The Sea
- Pin hears Da and Cam fighting and gets worried; she wonders why they yell at each other so much.
- Her mom talks to her about singing and water—anything to take their minds off of the fighting.
- The next morning, when Pin goes to go collect the eggs, she tells her dad she'll swing by the tavern to get Cam—that's usually where he can be found after a fight with Da.
- But it's no use. By the time she gets the eggs and brings them home, her mom figures Cam is gone and so they do his chores themselves.
- There's talk of people being displaced by the Uplander lord. Pin's not sure what this means, and when she asks her dad, she learns that people are kicked out of their homes. Ugh.
- Pin makes her dad some tea and he tells her it's the best drink he's ever had.
- It occurs to Pin that her brothers are more like strangers to her. Cam still isn't home, and she's not sure if he ever will be.
- She thinks about the sea beyond the fields and meadows, and wonders about running to it; she's not sure if she could make it all the way there, though.
- When Pin and Da are planting trees, she starts crying—she's just so upset about Cam leaving that she's overcome with emotion.
- Her dad tells her not to worry, that things will be better in the morning.
- But it's not just that her brother is gone—part of her is happy he's away since he's been all cranky from the war. She's also crying because she accidentally broke the egg wraps that her family sells at the market.
- Pin was thinking so much about Cam that she wasn't even paying attention when she dropped the eggs and ruined them.
- Her mom is ticked. Now what will her family sell? How will they make money? She gets in big trouble from her dad, and even gets a beating.
- In bed, still throbbing, Pin doesn't cry.
- Pin thinks back to Cam's last night there. He asked her why she was being a stranger to him, and their dad was pretty much like of course she is, dude.
- The thing is that Cam's not really around much, except to fight with Da—but when Pin explained this to Cam, he just felt hurt, and now she thinks it's all her fault he ran away.
- She wishes things could go back to the way they were.
- Pin decides to make a break for it and head over to the Uplander camp, but on her way there, Master Keystone stops her and takes her home.
- Her parents give her the usual lecture—you know, the what-were-you-thinking and how-could-you kind—but Pin's not really sure how to answer. She can't explain.
- A couple days later, Mam tells Pin to set her troubles on a prayer paper, and take it out to sea; this way she can be rid of it. Da thinks that's nonsense, but Pin likes the idea.
- In the spring, Da makes parsnip wine. While he's cooking, Pin asks him what the sea is—she's never seen it, but she's asked him about it again and again.
- Later on, Pin takes off for the sea. She walks and walks and walks… well, you get the idea.
- On the way, she runs in to Acton, who quizzes her about where she's going. It's not safe for a maid to walk alone all the way to the sea, he tells her, plus it takes more than a day to get there on foot.
- There's some banter back and forth, but eventually Acton says he's got to get Pin home. She goes along with the plan (reluctantly).