A Slow Boat to Argent

The diary of Tajal, ward of Sorashi, pt 24

Bazaar 25^th Leviathan (25^th Serpent DC) 3658 – late afternoon

We are looking up at massive cliffs, the sun has passed noon some hours before. All we can really see is beach and sea so mum and I take winged form. I choose just add wings, she becomes a sphinx. Flying up we can see that the cliffs rise like a bulwark against the sea and drop down into marshes behind. Beyond the marsh we can see villages and town and in the distance what looks like a city.

While mum lands to Trump people through I fly above her to make sure she is safe. Once we are all together I land, and not to startle the locals I revert to normal Bariman form. We walk into a village, it is situated around and small lake and a larger building I am told is a church, local form of temple. The people see us and start to come out of the buildings and farm yards. I smile at a boy who looks about my age but his mother drags him away.

We become aware that all the people are wearing a lot more than us, I am in the trunks that they wear in Rebma. The village is called Grasmere and is in the land of Argent. Constance and William talk to them, but they are not understood until a man in robes is called. This man can speak Thari but does not seem friendly, he is almost as worried about mother being in trousers as many of us been barely dressed. We are explained as having been in a ship wreck. William buys some clothes but there are not nearly enough available, I get some sort of a smock but keep my hair loose.

We leave the village and then mother and I fly most of the way to the nearest town and find a copse to conceal the arrival of the rest by Trump. We spend the night there. More clothes are found by contacting the army.

Ahad 26^th Leviathan (26^th Serpent DC) 3658

In the morning we walk into the town, Haven it is called. It seems to be a busy port with both sailing ships and steam ships. Our clothes seem of much poorer quality than those around us, everyone wears hats. We will need money to travel to the city of Argent so someone contacts Rebma to sort that out, I get some of the money to buy a suitable dress and a pretty hat but get told off for taking too long. We eat a meal then catch a boat, from Argent there are airships to Avalon, Lorraine, Cordoba and Florence, but not to Jasper yet.

We travel on a river boat with Captain Remy, he is happy to explain things and calls me 'Princess'. We arrive at the city late in the evening, it is lit by, what I am told, are gaslights. We get to the Moulin Bleu, as recommended by Remy, and settle in for the night.