The day was dark and rainy, sheets of heavy rain fell from the sky as a great storm, blowing up from the encircling sea blew itself out. the Freighter stood close by the village. hidden by interwoven limbs and thick layers of leaves and vines inside the village little more than rivulets of water running from the branches into gathering pools showed from the pouring rain beyond the dome of the village.
   The tribe had spent days celebrating the beginning of the summer season and the successful completion of the rights of maturity. Dozens of young Arboriii had competed for prestige and standing among the various castes and families. The winners of the contests being granted decorative tattoos and their first glyphs on their witch marks.
   The Priestly sect gathered to wish Lissala well on her life quest.they gave her a selection of herbs, ointments, and pigments for her year long journey as well as the tools and clothing she would need for her time beyond the tribes.

  " fare the well, May the spirits of the forest, and our ancestors guide you and keep you." Matriarch Seanda smiled as she handed Lissala a sash that marked her as a novice on their wayfaring.

"Thank you so much, Matriarch.  You... the entire tribe has been so generous in their gifts to me for my journey.  I will do my best to make you all proud upon my return."

The acolytes loaded Lissala's belongings onto the freighter, and she slipped away from the crowd to say her goodbyes.  All too quickly, it was time to depart, and the crowds of those she loved faded away to absolute silence.  She sat in her room on the freighter contemplating the changes in her life that this day would bring.

  The first days of the trip are uneventful. the weather is rainy and winds are high tossign the ship as it plows through the storms and makes it's way upward to the higher reaches of the realms.
  Schools of multi colored aerial "fish"dart and weave skimming mouthfuls of drifting pollen and spores then dart away as larger creatures swoop in to grab a mouthfull of the smaller creatures.
  " Miss they are about to serve dinner in the galley if your hungry." a Sailor with a smatter of tribal tatttoes on his face and arm speaks up as he spots Lissala." If you can eat, this weather has a lot of the passengers looking a little green. I've seen a few storms but these Arborii storms are brutal."

Lissala hangs onto the wall just to stand up.  The storm is like nothing she's ever experienced.  "I don't think I can eat anything right now.  Thank you.  I'll be up anyway, if just for some water."

She takes her time before moving again, and when she does, goes slowly while bracing herself against the wall.

  " First flight?" The sailor asked and looked sympathetic. It happens when the ship tosses, once we clear the envelope it calms down. until we have to go through Storm Reach, then it gets rough."

   Your lucky last season a hell storm Bew up off the Sea and took out a dozen ships that couldn't find shelter before the storm overtook them."

"Yes.  My first." she says, gripping the bulkhead for support.  "But someone said this storm was worse?  You don't think we're in any danger, then?  If it's just this I should be fine as long as I don't eat anything.  Green isn't a good color for me."

  Your doing better one fella is making the trip hanging over a bucket."The sailor laughed sympathetically then took a small packet of flat thin wafers from his pocket and offered it to Lissala." Saltines, they help ease your stomach after you force yourself to eat them."
  The young man looked out into the storm watching the clouds and the rain with a distant look, then smiled slightly. We're fine, this old bucket has looked worse in the teeth and kept on sailing. Captain Rorsch had the weather eye, and this storm doesn't dare raise his ire."

"That's good to know.  Do you know when it will be over?"

  "well break free of the storm layer in oh six seven hours then nother telve till we hit The Storm Reaches. The captian will try and find an opening in the storms to slip through." The sailor replied with a sympathetic smile. He motioned to a bench by the read deck stair way." You might want to sit down I've never seen that shade of green on a human."

   "What has ya out in the skies, we don't get many Arborii heading up realms?"

Still leaning against the wall, Lissala says, "I think this color is almost normal for me.  Maybe it's not as bad as I thought.  I'm feeling a little better already.

I'm on a quest.  I'm supposed to prove my worth as a priestess.  Learn all I can, and bring something back for the clan."

Well then you look lovely in green the Crewman laughed as he shook his head." I heard some folk turn their folk out to do such things. Sort of how it was with me. Got tired of living in the poor house and made my way out on the docks. "

 "so what sort of things Your folk look for. As far as I can tell they don't make much of the Upper realms folks goods."

Lissala would normally be blushing at the compliment, but despite her previous words and her smile, there's not much chance of color going to her face at the moment.

"Thank you.  Most of us who do this look for something we can learn to make when we're gone, to bring back and help the clan.  There aren't many ships that come, and we don't make much to trade with, so it has to be something we can do for ourselves.

It's different for a priestess.  They expect a lot of me.  I could be gone for a long time."

  " We'll ya have to get away from home ot appreciate it." Simon smiled looking a biit homesick " I've done a bit of traveling, to find my way. I can tell you traveling is an art, you trust the wrong peopl, or say the wrong thing and you could end up taking a long fall off a pier somewhere."
  "And not everything people will teach you is all that useful to an honest person. I'd say for now get to know the people yer traveling with, after you get your legs under you that is."