[flashback] Keep A Weather Eye Open (Avina)

[Will Blacktide]

Summer 35, 509 A.V. The top of the world, almost – that’s how Will felt standing at the prow of the casinor, looking northward up the channel. It was certainly wide enough to sail freely down its gullet without sight of land on either side. But for today, his destiny lay in some small cove, somewhere off to starboard. A place where he could drop anchor and fish, or swim, or . . . just have some time to himself. Life with the pod, all his family and extended family and closest friends – it was the greatest thing – until it got to be too much. They had finally made Mura several days ago, and, well . . . it was just always so hard being idle. And that’s how Will felt whenever they were moored in any one place for more than a day or so. He lived for the wind at his back. And this morning, after Lea Selena had berated him over some minor mishap – he couldn’t really be expected to know where ever single one of his little cousins were, could he – they all knew how to swim anyway – he had slipped away. Thank Laviku that he finally had a vessel of his own. She wasn’t big, but the Marlin was a trim, tight little craft, handy and responsive and fast enough, when he put the sheet to her. Without any real knowledge of the coastline of the White Isle, but with the confidence of a lifetime spent learning to read the currents, the set of the waves and the way the wind lay, Will had no fear whatsoever that he would come to any peril. He didn’t intend to go far – just far enough to put a little space between himself and the other dozen or so boats that belonged to the three pods that had sailed together all the way from the south Suvan. He had felt the wind shift a bit ago, shortly after the sun stood directly overhead, but he wasn’t bothered. The horizon held a thin line of far distant squalls, but it would be hours before they reached land – probably not until after midnight. He would be safe back in Mura by then, his casinor tucked snuggly in between the larger vessels. Self-confidence was one thing. Being a fool was quite another. And Will was no fool, not when it came to the sea. All Svefra were raised to give Laviku’s realm the respect it, and he, deserved. Respect equalled the best chance to survive on its often dangerous swells. With his thoughts adrift a bit, he soon enough spotted what looked to be a place close to what he was searching for. Making his way back to the tiller, he untied it and steered a course for the sheltering lip of the cove. By his reckoning, with the way the land had jutted out in a small peninsula, the inlet might be closer as the crow flew to Mura than it was the way he had come. But of course, no Svefra in his right mind would walk a path where he could more easily ride the waves, no matter the distance. And he was in no hurry anyway. As he made the small headland, he reefed the fore and aft rigged mainsail handily and dropped anchor some hundred meters from the sandy shore. The land was quite pretty, with white sand blending into a verdant treeline, and rocky outcroppings to either side. It was exactly what he wanted. He quickly assembled his gear and yanked his shirt off. Already barefoot, that left him only in the dirty white cotton trousers he preferred. Even this far north, the summer sun was hot and the water when he dove in was a welcome splash of cool. Easily he swam to the slippery rocks jutting out into the ocean, and unpacked the bag he had drug along, baiting a three inch hook with a chunk of crab meat and tossing the line over the edge of the rocks, to dangle where the waves would roll it back and forth in a tantalizing manner. He had his net ready, and the line he had wrapped around a short wooden dowel. With a tug, he began to deftly wind it about the dowel, guiding it with his other hand, all the while waiting for the resistant pull signaling a bite. It took but a minute. With skill he maneuvered the line to make sure the hook snagged tight, and he began the game of pulling the fish in to shore. Within a few minutes, he was yanking up the last of the line, his net ready to welcome the sheepshead that wiggled so valiantly on his hook. In another twenty minutes, he had pulled out another sheepshead, a blackfish and a triggerfish. Lea Selena would quickly be forgiving him when she saw the last one – it being one of her favorites. Will considered going on and trying for more, but, his restlessness somewhat abated, he decided to simply plonk himself down. Dangling his feet over the edge of the natural jetty, he smiled to himself, watching the gulls circling overhead. Enjoying the peace and privacy surrounding him, he absentmindedly listened to the waves as they smacked onto the rocks below, wetting his feet with spray.

[Avina]

Avina sat on the rocks, a little away from Mura, kicking her legs back and forth. The sea scent filled her nostrils, and she watched the water lovingly. It sang to her. Every wave a note, every splash a tune. She danced to the rhythm of the sea. This was an escape, and a vital one at that. She was trying to reconnect with her mother, having moved out a few years past. There had been such raging arguments, she thought sadly, like an angry eastern wind. But you keep a lot of secrets, mother... She looked up at the sky, it had been clear, but grey clouds crept in at the corners. And the air itself felt sad. It was preparing itself for something. A storm perhaps. That was when she noticed the man on the nearby beach. He pulled up in his little boat, hopped out and tugged his shirt off. She blushed, half turning away. Mura was a city of Konti - the only men she had seen were the odd visitor, and the sailors at the harbour. He was fishing, and she watched him for a while, smiling at his successes. But it worried her that he had brought his boat so far along the coast line. If the storm hit, he could be thrown into the rocks or worse. She watched him a little while longer, then shifted from the rocks and proceeded towards the beach. "There might be a storm coming," she said aloud, if a little absently, "you should head back to port."

[Will Blacktide]

Will had been unaware that he had been spotted, and observed, as he fished off the rocks sticking out into the water. The sound of a soft, feminine voice caught him completely off guard, and he rose to his feet, turning to see who was addressing him. Of course, in the past few days, he had seen more Konti than he had in his whole lifetime. So he recognized the young female approaching him as one of the natives of the White Isle. He wasn’t a bit put out to know that he wasn’t alone. His aim in coming to the cove for a bit of solitude was spurred by the slightly suffocating closeness of his family. But he was always up for meeting new people, and the Konti were an intriguing race, with their vision water and natural gifts of divination. Still, this young Konti’s words took him by surprise as much as her sudden appearance had. He smiled at her, but then shook his head slightly. “Not for a while yet.” He said, casting his gaze off to the north where the thin line of clouds hovered , anchored to the curve of the horizon. Nodding in their direction, he added, “It’ll be after midnight ‘fore it gets this far south. And might be it’ll veer off once it hits the northern tip of the island.” With this casual dismissal of the potential squall, he turned his attention back to the Konti girl. “Where’d you pop up from? You from Mura?” He grinned. “Did you swim here? Lucky for you I didn’t catch you in my net. Maybe not so lucky for me, though.”

[Avina]

Avina watched the man emotionlessly. She probably seemed cold to an outsider, but she was just so wrapped up in the elements around her, she sometimes forgot what she was even doing. His words took her by surprise, and his smile... "Mura, yes Mura. I swim. I always swim." She stuttered her words, shaking her head and breathing raggedly. Fool, she thought to herself. She was being a wool headed fool. "There is a storm coming... I just know, sailor. You should leave soon. That little boat won't last long when the waves pick up. And they're going to be high, I can hear them singing." She turned away, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. Her mother's words returned to her, the words she had never believed. The Konti were not dolls to be adored by outsiders. She frowned, wondering if the man would listen to her this time.

[Will Blacktide]

Well, she was shy, this one, Will thought with amusement. Perhaps in all her underwater traveling she had come to associate herself more with the clams than the fish. But he wasn’t bothered by her concise and direct speech – it could hardly be called conversation. He had met girls and young women and females of different types in many ports, and he usually enjoyed their company, whatever form it took. There was a lot to be said for a girl who could come right to the point. Still, he shrugged, unconcerned, and not believing that she knew better than him, not about the weather anyway. If he’d had half a brain – or more precisely if he’d bothered to use the brain he had – it might have occurred to him that, being Konti, the girl just might know what she was talking about, when she made her prediction. But, no, Will was oblivious and ignorant. What he was really focused on was that she had turned away from him, and he thought she might be getting ready to leave. This seemed like such a good opportunity to try to find out a little more about the graceful, pale water women of the island, that Will was entirely reluctant to seeing her go so soon. He took a step closer to her, saying, “Don’t worry, OK? I’ve plenty of time to make it back to Mura before the weather sets in. I’m Will, by the way. Will Blacktide . . . “ He paused, wondering if she would give her name as well. “We only just arrived in Mura a few days ago – me and my pod, and two others. I – I don’t really care too much for being in port. Gets a bit . . . stuffy, you know. Kind of does my nut in. That’s why I came here – to get away, for a while. Have a little peace and quiet, you know . . . “ When he said this, it caused him to wonder what had brought the girl here, to this isolated inlet. But he didn’t want to seem too nosy, so he said instead, somewhat needlessly, “Thought I’d do some of fishing.” He nodded towards the line of fish he’d caught, trailing down into the water. “Good spot, this.” “So . . . “ He was looking at her again. “I – I hope I didn’t disturb you, or anything. I didn’t know you were here.” Obviously. “Are you – are you heading back . . . or staying . . .or, what?”

[Avina]

Just as she turned and began to walk away, he spoke again, and she paused, staring into the distance. "I could stay a little while..." she said slowly, "but there is a storm coming. I'm a Konti, born of the vision water, you'd be wise to heed my advice." Finally, she turned back to him. A little desperation had slipped into his voice - perhaps he was lonely. She loosened up, beginning to feel a little more comfortable around the seafarer. "Well Will... I'm Avina. You didn't disturb me at all... I... I come out here sometimes to escape. Nothing big, nothing major. I just like being around the sea, and the air... have you heard of the Gift? Mine is natural attunement - me and nature, we have a sort of symbiotic relationship." She planted her hands on her hips and gave this... Will Blacktide, her greatest scowl. "Now. Are you going back to Mura or do I have to push you into the boat?"

[Will Blacktide]

He gave a small chuckle at such a delicate creature trying to look fierce. It put him in mind of a kitten with its tail up and hair puffed out, readying to attack a scrap of wool. Though he was till far from convinced that the Konti had the right of it, he would much rather try to keep her in his company than prove himself to have the superior weather eye. “I tell you what, Avina.” He liked the way her name sounded rolling off his tongue. “Why don’t you come with me – back to Mura? I’m not that familiar with these waters. I could use someone who has actually swum in them – to help me set a course.” This was entirely untrue, but he wasn’t sure that Avina would know that. It was a ploy, but an innocent one. He simply wanted to have the chance to spend some time with this novel creature. And it really would be an excellent opportunity to find out more about the waters of the White Isle. The fact that he found her quite pretty didn’t hurt. Will grinned mischievously. “You don’t have to push me. Just come with me. It will be fun, and you can tell me about your gift. Sounds fascinating.” And to clinch the deal, he added, “That way you can make sure I make it back, safe and sound.”

[Avina]

As she frowned, he began to laugh at her. At first she was insulted, but then she softened. There was a certain charm to this man, it was hard to admit, but she found himself liking him. How forward, she thought. Inviting her into his boat... But she would rather he did as she told. There was a storm coming. She could feel it in her skin, in the marrow of her bones. The air was crackling and screaming in anticipation. "When you put it like that," she said slowly, "and don't worry, I was never planning on pushing you." Will Blacktide. What a curious man.

[Will Blacktide]

She was so solemn! Will actually laughed this time, as he said, “Even if you did push me, I doubt you’d get very far.” Taking her ambivalent expression as an acceptance of his offer, he went to drag his catch up out of the water, shoving the still flopping fish into his pack and neatly coiling up the line. “Come on, then. Race you to the boat.” He grinned and dove gracefully, launching himself far enough out, and coming up after barely skimming the waves, so that he easily cleared the rocky bottom. He surfaced and turned about, to see that Avina was close behind him already. With a smile of approval, he struck out towards the casinor, cleaving through the water rhythmically. In no time, he was reaching out to grasp the knotted rope that hung down the Marlin’s side, and hauling himself up, hand over hand, his feet clinging to the rope like a monkey’s. Over the gunwale he went, planting his feet on the deck and turning to see if the Konti needed any help negotiating the rope. He could only hope that she hadn’t changed her mind and decided to swim alongside of the little boat, like a mermaid. Leaning over, he reached a helping hand down, in some measure to avoid that thought occurring to her, and in short order she was standing beside him on the deck. They were close to the stern, and he placed a loving hand on the top of the tiller. “This is the Marlin. She’s been mine now for about two years – though she’s belonged to the pod far longer than that. She’s a kind little thing, always happy to give me her best.” He smiled, and a suffused glow of pride lit up his face. “Have you done much traveling by ship?” he asked, even as he began to turn the small capstan to bring up the anchor.

[Avina]

Having been refreshed by a short swim, she now stood on the deck of Will's boat, admiring it with a smile. "Never. This is the first time I've even been in one." He looked so proud there, his heart no doubt swelling around his baby. Outsiders tended to put a lot of focus on their possessions and material worries. "Now we really should be leaving," she said carefully, the feeling in the air growing thicker, "that storm is about to break." She put a hand above her face, looking out over the sea. It was still calm for the moment. They probably had a quarter of an hour to get back to the port in Mura. She grinned, giggling and feeling a little childish. "Mura ahoy!" Staring at Will, she frowned, "that's what you say isn't it?"