[SE] Pickled, dried, salted, smoked

Tradition was no small part of it, but neither was it easy to procure tools of such ability. The herald gods had been absent for three hundred years, and mer contact with humans had been rare - and rarely pleasant - before the canals had been built, bringing land and sea a little closer. Now the gods had returned to the wider world once more... but they brought other dangers and concerns in their wake. Even so, Hadama tilted his head in contented acceptance of Lena's appreciation for his calling. "I can show you samples, if we meet again," he offered, pleased at the prospect of future trading.

He rose out of the canal far enough to signal the fish seller he'd been initially trying to reach, and while Lena made her transactions he bargained for another set of fish - pickled this time in flavored vinegars - to take back for LongNight treats. As he added them to the bag he listened to Lena's answer, giving a slow nod of understanding. "Siblings?" he inquired curiously and out of courtesy to keep the conversational current flowing.

Lena

and sweetest in the gale is heard
and sore must be the storm

The offer seemed sincere, and so she paused momentarily in her transactions, smiling over her shoulder. “That would be lovely. Thank you.” The future likely wasn’t going to be a kind one, but it would be nice to have something to perceive, see, and notice, if they were to survive the impending skirmishes.

Making a few trades and exchanges, the Caretaker was content with her wares, placing them into her basket, moving the fabric aside and over so they wouldn’t snag at any debris lingering around, when the question came through her ears. She froze entirely, fingers pausing in mid-air, spine straightening upwards in surprise, shock, and if not a little heartache. “Oh, um,” she fumbled and mumbled briefly, as if to make up for the awkward and painful notions suddenly grasping at her heart. “I had a sister,” and her eyes went down upon the stones, dragged upwards only passersby, as a means of distraction. “She was the Artificer in Stormbreak. Sera.” Maybe her discomfort would mean the inquiries would cease – or the tight-lipped smile that she gave in return.

that could abash the little bird
that kept so many warm

Hadama looked quietly pleased at the chance to show off his wares in the future. The prophesied War was far too close and yet still seasons away. Perhaps he would cross paths with Lena again before then, and he resolved to keep some of his work with him when he traveled.

Just in case.

She was facing away from him, settling her new purchases, but he saw the shift in her spine followed by the dip of eyes, and it was not hard to guess the cause. Was could be such a painful word, and he inclined his head deeply in sympathy and shared sorrow. "I had a brother," he offered quietly. "I am sorry." For her loss, for bringing up a painful topic.

It was not a note he wanted to end on.

"Are there many animals in the Celestine this season?" he asked instead, seeing her provisions and attempting a change in topic back to something more neutral.

Lena

and sweetest in the gale is heard
and sore must be the storm

Grateful for the change in topic, not wanting and willing to aid the solemnity any longer, the youth forced another smile along her features, adjusting everything in her basket in order to settle the restless flicker going through her fingers. “Occasionally. A lot more wryms are finding themselves there,” for whatever reason – Lena would guess general mischief. “Some younger ursur,” potentially some bout of sickness wandering through the outer regions of Halo – where the cold could churn so many deadly notations.

She paused, wondering, in all her curiosity, of some of the sea creatures she’d yet to meet in the enclosures. “Have you ever seen a tumsea?”

that could abash the little bird
that kept so many warm

He nodded slowly at the mention of the cloudwyrms, but when she spoke of ursur his stoic expression became downright bemused. "I have never seen one," he admitted. Torchline had other predators, and the Arclight had even more.

At the mention of a tumsea the bemusement shifted to a moment of joyful peace and he bowed his head in confirmation. It was a memory worth reliving, that day on the beach with Evie, and he was quiet for long moments before he looked back at Lena with the hint of a lingering smile on his lips. "I have."

But she had mentioned something that sparked his curiosity earlier, and he circled back around to it in his usual unhurried way. "What are ursur like?"

Lena

and sweetest in the gale is heard
and sore must be the storm

The obvious memory of the tumsea sent a smile to her features, a youthful little clap of her eyes in some modicum of excitement. “Oh! How were they? I haven’t had any come to the Celestine yet, but I’ve heard so many wondrous things!” From tomes and texts, which wasn’t the same as firsthand experiences and hastily drawn images.

As for the ursur, she collected her thoughts, striving to parse through the best way to describe them objectively, free from judgement, for that was how Lena had always been with every animal that ventured into the pristine, starlit gardens. “Very large white bears. Powerful. Dangerous. Always with a predator’s mind.” And though she stayed calm and endearing towards them just the same, they certainly weren’t anything to play around or mess with.

that could abash the little bird
that kept so many warm

"Indeed," he agreed softly to the wondrousness of tumseas. "They are..." He trailed off making a helpless gesture with a dripping hand as words failed him. "A blessing. Gentle and..." He paused again, this time to choose his words with care. "Surrounded by life. Health. Well-being." Though if one was sent to the Celestine that would mean it had sustained some injury, and it would be removed from the miniature ecosystem that depended on it...

Hadama refused to dwell on that thought, focusing instead on the joy of the one he had seen and the curiosity Lena's other charges sparked. "Do they live here?" A question meant for the land beyond the market; that unseen geography unseen by merfolk who could come no further than the shore.

Lena

and sweetest in the gale is heard
and sore must be the storm

She readily agreed – if only because the descriptions seemed spot on with everything else she’d ever learned about the mythical tumseas. And while she would never wish one harm or ailments to wind their way into the Celestine, the wonder of seeing them still must’ve been something special and unique. A smile remained on her features, eyes glancing off towards the coast. “Perhaps I’ll see one in its natural habitat one day. Thank you for sharing.”

As for the ursur, her head shook. “They live in Halo, as far as I know.” She’d never spotted one of the bears outside the enclosures, but the Caretaker also didn’t meander through the Siberian landscape very often.

Gazing back down at her wares, she figured she’d best be off before the fish started going bad – it would’ve negated the entire reason she’d come, after all. “I should head home soon. Thank you for your assistance and words today.”

that could abash the little bird
that kept so many warm

He nodded agreement with her hope, silently wishing her the opportunity as well. Of course, the more time she spent near the coast, the more likely the opportunity would arise...

He nodded slowly at the confirmation that the great white bears were far away, and unlikely to ever be a mermanta's concern. Mountain-locked Halo was as much a myth to the mer as their Underwater City likely was to the Halovians. At least, he'd never heard of any large, unfrozen bodies of water that a mer could reach - even a powerful one - and survive in long enough for any meaningful exploration.

"I hope we will meet again," he said politely, but with quiet sincerity as he checked his own purchases of food for LongNight and then slipped back into the waters of the canal to allow the Caretaker to go on her way.

~Fin~