Journal Entry One: Departure
The morning sun beamed through the window of a selkie den, home to the alchemist of Tipa. On the other side of that window, a girl moaned and threw the sheets over her head. Minutes, seeming like seconds, have passed when she heard a voice yelling from outside. Tossing the sheets off of her head and onto her torso, she stared at the ceiling. The voice was heard again. Sighing in frustration, she ripped the sheets from her body and headed for the window. Crossing her arms on the cool stone, she smiled at the sight of her friend Camé, a neighboring selkie whose family is the tailor of Tipa.
"Come on Rikku!" he yelled, "we're all waiting on you!" his voice was as calm and soothing as the color of his deep set teal eyes.
Her eyes opened wide in remembrance of what today was. "I'll be right down!" she yelled back. Closing the windows, she threw off her home cloths and changed into her voyage garments her mother had sown for her. Putting a brush through her long silvery hair, she stared into the mirror and looking at was what she thought was her. It's finally here, she thought, my time to prove myself to my father. Noticing the staff in the mirror, she turned around and stared at it. Putting her brush in her bag, she grasped the staff and ran her fingers down it.
There was a knock on the door. Quickly snatching her bag, she threw it over her shoulder and opened the door. It was her mother, "Camé is waiting for you, are you going…" before she could finish her sentence, Rikku squeezed passed her.
"Yah I'm going," she said hastily going down the stairs. Taking a sharp turn at the end, she ran out the door, and met Camé. Noticing he had no bags with him, she just had to ask, "where are you're bags?"
He chuckled, "they're in the caravan." Pointing a finger at her, "you need to wake up earlier. Bit's pretty pissed." He grabbed her wrist and dashed off with her trailing behind him.
"Rikku!" the voice came from the house. Looking back, her eyes widened to the sight of her father. The serious look on his face told her to stop right where she was and she did. With the sudden stop, Camé released his grasp on her. As her father approached she became more nervous and a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. She swallowed hard as her father stopped in front of her. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Reaching into his leather bag he held a dagger. "This was mine when I went on this journey long ago." Handing it to her he said proudly, "Now, I pass it down to you."
She looked at the dagger then to him. She nodded and smiled, "thank you father, I'll keep it at hand always."
"Rikku we need to get going!" Camé yelled. She turned around to him, "We depart in 30 minutes! Just be at the caravan by then!" he dashed off out of sight.
She looked back at her father and he nodded, "go, I've said what I wanted to." They smiled at each other.
Quickly hugging her father goodbye, she dashed off to find the others. Heading towards the main entrance of the village, she met up with them and a huge group of people waiting for them to set off. "Sorry I'm late," she said.
Bit gave her a look, "Sorry doesn't cut it. Put you're things in the caravan and get ready to set off." His amber eyes pierced through her emerald ones as turned towards his mother and started his goodbye.
Walking over to the back of the caravan, the door was already open and Tai was inside rearranging things. "Don't mind Bit," he said as Rikku looked up at him, "he's just as nervous as you." He caught her attention quickly, "It's just that he feels as if he has big shoes to fill because his father died four years ago on this journey. He had to mature quicker then others just to provide for his mother and sister." He looked up at her, "he's the one who works as the Blacksmith of Tipa."
"Alone?" she asked.
He sighed, "He did have his father as a mentor, but since he's gone, yes. He's the only one." he went back to moving things around, "now you know why he's so stuck up around other people other than his family."
Looking back at Bit she saw him smile. He has such a hard burden on his shoulders, but still finds time to smile, she thought. Coughing to get her attention, Tai extended his hand out and gestured for her bag.
Handing it to him, a voice came from the very front of the caravan, "hey Tai, are we ready to set off? This bull, thing is getting pretty fidgety."
Tai stuck his head out the door, "hey Bit, you ready?"
Turning around he nodded. Facing his mother again they embraced each other, "stay well mother." Tears rolled down her cheeks, "I'll be back soon, just wait for me."
"Bit," she murmured, "I have something for you." He backed away from her, "I've sent your sister to go get it." seconds passed, when the little girl came running out of the house, her arms cradling something large wrapped in a leather cloth. It glistened in the spots where there was no cloth, catching his attention greatly. Handing it to her mother, she handed it to him, "your father forged it before he passed." Taking it, he gnashed his teeth to fight back the memories he had with his father.
Embracing once more he said, "Thank you mother."
"Bit," his sister said, hiding behind mother's apron.
Crouching down he smiled, "you're going to be good for mother right?" she ran in-between his legs and hugged his torso. He wished he couldn't let her go, but he had to push her away. Standing up he smiled, "Take care."
Turning around he headed for the caravan. They all looked back and waved at the group of people cheering them on, family and friends. As they reached over the hill the caravan went out of sight and they were no longer in Tipa or in safety from the beasts that lie ahead in the miasma.