From Marley, with Love.

Chapter 35: Last port on the continent

"How I will miss the east... the hot summers, the freezing winters. My people, Maya... I hope I will see them again. If fate will let me survive...

Written on a scattered note. The hand writing is assumed to be Rosanna's Bauer's

As soon as she had seen that airship she didn't want to stay until the second harvest, she had to leave and get as far away from that safe house as possible. To keep the people, she had grown to love safe from the iron fist of Marley. Her host had given her one of the best horses that they had and wished her luck on her trip to the last port on the continent. Rosanna was told that she could sell the horse for money to get a place on a boat. Rosanna had hastily hugged Maya goodbye, promising to see her again. Tearfully she had turned the corner, into the forest. For 4 months she had been on the road, terrified whenever she saw a village or city with the Marleyan flag waving in the wind. She hadn't been around people for a long time, only to get some food, water at a well or some new equipment. She wished to see the nomads again that she had met one year before. Viola, the wife's leader had become one of her closest friends in that time. "Maybe this is my way of living, travelling, leaving places when Marley pops up." She sighed "Always on the run." She looked ahead when she felt the light change, the forest had been massive and dark, but now; right before her eyes lay the wide, open ocean. She smiled and shed a tear as she looked at this massive body of water. It was yet another sign of her incoming freedom, or a failed chance to reach said freedom.

The small town that she had reached was not occupied, it's military existed out of a lot of young fishermen and women who did not like strangers. They were extremely displeased when a dishevelled looking woman, on a costly horse rode into town. They silently accused her of being a horse thief, travelling around to swindle her luck. She was avoided, but that pleased Rosanna. "Stay away, don't endanger yourself..." she quietly said to herself. There were no inns, or they had been closed down to unwelcome potential visitors. She would make herself comfortable in the hayloft of the stables. She paid for the stables, and snuck to the back of the building climbing via a stack of boxes onto the loft. In the dark, stuffy loft she made a nest of the hay, cosily in a small corner. Even though she was comfortable, Rosanna could not sleep, she thought about crossing the ocean to wherever it would take her. New people, a new language. She wondered if she could be safe for longer than two years. She looked through the cracks of the loft roof, seeing the dark blue sky, tasting the cold crisp air. "it'll be fine..." she whispered to herself, nestling herself into her little nest and closing her eyes.

"So, what is your plan?" Magath asked Zeke. The Marleyans had been situated in the last major city, the only thing they had to take over was the last port. If that succeeded, they would have the whole east under their control. "We have one more option of where she could be... and it is a good advantage point for us as well. Tani, it's a small fisher's village. Barely mapped." Zeke suggested, pointing at the symbol of the fishing boats. "She couldn't have ignored our airships flying over the towns this summer. She would've run to the final option." Zeke assured. "How are you going to catch her?" Magath asked. Zeke took a breath, "I will go there in person, with maybe four other soldiers. Comb out the city. If she isn't there, I'll be back before tomorrow morning." he hopefully looked at the general, hoping he'd agree with his intentions. Magath thought for a moment, "Alright, boy wonder. One last chance of finding that woman of yours." The general nodded and marked down the location. Zeke opened his mouth to protest the "Woman of yours" line, but quickly changed it into a croaky "Very well, commander." he saluted his superior and relaxed as soon as he left the room. Zeke plopped himself down into a seat, taking of his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes. He leaned his head back into the chair and closed his eyes for a minute.

In the dead of night, against the light of the moon, Zeke saw a silhouette of a woman, walking away from the lights of a boat. Long hair covered by an old head scarf, a heavy backpack on her back. She walked uphill towards him, dropping her back pack at her feet. She smirked, "Do you grow a beard to not look like a 17-year-old boy?" she asked giggling, reaching her hand to pull a bristled hair out. Zeke smacked her hand away, "What are you doing, you pipsqueak?" he asked, "Going somewhere you can't find me..." she answered, grinning again and her massive green eyes seemed to grow terrifyingly big, her face becoming twisted and painful. The last thing Zeke could see was the green eyes crackling, stinging the image of their expression in his brain.