Ten years later, Avandale,
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Yu is now sixteen. Standing at one meter seventy-two, she sports a magnificent head of hair often styled in a long, flowery braid. The golden highlights of her hair always match the golden touches of her green doe eyes. Today, she's getting ready to make her big brother happy. With a smile on her lips, she checks that her freckled complexion is perfect.
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She dresses in a long linen dress the same fern green as her eyes. She adds a brown vegetable-leather belt to mark a separation between the plain-colored top of her dress, adorned with an embroidered collar, and the lower part decorated with jasmine flowers. She slipped on cotton socks and shoes in the same leather as her belt. That's it, Yu is ready.
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Happy and excited, she dashed out of her room, down the old wooden steps and through the estate gate. Greeting the craftsmen as she exits the mansion, she walks down the main driveway of the medical area. On one side, she passes ancient stone buildings dedicated to curing all ills. On the other, she passes more rustic, timber-framed structures offering medicinal treatments for sale.
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She continues on her way, observing the martial arts academy and the one that initiates martial arts and magic practitioners. Large, luxurious buildings, each concealing a vast learning ground. She skirts the backs of a few port stalls and finally arrives at the quays. These open the way to water that, at first, is quite limpid, but then turns red. This color is due to the warm coral covering much of the sea floor. The red is also due to the local plankton, which only reflects this color.
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The port of Avandale is one of the town's greatest assets, playing a major role in its commercial development. Covered with high-quality pebbles set in natural cement, it welcomes visitors with elegance. Finally, at its seaward extremities, the harbor proudly bears its meticulously carved stones in the shape of various creatures.
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Impatient, Yu can't stand still. She walks briskly, smiling at everyone she meets. She heads down to the end of the catway, which is supposed to be the mooring point for the ship she's waiting for.
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But it's still too early. The boat is not yet visible. So Yu decides to go and help the busy dockers. She's been visiting the docks for several years now. So she's used to helping the workers, and they don't hesitate to entrust her with small tasks either.
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- Yu! calls a man with a loud voice.
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- Mister Hawkins! replies Yu with a beaming smile. Are you home? Hello!" she adds, coming closer.
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- Hello, sweetheart! So it's today? he asks, returning her smile.
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- Yes, but they don't seem to be arriving any time soon. Can I help you in the meantime? she offers enthusiastically.
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- Um... Actually, today we've got a newcomer. Could you go and help him? The poor guy looks lost, suggests the pontoon manager, his hand on the back of his neck, looking thoughtful.
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- Of course he does! Where is he? she asks, searching with her eyes.
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- On catway number five, his name is Marvin, says the middle-aged man with the salt-and-pepper beard.
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- I'll be right there! Have a nice day, sir, she greets cheerfully.
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Arriving at the junction of the pontoon and the catway, Yu asks around where Marvin is. The harbor's not that big, but there's a lot of people coming and going, and it takes time for newcomers to make themselves known to everyone. So nobody really knows. She does, however, spot someone who totally fits the description of "a bit lost". He's a young boy, maybe only fourteen. It's his coppery hair, moving from side to side, that gives Yu the bug. She goes to see him.
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- Hello ! Marvin, isn't it? begins the young girl.
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- Good morning. Or- yes it's m-, it's me, he stammers.
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- Don't worry, I'm here to help you! she tells him energetically.
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- Ah, ah well? Uh, o-okay. So uh ... he thinks, looking lost.
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- Look me in the eye, Marvin, she asks. She continues: Everything's going to be fine, just take a deep breath. Calm your mind. Then tell me, do you remember what we asked you to do?
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- Um... I think they asked me to clean the catway for the arrival of a boat, but I can't find the material. I've been looking for a while... he worries.
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- It's nothing, I guess you're shy, so I'll help you find it, she reassures him.
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- Oh, thank you so much! Thanks a lot, eh? Mademoiselle? begins Marvin with a questioning look.
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- Oh, sorry. Call me Yu, she replies, her voice full of kindness.
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- Thank you Yu," he smiles.
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- Come on, let's go! she says, nodding in the direction of the pontoon.
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They make their way to a place where there's a lot of people coming and going. Yu watches for the slightest sign of cleaning equipment. It doesn't take her long to spot one. She hurries off to ask permission to borrow it. Focused on her objective, she forgets Marvin, who is nailed to the floor. But it doesn't matter. Having obtained permission, she returns to him with the equipment.
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- Look what I've got for you, she says, wheeling out the cleaning cart.
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- Thank you, thank you so much Yu. I'd never have dared to do it alone," confides Marvin.
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- Don't worry, I've been there. But once the job's done, do you think you'll be able to return it to catway number two?
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- Yes, I think I could do that. It's been very kind of you to help me so far. Now I'll be able to manage. Especially as you're well dressed. I wouldn't want to get your beautiful dress dirty, he replies, his voice lower and lower, his complexion reddening.
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- Don't worry about my dress, Yu begins, touched by his shyness and thoughtfulness. I'm used to coming to help out, two or three times a year. Once, you couldn't even see the color of my clothes," she recalls, thinking of that sweet memory and laughing slightly.
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- The teenager watches the horizon while chatting and sees the sails she's been waiting for. She looks Marvin in the eye again.
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- Marvin, unfortunately I have to leave you. The person I've been waiting for has just entered the marina. You'll make it, won't you? she assures herself.
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- Yes, no worries, he replies with a smile. I have to return the equipment to catway number two, right?
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- Right! And above all, don't worry and don't hesitate. I warned them that you started today and that you're shy. They're all very nice. And if you need help in the future, don't hesitate to tell the people around you. You know, it was even the person in charge who sent me to you because he was worried, she explains.
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- Is that so? Well, thank you very much. You'd better get going. If you ever need help, I'll do my best to meet your needs. Thanks again, he says, tilting his head slightly in appreciation.
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- Really? That's very kind of you. Good luck with the cleaning, she concludes, waving goodbye.
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Yu heads for the central catway. The long-awaited boat finally arrives. The Fendelang de l'Aube, a large ship strongly resembling a majestic three-masted galleon. Its night-blue hull, adorned with silver ornamentation, can slice through scarlet waves in the middle of a storm. Equipped with openings to extend or retract the cannons, this marine vessel is ready for any battle. On the various deck levels, the crew are busy preparing the mooring. Coordination is essential for such a maneuver. The bright white sails are lowered one by one. The castle at the stern of the boat blends harmoniously into the hull, proudly displaying its delicate, well-designed forms. At the bow, the figurehead boasts a proud albatross bust in a light color that stands out from the hull.
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In fact, young Naterelli isn't the only one pining for the arrival of this famous ship. After all, it's the best of the entire Avandale fleet, and the most important player in the river trade. At the front of the queue are the dockers who load and unload the ships, in second are the sailors' families, and at the back are the delivery men who will deliver the goods to the local shops. And Yu is quick to go and wait at the very front. The dockers, who know her well, don't take offense. And let's not forget the exceptional team on hand to coordinate with the crew for a successful and delicate docking.
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The hustle and bustle of the harbour is getting louder and louder. Usually reserved for the work of dockers and sailors, it now lends itself to festivities. The stalls at the entrance to the port are all decorated for the occasion, with garlands placed between them and between the lights on the quays. Everyone present, with the exception of the workers, is beautifully dressed.
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Excitement is at its peak when the complex mooring maneuvers begin. The youngest shout the name of their loved one, their eyes filled with stars. The older ones, their eyes shrouded in emotion, wave at the boat, hoping to be seen. Others are almost ready to push through the crowd to be the first to make their reunion. Yu, however, remains calm, his smile bigger and warmer than ever.
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Against all expectations, one of the children can't contain himself and lets go of his mom's hand. He runs towards the docking ship and collides with a dockworker. The balance of his stride breaks. He drifts to the edge of the floor. His mother shouts his name in terror. He almost falls into the water, but suddenly a swift shadow moves! Rising from the boat, a young man rushes to the child's rescue and barely catches him.
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The young man, with his well-defined face and gentle eyes, reassures the child and lets him rejoin his mother, still in shock. Then he turns, dressed in a loose-fitting outfit, to the young Naterelli.
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- Yu! he exclaims, oblivious to what's going on around him.
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- Leo! replies Yu, her joy couldn't be greater.
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