Some cargo and not much else

Isa glanced around the faering for what supplies Magnus and her had been able to toss aboard the skiff in the few frantic moments before their lives came crashing down. Cold air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing panic would only hurt their chances of survival. Another gulp of the lukewarm water put her mind at ease enough that she could see with clear eyes.

The first, and most obvious, things they had were the fur pelts meant for trade. The benefit of them was that they could triple as blankets and mats to protect themselves from the earth sucking the heat from them. Mindful of making sure the skiff did not tip over, Isa maneuvered herself and the bundles of fur this way and that. Minutes trickled by until she was finally satisfied she had not missed anything.

Six bales of tightly bound fur were arranged around the two of them. While Isa had not untied the leather straps to see what types of pelts there may have been hidden on the inside, she was confident that all six would be worth the haul to Constantinople, even if it made their trip a little cramped. ‘Not that someone wouldn’t mind that,’ she let out a half-hearted giggle, wiping the sweat from her brow. ‘Father made sure all the furs were the best he could buy,’ Isa’s heart skipped a beat as it steeped itself back into anguish.

Stripping off her cloak, Isa laid it atop one of the bundles. Starting with the fingers on her right hand, she slowly moved. First her fingers curled and straightened, then her fist. Next, her arm up to the elbow and working her way up to her shoulder. The trick was taught to her by Father, a way to keep her mind from being overwhelmed. It was augmented by Mother’s suggestion that she empty her mind and only focus on happiness, or at least on nothing at all. The movement finally ended at the fingertips on her left hand.

“Father, thank you.” The smile aimed upwards towards Heaven may not have been as bright or cheery as what usually graced her fair face, but it did carry her love. “Keep Mother company….”

Her blue-grey eyes darted back down, eyeing Magnus lying as comfortably as he could on the furs she had rearranged for him. The small chest was the next thing on her list. The unassuming oaken box was more valuable than all the bulky pelts. Flipping the latch, Isa pulled the lid open.

The first thing that caught her eye were the long, slightly curved tusks that took up a majority of the fur-lined space. None of the walrus ivory was shorter than a foot in length. If one looked at either end, you could spot the fine stroke marks that blended seamlessly into the grain of the ivory. Isa knew that the large beasts that these had once belonged to could grow much larger pieces, but who would purchase that? It would have been too short to be a proper staff, but if cut at just the right length it could be turned into a multitude of things from noble decorations to precious story pieces recording momentous occasions that only grew more pronounced with age.

Having been carried away with her thoughts, Isa refocused on the items before her. A quick count delivered a total of seven walrus tusks. Occupying the remaining space were two leather pouches. She knew they would contain the amber she helped pack.

The first pouch contained the smaller pieces of orange resin. None were smaller than her thumb, though each had some sort of minor defect be it oblong or bumpy. These eleven pieces were meant for further refinement, being slotted into jewelry or artwork. The other pouch, however, held the more precious of the golden gemstones. The five stones were carefully wrapped in a thin fleece blanket meant to protect them from scratching one another. Each was no smaller than an egg, meant to be the crowning centerpiece of some jewelry yet to be made. ‘A skilled craftsman could also make them into ornate amulets,’ she mused.

Carefully putting the gorgeous stones back into their protective blankets and pouches, Isa shut and re-latched the chest. Eyeing the lockbox, she decided to save that for last and turned her attention to what non-trade supplies they had. With the skiff not that large, the search was over in a matter of seconds. They had two pouches full of jerky, unshelled nuts, and dried berries Magnus and her carried as part of their regular attire, and the adjoining waterskins, but she knew that already. The only other things on the boat were the bundle of drying rope she had hauled back into the faering when she regained consciousness and a small satchel containing flint and kindling.