Dinner and a Class

“When you come back up, bring some more pepper-seed. We're running low.”

John raised his hand in a sign of acknowledgment to his wife as he disappeared into the cellar.

Now that he was out of the room, her thoughts crept back in. Or rather, she was more easily aware of that underlying concern that had set in since the accident. The town leaders knew the ship captain could be serious trouble. If he pressed charges out in a metropolis, a best case scenario would mean a relocation of their entire village. It would be a blow to their economy, to say nothing of the social consequences. And all this threat, despite the reparations already given the captain by the town. It was a awful accident, but the ship had simply been in that exact spot at the exact worst time. No decree from the elders could ever undo that part of time.

The wooden door sounded, John had returned from the cellar.

“Has Ayleah not returned yet? There's a pretty hard rain starting.”

Kaitlyn glanced up from the carrots she was chopping and out the window. “I think that's her, just now. She must have seen it coming in over the water.” The carrots went into a pot, along with some of the fresh pepper-seed. “Thanks.”

John collected settings and headed for their table. “I hope she's been keeping safe out on her ledges there. After the other day, they've had inspectors all over the cliffs, checking the supports. Hard to trust some of those outcroppings.”

“Oh, you know she's careful John. She's been going out there practically her whole life. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew more about the structure of those rocks than either of us.”

The front door opened just long enough for Ayleah to get inside in a swirl of rain-soaked wind. Blinking, she pulled off her wet boots and breathed the satisfying warm air of home.

“Quite a gale whipping up out there!” her mother approached, eyebrows raised at the sight of her daughter's wet clothes. “You know, your jacket only keeps the rain out if you fasten it up.”

Ayleah shrugged. “I know, I thought I could get back in time, but it really started raining hard. It looked really neat out there across the lake.” she took off her coat and went to get cleaned up. When she returned, she gave an appreciative visit to the nearly-finished soup, and took her place at the table by her father.

“How were the woods today?” John asked.

“There was too much fog to properly see them.” Ayleah said, as if it were a normal conversational response. “Everything was a gray void, until the rain came. I thought I could see the other side, but then it sent wind to chase me away from the shore.”

Her father smiled. “I know you're pretty careful out there. Let me know if you see any rock or edge that looks unstable. You come right away and tell me, understand?” A knowing look passed from him to her. “Yeah,” she said “I understand.”

Their dinner finished, the talk had turned inevitably to the ship captain's threats.

“Will Tormund go to make a report?” Ayleah asked. She had often heard of their village Marshal Tormund going into some city when important communication was needed between the township and their sponsor-city authority.

“Most likely” Kaitlyn replied, “but we're hoping the whole situation can be resolved right here in Silver Cove.” she looked at John. “What have you heard the folk saying? Is there hope for a settlement?”

John sighed. “You know how these city folk are Kait, they don't think anything of a little village on some quiet shore of the northern lake. They've been to so many ports they've become accustomed to easy safe harbors. This is just the kind of thing that they would try to use to get our port shut down for good.”

“We can't let that happen!” Ayleah exclaimed. Kaitlyn smiled at her. “Don't worry, we're not going to let that happen. And even if the southern merchants don't want to trade with us anymore, we'll always have our port. We don't need them anyway. Let them go to their beaches and muddy coves. We'll be just fine up here.”

“Aye,” John said, finishing his cup, “our little community will always be here. We're meant to be here, on our little bit of paradise, and no one is taking that away.”

Kaitlyn returned from cleaning up the table “And now, Ayleah, it is time you got some sleep. You've had a big day out with the clouds, and you have classes early tomorrow.” Ayleah gave a little sigh. “Okay mom.” she said and, with a hug for both of them, she went off to get ready for bed.

Outside, the rainstorm whirled around their house in the side of the rocky hill. The sounds of the wind mixed with the crash of the dark waves far below the little village. A cup of tea in her hand, Kaitlyn settled into a seat by her husband. Their fire was well stocked, and a comforting glow of heat spread from the grating by conduction to the inner walls of the house. John looked at Kaitlyn in the low lighting. “You know Kait, I think she's ready.”

Kaitlyn gave a half-smile. “You're probably right, though I haven't wanted to admit it. Between her classes and all those explorations she does out on the rocks, she's learning a lot.”

“There's not a whole lot more her classes can teach her.” John said “She'll have to make a decision soon: join a guild as an apprentice, or find a scholar willing to take her in at the college. Knowing her, she'll probably go the tradesperson route. Learn a skill and see some of the world while she's at it; that's what I did.” Kaitlyn touched his hand softly, playing with his rough fingers. “She's growing up so fast. There's a lot out there, in the world, but I think she's smart enough to make a great choice for herself.” she stood from the couch and made to gently pull John up after her. “Ask her if she's thought any about it tomorrow when you pick her up from class.” John got up, yawning a little. “I will. I'm sure she'll have a thought or two.” He turned down the last of the lights and followed his wife to bed.

The next morning in her class, Ayleah's mind wandered. The lesson was interesting enough, but her heart was always more tethered to her explorations in the woods and the hidden places in the rock ledges. She remembered a day, about a week ago, when she had ventured inland, to a grove where smaller twisted trees grew closely together. The taller ones were only about a hundred feet tall, so she could feel a bit of a canopy curving above. Light grasses grew here and there, intermingling with mossy rocks and decayed fallen leaves. Making her way through the grove, Ayleah couldn't tell if what she was feeling was a sense of wonder or fear. The damp, dense growth felt confined, yet full of life. The area exuded a busyness that didn't mind its restraints. It was a directionless anticipation that vibrated at too high a level for her awkward mortal form.

Trying to get past the grove and back into open woods, she paused at a point where the ground began to clear. The feeling of confinement had mostly passed, and breathing felt weirdly easier. A bird twittered somewhere behind her, and she had looked up to see a small form on a nearby branch. It was a bluebird, the sun glinted off its back for a brief second. It twittered again and took flight through the trees, disappearing in the mottled light. Ayleah turned and made her way from the denser grove up towards one of her favorite lookouts...

A question from the professor brought her back to present awareness, and away from the daydreams of sunbeams and birds. She made sure to get enough of the important stuff the teacher was saying in her notes and then returned to planning for the next adventure.