She turned when she heard a clamor behind them. A foreign pontoon, blue flags flying, indicated that the Baroons had arrived. They were in the process of tethering to a nearby station. Her heart skipped a beat at the possibility of seeing Ladre, their intimidating leader. She swung back as Gladriel spoke again.
“We have permission to move onto the land. Take it slowly. Start on all fours for balance.” She waved everyone forward, and then turned away to concentrate on her own journey. Talina could see that their leader was still slightly off-kilter, but otherwise she made it onto the flat sand without drama. Realizing she would be left behind, Talina took her first hesitant step.
Her muscles made their usual adjustment for the sway and ebb of the ocean, but for the first time there was no movement from below. She over-balanced and sprawled headfirst into the shallows.
Raror moved to help her up, but he was just as un-coordinated as she was and splashed into the water next to her. Dragging herself forward on hands and knees, Talina crawled onto the still dryness of land. Her head started to sway, and an instant nausea rose as her body tried to compensate for the lack of movement it was so used to.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Raror dived past her to heave his morning cucreamer all over the sand.
He wasn’t the only one.
Talina flipped over onto her back and, using the half-sun as an anchor, breathed deeply for a few moments. Finally the nausea abated enough so she wasn’t about to join the hurling ranks. Sitting up, she straightened her shaky legs before pulling herself up to stand.
She guessed that this was how it felt when learning to walk for the first time. Balancing without the movement of the ocean required different muscles and a center of gravity that Spurns lacked, but eventually most of the Earon clan was able to stand and move further along the sandy beach. Talina loved the delicious texture between her toes; it tickled as it scrubbed her feet.
Once walking became easier, she was able to observe her environment. And she wasn’t the only one; most of the Earon clan was trying to walk and take in the vast wonders surrounding them, which meant there were plenty of tumbles, golden grains flying up in small clouds all around her.
The sand started at the water line and drifted gently up a curved mound. From there on, it looked to Talina like a mix of sand and swathes of green vegetation. She knew that the entire island was only fifty miles wide and ten miles long. At least eighty percent consisted of the lagoona tree plantations, which she could see stretching out into the distance in long straight rows.
It was simply incredible to see. Everything looked so free and unencumbered with no water surrounding it. She was distracted at just that moment as Raror stumbled and fell down next to her. A grin spread across her face as she reached out a hand to help him to his feet.
“This is not exactly how I pictured this experience.” He shook his head, dispelling the masses of sand that had accumulated in his long straight hair. It was such a warm day that already sections of the emerald tresses looked dry.
“We need to get you to water soon, Raror.”
Talina frowned as she examined him. She had never forgotten the story of the Baroon, the blue-haired Spurn who had become lost on this island. They had found him almost at the water’s edge. His hair, which looked to be reaching for the water, had lost all color and was brown and shriveled. From that day on they’d been warned to never let their hair dry out. It was a living entity that was essential for each one’s survival. Cutting a Spurn’s hair was tantamount to cutting off an arm.
But Talina knew that she was different.
When she was younger, she had allowed her hair to dry completely – with water at the ready just in case – but she had only experienced mild discomfort and a dry mouth.
Raror touched her arm. “I’m sure they will have water available when we reach the buildings.”
Eyes crinkled with worry, she continued to shoot glances at Raror. The walk felt like it was taking forever, but eventually Talina noticed a small lagoona-clad building in the distance. Progress had been slow and members of the clans were staggered along the beach.
Already standing under the eaves of the building were the Yetles with their sunlight-yellow hair. Behind the Earons were the Baroons. They marched in a coordinated line. None of them had land-sickness, and their dark-blue hair was sand free. And at the very back, farthest from the meeting place, were the Gerks, the smallest group, their hair shorter and seahorse-gray.
Although progress was slow, the Earon clan finally finished their trek across the warm sand to halt in the shade of the building. Raror sighed in relief as a cool spray rained down on their group. The entire perimeter of the building was furnished with shooting jets that delivered a constant stream of briny ocean water. Talina strained to see where this water came from, and eventually noticed a few Gerks off to one side pumping a large handle. It was attached to some type of water well.