clucked her tongue. "You, I swear, are not a Svefra." Marcus gave her a weak smile, but Gabrielle saw the hurt in his eyes. He preferred the lands, disliked seafood, preferred to nap instead of partying, and had didn't have a lot of the traits that described a Svefra. He had told Gabrielle many times, in confidence, how he would probably fare better in an inland city. He never told anybody else this, especially the Lia, because he felt enough as an outcast already. He trapped Gabrielle in a headlock and playfully rubbed her forehead with his fist. "Whatever, gab, let's go listen to the Lia yell at me...” he gave her a wide smile. “Then let’s get some food.” The young girl growled at him and wrestled her way out of his grip, though he gave her a difficult time to do it, chuckling all the way. Her brother was strong and had the build of a hunter, and he had been the one to teach her how to use a bow. This was one of the reasons her mother was annoyed at him many times, because even though he had the gift, he much preferred to laze around. When Gabrielle was finally free of his grip, a man’s bellowing laughter filled the air, and Gabrielle noticed the uneasy look on her brother’s face. She poked him on the shoulder and asked, “What’s wrong?” Marcus was brought back to the future and shook his head before giving her another grin. He liked doing that: grinning. You could never really read Marcus because of the way he resorted to smiling all the time; and all his smiles seemed mocking. “Hey, stay clear of those men, alright? They seem sketchy.” The hunters who were invited aboard looked gruff and were about a head taller than Marcus, which was saying a lot because Marcus was one of the tallest in the pod. Gabrielle couldn’t tell why these hunters made him uneasy since their Lia had invited many kinds of people aboard, but she simply nodded; her thoughts on the food that was to come. |