Voyage

[oldgrayrogue]

((A short episode about two characters myself and another player may continue on ALFA when it goes Live. Comments always welcome. If people like I'll tell you more about them =D))

*** Sailcloth billowed and snapped before the strong westerly wind that had born them from the Falls the evening before. The sun had just begun its decent, the first shimmering rays gleaming across the water like a beacon marking their course. Crewman busied themselves about the decks and up in the rigging as the schooner cut a swift swath through the rolling sea.

Tars stood in the aft smiling, thinking how the sea had not been kind to her. The swaying motion of a ship at sail had never troubled him in the least. Yet Keira had barely left the confines of the small cabin since they had embarked the evening prior, her divine spells barely sparing her the rising sickness betrayed by her somewhat greenish complexion. Tars had held her close to him through the night, trying to soften the discomfort the roll and pitch of the ship caused her. He sang softly to her, and the sound of his melodic voice somehow carried out to the deck holding the mostly human crew mesmerized as the otherwordly music of his voice floated out over the waves. This roused her, and joining her voice briefly to his they sang in their ancient Sylvan tongue of life, love, and dreams of the future in the land they had both come to call home.

When Tars left her in reverie the next morning, with a shadow of her usual smile playing on her lips, Keira seemed a bit more at ease if not any less green in the cheeks. Tars spent the day conversing with the busy crew when he could, and delighting them with feats of unnatural grace and seemingly impossible dexterity: standing balanced along the ships rail as it danced across the tops of the waves; climbing effortlessly hand over hand to the masthead and then swinging and sliding down the rigging and sail to flip, twirl and lightly land on his feet on the swaying deck.

Just as he was about to slip over the rail into shadow, only to emerge into the light on the other side of the ship to the amazement of the crew as he had done several times before, the cabin door slowly creaked open. The last curve of the setting sun just began its dip beneath the horizon, as Keira slowly walked, still shaken yet noble in bearing, towards the prow. The thin, simple silk robe she wore clung to her slender body like a restless lover as the wind swirled around her. Her long silver tresses, as yet unbound from her reverie, blew wildly about her face. As she approached the prow she began a soft Sylvan prayer to her Goddess, the pitch of her tone rising in cadence to the verse. The busy crew ceased their constant motion, all standing transfixed by the elven beauty striding, on somewhat wobbly legs, across the deck.

Reaching the prow rail, Keira spread her arms wide in praise to her Dark Lady as the full moon rose, seemingly at her bidding, above the waves before her. Outlined by its silver light, her prayer song rising, she seemed some carved likeness of the Goddess herself affixed to the prow to ward the ship on its journey and herald its passing.

Closing her eyes and bowing her head, Keira brought both hands together in silent supplication before her. The rough seas seemed to quiet as her palms touched before her breast, the wind dying and the waves now still. With a deep sigh she turned and, appearing exhausted and more mortal than divine, walked shakily back to the cabin door. Brushing her windblown hair from her eyes, she flashed Tars a weak smile as she ducked under and through the low portal, pulling it softly closed behind her.

Tars looked about, finding most of the crew staring after the closing door mouths agape, or looking to him with narrowed superstitious eyes. The kindly first mate, whom Tars had come to befriend, approached him slowly, sailor hat in hand, a puzzled look on his tanned and bearded face. Where the wind once raged over high swells the ship now stood becalmed and still. “Beggin yer pardon master Tarkas” said the mate, “but truly yer lady is a vision of loveliness as I have never before beheld, and blessed by yer Gods she be fer sure.” Smiling and nodding slightly Tars replied, “Aye friend, that she is, in more ways than you know, but it is I and not she who is truly blessed” Tars said looking towards the cabin door. “Aye, well sir” the mate continued fidgeting “ what I mean is –and beggin yer pardon young master – do ye think you could maybe ask her to ... restart the wind? When she is up to it I mean a’ course.” His smile spreading to a wide grin Tars placed a hand on the mate’s shoulder breaking out into laughter as he said “Very well friend, I shall see what I can do – I make no promises mind you – one does not command such beauty as well you might imagine.” “Nay, I be sure not good lord, but what e’er help you can give be much obliged” the mate spoke with a wink and a nod through a toothless smile.

Spinning suddenly on his heel, his cloak billowing around him, Tars appeared to the bewildered crew to disappear from sight. They looked about aghast thinking themselves caught in a net of some strange elven magic they could not comprehend, and wondering if ever they would come to the fair haven to which they were bound. Moments later the sound of the cabin door creaking caught the attention of the more perceptive among them, followed by the echo of voices and muffled laughter from within. For several hours none dared approach the cabin door. Then just as the Captain had summoned the nerve to approach his enchanted passengers, the wind began to blow, and the waves to roll once again. The practiced crew jumped into action, the captain and mate shouting orders as soon they were under sail and away under a westerly wind that seemed stronger than before.

As the night wore on and the ship continued on its bucking course a low moaning could be heard from within the small aft cabin. Whether, out of fear, awe, respect or all three, the crewmen pretended not to notice the fair silver haired head hanging out the porthole window a short time later. *****