"So I grab hold of it like this, right Dad?" A young black and white kittom asks, her seafoam green scarf fluttering in the cool ocean breeze.
"Close, Hiroka. You hold it firmly with your right paw and you use your left paw to steer the rudder. A larger teal blue nin, with golden yellow accents calmly replies.
"Urgh, why don't rudder's come in smaller sizes! It's just so big and heavy to turn!!" Hiroka moans to her father, who chuckles at her response.
"Well, this in fact is one of the smaller vessels within the whole of the Eyre! You're still young, Hiroka. You'll get there." He says winking one silver eye, as his other golden one gleams with humor. Hiroka sighs and leaves steering the small and trusty steed to her Dad, choosing to instead sit underneath the silvery white sails of the boat. Her small tuft of black and gold hair and steppe tail, gently swaying to the fresh ocean breeze. From the back, her markings are clearly viewable, a red flower veined with metallic gold rising and falling on seafoam waves. Ripple, her dad shakes his head and can't help but let his usual smirk fall across his face. A cool breeze rustles through his locks of blue, white and gold hair as the tumble freely on the breeze, his fishy hybrid crown, excited to be on the water, gently swims around the moon floating above his head. Suddenly he looks up as Hiroka runs to the bow of the boat, jumping up and down and pointing ahead.
"Dad, DAD!! LOOK! IT'S ELENION!!!!" Hiroka exclaims before squealing as the beautiful city filled with large pink leafed trees comes into view. "It looks just like the cherry blossom trees in Kyendi in Spring!! I can't believe the trees here stay like this year round! Oh man, just wait till Uki and Fuu hear about my adventures. They're going to be so jealous that I get to go to Faerindell. Ooh! I wonder if they sell pink food? Ooh~! I wonder what the fashion trends are around here?! Oh I can't wait to get Uki some paints and food, if only she were here." Hiroka began chattering rapidly, all the while bouncing up and down making the boat rock. Ripple - almost losing his balance with the rocking boat - holds the rudder firm, before giving Hiroka a stern glance.
"Woah, calm it down Hiro! You're rocking the boat! We don't want to go under with all this fresh produce out from the farmlands down south in Bellmoril now, do we?"
"Yes, dad... sorry dad..." Hiroka lets out a short huff, Her white and black tipped ears curving downwards apologetically and after a brief pause, they perk up once more. "But, Daaaad! It's Faerindell?! It's just so beautiful and exciting!" she exclaims with a squeal and heads back to the prow of the boat. Ripple rolls his eyes and sends a silent prayer to the Eyre above that they'll make it to land in one piece. The winds, gently begin to die down as they approach the main city of Elenion. Hiroka's seafoam green eyes glint in the cool autumn sunlight, excitedly taking in the sights, and sounds of the bustling port of Elenion. Elnin, Sylvan's, Humans and a couple of Kyunru all are hustling along with a variety of large carts, barrels, bags and creates, all carrying them this way and that. Everyone is beginning to dress warmer, with scarves, jumpers, and a few can be seen eating pink croissants and steaming hot mugs of a darker mauve shade. As Ripple and Hiroka's boat, quietly sails up to one of the many piers. Hiroka, excitedly leaps off of the boat and almost misses the pier entirely, before scrambling onto the wooden planks with the help of one of the locals. Before the local Elnin could even get out an 'are you okay?' Hiroka races off to the restaurant serving the pink croissants at the waterside, her eyes glued on the glass case housing a variety of pink treats. Ripple sighs again, facepalming himself, before yelling out
"HIROKA! STAY THERE!" and quickly - with much expertise - ties the boat to the pier, docking it. Quickly he pays the local Elnin the toll fee for parking his boat, before heading over to his young daughter and hoisting her up onto his shoulders. "Up we go."
"Urgh, DAAAAD why do you have to be such a killjoy?! I can explore Faerindell by myself!" to which Ripple can't help but tut at his daughter.
"You're far too excited, and if I l leave you for one second, you'll be scampering off to find where the faerie shrouds are or some other mess, and then I'll spend all day trying to find you. Don't forget our mission, poppet. We've got cargo to deliver. If you even want to be a proper adventurer someday, you've gotta learn how to complete your quests." He gently finishes up, looking up at his daughters face, to see her eyes glued on a specific bright magenta treat shaped, like a flower. Ripple sighs again, before buying himself a drink and buying the flower shaped dessert, for his daughter. Hiroka watches on eagerly, as they carefully put the dessert into a small white box shaped like a lotus, and tie a bright pink ribbon over the top. As Hiroka excitedly reaches down to grab the dessert, Ripple swiftly swipes it up and pops it and his drink into a small carrying tray. "Nope. No dessert, till you help me unload the boat young missy. Come on." he says jostling her on his shoulders before heading back to their parked boat.
As the afternoon wears on, Hiroka and Ripple finally haul off the last of their cargo onto the pier, where another Elnin awaits patiently counting the crates of fruit and vegetables, before nodding to himself and handing Ripple a clipboard.
"Daaad, when are we eating afternoon tea?! I'm hungry." Hiroka exclaims with a pout.
"Almost done, poppet. Let me just sign off with this man, Trickle here." Ripple grabs a small pen from his coat's breast pocket and with a flourish signs his name at the bottom of the fulfilled contract, as he hands it back to Trickle, who nods to himself again. Trickle then passes to Ripple some money for their efforts. Hiroka and Ripple then head back to the boat, where Ripple opens up the flower shaped dessert and hands it to Hiroka, while pulling out his mauve coloured drink for himself. The two relax at the pierside, enjoying the scent of the flower shrouds wafting across the wind.
