You can't live for other people.
The ferry rolled along the bounding surface of the Merlthor. Storms further out to sea had made the semi-annual passage a rollicking affair for any yet to find their sea legs. Several of the adults had taken refuge away from prying eyes to come to terms with their stomachs while those who'd spent time on ships grinned and joked knowingly. As ever when there wasn't trade to be done or chores to be handled, the younger folks of the odd community had taken to entertaining themselves.
"It's not even that far! I did it, so you have to too! Unless you're scared!" A boy who looked like he'd only had his first shave was calling to a beanpole of a child, younger but not by much.
"I'm not scared! I'm not scared of anything!" The flush in the boy's face was a mix of embarrassment and anger, though not necessarily in equal amounts.
"Y'are too! Scared like always!" Another voice from the crowd of a half-dozen mixed aged kids rallied on in favor of cowardice, but the big roegadyn child - hardly a child, if size and bulk accounted for anything, but still without many seasons gone by - shook his head.
"It's scary." There was a quiet murmur. Blackmast was a giant for his age, and the words sounded like support for the scrawny scrap of a person but there was a smug smile on his face, eyes gleaming like a predator. "It's okay if he's scared."
The beanpole glared back and the color in his cheeks maintained by the other emotion. "I ain't scared!" With a start the boy broke from the pack towards the deck rail of the ferry. Choppy, brackish seawater continued to sway the ship and the boy perhaps didn't look as daring as he had hoped when his arms went out to steady himself. He pretended not to hear the snickering laugh.
"You don't have to do this." Another voice spoke up, not as deep as the roegadyn but with the faint signs of maturity. The hyur looked at the roe with a set expression, but the younger child had already made up his mind.
"Shut up! I'm gon' walk the whole way 'roun' and that'll shut you up!" The skinny child didn't even look for an Elder or a shiphand that would yell before springing up onto the wooden rail. Moments prior to the argument, the youngest amongst them had walked a full ten fulms on the rail before hopping down. As young boys are wont to do, though, he immediately wheeled on the perceived weakest in the group. By tearing down another, children often think they can elevate themselves.
The hyur steadied himself with braced hands and feet before rising to a standing position, arms out for support when another rising swell rocked the boat. For a moment his arms pinwheeled, trying to keep himself from falling off of either side. The boys on the deck started to call out - If he fell and hurt himself, they'd be in trouble, and if he fell off of the ferry, they'd all be dead - but he righted himself. A self-indulgent grin flashed on his face before it twisted to a sneer aimed at the roegadyn.
He managed to take two careful steps before his footing slipped and he tumbled over the rail into the sputtering wake of the ferry.
A cry of genuine panic sounded from the port deck. Only one of them knew that he truthfully couldn't swim, and the taller hyur took crossed to the rail and bounded off the side after him. The roegadyn was yelling something but it was indiscernible before the boy hit the surface of the sea.
The ferry rolled along the bounding surface of the Merlthor. Storms further out to sea had made the semi-annual passage a rollicking affair for any yet to find their sea legs. Several of the adults had taken refuge away from prying eyes to come to terms with their stomachs while those who'd spent time on ships grinned and joked knowingly. As ever when there wasn't trade to be done or chores to be handled, the younger folks of the odd community had taken to entertaining themselves.
"It's not even that far! I did it, so you have to too! Unless you're scared!" A boy who looked like he'd only had his first shave was calling to a beanpole of a child, younger but not by much.
"I'm not scared! I'm not scared of anything!" The flush in the boy's face was a mix of embarrassment and anger, though not necessarily in equal amounts.
"Y'are too! Scared like always!" Another voice from the crowd of a half-dozen mixed aged kids rallied on in favor of cowardice, but the big roegadyn child - hardly a child, if size and bulk accounted for anything, but still without many seasons gone by - shook his head.
"It's scary." There was a quiet murmur. Blackmast was a giant for his age, and the words sounded like support for the scrawny scrap of a person but there was a smug smile on his face, eyes gleaming like a predator. "It's okay if he's scared."
The beanpole glared back and the color in his cheeks maintained by the other emotion. "I ain't scared!" With a start the boy broke from the pack towards the deck rail of the ferry. Choppy, brackish seawater continued to sway the ship and the boy perhaps didn't look as daring as he had hoped when his arms went out to steady himself. He pretended not to hear the snickering laugh.
"You don't have to do this." Another voice spoke up, not as deep as the roegadyn but with the faint signs of maturity. The hyur looked at the roe with a set expression, but the younger child had already made up his mind.
"Shut up! I'm gon' walk the whole way 'roun' and that'll shut you up!" The skinny child didn't even look for an Elder or a shiphand that would yell before springing up onto the wooden rail. Moments prior to the argument, the youngest amongst them had walked a full ten fulms on the rail before hopping down. As young boys are wont to do, though, he immediately wheeled on the perceived weakest in the group. By tearing down another, children often think they can elevate themselves.
The hyur steadied himself with braced hands and feet before rising to a standing position, arms out for support when another rising swell rocked the boat. For a moment his arms pinwheeled, trying to keep himself from falling off of either side. The boys on the deck started to call out - If he fell and hurt himself, they'd be in trouble, and if he fell off of the ferry, they'd all be dead - but he righted himself. A self-indulgent grin flashed on his face before it twisted to a sneer aimed at the roegadyn.
He managed to take two careful steps before his footing slipped and he tumbled over the rail into the sputtering wake of the ferry.
A cry of genuine panic sounded from the port deck. Only one of them knew that he truthfully couldn't swim, and the taller hyur took crossed to the rail and bounded off the side after him. The roegadyn was yelling something but it was indiscernible before the boy hit the surface of the sea.
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
