Goodbye, Anithia

Jenn's journey to Denethgilne begins.

Chapter 1

Goodbye, Anithia

           

            A once profitable city, Anithia now resembled a tattered and broken slum. The long war had ended but production throughout the entire eastern region had become stagnant, leaving Anithia to pay for most of the war’s costs.

            It has been five months since the war has ended, and following half-a-decade of mass production, a flourishing economy and historically high wages, Anithia now served as homeland for a pool of unemployed workers competing for part-time, and often volatile, work. Finding work in Anithia had now become the city’s most common profession, and despite Yulk Eudamonia’s cheerful nature, his optimism dimmed as each day withered away.

            In the last six months Yulk’s greatest accomplishment had been securing employment at a steel factory for twenty straight days, without a day off. However once employers found that there were others willing to undercut the already minimal wage that Yulk was procuring, he was soon released and replaced. But now with even securing a twenty-day tenure appearing unlikely, Yulk and his wife decided that they would head west for a city well-known for its stability and legendary opportunity. This city, which happened to be one of the few benefeciaries of the five-year war, was called Denethgilne.

            Yulk’s decision to move had also been influenced by his lifelong friend Charles, a citizen of Denethgilne, who promised to house Yulk and his family until he could find employment�"a feat which Charles assured him could be accomplished in no time. So following months of unrest and harboring an escalating amount of culpability, the outlook for Yulk and his family had finally offered a glimpse of certainty.

            “Hun,” Yulk said as he plopped another woolen sack into the back of his wagon. “I ain’t too sure we got enough food for the trip, lest the weather keeps us on the road an extra day.” He lifted another of his bags, stuck his large head into it and sighed. “All we got is two loaves. And we can’t even be sure they won’t be froze by tomorrow.” His wife said nothing. “Actually, Marcus and his wife should be back tomorrow�"I’m sure they’d lend us a few loaves if we just waited one more day. Whatdya think, hun?”

            In Anithia where the Eudamonias had spent their entire lives, Yulk had made a living as a caulker and as an occasional baker. But following the end of the war, not only had overall production diminished but the need for ships had dissipated entirely; and Yulk, who depended on such production, found that his small bakery was far from prolific enough to depend on.

             His wife, Irol, had her hands tucked into the crevices of her tight coat trying her best to keep warm. “It’s only going to get colder,” she said, spewing out a visible ice cloud. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

            The winters in Anithia had always been cold, but the constricting chill was even more intense than usual. The weather had already delayed their trip a week, any longer and they would be out of food entirely. But Yulk was quite aware of this.

            “Yulk,” Irol said. “I promise, everything will be fine. We’ll be there in two days and you’ll probably have a job by the end of the week.” Her dry lips nearly cracked with each word.

             Yulk adjusted his glasses, “I suppose you’re right, hun.” His voice became more enthusiastic. “I can’t wait for bunny to see the city. Charles tells me the city’s flooded with children�"she shouldn’t have any trouble finding some good friends.”

            Irol nodded and then climbed up into the passenger’s side of the wagon while Yulk tossed the last of his bags into the wagon. Brushing off his hands, he turned to find his daughter staring out into the city.

            “You ready to head off to our new home, bunny?” Yulk said.

            He set his hand onto her shoulder and shared a similar gaze into the white-coated city. Like his daughter, Yulk had known no other home besides the one in front of him.

            Jenn looked up at her father’s porous face. “I’m ready, papa.”

            “Bunny,” he said, “it’s a little bit of a long ways, but I promise your gonna really like it there. They got all sorts of things for you to do. Heck, I think you’ll like it a hundred times more than Anithia.” He bent down on one knee, “I even hear they got bows that don’t cost as much as cattle!”

             Jenn smiled. She knew her father was concerned and wanted to comfort him like he so often did for her. Secretly, however, Jenn was ready to collapse onto the ground and break out into tears.

            “Thank you, papa,” she said. “But I don’t need a bow, I already have--”

            “Nonsense,” Yulk interrupted. “I’m gonna get you a bow as soon as we gets ourselves settled�"there ain’t no way I’m letting your talents go wasted. So no more disputes from you, young woman. Understand?”

            Jenn wrapped her arms around her father and sunk her head into his soft stomach, before turning back towards the city. “What are the people gonna look like there?”

            Yulk chuckled in his usual way. “Ah, they’re no different than the people here�"of course, except for the horns they got growing outta their heads.”

            Jenn snickered and jumped up at her father who easily caught her. He carried her over to the wagon and set her in the back beside the bags. “Get your little self in there.”

            Unlike her parents, Jenn had the luxury of being sheltered by a large canvas that, because of the many past hailstorms, had been heavily patched up. To her delight, the canvas was remarkably effective in blocking out much of the cold. Jenn pushed aside on the bags and settled herself on a cushion that had been laid out.

            “I think there’s a blanket in that bag there, too.” her father said. “Just make sure to tie it back up once your done so the cold doesn’t get in.”

            “Okay, papa.”

            Jenn untied the itchy twine, reached her hand into the bag and pulled out a frayed blanket that had lost most of its color. Then with her nearly frozen hands, she threw the blanket over her shoulders, drew it tightly to her body, and tied the bag shut again.

            Satisfied, Yulk marched over to the front of the wagon and plopped himself down onto the seat next to his wife, causing the wagon to spring up and down. He took ahold of the leather reins thrashed a whip into the air, “Giddyap!” The oxen tucked their tails between their legs and began ambling along the clay road.

            Although the preceding months had been bleak and enveloped in uncertainty, the Eudamonia’s longed-for journey had finally begun.