It had to be a few hours of being trapped before there was a vibrating thud through the bench. The giant was breathing a bit harder than before, but was satisfied reaching first for the canteen, and Sesa paused at just hearing the yip from inside as her fingers started to touch the glass. She winced, belatedly remembering the little Bitta that she had been talking at, more than to.
“Sorry Bitta,” the giant woman said, wincing again and turned to grab another canteen. Taking several sips before pausing, then sighed as she glanced up at the faint clouds in the sky. It was turning into a really hot spring day and Sesa turned to reach behind her. First carefully picking up the wish boat that the Bitta was inside of, then one of the brand new crates that she had replaced her older ones with. This one was solid almost all the way through, and even had a lid.
“This will have to do,” the woman said, getting up, turning to sit on her knees and setting the unused, new, catch crate on the bench. She reached for her discarded scarf, wrapping it into a snug loop, half fold. Then set the Bitta’s little boat inside, checking to see if there was anything that fell out onto the hull.
It looked like the Bitta had her own, perfectly miniature supplies in the wish boat, even a little back pack! It would have stayed nice and dry inside on the surface of the sea, if Sesa had not cut the cover on the boat. Now she felt guilty, but this far from shore, the only thing other than Sesa that would have found the little creature, would be a predator of some sort.
Sesa reached over to the not so empty canteen and lifted it despite the sad sound she just heard from inside. The woman sat back, not minding sitting on the deck, moving the crate down as well before resting her back against the bench. Then wrapped both hands around the thick glass, moving to tilt it slowly with the open end resting on her left hand. She could see the little form sliding down to the edge and catching herself there.
The bitta scrambled, trying to not be dumped on the hand, and as Sesa had not tipped the canteen too much, the little being could sit just inside of the opening.
Taking a deep breath, Sesa made sure her hands were steady, and tried to soften her voice, “I’m sorry for leaving you in the canteen. I just want to help, I’m sorry if I’ve been scaring you bitta.”
“...that’s not my name.” a tiny, scared voice said from the edge of the container opening.
Sesa blinked, oh. She felt like an ass now, just calling someone by a species title instead of a name. “What is it?”
There was just quiet for a bit, there was the barest of movement of the bitta peeking out.
“My name is Sesa,” the woman tried again, still trying to make sure her voice was soft. Though she could not help the bit of a rasp. Calm and steady then, not unlike talking to the hatchling creatures back home, only this was someone that could understand her. “I’m… I live alone, not far from the shore. I like to fish and go hunting on the mountain behind my home, and make my garden nice.”
“...Lana…” the small voice was almost missed, and if the weather was not so nice it would have been lost. “I don't know what a Bitta is, but my name is Lana, I'm human.”
Sesa could just see little feet bracing on the inside of the glass. They were so small, and she could just make out with the angle of the canteen, little shoes. Slippers? Sesa wanted a better look, had the not so sudden want to just gently shake the empty container. To hold this tiny being from childhood stories and examine them. Her.
“Lana,” Sesa repeated the name and felt part of her inside softened at the realization once more that this was real . The name was cute, but not some over exaggerated thing like copper or black-cut or something that the new stories claimed Bitta had… human?
Human was such an old-school term, and regional more inland, Bitta was more widely known. More so in the last few generations.
“I'm sorry for sticking you in my canteen… Lana.” Sesa spoke, trying to be calm, to not let her voice boom for the little one. “I did think you'd be safer in there from what I was fishing. It's going to get hotter now, I can move you to somewhere better. Just as safe, but shaded.”
Those little feet shifted into view, the Bitta- human, her feet just touched the calloused palm. Light and almost no noticeable weight like when holding, before the… before Lana peeked out of the not really safe of the canteen opening. Like the quick look before, Sesa saw the short, red tinted blond hair. The woman could not get a good look at the eye color right then, but noted the gray pants that had salt stains on them. The shirt was a bright yellow, what looked like flower pattern on it, but also likely needed to be cleaned too.
“How…long were you in that little…boat?” Sesa asked once the human was in her hand. Lowering the canteen away and getting a good, clear look.
“Four…five days?” Lana started and then corrected, hugging herself as she watched Sesa back as intently. Sitting awkwardly on her knees in the massive palm, side-eyeing the digits shifting around her. Most of Sesa's fingers were just a bit bigger than her. “I think. I was unconscious for part of it, someone put me in the lifeboat.”
“Lifeboat?” Sesa echoed, turning her head to look at the box with the little boat inside, and the bright orange color of it. Her now free right hand came up to cup against the other. Trying to give some more stability to Lana as her arms settled into a comfortable position braced against her front. “That's a life raft? Gods of the sea, what happened to your real boat then?”
“It was a ferry I was on.” Lana said slowly, “I was taking an overnight ferry to visit family. In the evening it got… weird. Darker than it should have and the storm that came had different colored lightning.”
The tiny woman looked up again, but seeing the worried, and empathetic expression on the giant. Lana felt brave enough to keep going. “Oh…”
A Ferryboat. Not a bigger fairy .
“I don't remember much, I was almost asleep when the ferry tilted and alarms went off.” Lana said, sighing and hugging herself some more, “Everything was panicking, something, or someone clocked me. But I woke up in the lifeboat and have been in there since.”
Sesa tilted her head, the woman looking up and scanned around the distant horizon. No evidence of any storm, or trances of strange energy. Just a trickle of living energy from the tiny being cupped in Sesa's hands.
Gods, Lana was just a few odd inches tall, smaller then what Bitta were said to be. Fit so perfectly in Sesa's hands.
The woman shook her head of that last thought, keeping her hands steady and slowly shifted to get Lana in one hand. Moving her right hand into the big carrying crate, holding it still beside the little boat that was settled nicely on the rolled up scarf. “How… what do Bitta, humans, eat and drink? Fresh water, or something else? I have some cheese, berries and bread. Don't know if someone as small as you, can eat the same kind of protein I can... raw.”
Sesa nodded to where that massive bucket had been that she had been setting sea monsters into after reeling them in and decapitating them.
“Erm… I don't like raw stuff.” Lana said from where she sat in her life boat again. Having gone right for her own water bottles now that she was a bit more free. “Propper sushi aside, but fresh water, yes.”
There was a pause, the tiny woman looking up at the Sesa's for a moment. Only really able to see her upper body now from in the box.
What… what could make cheese for someone that massive?!
“What… kind of cheese?” The thought finally came out and Lana looked awkward as she realized she asked that aloud.
Sesa smiled, watching without blinding fear, it was easier for Lana to realize the giant woman had several thin scarring on her face. Not in any set pattern, but almost looked like thin stripes. “It's called bubble cheese, well, commonly. I don't know the fancy name. Here.”
Sesa shifted and reached behind the bench, twisting around to grab one of the containers back there. Lifting it over the bench, and the wooden box Lana was in. It looked like a very old fishing tackle box that had been converted or fixed up as it was very weathered but had shiny new metal hinges and clasps. Sesa picked up her smaller knife left on the bench as well, moving around to focus on what was now out of sight of the bitta.
The woman glanced down at the human beside her. Judging the little form and then looking back to her ‘lunch box' that had more snacks, as fishing trips normally let her be full one way or another. Bring some home her catch to freeze for the rest of her week.
At this rate though, if Sesa kept catching fish like this for the rest of the day as if normal, she would need to gut and filet things before docking to get it to fit.
Having a good stalk pile would be nice! So would having a full cold room in the basement after the last few rough years.
Sesa turned to look at Lana, who was fiddling with something in her boat…liferaft. Trying to shake off the momentary thought of keeping the Bitta. That thought she would fit with plenty of room on her table at home. “Do you want some more water? I have something here that's like a big bucket, and maybe a tub too.”
Sesa lifted two little containers that had been left in the box. She lowered them to wipe off the dust with Sesa’s shirt before moving to reach into the crate. Pausing as Lana flinched, small enough the eager movement rushing closer was startling. Sesa hummed and looked guilty, holding still before Lana peered over the edge of her boat.
“I could use some water to refill… gods a bath sounds amazing.” She itched her arms, paused and looked up at a Sesa who was pulling the small cups, glass? Crystal? One was wooden, polished smooth, the other looked like a butter dish in the giant's hand.
“You can clean up the salt off of you,” Sesa said as she found a bigger jug with her left hand, something that was the equivalent of almost five gallons to her. It was made of the same smokey glass that the container Lana had been in. “I have more than enough for me, let alone what you can use to wash your clothes too. With how warm it'll be, you'll dry off fast too.”
“How…long are you…we going to be here?” Lana asked, watching intently of what she could from her angle. The sun was fully up but nowhere near the height of the day.
“For the day, or I fill the other crates. Not what you're in now. Don't think you want to be in the same place as my future dinners.” Sesa chuckled, moving back to set the first small container down in the box with water inside. The woman remembered to move a bit slower this time. Then the wooden one after, and cleaned her knight to start trying to slice off thin slivers of cheese. It took three tries to get a nice piece away from the outer edge, even if it was as long as Lana's leg. It dropped into the other small wooden bowl-disk, examining what was in the box. Using the tip of her knife to gently pick up a few of the riper berries to go with the cheese.
At least slicing the sourdough bread was pretty easy to get some of the softer part inside out of it. Sesa paused and then got a bit of her sweet spread from the small jar, getting it on the knife tip and then putting it on one side of the improvised dish. All and all, it might be too much for one sitting but Lana could nibble throughout the day. Lana was sipping her water with self control in between filling the different little containers. Hopefully that meant she would not hurt herself by overeating.
“Here, I got something for you to eat.” Sesa spoke up, looking back into the crate and saw Lana looking up. This time waiting a moment to be sure the Bitta knew Sesa was going to get closer again as she lowered the dish lid.
Lana scooted back from the hand larger than her. Looking confused and the awes at the lid set down by the water. Only after Sesa pulled back did Lana come back, peering at the offering of food. Touching the sliver of soft inner bread that was almost as thick as her hand and long as her arm.
“It smells fresh.” Lana said touching the corner of the bread and pinching off a corner and then tried to nibble it. Waiting to see if there was a reaction.
“I made it last night.” Sesa said, fighting the childish urge to lean on the new crate and watch inside intently. She was an adult, Sesa had been an adult Making herself settle back and hook her arm over the bench Sesa was using as a back rest.
The sole pole set back out started to give a sound as is hooking another fish. Drawing Sesa's attention to it, reminding her she was out at sea for a reason. To get food for the week, or month if this rate kept going.
“I need to move the crate bitta… Lana. Can you brace?” Sesa asked as she turned back, slowly moving to sit on her knees again. Looking down into the box crate.
Lana flinched at the shadow that passed over her, but that did seem to help against the glare of the morning sun. “Move?”
Sesa nodded, grasping the sides of the new crate, “Yes, just a few feet, back up on the bench. I'll make sure it's tied down so it won't fall or tilt.”
“Okay… okay that's… fine.” Lana said as she scooted back away from everything into a clear spot to sit.
Sesa shifted her grip, trying to be as steady as she could be. Using the small containers of water to judge. Trying not to make them slosh, thus keeping Lana steady inside as the storage crate was moved to the bench and slid to the same side of the bench. Finding a line and a wish boat she found before the bitta. Human. Sesa put the flat bottom wishboat inside on the clear side to stay safe out of the way, and give Lana another stable thing inside. Then she used the line to tie the crate to the side of the boat, then set the lid on at an angle, using the same line to loop under the bench and secure the lid.
“There, I won't leave the lid off but that should give you some sun and keep any birdies from getting inside.”
“...Birdies?” there was a slight echo to Lana's voice now that Sesa could hear. It was not nearly as muffled as she had feared.
“Yeah, they come to get scraps from fishing boats.” Sesa explained, making sure the crate would stay in place and stable. “Cute things, somehow with their big beaks and being mostly all wing.”
Satisfied the wooden crate would not move other than the rocking of Sesa's boat. The woman sat back and then got up. Sesa reached to bait and tossed the other three lines out before grabbing the first pole, as it now for sure had something on it.
Sesa smiled to herself, not sure what would happen after getting to port and back home. Maybe she could be forgiven for using the good luck of the bitta fairy for the day.
What does one really do with Bitta? Humans? After finding one.
Sesa realized the old stories from her childhood were not very clear. Some stories that talked about Bitta as animals, said eating them would keep the luck. Others talked about them as fairies that lived in the walls of a house, and needed to be given things in exchange for luck. Or finding their wish boats on the shore line or on a lake shore. Lana talked, and had a name . Even though she was clearly scared of Sesa, the tiny thing seemed very aware. Not like an animal or something toddler like that needed a bigger creature to survive.
Sesa paused at that last thought, suddenly thinking of the nearby town to her home. Seeing it in a new light of how titanic to someone barely a few inches tall. Even her own home with solid stone and wooden walls would be so out of scale to Lana. As well as being purposefully so out of the way from people.
Gods, what was Sesa going to do?
