487 AV, Summer, 40th
The Verena, a merchant vessel in the Sebakem Ocean
The Verena, a merchant vessel in the Sebakem Ocean
It was a bright, sunny Day. Hot as well, even for summer standards. The Verena was sliding graciously amongst the waves. It was a three-mast schooner, gaff-rigged sails flapping in the wind with a wooden hull painted white, even though it was browning due to time. Its figurehead was a young woman, lips curled in a bright golden smile, a lovely smile, a summer shiny smile. After all, it was Mommy’s.
Papa had told him so, some days ago, while he was running through the deck and glimpsed the golden sparklight coming from the prow. He had always been curious about that, but before he could approach it, one of the mates, or Papa or even Mama would come and take the hold of his hand, scolding him not to run across the deck. He was “little”, they said, the mates in raspy, impatient voices, Papa in a stern, serious voice and Mama in a lovely, yet commanding tone. But they did not understand, it was gold! Hadn’t they seem it? Everybody was always talking of it, but none paid attention to the golden faced thing in the prow. When he tried to tell Papa that there gold in the prow, he just laughed and said. ”No, Aval. That’s not gold. That’s steel shining just like this coin,” Papa rose a coin towards the summer sun, so it would glitter, ”Do you see? Now look at this”., he produced his toy, a small blade, from his pocket and raised it to the coin’s level. It shone in a similar fashion.
”Ooooh… let me have the coin!”, said Aval, reaching for it. As Papa raised his hand, grinning, the boy jumped and grabbed his hand, but was unable to force it open. ”Hasn’t your mother taught you how to ask? Politely? The magic words?”
"I want it, so pleeease?", he asked his Papa, grabbing both hands and smiling shyly. Papa considered for a moment, then shook his head. ”There are times you can’t have what you want, Aval. Think about that, it’s an important lesson for you…”, he replied, but before the boy could throw a tantrum, he kept on. ”… and besides, I was planning to use it to buy a wooden sword for you, if you behave properly, as soon as we arrive at Zeltiva”. The boy nodded, accepting the deal. ”When are we arriving at Seut…” The name was a bit hard for him, who had some difficulty mispronouncing “Z” for “S”, but Papa came to his help. As always. ”Zel. Zeltiva. Mind you, not Zelzeltiva. It’s Zel-ti-va.” Mama had been helping him overcome this, but it was hard. He preferred to run around the deck and watch his (play)mates as they went around their chores. But he didn’t know why they disliked being followed by him and his questions. ”Within some days, hopefully. The winds are good and with help of the gods, and Laviku’s bless, we will not be becalmed. You can count to ten, don’t you, boy? I think we can try something. After ten,”, said Papa, opening both of his hands in front of him, ”comes eleven. It’s ten plus one. You can repeat that, so you will have twelve. So that’s ten days plus another two. Easy, ain’t it? I think we could practice it after you have dinner.”
Aval nodded impatiently and asked his Papa’s leave to go see Lucas rigging the sails. It was funny seeing him raising and decreasing the big folded papers. Sometimes he would show him a trick or two or even let him help. He was the friendliest of his (play)mates, and the oldest of them. He was older than Papa(!) and that was really old.
”Aval, it’s time for your lessons. Let Lucas do his work and come!”, said a familiar voice, behind him. He turned and almost bumped on Mama. She was a slender, tall woman with a cascade of black hair. Her eyes were green as the waves he had seen in the beaches, under the summer sun. ”But already? The sun’s not even gone, it’s not late and…”, he tried to gesticulate, as to convince Mama. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. Mama just smiled, a lovable smile, the same smile of that golden girl on the prow. ”My sweet boy, I promise to give you more time to play and do what you want once we arrived at Zeltiva... And besides, you’ll have a playmate there, not Lucas or any of our sailors, but a girl your age. Her name is Marinna. I think you will get along. Now, come.”, she took his little hand into hers and pushed him forward, to the cabin. And those horrible books and horrible inks and horrible words. He just wanted a wooden sword!
Marinna. Who is she?
Papa had told him so, some days ago, while he was running through the deck and glimpsed the golden sparklight coming from the prow. He had always been curious about that, but before he could approach it, one of the mates, or Papa or even Mama would come and take the hold of his hand, scolding him not to run across the deck. He was “little”, they said, the mates in raspy, impatient voices, Papa in a stern, serious voice and Mama in a lovely, yet commanding tone. But they did not understand, it was gold! Hadn’t they seem it? Everybody was always talking of it, but none paid attention to the golden faced thing in the prow. When he tried to tell Papa that there gold in the prow, he just laughed and said. ”No, Aval. That’s not gold. That’s steel shining just like this coin,” Papa rose a coin towards the summer sun, so it would glitter, ”Do you see? Now look at this”., he produced his toy, a small blade, from his pocket and raised it to the coin’s level. It shone in a similar fashion.
”Ooooh… let me have the coin!”, said Aval, reaching for it. As Papa raised his hand, grinning, the boy jumped and grabbed his hand, but was unable to force it open. ”Hasn’t your mother taught you how to ask? Politely? The magic words?”
"I want it, so pleeease?", he asked his Papa, grabbing both hands and smiling shyly. Papa considered for a moment, then shook his head. ”There are times you can’t have what you want, Aval. Think about that, it’s an important lesson for you…”, he replied, but before the boy could throw a tantrum, he kept on. ”… and besides, I was planning to use it to buy a wooden sword for you, if you behave properly, as soon as we arrive at Zeltiva”. The boy nodded, accepting the deal. ”When are we arriving at Seut…” The name was a bit hard for him, who had some difficulty mispronouncing “Z” for “S”, but Papa came to his help. As always. ”Zel. Zeltiva. Mind you, not Zelzeltiva. It’s Zel-ti-va.” Mama had been helping him overcome this, but it was hard. He preferred to run around the deck and watch his (play)mates as they went around their chores. But he didn’t know why they disliked being followed by him and his questions. ”Within some days, hopefully. The winds are good and with help of the gods, and Laviku’s bless, we will not be becalmed. You can count to ten, don’t you, boy? I think we can try something. After ten,”, said Papa, opening both of his hands in front of him, ”comes eleven. It’s ten plus one. You can repeat that, so you will have twelve. So that’s ten days plus another two. Easy, ain’t it? I think we could practice it after you have dinner.”
Aval nodded impatiently and asked his Papa’s leave to go see Lucas rigging the sails. It was funny seeing him raising and decreasing the big folded papers. Sometimes he would show him a trick or two or even let him help. He was the friendliest of his (play)mates, and the oldest of them. He was older than Papa(!) and that was really old.
”Aval, it’s time for your lessons. Let Lucas do his work and come!”, said a familiar voice, behind him. He turned and almost bumped on Mama. She was a slender, tall woman with a cascade of black hair. Her eyes were green as the waves he had seen in the beaches, under the summer sun. ”But already? The sun’s not even gone, it’s not late and…”, he tried to gesticulate, as to convince Mama. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. Mama just smiled, a lovable smile, the same smile of that golden girl on the prow. ”My sweet boy, I promise to give you more time to play and do what you want once we arrived at Zeltiva... And besides, you’ll have a playmate there, not Lucas or any of our sailors, but a girl your age. Her name is Marinna. I think you will get along. Now, come.”, she took his little hand into hers and pushed him forward, to the cabin. And those horrible books and horrible inks and horrible words. He just wanted a wooden sword!
Marinna. Who is she?
