The Extraordinary Accounts of One Lost Girl

-8-

I spent three days the same. I ate, slept, looked out of the window on tiptoe and tried to pry as much as information from Aanya and Ahikito. I was allowed out to go to the washroom and only during those trips was I allowed to walk on the deck and at least catch a full glimpse of the sea and feel the sea spray. I think that is what everyone called him. Aanya was willing to talk all that she wanted and spoke mostly about the winters in Moscow, about all the men she knew and complained about how uncivilized brutes they were.

She said that I was the only other female in the ship and that she preferred my company to the rest of the crew who in her opinion, was always trying to flirt with her. I found in understandable. Aanya was beautiful.

Ahikito rarely spoke, but he one day allowed me to take a peek at the booklets he read. I could not understand a word, but could only marvel at their alphabet. I wanted to ask a lot of things from the Japanese man, but he was very reluctant or lazy to talk. For some reason, I felt like those few days stuck in a ship was the only chance I had to get to know about the Eastern Empire. The British Crown didn't like the civilians to know anything about the Eastern Empire. To most of us, the land beyond the Continental Border was a black slate. People never traveled from the Western Alliance countries to the Eastern Empire countries and vise versa. The only ones who did so were spies and the only spies who could do so were the people from which you could not tell their race at first glance.

'Don't try to pry information from that man,' said Aanya one day. I guess Ahikito must have complained to her about how talkative I was. 'As they say, the quieter the deadlier.'

'Are all Japanese like that?' I asked.

'No,' Aanya replied. 'Ahikito is like that. But he is a descendant from the Samurais.'

'Samu-what?'

'Samurai,' said Aanya. 'They are like knights in England.'

I nodded in understanding. I waven't met a knight yet. Knights were not what they used to be long ago but there were still a few knight families, most of them were now simply aristocrats.

'Aren't you worried about what would happen to you?' Aanya asked on the last day. 'We are nearing our destination.'

'Would worrying help?' I asked.

Aanya smiled and ruffled my head, 'No. I guess not. One day, I hope we meet again when his war is over.'

I really doubted that. And from the exchange, I knew that that was the last time I would have chatted with her.