On the eastern slide of the foreward deck, Ayla basked in the spray as the ship lurched into life. At first, she faltered, gripping the railing a moment tighter to steady her feed as the rocking upon the waves became an active task rather than passive. She bit her lip to hold her excitement, watching the sails above swell with the breath of hope.

From sail to sea, she wondered at the beauty of a world she had never been privy to before. When her tune finished, she was startled to find she was no longer alone. She gave the captain sheepish smile and quietly explained, “A song my mother used to sing when I was young.”

The sudden call from captain to crew elicited a small squeak of breath from the elf. She beamed, overcome with the spreading harmony rippling through the crew and even to the man in charge. A wide, pure joy grin lit her eyes and flushed her cheeks. Though the song was new to her, she rocked gently to the thrumming rhythm in a small celebratory waltz. 

Ayla turned small free-form circles in her improvised ballet, felt the wind increase as the shore withdrew. She sashayed gently along the edge of the rail, embracing the future with wide arms and uplifted palms. Expelling a hearty, audible sigh, she allowed herself a laugh and came to rest once again overlooking the water. 

"Tenn' ambar, tenn' yássë, er i sáma" she whispered to the horizon, smiling.