• PM To Join • The big ship sails

[Elyna]

114 Ashan 716

12th Break

The day had started so well, and then it had turned into a disaster.

But the time the hot-midday sun was risen in the Sky, Elyna approached the gang plank of the ship with caution. Her eyes were ringed red from tears, her left hand was scratched and bleeding because of the Hawk that sat on it, covered in a pillowcase and thankfully sleeping. Her bag was heavy on her shoulder, and despite her neatly braided hair and the good quality green gown she wore, the noble woman had been reliability informed that she looked like the walking dead. Pale skin, dark circles around her eyes.

She surveyed the ship with suspicion. It was going to take her home; to Burhan. Stepping onto the rocking ship she glanced back at the city and the docks. Well, it was as good a place as any. Her heart felt as though it were heavy with lead water and she could cry at any time, so she set her shoulders back and kept her head lifted. She was a Lady of Burhan after all, she was returning to her homeland and her family. Maybe, there wouldn’t much point in coming back? She scanned the busy deck but didn’t find any familiar faces.

It was the Captain though who approached with a cautious smile, “My Lady Elyna?” He bowed his head with respect and she nodded.
“We weren’t informed that you would be bringing any animals with you?” His gaze lifted to the Hawk on her hand.

“My apologies Captain Durren, I was also unaware that I would be bringing anything with me…it was an impulsive purchase this morning…”She still had no idea what she was going to do, but her arm was starting to ache from keeping the bird in her grip for so long.
“Captain, please could I be shown my room?” It had been a long time since she’d been on a ship, and usually the first thing she wanted to do, was climb the rigging, or explore all the decks. But she felt exhausted and she wanted to put her bag, and bird down.

The Captain wasn’t a tall man, in fact his eyes were only just above hers, and he was stocky. But he moved gracefully over the deck of his shipl leading the way to the three small cabins, opening the wooden door for her. Elyna could have fallen over with gratitude, thankful that he wasn’t going to argue about the bird.

“Thank you,” she forced a smile she didn’t feel and set the bird down on the back of a chair, looping the leather straps in a knot to keep him secure. Then she dropped her bag without ceremony on the bed and turned. The bird was asleep, the captain was staring at her, and all she wanted to do was crawl into the bed and cry. But she straightened again, pulled a strip of cloth from her bag and followed the Captain out of the room. She wasn’t going to spend the day in tears. She wasn’t.

The deck tilted underfoot as the final preparations were undertaken. Trying not go get in the way, Elyna curled up at the bow of the ship, beneath a point where the rigging tied off. She lent over the side to dip her hand into the water, stinging as the salt cleansed it. She held it out in the sun for the water to dry and then wrapped it carefully with the strip of cloth, an old shirt she’d shredded earlier on the season, for just such injuries. Finally done she lent her back against the curve of the ship and turned to survey the busy crew.

[Beatrice Qe'ryn]

Today was different from other days. She’d been requested to help on a ship that was a shorthanded, and with nothing else in mind, Beatrice had taken up the offer. The ship had belonged to a close friend of her parents, a stocky sea-hardened fellow who went by the name of Captain Durren. They had a job to do, apparently ferrying home some noble woman to the lands of Burhan, right here in Rynmere.

The lass had came to work bright and early, meeting together with Durren and the rest of the crew while they ate and prepared for the journey ahead. Supplies were loaded onto the ship by hand, as each crew and sailor took a fair share of contribution carrying the supplies which mainly consisted of basic necessities, such as barrels of drinking water, ale, wine and food. The morning went on, and the supplies were eventually loaded onto the ship.

Two breaks before the twelve break, the ship was fully stocked for the journey, and the crew took a break and lounged around while they waited for their esteemed passenger who they owed their work for this day. That earned them a good solid two hour rest before the noble lady finally appeared in mid day on the twelve break.

A couple of eyes gazed towards the noble woman before shifting off to get back to their duties of getting the ship ready for departure, while some others took longer than the rest, the gaze remaining a little longer on their passenger before shambling off to their duties. Beatrice belonged to the latter. The other woman was quite the peculiar sight to the younger lass. Her eyes looked like they were red from crying, and there was some sort of bird perched on her wounded arm covered by some sort of sack that looked awfully like a pillowcase.

She was also wearing a green gown that spoke of good quality, and dresses like these were something that Beatrice had never had the opportunity to wear before, because of the lack of both status, circumstances and money. The younger lass could never afford the likes of such anyway. Apart from the wound marks on her arm, and the red eyes from crying, the noble looked rather proper. But that wasn’t surprising to her as that was how nobles were supposed to look, weren’t they? As Beatrice busied herself with the preparations for departure, she still kept one eye out as the Captain went to speak with their passenger.

Words were exchanged and Captain Durren proceeded to lead her towards the cabins, where the noble would be resting for the journey. Her gaze left them then and she returned her attention to the task at hand. Shortly before they left the docks, the lass saw that her noble counterpart was now curled up at the bow of the ship.

Deciding to break the ice and start a conversation then, Beatrice walked over towards the lone woman at the bow and stood next to her. She then spoke. “Lovely day for a trip today. It should go pretty well, me thinks. I’m Beatrice, what do they call you?" The voice the noble woman would hear would be accented by that of a Rakhari speaker and yet still warm and smooth flowing like the hot chocolate treat she loved so much.

[Elyna]

Not usually one to remain idle or still for long, Elyna found that she didn’t have the energy to return to the small cabin and collect her sewing bag. She certainly had no interest in changing or training with sword, shield or anything else. The ship was only just setting sail and her life as a Skyrider seemed utterly distant and detached from where she was. Shouts rose up and the ship was released from the docks, sails dropped and corrected.

With her hand washed and bandaged some of the sting had left it and it settled into a dull throb. She’d have to dig out the gloves she used when working with the Volareons to protect herself from any further injuries from the Hawk. What was she going to do with a Hawk, honestly?

Lost in her thoughts, Elyna looked up in surprise as she was approached by the younger woman. There were sometimes she hated being a noble. She loved having a large and loving family, but she hated the responsibility that came with reputation and the limits that it put on her life. Yes, there were many advantages and a privileged upbringing, but it caused sorrow too. But it wasn’t the newcomers fault and Ely had no desire to be remembered as that rude noble woman with a stick up her behind. So she forced a smile, “Elyna,” she answered. It was going to be a hot day and she twisted a little in the seat, turning her face to the sun. She’d managed to splash off some of the marks of her crying and the drying stains on her cheeks before boarding the boat. Otherwise it would have been too embarrassing.

She pushed her toes to the back of her boot heels and kicked them off, putting bare feet down on the warm wooden deck. There were grains of sand on it that rubbed against her soles, the girl had obviously approached for conversation, and seeing as they were going to be stuck on the ship for a few trials together, Elyna agreed it was better to break the ice now. She had noticed some of the more lingering looks, even if she paid them no attention. She was surprised that more of the wandering eyes didn't follow the blonde woman before her. She was young and in the peak of beauty... It would be good to have an ally.

“Do you know anything about birds?” She asked suddenly and lifted up her bandaged hand, “I seem to have …acquired one this morning and I’m not completely sure what to do with him. I think it’s a him…” she frowned. There was one thing she knew. Drown yourself in work and business. When the world is ending around you, keep busy so you don’t have to feel the crushing weight of misery.

[Beatrice Qe'ryn]

Just like that and they were off, the ship sailing through the waters, free of the restraints that once held it to the docks. Here on the bow of the ship was Beatrice and the noble lady she had come to know as Elyna as the other woman introduced herself with merely a word. Very succinct and proper, very much like the nobles she had come to understand. Not a word wasted, saying just as much as she needed to without excess. She gave a smile that seemed to speak of protocol rather than sincerity, but that was understandable as well to her.

Beatrice neither said nor expressed any reaction to the smile with the only exception of her own smile that would hopefully come off as more genuine than her noble counterpart. To be completely honest, the lass didn’t exactly have a lot of firsthand experience dealing with the nobility. There was always a time to learn and improve, however, and this could indeed be one of those. What caught her by surprise was the action the woman subsequently did, kicking off her boots and putting her feet onto the bare wooden deck.

That was something Beatrice herself would do, and usually she would not bat an eyelid at the action, but this was done by a noble lady, an action that she would thought be highly unnoble like. Perhaps her impressions of nobles were skewed, and perhaps not. Her eyes may have widened at the sight of that, but she doubt the other woman noticed it anyhow.

However surprising, Beatrice found the other woman interesting. She would definitely want to know more about her. A question by said noble rose into the air, breaking her chain of thoughts. It was a question, about birds no less. Beatrice did have some knowledge on birds, however they were mostly centered on the breeds that found themselves near the coast, seabirds, not species like these that mainly remained above land. She answered her new companion. “I do know something about birds, but not this type that only frequent the land, I’m afraid. As a seafaring sort, the birds I know are those that frequent the coastline. Like Seagulls! I know plenty about those! Do you like seagulls? They are rather clever birds!”

[Elyna]

“Fiendish,” She agreed, “and they’re big,” Elyna added thoughtfully. The idea of carrying around a seagull on her arm made it feel heavier again. Her hawk barely weight anything and still, it had been a strain, “where I’m from, we get a lot of gulls flying up the river during the summer…” she struggled to piece together a solid memory of Burhan. She couldn’t picture it anymore. Like the face of someone who had passed. She remember patches of information, smells, feelings, vague associations… if she would admit it to herself, she was afraid of returning home and what it meant. For some reason, she had the thread of a nightmare in her mind, that somehow they would trap her and stop her leaving again. But that was ridiculous…even if that’s what she thought of her impending marriage, it wasn’t till Sa’un. As a Skyrider she would be expected to continue her duties if nothing else and that meant a return to Andaris.

“I think,” a single memory rose, “I remember them on the roof in the morning, they used to wake me up with their screaming,” she flinched. Maybe it wasn’t the best memory. Her thoughts returned to the wounded animal in her care and she stood up, collecting her boots in one hand.

“Beatrice…the hawk I bought has an injured wing, I want to try and set it before it goes wrong…If I’m honest I would appreciate an extra pair of hands and a second pair of eyes…” she swallowed, “if you’re not too busy, if you think the Captain could spare you – would you help me?"

[Beatrice Qe'ryn]

Surprisingly, The noble woman named Elyna knew about quite a bit about seagulls. But, perhaps not so surprising after all. The lady was from Burhan, and they were renowned for their shipbuilding prowess. Of course she would know about seagulls, Burhan was where they were sailing to after all. Silly Beatrice. The fact that she had been carrying a hawk or some other kind of landfaring bird had thrown her off a little more than she should have been. The woman then spoke about a particular memory she had where she remembered the cries of the gulls and how they used to wake her up.

Agreeing with her, the Biqaj replied. “Yep, their cries can be rather annoying, but over time, especially at sea, I’ve come to get used to their cries, and sight of them usually means land is near, which is always a good thing after a long duration on sea without any sight of land.”

Beatrice snapped back to attention and turned to glance at the woman’s face as Elyna said her name. The hawk she had bought apparently had an injured hand, by her hand or not she did not know, but that was not the point here. She wanted to set the wing before it goes any worse and asked Bea for help. “I wouldn’t mind helping, but I’m not exactly a trained medical professional for humans, let alone birds. Not sure how much help I’ll be. I’ll see what I can do though.” Turning to move, she said “I’ll check with the captain first, to see if I’m needed.”

Moving off towards the bridge of the ship where the captain would most likely be steering, along the way she asked one of the other crew resting around. “Any idea where’s the captain at?” “He’s at the bridge, chatting with the first mate as usual now that we’re off and good.” Nodding and giving her thanks, Beatrice made her way to the ship’s bridge.

Several bits later, the lass spotted the captain and asked candidly if she was still needed for any tasks. “Captain, am I still needed? The passenger, Ms Elyna has a hawk with a broken wing, she’s requested for an extra pair of hands and eyes, and I’d thought I’ll help.”

Durren narrowed his eyes into a frown and said “Didn’t thought ye knew anything about patching up the living.” “I don’t, but I’m sure there could be other ways that I can help.” Raising his hands up in a unsure gesture, he said “Well, ye’re free to do as ye please now, I’ll send for ye when I need ye.” Nodding, the lass headed off, right back towards Elyna Burhan. When she got back, Beatrice announced. “The Captain has given me permission to help!”

[Elyna]

Elyna could only imagine what it could be like, sailing out of sight of land that a Gull was a welcome sight. But she supposed it wasn’t too different from flying far above, or over vast stretches of water. It wasn’t something she had too much experience of though, not yet, “I’d just appreciate any help I can get,” she assured the woman and struggled to hold back the faint smile as the girl dashed off to seek permission. The young sailor had plenty of energy that was for certain.

The Skyrider collected her boots and looked out over the waves as Andaris became smaller and smaller on the fading horizon. She wanted to shout back to the city, to take back what had been done and said, but she might as well shout it into the sky. They couldn’t hear her. It couldn’t be undone. The girl returned and Ely dashed her hand under her eyes again, rubbing away the threat of returning tears, “well then,” she hadn’t expected the Captain to deny her request. She led the way back to the room, holding onto the ship as she went, and then the wooden walls as they descended to the cabins. Her sea-legs would take some time to come in yet.

Back in the room, she dropped her boots to onside and hastily shut the door behind Beatrice. She pulled her bag of sewing scraps out and found the longest bandage she had out. Approaching the Hawk she carefully removed the pillow case and set it on the bed, “I had to find something fast this morning,” she explained, distracted as she pulled on a thick pair of gloves and looked around for something to protect the other girl. Then she pulled the gloves off and handed them to Beatice, “I’ve got enough callouses to protect my palms, would you wear these for me?”

She bent, staring at the birds eyes, checking they were clear and bright, “I’m going to wrap the bandage over the wing and keep it in place against his side…the wing that’s not injured, I need to leave that free…If you can hold him while I wrap?”

[Beatrice Qe'ryn]

As Beatrice returned and proudly announced her arrival, the lass thought she saw a finger dashing against the noble’s eyes, as though she was about to or had cried once more. That got her thinking for a bit. Was she sad about leaving Andaris behind, or simply excited and happy about finally returning to her homeland of Burhan? Unaware of the lady’s history, she was inclined to think of the latter. As much as travelling and sailing was in her blood, Andaris would always remain her home to the Biqaj, for it was the place that she had spent most of her life in and was not willing to forsake or forget.

Lady Burhan then got to it, immediately walking off and making her way towards her cabin at the back of the ship, where most of the living quarters were. A slight smile crept onto Beatrice’s visage as she watched as the woman held onto the rails and walls of the ship, her balance unsteady for she had not acquired her sea legs yet. That began to make the younger woman think about the time where she was in a similar position to be deemed unseaworthy.

She could remember none. Perhaps, it had been so long ago that the memory no longer remained in her mind, because for as long as she could remember, the lass had always been comfortable both in ship and on water. She may not exactly be an expert swimmer, and at least the activity was something that she still enjoyed and found pleasure in.

In Elyna’s cabin, her boots were dropped to one side of the room, as the door was shut just after Beatrice. Ms Burhan seemed rather eager or anxious to get started. Beatrice, on the other hand was not. She had zero experience in handling any medical procedures and was uncomfortable with the fact that she might make a mistake and risk endangering the injured bird further. The pillowcase was removed from the hawk, and the lass stood to one side as she watched Elyna pull out her bag of sewing tools and readied the bandage.

She put on a pair of thick-looking gloves, but taking them out again once she realised that it was the only pair she owned, which would leave none of Beatrice. Offering the gloves to the Biqaj, it was accepted and Bea put them on. She wasn’t going to refuse the kind gesture especially when it was for best interest in mind.

Elyna Burhan then instructed her to hold the bird steady as she was intending to bandage the injured wing. Unsure of how to properly hold the hawk steady, Beatrice placed one gloved hand over the bird’s feet while the other over the bird’s torso, covering the other wing to prevent it from flapping around later, obstructing the procedure. “I’m not sure I’m doing this correctly, Is this right?” Bea wasn't exactly sure on how to hold a bird, let alone one that might panic in just a bit when the bandaging started.

[Elyna]

Elyna was pleased that the girl accepted the clothes, she checked her rough bandage again and then Beatrices hands, "that seems right. I think he's going to fuss, I wouldn't blame him if he did, but if we can keep him still it's for the best." With that the Skyrider started to bind up the wing, taking care to avoid the sharp beak as much as possible and to line up the wing to where it would naturally sit. She would the bandage around, over his back and under the undamaged limb, under his belly and back around. Looping it until the wing was covered, secured in place. Tying the knot was tricky, as it was hard to judge just how much pressure the bandage should hold. A bird was far more delicate than a human, or a Volareon which is where her basic knowledge of care had been gleaned from. The Skyrider had spent enough time in the lodge to know roughly how to fix a damaged wing, but the Hawks bones were so light and fragile in comparison, she was afraid to make it worse.

As though she had forgotten the other girl, Elyna murmured softly to the bird, to try and keep it calm, "stay still little fellow, we'll have you flying again...they won't hurt you..." she half whispered, focused on the task at hand. Once it was done, she checked the bandage once more and drew back, nodding.

"Thank you...I think that is as well as it could have gone," she offered a tired smile at the beautiful blonde, "...have you sailed many journeys before? Have you been to Burhan" She broke the silence in the room and dropped down, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh. She was drained by the concentration and worried that now her task was done, she might start crying again. Had her home changed?

[Vakhanor]

On a course through the unknown, they set out on an intrepid journey with the wind running through their hair as they raced around a boat with smiles as bright as the morning sun. They were dragons born from the stars, gallivanting across epic if somewhat deck like terrain and flying across the universe to an ancient mystical land called Burhan "Roar!" Bjorn let out his scariest, meanest roar and chased Vakhanor across the ship. He was the evil sorcerer running from the might of the great Jacadon.

"Oh no!, he's gonna get me!" he yelled dramatically, slowly running past the crew members with an apologetic look and cornered himself into a crate "I've nowhere to run."

"Raaaahhhhr!" Bjorn emphasised again and tackled his elder brother and together they bent reality like immortals out of time, unbound by its rules. Not waiting for a rhyme or reason, not scared that anybody would tell them no; because it was fun. Infectious, their warmth spread across the decks like a tidal wave that drowned the boat in their enthusiasm and allowed them to smile. At least for a little while they could play, laugh and have fun untarnished by the cool reception of life's burdens.

"Arrgggh you got me, my evil plans... are ruined" the smith exaggerated as he tried to act falling to his death, badly.

"You're not dead," Bjorn giggled shaking him.

Opening one eye, a grin passed across Vakhanor's features "I'm secretly the tickle monster waiting to get you!" he exclaimed, threatening to chase his little brother.

"Nooo!" Bjorn shrieked and ran to the closest cover he could find behind a cabin door, innocent in his obliviousness to the shock of the women that bore tears of hardship behind expressions made of iron "The tickle monster is going to eat me!"

Hurried in his pursuit Vakhanor tried to stop him "Wait, Bjorn! Not in the-" It was too late, the child had already gone and done it.

Worn out Vakhanor stumbled against the doorway, petrified of the two stunning women that suddenly stood before him "Immortals be damned. This would be the time when I just happen to meet two gorgeous lookin' chicks," he muttered begrudgingly. There was no doubt in his mind that one of these two women were probably important if they could afford a cabin like this one "I uhh... sorry," he shrugged with a guilty grin "...Kid's y'know."

"There are chicks? " Bjorn inquired, excitedly peering over to the blonde haired lady that held a bird in her hand, only to be disappointed when there were none "Where?"

Utterly defeated Vakhanor's face fell into a look of shame "They flew off when you weren't looking," he lied so he didn't have to explain himself. This might just be a hole he'd never find the bottom of.