Grass laid nonexistent in the salty seas of the water.
For every turn and tumble the ship took as they traveled the frigid waters, was another foot in the direction of a new hope, one profound enough to give Avary a sense of direction. Lifting her frosted lashes from off the setting horizon, she merely glimpsed down at her bruise splattered arm before carefully lowering the wool fabric. Covering the scars was only the start, but she knew that to full recover from the damage would take years, centuries that she didn't have.
Everything felt numb, the ashamed thoughts flooded her already foggy mind, but there was nothing more she could do besides try and block it out. The cacophony of noise coming from the corridor just below hers was enough to send her dashing from the upper deck, and into the lit space that was her's to call home.
It was nothing spare of an old worn out bed that only held an uncovered pillow and ragged blanket, with a wash basin to the left supported by unstable legs. She would sometimes sit on the ground covered in a layer of humidity from the rushing currents, close her eyes and listen to the sounds. There wasn't a time of day where cabin boys weren't rushing to their next set, or the mechanics surveying the patched pipes that littered the walls and ceiling.
Just at the time she managed to peel herself away from the awe gathering exterior, there came a soft pounding at her door. Quickly, she caught one last look at her appearance in the cracked mirror before scurrying to unlock the deadbolt that she seemed to always put in place subconsciously.
By the time the heavy metal door slid open with a groan, the man before her was settling in wait. His eyes held a sodden look, and the slope of his crinkled nose gave him a slimmed look that made anyone acknowledge his muscular form. It wasn't of sorts that bulged, but rather, that of constant work done in a tedious way.
"What is it Parlor?" she questioned the boy who looked rather of a man. "you know the rules, besides, it's barely pass dawn."
She pleaded for the answer to be quick, yet she silently stared, waiting for him to announce his presence and be on with it. There was no way she could manage to survive another minute talking to the person who almost got her thrown off at the last docking station just last week.
Both Parlor and her knew what would happen if someone were to see them together, conversing in such a way that would desire immediate attention. Of course, it was all laced together seamlessly so the chances of being known were scarce. It took only a second for Parlor to respond, and when he did, his voice sounded just as always, rough and calloused. "The previous nights were that of lies, there are many things you're unaware of. You must understand all the secrecy has been put in place for the best intentions."
Avary couldn't stand to be in the same space as such an attention demeaning brute such as himself. It was an understatement if any to say that her current expressions of him all resulted in the same of that when near a rank animal laying dead on the side of the road. She gave a guttural cough and had already began closing the door when Parlor went to place his shoulder between. This alone made her question the reasoning for opening the door as he was one of the few who knew where she was held.
"My love," every letter pressed deeper into her, hearing him call her this made her heart beat twice as fast. "you must realize whatever is said and done in front of those people, could never be recognized as true when we're alone. My passion will continue to grow every night until you respond with something less than hatred."
Her blood boiled, sending her thoughts into a frenzy as images of his body broken and beaten crossed her eyes. The satisfaction she'd feel for hurling a vase at his head was enough to enhance the urge to do it. "Good bye Parlor," she finally spoke.
Avary had finally nudged him arm out far enough that if she was quick, she'd be able to slam the door without resistance. Just as she was preparing to, the look in Parlor's ashen eyes went wild, catching her off guard.
"Come with me, to the Sivregs."
Avary froze, there wasn't anyway possible that she could dream of anything less. Yet here she stood, vulnerable at the name of the village where her mother and father were burned on stakes. It was a preposterous thing to ask, for her to enter the realm of the fallen, a place were her kind were killed at the first sight. It was the place of horror stories, nightmares told to children in order to get them to behave.
Avary's knees went week, buckling over, and sending her crashing to the ground, allowing the blackness to consume her entirely.
