Traveling to Anuipuk was still incredibly difficult for Olena, because of her tragic memories associated with the location; but she still found it to be the best place to find specific fresh seafood. And as she still didn’t quite trust anyone enough to keep her children whilst she traveled, both green palms held a small hand in them. She had never been to this specific area on Anuipuk so she wasn’t quite sure where she was headed, but there had to be a market nearby, right? There were docks nearby, so somebody had to be selling seafood not too far. Her daughter, however, was more drawn to the water, with her quiet curiosity. The girl, tall for her six years, looked up at her mother with big blue eyes and that same serious face that was often comical on such a young child. Olena had been anxious to get back to Urga, but she hated rushing her kids out of an experience that could have been valuable. “Do you want to go to the water?” she asked quietly, bending so she was closer to Kalyna’s height.
Olena looked to her son, Symon, who was still young enough to be unpredictable in his wants. “Do you want to go to the water too? We might see a mermaid or a whale.” The boy shrugged. That was good enough for Olena to lead them both by hand down an empty dock. The kids weren’t old enough to remember living on Anuipuk, and they didn’t live near any water now, so she figured it wouldn’t hurt to get an experience out of this.
