Blackfridayrule

In Dark Seas We Sail

Rohaan flinched a little at the rum in his cut, but uncharacteristically less than usual. Normally, he howled and complained every time, but he seemed to either not be in a complaining mood, or the stinging pain helped release some of his anger. Maybe a bit of both. Either way, he did not seem inclined to discuss the happenings on the top deck or exactly why he had a clean slit in the back of his hand. The lad was quietly grateful Pieter didn't press him. The old man usually didn't, and Rohaan liked him for it. The shifter hoisted himself up onto a lidded barrel and perched there as comfortably as though he were another sack of flour, legs crossed underneath him. He didn't answer Pieter's offer with words, though he held out his hand to take the wedge of lime and popped it in his mouth. Rohaan loved limes. He involuntarily squinted a little as the sourness hit him, and then he proffered a small shortbread biscuit to Pieter in exchange. It wasn't clear exactly when or where he'd gotten that, or how many he had in his shirt pocket, but Rohaan often had a penchant for mysteriously obtaining items without explanation or witness.

It took a while, but eventually Rohaan said through his lime wedge, "Shhmelsh nish." Just as he had a way of procuring things, he had an equally unfailing tendency to be wherever the food was.

--

Well, at least Berlin didn't have to worry about trusting this lot. If their captain was willing to put up with that...display? Ritual? He wasn't sure what to call it--and also was willing to repeat the gesture in good faith, then he figured they had no intention of crossing them without some good reason. Good. It seemed like they'd need all the allies they could get.

Berlin felt physically struck at the word refinery, and even Uban's plucking stuttered for a moment. He thought back to the angry, burned-out husk of a fishing town they'd come through and his blood boiled. It was difficult to drive Berlin to crave violence, but that was enough. He tried not to, but he looked visibly angry, his face turning just a shade more red and his hands held at his sides in tight fists. His eyes looked out at the horizon as though he could see his foe through some means of magic. "Damn....damn that's worse than I thought." He released a pent up breath. "Well, the Borealis is a fast ship, but...I don't trust the winds any more than I do the cold waves, and even then, I'm not sure how we'd stack up compared to........arms." Berlin rubbed his bristled chin, studying the Swift. "I wonder...I wonder with those numbers if it would be best not to come right out with a frontal assault--not right away. What if, instead, we lay slow, painful siege to their fleet with a vanguard and weaken them for our arrival? Because if we can get above them, Uban here has developed a special talent with Hana's help that allows him to more or less drop explosives. You have a better idea of where they are than we do, and if the two of you could get out to them faster than either of our vessels, and remain unseen, it could do some serious damage." He glanced down at the stairs that led belowdecks. "If I can convince the lad to allow you on his back, a cyradan would be faster than any ship I've ever known....just a thought." Berlin wasn't sure how he felt about forcing Rohaan and any member of this crew together so quickly, nor did he know how Kaga-Met felt about either himself or one of his crew riding at the mercy of a shapeshifter, but it was worth suggesting anyway.

--

Uban's song was interrupted by a quick dischordant twang as Hana grabbed his arm and his hand fumbled the note. Despite his surprise, he simply looked at her with the same easy gaze he always wore and shrugged. "I dunno...Fight, I guess. Like we always do. Maybe a little more cautiously than usual, more strategy y'know, but..." Another shrug. "I don't see what else we'd do. I mean it'd be a crime against nature to let 'em go, and we're better equipped than any naval ship to tackle this lot." He blinked at her, studying the terror in her expression. "Why? What's got you all tied up in knots?"

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne nodded, navigating the palace with instinctive ease. She even knew which corners to take wide to avoid bumping into serving staff or other eija bustling down halls. It felt so strange to be back in this place that felt somewhat like home, and yet like a lion's den. She was both native and outsider and she wasn't yet sure how to feel about that. Ridahne resolved, though, that she'd just act like this place was as much her home as Atakhara. In a lot of ways, it was.

Both Ridahne and Ajoran, in response to Darin's inquiry about the best place to come unraveled in private, simultaneously answered, "The roof." By their quick answer, it seemed obvious that this was a well-known fact among those who lived or worked in the palace, and that both of them had once utilized the remote perch for such a purpose. Both of them said it with something of a smile, though. It was not a miserable spot laden with the tears of many. It was a peaceful spot to get away from everything.
"Couriers can take your letters home," Ridahne assured. "They have a network of outposts and hawks like our dear Taja that carry letters quickly." Ridahne smirked. "Let me know if you want to use my house seal. I can just imagine your friends back home looking at that and being quite baffled, and maybe a little jealous." She laughed, though she suspected Darin would either want to make her own mark on the seal or leave it plain, knowing her. But the elf wanted to offer anyway, as it was Darin's right to use it as a now official member of house Torzinei.

"We'll get something to eat, and then I'll find you a portrait artist. They'll be with the tattooers, and are often the same people half the time. Come, you should experience the dining hall at evening meal..." Ridahne chuckled. "It's much more lively than breakfast."

They went into the large hall set with a long, low table and bench seats. Food was always set out in plenty along this table, and those who sat at it simply plucked what they wanted off of large ceramic platters. Unlike breakfast, which was relatively simple, the evening meal was set with a large variety, as well as several types of beverages and desserts. Ridahne pointed out the different pitchers of liquid and told her which ones had no alcohol, which ones had small amounts, and which ones just to only have a tasting sip of. There was curry on the table of course, but also smoked meats, bright fruits, and flatbreads. There were a few pastries filled with sweet almond paste, and some forms of dried and spiced coconut chips. As they took their seats, the general commotion quieted a bit--not entirely, but the noise notably softened as more and more people noticed them. Ridahne felt like they didn't know which of them to stare at.

Ja'heil found them though, and eagerly got up and moved to sit across from them. He smiled. "Hello, Astra-Sol, Torzinei, Taja-Teleisun."
"That's Taja-Torzinei now, Hama-Saraai. If I remember correctly, you're called Ja'heil?"
The apprentice's eyes widened. "Taja-Torzinei....I....y-yes, that's my name. You look...well, you look better than the last time I saw you. I doubted you were going to make it, Taja-Torzinei."
"You and me both. Ridahne will do, though, Ja'heil. Did your master permit you to leave your seat?" The smirk on her face suggested she was teasing him, as eija often teased apprentices that were not their own. It was a rite of passage they'd all been through, after all.
"Ridahne, right." He nodded and turned to Darin. "So you saw the city today? And I hear you caused quite a stir with the sea...was it you who held up the rain in that town?"

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Thank you, I appreciate it.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Oh, it’s not a matter of physical ability. Blessedly, it’s not my hands this time and I’m in need of some computer-ish activities. Thank goodness I’m still physically capable of writing. It’s solely been a mental energy thing, I’ve been, to be honest, very depressed and just kind of a falling apart mess over here. So I’m sure I’ll find the willpower to do it soon.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Thank you. I promise I haven’t abandoned you still. The short version is that I have tendinitis in both shoulder and I’m trying to determine still if treatment will allow me to continue working, or if I have to completely trash my career. Again...I had tendinitis in my hands 2 years ago, I’m sure you remember, so it’s been a pretty bad mental health season too. :/ I’m being forced to take time off work this week so maybe I can find the energy to eek out a post.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Bear with me, I’m going to be spotty on my replies lately. I’ve got some pretty serious issues to deal with concerning my future/career and I’m sort of just drowning and trying to survive. Just know I haven’t abandoned this RP, I’m just struggling.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne nodded, arm in arm with Darin as if she were escorting her own mother, both with a love and reverence and with a familiarity born of months spent together in close quarters. They really did look like sisters, like they'd grown up together their whole lives despite being of two different races. Ajoran followed, his heart full. He and Ridahne were both on alert, still, but not even that could dampen the joy he felt at watching his future wife and her adopted sister. She'd lived a complicated life, and it pleased him to see her finally gain some simple joys and stability in her life. And he thought he rather approved of this Darin person, coming into her life. He couldn't help a tiny smile.

Ridahne couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, all the way back to the palace. It was getting late, and the brutal sun had at last begun to slip below the distant mountains, allowing the arid land to cool. People, in response, were out in droves, and it was easy to see why the Azurei had been deemed Children of the Night Sky. In other places of Astra, people would be settling in this time of night. But Azurei simply came alive.

"We can request food be sent to our rooms, or we can go to the common room with the rest of the staff. I'll leave the choice to you. I'm going to have a meeting tonight with the master archivist and get my new ojih marks recorded." That was a priority that had been weighing on her since they arrived. If her marks were deemed illegitimate in any way, it would be damning for her, though she had no reason to suspect that would happen. Still, she'd feel better when it was official and done. And anyway, she did feel a sense of pride in knowing she of all people contributed to the great tomes of ojih marks. "It's funny," she mused, "When I was young, I wanted to be a tattooer. I was scouting out masters to see if any might take me, but they all said I never had the required patience." Ridahne shrugged. "And here I am, adding marks of my own to the great tomes...Unbelievable to think about, really..."

They arrived at the palace, and several eija nodded solemnly to the three of them, and otherwise stood as statues along the stairway to the entrance. As they passed, Ajoran hung back a moment to speak with one of them, his voice low.
"Keep your eyes and your blades sharp tonight...I think we were followed today."
"You drew quite the crowd of onlookers, we hear.."
"Yes, all well-behaved. But there was something else...Ridahne and I both felt it. I've got a feeling we might be seeing the Red Hand soon..."
The eija nodded grimly, and Ajoran trotted off to catch up with Ridahne and Darin.

"Also," Ridahne began, "Feel free to ask a member of the serving staff to draw a bath for you in your room again, as often as you like. Might as well take advantage of the luxury. And they'll bring you scented oils if you'd like, just ask."

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ajoran smiled reassuringly at her and waved a hand. "No need to worry about this one. When we say it has very little alcohol, we mean very little indeed. In fact, I'm not sure you can get drunk off it." He shrugged. "We let children drink it, here. You'll be fine, c'mon!" And though he had beckoned her, he did not move until Darin did. He'd never said it, or made any obvious indication of it, but the whole time he'd been walking just slightly behind the two women. Ridahne noticed, of course. He was taking up the rear guard. The tall elf couldn't help but feel a rush of joy when she thought about this, about him. He still loved her after all this time, and after all she'd done. She barely felt like she deserved it. And yet, there he was, instinctively standing guard over her sister because...well, that's what he did.

Ridahne was chewing on a piece of delicate fried fish. "I'm glad you like it," she told Darin. "There's part of me that's excited to show you Atakhara, but only because it's...well, mine. It's not very special, to be honest. Don't want you to get your hopes up," she chuckled. "It's mostly a lot of dust and little huts, but it's my dust, and it is as much a part of me as my own blood, for better or worse. Someday, when we get to it, I'll have to show you Ajoran's home too, but it's further east, at the foothills of the mountains."
"It's almost as bare as Atakhara...but at least I've seen snow before."
Ridahne made a groan of longing. "I have never seen snow, but I keep hearing about it. I can't imagine the air being so cold it freezes rain..." Probably too cold for her, honestly.

At the same moment, both Ridahne and Ajoran's gazes shifted from one another to a swiveling scan of the area nearby. Ridahne's brows creased just slightly in that way they always did when she was searching for a scent in the air, or straining to hear some soft wilderness sound.
"Do you feel like...?"
"We're being watched? Absolutely," Ajoran answered, unconsciously taking a half step closer to Darin. Neither of them meant the gawkers that had been beleaguering them all day--they were quite obviously watching them (or rather, Darin) and yet had been harmless onlookers. Ridahne couldn't tell if what she was feeling was due to her training and perhaps even a sense of paranoia, or if it was what little connection she had to the seed, though she guessed if Ajoran was sensing it too, training sure had something to do with it. Still, it did not escape either of them that they felt the same itch at the same moment.

"Should we go?" Ajoran asked.
"No...not necessarily." There was an edge to Ridahne's tone, a bite that hinted at anger. "This is my home. I'll give no ground. If someone is out there following us, just let them show themselves, and they'll taste steel..." She looked to Darin. "If you want to stay, we will stay. If you'd rather go, we will go."

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne smiled and sipped at her half of the coconut, which she handed back to share with Ajoran. "I'm glad you like it. It brings me joy to see you happy in my home." she said, though really that was an understatement. Somehow, it felt different showing her Azurei than the rest of Astra. It was...personal. And Ridahne subconsciously feared that if Darin did not like it, it would be like not liking a piece of her. A silly notion, but she couldn't shake it. So it was a great joy to see Darin was enjoying herself. Weirdly, Ridahne couldn't wait to show Darin Atakhara. Tasen was neat, and the palace was grand and the markets here were spectacular, but Atakhara was still Ridahne's home, in all its shabby, dusty glory. And she had a feeling Darin would fall in love with its simple pragmatism, and its hard working people. Atakhara would have to wait, though. For now, they were in Tasen, and there was still much to see.

"Well you have to see the markets," Ridahne told her. "We won't need to buy supplies, I've got a feeling the palace will supply us with anything we'd need. But if you wanted some new clothing, or any treats or baubles, it's the place to go. In fact, there's a drink you must try! It's technically alcoholic, but not by much. It has such a small amount, we let our children drink it. It's called i'ose, and it's made from coconut water, lemons, and the fruit of those big tall cactuses I showed you on the way here. It's fermented just a little until it gets kind of bubbly like beer. They keep it nice and cool so it's very refreshing. Come! I'll show you."

Ridahne led them away from the docks and into an area densely packed with stalls, people, and carts. It started out as a fish market, and Ridahne pointed out some of the stranger looking fish and shellfish, like oysters and octopus to Darin. The fish stalls blended into other food wares, including spice vendors with huge piled sacks of bright red and yellow and brown powders. Many of these spices were mixed with a tiny bit of animal fat and then pressed into little bricks that were then wrapped up and sold as different curry bases. There were butchers, nomadic goat herders selling fresh goat milk and cheeses, and fruit vendors. Ridahne stopped at one of these and bought a yellowy, star-shaped fruit, and another one with dark purple skin and gooey yellow insides with crunchy black seeds, both of which she insisted Darin try. Coconut was a common ingredient in a lot of the snacks being sold, including the roasted almonds that had a crunchy layer of caramelized sugar, shredded coconut, and cinnamon stuck to them. She also got each of them some pinkish-red i'ose, which was sweet and crisp and tart all at once. Beyond the food stalls, craftsmen plied their wares, ranging from woven baskets and glazed pottery to jewelers and clothiers selling silk sashes and brightly dyed uri.

The group didn't garner much attention at first, as crowds were a constant thing in the marketplace. But soon people started to notice, and it didn't take them long to figure out who Darin was. Not everyone reacted very kindly to Ridahne, and some people either turned away from her or would openly sneer as she passed, but most seemed to accept the nimarih as a sign that whatever had gone on with her and the Sols, she was not to be harassed. Already, merchants shouted and waved their goods in passerby's faces, but this increased as soon as they figured out who Darin was. They all seemed to want the Seed Bearer to choose their silk, or their pottery.

Ridahne smiled back at Darin. "Well? What do you think? Does it live up to its reputation?"

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Haven't forgotten about this rp! I meant to post tonight but alas, time had other plans. I'll get to it soon I promise!