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Authors: Jenna Helland
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rabbit tight. She wondered if her mother already knew the fate of her husband. Her mother was the realist. She would make sure that their family soldiered on, no matter what. Her father was the dreamer, but now his dream had died in the ashes of the Grand Customs House.
8
CHAMBER PASSES ANCESTRAL HOMES ACT
With the passage of the Ancestral Homes Act, all cottagers must carry official identification cards that list their current registered addresses. Those without cards may be arrested and deported by the Zunft.
â Zunft Chronicle, August 15
The ocean waves lashed at the pier while Tommy kept watching the dusky horizon. As soon as the ferry arrived, the twins were leaving for Sevenna and their new life as Seminary students. The capital city was peaceful again, or so their father said in his most recent letter, which had arrived with the official seal of the chief administratorâs office. Tommy still couldnât believe that his father was now the most important man in the Zunft. From the day of the August Rising to this moment on the pier, everything felt unreal to Tommy. It was like a strange dream that occupied his mind even after he woke up. He could try to guess its meaning, but heâd probably be wrong in the end.
While leaving Aeren felt like a momentous occasion to Tommy, the sleepy port of Blackwater was unimpressed by his presence. Blackwater was the largest city on Aeren Island, but it was still small compared to Sevenna or even Stokkur Town on Norde. The portâs population was about ten thousand during the winter months. Now, in late summer when many cottagers were working in the Middle Valley, the town felt as sleepy as a provincial village. Soon the fishmongers would set out their wares, and the town bells would ring the start of the workday. But for now, it was only Tommy and Bern, waiting for the ferry to arrive. Tommy paced up and down the dock anxiously while Bern dozed on the wooden bench, oblivious to the crashing waves and crimson sunrise.
Normally, the twins would have boarded a ferry in Port Kenney, but most of the village had been razed by the fire. So they had endured a bumpy carriage ride north to Blackwater with Bern pouting the entire way because Colstonâs new rover had been co-opted by the Zunft for the hunt for the rebels. Their driver was a Zunft soldier, and Tommy had expected that the soldier would wait with them until the ferry arrived, but he unceremoniously dropped them off and left.
The longer Tommy waited for the ferry, the more nervous he became. He wandered down the pier and kicked at a heavy coil of rope. He couldnât shake the feeling that something was missing. It wasnât like he expected a brass band and people throwing confetti to commemorate this next stage in his life, but he hadnât expected it to be so desolate. Finally, a dark shape appeared on the horizon as the steamer emerged through the gloom and sailed toward the pier.
âWake up, the ferryâs here,â Tommy told Bern, who ignored him.
As a kid, Tommy loved ships of all kinds, especially the steam-powered, iron-strapped wooden boats that carried passengers between the islands. All the Zunft ferries seemed a little outdated now because the new volt-cells hadnât been incorporated into marine technology yet, at least as far as Tommy knew, but they were better than an old-fashioned sailboat. As the side-wheel steamer glided up to the pier, Tommy realized what he was missing. There was no one to say goodbye to. It wouldnât have been appropriate for Mrs. Trueblood to come, and his mother was long gone. On rare occasions, he still found himself missing herâor perhaps he was missing the idea of having a mother. When that happened, it felt like ripping a scab off a painful wound.
A young man swung the plank off the side of the ferry. It thudded loudly onto the cobblestones and startled Bern, who finally sat up and rubbed his eyes. Some of the lads had thrown a
8
CHAMBER PASSES ANCESTRAL HOMES ACT
With the passage of the Ancestral Homes Act, all cottagers must carry official identification cards that list their current registered addresses. Those without cards may be arrested and deported by the Zunft.
â Zunft Chronicle, August 15
The ocean waves lashed at the pier while Tommy kept watching the dusky horizon. As soon as the ferry arrived, the twins were leaving for Sevenna and their new life as Seminary students. The capital city was peaceful again, or so their father said in his most recent letter, which had arrived with the official seal of the chief administratorâs office. Tommy still couldnât believe that his father was now the most important man in the Zunft. From the day of the August Rising to this moment on the pier, everything felt unreal to Tommy. It was like a strange dream that occupied his mind even after he woke up. He could try to guess its meaning, but heâd probably be wrong in the end.
While leaving Aeren felt like a momentous occasion to Tommy, the sleepy port of Blackwater was unimpressed by his presence. Blackwater was the largest city on Aeren Island, but it was still small compared to Sevenna or even Stokkur Town on Norde. The portâs population was about ten thousand during the winter months. Now, in late summer when many cottagers were working in the Middle Valley, the town felt as sleepy as a provincial village. Soon the fishmongers would set out their wares, and the town bells would ring the start of the workday. But for now, it was only Tommy and Bern, waiting for the ferry to arrive. Tommy paced up and down the dock anxiously while Bern dozed on the wooden bench, oblivious to the crashing waves and crimson sunrise.
Normally, the twins would have boarded a ferry in Port Kenney, but most of the village had been razed by the fire. So they had endured a bumpy carriage ride north to Blackwater with Bern pouting the entire way because Colstonâs new rover had been co-opted by the Zunft for the hunt for the rebels. Their driver was a Zunft soldier, and Tommy had expected that the soldier would wait with them until the ferry arrived, but he unceremoniously dropped them off and left.
The longer Tommy waited for the ferry, the more nervous he became. He wandered down the pier and kicked at a heavy coil of rope. He couldnât shake the feeling that something was missing. It wasnât like he expected a brass band and people throwing confetti to commemorate this next stage in his life, but he hadnât expected it to be so desolate. Finally, a dark shape appeared on the horizon as the steamer emerged through the gloom and sailed toward the pier.
âWake up, the ferryâs here,â Tommy told Bern, who ignored him.
As a kid, Tommy loved ships of all kinds, especially the steam-powered, iron-strapped wooden boats that carried passengers between the islands. All the Zunft ferries seemed a little outdated now because the new volt-cells hadnât been incorporated into marine technology yet, at least as far as Tommy knew, but they were better than an old-fashioned sailboat. As the side-wheel steamer glided up to the pier, Tommy realized what he was missing. There was no one to say goodbye to. It wouldnât have been appropriate for Mrs. Trueblood to come, and his mother was long gone. On rare occasions, he still found himself missing herâor perhaps he was missing the idea of having a mother. When that happened, it felt like ripping a scab off a painful wound.
A young man swung the plank off the side of the ferry. It thudded loudly onto the cobblestones and startled Bern, who finally sat up and rubbed his eyes. Some of the lads had thrown a
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