Solo Impatience Wins the Day

[Anais Seawind]

I talk. I think. You talk.

17th Summer
8th Bell

It felt good to be on her ship again, even if only for the short journey from Syka's dock to the coastline along the land Anais had claimed as her own.

Her own.

The Svefra was having a difficult time wrapping her thoughts around that concept. Possessions were fluid, shifting things - if something was 'yours', then you needed it and you physically had it. But if you left it untended, or someone else had greater need, it could easily trade hands and no one would cry about it. Easy come, easy go. Well, except for a person's ship - those were another class altogether, and this new land she had acquired was the same. Hers, but now she must deserve it and keep it.

Her brow wrinkled with thought even as her body went through the oft-practiced motions of tightening ropes, and the almost infinitesimal corrections at the wheel ensuring her craft didn't veer from her chosen course. The winds on this stretch of coast were being cooperative at present, and it took nearly no effort to navigate the water; Laviku's Kiss slipped lightly alongside the gentle curve of Syka's coast, easy under Anais' hand at the helm. A feeling of relaxation stole over her, and Anais reveled in the loosening of tight muscles and the feeling of security that she found on the water.

Between outrunning sad memories and facing the steep learning curve of life in Syka, time spent on land and even at dock had been tense at best.

So, despite the fact that the purpose of today's journey was to begin carving her mark on her newly claimed bit of land, Anais was enjoying the sea breeze on her face and the sight of full sails ahead. The bounce of the Kiss along the waves and the gentle slapping of the water as it broke against the hull soothed her in ways she couldn't explain; at least when sailing, she could still feel a perfect connection to Laviku, without the confusing anger she'd been carrying with her for the past 6 years.

Before she had time to dwell on those thoughts, Anais spotted the now-familiar stretch of rocky shore that had called to her. Large rocks clustered in what she was already thinking of as 'her' boundary lines, and she eagerly tacked her casinor starboard and loosened the mainsail, allowing the breeze to flap it gently as she angled the boat in toward her new 'home'.

Anais peered over the side of the boat as it drifted, gauging the depth of the waters. Fish schooled below her, bodies flashing en masse as they split and came together again in a pattern she never tired of watching. Almost reluctantly, she realized it was time to throw out the anchor; the disruption was necessary to avoid sailing too close to shore, but the resultant disturbance in the water would momentarily chase away her entertainment.

With a splash, she released the anchor and waited patiently for it to catch in the seabed, slowly dragging the Kiss to a halt, still 20 feet out from dry sand. While Anais would have preferred a dock, Randal had told her there would be a slight wait time as he finished up projects that were scheduled before her own. Since she was eager to get started, Anais had decided not to wait for the dock to go it. At least the swim would be an enjoyable start - and finish - to her day of physical labor.

Provided, of course, that her idea for transporting a few tools was successful.

Juli had thought she was crazy when she'd approached the other woman with her request. Anais remembered watching the clerk as she'd struggled to find a polite way to talk her into simply waiting for the dock to be put finished before going to work. But Anais knew the theory was sound - if the water was calm, there was no reason she could think of that she shouldn't be able to simply tow her tools alongside her as she swam ashore. So she'd purchased the crate, rope, and some pitch for sealing the seams and sailed out for the day.

Eyeing the crate now, with its lines of black pitch, even Anais had to admit it might not be the brilliant idea she had hoped for. Still, she was here now, and there was nothing left but to try it out. Determinedly, she loaded her new shovel and axe into the crate, trying to distribute the weight evenly, before settling her backpack into the middle. Hefting the whole pile up, she bit her lip worriedly. It didn't feel too heavy.

Before she had time to talk herself out of it, Anais slipped the rope under the crate of tools, crossed it at the top and slipped it back under and up, forming a "t" shape under the crate and tying a knot at the top.

The knot-tying was crucial - a faulty knot would come undone as she lowered the crate to the water, and Anais would lose the tools she'd purchased - and be out the mizas she'd spent on them, too. So she took a few extra seconds to ensure a secure bind; holding an end of rope in each hand, she crossed the short end over and then under the longer piece of rope, then repeated the motion atop the longer piece, as well. Normally, the rope ends would be close in length and the knot could be formed in tandem, however Anais had left the bulk of the rope free to use as a towline. The result made for awkward handling, and she was forced to weave the end of rope in and around the other side, finally pulling each end in opposite directions, satisfied when it tightened as she'd hoped.

The final result was not pretty, but she hoped it would be functional. Anais held her breath as she carefully picked up and began lowering the crate over the side of the Kiss, sighing in relief when it rested, bobbing gently, in the water by her boat. "Laviku, keep your waters calm and allow your child safe passage through them." She hoped the all-Father was listening, and in a mood to be helpful, and lowered herself into the water alongside it.

*Word count 1055

[Anais Seawind]

The water was cool, welcoming even through her clothes, as Anais tread water next to her crate. The balance of the bundle was off, but not so badly that it was in danger of tipping, and the seams appeared to be holding against the pressure of the water. Satisfied that things were going according to plan, Anais set herself to tying a handle in the long end of the rope. An adjustable knot was a simple and effective plan, and she quickly formed the doubled loop that would slip over her ankle, wrapping the end of the rope around and through the loop to finish it off before pulling the knot under water where she could slip her foot into it and tighten it up.

Kicking her leg a few times to test the knot, Anais grimaced. The drag in the water would make the swim less enjoyable, but would hopefully allow her to reach the shore with her modest supplies. Leaning forward, in movements known almost since birth, Anais arced her arms and began gently kicking her legs in the direction of the shore. The scant distance wasn't much of a challenge for her, but the closer she drew to the beach, the more apprehensive she became. Juli had said the shores were safe enough, and Anais hadn't experienced any misgivings when she'd initially been exploring this land on foot - but somehow, swimming away from her anchored ship with only a few handtools at her disposal, she felt slightly more at the mercy of the land.

After just a few short strokes, the water was shallow enough to stand. Anais did so, slipping the knotted rope back off of her ankle and slowly tugging her raft of tools closer as she made her way to dry land. Clear blue eyes scanned the shore and, finding nothing suspicious, some of her earlier excitement bubbled back to the surface. The sand was littered with rocks, both in and out of the water, and Anais picked her way delicately over them. No soft and pristine beaches for her; the rocks had been one of the reasons she'd wanted this part of the shore. While they were mildly inconvenient for bare feet or soft shoes, they provided plenty of spaces for barnacles of all types - an easy food source for Isporo, the loggerhead turtle that sometimes deigned to accompany her.

Her tavan was not a dolphin, as were the others' of her pod; Anais had wondered at that from the first moment Isporo had made himself known to her. Looking back, she wondered if even then it hadn't already been determined that she would leave the pod. But in the years since she'd done that, the Svefra had seen less and less of her friend. Whether due to her time in the more populated city of Zeltiva or to her struggles with her faith, she didn't know, but Anais was hoping to heal many things in Syka: her faith, herself, and her relationship with the sea turtle she'd known since childhood.

She hoped he would approve of the spot she'd chosen for them; as far as she could tell, he had not chosen to accompany her today.

*Word count 536

[Anais Seawind]

Exiting the water, Anais carried her crate of tools out of the reach of errant waves and shifting tides, and began picking the now-wet knot of rope apart. Where it should have simply pulled back out and released its hold on the crate, the water and the awkward weaving she'd had to do to secure it in the first place were making the simple task more challenging that she'd anticipated. Muttering to herself, Anais gave up on the knot for the time being and began sliding her shovel and axe out of the crate, laying them in the sand before wiggling the backpack around the rope and pulling it out, as well. Anais brought out the gloves she'd purchased, as well as the broad-brimmed hat that had seemed too practical to pass up.

With those scant measures of protection in place, she stood to survey her space. From ocean to jungle, Anais had claimed nearly an acre of sandy, rocky shoreline, the rest was the unknown green mystery of the jungle interior. In fact, there was a ridge of rock and other hard debris acting as a barrier to the jungle, and curving around a portion of sandy soil, as well. The result was a defined oval-shaped spot of land which, even now, at ebb-tide was holding water of its own. Anais had played in such tidepools as a child and, beyond the fond memories, she knew them to be rich in food sources. This tide pool was nearer the coast than some she'd seen, and appeared to be teeming with potential meals.

Anais approached the pool and knelt down to peer into its clear waters - without the currents of the ocean to content with, the sandy bottom was largely undisturbed, leaving a clear view of the inhabitants. Kelp and anemone, barnacle-covered rocks, limpets and even sea urchin populated a pool deeper than Anais was tall. Crabs scuttled and sea slugs, brightly colored and so tempting to touch, beckoned.

But the woman's head shook silently, in memory, at the sight. She'd had an unforgettable experience with a particularly attractive sea slug when she was a child; though it had look so soft and smooth in the water, as soon as her 7 year old self had reached in to run a finger over the blue and white stripe of its back, she'd experienced a stinging pain like nothing her short life had prepared her for. Remembering the incident now, it was no surprise to Anais that something so pretty and harmless in appearance would have a nasty form of self-defense. Otherwise, in the ocean, it would have been all but non-existent, the bright colors hailing all sorts of predators and the sea slugs being neither fast, nor toothy. But the lesson had been learned and remembered, and Anais knew to be wary when things looked too good to be true.

"At least in the water, I know what to avoid," Anais spoke the words aloud, though there was no one to listen. "Enough. You're wasting time," she chastised herself quietly. Avoidance. A habit formed over the past few years, and one which she needed to break free of. However unpleasant, she'd come to realize that things didn't just go away or stop being bad or sad or hard because you kept yourself apart from them. "And this beach won't clear itself just because I want it to, either" she finished aloud, pushing herself back to her feet and walking away from the vibrant pool of water.

Anais had a plan for the beach - she'd spent bells the day before wandering around the common areas of Syka, trying to decide what she would need on her new land. The fish cleaning station had seemed like an obvious choice - though she could technically clean her fish, or other game, anywhere she chose on her land, it only made sense to keep that sort of thing to its own area, close to the sea and close to another convenience: a fire pit. A place to cook her food, to render the animal fats that she could turn into candles, a place to play her drums, study the stars, gather with friends, if she so desired. A fire pit was central to so much of the life she hoped to create; Anais would start there.

*Word count 713

[Anais Seawind]

Supplies were not an issue - in its basic form, a bonfire on the beach required next to nothing more than fire and something to burn. Anything else was shine on the shell, as her mother would say.

"Still, there's nothing wrong with a shiny shell." Anais' eyes cast around for the perfect spot to hold her new construct; the high tide line was evident, the line of shells, seaweed and other ocean debris was obvious, and her fire pit would be a temporary thing if she were foolish enough to build in front of it. Anais took her shovel from the pile of tools and set herself a safe thirty paces further inland. Judging the distance safe, the Svefra took a very technical approach to marking the boundaries of her future fire pit:

She walked in a large, approximately circular shape that ended up a few feet wider than she was tall, dragging the pointed blade of her shovel in the sand behind her.

The finished size would give her ample room for all her needs; Anais would easily be able to cook her meals at any point within the boundary, but there would also be room for the more involved process of candle-making. While fire was necessary to melt down and purify the tallow, it called for a slower, more steady heat - an indirect exposure to the flames that would melt the fat down but not scorch or burn it entirely. The space she'd carved out left plenty of room to have a good blaze and still keep it distant from her craft.

In her mind, Anais could already see the finished product, flames dancing cheerfully while she dipped her candles in the gray of early dawn. Maybe with a few clams roasting slowly in their shells alongside for a light snack. The image was enough motivation for her to, if not enthusiastically, at least determinedly pick up her shovel and begin to dig out the first layer of sand.

Starting in the center of her rough circle, Anais began scooping up shovelsful of sand and small rocks. These she carried a few feet away, before dumping - in chimes she had moved enough that a small dune was forming from the debris. Larger rocks Anais moved by hand as she was able, using them to outline the initial border of the fire pit. There were not so many rocks of sufficient size for this nearby; those would need collecting and transporting from further inland, near the jungle border. The Svefra would save that task for last.

As the shallow hole in the pit grew, Anais could feel beads of sweat forming along her brow. It had been bells since she'd set out this morning, and the rising temperature, even on the edge of the ocean, would soon make physical labor intolerable chore. Anais could understand why so many of the settlers chose to wile away the afternoon hours napping in the shade, or enjoying a refreshing swim. Her clothing, wet from her own time in the water, had mostly dried and was now being dampened with her own sweat - an uncomfortable, itching feeling was growing between her shoulders, and she could feel the first pangs of hunger as her body signaled its need for refreshment of every sort.

*Word count 553

[Anais Seawind]

Giving in to her growing desire for a quick bite to eat and a refreshing swim, Anais abandoned her efforts on the beach and wandered back to the tide pool in search of an easy meal. While she hadn't gone to the effort of carrying her fishing gear from ship to shore, the woman would count herself no kind of Svefra if she couldn't scare up a tasty ocean treat for herself when Laviku's domain was so generous with them. The only real question was what to pluck out?

Settling alongside the rocky pool, Anais studied it anew - limpets, small snail-like creatures, were stuck tight to several of the larger rocks within sight. While they could be eaten raw, Anais knew she would have a difficult time prying the shells from the stones. Limpets often attached themselves to the same spot for such lengths of time that the rocks were worn down, abraded where shell met surface, and removing them, even with a tool, was challenging. Limpets, then, were not on the menu for the day. Regretfully, Anais discounted the various clams and mussels for the same reason. Had she thought to bring flint and steel from the boat, she could easily have steamed them until the shells popped open, but barring that the shells would be a trial she preferred to avoid.

Luckily, urchin and kelp were plentiful, within reach, and enjoyable with nothing more than each other for accompaniment. In fact, urchin roe and kelp were a delicate and flavorful combination, and Anais found herself eagerly anticipating the meal. But first, she would need to get them out of the water; the sharpened edge of her axe would provide all the help she would need to separate a few from their rocky perch.

Although there were clumps of edible sealife throughout the tide pool, Anais took her time deciding where the likeliest urchin lay; tightly packed groups would be more difficult to harvest bare-handed, and Anais suspected her new leather gloves would not last long if she were to subject them to repeated dippings in the water. But there were always stragglers, living as she herself did - on the edge of the community, not alone but not quite a part of it. They were vulnerable.

Though the urchin were easily within arms' reach, they were deep enough that Anais had to lean into the pool, submerging her head and shoulders. She took a deep breath before doing just that, and then quickly set about her harvest. Twin points of blue surveyed the tide pool from within, appreciating anew how vibrant the colors and creatures were. There was little quite like the view from under the water, she reflected, fractured sunlight dappling everything, creating shifting shadowy patterns on the floor. But it was a background of beauty that Anais was only peripherally aware of, so focused was she on her hunt.

Bubbles slowly escaped her nose, burbling up to the surface as she readied her axe blade at the base of the nearest urchin. Sliding it smoothly beneath the creature, Anais felt, rather than heard the gentle popping release of suction as it loosed its hold on the rock, free-floating in the water until her free hand reached out to gently snag the creature. Water splashed around her as she sat back up, holding her prize gingerly - while not the most dangerous of things, a sea urchin's long spines were capable of causing inconvenient injury. Anais gave her lunch the respect it deserved, placing it spines-down before repeating the process a few times more.

When her collection of urchin had grown to 5, Anais stopped - it was important, no matter where or what you were harvesting, that you took only what you intended to eat. Sea urchin roe was rich and filled with nutrients and, along with a small salad of fresh kelp fronds, would provide her enough nourishment to continue working a few more bells. Satisfied with the prospect, Anais regretfully took up her axe once more.

It was not the cleanest way, or the most elegant, to crack the urchin directly in half and crumble the shell at the edges, however it was the fastest method available to her. Under better circumstances, she would have used a small knife to gently cut around the mouth of the urchin, rinsing the organs and other detritus from the roe, and then scooped out the orange-colored meat. Today, her methods were more direct: a swish through the salty water and her fingers to scoop out the delicacy within.

Crude methods or not, the taste was what she'd hoped for, and Anais allowed herself a rare smile as she offered silent thanks to Laviku for the generous bounty. On the rocks, surveying her progress and enjoying her first meal from her new home, Anais felt more at peace than she had in years.

*Word count 816

[Anais Seawind]

A full belly and a shady patch of damp sand sapped what energy Anais had left, and after a bell of relaxation she acknowledged that little more useful work would be accomplished. Muscles that she had thought well-trained were beginning to protest the unusual movements; shoveling sand and stacking rocks had tightened them into ropes of soreness across her shoulders and back, and the swim back to Laviku's Kiss loomed ahead of her. Thought it was not a long swim, at its completion she would have to haul not only herself, but also her tools back on board.

"What if I leave them here? There's not likely to be anyone else around to take them..." With the land claims spreading to 5 acres a person, the chances of someone casually happening by her shore and her tools was slim. Still, there was the threat of jungle denizens. Anais supposed they would have little interest in her tools, should they happen upon them, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Pulling a sour face, she stood slowly and began the quick process of readying her makeshift tool-raft for the return trip.

Slipping the shovel and axe back in under the knotted ropes was easy enough. After packing her gloves and hat back into the backpack, however, its bulk proved more obstinate. After a few chimes, Anais gave up and simply wrapped another length of rope over and around the whole lot. "I suppose I'll spend most of the evening picking this apart. Or cutting it," she winced at the thought. Though she did have plenty of rope, Anais was not eager to cut a perfectly good length unless it was absolutely necessary.

"But done can be undone," she reasoned. Although she was sure her mother had meant that to apply more to making amends and asking forgiveness after one of her many youthful indiscretions, the philosophy seemed to be a malleable one, and worked as well for knots as for pranks.

Slipping the knotted loop at the long end of the rope back over her ankle, Anais carried her tools back out into the sea. The sensation of water creeping slowly up her clothes made her grimace; better to go into the water all at once than to slowly creep in by inches and feet, feeling the chill advance slowly over her sun-warmed and work-sore body. At waist-deep, Anais gently released the crate of tools onto the water, no longer apprehensive about leaks or sinkage. After all, it had been seaworthy enough on the way in, and she expected nothing less of it on the way out. Still, she wasted no time carefully pushing forward off the seabed and propelling herself through the water again to the waiting casinor, towing her cargo behind.

Her shoulders protested the familiar forward motions, the reach of her arms as they arced up and around was both uncomfortable and a welcome stretch, releasing some of the day's strain from her body. Reaching the boat did not end the day's demands, however, and Anais grabbed the anchor chain as it exited the water. Its length was taut, the currents were bobbing the boat gently still, and with a sigh she began to climb up. It was a route she'd used for years, with little effort, however the exertion of the day combined with the awkward drag of wet rope on her ankle were new and not entirely welcome additions. Slinging an arm over the side of the Kiss, Anais pulled herself, dripping, onto the deck. The rope thumped against the side of the boat, an audible reminder that the trip still couldn't be considered a success: her tools remained in the water.

The length of rope had only a bit of slack in it - the extra loops she'd wrapped around it for the return trip had shortened it a great deal and Anais was relieved that her climb hadn't lifted the thing out of the water or tipped it. Using two hands, she began to haul it up; it was fairly lightweight, but not balanced well, and as it rose out of the water, the crate tilted dangerously. Anais held her breath, trying to make her movements as smooth as possible so she didn't upend the entire kit into the waters below. It was a nervous few ticks until her tools were once again safe on deck.

From the deck of her ship, Anais was not impressed with the work she'd done that day. Still, she'd successfully made it to her land, managed a few things, and made it back to to the Kiss without having suffered any great loss or injury, and that accounted for something. With an accepting shrug, she made her way around the ship, checking the rigging and preparing to hoist the sails for the return trip to Syka.

"Laviku, calm waters and gentle breezes if you see your way to sending them. Thanks to the All Father." The invocation came naturally to Anais, out of long-standing habit. Though she had ceased making actual offerings to Laviku on the day her son had been cast adrift, Anais continued to offer the respectful words. Through her anger at the God, there was still a hereditary love. It was an emotional chaos Anais was becoming more driven to resolve.

*Word count 888

[Okara]

Grades and Awards Anais Seawind Experience Sailing 1 Observation 5 Wilderness Survival 1 Swimming 2 Endurance 2 Planning 1 Construction 1 Foraging 1 Climbing 1 Lores Sailing: A Secure Knot to Lower Cargo from a Ship Prayer: Asking Laviku for Safe Passage Wilderness Survival: Tying a Double Looped Knot to Tow Cargo Through the Water Anais: Struggling with Faith Syka Location: Seawind’s Solace Construction: Building a Multi-Purpose Firepit Notes I enjoyed reading your thread, it was fun to see Anais begin to set up her homestead. I noticed in your CS that you don’t have an environment listed for your Wilderness Survival skill, please consult the skill page in the wiki and update your CS. I consulted about the knot tying, and it’s not its own skill. It falls under other skills based on context. If you were trying to explain knots with specific names, send me a PM and I can update the lores appropriately. I can’t wait to see how else Anais develops her land! Please edit your post in your grade request to reflect that it has been graded. PM me with any questions.