Sarel backed off from Sharee after her recoil, she was picky. And, to the Dunmer, that was fine, he preferred not being tempted. So Sarel moved away, rested on the wall which separated the rest of the ship from the stairs leading below deck. He sipped what was left of his Brandy as Sharee gave Serge the go-ahead. 

The Breton smiled politely at Sharee then offered his hand to Allaina. She took a moment but, after a glance to her Argonian caretaker, settled her beautiful hands into Serge’s awaiting palm. He led her below deck.

“I didn’t know you were involved in freeing Sarel, that was quite brave of you.” A mage was coming down the hall followed by several other crewmen, he seemed quite serious, proud. Serge diverted his walking path into another corridor which would lead them around to the other side of the ship. 

“I only helped in the distraction. Well, and helping Sharee with some of the preparations.” The Bosmer said with a coy mirth. 

“I’m sure you were invaluable, whether you know it or not. You, know, I was there, when Sharee came to get Sarel.” The Breton turned to the Bosmer, stopping in front of the cabin he shared with Sarel. 

“Were you?” Allaina’s brow furrowed, “Well, why didn’t you come with them?”

“I very recently learned, Allaina, that when a mortal becomes comfortable, it is very easy to have them delude themselves into a false sense of security. The Imperial Legion is very good at doing that, you might find.” There was a reserved anger in the back of Serge’s throat. But he smiled anyway, sadly nonetheless. “I was deluded. And it wasn’t very long after they left that I learned that that was indeed the case.” Allaina looked forlorn, mimicking that within Serge which he did not display. “So I broke myself out, it wasn’t easy, but I did it. Eh, we don’t really need to talk about that right now. I wanted to show you something.” Allaina nodded in response, a slight smile on her lightly green tinted lips. 

Serge entered the room and looked around in his only bag. He rummaged around for a bit, Allaina stood behind him, carefully observing the nature of the room. It was mostly barren aside from the furniture and a few effects of the two men who lived there. Sarel’s pack, with both of his swords attached, sat atop his bed, his armor was sitting at the foot. A bottle of whiskey, brought by Serge, sat atop the dresser. 
Serge turned around and showed what was in his hand to Allaina. It was a tiny branch, hollow on the inside with a hole on one end, a string was wrapped from end to end, Serge thought it looked like penne pasta in its shape, something which had just recently taken prominence in High Rock. A band of symbols traced across one end. 
“This is a message carrier, blessed by Y’ffre. He is one of the most important God’s in the Pantheon of your people, the Storyteller, they call him. Apparently there are sects of Bosmer, your people, who can magically inscribe messages in these things, without any training at all. Well, he is thought to be the divine being who corrected the world after it was created, in chaos. Anyway, after I spoke to you, learned of your story, I felt it might be a fitting gift. I’d be honored if you took it.”

Allaina, for a moment, looked around for Sharee, but she was nowhere to be found. The Bosmer looked down at her hands and then at the Y’ffre message carrier and smiled a little. She took it in her hands and grasped it, feeling the grooves inscribed into it. “How did you get it?” She asked.

“I did a three year patrol in Valenwood. Beautiful place, beautiful people.” Serge came a little closer to Allaina, his blue eyes grasping for the attention of her own orbs of beauty, an ineffable mix of colors all on its own. “It palls in comparison to you.” Serge brought his hand up to her face then, moved a stray hair from her eyes to drape over her beautifully constructed ear, unnecessarily elegant. Allaina’s eyes flicked up to the Breton’s, their eyes locked into a passionate stare. The emotions swirl in Allaina’s head as she attempts to calculate it all. Her heart beat uncontrollably and she could feel the heat between them reach a boiling point. 

Sarel simply nodded as Cynric brought the food out and presented his work. He deserved the warning Sharee gave him, but as far as Sarel was concerned, if the food was any good, he was worth keeping around. Besides, the Balmora Blue did wonders for his appetite. The Dunmer bounced off of the wall and joined the other crewmen at the long table where the food had been served, he grabbed a bowl of the vegetable soup along with one of the pies and a whole plate of pork loin and some shavings of fat as well. Food like this reminded Sarel of his time spent with Beilin, they’d have a wonderful time cooking and eating pork, and stews and the like out in the wilderness. The pork was much better prepared, of course, this Cynric seemed to have what it took. Sarel looked up to the chef, “You’re alright in my book,” Sarel said, a big smile crossing his face