Hemmin leads me down a flight of stairs.
She is what many would consider to be "plain". Her light brown hair drapes down her back; it is slightly frizzy, but not so much as to be curly in any way.
She has beady eyes. Her face is set in a dull expression.
Even though they look nothing alike, I can't help but relate her to Anna.
It is probably the homesickness already setting in.
I hope to become good friends with Hemmin.
She leads me down a dimly lit hallway, not saying a word.
When we reach a door at the end of the hall, Hemmin holds it open for me and gestures me to enter.
I comply.
Upon entering, I discover a cozy, little suite. This is to be my home during the course of the voyage.
There is a single bed, a table and two chairs. I note that there is a nice sized closet, which is already filled with my belongings.
This room is also quite dim, save for a few lanterns hung up on the ceiling.
I can't shake the feeling of being trapped under here.
"Is this to your satisfaction, ma'am?" Hemmin's words thud out like ice cubes tumbling onto a stone surface.
"Of course." I reply. "Hemmin, you may call me Elsa. Since we are to be on this ship together, I should think we will become quite good company."
She shrugs. "Yes, ma'am."
"How old are you, Hemmin?" I ask.
"Fourteen." She answers, bluntly.
I can tell that she has spent a great majority of these years amongst the sailor folk.
I have not spoken to all that many seamen over the years, but I have spoken to enough to know that this is how they all speak.
I have a feeling it is going to be hard to get used to.
"We are about to hoist the anchor." Hemmin tells me. "If you start to get sick, I suggest you move to the upper deck... or if you don't want to I'll just come down here and clean it up." She trudges to the door, but she hesitates as if she wishes to say something else.
"Yes, Hemmin?" I encourage her to speak.
"Where exactly are we sailing to? My father has only said that we are headed 'North'."
It was advised by Kristoff that the crew not know the details of our voyage.
"Trust me, when you've been at sea for a while and the crew begins to get restless, you will be relieved that they do not know that they are only chasing a myth." He had reasoned.
"We are sailing North." It is my turn to be blunt.
"My father doesn't like not knowing where he's sailing to..."
"I have told your father exactly where he is sailing to." I respond evenly. "North."
Hemmin shrugs. "Ok..."
She leaves me in my quarters alone.
I feel trapped.