dreamingflowers

The First Shanty

Mira was overcome with a sudden and overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. The sight of the wood carvings struck a cord deep within her. Their tragic beauty filling her with a sense of wistfulness. An involuntary tear ran down her cheek. She was touched, to be reunited in a sense. The cold drop of water tickled on her cheek and she brushed it away, momentarily at a loss for words. The young woman carefully took one of the carvings into her hands, holding it close to her heart. She drew in a shaky breath and looked at Ryland.

"They are a work of true art, you should be proud." Her voice cracked in the end, revealing she was moved beyond words by his creations.

The fact that Ryland doubted his own talents made Mira suspect he was not much appreciated on board of this ship. Perhaps as a crew member but not as an artist. She also knew the town well enough to conclude his wood carvings would not sell well. Not because they weren't worth anything, but because most folks barely had any spare coin to spend, whatever they had left they used for drink.

"I would like to buy one if you are ready to part with them" She said, still holding one of the wood carvings. She held it with such gentleness you'd think it was made of glass. Mira retrieved a sachet of large pearls she'd kept hidden from Faflon. If she had learned anything in the time she'd spent with him it was the fact that he only ever took things. She let a few precious pearls roll from the sachet onto her palm. It was the right of the artist to determine a price.

"This is the only currency I have." Mira had blessed these pearls under the moonlight, to protect the ones at sea from troubling storms.
"They are lucky pearls, they'll protect you"

The First Shanty

"No need, I will follow you there" Mira replied calmly.

She began to move towards the docks, glancing over her shoulder once, to make sure he would be leading the way. So his name was Ryland....
It was foreign enough she could tell he wasn't from this town or the next, but it was not so specific she could determine where the sailor was born. Chances were he was born on a ship, so that would make the sea his birthplace, like it had been hers many years ago.

As the ship grew closer Mira began to feel a feeling of uneasiness she hadn't felt in a long time. The wood was aged and touched by the sea, hints of green could be found here and there, mostly on the bottom of the ship. Sea algae and clumps of seaweed swayed in the water below. The young woman took a deep breath before stepping on board. Many of her older memories were vague recollections, probably to protect her from going mad. Her forgetfulness was her savior, but it made the feeling of unease difficult to fathom. It was like a fog clouding her mind.

Mira was curious to see his depiction of the sea maidens. It would the first time in almost a century she would once again see them. She waited for Ryland to find her wooden sisters, watching the sea from the edge of the deck quietly.

The First Shanty

It would be safe to say Faflon was unimpressed by the amateur woodcarvings of the sailor. His choices as a merchant may have been questionable at times but he knew when to cut his losses. He did not appreciate the captain the misuse of his name by the captain. What would become of his reputation overseas if the woman could not even pronounce his name?

The merchant made no effort to hide the disinterest clearly showing on his face and heard in his tone voice.
"Mira dear, I'll let you decide if they are worth something, you have an eye for such rattletraps and trinkets."
With that Faflon turned his back to them, his expensive robes flapping in the wind. He made his way back to the village feeling worse with every step he took, realizing he had yet again created more losses. The prospect of earning some coin at the inn eased some of his worry.

Faflon had managed to once again put her in a compromising situation. Mira went out of her way to avoid unnecessary social interactions with strangers or even acquaintances for that matter. The constantly present gloom that hovered over her like a dark cloud made everything seem like a mountain to be climbed, tiresome and inescapable.

There was something about this sailor and his charming wood carvings however which stirred her heart. He was passionate about his creations and it made her feel the same. Ironically that was the best skill a merchant could possess, one Faflon did not have by any means. Mira held her shawl close to her to keep it from blowing away, as it was fluttering in the wind dangerously. She approached the sailor, grateful she did not have to introduce herself and admired his woodwork from up close. In her many years she'd seen plenty of them and they were beautiful in an unpracticed way. There were some novice mistakes along with some skillfully crafted details at the same time. It made each of them unique.

The young woman seemed to be lost in the details of the small statues, forgetting momentarily she was in the company of someone else. Then suddenly as if she was waking from a dream, she asked him one question.

"Did you make one of the sea maidens?"

Mira looked into his eyes, capturing them with her own. It was a strangely specific question she felt the urge to ask.

The First Shanty

I noticed and it was good ^.^
The post went through a couple of changes. I was steering us to the village at first, the post was much longer back then. But I decided this would be a great opportunity for them to interact some more. We could go to the village after a time skip maybe.

The Queen's Hand

The shift of space and time left Sofia disorientated. Her hand went up to her head and she closed her eyes, the world was spinning around her. It felt like she was seasick. She took some slow and steady breaths, waiting for it to pass. She did not catch half of what Alice was explaining, having a tough time of regaining her composure. It would be a great relief if she could loosen her corset slightly, but that was completely out of the question. With a hand hovering over her stomach and a troubled expression on her face Sofia carefully followed the group into the next room.

Well then, it seems this is where we were supposed to be in the first place. She thought to herself. She would have much preferred her own methods of transportation.

They were left in the care of another woman. There was something about her Sofia could not appreciate, but perhaps this was just because she was ill tempered after having been whisked away by Haji. Miss Jang spoke very little, all she did say was that their first assignment was to take place in a circus somewhere. At any rate they were all chosen for their peculiar capabilities. Sofia was convinced they would succeed in their efforts to protect Queen and country from others with ill intentions.

She looked around the room, taking note of the young man who had previously introduced himself to her as Felix. He appeared worried at first glance but as he looked down at a pocket watch he was carrying Sofia deducted it may also be impatience. There was another face she recognized, barely a man himself Afro was among the company too. The beautiful brown skinned boy was as mysterious as he was troubled, Sofia found it quite difficult to fathom his behavior. He was unlike any child she´d seen. It made it challenging to help him. It only drove her to try harder. For now however she let him be.

Sofia strolled over to Felix at an easy pace, not that her dress allowed for anything faster.
"You seem troubled Mr Hansford...." She said calmly.
He had this ruffian charm to him Sofia found rather entertaining, it lifted her spirits.

The First Shanty

Well I finally posted, I hope it's worth the wait. Hopefully you can continue from where I left off.

The First Shanty

The waves crashed against the rocky cliffs down below, lapping against the stone with a steady and comforting pace. It was a low tide, the sea exposed her treasurers to a treasure hunter who seemed to dance upon the rocks with a uncanny ease. Her copper hair flew about wildly in the wind, unbound and free. Dressed in a faded slip dress the young woman made her way across familial ground. The oysters she sought were ones carrying precious pearls. She had laid them aside in a small grotto, cared for them lovingly and patiently. She did not remember how long it had been, time seemed to pass either to quickly to comprehend or to slow to bear.

The young woman was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the oysters were carrying beautifully formed rounded pearls. After she harvested a small sachet full of the ivory gems she laid the shells back to rest, thanking them silently. This small amount would help her through the rougher months of the year. After making her way back to shore, she retrieved her basket off freshly caught oysters and continued on her way. She took her time, strolling on the sandy beach, absorbed in her own thoughts.

In the distance a ship was resting at the docks. She could vaguely make out a crew of sailors hauling cargo from the ship onto shore. It peaked her curiously. The sleepy town wasn´t a much used resting spot and usually skipped past by any sensible sea crew. The pearl diver wondered what could have drawn them here. She would find out soon. Instead of going right back to town she decided to make her way to the docks to catch a glimpse of the trades which were undoubtedly taking place. She knew the routines and habits of the town like the back of her hand.

To prove her point the towns one and only merchant Faflon, who doubled as the drunk inn keeper had dressed in his finest clothes. Which to be fair wasn´t all that impressive, as he was trying to close a deal with the captain of the ship. Faflon was as bad a merchant as he was a inn keeper. He couldn´t stay away from the drinks and as a merchant he spent coin he didn´t have. Living at the inn at first had been temporary, but it could now be argued that she was a permanent resident. Sadly this also meant she was dragged into his messes at regular occasion. The same was going to happen right......now

Faflon realized he was talking big, with nothing to show for himself. This captain was proving to be one tough customer, he was only purchasing wares and not actually selling anything. For one because he didn´t have anything of worth to sell. He wracked his hung over brain to come up with some kind of solution. It came to him in the shape of the ever so mysteriously enchanting resident at his inn, the pearl diver with the copper hair.

"Mira, come greet our new guests!" Faflon called out loudly in order to carry his voice through the winds.

Mira frowned, she was content watching from the sidelines and had not planned of going any closer to the scene. Against her better judgment she wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and crossed the distance to her tenant. After she arrived Faflon at once took her aside to speak in hushed whispers. Mira simply sighed, failing to feel neither anger or surprise at his request. She handed him the sachet of pearls wordlessly and continued to watch the exchange taking place.

The First Shanty

I can't think of anything right now.
I will be bussy from Thursday till Sunday, but I think I'll have some time inbetween to write. If you can start us off that would be great, if you don't mind of course.

The First Shanty

No problem at all. Great character! ^.^
He fits well with the setting.

The Queen's Hand

Sofia had taken the liberty of dressing herself for the occasion, putting on one of her finer dresses. A modest set of luxuriously handsewn dresses were the only things she had kept when she left home, a physical echo of her former life. The children were all abound with curiosity as to where she would be going in her fine clothes. Most of the girls were convinced she was going on a stroll with some fancy gentleman fellow, and a few of the boys were secretly a little jealous. They didn't want to share their "mother", because even though they had mothers of their own, they were rarely seen or heard. It was Sofia who sat at their bedside in the middle of the night when they were distraught and burning with a fever. It took a great deal of convincing and promising before they let her leave.

The young woman read her invitation once more while on her way to the headquarters of the Queen's Hand. They were kind enough to arrange for a carriage to pick her up, most likely because she didn't live in South Bank house. This was by choice, she was still unsure if she was going to stay at the children's home. Who was going to need her more, the children or the Queen? If she praised the question like that, the answer was obvious. The invitation however stressed the importance to be part of a team of sorts. Sofia was unsure how she felt about that. She put the letter back into the envelop tucking it into a safe place.

Once they arrived the footman lead her inside, making small talk along the way, to which Sofia mostly smiled kindly. He opened a set of wooden doors for her, revealing a room full of people. Upon entering the room most eyes darted her way. She curtsied lightly, holding her dress. Sofia took note of a man standing in the centre of the room. He did not make eye contact upon her entrance, nor did he seem to acknowledge her in any way. It was quite strange. Sofia frowned at his lack of manners and continued onwards finding a spot next to another gentleman.

"Good afternoon..." She spoke in a soft voice.

The man in the green turban spoke up, drawing her attention back to him. She guessed he was trying to be comical or make them worry, succeeding in neither with Sofia. If they were going to be late it was not by her doing. They should have given her the proper location in the invitation and she would have gone there. Sofia sighed audibly at the request to step a little closer, as to surround the man, who Sofia realized had not even introduced himself. She held her gloved hands to the side, waiting for things to move along.