The sea foamed at the shoreline while the wind carried the mist up the hillside. The breeze shifted, startling a small robin from its perch on an oak tree. The young woman watched it dart into the forest, seeking refuge in the thickness of the trees. She shivered and pulled her cloak tight around her. Usually the trip from Fairedge to Port Rallos took half a day. Fairedge was primarily a fishing village, but Port Rallos was where most of the trade occurred and Port Rallos was closer to the pearl beds. The pearls from Rallos were highly sought after. With the storm brewing she had been delayed by busy fisherman trying to get their business finished for the day. This storm would be a big one, the energy in the air made the hair on her arms stand up and she clutched the small container of trench in her hands

           A twig breaking made her jump and turn around. The sun had just passed the midday hour but clouds were quickly chasing the light away. Shadows lurked in the darkness of the trees. She stepped forward slowly; the crunch of leaves seemed to echo around her. In the distance she could hear the waves of the surf beat against the rocks. She waited another moment before assuring herself that she was alone. Her pace quickened as she continued down the path.

           The trees became less abundant as she came closer to the forest’s edge. The path twisted up the side of hill; it would lead her to Fairedge. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips, now that the fears of the forest path were behind her, worry for her mother began to nag at the edges of her mind. Her father had been dead for only a sennight and already the creditors were at their door. Her father, Anderth, had been a fine fisherman until a storm had changed him. Large Redfin feed near the pearl beds, and though Anderth didn’t usually fish the Redfin, he wanted to bring in a larger catch to make enough to buy a horse. The storm had developed quickly and his small schooner had been tossed and Anderth was thrown into the sea. When he pulled himself out everyone had been surprised that he survived the storm. Arianna felt the familiar sadness thicken as she thought of her father. Before the storm he always smiled and he often teased her mother into laughter. After the storm he became obsessed with pearl farming.

           “I could feel them. The pearls were calling out to me. They saved my life.” He would say over and over again. He stopped fishing and started borrowing, gambling and trading to get a new boat and the equipment to pearl dive. Arianna knew her father was unwell, several of his old friends said that he would get better with time.

The debt her father had left behind could easily ruin what was left of their meager lives. The sewing they had been doing hadn’t brought in enough coppers to pay off his debt and she hoped the trench oil would help her mother’s aching hands. The healer in her village didn’t have any and she had no other choice than to go to the larger city to find the oil.

           By the time she reached the edge of the small village the wind had turned into a forceful push. It tore at her cloak, trying to claw it off her back and the thick dark strands of her hair whipped at her eyes. She lowered her head and ran as fast as she could. She reached her front door as the rain began to fall. She leaned against the door and allowed a moment to catch her breath. Her mother stepped out of her bedroom.

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           “Arianna, I was worried about you. It took you longer than usual.” Elise said.

           Arianna watched as her mother sat in the wooden chair in front of the fire. She could hear the wind whistling through the cracks of the windows.

           “I had to wait for the fisherman to complete their tallies. The storm is bigger than they expected.” She untied her cloak and hung it on the peg of the door. “Here, I was able to get a good batch of trench oil for you. Let me see your hands.”

           Elise had always been a fine seamstress, but time and the cool sea air had slowly twisted her hands. She stopped sewing many years ago, until recently. Arianna placed the small jar by the fire to warm.

           “You are cold, dear. Why don’t you put something warmer on?”

           “I’m fine. Have you eaten anything?”

           “Midwife Dayna came by to pick up her quilts. She left some stew and biscuits. It’s quite good.”

           “I’m sure it’s not as good as yours.” Arianna smiled at her mother. A warming crock had been set on the table. Arianna spooned a bowl full and sat on the hearth.

           “Arianna, why don’t you sleep in my room tonight and I’ll sleep out here?”

           “No, I’m fine sleeping in here. It’s nice to stay by the fire, besides it’s easier for me to keep it stirred.” Arianna ate quietly until the nagging pangs of hunger dwindled. A full, warm stomach helped to diminish the fear and uncertainty of their plight. The trench oil glistened from the warmth of the fire so Arianna took some of the oil and massaged it into her mother’s hands. She watched her mother close her eyes. Once Elise had a head full of ebony hair, now it was laced with white and silver. Her blue eyes were surrounded by wrinkles. Arianna sighed as she realized how old her mother was.

           “I need to finish the hem on Naris’ pants.” The chair creaked as her mother stood and entered the smaller bedroom. Not too long ago it had been Arianna’s room. Now it was their workspace for sewing. Several of her father’s friends had brought in some clothes to be mended. They wouldn’t continue to do so though, they only did it to provide some support since her father died. Arianna watched the flames lick at the cobblestones of the fireplace. She didn’t know what they would do. They couldn’t make enough in the village and her mother wasn’t well enough to move. The crackling of the wood was soothing and her full stomach pulled at her eyes until she entered a light sleep.