44th Summer, 502AV
How many miles from home was she?
Shakune had lost count, but with every inch that spanned between the girl and Zeltiva, the weight on her shoulder lifted.
She had not expected the ship to dock so soon, but in truth she had no real idea how far Sunberth was from her home city. No, she corrected herself impatiently, that place is not my home anymore. But it taken less than twenty days for The Lady Luck to reach Sunberth. Shakune stood at the front of the ship, the bow as Pa Salt called it, and stared out to the city.
Was Sunberth like Zeltiva? She'd never even seen another place before, let alone visited one. The rest of the crew had warned her that Sunberth was a lawless city, and that she mustn’t run off. But Shakune couldn't wait until their backs were turned so she could explore. After all, she'd basically been self sufficient in Zeltiva, so she was well prepared to explore Sunberth as anyone. The confidence and naivety of a child had blinded her to ignore the advice of those who knew better. She would learn this important lesson eventually, but for now her ignorance was bliss.
And yet, a minute nibble of doubt haunted the child. She was nervous, but it was not the many warnings from her new family which played upon Shakune's mind. It was the many other possibilities that haunted her. What if her mother was waiting at the docks, to take her daughter back to Zeltiva? Common sense told Shakune this couldn't happen; there was no way Kinsha could have reached Sunberth before the ship. And yet the girl had visions of her mother's face, pinched in disgust and revulsion. She'd grab Shakune by the arm, like she used to when she was angry, and throw her daughter onto a carriage to drag her back home.
Shakune still remembered the last words her mother had said to her:
"Well, who will pick up my drugs now?"
She wondered whether Kinsha missed her daughter, whether the woman stared at the empty seat at their kitchen table. Possibly: in the very far reaches of her memory, she could recall her mother's kisses and hugs. But Kinsha had always been distant. Her hugs were loose and her kisses quick. She had used up all her affections with the man who had ejaculated Shakune into her womb.
But none of that mattered now.
As the ship approached the dock, the crew of the Lady Luck scrambled into action, Shakune included. She had spent the past twenty days doing her best to learn all she could about sailing. The majority of the crew were happy to answer her questions, but the most important thing Shakune had learnt was when to clear the deck to allow the professionals to do their job.
Shakune had lost count, but with every inch that spanned between the girl and Zeltiva, the weight on her shoulder lifted.
She had not expected the ship to dock so soon, but in truth she had no real idea how far Sunberth was from her home city. No, she corrected herself impatiently, that place is not my home anymore. But it taken less than twenty days for The Lady Luck to reach Sunberth. Shakune stood at the front of the ship, the bow as Pa Salt called it, and stared out to the city.
Was Sunberth like Zeltiva? She'd never even seen another place before, let alone visited one. The rest of the crew had warned her that Sunberth was a lawless city, and that she mustn’t run off. But Shakune couldn't wait until their backs were turned so she could explore. After all, she'd basically been self sufficient in Zeltiva, so she was well prepared to explore Sunberth as anyone. The confidence and naivety of a child had blinded her to ignore the advice of those who knew better. She would learn this important lesson eventually, but for now her ignorance was bliss.
And yet, a minute nibble of doubt haunted the child. She was nervous, but it was not the many warnings from her new family which played upon Shakune's mind. It was the many other possibilities that haunted her. What if her mother was waiting at the docks, to take her daughter back to Zeltiva? Common sense told Shakune this couldn't happen; there was no way Kinsha could have reached Sunberth before the ship. And yet the girl had visions of her mother's face, pinched in disgust and revulsion. She'd grab Shakune by the arm, like she used to when she was angry, and throw her daughter onto a carriage to drag her back home.
Shakune still remembered the last words her mother had said to her:
"Well, who will pick up my drugs now?"
She wondered whether Kinsha missed her daughter, whether the woman stared at the empty seat at their kitchen table. Possibly: in the very far reaches of her memory, she could recall her mother's kisses and hugs. But Kinsha had always been distant. Her hugs were loose and her kisses quick. She had used up all her affections with the man who had ejaculated Shakune into her womb.
But none of that mattered now.
As the ship approached the dock, the crew of the Lady Luck scrambled into action, Shakune included. She had spent the past twenty days doing her best to learn all she could about sailing. The majority of the crew were happy to answer her questions, but the most important thing Shakune had learnt was when to clear the deck to allow the professionals to do their job.
