FicWad

We were sailing up the coast of Australia, almost at the coral reef. I gazed down into the surprisingly clear sea and watched as the coral passed by. Funny... I've been here hundreds of times before and this place never gets boring. We were sailing up the coast towards Rockhampton to deliver a hefty sum of wood, see mother does have a job. She agrees to use her ship for trade purposes around Australia and as much as I hate to admit it she gets good money too. It's been going on for about three years now so mother is a trusted trader among merchants who require her services.

We should reach Rockhampton by nightfall if we keep up this speed but the sea is an unruly and unpredictable place so you can't be sure. I sighed heavily as I watched the sea pass by us under the boat. One would think it exciting to spend life on a ship going from place to place but has one ever actually thought about the other hand? Has one stopped to realise that life on a boat can be tedious and slow moving? We aren't all pirates of the seven seas who adventure and the like. I stood on the side of the deck lost in my thoughts, a crease forming across my brow.

I looked over on to the horizon the sun was dipping into the sea, which meant we must be almost there. I slowly made my way to he front of the boat, my hair whipping along with the salt wind across my face. I ignored it, just as I ignored everything, which annoyed me or didn't go my way. I sat down and rubbed my eyes, I was tired, no surprise. I was up half the night working on navigational routes for our next voyage if you could call it that. God knows why mother even bothers to make navigational routes it's not like you'd find water hurricanes or odd happenings out in the Australian waters!

I saw the Rockhampton docks looming in the distances, all the little houses with their fires lit ready for bed. There were mothers and fathers tucking their children into bed, brothers and sisters sharing a laugh and old friends saying their goodbyes till morning. I smiled to myself; it gave me relief to just watch them, slow relief but relief all the same.

We docked into the port by nightfall but stayed on the boat until morning, mother doesn't like walking around at night and I was too tired to argue with her. The next morning the port was ablaze with activity, ships were pulling out and just as quickly new ones would swoop in to take their place. It soon became apparent that we were not the only trader ship there; many were docked up at the port prepared for orders. Rockhampton is a breeding ground for traders because of its immense economy and surrounding neighbours.

Mother hurried us off the ship early in the morning eager to beat the other traders and find the good offers, she let Joe and I go off on our own while she went out to scour the port for potential customers. We looked over the huge port and exchanged an uneasy glance; eventually we decided to step into a tavern called "The Stony Bard". Joe was quickly called over by some serving maid so I was left to my own company. Part of me was a little bothered by his desertion but another part, the bigger part, was merely happy to be on my own for a while.

I hesitated slightly by the doorway as the noise of the tavern slowly became accustom to my ears; the silence of sailing with only the sea breeze to whisper occasionally rose as a heavy contrast to the current atmosphere. As I grew out of my daze I made my way towards a table on the outskirts of the room, not that I had much choice because all the central tables were occupied by gamblers and the like. I sat on my own for almost a minute before my dazed mind became filled with nothing but thirst; steadily I got up and approached the tavern counter.

The barmaid strode up to the bar with a look of boredom on her face, "What can I git ye miss?" She pursed her lips and taped her foot slightly.

I grabbed for some change in my pants, "Just a water thanks."

The barmaid's look of boredom then turned to a look of intrigue, "Ye want a water? Nothin' else?"

"No, nothin' else." I watched as she shook her head and filled up a glass with water and shoved it towards me over the counter.

I pushed a few coins her way but she shook her head and said. "Nah missy, do you really want tah pay me fer turnin' on a tap?" I pulled back my offer and gave her a nod before taking my drink and going back to the table. I sat quietly by myself for quite some time, I swear I saw Joe two or three times dancing with the barmaid who had beckoned him over when we arrived. I shook my head and sighed, I wondered why it was so easy for some people to fit in whereas others just end up on the outside all the time.

Minutes passed and I had almost finished my drink, I passed the time by thinking of where I would go next, the town really was huge and there was so much to see. I decided I would go down to the marketplace for a while before going back to the wharf later on to meet my mother back at the ship. I got up to leave when I heard a voice come from directly behind me, "That fill ye up love?" it was a rough sort of voice but soothing at the same time. Without even seeing the man talking to me I could hear him grinning through his words.

I cocked my head and bit my lip a little, any other girl would have walked away quickly without hesitation but it had been a long time since someone had really started a conversation with me, if you could call it that. I swung around only to see a man sitting on the seat behind mine with his back to me and a cloak over his head. "Excuse me?" I asked, letting a slightly annoyed tone enter my voice.

"Pretty light drink fer a miss such as yerself isn't it?" He continued to keep his back to me, I shook my head unwilling to continue this conversation any further. I started out the door and was two feet out when I felt a hand grab my hair, I breathed heavily, if there was one thing I hated it was people touching me when I didn't want them to. I turned with an angry look on my face about to yell at the man when I saw Joe's face, I faltered slightly. "You gonna wait fer me?" he asked tenderly.

"Yeah, I was just getting' some air. It's hot in there." I felt my cheeks flush as I reminded myself that no-one was coming after me or following me. I shook my embarrassment away and let Joe lead me away from the tavern and towards the ship where we were to meet mother.