So, here we have Day 9 of Anadrasata's great adventure and first trip away from home on her own.  She may be doing some virtue signaling to herself, but she is having a good time.  This runs to 1,074 words and I hope that you enjoy it.

Index Page.

Oaighsday, 19 Ochd, 1893 C.E.

Dear Journal,

At breakfast this morning I was chosen by Mrs Thailai Haghaiphran as her confidante.  She is Mr Haghaiphran's sister and her late husband was their cousin.  She did not mention any children but she seemed proud when she told me that she has not been out of mourning since the death of the Emperor Ghaias - I'm fairly certain that she hasn't been in mourning for a public figure for twenty five years but I could be wrong.  Mre Thailai may believe that we had a conversation but she gives no opportunity for anyone else to add anything that is not already in her mind to the exchange.  Along with details of her late husband's various health travails, Miss Ailain's settlements, and the family hopes for young Mr Haghaiphran, I was given too much detail on the family's concerns that Miss Ailain was sneaking around to see some man while her family was engaged in serious marriage settlement negotiations on her behalf.  Consequently, the family is now watching her closely to prevent more embarrassing behaviour.

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Here we are with another episode in the days of the lives of the first class passengers aboard the airship Pearlish Star. There's an actress, with an entourage, blatantly on the hunt for a new protector, various noble and wealthy persons on their way to a famous and popular seaside resort, various military gentlemen and their wives going where they've been told, two religious scholars, a nobleman who hasn't really explained himself, and a young woman who has no experience with this level of society although she ought to belong here. This piece runs to 758 words, and I hope you enjoy it.

Index Page

Skaithosday, 17 Ochd, 1893 C.E.

Dear Journal,
Neither the Dowager Baroness nor Miss Dhaighan took breakfast with the rest of us today. I have no idea if this was just because they could or because of some upset last night after I went to bed.

All but two of the religious scholars left us this morning in Jihardine. [I have realised that I spelt it wrong in yesterday's entry and my only explanation is that I spelt it the way it sounds to me when people say it.] The Reverend Doctor Saphaidos and his colleague the Reverend Doctor Rhuhthvar remain with us.

On our arrival in Jihardine I received to telegraph messages. The first was from Anna:

MOTHER IMPOSSIBLE STOP CANNOT COPE STOP RETURN AT ONCE STOP

The second was from Mother:

ANNA INCOMPETENT AND UNFILIAL STOP CASTOR IMPERTINENT STOP SURA AND TALLAIG USELESS STOP RETURN IMMEDIATELY STOP

After some thought, I am not going to acknowledge that I have received these messages. Let them believe that I did not receive them.

Our incoming first class passengers are ten Army officers with two of their wives, and one young nab who has very recently left the Navy. Mr Aigos dh'Venhair, formerly Leutenant dh'Venhair, made it his business to sit with the Misses dh'Uhghitairs at lunch and to converse with Miss Lhaidair and myself later in the day. I know I am not an eligible young lady, and it was kind of him to include me.

I had done my language study in the morning, so I walked around the promenade deck and did embroidery in the balcony parlor in the afternoon. Mrs Khaitrai and Mrs Ghaightair joined us and the Vahtraiti ladies poured again. [Perhaps I should quietly check whether they truly wish to be doing this instead of doing it to keep the peace.]

Mr dh'Venhair also joined us and was totally charming. He says that he left the Navy because if he doesn't wish to make a career of it now is the time - he says that neither the rigors of the command track nor the study required to be a specialist officer appeal to him. The Baroness asked after one of his aunts, whom she went to finishing school with, and that is when I found out that he is the third son of the Duke of Bhearghaith. I would have thought that this would make him Lord Aigos, but he did introduce himself as Mr dh' Venhair, so presumably that is how he wishes to be known. Certainly no-one else thought that it was worth remarking on, at least in my hearing. Mr dh' Venhair for his part told us that he was going north to visit his older half-brother - and the Baroness promptly changed the subject. I surmise that the half-brother is not the thing, but it would be crass of me to ask questions.

At dinner I sat at the First Officer's table, the Captain had the bridge tonight, and I sat between Major dh'Lhaigh and Lord Elnaith. I was opposite the Dowager Baroness, whom I smiled politely at, and Miss Dhaighan was on the other side of Lord Elnaith. Major dh'Lhaigh and I discussed the Seither Isle issue - well, he explained it and I did my best to ask intelligent questions. Lord Elnaith and I talked about Umbrial - local personalities, regional politics, and local sites. In retrospect, I think he was pumping me for information, but I have no idea why.

After dinner, before the gentlemen joined us in the balcony parlor, the Dowager Baroness cleared her throat loudly and surprised me by saying, "Miss Nearabhigan, I owe you an apology for my offensive actions of the other night. No matter what your current position, you are not mine to direct, and I should not have presumed to limit your interactions."

I curtsied and replied, "Thank you, my lady. I also apologise if I overreacted to your words."

She inclined her head and said, "Thank you." I believe the matter is settled.

When the tea tray came in, two of the Misses dh'Uhghitairs poured for us all. When we were done with tea, Lord Elnaith inveigled the Dowager Baroness, the Baron, and myself into a game of cards - six hands of maistoto and I think I held my own. Miss Dhaighan attempted to form a court of the gentlemen of noble extraction, but the military gentlemen were interested but overly cautious for her taste and Mr dh'Venhair treated her like an aunt. She did not seem satisfied.

Anadrasata Nearabhigan

Time for a little introspection. Runs to 1,245 words.

Index Page.

Rhoinday, 15 Ochd, 1893 C.E.

Dear Journal,
I woke up this morning wondering why the Dowager Baroness upset me so much last night - and realised that it was because it's so close to being true. My father didn't leave me anything in his will, so I have no dowry or income to support myself, so I live with my mother on her jointure out of her charity and do the housekeeper's tasks to pay my way. My oldest sister is married, with the hope of children and managing her own household when her father-in-law passes on. My youngest sister studies a subject she enjoys and has a talent for, and she has the chance of marriage in her future. If anything happens to Mother, and eventually it will, I will have to find myself a paid position because I can't see that Anna, Sura, or Tallaig's future but unknown wife will want me in their households - I don't think I have the skills to be a children's governess or nanny. If, as Mother seems to believe sometimes, we are clinging to gentility by the merest of threads, then my thread is the one closest to breaking. When I think of what might become of me, I get frightened.

******

At breakfast I was polite and did not approach any of the dh'Uhghitairs. The Dowager Baroness took a tray in her cabin. The Naighteers were very kind.
Today's stop is Haitarnai. It's an odd place name, inherited from the language spoken here before the Empire took over. It wasn't related (isn't related because it still is spoken?) to any of the other local languages. That probably feeds into the story that the tribe here pre-dated the Circle Sea, but that shouldn't be possible - not if they lived here at the time. Two of the religious scholars are leaving us here - including the gentleman who would not talk to me.
The new Passengers are two widowed sisters-in-law, the Mrses Vahtraiti, with their maids, and the Baron dh'Ghair and his secretary. The ladies are travelling with us to Amnestri as they are going to the same northern seaside resort as the dh'Ughitairs. The Baron is only with us for tonight - he is travelling for business in the hinterland between Ulgorial and the coast.
It occurred to me over lunch that the Vahtraitis might be travelling incognito because the Baron dh'Ghair was more...deferential than I would have expected of him given their relative ranks. On the other hand, he may simply have been more considerate of their relatively new bereaved status.
I spent lunch with my back to the Dowager Baroness and I believe that she had her back to me. My morning of language studies had had a calming effect on my emotions, and I endeavoured to ignore the sometimes penetrating sound of her conversation for most of the meal.
After lunch I went for another walk arund the promenade deck and exchanged polite greetings with Baron dh'Uhghitair and his daughters - the Dowager Baroness is not their fault. I told the Baron so when he apologised for his mother's behaviour. I did not stay with them long but finished my walk and then repaired to the balcony parlor and its excellent lighting to begin work on the actual embroidery on the table runner.
When the tea tray for the afternoon came in, Mrs Naighteer poured for us, us being her, the Vahtraiti ladies, the three Misses dh'Uhghitair, and the Bariness. The Baroness very quietly and awkwardly also apologised for the upset that the Dowager Baroness had caused me, and I also told her that it was not her fault. The Baroness then spent three cups of tea gently prying any information the Vahtraitis had on the Baron dh'Ghair out of them. I believe that the most important piece of information was whether or not he is married (he is) but when she asked about his connections and acquaintances I began to wonder if the dh'Uhghitairs might be on strained terms with their existing acquaintances because she reminded me of visitors at Mother's AtHomes who were just that little too eager to make friends.
At dinner I was seated at the Second Officer's table between the Baron's secretary and cousin, Mr Persaius dh'Ghair, and Lieutenant Bainaigh. Mr dh'Ghair's interests lie in the Baron's interests, which he did not discuss, and provincial politics, which he did. The two subjects might not be unrelated. If I were going to reside here instead of just transiting, his comments on the regional newspapers would have been very useful. Lieutenant Bainaigh is one of the officers walking with a cane. When I made polite enquiries about his injury and recovery, he told me that he'd taken a glacier worm's spine through the knee and he was doing as well as could be expected at this stage. I mentioned that on my return journey I would be changing airships at Kordyliss and asked if he had any recommendations if I had to stay there more than one night. When I confessed that the dates of my return journey were not yet set, he advised me of several inns and quarters of the town that I should avoid. I resolved to look up glacier worms in the ship's library. It is small but comprehensive, so it probably has a small encyclopedia or a book on fauna of the Southern Ice. [I mean, its route starts in the Southern Ice.]
After dinner I ducked into the library for five minutes instead of going straight to the balcony parlor. There is an encyclopedia - a ten year old copy of Taishghain's. [This is better than our house where we don't have an encyclopedia at all.] The entry on glacier worms reads, as best I can remember it:

Glacier worms - also known as ice worms, these large creatures are the apex predators of the Southern Ice. They are believed to be several related species , given the presence and absence of spines, mouth tentacles, etc. observed in individual worms. There is a theory that these differences may actually indicate gender and life stage progression, but this is not widely supported. Glacier worms burrow through ice to find their prey, emerging from the ice to devour their victims and disappear again. The largest reported specimen had a length of half an Imperial league and a diameter of fifty Imperial paces. The largest slain specimen was a quarter of an Imperial league long and twenty-four Imperial paces in diameter. Spined specimens have been known to explosively release their spines of up to half an Imperial pace long.

I concluded that the Lieutenant was lucky to still have a knee.
I arrived in the balcony parlor in time to receive my glass of fortified wine and take a seat that meant that the Dowager Baroness and I were not in each other's line of sight. The Mrses Vahtraiti took over the tea tray when it arrived, and the Dowager Baroness did not try to direct anyone to do anything in a way that caught my attention all evening.
Lord Elnaith drew me into a game of cards with the Baron and Mr dh'Ghair, and we played four hands of tocal for copper points. I was very clear that I couldn't afford more than that and they were kind enough to accommodate me. I wound up four coppers down, but I believe I can afford that.

Anadrasata Nearabhigan

So, here we are at Day 3 of Anadrasata's travels.  Other passengers come and go, and she widens the circle of her acquaintance.  Or not.

She has a few more days on the Pearlish Star before she needs to change ships, so we'll see how that goes.

This piece runs to 824 words.

Here is the Index Page.

Thuwnday, 13 Ochd, 1893 C.E.

Dear Journal,

I slept very well last night.  Warm water for washing was delivered to my room at seven, and I was washed, dressed, and at breakfast by eight.

The breakfast buffet was magnificent from my point of view: three sorts of porridge; six cooked meats; two types of eggs; three types of fish - two hot and one cold; stewed and fresh fruit; toast; butter, cream, and milk; preserves and honey; and five different beverages.  And none of it had to be organised by me!  Except for choosing what to put on my plate, of course.

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I continue to write things on nice paper with the fountain pen - it's interesting how often my brain tries to skip ahead when I'm writing longhand.

Do I need index cards for people so I can keep track of them if they recur?

This section runs to 764 words.  Please enjoy.

Here is the Index Page.

Onnaday, 12 Ochd, 1893 C.E.

Dear Journal,

I spent the night at the Eagle's Arms, the inn my family always uses when they come to Glastriel.  This time I wasn't sharing the room on a truckle bed and the experience was much more enjoyable.

I left straight after breakfast and took my luggage to the airship terminal.  I checked my luggage so it could be loaded onto my vessel and made the necessary arrangements to safeguard my bookings.  When that was done I still had two hours before I needed to be back for permission to board the ship, so I did a little shopping.

Mother assured me that everyone in Great-Aunt's household would speak Imperial, but I bought myself a Coatl primer, a pair of commonplace books, pen, pencils, ink, and an eraser. 

My cabin aboard the Pearlish Star is smaller than my room at the inn last night and my room at home, but it is much more comfortable than either.  It is a first class cabin - Mother insisted on there for gentility's sake but the Pearlish Star does belong to one of the smaller, less expensive lines, which is how we are keeping costs under control on this trip.  After boarding but before castoff we were served luncheon in the first class dining room.  It was a sit down, served meal without assigned seating and the Chief Steward gave a little speech to explain to those of us joining the vessel that breakfast would be an informal buffet, self-served, in the dining room each morning, lunch would be as today's arrangement, and dinner would be a formal served meal with allocated seating each evening.

I am glad that I managed to talk Mother and Tallaig into allowing me some new outfits for this journey that did not come out of general household expenses.

Because this is not a large liner, the number of passengers in first class is relatively small - two families, including children, governesses, tutors, and companions, and a dozen military officers.

The Abheerghins are a wealthy manufacturing family with their roots in the Weavers' Guild.  I have heard of them because they donate to our diocese to fund the teaching of letters and numbers to those in our workhouses who don’t have these skills.

The dh'Ghainthears are a cadet branch of a cadet branch of that family, and I understand that Mr dh'Ghainthear is in government service.

The officers are from all five Regiments of the Solaich Brigade.  Two are using a walking stick, one is on crutches, and one has an eyepatch over his left eye.  I understand that they and their men in the other cabin classes are going north to the Army base at Ulgorial for further convalescence and rehabilitation.  Some of them are young enough to call me "Ma'am" although the half colonel and the major call me "Miss".

We had an emergency drill an hour after castoff.  There were some differences to the procedure for our local airships, mainly because of the greater height that we travel at.

I spent the afternoon making sure that I knew where everything was in my cabin, and then took tea with the other ladies in the first class balcony parlor.  Both senior ladies made efforts to find out more about me - no doubt to double-check whether I was someone they might wish as a continuing acquaintance.  I suspect that I am not because I do not move in either of their circles, my connections are limited, and I am not an heiress or well dowered.

After tea I took myself off to dress for dinner and I believe I achieved a credible result.  I was seated at the second table, which was presided over by the Chief Engineer, between Captain Adais dh'Thainbhaign and Lieutenant Pullox Ghearaint.  Captain dh'Thainbhaign is in Prince Bhorain's Own Regiment of the Royal Engineers and Lieutenant Ghearaint is in the 6th Regiment, Royal and Imperial Artillery.  I found both to be charming dinner companions and I did not ask what their injuries might have been.

After dinner the ladies retired to the balcony parlor for a small glass of fortified wine, or a shot of spirits, and conversation.  A tea tray arrived half an hour after that, closely followed by the gentlemen.  I had a cup of tea and two little sweet notions, then I pleaded tiredness, made my excuses , and went back to my cabin.

I followed some of the advice I was given before I left home and both locked my door and propped a chair under the handle.

                                                                                                                      Anadrasata Nearabhigan