--I'm Back Again--
-Chapter One: I'm Back-
Disclaimer: The original story idea was Lady Knight:
Go read her stories, which are really good if ya ask me! J
And the most glorious Tamora Pierce owns the country and whatever other of her characters I choose to include. Of which I am currently uncertain.
To Link back to the original go here:
FYI: This is currently a writer's block fic; I'm working on my seemingly endless masterpiece, Yazlia of Queenscove. I will finish this fic once I have finished that. Which I hope to do in the next two months, cross your fingers. :)
~Ana~
--Chapter 1: Welcome Home--
When I was three or four years old a seaman of the ship Nerissa found me collapsed on the dock. I don't remember that day. All I know is from what he told me and the pictures I painted in my mind. This seaman was a cook on the ship and took me in. I spent many a happy day in the kitchen with him. Listening to him tell tales of old, famous seamen. He lived for the sea, as I eventually did.
Nerissa is a huge trade ship. It doesn't actually have a port. We just travel all over the seas, trading and collecting artifacts for the slightly greedy captain. I think that over the years on the ship I've been everywhere at least once. I love living in the sea, the slow gentle rocking of the boat, birds calling overhead. The blue green waters beneath you and as far as your eye's can see.
All of the sailors in the ship are swashbucklers from every place on the planet. Men who lived and breathed for the sea. At every place we stop we pick up new men for all the ones we loose. The old return to their families after years at sea. It's amazing how many young men try to join the crew. Some of the time I know more than they do about facts, figures or the tides. It wasn't hard stuff to learn, well some of the sailor's knots were tricky, but they just took practice. I would have told them that too if they would have taken advice from the eight-year old kitchen help.
Cook died that year. We were at port in Ittalyia, a large country rich in spices and cloth. We had to wait three days so that we could give him the proper burial of a seaman. On the second day his body started to decay and I wouldn't allow them to bury him on land. Finally we left port and we got far enough into sea to dump his body overboard.
After that the captain told me I had to earn my keep. And I did. I washed the poop deck, helped cook. I took a night shift once a week and I learned how to work the sails. I patched clothing and mended leather shoes. I went through the seemingly endless pantry and looked for rotting barrels of food. I ran through the belly of the ship and plugged leaks in a particularly vicious storm.
But I did it; I survived for years on that ship. And now here I am gliding back to where Cook told me I was from. I'm slightly afraid. I'm told this is a live or die place. A place were anyone could be whatever they choose. Knight, thief, assassin, merchant, noble, guttersnipe. A place of possibilities. I know nothing about who I am. Who I was. Where I came from. I don't know if I'm the daughter of a merchant or an evil, noble lord. Yes, I am afraid of what I might find. I'm afraid I won't be able to find out who I am, or where I'm from. I'm afraid that I was purposely left on that dock, because no one wanted me. And actually, I'm afraid I may be noble, I know no manners what so ever, and I grew up with sailors. Sailors who think that proper decorum is putting you feet on the table.
Yet, I am here sailing to the place I am supposed to call home. Actually, at the moment I'm supposed to be watching for other ships, way up here in the bird's nest. One of my favorite places. It's the highest point on the ship and you can see for miles. Especially at night, when there's no sun to reflect off the water and blind you. The stars twinkle above you and the wind blows in your hair. You feel like everything is going to be fine, nothing can bother you. Until of course it does. Then you snap back into reality as if you were a falling tree. Not that I've ever seen a tree fall mind you.
I don't much care for land, it seems to move with it's own energy underneath you. Sailor's allways told me that I would get used to it but after spending a day falling over I chose to return to the ship. Now, I wish I hadn't, I was going to be walking for a very long time. A disgustingly long time. Hopefully some other ship would take me once I found out what I need to so desperately know.
--/--
Three days later and we've landed. Way to soon for my tastes, but here I am. I got the money the captain owed me from years of work. He was sad to see me go and said by next year we'll be in Port Hannat, if I could catch up with the ship there he said he'll take me back on. All I could do was nod sadly. I won't be there. I've landed at home. Or where home is supposed to be.
This morning we landed at Port Legann, Tortall.
My name is Naiya, meaning 'she who walks on water' or more literally 'water nymph'.
And I'm back, for good.
--/--
Lady knight, I am so sorry, I just had to change the name, it was just that when I used spell check the name showed up and I was slightly upset. So I went on babynames.com to see if I could get a match for 'she who walks on water' and there wasn't one. So then I picked the closest name and used your definition. And I am truly sorry!
Well, there you have it folks, this was only the first chapter.
Tell me what you think. The chappies of this fic are bound to be short, not the eleven page ones of my other fic. I'm going to see if this fic can be more angst, I've always wanted to do one of those fics, but I'm not quite sure if it will fit in, but we'll see.
Please tell me what you honestly think of this fic. I'm hoping it will be good.
I will also be needing a beta reader for this fic, if anyone is interested, leave it in your review or e-mail me.
--Ana--