Pieter spoke and the room filled with a salty odor that made Rohaan instantly thirsty. For a split second, he tried to place the source of such a drastic scent change, but he stopped as one of his other senses burst into focus. Rohaan was a creature born of magic and with magic running through his very blood. Unlike Berlin or Uban, who were humans who carried a form of unpredictable arcane energy called free magic, the magic in Rohaan had been passed down to him through hundreds of years of ancestors. It was a part of him. And like any other creature born of magic, he had the ability to sense it. So as he watched Pieter swear an oath of safety and revenge to him, his expression changed rapidly. His nose wrinkled from the salt smell, which mixed with a distinct hot metal scent that only he was aware of. And then a look like he'd eaten something with a strange texture as he began to [I]feel[/I] the change in the air. His mouth opened a little as he stared up at Pieter. As far as he knew, Pieter was not capable of magic like Berlin or Hana. Had that changed? He knew Pieter was a priest but he really did not have any real idea of what a priest was. Vokurians did not have them. He needed to ask him sometime. But he neither saw nor felt anything more.

Regardless of where the sudden influx of magical energy came from, Rohaan did feel a sense of security after Pieter left him. He was still in a turbulent mood, and still had old fears to wrestle with. But like listening to a storm from inside a sturdy house, they felt just one step further away. Oaths of safety and vengeance had been given both in blood and in magic (apparently) and Rohaan felt at least somewhat satisfied with that. He found a nearby bottle of rum and took a swig, flinching a little as rum was usually given to him diluted. But he liked the way the burn made his mouth feel full of fire, like a dragon. There was some comfort in that. The boy wiped his face clear of any remaining streaks of tears and took in a shaky breath. He was older now, and he would not be taken by surprise in the middle of the night, not again. This time, he'd come for them instead. Rohaan took one more drink of the rum, set it aside, and grabbed the potatoes. 

He appeared on deck only a few minutes after Pieter, once again wearing his adult form. Though he was not thinking specifically about it, the fact that the Barizian slavers had only taken [I]children[/I], not adults, subconsciously played into his decision to hold the modified form in front of the strangers. Berlin met him and held out his hands for the pot of mashed potatoes. He spoke in Vokurian.

[I]"You sorted, Lad?"[/I]
Rohaan's upper lip twitched. His anger towards Berlin had yet to cool completely.
[I]"You don't have to make small talk with them. But I don't want to see any fangs at the table, ya year?"[/I]
Rohaan did not speak. This was familiar grounds for both of them. 
Berlin nodded softly. [I]"Right. See Uban about a mug of wine. It will do you some good."[/I] This was a peace offering; Rohaan was rarely ever given undiluted wine. But if he could stay sober, the alcohol might help to unwind him a bit. Privately, the quasi-father in  Berlin wanted to use his magic to take away the boy's fears and anxieties,  but he knew that would only serve in the short-term. If he was going to get through this, he'd have to wrestle with it the hard way. Berlin took the pot of potatoes and set them on the makeshift table he'd cobbled up out of some planks and barrels. 


---

Uban listened with his full attention, though he did not expect Hana's answer. He'd assumed it was some other elemental rune like water, or wind, or cold, or something like that. But he didn't even know there were runes for goats at all. He couldn't help a laugh. "Goats!?" There was no mocking in his incredulity, only wonder and a bright amusement. "You can...connect to goats? Connect--what does that mean, like speak to them? You should [I]absolutely[/I] try that on Rohaan sometime. Goats! I didn't know they had runes for goats. Did you know I used to raise them? Pigs and sheep, too, but a lot of goats." His eyes were beginning to bleed back to their usual green. "How do you learn all this stuff, anyway? Is this all from school?"

Uban was so focused on her answer that he didn't hear Rohaan come up beside him, and when he finally became aware of him he flinched a little in surprise. When had he gotten there? The shifter held out a tin mug like a sullen beggar. "Oh, hey. Wondered if you'd join us. Uh, oh, right!" He fumbled for the cask of wine and filled the mug. "Go easy on that, ain't no water in it."

Rohaan took a sip; it was pretty good. His eyes shifted to Hana and he frowned as if thinking something over. Then a moment later he looked her directly and resolutely in the eyes and said, "My name is Rohaan." All this nonsense with the strangers made him realize how much he actually liked having her around, so it was time to offer up his second name for her use. "In my culture you give your second name to friends." To drive home the point, he restated, "My name is Rohaan." Drawn to the table by the aroma of food like a siren song, he did not wait for any kind of reply and took a makeshift seat. 

Berlin watched as everyone gathered around the food. He made a gesture to Uban to go around and fill the mugs again, though he noted that the man seemed unusually hesitant to remove himself from the conversation he'd been having. Wistful, almost. He and Hana had been discussing magic, if his ear wasn't mistaken. And a thought dawned on him suddenly. He wasn't yet sure of it, but he gave both Hana and Uban's faces a closer study. [I]Hmm...[/I] But those thoughts were forgotten when he got a closer look at Pieter. He and Rohaan had been below decks for a while, no doubt talking about events topside. Had the boy said something worrisome? No...Pieter had seen the worst of Rohaan already and had rarely ever flinched. There were scarier things in these waters than a shifter boy, after all. No, something else had the man nervous. Berlin made eye contact with his first mate as he sat down, quirking one eyebrow slightly. [I]Should I be worried?[/i]