Chapter Text

Chapter 1 -  Intro

A particularly strong sea wave hit the boat right to the side of a ship where Gail was sleeping in her cabin. The pressure caused her to fall down from her 'bed' which in reality meant a narrow bench, to the hard wooden floor. Usually she slept in her sleeping net, but she gave up after a restless sleep and falling from the net three times. She groaned in disagreement and sat up.

One hell of a wake up.

She yawned and stretched her arms and back to ease the muscles. Half asleep she managed to find her clothes, got dressed and climbed the stairs up to the upper deck. "Morning, Ollie," she greeted her friend.

"Good morning, Kiddo," he smiled broadly. "Today is going to be a good day."

"I know you are an optimist, but why so loud today?" the young woman asked, joining his side and leaning over the handrail.

"You see that town?" he pointed ahead to the horizon, where a land was appearing. "That is my homeland."

"So? We were here five summers ago," noted the blonde dryly. She was not very fond of lands. They were boring for her. Even though she understood the need to refill their supplies, she hated landing. The life on the sea was so exciting, full of surprise and the unknown.

"Five summers, Gail. I haven't seen my kids for five summers!"

"Oh, well, okay, Daddy. Why have you left then?"

"Me and Zoe, it wasn't working. Actually it was getting worse and I did not want my girls to grow up with always fighting parents. It is better this way," he said sadly. Then he looked up and forced a smile on his face. "But starting today, it will be my special seven days with my special girls. What about you? What are your special plans?"

"Most probably staying in my cabin with booze and playing darts with whoever is not willing to go out."

Holly was in her element. She felt like a child discovering the world, all those fascinating things she could learn about human bodies, it was overwhelming. She became an apprentice of the local healer three springs ago. Her mentor was a woman in her late fifties, which was very rare in their time. And it was even rarer that Holly was allowed to study at all, but obviously being the daughter of the mayor had its benefits.

Since early age Holly loved digging into things and discovering how they worked. Unfortunately she was a girl and girls were taught how to sew, knit, cook, play an instrument and just entertain the men and be good wives. But not the brunette, she did play piano, she even took a needle in her hand when needed, alas instead of knitting she preferred poking into living beings.

There could be found a similarity in what she was doing right then. "Holly, have you measured the liver?" asked Martha Seagull, the town healer. Martha was a kind woman, what she lacked in height she definitely had in spirit.

"Not yet," called Holly back. "But look what I found." She moved a bit away so the physician could have a look into a dead man's chest cavity. "I think he died of a heart attack sooner than he was attacked by that shark. I mean, yeah, he lost half of his body, which would be incompatible with life, but look at the veins around his heart," the apprentice said in one breath.

"Very observant," smiled the mentor. "You will make a good healer, Darling."

Holly snorted and rolled her eyes. "Like Ross would ever let me," she sighed and sat on a nearby stool. "I wish I wouldn't have to marry him."

"Why do you anyway?" wondered the older woman. "I mean, only if it is appropriate to ask."

"It was a pact with the devil," sighed Holly again. "Long story short: my mother was dying and Ross saved her for a price."

"Wait, but by that time Ross Perik was the physician here, it was his duty to save lives."

"He was always cunning and powerful."

"Poor child." The other woman sat next to her.

"My mother is alive. It was a good decision," Holly tried to smile… unconvincingly.

"That was a lot to ask. You should live and enjoy the youth, fall in love."

"Love is a mess of chemical reaction. At the end it is always about children."

Martha wrapped her arm around her student's shoulders. "Well, tonight is the celebration ball of La Muerte del Sol, maybe you will find someone special who dares to challenge Ross. Like that farm boy Chris."

Holly burst out laughing. "I am sorry, but that would be really awkward. Chris is my best friend. Yeah, we did have our share just for the fun of it and curiosity, but he is like my brother."

"Still better than Perik."

"That is true. Anyone would be better than him."

"Come on, Gail!" called Andy from the hallway. "It's a dance night." She peeked into the blonde's cabin and noticed her friend lying in her net, playing with a small ball made from leather and beans. "You are not even half-ready?"

"I told you, I am not interested," responded Gail throwing the ball above her head and catching it again.

"Come on, it will be fun."

"I don't have a dress."

"It's a masquerade; you can go as you are. Maybe just clean up."

"Leave me alone," Gail growled. She really was not interested in coming out of the ship, especially not at this place.

She never lived through it, but what her mother told her was more than enough not to ever set a foot on this cursed land.

Her mother used to tell her that they could not have a better life. Her father was the sheriff there. Of course he was more of the face while Elaine was his right hand, also his left one; she was the neck of the body as well. Nevertheless it suited them well. They were a happy married couple with a son, Steve was his name. He was the pride and joy of the parents. The golden boy full of potential… until the plague stroke the town –damn those sick incomers from the Old Land. No matter the power, no matter the position, families, nothing was holy. It killed everything and almost everyone. The last survivors were forced to burn their homes and leave. Just like her mother who shortly found out she was bearing another child after burying her husband and son.

It might be stupid, but for Gail this land killed her father and brother and therefore she was not interested in getting to know it any better.

She got lost in her thoughts so much that it was the complete silence that brought her back to the reality. She stopped playing with her ball, stood up and went to check the ship. "Mother?" No reply. Oliver went to visit his children. Andy and the rest of her rookie crew –as the adults liked calling them– were surly at the Ball. "Frank, Noelle?" She tried to call for other members of the ship, but there was no living soul on the deck. Everybody ran outside. "Tse, like losing the leashes of wild dogs," she murmured to herself.

She stayed alone for a while, playing on the ship by herself, however the music coming from the town hall and carried by the water surface to the port, made her body swing in the rhythm and her curiosity took better of her. "Dammit," she cursed. Maybe a peek would not do any harm after all. Weighing her options, pros and cons, Gail looked at the tiny house in the distance. She could hear people laughing and talking aloud, enjoying their time. She heard the last of seagulls shrieking and it sounded like they were laughing at her, laughing at her for being alone while everyone was out having a good time.

Making her final decision, Gail went back to her cabin.