THE JOURNEY ACROSS the ocean was a long one, and Akshara gave up counting the days long ago. Every day was the same—they’d rise early, eat a morning meal of fish, and fruit. The fruit ran out rather quickly in the voyage, so the morning meal eventually became fish and a very hard, dry bread. For the other two meals, well, it was also fish and dry bread. But Akshara was used to eating whatever she could scrounge up, so this was practically a feast.
For the rest of the day, Akshara and Erevia learned how to live life on a ship—unfurling sails, tying knots, cleaning the deck, and entertaining the men with stories of their long, strange adventure.
“Someday I’ll have to visit this Aransia,” one of the men said as they ate their evening meal.
“It’s hot, and I’m not sure you can handle it, Dai
