Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK II - Scene XXXIII

Land.

The Coo-Cal sailed into the craggy cove, unnoticed and unacknowledged. A peaceful ship in a war filled world. The murky grey water, and rocky green coast of Brynnyfirdia a welcome sight. As Essen moored the exotic, but bijou boat he felt the mossy grass with his hand, its realness as reassuring as the windy air that snapped lively at his cheeks and nose. He looked around the cove; it was little changed from how it was when he would seclude his boats here as a child. Sailing the Free Sea from this little spot on hewn together rafts and sails, or any other bark he could get a hold of.

As he dropped into the water to splosh the short distance to firmer ground the ship's boy followed, perhaps even more excited to be home than he after so long an adventure. The smile on his face betraying a relief that his normal come-what-may optimism otherwise had hidden. Finally, in tow, the little monkey hopped onto the damp grass, in contrast looking somewhat apprehensive. The cold of the land, like the cold of the sea surrounding it, making him rue the impulse that took him aboard the hopeful ship so many months previously. As the cold on the approach to the northern seas had picked up the ship's boy had stitched together a tiny little jacket for the poor creature, but even this failed to insulate it from the shock of the Brynnyfirdian chill. Its little features grimacing at so rugged a destination.

Essen was eager to head inland, but he dithered as he pondered whether to leave things on the boat. He didn't want to carry the heavy chest that contained the charts - he would've much preferred to head home quickly, then go back the next day, but he couldn't leave them. After all this time to risk them now would be rash even by his standards. So, he jumped, knee-deep, into the cold swaying water to climb back on deck. The ship's boy, not wanting to be workshy, following. As Essen went below and grabbed the precious charts he grabbed the little tree that stood near the prow. Looking withered and half-dead it was barely worth the taking, but the symbolic value outweighed the pointlessness.

Having got this precious cargo they then waded back into the water and headed ashore, the items held high above their heads like new born children. They then quickly headed in the direction of settlement ..looking quite the ensemble. Essen with a box of charts, the ship's boy with a distinctly unimpressive potted tree, and an odd little monkey, angry at the bitter cold, wearing what looked like a scruffy waistcoat.