20th of Summer
11 Bells
11 Bells
Droplets of water splashed against her legs as she kicked her way along the shoreline, shoes in her hand; in a few bells, Anais knew, the urge to soak her whole body in the salty Suvan Sea would hit her. It always did in the fullness of the midday heat. But she was getting used to the weather, used to the settlement, used to following the relaxed rhythms of life in Syka, and each day that she didn’t stumble into the jungle and get eaten by a wild animal or lost in the thick green of the trees was a personal victory. It was easy to feel that small sense of success here, in Syka’s core group of community buildings. With the rangers and a semblance of civilization, this part of the budding community was more or less safe, even for someone of her limited knowledge.
Anais had been letting it lull her, finding it easy to stay within the safe places, keeping to herself. But that was going to have to change; coming to Syka had been a hasty decision, but one that she was determined not to regret. Much of the past several years had been spent hiding – from family, memories, closeness… And Laviku, if she were being honest. Though she’d remained in and around the water, first in Zeltiva and then the nearly two seasons she’d spent sailing along the coastline from there to Syka, it had been longer than she was comfortable admitting, even to herself, since she’d really spoken to the God. It was not for lack of opportunity or the proper surroundings. True, she’d remained in Zeltiva longer than anywhere else, but in the city famed for its nautical prowess there had been ample opportunity to be on the water. And Anais hadn’t been able to stay away, no matter that anger and confusion and sorrow stood between her and the All Father, but she had not been a good child. Syka was going to be her fresh start, just as soon as Anais could bring herself to really start.
That drive had been what pulled Anais from the familiarity of her cabin and the comforting rocking of Laviku’s Kiss. The need to do something more than move a few rocks around and dig a hole, or have vague conversations about potential buildings and loans and contributions. Today, she would find Randal Zor, Syka contractor extraordinaire, and solidify some plans for a dock. And then maybe meet someone other than Juli, who she’d met mostly out of necessity at the mercantile. Beyond that, Anais was unsure how else to insert herself into life in her new community, but she was sure it wouldn’t happen stuffed away on her boat or playing around on her own stretch of isolated beach.
So she was walking in the slightly less isolated sand and surf of the beach by the communal everything. On her walk she’d passed the Panacea, Syka’s medical clinic, but it hadn’t been bustling with activity, which was probably a good thing; Juli had waved from the raised main floor of the mercantile – Anais didn’t know if the other woman had waved because she recognized her, or just out of friendliness, but her hand had lifted in response as she’d moved past. Most of the communal buildings were open to the air, at least to some extent, and Anais hadn’t seen many other people moving around as she’d passed – no Randal and no one conveniently close by that she could ask about him, either.
Maybe Juli knows where he is? As soon as she had the thought, Anais caught sight of the small cleaning and butchering station some considerate soul had thought to build. The actual building was small, little more than a low platform with a roof but, as with most of Syka’s construction, the useable space extended beyond just the footprint. To the side of the small pavilion were a series of hooks; Anais assumed for larger butchering projects, since there was something very dead dangling from one such hook. The woman cleaning the animal wasn’t familiar to her, and for a moment Anais considered simply turning back to find Juli.
Remembering her aim for the day – find Randal, meet someone new – she shrugged and walked up the beach. The woman working there was tall, a few inches taller than herself, with dark hair, tanned skin, and muscles that spoke to a lifetime of hard work – or training. The closer Anais got, the less she wanted to surprise the stranger, and end up possibly dodging one of the many knives that were furnished for communal use at the cleaning station. Still several feet away, she cleared her throat loudly; when the other woman looked around, Anais offered a friendly greeting.
“Hello – “ lifting a hand to wave, she realized it was the one that held her boots and lowered it just as fast, with a sheepish half-smile. “I’m Anais. I don’t mean to interrupt, but have you seen Randal around lately?” Close-up, Anais could see that the woman had a pig on her hook – I wonder what bait she used? – and the daunting task of butchering the whole thing by herself. Though the animal wasn’t huge, Anais knew the time involved in cleaning her own fish and assumed that a pig would take significantly longer. She took another look around, and upon finding no one nearby, spoke without thinking. “Do you want some help with that?”
Even she could hear the surprise in her voice, and she hurried to clarify, “I’ve only cleaned fish before, but I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty if you want to tell me what to do. Be a shame to lose the meat to heat,” she eyed the bloodied flesh of the pig, which was already gaining the interest of a small group of flies, “or anything else.” Anais didn’t know how likely it was for the smell of a fresh kill to draw other wildlife, or if the local animals kept their distance since people had taken up residence. But if the woman didn’t want her help, she would just continue her search for Randal and see to the rest of her plans for the day.