Submission (#7632) Approved

Regional Affinity: [Silveil]
Elnin: [https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN2821]

Getting the error: One or more of the selected characters do not exist.

When trying to attach the nin like normal.

Naida padded towards the docks of Palu'au to board a ship. On her back was a bag filled with her most precious treasures, the ones she could not trust to her pomu's shadow storage ability for fear of losing - a pouch of lovely seashells collected from her favorite beach, a seaweed inspired shawl with lots of tassels and beads of sea glass woven through, and a mysterious stone that was oddly carved like an egg. Naida had discovered the egg-shaped stone half-buried in the sand outside her cave after a dreadful storm surge flooded her home. Nai couldn't identify why it drew her attention - it was a distinctive carving to be sure, but there were plenty of stones with etchings scattered across Eyre. Adults often left etched stones along safe trails where kittoms were allowed to roam freely, using them as markers for those who came after.

With her home cave in Palu'au out of commission due to the flooding, Naida's only choice was to find another safe place to stay until the water dried out. Her friends had helped her rescue and clean her furnishings, which only left Naida and her pomu to find a cozy place to wait out the miasma season. Naida politely declined her friend's offers to stay with them and chose to set out to reach Silveil before the miasma fully set in. She boarded the boat and in no time at all the rhythmic sway had her feeling lighthearted. She loved the sea, be it sailing or swimming.

Eyre’s vibrant blue skies swirled with pink and orange clouds as the travelers approached the edge of Silveil by ship. The twilight band created an almost visual border between the day and night, when standing on the deck at the right distance it seemed like an umbrella of night opened just beyond the sunny sky. Passing the border felt almost as though one had captured a timelapse of a sunset at a dizzying speed, the pink clouds deepening to violet and finally deep midnight blue. Naida smiled and waited as the boat docked.

After parting ways with the other passengers, Naida made her way into the dimly lit streets of Silveil, seeking the local inn to rent a room. Along the way, everywhere she looked there seemed to be a ton of fungi. Windowsills and tree limbs sported short dense frills, buildings and tree trunks covered in protruding shelves, and the roots and roads had the quintessential toadstool shaped mushrooms sprouting in clusters. Naida wrinkled her nose. The smell was earthy and slightly unpleasant to her, but she hadn't ever encountered so many mushrooms at once. Naida hoped she would get used to it, or at least that the inn didn't smell quite as strongly.

Naida wandered through the streets, pausing at the market stalls selling fish and sundries, and was stunned when she learned first-hand that Silveil is no slouch at teaching elnin young and old to keep their wits about them. A pickpocket grabbed Naida's small coin purse, though it was only filled with some lovely seashells she was planning to make into a decorative string. She had taken it out to compare the color of some thread with the shells before buying it. Naida tried to give chase, but gave up soon after having lost sight of the thief. Nearby, an elderly elnin chuckled. "Tricksters and scams abound thanks to the local Thieves Guild, though most kittoms only lose their pocket money or snacks once or twice before becoming a bit more cautious." His words seemed judgemental, but his tone was gentle, so Naida felt he was being sympathetic yet not overly moved by her loss. Naida silently promised herself she would be more careful and moved her backpack to her stomach where she clutched it tight. She could feel the stone egg's shape through the canvas backpack and was grateful she had left her real purse under it.

"Excuse me, Sir. Can you point me towards an inn? And perhaps a good, cheap restaurant?" Naida inclined her head politely to the old elnin.

He considered her for a moment before waving her away. "End of this road on the left. If I hadn't seen you lose your purse, I'd charge for my time." The old man stood up and moved inside the nearest doorway, making it clear he wanted no further interaction. Naida was slightly stunned by his rudeness but thanked the elnin even as the door slammed behind him. With a heavy sigh, Naida moved on. She would certainly be more cautious about not only her personal effects but approaching others with questions, in case others had that same mindset of money in exchange.

At the end of the market street, Naida was glad to find the old man hadn't lied. A weathered but sturdy looking two-story building with a decorative sign in the front welcomed weary travelers. Naida booked a room and the innkeeper kindly had a light meal sent up for a small additional fee. After eating, Naida explored the room and was pleased to find it quite clean if sparsely furnished. There was soap beside the washbasin on the vanity, a desk with a thin stack of stationary and pens, and a plush round bed. In a small closet, Naida found towels and extra bedding. The chair for the desk was a low stool with no back, but it was the perfect height for a bedside table; Naida promptly covered the stool with some cloth and set her egg carving on top. Although the egg seemed tough and sturdy, Naida carefully cradled the stone in her shawl and squeezed the stool between the bed and wall for extra protection. Marinus, her pomu, emerged from her shadow shaking a hollowed gourd over their head. Naida laughed and accepted the bottle. Marinus cheeped happily and brought out more things from her shadow, placing them around the edge of the round bed - Naida couldn't help but smile as she realized Marinus was preparing her a nest with anything and everything Marinus thought she might need while the pomu was in hibernation. Together, they decorated the small nest and the large bed with anything they could think of, Marinus dipping in and out of Naida's shadow and Naida praising her pomu's choices, even if they were odd items. Seashells, sea glass, wood bobbins for lace weaving, a small box full of discarded feathers, a tangled mass of cord and string she had intended to make shell necklaces with, a cracked geode with pale grey quartz inside, several pomu-sized hand-stitched dolls of her favorite sea creatures, a cuttlefish bone, a squid beak, shark teeth, the items kept coming and Naida kept adding to both nests until they overflowed.

As dusk, or maybe dawn (was it dusk when the ship docked, or had it been midday?), rolled in Naida's eyelids drooped heavily. She and Marinus had managed to make quite a mess, but the two curled up in the middle of the bed, Naida on her back and Marinus in the crook of one arm. Naida kicked at a blanket, shoving her hind legs further under and trying without success to not to push anything off the bed. The clattering settled down and Naida let out a peaceful sigh. Marinus made a short purring noise as though answering her briefly. 'Tomorrow I'll have to clean up again' Naida chuckled regretfully but she was happy to be in Silveil for the miasma season, along with her many treasures. Her eyes were heavy but she kept them open just long enough to whisper goodnight to the egg, thinking fondly of finding someone who could help her make it a nice display stand. With dozens of options and ideas for the coming months running through her mind, Naida finally let sleep embrace her weary body.