The worst part about Eyset nowadays was Dakari’s general lack of places that sold alcohol. You either got a fancy restaurant where you were limited to two or three drinks a day and the staff would constantly hound you if you asked for more, or the shadiest place where you could drink all you want but half the patrons were drunk before they even got there. The latter only really existed in the towns that were shady to begin with, granted, but Hannah preferred being limited than making her crew uncomfortable.
They got paid a pretty decent amount from the guy and his daughter—both of whom practically disappeared after they got there—so Hannah figured she might as well treat the crew to something nice. They weren’t as rowdy as they would be in Sólstaður, but Hannah didn’t mind.
Two members of the crew ordered drinks but didn’t like the taste, so Hannah mixed it in with tea and pretended she could still taste it. She had a high enough alcohol tolerance by now that it let her be just drunk enough to laugh at the crew’s comments and jabs, but otherwise leave her unaffected.
They were there for about an hour until more people came in for dinner; one crew member wandered around trying to find a good job, eventually returning.
“Cap?”
He caught her mid-sip, so she put her free hand up until she was ready to respond. She gave him her attention, leaning back in the chair.
“Yeah?”
“There’s some family over there.” He gestured to one of the corner tables; only one family sat in the area. Two women, a boy, and a girl from what she could tell. “Kinda sounds like they need a ship to Sólstaður? Didn’t seem really keen on someone standing close by, though. One of ‘em looks jumpy.”
Hannah put her drink down, expertly weaving around the people who sat closest to her as she got up.
“I can try,” she reasoned, “But Dakari tends to be more cautious. Don’t expect good news to come back.”
People from Sólstaður went to taverns to drink and complain; those in professions like Hannah’s—that required someone to hire them, but weren’t the most legal means to get something done—were expected to be there and occasionally offer their services. People from Dakari were more likely to wander about or check postings instead of agreeing to let someone from a restaurant do work for them.
About half the crew gave her a kind of cheer or good luck—one dutifully promised not to let anyone touch her drink, which she doubted—and she made her way over to the family in question.
She got barely close enough to hear their conversation—mostly idle, nothing important—when she recognized one of the faces and froze.
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…Rene. Gods.
A part of her wondered why Rene seemed to be in Eyset, looking for a ship to Sólstaður in October. The other part questioned Rene’s company—a woman her age and teenagers—and felt a bit pathetic for more than one reason. If it really was her, she made a lot more progress in life than Hannah did.
Would Rene even recognize her if Hannah went up to talk to her? Probably not. Honestly, it probably wasn’t even—
The woman that might be Rene looked up after a murmur from the girl, stopping Hannah from turning away to report back to the crew. Maybe-Rene paused as well, saying something to the people she was with, then got up. Hannah couldn’t quite react quick enough to walk away before she actually came up to her.
“You’re…”
“Hannah.” She gave a slightly sheepish smile. “Still haven’t bothered getting a last name, though.”
Rene responded with a kind of chuckle. “That seems on brand for you.” She paused for a moment, not quite stepping back but a little more awkward. “Funnily enough, you came up in conversation on our way here. Can’t say I ever expected to actually see you again, though.”
“I mean, same here, so.” Hannah shrugged a bit. Knowing she had a small amount of alcohol in her system made it easier to decide this wasn’t a huge deal. Never mind the fact that Hannah—although not proud to admit it—continued to have a hard time coming to terms with how she first left Eyset.
Hannah slightly gestured to the three people still sitting; all but the girl cast an occasional glance just to be sure the conversation was friendly.
“Friends of yours, or..?”
“Wife and kids,” Rene answered, mostly automatically from the sound of it. Hannah cast her a questioning look, and she explained. “Long story short, after you left I lived in San Asari. Adelinde’s my wife, Matteo’s her son, and Tara’s our adopted kid.”
Huh. “Never took you as a family type.”
“I don’t think I would’ve gotten this far if I wasn’t with Adelinde,” Rene admitted.
Her smile seemed mostly unintended, but it reminded Hannah of how they used to look at each other—even if she could tell it was meant for someone else. Oddly, most people would probably be annoyed their ex was so open about who they were with now, but Hannah didn’t mind.
It…actually came as a relief. She’s been beating herself up over it for literal decades.
It took a full minute and some seconds before Rene spoke up again, continuing on with a mix of curiosity and hesitance.
“I might as well ask,” she said. She frowned a bit. “Why did you come back?”
Hannah actually smiled, which must’ve worked to negate any worry Rene had.
“I come by here every so often,” Hannah explained. “I run a ship across a few different islands. I had to go into Eyset for a job so I’ve been hanging around a bit.”
She seemed to catch Rene’s attention at ‘I run a ship’—probably related to whatever Rene was in Eyset for. Instead of either one directly asking after it, Rene glanced behind her to look at her family.
“Tara looks a bit worried,” she murmured. Looking back at Hannah and offering a little smile, she said. “I don’t think it would hurt to introduce you? You might be able to help.”
Hannah nodded, following Rene back to the table.