Stupid critter, thought you were gonna go on the ship!
Caniley thought grumpily as she flumped on a pile of old sacks the mistress of a rag shop had thrown out into the alley just moments ago. She had been following the weird fox for awhile, curious at the paper in his hands that he had been muttering at early, though now she was stuck in this odd town without anything to eat. Of course, having nothing better to do and hungry to boot, she decided randomly she would follow him.
"Such a great fun this was."
She muttered. The odd part, the bitterness that was in her voice was no where on her face or in the burnt dull orange eyes she used to gaze around the busy market place. Infact, she had no emotion on her face at all, just a calm sense of... Nothingness. You see, Caniley was a young girl, around 10, far too skinny and wearing a dull mud colored shirt and a rag-like shirt. She was a beggar girl that made the occasional copper or so by scribing for people, bringing in a wind on a hot day, chasing off dogs that ate farmers stock with lightening, and selling the occasional stuff she nicked.
But today, she had nothing to do, having been following the fox so causally that she hadn't noticed the several hours that had gone by. She had caught a glimpse of the flier before he snatched it up, and watched now the ship that he had eyed before disappearing into the shop. They wouldn't accept a ten year old girl, even if she looked like a boy, which she didn't; her face was too angular, cheekbones too high, sun burnt face holding a feminine grace that she would grow into as she got older. But then how to get on? They wouldn't, most likely, even give her a chance to explain that she was a weather witch, no matter how oddly the power came to her. So what?
Stowaway.
The word came unbidden to her mind, and she rose, liking the idea and having no other at hand. But how to sneak on? The anchor... But first... A water proof bag was to be in order... She turned to rummage through the rags the mistress had thrown out; pulling a large piece and one that had threads already unraveling. Her luck, she had been sitting on a pin that had been thrown out by mistake, and so, after getting a flash of small lightening to melt the small metal ball on top and pierce a hole through it, she began to quickly and efficiently make a bag that was large enough to fit a few more scraps of clothe for a new shirt, the Hag's book on magick, and a few knick-knacks she had picked up on the way.
Now... She figured she could ask a wind to spin around it fast enough so that water wouldn't leak in, and then she was ready, striding out to watch the fox stride out, now in elaborate green. Suppressing a bought of laughter that made the sun want to beat down harder and sunnier until she controlled it, Cani walked along the dock until she saw what she had been looking for; a sewage pipe. Making sure that she had not attracted notice, she slipped down, and once out of view of other people, yanked off her skirt and shirt, leaving her in an undershirt and undergarments.
Now for the wind... Yanking on one of the winds that continuously followed her, she looped it around her finger, tongue poking out of her mouth in an effort to keep it from escaping as she began to wind it around the bag, until the wind got the idea and started to spin on it’s own. Pleased with her handiwork, Cani started to wade out until about her shoulders, then she began to doggy paddle the rest of the way to her boat, trying hard to avoid any notice. Her luck holding, for the moment, she arrived at the boat and treaded water, looking at the chains on the anchor and feeling her lips start to turn blue from the coldness of the water.
Ah, well, better get this over with, she thought remorsefully, and holding her bag in her teeth, began to clamber hand over hand up it, until she could slide in the room that held the chain, with what seemed like miles and miles of the metal all coiled together. After pulling the dry clothes out of the bag and releasing the wind, she pulled them on her shivering body and looked around. Where was the door… Ah, there it was! Cani slipped out, praying the Captain was busy, and no other crew members were around, and began to explore, trying to let herself dry. Finally, she found the kitchen, and after nicking a loaf of bread, curled up under the large table that was nailed to the floor with a sack of rags under her, figuring she’d live here until someone found her, or they stopped next. She liked being a stowaway already!
