UPDATE

Historical Tervik Chapter 1 was updated. A very important conversation was added. So if you're following the story, please go back and re-read now before I post the second chapter ((which should be happening tonight, if not tomorrow)).

SIGHT OF SAND: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

None of us really understood anything about Euphasia when we first moved there. All we knew of Euphasia we learned from the stories my father told us and the artifacts he brought home. Therefore, we were not prepared for what Euphasia had in store.

We arrived upon the shores of Euphasia one cold autumn night by ferry, which was the only means of commercial transportation between Sulvik and Euphasia. Like a bad omen, it began to rain as soon as we stepped foot onto the firm, unshifting grounds. My family had brought nothing with us except some clothes, food, all the money we had, and some of my father’s belongings my sister and I had managed to sneak behind my mother’s back.

We know already that the town we had arrived in was named Hemyl. This town, according to what my father said, was one of the oldest towns in the land. From the looks of it, he hadn’t been lying. The town seemed to be doing remarkably well on its own, and quality of life seemed already better than that of Sulvik’s biggest villages.

It was late at night and was now raining. The waves rolled angrily onto the shore, a sign for sailors to stay home and a reason for wives to worry, whose husbands had yet to come home. But didn’t I know the feeling? This town of Hemyl, attractive to businesses interested in overseas commerce and sailors looking to make a living, seemed lively enough. But the way of life- of constantly awaiting the return of a loved one- was all too familiar to me. It was definitely not an easy life, and I silently commended the denizens of Hemyl.

Standing there, my family were the only ones hanging around the ports. I laid my hand against a wooden post, feeling the grain though careful not to get a splinter. My sister noticed what I was doing and soon followed suit, equally amazed by the material as I was when I was much younger. I shifted my gaze onto my mother, for whom I was waiting to take the first step in guiding us towards wherever it was we were supposed to go.

“Come, now.” As if on queue, my mother grabbed both my sibling and I by the hand. We walked in the only direction that seemed logical- forward. My sister looked at me from my mother’s side with confused and concerned eyes. I could tell what she was thinking without her having to say.

“Mother, where are we going?” I prompted the question that my sister was too scared to. We knew eventually we were going to be living at our aunt’s house. That was the final destination. But my sister and I knew not where she lived.

“We need to find a place to rest. Tomorrow, we start the journey for your aunt’s house.” My mother smiled at us through the rain, trying her best to reassure us that the situation was under control. The rain water dripped off every part of my body. I could feel the water soaking right through my sall, the Sulvikian word for the head wraps required by law for women to wear with which to conceal their hair. I was wet, cold, and sad.

We struggled to find an inn. Tied to our customs and beliefs, we could not ask a man for directions since that would require addressing him in an informal manner. We tried a few times to ask a woman who looked like they might speak some Sulvïkian, but they all only stared at us through the rain, not understanding, as though confused by our mere presence. We ended up walking into every building that resembled an inn in some way, and after a stressful two hours, soaking wet, we came upon a place whose name I never knew. My mother approached the counter, her gaze cast respectfully downward. She bowed, and only then did she speak.

"We would like to request a room for the night, if you might have one available." My sister grabbed my hand and shook from both the cold and fear. The man behind the counter opened his mouth to speak, but his words were not understood by our ears. My mother tried again, pleading with the man that he might give us room. The man became angry, and began to talk louder until he was yelling at us. Though we did not understand the words, we understand what the flailing arms and angry tone meant. We showed ourselves out, never to look back.

My mother tried very hard to find us a place to sleep that night. We hoped from inn to inn, finding it difficult to order a room when we couldn’t speak the language, nor did we have money that we could use in Euphasia. These small details, we had completely overlooked. Try as we may, we could find no one who would understand us. After a few hours, as the weather worsened and the night grew older, we gave up hope of finding an inn and settled for trying to look for any obscure spot in town where we may sleep and be safe from the rain.

We eventually approached a horse's stable on the edge of town. I knew of the great beasts, but my sister did not and stared in awe. I explained to her that they were to Euphasians what camels are to us. Tired and cold, she seemed content with this answer and did not press the issue any further.

Desperate and wet, we settled with sleeping in the hay beneath the unpredictable animals using our bags as pillows and hay as blankets. We were out of the rain, but that was hardly a comfort anymore. Laying amidst the horse stool, my mother, sister, and I all became silently aware of the situation we were in. That night, despite being emotionally and physically exhausted, I did not sleep. There was too much on my mind.