On a stiflingly warm summer day, Solveis looked out from the dock at the bright sun, glistening all too glaringly on the water. She decided to take her new little kayak out and ride around her family’s small island. She walked out to the storage shed on the dock. The sturdy, old, wooden dock had been there for all of existence, as far as Solveis knew. The dock started as a foot path at the cabin and went to the east cliffs, where it was made of wood and descended down to the water’s surface. The Eigeroy family’s boat lived most weekends at that dock. The dock, was a small and old construction, sturdy to the end of days, but only large enough for a few boats the size of Eigeroy family’s cabin boat.

Solveis went into the tidy, ancient shed on the dock and retrieved her new kayak and a paddle. She pulled her pastel, yellow-green kayak out from beside Arlendr’s red one. It was a small, lightweight boat which she could drag easily and almost lift. It was about one and a half times the length of her legs, and very trim. She was about to captain it alone, without family attendance, for the very first time. It gave her a sense of autonomous joy to take her own little vessel into her own waters and to explore. Besides, it was a nice hot day; it would be good to be splashed by the freezing ocean water. This was what the summer holiday was for!

Riding around the whole circumference of the Molil might be fun, but no. Solveis would rather go away from the island and see something new. There were two islands very nearby, so close that you could see them from the cliffs of Molil. The island directly to the west was small like Molil and it was inhabited by a big family of deer-hu. Those deer-hu kids would swim over or canoe over to Molil sometimes and hangout.

The island on the east was more interesting. It was much larger than Molil, and it had a whole oggo town on it (oggos are a people who are man-legged rather than beast-legged). Solveis looked at the fuzzy, indistinct land mass so near, and thought how strange it was that she had never visited the neighbor island. She decided to ride toward it and get a look, but to be ready to go back if the water got at all rough. Her swift, lightweight vessel carried her over to the oggo island more quickly than she had expected.

Solveis drew near the larger island. The part of the island closest to her was a wide, pebbled shore. There were some trees past the shore, which seemed to have dwellings on the other side of them. She slowed her approach and took in the strange new place. It had the same stones and trees as her own mountain. It was so big though. People really lived there, and not just on weekends. That must have been cool for them. She got close enough to the pebbled beach to get a good look at it, but no closer. She knew that she wouldn't like strangers getting too close to her island, so she chose to extend her neighbors this same courtesy. To her jarring surprise, a young oggo girl on the shore noticed her and waved in what seemed like ultimate excitement. Solveis was disturbed by this intrusion into her observance. She had been observing the tree branches swaying, the wet stones glistening, and the water lapping. This little, leaping, stomping person disturbed her expectations.

The little girl was some sols (solar years) younger than Solveis herself, but not much smaller than herself. Oggos tended to be some of the physically larger humanus, whereas fauns tended to be some of the slighter humanus, in general. Also, Solveis (like her brother) was particularly small for her age. The little leaping girl was young enough to still have a touch of the baby in her chubby face. She had dark, velvety skin which looked almost gray from a distance. Her hair was loose and very dark. The sun glistened blue highlights out of it. It was thick and heavy, and hung around her face and shoulders. It bounced as she jumped, making all her soft babyish features glow prettily.

Solveis considered the little leaping girl with confusion. She wasn’t sure what to think of her. Then, to jar Sovleis’s complacency even more, the little oggo girl started to run, in an awkward childish way, directly into the water, toward Solveis. A moment later, the little girl had swam up to Solveis and was holding onto the side of Solveis’s kayak. This was beyond understanding on many levels. Firstly, the girl’s parents certainly wouldn’t want her to be in the freezing water handing out with a complete stranger. Also, it was kind of a long swim for such a little kid. Solveis wouldn’t have voluntarily done that swim.

Up close, the little girl was really precious looking; adorable. She had big, round, warm eyes, dark like her skin and hair, but more yellow-brown. Her eyes were innocent and full of happiness. Her mouth was wide and perpetually smiling. Her skin, up close, was a deep brown. It could almost be called gray or even blue. It was like brown-blue velvet fabric. It reminded Solveis of some puppies that she had seen, which had been described as blue, though they weren't exactly blue.

“Hi! I’m Livia! Which island are you from?” the little girl asked Solveis excitedly. “The water is soooooo cold!” she exclaimed with more dramatic feeling that Solveis could ever, in a million sols, have put into her own voice.

Solveis was shocked by the circumstance and remained silent. Livia happily filled the silence. “I like your boat!” she said as she pulled her way awkwardly up onto Solveis’s legs. Solveis was kept silent for a few more moments by the combination of unexpected attention and the sensory flare-up. The little girl was very cold and a little too heavy to be sitting on Solveis’s outstretched legs, so Solveis was forced to shift her legs out a little and get them un-pinned. Livia had been talking nonstop while Solveis had not been hearing her. Livia shifted position though, and she started to address Solveis afresh.

“Your legs are so, so soft; I like them. I never get to feel a faun’s legs. That’s crazy. I didn't think they'd be soft like that.”

Livia had hit on a topic that Solveis had some expertise in. Solveis explained, “it’s because I’m just a kid. I haven't gotten the course shiny hair like my parents yet.” Then she added, “but my brother’s already got horns. Well, the older brother does.” Solveis gave this explanation as if she were playing a prerecorded message. She still hadn’t recovered enough to speak comfortably. She was beginning to feel a little more equal to the situation though.

Livia helped restore normalcy by saying “I’m Livia. What’s your name?” Then she looked into Solveis’s still and mostly inexpressive eyes with her own bright, warm eyes. Her face was full of friendship and expectation. Her face glowed with exercise and excitement, and glistened blueish where it was still wet. Solveis wondered if the little girl could read even a fraction of the personal information from her own appearance that Solveis was reading from hers.

Solveis answered Livia, “I’m sole-vase. I rode over here from that island over there.” Solveis pronounced her own name clearly and pointed to Molil.

“Can I see it?” Livia asked, about Molil.

Not understanding the question, Solveis shrugged and made an “uh…” sound.

“My house is boring. I want to see yours!” Livia continued excitedly. “Let’s go now!” Livia scooted so that her back was to Solveis’s chest. She grabbed the paddle, which she was too clumsy and unfamiliar with to use properly. She started to row maladroitly toward Molil.

Solveis had never been so physically close to anyone besides, well – only her little brother probably – and that was because he was a baby and he had to be held sometimes. It was shocking. Besides, Livia was still wet, and her clothes were cold against Solveis’s dry, sun warmed top. Not sure what to do, Solveis took the oar and started rowing toward her island, her long, skinny arms stretched awkwardly around Livia's torso. Livia had been doing a terribly inefficient job of rowing.

Upon arriving at the dock, Solveis explained to her guest, “this is my mountain.”

Livia didn’t challenge the statement as Solveis had expected her to. Livia was filled only with excitement. Livia wanted to see everything. They followed the dock to the path which led up to the cabin. Solveis was not at all interested in the cabin right then, but Livia was desperately interested to see it. Maybe going to the cabin would be for the best though. Solveis was unsure about letting this girl abandon her own home and family to roam here freely. Maybe if they went to the cabin, then the parents might intervene.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

They arrived at the cabin, Livia chatting happily all the way.

“Wow! We don’t have any houses like this! I like your picnic table. Do you eat there? Who’s inside?” Livia chattered.

Solveis’s little brother Oskar crawled out, past their mother’s watchful eye, and toward Solveis. She picked her baby brother up. Livia hopped with excitement. She petted Oskar’s downy soft, blond leg.

“My sister is going to have a baby soon!” Livia told Solveis.

Solveis’s mother approached the door, from inside, to retrieve her baby. She saw her daughter holding her son. Then she saw the little oggo girl next to them, chattering. Her face went through a series of emotional shifts, first surprised, then happy that Solveis had a friend, then terrified that she had abducted this little girl somehow, then worried for the little girl’s family, and finally a combination of confusion and worry. Solveis watched her mother’s feelings fluctuate and wondered to herself how a person could feel and express so many contradicting feelings in such a short span. She thought sometimes that it was just a mother thing, but she hoped that she would never do it herself, even if she became a mother. It just seemed too crazy. Whatever she thought about her mother’s feelings though, she was glad in the moment, that the Livia issue was now in her mother’s hands.

Her mother ushered them all into the cabin. She immediately began interrogating Solveis and Livia. Livia turned out to be the more descriptive witness, even though she gave far too much useless information. The mother learned that Livia and Solveis had met out by the oggo island town and that they had somehow come back here together. The mother immediately decided to get Livia back home. She told the girls so. She had them stay where they were while she explained the situation to the father. Then she ushered both the girls out to the cabin boat.

The mother rode the boat over to the closest dock of the oggo town. She tied it down and asked Livia if she knew how to get to her house from there. She did, and she led the way, skipping cheerfully. Livia was delighted to show her town off to her new friends.

Solveis had never been to this town before. Apparently, it was called Raitai. She had heard it described as a local oggo town. She was surprised, in actually being there, how much it was both the same and different from where she came from. Solveis’s week-day home was in a suburb on the mainland. Like Solveis’s home, this place had family houses, with groups of kids playing outside. It had people walking around the populated areas, shopping and visiting. Unlike Solveis’s home, this place had a very informal feeling about it. There were few large, paved roads. The place as a whole was compact. It was a place that had everything necessary for civilization, but all packed in a single, not large, land mass. The people all seemed comfortable being near and together, with each other, in a way that Solveis’s neighbors were not.

Livia was delighted to walking around her home with new friends. Solveis felt out of place, but Livia’s behavior implied that it was not at all unusual for her to be accompanied by these two fauns. Solveis and her mother were the only fauns in sight. There were few beast-legged people at all, for that matter. Most of the people were oggos. They were velvety skinned, large statured people, and generally kind looking. They all had some variation on the kind, round eyes of Livia. Many of them had a similar, slightly blue or violet tint to their brown coloration too. Solveis had known plenty of oggo people, but she had never been in a place populated primarily by oggos before. She felt like she was intruding. No one was rude or hateful, but their interested glances didn't make her feel particularly welcome.

The two fauns and their oggo guide eventually arrived at a neighborhood of houses which were all on large plots of land, all having gardens in the front and animals in the back. Livia led them into the neighborhood. They were noticed by everyone, though not looked on too suspiciously. Livia was telling them all about all her neighbors as she walked. Livia was delighted to be able to share her expertise with her fresh audience. “That’s Nina, she has a bunch of cats. And, my friend Luca lives there. That lady has the best coffee!”

The three of them arrived at a house in the back of the neighborhood. The house was a simple, small home, on a large plot. The yard behind the house was sizable and had trees dispersed around the grounds. A simple fence surrounded the house. Behind the back fence, Solveis saw a thicker population of trees with glimpses of water and beach behind them. That must have been where she had first encountered Livia.

They approached the door. Solveis’s mother knocked. They heard someone behind the door shuffle noisily and rush forward. Before anyone had quite answered the door, Solveis’s mother shouted loudly and clearly, “we have Livia with us.”

“Oh no! What did she do this time!? I knew she was gone too long for her own good! I’m so sor-” Livia’s older sister, who was just barely showing a pregnancy, stopped in the middle of her sentence when she opened the door and saw two fauns standing by her little sister. Her flushed, busy, tired mood shifted and became tinted with confusion. She looked as if she had been pulled away from five other tasks and was having a hard time taking in this new event.

“Sulvi,” Livia addressed her new friend, slightly mispronouncing Solveis’s name, “this is my big sister, Julinha!” Livia redirected her attention to her sister and said cheerily, “hi Juju!” Then Livia walked past her big sister into her house.

Julinha apologized again, “I’m so sorry. I don’t even know. I’m – actually – I don’t know you. Did you just move here?”

“Don’t be sorry,” Solveis’s mother soothed. “I was just worried you would think we abducted her. She found her way over to our island over there.” The mother pointed. “My daughter gave her a ride on her kayak,” the mother scolded half-playfully.

This flooded Solveis with awkward guilt. The adult conversation became a source of anxiety. Solveis redirected her interest away from listening and instead began cataloging her new environment. As the adults talked, Livia took Solveis’s hand and led her through the house and into the backyard.

“Look. That’s where I saw you!” Livia relived the earlier events of the day. “This is my favorite tree. It’ll have fruit soon! That’s Juju’s husband, Joao.” Livia pointed out the man working in the garden.

“Hi Papi!” Livia greeted Joao.

Joao smiled warmly. “Who’s your friend?,” he asked Livia.

While Livia chatted good manneredly with Joao (a.k.a. Papi) Solveis looked around taking everything in. She understood it to be the case that Juju and Papi were Livia’s parental figures, even though Juju was actually a grown up sister.

Joao tried to draw Solveis into conversation a few times, with little success. She liked him though. He was familiar without being intrusive. He was one of the few adults with whom she wouldn't mind talking occasionally in the future.

After an hour or two of friendly chatting with the family, Solveis’s mother called for her daughter. They were going to go back.

Livia interrupted the goodbyes to say, “but I wanted to see your mountain!”

Solveis didn't care either way if Livia came around. Solveis could take or leave her. Livia was a new and interesting type, one who Solveis had never had the opportunity of having a personal relationship with. At the same time though, she was loud, thoughtless, and a little babyish. The genuine disappointment on Livia’s face did intrigue Solveis though. How could she be disappointed about something she had only been anticipating for a couple hours? Livia’s visible feelings of loss moved both the adult women. Julinha looked sympathetic.

Solveis’s mother responded by saying, “we are staying overnight, if she wants to stay.”

It was agreed that she would go back and stay the night. Solveis’s parents would drop her back off tomorrow, on the way to the mainland.