Sample writing (not canon)
Hugo looked out over the water at a piece of land familiar to him. Cliffs reached high out of the sea, to the west they sloped down to meet a rocky shore. A small town, or more so a village, nestled itself in the hills, surrounding itself with fields. A forest stood strong behind it, embracing the earth it had claimed with its rich foliage.
The ship pulled into the dock that stretched out like arms into the bay. In the water below seals chittered amongst themselves, playfully swimming about. Their sad brown eyes looked up at us with a sort of familiarity.
Hugo smiled and waved at them. He turned to me with similar enthusiasm, “You’ll love it ‘ere, sure of it.”
I looked at him and sighed. It wasn’t a sad sigh, nor an annoyed or bothered one. I would say it didn’t mean much of anything at all, but Hugo, dear Hugo, always took that sigh for silent words.
“I’m glad to hear it, love,” he replied, managing to find the words ‘I’m sure I will.’
I cleared my throat to tell him I would speak, he in turn cocked his head and straightened his posture.
“Are you sure?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you sure?” I asked again, “Are you really sure you want to live here? I thought you hated your old life.”
He paused and turned his gaze to the small island. The fae stayed quiet awhile, simply staring out but seeing nothing. It was hard to tell what was going through his mind, and I could only hope I hadn't shaken any ill memories. His mind was as free spirited as the wind, never resting, always changing its course.
Hugo leaned against the ship’s rail and a smile played at the corner of his lips before vanishing again, “I wouldn’t say hate, although there were certainly things I disliked. I have no intention to seek out the other f-” He had almost said faeries, and he would have, had he not remembered the presence of the crew, “The other good people. If they come to me, that's a different story.”
“Good or ill intention, let’s hope they don’t come.”
“Mm, let’s,” Hugo hummed.
We took our thoughts from the shore and brought our attention to the tasks of the ship once more. The crew scurried about the deck like mice, making every preparation to dock. We remained silent as the other men lowered the gangplank.
I cleared my throat once more, “Did you miss it?”
Hugo turned back to me wearing a blank face.
“Here, I mean. Did you miss it?”
He pursed his lips, “A bit, not too often though.”
“What about it did you miss?”
He thought again before continuing, “I miss the forest and wading through the river during the summer. I miss sitting by the kitchen hearth during the winter. But it’s all nothing I can’t have with you.”
“In all honesty,” I said, “I don’t know how to reply.”
Hugo heaved his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the gangplank, “Don’t need to, that smile is enough.”
I shook my head and followed him onto the docks.
Hugo’s steps were light, they never made a sound as his feet met the pier. Light, so light he couldn’t kick up moss from it’s bed when he trods across it.
I kept my gaze down, looking at the ground, weary of the slick boards that rested between myself and the salt water. Spray splashed up onto the deck. The waves must have picked up, but when I glanced at the rest of the bay it was calm. Water still beat against the pier, splashing up, and in a desperate maner grasped at Hugo’s feet. The waves tried once and fell short, twice to the same result, and then a third time with success.
Like a hand the sea grasped his ankle, it did not drag him in, but pulled it’s form onto the dock. The water rippled and refined itself into the shape of a woman, a faerie, clothed in silver gossamer and a circlet around her head. She looked up at Hugo and recognised him, despite his current human form, as one of her own.
Hugo in turn looked down at her and remarked how she had made his socks wet.
