by "Now listen, Sparrow, take special care of yourself. Your gentle constitution--"
"Papa, papa!" Sparrow laughed. "You're beginning to sound like your wife." She stood on tiptoe and kissed her father on his cheek. "I will take care of myself, I promise. You'll never have a safer daughter. I'll be under the good care of Captain Barnaby."
"And when you reach Reyon?" Bowen Lachlan tapped his foot. His thick brow furrowed, and he gave her an unsatisfied look.
"And when I reach Reyon," Sparrow repeated her lines for the tenth times, "I will immediately seek out your old friend Master Montgomery, the librarian." Harbor winds buffeted her hair, but not even the cold, wet air of Greymerrow bay could dampen her spirits.
"Precisely. And you have the letters of recommendation?"
"Yes, Papa."
Her father sighed, the stern look leaving his weathered face. "We will miss having you around, you know." In that quick moment, downcast eyes, drooped shoulders, the graying hair, Sparrow's heart lurched. Her father was growing old. And she was leaving him.
She slipped an arm around him. "You won't have the time to miss me; before you know it, I'll be back and driving you all silly again!" Sparrow smiled, but not before her dear brother interrupted.
"You got that right, Sparri. 'Gwain, Gwain, look at this! Oh my, Cooper, don't drink that! It's an experiment, not mother's cider!' We will definitely not miss the food poisoning, and pillaging of our things to use for your endless ideas." Gwain, the oldest, and most decidedly the crankiest brother, huffed as he finished his little tirade. He reached over and ruffled Sparrow's hair.
"What did you even have in that luggage? Adrian?" he asked incredulously.
"Adrian is by far the worst to bring along on this kind of voyage, you bucket-head," Sparrow retorted, her nose in the air. "It's quite obvious that I stuck Cooper in there. He's much more entertaining."
The three shared a quick laugh, Sparrow wiped a tear from her eye. "Yes, I'll miss you too, Gwain. You and all the umpteen bothers." She gave him a big hug, and despite his annoyed huff, she knew he didn't mind.
"Is that all her luggage?" Bowen asked. He seemed hesitant.
"Yep, all thirteen bags."
Sparrow elbowed her brother. "There are two." She paused. "Unless you actually did pack Adrian and Cooper... And Gabriel." She shuddered at the thought of all three of them contained in a small area for more than a week.
"Nope, you're all good. Now listen here--"
"No, no!" Sparrow shushed him. "I've heard it all. Mom and Gabe gave me the spiel back home, then dad, I'm not taking it from you. I'll take care, learn lots, and be the best Sparrow that Sparrow can be." She smoothed out her skirt and grinned. "Sound good?"
Bowen was smiling. That was good enough for her.
Greymerrow slowly sank into the horizon. The winds had picked up, whipping Sparrow's skirts wildly around her legs, but she didn't want to miss one speck of her family, her home city, and everyone she ever knew vanished in the rippling waves.
This was her first adventure all by herself. No brothers shadowing her every move, no father to berate her for not being careful, and no mother to comfort her in her sorrows.
Just her, the wind, the sky, and the sea. Sparrow grinned and drew a deep breath. Captain Barnaby would keep an eye on her, and she couldn't get bored, for she'd crammed as many books as she could fit into her luggage. This was going to be a life-changing adventure.
She was out in the world to learn everything she could cram into her mind. To know everyone she could meet. And to be anything she wanted to become. Today, and the next, and the next, she was free.
"Papa, papa!" Sparrow laughed. "You're beginning to sound like your wife." She stood on tiptoe and kissed her father on his cheek. "I will take care of myself, I promise. You'll never have a safer daughter. I'll be under the good care of Captain Barnaby."
"And when you reach Reyon?" Bowen Lachlan tapped his foot. His thick brow furrowed, and he gave her an unsatisfied look.
"And when I reach Reyon," Sparrow repeated her lines for the tenth times, "I will immediately seek out your old friend Master Montgomery, the librarian." Harbor winds buffeted her hair, but not even the cold, wet air of Greymerrow bay could dampen her spirits.
"Precisely. And you have the letters of recommendation?"
"Yes, Papa."
Her father sighed, the stern look leaving his weathered face. "We will miss having you around, you know." In that quick moment, downcast eyes, drooped shoulders, the graying hair, Sparrow's heart lurched. Her father was growing old. And she was leaving him.
She slipped an arm around him. "You won't have the time to miss me; before you know it, I'll be back and driving you all silly again!" Sparrow smiled, but not before her dear brother interrupted.
"You got that right, Sparri. 'Gwain, Gwain, look at this! Oh my, Cooper, don't drink that! It's an experiment, not mother's cider!' We will definitely not miss the food poisoning, and pillaging of our things to use for your endless ideas." Gwain, the oldest, and most decidedly the crankiest brother, huffed as he finished his little tirade. He reached over and ruffled Sparrow's hair.
"What did you even have in that luggage? Adrian?" he asked incredulously.
"Adrian is by far the worst to bring along on this kind of voyage, you bucket-head," Sparrow retorted, her nose in the air. "It's quite obvious that I stuck Cooper in there. He's much more entertaining."
The three shared a quick laugh, Sparrow wiped a tear from her eye. "Yes, I'll miss you too, Gwain. You and all the umpteen bothers." She gave him a big hug, and despite his annoyed huff, she knew he didn't mind.
"Is that all her luggage?" Bowen asked. He seemed hesitant.
"Yep, all thirteen bags."
Sparrow elbowed her brother. "There are two." She paused. "Unless you actually did pack Adrian and Cooper... And Gabriel." She shuddered at the thought of all three of them contained in a small area for more than a week.
"Nope, you're all good. Now listen here--"
"No, no!" Sparrow shushed him. "I've heard it all. Mom and Gabe gave me the spiel back home, then dad, I'm not taking it from you. I'll take care, learn lots, and be the best Sparrow that Sparrow can be." She smoothed out her skirt and grinned. "Sound good?"
Bowen was smiling. That was good enough for her.
~~~
Greymerrow slowly sank into the horizon. The winds had picked up, whipping Sparrow's skirts wildly around her legs, but she didn't want to miss one speck of her family, her home city, and everyone she ever knew vanished in the rippling waves.
This was her first adventure all by herself. No brothers shadowing her every move, no father to berate her for not being careful, and no mother to comfort her in her sorrows.
Just her, the wind, the sky, and the sea. Sparrow grinned and drew a deep breath. Captain Barnaby would keep an eye on her, and she couldn't get bored, for she'd crammed as many books as she could fit into her luggage. This was going to be a life-changing adventure.
She was out in the world to learn everything she could cram into her mind. To know everyone she could meet. And to be anything she wanted to become. Today, and the next, and the next, she was free.
