Spring, 517. From a distant whisper of the future, an eighteen-year old Svefra woman named simply 'Karin' stared into the Suvan from the beach of a distant city yet to be discovered, and remembered the day it had all begun. The time that her whole existence began to be questioned, although she didn't believe it at the time. It seemed so long ago, in the future, but there had been a time before. The gaze of her mind cast back like the reeling of a net... back. Back to when she was sixteen years old.
62nd Winter, 514 AV
Karin Ironyach was, once again, wandering the Patchwork Port. It had long been her favourite place in Alvadas, the one place that the world took on a semblance of normalcy and that bustled not with the illusioned masses of the city but the quiet hubbub of simple life. She wandered the city of illusions often, and it wasn't to say that she didn't enjoy exploring the nooks and crevices of the city. She did. But there was a wistful love that she felt at the port that she couldn't explain. The city was a rich, never-ceasing environment. But the vast sweeps of the sea... that was another thing entirely. Always shifting, but always there. Always the same draw, pulling her back.
Today though, Karin the unwilling blacksmith's daughter wandered without much on her mind. She was spending her days as normal, and would eventually walk over to the fish market and watch the women haggle. But for now, she was admiring the ships that lined the small harbour. It was a quiet day on that overcast morning, and the port reflected it. In the distance, a couple of fishermen's boats bobbed in the windswept waters of the open ocean, but closer to land the six boats in the port lay quietly. Two were trading ships, huge in Karin's eyes. One was virtually empty, she saw, as she walked past, it's hold having been emptied much earlier in the day. The next was still bustling, and drew the majority of her attention.
It was amazing to see the various items being pulled off the ship. Much of it was food, packaged up in crates. But some of the trade was some kind of material, rolled into long, sturdy poles carried on the shoulders of two workers as they ferried it to wherever it was going to. She watched with fascination, her eyes flicking backwards and forwards between each worker. The young blonde was curious to see the workings of the group of people. Each seemed to have their own purpose, but none seemed to have to ask to know what they were doing. They were like... a soft, ocean swell.
She grinned, and carried on walking, her leather boots carrying her with ease across the boards. A man shouted out a warning to her, and she scurried quickly to avoid being hit in the face with a rope thrown to the side. With a squeak, she carried on running, running down to the far end of the pier where there was only one ship. With finality, she slumped herself down and dangled her legs over the edge of the decking, as she gazed into the water and searched for fish. In her mind, she was still running, out into the water. But her body was still, and her eyes were intent on the murky depths, caught in concentration.
-Beautiful boxcode credits go to Naia Whitewater!
Today though, Karin the unwilling blacksmith's daughter wandered without much on her mind. She was spending her days as normal, and would eventually walk over to the fish market and watch the women haggle. But for now, she was admiring the ships that lined the small harbour. It was a quiet day on that overcast morning, and the port reflected it. In the distance, a couple of fishermen's boats bobbed in the windswept waters of the open ocean, but closer to land the six boats in the port lay quietly. Two were trading ships, huge in Karin's eyes. One was virtually empty, she saw, as she walked past, it's hold having been emptied much earlier in the day. The next was still bustling, and drew the majority of her attention.
It was amazing to see the various items being pulled off the ship. Much of it was food, packaged up in crates. But some of the trade was some kind of material, rolled into long, sturdy poles carried on the shoulders of two workers as they ferried it to wherever it was going to. She watched with fascination, her eyes flicking backwards and forwards between each worker. The young blonde was curious to see the workings of the group of people. Each seemed to have their own purpose, but none seemed to have to ask to know what they were doing. They were like... a soft, ocean swell.
She grinned, and carried on walking, her leather boots carrying her with ease across the boards. A man shouted out a warning to her, and she scurried quickly to avoid being hit in the face with a rope thrown to the side. With a squeak, she carried on running, running down to the far end of the pier where there was only one ship. With finality, she slumped herself down and dangled her legs over the edge of the decking, as she gazed into the water and searched for fish. In her mind, she was still running, out into the water. But her body was still, and her eyes were intent on the murky depths, caught in concentration.
-Beautiful boxcode credits go to Naia Whitewater!
