A Day on the Water (Solo)

[Risa Moontide]

(38th of Summer, 511AV)
The sea was marvelous this morning. Nice bit of froth but a gorgeous blue green color, common of these northern seas. Risa was relaxed aboard her ship, still in the dock, overlooking the day before her. The sun had already breached the horizon, providing great morning light over the nearly cloudless skies. The nearest clouds were pretty far south, beyond the bay.

The wind was nice and firm as well. Risa held out her hand and whistled quickly, sending Fala flapping up off the deck. His small wings moved furiously before catching the wind, where he glided above. His feathers were so pretty in the light. Risa liked to watch him fly, but right now it was more than about the wind conditions than just his lithe form. His feathers ruffled just as she thought, confirming the northern winds that her hand had felt. The wind conditions could be better for sailing, but the wind should push those storm clouds away. Getting out of the port would be harder than getting back in, at least. If the wind continued its push.

Risa basked for a second longer, closing her eyes and facing the sun to feel its embrace on her skin. Her ship creaked as it shifted under the waves, as though egging her to go on and get to sea already. Her flowing skirt whipped a bit in the breeze, agreeing with the boat. The day was perfect and she needed to be out of the port and away from Wind Reach for the sunlight hours. Risa just needed a breather really. Her hours and hours of hiking to and from the city, the abrasive people, the stone corridors, the fishing, the storytelling, it was getting to be a bit much. She was just feeling run down, missed the sea and the rocking of deeper waters.

Risa glanced over at the net, finally opening her eyes to break the serenity.

[Risa Moontide]

The sunlight felt good on her shoulders. Risa wanted to enjoy the feeling a while longer. Just relax in the sling and let the day pass her by. But now was no time for laziness. Today was a work day, and Risa had to get working. She sighed and smiled up at the smooth skies, rolling herself over to the rope to move the few feet down to the surface, towards the net again.

The net was a reminder of the work she had to do. The Inarta led heard lives, constant work to get ready for the long winter, and now she was part of that. She had to work harder, take things more seriously to make up for the honor the Valintar gave her. She still didn't completely understand the rank system, but his words still echoed through her, reminded her to work her hardest. Risa was at least going to give them that.

Risa felt her bare feet thump against the smooth grain of the boards below, the comfortable vibration of the ship beneath her feet calming. Part of her reminded her that she should have gotten boots, that she forgot yet again. Boots were always safer in storms, better for the ship, and a lot easier to hike and rock climb in. Basically necessary to the lifestyle she had chosen. but again Risa found herself on deck in her bare feet, looking around for the sandals she had kicked off. She hurried across the deck, towards the mooring line.

The thick knot of the mooring line was tightly wound around one of the dock posts. It took her a bit of work to remove it; the dock workers who lived around Thunder Bay used knots she wasn't quite used to. The loops were straightforward, but wound in and out of each other in a peculiar fashion. After a few seconds, however, she was able to free the know and tossed the rope aboard.

Risa shoved the boat forward, her hands pushing with all their strength to get that initial push-off. Her weight was never really enough to get the boat moving much, but as she pushed her eyes trailed down to the water's edge. The tide was just beginning to ebb, well-timed. Her boat should flow out with the tide well. Risa smiled and walked down the deck, more than surpassing the slow movements of her ship beginning to float out to deeper waters. Before the boat was halfway to the end of the dock Risa hopped aboard.

Risa hurried to grab the rudder line, centering it to send the boat directly forwarding. With the dock still so close the slightest turn could send the back end into the wooden dock, which would not be good for her ship or the dock. She rolled the rudder line around its post to begin prepping her ship for the sail out. Fala landed on deck with a short chirp, chiding Risa for not preparing the ship before she shoved off. Or at least she imagined him to be, the real meaning wasn't clear.

Risa loosened the sails and untied her hammock. The spare blanket fell aboard the deck, and she began gathering the rest of the stuff on deck. There was never much, but it all needed to be stowed away. Risa's face showed a dedicated focus as she worked, her face showing a steadfast lack of emotion as she prepared her ship for the deeper voyage. The net was still at her side, and Risa glanced over at it again. It was asking to be set up, prepared for the day of fishing. Risa knew she was putting it off until last, part of her was avoiding the work she knew she'd have to do. But she needed to get it done.