11-05-2018, 11:58 PM
Tristan and Svant strolled the path along the water. In the distance, Tristan could make out a gang of puffins darting toward the surface. It was too far to hear, but imagining the little plops of their splashing beneath the surface was an easy memory to conjure, but for all the nostalgia the imagery conjured, the chill of loneliness crept closer.
“What are you looking at?” Svant put a hand to his eyes.
“The puffins.” Tristan nodded in the direction, but Svant only shook his head.
“You could see polar bear in a snowstorm, boy.” A fond clap on the shoulder made Tristan smile. Even as a lad his eyesight was keener than most.
“Why not move to Ísafjörður? Or Reykjavik itself?”
The idea had merit, and Tristan wasn’t quick to smother it but his mind was already decided.
“I boarded at Reykjavik for school my whole boyhood. It was fine enough, but I think I need something else?”
“Like what?” Svant added.
“Something new.” Svant growled a fake understanding. The old bear lived his whole life in the area. A journey from village to village was an enormous migration.
“What will you do?” That was a harder question to answer. Jobs were plentiful in the CCD, of which his destination was included. Whether he was qualified for any of them was another guess. At the very minimum he could work on docks cutting his teeth by the very practices Svant taught him. An idea sparked a tender of a grin to his lips, “Now that you bring it up, I was hoping you could recommend me.”
Svant sniffed, but that twist to his lips was telling. Whatever he ended up doing, things would be okay. This time, when he peered across the waters, it was to wonder if the Hidden One would follow him east, or if Others awaited his arrival.
“What are you looking at?” Svant put a hand to his eyes.
“The puffins.” Tristan nodded in the direction, but Svant only shook his head.
“You could see polar bear in a snowstorm, boy.” A fond clap on the shoulder made Tristan smile. Even as a lad his eyesight was keener than most.
“Why not move to Ísafjörður? Or Reykjavik itself?”
The idea had merit, and Tristan wasn’t quick to smother it but his mind was already decided.
“I boarded at Reykjavik for school my whole boyhood. It was fine enough, but I think I need something else?”
“Like what?” Svant added.
“Something new.” Svant growled a fake understanding. The old bear lived his whole life in the area. A journey from village to village was an enormous migration.
“What will you do?” That was a harder question to answer. Jobs were plentiful in the CCD, of which his destination was included. Whether he was qualified for any of them was another guess. At the very minimum he could work on docks cutting his teeth by the very practices Svant taught him. An idea sparked a tender of a grin to his lips, “Now that you bring it up, I was hoping you could recommend me.”
Svant sniffed, but that twist to his lips was telling. Whatever he ended up doing, things would be okay. This time, when he peered across the waters, it was to wonder if the Hidden One would follow him east, or if Others awaited his arrival.