Good Mourning. 22nd Summer, 512AV
Sunberth.
The city of anarchy according to some. For Shakune, there was something familiar about the lawlessness of the place. There was always someone who could pick your pocket, stab you in the back or rape you, but it bought comfort to the half-breed. Sunberth had been the first city she had seen beyond Zeltiva, when she was a young girl of fourteen. As soon as the Lady Luck had docked, she had explored the city accompanied by her on-board family. Pa Salt, Leonard and Percy -- the three men she had met in Zeltiva and who had taken her away from the place. Only the former still remained in her life: Percy had left two years later, when the ship had docked in Riverfall and he had met a woman who was apparently the love of his life. Leonard caught a fever somewhere in the Ahger Ocean and now lay on the bottom of the sea, whatever the fish had left of him.
His death had been the first Shakune had experienced, and whenever she thought of her first time in Sunberth she couldn't help but mourn the scrawny, ratty-looking man.
She shook off the thought of death and climbed out of bed. She guessed it was close to midday; she always slept for a long time when on land, with a proper bed and proper covers. Pa Salt had given each of the crew enough mizas to afford four nights in an inn of their choosing. They had all agreed on the Drunken Fish, near the docks where they could socialise with their fellow sailors.
Her head ached, and Shakune counted back the number of pints she had drunk the night before; three, four, five, six... She stopped counted at eight and instead gulped from the tankard of water that stood on the floor beside her bed.
A tentative knock on the door distracted her, and Shakune pulled away from the tankard, water dripping down her chin. Gulping, she gave a mangled "come in", expecting one of the crew to appear at the doorway.
It was, in fact, a complete stranger.
"Shyke" Shakune muttered, suddenly aware of her nakedness. The crew had all seen it before; there was no such thing as modesty on a ship, but she knew that strangers were less comfortable with casual nudity.
The young girl blushed and turned sharply away, showing Shakune her back whilst the half-breed covered herself with the bed covers. "Good afternoon, Miss Shakune. I have something for you." She leant out the door and to Shakune's horror, a huge brute of a man stomped into her room, carrying a small chest. He dropped it to the floor with a metallic clunk.
She inspected the chest with a frown, trying to recall whether she had won it in a drunken bet last night. When the girl nor the man explained further, Shakune gave a dazed "thank you." and they both left.
Standing, Shakune returned to her naked form and padded to the chest. It was simple, with no elegant design to it, and not even a lock. She lifted the lid, and almost fainted.
"Money." Her fingers traced upon the surface of the coins, shifting a few so they rubbed against each other with a faint steely noise. She had no idea how many mizas lay in the chest, but as Shakune plunged her hand into the coins to check the depth, the number in her head doubled, then tripled. Never before had she seen so much money in one place.
What happened last night?
There was a piece of parchment lying on top of the coins, and only now did Shakune notice it. Picking the piece up, she inspected it carefully. One side was blank, but the other side had two letters written in neat handwriting:
P. S.
The city of anarchy according to some. For Shakune, there was something familiar about the lawlessness of the place. There was always someone who could pick your pocket, stab you in the back or rape you, but it bought comfort to the half-breed. Sunberth had been the first city she had seen beyond Zeltiva, when she was a young girl of fourteen. As soon as the Lady Luck had docked, she had explored the city accompanied by her on-board family. Pa Salt, Leonard and Percy -- the three men she had met in Zeltiva and who had taken her away from the place. Only the former still remained in her life: Percy had left two years later, when the ship had docked in Riverfall and he had met a woman who was apparently the love of his life. Leonard caught a fever somewhere in the Ahger Ocean and now lay on the bottom of the sea, whatever the fish had left of him.
His death had been the first Shakune had experienced, and whenever she thought of her first time in Sunberth she couldn't help but mourn the scrawny, ratty-looking man.
She shook off the thought of death and climbed out of bed. She guessed it was close to midday; she always slept for a long time when on land, with a proper bed and proper covers. Pa Salt had given each of the crew enough mizas to afford four nights in an inn of their choosing. They had all agreed on the Drunken Fish, near the docks where they could socialise with their fellow sailors.
Her head ached, and Shakune counted back the number of pints she had drunk the night before; three, four, five, six... She stopped counted at eight and instead gulped from the tankard of water that stood on the floor beside her bed.
A tentative knock on the door distracted her, and Shakune pulled away from the tankard, water dripping down her chin. Gulping, she gave a mangled "come in", expecting one of the crew to appear at the doorway.
It was, in fact, a complete stranger.
"Shyke" Shakune muttered, suddenly aware of her nakedness. The crew had all seen it before; there was no such thing as modesty on a ship, but she knew that strangers were less comfortable with casual nudity.
The young girl blushed and turned sharply away, showing Shakune her back whilst the half-breed covered herself with the bed covers. "Good afternoon, Miss Shakune. I have something for you." She leant out the door and to Shakune's horror, a huge brute of a man stomped into her room, carrying a small chest. He dropped it to the floor with a metallic clunk.
She inspected the chest with a frown, trying to recall whether she had won it in a drunken bet last night. When the girl nor the man explained further, Shakune gave a dazed "thank you." and they both left.
Standing, Shakune returned to her naked form and padded to the chest. It was simple, with no elegant design to it, and not even a lock. She lifted the lid, and almost fainted.
"Money." Her fingers traced upon the surface of the coins, shifting a few so they rubbed against each other with a faint steely noise. She had no idea how many mizas lay in the chest, but as Shakune plunged her hand into the coins to check the depth, the number in her head doubled, then tripled. Never before had she seen so much money in one place.
What happened last night?
There was a piece of parchment lying on top of the coins, and only now did Shakune notice it. Picking the piece up, she inspected it carefully. One side was blank, but the other side had two letters written in neat handwriting:
P. S.
