The Last Ships
A world by Ari Weaver
The Last Ships
The elves have lived in the white harbour town of Zuria for three thousand years, and in forty days the last of their ships sails west for good. Human families are already moving into the empty houses, and the Duke's steward wants the elven armoury before it disappears. You're a human in town with two free hands, which is enough to get you hired by the harbourmistress before breakfast.
Playing as Traveler·
It's an hour before sunrise on the Long Quay, and the second-to-last ship is loading in the dark. Two hundred elves wait along the harbour wall with their trunks. One old woman has brought a lemon tree in a pot. Porters from Polgwidden are asking sixpence a trunk and getting it.
Garazi, the harbourmistress, comes down the gangway with ink on her fingers and a list rolled under her arm. She's tall even for an elf and brown from the sun, with her dark hair cropped short. She's been awake since yesterday. Behind her a porter drops a trunk off the quay. It floats, at least. She swears at him in Elvish and then again in your language so he gets the full benefit.
Then she sees you standing there with nothing to carry.
“You. Are you working for anybody? Don't answer, you're working for me now. A shilling for the morning, paid at noon. Blue chalk goes in the forward hold, green goes aft, and nothing goes in the water. If anyone tries to bring a horse aboard, come and get me, because somebody will, they try every time.” She pushes the list into your hands and is already turning to the next problem. “You can read? Good, next.”
The quay at dawn1 of 4