"Peaks ahead captain!"
The cry from the crow's nest pierced several feet of wood, reaching the ears of a man well belowdeck. Roland's ears pricked at the call; for too long now he had been confined in this wooden coffin, without the space to train, without the steadiness to practise the kithan, and without the serenity needed for meditation.
All in all, Roland decided, a ship was perhaps the worst place for him to be.
Still, at least it was nearly over. Laying one broad hand on top of a barrel to steady himself, he leaned over to his companion.
"Hear that, lass?" His voice was calm and low, at a volume which he was sure would not reach the rest of their companions. "We're almost out of this infernal contraption."
Devika smiled faintly, showing a hint of her sharp orcish teeth. "As ships go, this one was not that bad. I've been in worse vessels before, ones where I couldn't sleep for the tossing and turning. Others where I wouldn't sleep because of my safety." Sometimes being a lone woman traveler was troublesome.
She could feel Roland's tension and agitation, hanging around him like a cloud made out of lead. The rest of the ship's emotions ranged from mild anger, to sheer joy, and the cacaphony made her ill. Hopefully no one knew it, though. She had been sure to keep to herself as much as possible, and make sure she made as little physical contact as she could on a ship full of people. Like Roland, she hadn't had the peace required to truly calm her mind, and by now she'd read through all of her books, finished a notebook and started a fresh one, made dozens of sketches, and was beginning to get downright bored.
The thought made her smile a bit. "I am actually bored, Roland. My father would have my head. We could read, we could write, practice languages, or even swords. If one of us dared complain of boredom, he would make us clean." She muffled a giggle with her hand, showing small dimples in her dark olive cheeks. "I think I agree with you. Dry land and space will be an improvement."
Roland's austere face subtly changed as a few crinkles appeared around his eyes - as close to a smile as the man would normally come. "If he'd have your head, I don't even want to think of what he'd do to me. I'd thought you were keeping yourself entertained."
In truth, there had been little other to watch: his fellow explorers only gave away so much information at a glance, and a man could only look at a heaving grey-green sea for so long before he felt the need to turn away. Devika's intennse reading, scribbling and sketching had been a form - albeit a small one - of entertainment.
"If you were bored, I must have been mind-numbingly so."
At the sound of another conversation, Roland turned his head. Conversation at a volume below a low murmur had been few and far between the whole trip, and actually being able to listen in on one could prove to be both a valuable source of information on his fellow passengers and the ordeals they could very well be about to face.
The honest man inside him scolded that there would be no need for the first type of information, that he could trust his soon-to-be-associates, but the cynic told him otherwise, and he knew which side of him was right more often.
"Looks like we aren't the only ones eager to get off this boat," he muttered, tilting his head in the direction of the pale-looking hybrid behind him. "It seems some can handle the swell better than others."
"I was keeping myself entertained until I ran out of charcoal sticks. The rest are packed away with my belongings." She adjusted the dark glasses on her nose and looked in the direction of the other conversation. "Traveling by sea is not for everyone."
"Indeed." Roland's fingers drummed a slow rhythm into the crate upon which they were resting. It was as close to an impatient gesture as the large man would ever have; it was not like him to fidget at all, but then again this had been a long journey.
He inhaled deeply through his nose, smelling the sweaty bodies and sharp scent of the sea, before exhaling at an even slower rate. Soon these smells would be gone, replaced with scents the likes of which he had no doubt never encountered. His feet would trample earth that hadn't been trodden on for centuries, if not millenia.
Crinkles appeared at the corners of Roland's eyes as he stood up straight, easing the ache out of his back. "I must say, Devika, I am rather looking forward to this."
"I am too, my friend." She stood up as well, with a chorus of popping joints. She pounded one fist into her open palm, a gesture of joy rather than a threat. Showing a rare, fangy smile, she looked toward land. "Knowledge awaits!"