Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 19 ~ Part 1||

82 Days post the fall of Troy

Waves lapped against the ship's haul, rocking the trireme as the ship skated across the open ocean.

The air had cooled down. And there was a faint nip in the air as the scorching heat of summer relented to the more temperate weather of autumn.

A gull's shrill cry echoed in the distance.

Momo looked up. Her hair whipped around her, and she pushed the black strands behind her ear.

Wispy white clouds stretched across the clear afternoon sky speckled by the gray and silver silhouettes of sea birds. To the west, the green mountain ranges of the Rhodopes could be seen peeking over grassy hills that sloped down to create a natural harbor. And at the base sat a small port city.

A gust of wind blew across the ship. Momo breathed in deeply, and the strong smell of salt and freshly caught fish filled her lungs. Her smile widened, eyes shining in a mixture of anticipation and exhilaration as the trireme drew closer to the Greek city.

"Careful. Don't get too excited and fall overboard," Fukukado said with a deep laugh as she slid up next to Momo. She took the position as the kybernete, steering the trireme towards the dock. "I don't want to lose my first passengers after only two days. You'll hurt my reputation."

Momo grinned. "We wouldn't want that now," she said in a light voice. Then, as if thinking, she tapped her chin and added. "However, I have been a bit bored lately. I may need to test your rescue procedures to keep myself entertained."

Fukukado huffed as if offended. "Who do you think I am?" Fukukado's voice lowered, but her eyes were warm with mirth.

Momo's smile widened. "Don't worry." She turned back to stare across the harbor. The wind tugged at her chiton. "I'll be careful and not cause any trouble. I wouldn't want to make my debut in society soaking wet anyways."

The city was coming into view. Against the shoreline, Momo could see small boats nestled up against a wooden dock. Amongst them, local fishermen hurried about, letting down sails or pulling nets full of fish out of the ocean. Beyond the seaport, rows of white houses and the distant arches of a limestone temple could be seen. Momo's heart rose in her chest.

She glances back at Fukukado. "Where are we?"

"Dicaea," Fukukado said without looking at her.

The men on the oars grunted as they rowed. Fukukado angled the trireme to slide around a much smaller fishing boat. The three men within waved as they passed.

"It's about halfway between Sparta and Troy on the edge of Thrace," continued Fukukado. "It started off as a fishing village but has grown a lot over the last ten years and is doing well now with all the trade from the Greek armadas going home."

A dull weight formed in Momo's chest, but she forced herself to ignore the slight throb at the memory of her home. The war was over. It was time to move on. Instead, she smiled at the dots of men and women scurrying between buildings, like worker ants.

"It seems lovely."

Fukukado snorted. "It's not that impressive. It's small, especially compared to Athens or Sparta. You'll see."

Momo nodded but didn't respond. In truth, she didn't care how big or small the city was. It was the first time in her memory of seeing an actual city. A flourishing city not plagued by famine or war.

Her hand tightened around the wooden railing. Momo's smile faded as a thought dawned on her, and she glanced back at Fukukado. "Won't we get in trouble docking right in port? From what I have heard, pirates aren't usually welcomed in Greek cities."