• Closed • Two in the Crow's Nest

[Tristan Venora]

Vhalar 14, Arc 716

"I’m going to be sick!" Tristan announced to anybody who cared to listen – but especially to Faith – as the ship started moving at what he was sure was lightning speed, leaned over the rail and emptied the contents of his stomach into the ocean. The sight of the waves crashing against the sides of the ship immediately prompted him to be sick again. Fortunately his stomach was already empty so that nothing more came out. He still felt miserable beyond measure though.

"I had no idea that I would be seasick", he informed Faith, eyed the water warily and made a step back. Why did the damn ship have to be moving? "I’ve never been on a ship before. It’s quite embarrassing, really. But on the other hand, I’m providing our fellow passengers with a bit of entertainment and distracting them from the purpose of our journey, am I not?" He tried to smile his usual mischievous smile, but failed miserably. What should have been a smile, ended up a rather frightening grimace.

"By Ashan’s balls", he announced (apparently, he noted, his seasickness was already affecting his creativity with swearwords). "I hate ships. I need to get away from here." Having said that, he looked around. He wanted to get as far away as possible from the water. Maybe that terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach would stop once he had put a few metres behind him and all that wet, blue stuff (although, come to think of it, it looked more like a mixture of green and grey at the moment). But where was he supposed to go?

His gaze fell on the tallest mast – and the little basket on top of said mast. He looked at it for a moment, and then he looked at Faith and motioned for her to follow him. And then he abruptly walked over to the rope ladder that was attached to the mast and started to climb. It was very high, and if he fell, he would probably break a few bones. But he was desperate, oh so desperate. To his relief he didn’t turn out to be afraid of heights as well.

That would have been bad!

[Faith Augustin]

"It will be alright, Master. Maybe try and focus on the sky" she said, quietly, rubbing his back gently as he dry heaved again. There was nothing left for him to bring up and he looked, and undoubtedly felt, utterly miserable. "I know. Here try and just sip this water, Master, please, it will help stop you being dehydrated" she said, and she handed him a mug of water, econcouraging him to sip it. He was like a big baby she considered fondly, solemnly handing him a rag which she had wet "Wipe your mouth, then I have another for your forehead" she explained.

But then, as he started to feel better, he got that look on his face and Faith got a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She followed his gaze and her eyes widened. He was joking? Oh by all that was holy, please let him be joking? But really, did he ever joke about anything she wanted him to? Nope. Not a chance. He strode, purposely, over towards the tallest mast and he motioned for her to follow him. Which she did, of course, but by Famula's lantern she felt fear start to grip at her. "What are you... that is... are you planning on.... Master are we going up there?" she asked and realised that he was so intent on doing what he was doing that he hadn't even really heard her. Because of course they were going up there.

Where else would they go, after all?

He went up first and, uncharitably, she thought about the fact that all that meant was that she'd be cursing gravity if he threw up again. Or fell, come to think of it. Why on Idalos did he think that this was a good idea? When she'd flown on the dragon, Faith had closed her eyes for the majority of the flight, terrified of the heights that she was at and now, having hesitated as long as she could, the young girl took ahold of the rope and started to climb. Thankfully, it was a rope ladder, but she did not resemble a monkey in the way that Master did as he clambered up there. No, Faith very obviously grew more and more scared the higher up she got. She clung on to the rope ladder with an air of desperation and she closed her eyes unless she needed to find the next rung; and when she did she looked only where she absolutely had to. Slowly, much more slowly than him, she ascended and when they were finally both in the crow's nest, she did her very level best to not look absolutely terrified. But she was and it showed in the paleness of her skin and the sheen of sweat across her brow. Her gaze did not deviate from Tristan's face as she looked at him, only at him. Certainly not ever down. Down would be bad. Down was where death lived, after all.

"Do you feel better, Master?" she squeaked, nervously.

[Tristan Venora]

“You told me to focus on the sky!“ Tristan informed Faith in a very serious tone as she asked him what he was planning. His hands and one foot were already on the rope ladder. “That’s what I’m doing. The crow’s nest is closer to the sky than any other place on the ship.” With that he turned around and made his way up the rope ladder, sometimes taking two rungs at once to reach his destination faster. It was just then that it occurred to him that he had never climbed a rope ladder before. He had only climbed trees in Grandmother Ebony’s garden, and once he had climbed a trellis because he had had a rendezvous with a girl that her parents had not been allowed to know about.

Fortunately climbing a rope ladder wasn’t that different from climbing a trellis, although it swung back and forth a little every time he reached for a new rung which the trellis definitely had not done (it had had thorny plants attached to it though which had been rather unpleasant). He found that he actually enjoyed climbing, in part because it allowed him to get away from all the terrible things that were taking place below him and making him sick.

About halfway between the deck and the crow’s nest he realized that Faith was not behind him anymore though, so he turned around and waited for her, watching the people below him with interest as he did so. They looked so small all of a sudden! He laughed out loud, let go of the ladder with one hand and waved before he crossed the final metres to the crow’s nest. Once he was safely standing in the little wooden basket, he let out a deep sigh. Even though he had definitely not been afraid, his heart was beating faster now, and he felt a little out of breath.

“Be careful”, he said to Faith as she climbed into the crow’s nest behind him and extended a hand in case she needed help. “I’m feeling much better. I think it really was the vicinity of the water that made me sick. I might actually be hungry now. You don’t happen to have something to eat here?” He looked at her hopefully.

“You look rather pale”, he observed. She was sweating as well, he noticed. In fact she didn’t look well at all at the moment. “You aren’t seasick as well now, are you?” he asked worriedly and put an arm around her to keep her from falling over the edge of the crow’s nest and breaking all her bones in the process. “Just concentrate on the wonderful view. It will instantly make you feel better. It worked for me, you know?”

[Faith Augustin]

Well, there was no doubting his logic, she considered. The crow's nest was indeed the point on the ship which was closest to the sky. Which made it a place of terror and concern, but that was nothing that she could do anything about. He was going up to the crow's nest, so that was where they were going. So, she climbed up behind him, slow oh so slow and then half way he stopped. Why was he stopping? She held on to the ladder for dear life, clinging and wrapping her arms around the rope and looking up at him with an expression of horror on her face as she saw him let go. She bit back a cry of alarm as she realised that he was actually just waving to the people below and that he had, once again, a smile on his face. That was good. That was, in fact, very good but she still wished that she could just make him hold on with both hands.

That trauma to one side, they made it to the top and when he offered her his hand she grabbed it as though her life depended on it. "Thank you Master" she said, clambering over to him and kneeling next to him. "Yes, I took the liberty of bringing some bread and cheese" she said, opening her bag and handing him a carefully wrapped parcel of bread, cheese and some sliced vegetables. He looked at her with concern and he put an arm around her and Faith leant into him. As he drew her closer he could undoubtedly feel that she was trembling. "No... no Master, I am not seasick, not at all. It is all just a little unnerving. I am glad to be alone together the two of us, that is reassuring" She smiled at him, although her smile was a far cry from her usual. "If you do not mind, I will focus on you rather than the view. That makes me feel better" she said, honestly. If she looked at him and not at the people down there or the sky up there or the distance between where they were and deck of the ship. ..

Her skin paled further at that thought and she clutched on to him with an air of desperation "Master? What do you think is happening here?" she asked so that she could concentrate on his voice and not on her imminent death. How far did ships lean to the side, she wondered? What would happen if there was a sudden gust of wind and this mast snapped, she considered? How in the name of all the Immortals was she going to get down from here, she fretted? "I had a different dream to you, I think. And to some of the others, too" she admitted and she focused on his eyes. "You really do have beautiful eyes, you know. Especially when you are happy." then they danced and sparkled. Like a sparkling, dancing thing falling to its doom. No. No, not even looking at him was distracting her.

[Tristan Venora]

”You think of everything!“ Tristan complimented her as she said that she had brought bread and cheese. If he could spent the entire journey in the crow’s nest, he thought, he might just live long enough to reach Ne’haer. He accepted the parcel from her and immediately took a bite out of the bread and then another one. His stomach protested a little since he had only ingested liquids since the ship had left Andaris, but he didn’t care. It was just so delicious, and he was practically starving! “You are the best slave I’ve ever had!” he informed her enthusiastically – which wasn’t really that much of a compliment since she was his first and only slave – and gave her his most radiant smile. He almost felt like himself again!

“Are you afraid of heights then?” he asked as she told him that she was not seasick, furrowed his brow and momentarily stopped eating as eating and speaking at the same time was bad behaviour, and whatever other flaws he had – he would never do that. He found it strange that one of them was afraid of heights and the other one of depths – wouldn’t it make more sense if both of them had the same fears? – and was about to comment on it, but then his concern for her took over. He didn’t want to upset her any more.

“You shouldn’t be. I’ll keep you from falling”, he said, drew her closer, so close that their bodies were touching. She was warm and alive, and she smelled so good, like cake and fresh bread and cheese. He found that smell much more pleasant than the obnoxious perfume that his grandmother wore. That the crow’s nest was so small, he thought as he held her, gave him the perfect excuse to do something in public that would be considered inappropriate under most other circumstances. The crow’s nest was barely big enough for the two of them!

“I don’t have any idea”, he admitted as she asked him what he thought was happening and let out a deep sigh. Whatever little joy he had begun to feel immediately disappeared again. Why did she have to talk about that stupid mission? “The Immortals must be pretty desperate to rely on people like us. Unless we all have some sort of hidden abilities? Do you think I’m secretly a Mortalborn and can shoot fireballs from my hands?” He looked at her questioningly, and then he laughed out loud because the idea was just too ludicrous. Tristan Venora – a Mortalborn? No way!

“Thank you”, he replied honestly as she complimented him on his eyes. “I rather like my eyes as well, although I’m not sure how happy I really am at the moment. You have beautiful eyes as well though. In fact they were one of the first things I noticed about you when we met at the university. I had never seen anybody with eyes like yours before. They are almost silver. I wasn’t aware that humans could have such eyes.” He looked into said eyes. “It seems like forever ago, doesn’t it?”

[Faith Augustin]

As terrified as she was, she could not help but laugh as he told her that she was the best slave he had ever owned. "You are, without a doubt, the best owner I have ever had, too, Master" she said with a fond glance at him but it was in that glance that the skyline once more came into view and her laughter quickly faded. When he asked if she was afraid of heights, though, she could only nod "I am sorry, Master. I did not know I was until I flew on the dragon and I did that mostly with my eyes shut. I do not think that it helped my fear, to be entirely honest with you" she explained and looked most contrite. "But I will ignore it the best I can, I am sorry for the inconvenience"

And then he said that and he did that and Faith did not have a clue what to do or how to respond. He pulled her closer to him and she leaned into his arms, feeling her trembling subside as he held her. "It should be me protecting you, I believe, not the other way around. But I will endeavour not to fall, I promise you" her voice trembled as she spoke and she wondered just why. He was caring and concerned and, more than that, he seemed to be almost possessively protective of her. She had no frame of reference for how she felt and she did not understand it and so she settled with resting her head on his shoulder and just having the moment. He was probably elated at not feeling sick any more, she reasoned and she should not think any more than that. It was her place to be who he needed her to be and at this moment that coincided with him being what seemed almost loving to her mind.

"I don't think they are desperate, Master, nor do I think they chose you for anything which is hidden." she said, putting her hand in his for just a brief moment, her thumb gently stroking against his "I think they chose you for your passion, your determination, your heart and soul. Because the world, and they, need more people like you" She looked up at him, as unable as she was unwilling to pull her gaze away. A long time ago? "Yes. A dozen adventures, at least. But I am grateful for every trial" she watched him and wondered. Would he kiss her here, hidden away from the others? But that was foolishness, and she put it down to reading too much romance in the library. Why would he need to consider such, after all? She was his no matter what he did. Dropping her gaze back down she intertwined her fingers in his and squeezed gently. "We should have thought to bring a blanket. You might get cold all the way up here. Would you like me to go and get you one?" she asked, quickly falling into the role she knew and pushing aside the thought that there might ever be another.

[Tristan Venora]

“I didn’t know that I would be seasick until I got on this ship either“, Tristan admitted as Faith told him about her experience with the dragon. He wasn’t ashamed of his weakness at all, just surprised because he really hadn’t thought that he would find out that about himself when he had embarked on that journey. “So it’s okay. We can’t all be perfect. The next time you have to fly on a dragon, you could just ask me to take your place though. I’d love to try out dragon flying sometimes.” He looked really excited as he said that. A dragon, he thought, would come in handy on that suicide mission they were on. He would just be able to fly over their enemies’ heads and throw explosives at them, thus killing them without any risk for himself. But alas, there were no dragons to be seen.

“You on the other hand could go sailing instead of me”, he suggested, and then he immediately changed the topic because thinking about explosives and dragons when you had a pretty girl with you was kind of weird, and while he definitely was weird, he was not that weird. “And I think we should protect each other. I’m your master. I have a duty to you. Slavery isn’t just about owning somebody, it’s also about making sure that your slaves don’t get hurt. I would hate to see you get hurt, Faith!” The mere thought of one of those shadow creatures attacking Faith made him sick. He didn’t want any other slave!

As she spoke of his passion, his determination and his heart and soul, he smiled brightly and raised his head proudly. He absolutely loved receiving compliments. Another man might have insisted that he wasn’t that special, but humility had just never been Tristan Venora’s forte. “I think that the world needs more people like me as well”, he agreed. “It would be a much better and more entertaining place if I had another doppelganger or two. I think the Immortals might have chosen you for the same reasons though, Faith. You are very brave. I think you are one of the bravest people I know.”

He too was quite unwilling to pull his gaze away now. He liked her eyes much better than the water around them. “I don’t think I could get cold now even if I tried”, he informed her. “I don’t need a blanket. I need this.” And with that he wrapped his arms around her. She belonged to him, and he could do whatever he wanted with her, and at the moment he very much wanted to kiss her because it was the perfect time and place for it.

And of course he secretly hoped that at least some of the people on the deck below them would look up and watch them even though the consequences of such a thing could be quite unpleasant.

[Faith Augustin]

She smiled and nodded "I will always do my very best to protect you Master." she responded with earnest tone. His philosophy on ownership and owning her was clear and Faith considered it as she listened. His thought process and belief were clear and he told her that he was her master, that slavery was not just about owning her, but also about making sure that she did not get hurt, Faith nodded her head and considered that his philosophy sounded like Jamal's; that slavery was not just about owning but that as her master, he had a duty to her. Jamal thought and felt the same and Faith wondered if perhaps Paladin had been right, that there were more similarities between them but that the difference was where the line was drawn for them. But then,as he wrapped him arms around her and she leant into his embrace, she considered that maybe that line was the most important thing. Because the line for Tristan was that he took care of her, kept her warm and fed and did not beat her. Jamal's line was in quite a different place.

Brave? She looked at him and smiled "I do not feel brave, Master. I feel afraid." she knew that Lady Elyna had said that it was only in fear that she could be brave, but she really was not sure how true that was. "And if you do have doppelgängers, Master, I will endeavour to behave more appropriately" Because thus far, she had not managed particularly well with them she had to admit.

He held her gaze and Faith watched him as he leant in, pulled her to him and kissed her. She returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around him and pulling herself into his embrace. It was something that was likely to be spotted by those below, if any were watching, but she was his property and he could do as he wished. If he wished to kiss her up here, then it was her duty to ensure that he was pleased that he had made that choice, and that was what she did. Her focus on him allowed her to stop focusing on her fear of the height they were at. There were people down there and Faith knew that these actions might have consequences for him, and for her, but at the end of the trial what he did with her was his choice, so she simply focused on what she had to do and did it the best she could.

[Tristan Venora]

“But you still do the things that you are afraid of“, Tristan insisted. The tone of his voice was exceptionally gentle for a moment. There, in the crow’s nest, he felt closer to her that he had felt in ages, even though they were still fully clothed and had only embraced and kissed which he found strange, to be honest. Maybe it was because he wasn’t sick and miserable anymore and they were temporarily out of danger? He pondered the issue for a few trills before he decided that it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that he enjoyed being with her.

“That’s the definition of bravery in my opinion”, he continued in a very matter-of-fact tone. “As for my doppelgangers.” He laughed as he remembered one particular incident. “I was actually rather amused by your treatment of Hart, although my poor brother probably doesn’t agree. What you did to Teddy was also quite funny by the way. So feel free to continue to attack my siblings with brushes and other household objects as long as you tell me about it afterwards.” Having said that, he pulled her close and kissed her again because the first time had felt so nice, and then he abruptly let go and pointed at the food that she had brought,

“Would you like to have some as well? Eating’s more fun when you don’t have to do it alone in my opinion. I have the feeling that I should stuff my stomach until it is almost ready to burst now because I might be miserable again the moment we leave the crow’s nest. It’s a shame that it isn’t bigger. I’d really like to sleep up here, preferably with you.” He grinned at her even though there had of course not been anything suggestive about that statement and took another bite out of his bread.

[Rumour]

Name: Tristan Venora

Knowledge:
Faith: The best slave you’ve ever had
Faith: Afraid of heights
Faith: Has beautiful eyes
Faith: Your protector
Faith: Brave
Boats: Cause Seasickness
Boats: The crow’s nest is the highest part of a ship
Self: Easily Seasick
Fear: Open Water
Swear: “Ashan’s Balls”
Philosophy: A positive outlook can sometimes improve a bad situation
Philosophy: A master’s duty is to protect his slaves, just as a slave’s duty is to protect her master
Climbing: How to climb a robe ladder
Climbing: How to balance on an unsteady climbing surface
Etiquette: Do not eat and speak at the same time
Rhetoric: How to build a convincing argument
Rhetoric: A convincing argument cites examples:
Seduction: Make eye contact to build connection
Seduction: How to make a suggestive remark

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Fame: +1 good deed for your concern about Faith's well-being
Devotion: N/A

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5

- - -

Name: Faith

Knowledge:
Tristan Venora: Hates ships
Tristan Venora: Has some really bad ideas
Tristan Venora: Has beautiful eyes
Tristan Venora: The best owner you’ve ever had
Tristan Venora: Your protector
Tristan’s Orders: You may attack his siblings with household objects as long as you tell him about it afterwards
Fear: Heights
Boats: The crow’s nest is the highest part of a ship
Persuasion: Soothing words can help calm a distraught individual
Medicine: Throwing up can cause dehydration
Climbing: How to climb a robe ladder
Climbing: Don’t look down
Discipline: A disciplined person does what they're required to do, even when they're afraid
Rhetoric: How to build a convincing argument
Rhetoric: A convincing argument cites examples

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Fame: +1 good deed for your concern about Tristan's well-being
Devotion: N/A

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5

- - -

Comments: Thank you for your patience with this review! I have to say, this thread was such a fun read. I love the interaction between Tristan and Faith. The master/slave dynamic is really enjoyable & I'll certainly miss reading it now that Faith is no longer a slave!

Tristan, hilarious opening line on your first post. You captured my attention and made me excited to read more about his challenges on the ship to Ne'haer!

Faith, lovely portrayal of your character's concern for Tristan paired with her fear of heights. I liked reading about how she forced herself past her fear and made herself do what she was expected to do. She's certainly a brave woman!

Overall, great thread, you two. I look forward to your next one!

If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thanks!