Ama's Pre-Dawn Wanderings

[Ama]

Ama left the Noctis Venator manor grounds a little after midday, having familiarized herself with the area. She was now an official pupil of the House of Magic, but her studies weren't going to start until the next morning; "promptly at dawn", as Mr Ravenhurst put it. So, the young demoness had some time to kill...

[Ama]

The blue-haired Haisheth chose to take a stroll to the docks.

Ama could smell the salty sea air long before she laid eyes upon the calm waters. As she turned onto a street leading to the coast, a gentle breeze brushed against her white face and teased at her velvet cloak.

The harbor was brimming with ships of all different sizes; trade must be on the up. Ama meandered along the boardwalk, her boots making that audible clomp-clomp sound upon the wooden planks. She watched, with a keen eye, all the seamen hard at work, loading and unloading their cargo. She even got the occasional wolf whistle from groups of lust-filled men. But they were always quickly followed by laughter.

Whatever.

[Ama]

Ama continued to wander until she came to the busy throngs of the port's marketplace, where many stalls were set up, selling food freshly caught from the sea. The fishy smells were a little too potent for the young demoness' nose - she much preferred the aromas of baking. So, Ama quickly traded a few gold coins for a small bag of steamed clams, and then made her way towards a quieter part of the harbor.

[Ramir]

Vandal, as he was known to Ama, was also occupied in this part of the dock's district just before dawn. He'd actually lost his night to working on the poor wreck of the Catalina, a labor which required long hours and plenty of elbow grease. He'd lost his coat and shirt earlier in the evening, as working on a boat made for cramped confines some times, and was smudged with remnants of his hard work.

He didn't notice Ama at present and well, she may not notice him either.

[Ama]

Ama found a quiet little spot just before reaching the harbor wall and sat down, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the promenade. The water lapped below her boots, so there was no threat of getting wet. Not far from where she sat, a duo of elderly men were hunched over, seated upon overturned crates, fishing the day away. They appeared content and that made the Haisheth smile.

The young demoness placed the small bag of clams down at her side and reached in to pull out a still-hot shell. She blew to cool the meat before popping it into her mouth. Mmm, a few more of these would tide her over until dinner. She cast the empty shell into the water and grabbed herself another tasty morsel.

[Ama]

Ama spent a few minutes with her eyes closed, just listening to the gentle, soothing sounds of the sea. Every now and then she would blindly pick up and devour another clam. Ah, this was good. Taking some time out from life was always a great way to calm the body, mind and soul. 

But time was slipping away and the young demoness had to head back to the town square before the merchants closed up for the day. 

Ama got to her feet and made her way back in the direction she'd originally come. With half a bag of steamed clams left to her, the blue-haired girl decided to gift them to the two elderly fishermen, who didn't look like they were going to move from their spot any time soon. 

The dockside stalls were less busy now, but the smell of fish still lingered in the air. It was most likely a permanent stench that would remain years after Wistvale no longer existed.

Ama turned up the street that would lead her back in the direction of the heart of town. Hopefully, she could find a someone with a stick of charcoal along the way.

[Ama]

Once she reached the town square it wasn't long before Ama noticed a couple of street kids down an alley, doodling on the side of a building with chalk and charcoal. That was handy. Their artistic talents needed work but the young demoness was able to trade a few pieces of fruit for a bit of charcoal. 

The next part would be easy: finding a scrap of paper to write her message. The town's bulletin board had plenty of random notes pinned up; some offering jobs, others selling livestock, a couple of Wanted posters...

It was one of the latter that the young demoness  pulled down. She didn't pay much attention to the pictures and barely glimpsed at the names of the fugitives. Who the heck were Redblade and Piper anyway? Some street punks wanted for stealing an old woman's hat, no doubt. Losers.

Ama had already flipped over the poster, pressed it against the bulletin board, and began to write...

[Ama]

My dear friend Vandal,

I have some exciting news! I have been given the opportunity to study magick with the Noctis Venator. My training officially starts tomorrow morning, bright and early, with the head of the house, Mr Ravenhurst. 

I think I'm going to be pushed to my limits there. Mr Ravenhurst says I have to minimize the distractions in my life, so you may see less of me over the coming (months? years?). I don't know how long my training will take. 

I've also been given my own room at the Noctis manor, so you'll have the whole house to yourself. That's good, right? I kinda feel bad for leaving you alone. Maybe you can study there, too. Do you have any interest in the magical arts? I don't recall you mentioning it, but...

I hope you're not mad and we can still be friends. You know where to find me if you wanna talk. The manor house is hard to miss.

Your Haisheth always,

Ama

[Ama]

Ama folded the piece of paper in half, then half again, and headed for the abandoned house she and Van called home. She made sure no one saw her as she slipped through the front door. 

The house was predictably empty. Vandal was probably off on an adventure. Ama passed the quiet, dust-filled rooms and made her way upstairs to their shared bedroom. Her blanket was sprawled across the floor, just as she'd left it that morning. Excitement for going to the Noctis manor had clearly come before a tidy bed.

With some effort, Ama dragged her not-so-uncomfortable mattress over to where Van usually slept. He could have the pleasure of using it now. She placed his pillow on top, then finished it off with a neatly laid blanket that she would no longer need. There, he should be happy with that. 

The blue-haired demoness placed the folded note upon the pillow before leaving the abandoned house.

[The End]