The world was water for the briefest of moments.

At least, that was Laelette's world after pirates attacked the ship she had sought passage on and, inevitably, broke up and sank. There was no safety on or off the ship, so she had to take her chances in the water. It wasn't as if it were her choice. The cool water on her skin warmed by the flames of the burning ship, was a nice juxtaposition. 

What wasn't so nice was her swimming in a sea of nothing.

She was sure this was the end of it. Her journey, with all its ups and downs, was about to end here, and what had she done? Sure she made a name for herself, kind of, a name whispered as a warning, but there was no legacy. She had wanted to explore, to learn more, to seek out magics across the land and make them her's.

And now, here she was, struggling not to drown.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she felt strong hands pull her up, and she was saved. Well, saved was a strong word, wasn't it? Those who helped her, and a few others, did not seem like the altruistic type. If anything, it seemed she had caused them an inconvenience. Part of her wanted to use her magic to warm herself up, dry her clothes, but something told her to withhold the flames for now, the burning carcass of the ship a warning to her. 

Eventually, they came upon a port. She was thankful to see people abound on their daily paths. The man who had aided them giving fair warning as well as directions. Garrison? Did he believe them to be the cause of their troubles? Sure, she may have aided in the ship fire, but she was protecting herself. 

She needed to get a lay of the land and there was often no better place to do so than the local tavern. She would avoid the Noble court for as long as she was able to and she expected less than a warm welcome at the embassy, so the tavern it was. She slogged her way over, wishing upon all the gods she had a change of clothes with her. 

The tavern, the Palm and Shell, was bustling with activity. Many people milled about, speaking to long-time friends and short-time acquaintances. Laelette strode towards the bar and ordered herself something strong. She couldn't help but overhear talk of increased pirate activity. "Yeah, fucking pirates," she said to herself as she drank. 

She would drown her sorrows a bit and see if she could get more information before she moved on. If she was going to be here a while, she would need to find shelter first. She may be stuck here a bit.