She was twelve then and the students were told not to get out of their cabins and take shelter until they clear the ship from the invading soldiers. Lealy was sitting next to the girls, hiding in their cabin. Tirad had come in and took shelter in her arms, turning her from an anxious girl into a safe haven for all those weaker than her. She still doesn’t know which instinct had woken inside her, a maternal or a sisterly love. Whatever it was, it had helped her later on when she started practicing medicine. Maybe she didn’t take Tirad in her arms because of a sisterly instinct, she needed to belong to someone or some place and Tirad had made her feel needed. They had sat by the cabin wall, covering their ears and waiting for hours until Hurmaz had finally honked the horn again in victory. Tirad has taken shelter in the arms of another woman now; he had run off and hid. Lealy should have known people don’t change so easily.

The Saviour Ship smelled of blood, gunpowder and burnt flesh for many days, the stench of fear and death. The sounds lingered much longer, they echoed in the wooden corridors and cabins for weeks, the sounds of guns firing, swords clashing, bodies tearing, blood splashing and people screaming in pain, falling and dying. The same goes for Oxan. She believes the whole island will forever be filled with the smell of smoke and fire and the burnt skins and flesh, and the screaming sound of women and children burning or drowning will always dwell under the roofed alleys. The horns of Parsana foretell a similar fate. The pouring rain fades the humming sound of the large Parsana crowd, gathered around from all three ships. Armina is standing next to Pejhan and Ashid in the first line of the crowd. She must have rushed out of her cabin forgetting her green scarf. Mart is standing before them! Lealy takes a step back, scared and worried but she is forced forward by the pushing crowd that has come out of the cabins. She stands listening to Mart who is surrounded by armed soldiers. He probably won’t recognise her, not in the fog and rain and amongst so many people, especially with the large, burn mark on her face that has become so slender due to the pain and calamities she has suffered. Mart has a megaphone in his hand and wants everyone to hear his voice. She shows a piece of paper to Armina.

“According to this peace treaty signed by the seventh Great Disciple, as long as Parsana doesn’t interfere with Oxan and the Saviour Ship affairs, it is safe to continue its activities…” he says and wants Armina to verify his words. Armina’s voice is not heard from where Lealy is standing but she can say from her gestures that she confirms this part of Mart’s words and is sceptic about the rest that is going to follow.