A Calming on the Sea

[Guest]

*Alazias Cabin*

Alazias Waited patiently for Airedell and Sfein to appear.
He was not sure whether either would turn up, but felt that it would prove to him, as well as themselves, of the commitment needed.

He had laid out some cushions on the floor, as well as having some fruit and water withing easy reach.

He expected this to be a long session, as he intended to teach the two the basics in relaxation and control techniques to enable them to move forward.

To give Sfein the help towards the concentration and control he needed, and to give Airedell the confidence she seemed to lack.

It was a few burns yet to the time he told them to come, so he himself sat and meditated to prepare himself.

[Guest]

Sfein knocked on Alazais door.
"It's me, Sfein" he said. "You wanted to give me a lesson?"
Patiently waiting for an answer, he stood outside the door.
By speaking out loud, Airedelle would be able to hear that he was going to visit the bard. Perhaps she would join.

[Guest]

Alazias heard the knock and came to the door. "Come in, come in and make yourself comfortable. There is some food and water here".

He paused at the door, "I have to go to the captain's cabin for a moment, please let Airedell in if she comes. Just sit comfortably and relax for a few burns, when I return, we will begin".

He then left, making his way towards the captain's cabin, an envelope in his hands.

[Guest]

Airedell was leaning against the door of her room when she heard Sfein arrive. She had been eager to start the lessons or ,rather, to figure out way they needed to learn how to calm themselves. The information she had received from Sfein was too slight to shed any light on the subject. Was it something to do with being a bard? Airedell doubted it. It made no sense.
She took a drink of water from her breakfast tray and went out into the corridor as Alazias walked away. Where is he going? Tell me to come in a burn and leave when I do? How considerate. She walked over to his door and knocked harder than necessary in an attempt at mockery.
Alazias should have been here to open the door..."Airedell, how nice to see you. Won't you come in?"
"Yes, I believe I will. Thank you."

[Guest]

Hearing someone knock on the door Sfein reacted:
"Come in, but beware, master Alazais is gone for the moment, and in his place you might find a moon howling barbarian bard-to-be"

[Guest]

The thought of the eloquent barbarian howling at the moon made Airedell laugh. Her eyes sparkled and her features relaxed. She entered the room still chuckling at the image. " You're wonderful. I'd feel more troubled if he was here and you were not."

She took a quick glance at the room only noticing that the chair she had sat in before had been pushed into a corner and that fruit had been added.

Turning to Sfein she asked playfully,'' And who should the 'moon howling barbarian bard-to-be' beware of? Tell me that and that is who I will fear."

[Guest]

At that moment Alazias walked back in, "Ah, both of you, that is good", closing the door he made his way to the the far end of room, and sat down, crosslegged.

"Please sit and carry on, I need to prepare myself which will take a burn or so. When I am ready we will begin".

He then closed his eyes, then opened for a flicker, "Please help yourself to drink and food if you wish".

Closing his eyes again, his breathing started to ease and he could be seen to visibly relax.

[Guest]

OOC: I am off to Pennsic for next week, so no internet access.

IC:
The fruit on the table did look inviting to Sfein, so he started to eat, all the while watching his master with an intense stare of his blue eyes. But since the adhiel did not show any activity besides his meditation he decided he could answer Airedelle.
"Well, I warned everybody who was foolish enough to enter the same room as where I am in. Most people on this ship seem to think that I have a very unstable personality, and that I seem ready to attack them any moment..."
He smiled at her, unaware that it was actually a warm smile. He would never attack her , but was probably indeed unstable enough to attack everyone else who would give the impression to threaten her.
If only count de Besnie would have been so devious to suggest that Isabel and her friends had the intention to harm Airedelle, he would probably have done something very stupid. His female travel companion was his surrogate clan sister for him; Although that was something he did not realize.

"Actually, I don't think that most people seem to think that I am a madman"he thought, "but that statment sounded nicely more dramatic".

[Guest]

Alazias listened to the talk between the two, trying to gauge their mood. He opened his eyes, "Thank you for coming, Sfein, Airedell. Now if you would just sit in front of me, anyway you like, just be comfortable. No questions, this is an active session, questions can come later".

He waited until they were settled then continued, "Now first thing is we must learn relaxation, controlled relaxation, so you are at-ease with your mind and body, still able to think clearly and move if need be".

He looked steadily at them both, "Now first thing is I want you to listen, listen to all the sounds around you, each others breathing, the sounds of the sailors moving about above and below. Then stretch out your senses, feel and hear the ship creaking, the wind blowing, the sea splashing on it's side. Listen for that, listen for what you do not normally hear".

He paused and took a breath, "Once you feel you are there start to concentrate on your own breathing, slowly lose the sounds, starting with the sea, then the wind, then the ship. Lose them all until you get to a point where you can hear my voice, your breathing, and each other's breathing, all external sounds have faded as if they are a long way away".

"It will not be easy, you most likely will fail the first few times you try, but this teaches you control and relaxation, and each time you do this, your control is better, your relaxation is deeper".

He closed his eyes, and began to breath slowly himself, "Now begin".

[Guest]

This wasn't the answer she was expecting. Stunned, Airedell rocked back on her left foot, unconsciously stretching her calf muscle. She was starting to regret not going to the celebration last night. So many things had happened. His reaction after the fight was still fresh on her mind: "They grab you for no real reason, with at least two sailors at once, then tell that it is all your fault, because they are afraid that you might hurt yourself or something. Meanwhile they are taunting you to fight, but if you do, they promise to attack you with all sailors at once and lock you up."Then Sfein smiled. It was strange and reassuring all at once.

"So, I am to fear you? I'll do my best but I don't think I will convince anyone" she said and smiled back.

Alazias interrupted and began directing them in what to do. Airedell walked over and sat crosslegged on the cushion near the wall. He better not expect me to do this for long. She looked at him while he talked. She could just hear herself breathing but it was difficult to hear Sfein over Alazias. As he continued she knew this was a bad idea. Was he crazy? or did he realize what that would do to her? "But..." she said when he paused for a breath. Alazias continued. The elfess gave him a withering look but stayed silent until he finished. Now it was his turn to listen. "I can't do that. I told you I get seasick and with the listening to the boat and the waves and the wind I'm really going be sick. You're supposed to teach me to sing. That is what I came on this trip for. I can't even sit quietly for a burn before I fell nauseous. Sure, I took that stuff you gave me but that can't last the whole trip! I doubt it will last this little session. Why do I need to know how to calm myself anyway? Is it really necessary? Teach me something I can use" Airedell said.

As the speech hung in the air Airedell began to feel that she had gone too far. It might not have been a good idea to challenge Alazias. She had wanted to make sure he knew just how vulnerable she was to seasickness since he had already forgotten but not to challenge him. She held his gaze for a moment but then dropped it to the boards. She had never really appreciated how much noise they made.

[Guest]

Alazias opened his eyes at Airedell's mini tirade, "Ah, at last, so there IS a spark in there, your not just a beautiful face".

Alazias smiled, "I had not forgotten of your seasickness, I hoped what I said might bring you out a little and it suceeded. You are far too quiet my dear".

A little chuckle escaped his lips, "Now this excercise may make you feel a little queasy, but not only does it help with control, it will help you with your seasickness. Think about it, if you can control your senses, your feelings of around the ship, you will conquer it".

He leaned behind him and brought forward a glass of liquid which he placed near enough for her to reach. "If it helps, here is some more of the potion, though you have had enough to actual stop you being ill, albeit you might be a little queasy as I said".

He settled back and got comfortable again, "Now, any more questions, or do you want to try the excercise"?

[Guest]

Airedell looked up in astonishment. He did know what that would do to her and he took advantage of it! I do not see the humor in that. At least he wasn't angry. Only when she had a place to run to was it ok to make a male angry.

The way Alazias explained it made the exercise enticing. Any possible cure was enticing. However, it would take a time before she would master it the way he explained it. But, slightly embarrassed, she reasoned that it was worth a try. If this doesn't work I can always complain.

Airedell was taken by surprise again when Alazias brought out another cup of the grounded herbs swirling around in water. He seemed so in control that she wanted to do something to cause him a misstep but could think of only a small irritation. Taking the cup she drank enough to prevent a spill and layed it against the inside of her knee. "Ta eati... You think of everything, don't you? I will do the exercise just don't call me 'my dear.' I don't like it."

OOC: Ta eati = By the light

[Guest]

Alazias's eyes widened at Airedell's admonishment, "i'm sorry I did not mean any Insult, I will use your name if that is alright, Airedell".

He chuckled, "Now are we going to do this excercise, and I mean do, not attempt. It is only a lack of belief that turns the ability to do into just an attempt. If you believe you can do this you will, trust me Airedell".

He took a breath and sat back, closing his eyes once more, "Try Airedell, Try, You also Sfien, and if you are real careful you may feel my prescence in the background, watching all that you do".

[Guest]

Airedell nodded. It worked better than she had anticipated. Moreover, she felt respected. A term of endearment was to be given by someone special not by a man she hardly knew. It felt wrong that way, like she was less than the dignified race that ran through her vains. Airedell Rimlock- the high elf.

"Half breed mutt"someone jeered in her head. "What about your mother? You know who you are. What you are ..."

"Yes! Indeed" she said, interrupting the mental warfare that would come. That was a dangerous road to travel on. She took a breath and focused on Alazais. She filled her mind with his image in an attempt to silence the voice. She focused on his mouth and the words he said.

[Guest]

OOC: Sfein, when you return, we will catch you up ! but I will post as if you are going along with it.



Alazias felt Airedell's concentration upon him, and using his skills sent a calming emotion to both his students, "Good, Good Airedell, now start to spread your senses, slowly, sense the room around you, sense me and Sfein, and Sfein, you sense me and Airedell, then feel the ship, hear the noises, just concentrate on those to start with, exclude all else except the sound of my voice".

Alazias concentrated on his students, projecting calmness to them, helping them achieve this first goal, watching their every move.

[Guest]

‘Listen to all the sounds around you’
Sfein closed his eyes.
‘Listen to everything’
That was easy, yet so different as what the other bard had tought him long ago
‘shut the reality out, concentrate only on the world of the story’
As soon as he did that, the Other Realm, the world of Stories, peeked around a corner in his brain; sending a vivid image of a forested hill with a faint trace of smoke slowly ascending the morning air. Somebody must be preparing a meal, perhaps a hunter who… the image started to shift already, moving closer to…
No, Alazais had told him to listen to what he normally never heard.
No to submerge into another story.
Airedelle was shifting next to him, as if she did become nervous. She now started to protest. Was she afraid of this trick that the bard tried to teach them?
“Listening to everything”
The sound of a glass put on the table, close by.
The sound of his own breathing, the bards’ regular breathing, Airedelles a bit more faster and irregular. Was this all there was to this excercise?
The forested hill again, with the sound of sleeping animal. It was a huge dog, he saw.
“NO!”
For a moment his own breathing stopped, and with what took a great effort he managed to go back to the regular breathing, and the sounds of his two companions dominating.
“Why are these images becoming so strong lately?” he wondered.
Was it because he had left Trothgard? But that made no sense. He opened his eyes, but allowing his sense of vision into play somehow diminished the amount of concentration he could get on listening.
So he closed his eyes again, and tried to start sensing outward.
The bard probably meant more then just hearing others, he talked about sensing.
Sensing the other people in the room: Alazais and Airedelle.

The hut seemed to shrink, and there were others, one of them a distressed woman.
Then he stood on the ground, covered with the first leaves of early autumn.
The forest was damp, and he knew that the big sleeping dog must be close by, somewhere.

[Guest]

She listened for the other's breathing. It was difficult. Her mind didn't want to let go of the things she had thought. How could she be so arrogant? It wasn't right. She was part human as well. Why this mattered she didn't know. She had felt the separation the world gave her but she never felt it from herself. It wasn't nice and it wasn't respectful. Her mother was the one who raised her. It had never come up before. She was proud of her mother. She was proud of her father too. Both were proud races but she felt that claiming one and not the other would be wrong. She couldn't do it. I'm sorry momma. I didn't mean it.

Taking a deep breath she tried to focus on the exercise. Hear the breathing. Hear the breathing. Her own intake slowed in order to find the pattern of Sfein's and Alazias' breathing. Perhaps if she found the rhythm she could hear them better.

Looking at Alazias she looked for the rise and fall of his chest. Glancing sideways she looked at Sfein breathing. She tilted her head slightly trying to hear something besides the boat.

[Guest]

Alazias Watched carefully as the two of them started to concentrate and listen. "Good Airedell good, I sense troubles in your mind, just try and put them to one side, listen to the room, the creak of the wood, and when you feel ready, stretch your senses to outside of the room, to the deck above".

there was a pause as alazias shifted his perception to Sfein, at first he encouraged Sfein as he had Airedell, then he saw something was not right.

"Sfein", he called, "Sfein, concentrate on my voice, do not allow yourself to be lost in your fantasy".
Alazias could see he was not getting through, Damn it, this will weaken me, but I have no choice. using techniques he learnt over the many years Alazias put himself deeper into a trance, leaving a fraction of his consciousness to watch Airedell.

It took a few moments to grasp Sfeins thoughts, and then Alazias found himself standing in a forest and there a short distance away was Sfein.

Sweating hard at having to insinuate and control himself in sfein's reality, he walked over to him realising that he must find out why this was happening, so that Sfein could learn to control it.

"Sfein, it is I Alazias, what is this place you dream of, why are you here"?

[Guest]

The sudden appearance of Alazais startled Sfein.
“This cannot be true” he thought, “it never happens that something out of my world appears in the World of Stories”
Unless this was just the first time.
With every visit, the images of this world were becoming stronger, and more vividly.
And with every visit, it became more difficult to control how things looked and behaved.
But if that was the price for the increasing amount of realism, and the ever increasing sense of wonder, that was perhaps worth it.
And now Alazais appeared.
One day, he would be able to take his listeners into his story! That would make a splash!

But something warned him that this was no longer his fantasy.
If it ever had been.
It was too real.
Now, this thought must be his overheated fantasy! Of course he just imagined this!
“Really?”
‘Sfein, this is Alazais…’
“I do not know” he answered. “It happens. I know stories. And this, the decorum, simply appears as if… as if I am borrowing the image from Somewhere Else. I was taught that it is an essential element of storytelling. That the story has to become alive. And it does. But the strange thing is that I was not thinking of any story right now. I listened to you and Airedelles breathing, and suddenly I heard this dog breathing too. How did you get here?
Am I imagining you as well?”

[Guest]

Alazias shook his head, "Imagining me? well the answer to that is yes and no, I have with considerable effort put myself into your dreamworld, what you see is just an image of me as you last saw me so in that respect you do imagine me, however I in the real world control this image and it is outside of your control, or lack of control, from this fantasy".

He stared around at the forest, "This must be based from you past, either as a reality or stories told to you. If stories they must have been vivid enough for you to re-create them, if you real past, then something traumatic must have happened".

He walked around Sfein staring into the forest, "Do you recall a forest, or a dog, from your past"?

[Guest]

How did he know? This master of the arts... hmmm. Just what else is he the master of? Breathing off his immediate orders Airedell tried to stick to her task and listen for breath. She closed her eyes and saw her problems, her thoughts and herself among them. She started to run. Her troubles stayed with her but she imagined the stretch of her legs increasing. They soon fell behind....

[Guest]

Before Sfein could answer he sensed what Airedell was doing, damn this is getting harder now, no use dwelling on hindsight deal with it.

"Wait a moment Sfein, I sense a change in Airedell".

Suddenly from Sfein's point of view the image of Alazias went into a trance, Alazias had switched his concentration to Airedell.

Focusing hard he spoke strong enough for airedell to hear him. "Airedell, what are you doing, troubles should not be run from, they should be faced if you need help doing so, I am here". A sudden idea hit Alazias, it had it's dangers of course, but it might just work to shake sense into both of them.

He concentrated hard, combining his empathic and magick powers he had, the effort was the most he had ever used, but he had the confidence to make it work.
All of a sudden he was back in his image with SFein, and there, his efforts had worked, for running through the trees towards them both was Airedell.

"Airedell, Over Here", Alazias called to her.

[Guest]

OOC1: please warn me if I go too far. I know these are supposed to be Sfeins thoughts, but perhaps they are not... in that case, take control.

OOC2: I would like to have interaction with Isabella again.

IC:
Airedelle?
This was becoming more and more a strange story.
The Trothgarder looked curiously around.
“Is this what a forest looks like?” he said, “I have never been in a forest. I mean a real forest.”

This was the forest of Tanjecterly
“I do not know of a forest named Tanjecterly,” he thought “I have never heard of that name before”
But it was. The name felt right.
The dog belonged to an old bearded man.
A man who often drooled a little, into the black and grey hairs of his beard.
Once he was a priest of some kind.
In the story, he was the watcher of the dog.
But the twist in the story was, that it was the dog who was in charge.
“I do not know of that story. Am I making this up?”
And although the dog was old, he aged much slower then his human watcher.
No, the man was once a human, now he is different.
Were that his thoughts?
“Who are you?”
There was no one of coarse. His mind was his own. What did he expect, someone else in his head?
There were allready others in his head: Airedelle and Alazais.
But that was not realy in is head, that was in the story.
Or was it?
This was really confusing.

But Sfein did not ‘say’ any of these things to his fellow travelers. He noticed how a wind started to move into this forest.
It was the Wind of Madness. It preyed on victims who felt guilt for something.
Once, it was one of the defenses of this place.
“Stop this madness!” Sfein spoke aloud.
“There is no such thing as a wind of Madness!”
It is a name of a demon.

He then realized that he had lost control, normally he got the surroundings of his stories out of this world of imagination, but the things that happened where his, and his alone. Now it felt different. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he now had visitors.

The wind started to howl, an almost human sound, as if someone was wailing in desperation, but then with the strength of ten voices together, wailing at the top of their lungs. It must have sensed a victim.
No!
“We… are… not… here!!” he shouted. “I do not remember this story!”
Desperately his mind searched for a place where there were no trees.
Something human made.
Walls, of stone.
Where the wind could never come…

[Guest]

OOC: Sfein, read very carefully

Alazias looked on in horror, being in Sfeins mind he knew his thoughts.
"No Sfein, demons are always real, even in dreams, do not think of..."

His words were interrupted by Airedell suddenly being thrust forward as if an invisible hand had pushed her and she landed at Alazias feet.
Then a voice boomed out, "Who dares disturb me? Who dares to come to my domain? It matters not, for you will die".

Alazias looked at Sfein, "See what your stories have done, without control anything can happen. You get hurt here or you die here, then you are hurt or you die in the real world".

The sound of the wind was getting nearer, it's strength growing with every flicker, Alazias gripped Sfein by the shoulders and shook him hard, "Sfein we must leave here or we will die, I have not the power or strength to stop this, only you can do that".

He leaned down and picked Airedell up, he breathed a sigh of relief, she was ok. He looked once more at Sfien, the noise of the wind made Alazias raise his voice, "I am taking Airedell and myself out of here, back to reality, YOU must release yourself from this, and get back to reality also, I cannot help you, it has to be of your own doing".

As the sound of the wind started to reach epic proportions, and seemed to be coalescing into some sort of half dog, half human shape.
Alazias closed his eyes, and he and Airedell started to fade away.

The last words Alazias shouted as he left, "Remember Sfein, you die in there, you die in the real world".
Then, they were both gone, leaving Sfein to whatever it was approaching.

[Guest]

"Run into a dungeon? Fool" said a voice in his head, "Things are as real as you let them! Do not play the game of whatever is causing this. The only reality you should believe in is the ship!"
Yet it was a shock to see Alazais' cabin, instead of the monster that had been forming in the ghostly forest of his mind.
For several whiskers the barbarian sat as stiff as a dry wooden plank, his facial expression showing the shock of what had happened.
"That was not my dream" he staggered. "It cannot be. It must not be."
Magick. It must have been magick.
Somebody else must have used magick on him.
Yes, he was not insane, someone else had....
"Stop blaming someone else" he thought.
Believing that someone else on this ship had put him into this stage was ridiculous. Something was wrong with his imagination. Perhaps he, Sfein himself, had latent magickal powers. And they nearly had killed him if Alazais had not warned him.
Sfein shuddered.
Never. Never again.
Now he knew fear.
Fear for his own imagination.
"I am a failure" he thought. "I cannot tell stories anymore."
With a sad expression he looked at Airedelle and Alazais and spoke:
"I am sorry..."