Hair still dripping the hunter walked on while our clothes dried. ‘Why are you headed to the city?’ I pondered.

‘I… have furs to sell.’

I looked around, ‘where?’

‘I have a shop in the city, that’s where I sell them.’

‘… Really? Then why are you out here? …Thatch?’

‘I was visiting family and was walking back.’

‘Oh, I thought you’d be getting more furs.’

‘I’ve got plenty. Some are ruined by those parasite-sick creatures.’

‘You didn’t take those tunnels you told me about?’

‘They’re not so safe. Wild monsters cause cave-ins all the time, suffocation from dust, deep-set crystals make people sick, it’s worse than up above.’

‘I see. Like your family, much?’

‘Yes…’

‘Do you have any siblings?’

‘A few. All boring.’

‘That must be nice. I don't.’

Cleaned, refreshed, ready, the hunter approached the city! I suddenly felt exposed. I spotted the rocky square houses and understood his dislike for them. It was very unnatural, a slash of sickly yellow in an ocean green. My stomach twisted to see waves of people. ‘Thatch, I don’t think I should be so obvious.’

‘How so?’

‘Can I be in your satchel?’

He put me in the bag on the left of his hip and by tucking the flap in, it curved the top so I could still peer out.

‘Thank you.’ But I couldn’t be sure he could hear her, now so far.

‘We’re going to get the commonly used public ship, for people and goods to trade. The only issue is I have no money, I’m hoping a trade will suffice. If not…’ He trailed off.

As he left the strange familiar comfort of the forest into the port I, standing on a bottle, gazed out, my eyes rimmed the leather.

There were so many people but the cover of the satchel meant I couldn’t see their faces, and slightly glad so. As I looked around I felt something blossom in my chest.

It wasn’t so terrible.

The yellow seemed a soft daisy yellow, the people made the buildings feel full with life and interesting activity. I pondered on how they dressed themselves, everyone was so different. In my city they all had a collective sense of style so no one truly stood out, unless comparing cheap garb to royal silks. Yet even then the colours meshed together.

My ears pricked up on hearing a harp, similar to my own back home. It… wasn’t so different here. Then I gagged as the hunter walked past a fishmongers, then was near sick past the butchers. It was a little different.

My jaw dropped on seeing the ships- no, the felled forests. It was so grand I feared I could die of old age on a single one without seeing its entirety. Its blazing orange sails were yet to be unfurled.

Thatcher approached someone who appeared to be the captain and asked if it were his ship. He claimed so, so the hunter released his cloak and offered it. ‘This is the finest fur in all of the land; I offer it for safe passage across the river. It’s weathered storms, blizzards and always keeps its wearer warm, and will be effective against oceans cold.’

The felden looked over the cloak, feeling how it was soft to the touch and surprisingly light. ‘Another thing to drown in.’ He gruffly stated, unimpressed.

I was relieved I wouldn’t wish he give up something so valuable.

‘Besides this be port-stuck till dawn. No passengers. Be off.’

Thatcher stepped away, pulling the cloak around him once more. He went to a standing guard to ask about the civilian transports. ‘Da first ship like that will d’part at daybreak.’

‘Why?’

‘T’e sea beast’s hov’ gotten wild.’ The hunter sensed movement in the satchel. Thanking the guard he walked off, and found an outhouse. Stepping inside, door shut, he didn’t dare sit on the rim so stood and opened the flap. His eyes met an angry fairy, bottom lip sticking out.

‘We can’t wait till morrows’ sun my people are dying now!’ I went to clamber out the bag, ‘I’ll make that captain take us if I must!’

‘No, stay in there.’ He told, forgetting people outside could hear him.

‘Why isn’t there a bridge or proper transport?’

‘They’re constructing a near 35 feet high bridge, one even the monsters couldn’t crumble. But there are massive sea beasts which attack low bridges and eat small boats. Only truly massive ships with scaled undersides are big enough to scare them away. I’ll find a way but I can’t have you running around to get stepped on.’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘There are many ships here, but not all obey by fair means, meaning we can get on in unfair ways.’ He turned the flap down, hiding my frustrated face. In the solitude of the bag I looked at my bandaged arms. He’s carried me the entire way and the little I did in aid for him was whine…

As daylight burnt he asked all many of vessel to take him, but no matter what item he offered or story he wove none compared to cold, hard coin which he was void of.

Finally, he approached a pirate ship. The pirate wasn’t a felden race but a cephalon. They were a fish-like race with glossy skin, white hair, webbed appendages and strange, off-putting eyes. This one had a broken purple horn. Thatcher offered fine ale to sleep in the cargo hold. ‘We don’t need the likes of you stealing out cargo, get lost before I poke holes in ya.’

Thatcher walked off, dejected. “I’m sorry Thea,” he spoke seeming to null ‘we should find a place to sleep.’ He looked back to the forest, but perplexed from the stillness. There was no incessant bickering or stomping over his defeat. He flipped the flap to see it Thea-less! ‘Thea?!’ His head snapped around, eagle eyes instantly picking me out of the legs of people as I ran across, around and under shoes! Teeth gritted he pushed past the people to try and grab me, but I only smirked at him as I ran up the boats chain- and jump into the vessel!

His jaw went slack.

Expression tight he couldn’t pursue… so he was forced to wait for my return- if I were to come back at all.

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Catching my breath I landed on a floorboard of the cargo hold. While still thinking as I went knew I needed to find a way to get the hunter on with her… But how?

Flattening down my ripped and stained dress, still in dismay from my sole adventure, I looked around the room. It would be narrow for the crew, filled with barrels like crops in a field.

Then the hatch opened.

I hurried behind a barrel, praying they didn’t see me board, but told myself repeatedly that would be most unlikely. The crewmember stepped quietly, noticing it was the same way the hunter did when not wanting to be heard by prey. What was he up to…?

As I dashed from barrel to barrel, closer to the stairs, he took off a lid to reveal it was brimming with dried plants and rich pink powder. I could smell it; it was a sharp, horrid, pungent odor that made my head swim.

Paranoid the felden watched the hatch as he took out a small purse and filled it with the stuff. Whatever he was doing it certainly wasn’t allowed by the captain… Then securing it deep within his layers he replaced the lid and none were wiser to his misdeeds. He was stealing from the crew and captain!

Going to leave I grabbed a square of coat, pulling me from the floor as he walked back up.

I crawled to the inside of the coat to evade detection as he passed crewmen. An idea hatching I began climbing the coattails, upward to the belt. I gagged when I nearly made it, suddenly grateful the hunter kept himself so clean- comparatively. Reaching the belt I held firmly to the undershirt and stepped across the leather belt toward the drawstring bag. I tried to keep my breathing steady but it was harder the stop myself slipping then it was to move forward.

Suddenly I was weightless! Tossed with the shirt and coat onto floorboards I was practically entangled with them, mindless to what just happened. Crawling to fresh air realized I was in private quarters. Bag in his hand he dropped it in a desk draw and locked it. Blast! It would be near impossible to get now!

‘RAT!’ He shrieked like a schoolgirl! I scrambled backwards as a boot came down! Sprinting to under the bed he dropped himself to glare into the dark… and saw nothing.

Muttering, he forgot the transgression and stood back up. Thankfully fast too as my body was stretched across two bed strings, gave out and dropped to the ground moments after he looked away. Then the bunk lowered as he climbed into bed.

I simply breathed to calm myself for a while. I eventually picked myself up and walked slowly out, the man’s’ back to her, snoring. To the center of the room I surveyed the surroundings the key was left atop the dresser.

Considering how precious the contents of the purse seemed it would earn much love if I could return it to the captain, for Thatcher’s admittance of course.

Without the pleasure of wasting more time I hurried to the base of the dresser and grabbed the boards of the wall, needing to climb it like a ladder.

Exhausting was not a serious enough word. Left heaving I couldn’t be entitled to proper rest or my grip would slacken on the board and I would fall. My toes and fingertips were the only things to hold me up and wished the carpenter of this room hadn’t made it so effectively and airtight. Digging my toes into the wood I feared my body would give out as I reached for the next one…

Requiring an even longer rest I counted four more boards to reach… ‘Itha-Shaw, watch over me.’ I mumbled, trying to dig deeper for any more strength.

Sweat making hair stick to my forehead and neck I sidestepped across the final board, now an inch higher than the desktop. Not daring to put my skills into jumping I walked across until completely above the furniture, then let go. Landing on the oak wood felt a surge of pride! I did it! My chest fluttered with frisson. But it wasn’t over yet.

I took a breath before forcing myself to stand, chest tingling and tight, and went to the silver key. With all my weight I scraped it across the desktop to the locked draw. I struggled to lift the metal, and I fell back from its weight. With my current plan, to simply hang over the edge and insert it, would result in both me and the key falling off. I couldn’t climb back up alone, much less with an anchor…

So I walked over to corner of the desk which held glasses filled with coloured liquids, combs and coins. I chose one of the bottles meticulously. It had a square body and curved inward neck which then expanded back out for the stopper.

Groaning, body wobbling and weak, I pushed the thing toward the draw. It made a louder scraping noise then the key! Once complete I needed time to rest and sat against the glass. I wouldn’t dare rush at the end and compromise it all…

Sometime later the clouds parted, washing the room with starlight through the porthole. I saw the glittering Lesser God of the Hunts constellation, but it was so dim I thought it had vanished from the sky. It was as if to stay stand back up. So I did. Hitting the cork inward to ensure it stayed true I latched my fingers to the bottom of the bottle and heaved it onto its side- clink.

It was quiet, I was doing well in that regard and the square shape meant it wouldn’t roll off.

Then I rushed back to the glasses, to a small heap of necklaces and bracelets. Picking the thinnest chain I wrapped it around my forearm and then ran back across to the key, a metal tail trailing behind. I weaved one end of the necklace through the key, and the other around the bottleneck. Even if I would drop the key there would be a chance all hope wouldn’t be lost.

Then key in hand I went on my stomach so my head poked out of the desk and hooked my calves under the neck of the bottle to anchor me in place.

Grip white against the silver key I felt pressure swell in my upside down head as I carefully slid the teeth of the key into the lock… Grunting with effort I pushed it all the way in. Then I turned it a quarter clockwise with a snap!

The man turned in his bed, eyes open! I froze as if my blood turned to ice… But he didn’t seem vexed. I waved my hand- no response. He was sleeping with his eyes open. Breathing away the fear my heart sped with prideful joy as I buried my sore fingers into the draw and shoved it a little way open, starlight casting over the fabric!

The stench of the bag hit me but only amplified my victory!

Then I looked to the porthole… the bag would float, right?