Out into the Sea [26th early MT]

[Maeve]

On the first tide their ship did sail out of the harbour of Hafne, leaving behind its seagulls and the bad smell. Instead ocean spray took over.

It was a Brigantine. Two masts, the major one square rigged. In a worse case scenario it could be rowed. It was considered a pirate ship due to its manoeuvrability and flexibility. It could easily out run a larger ship and if anything could outrun a storm it was a brigantine.

Their mission was simple. To go out and meet the Stormlord. Yes, they knew they were missing key information but they didn't care. Time had run out. Dort must be saved.

OOC: If you think you belong here, you can assume to be here.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Out upon the sea Gavin neither needed nor felt quite at ease wearing his heavy armor and thus the steel plates and mail shirt were safely tucked into a cabin, ready to be donned once they reached a shore and he had solid ground under his feet. Though he had little skill in such things, at that very moment he sat in a corner, leaning back against the planks and whittled at a piece of wood, intent on creating as humanoid a figure as he could out of it. The sword lay flat upon the deck next to the tall warrior, movements of his dagger slow and measures, the wood so far holding well as he began turning it from a square brick into a more suitable cylinder.

[Gaelena]

Gaelena stood looking over the railing, watching yet another shoreline fade into the distance. Another departure. Her life was filling up with unnoted departures. Her departure from her father's home and the Citadel, her departure from Roque, her departure from Pax, her departure from Pan's Island and now her departure from Dort. Of course, this might be her final departure. She still had not figured out how to perform the ceremony without possibly causing her own death. Would that departure, from life, even be noted? There were times when she wondered if she had made any impact anywhere at all.

Sighing, she leaned back from the railing, her arm hitting the wood and sending a slight pain up it. One more day, she thought as she unwound the bandage and reached into her apron pocket, pulling out the salve. Turning to look at the occupants of the deck, she slid the ointment over her skin before wrapping a new bandage around her arm. She noted Gavin, looking strange out of his armor. Cautiously, she approached him.

"Are you making that for someone?," she asked, her eyes full of curiosity, her hand attempting to tie off the bandage as best she could one-handed.

[Syrawenn]

"ROW row row yer boat, gently down the streeeeeam!" Syrawenn sang it for just about the twentieth time, although the lyrics changed with every time. "MERRILY merrily merrily merrily love comes from a dreaaaam."

She turned around for the next verse, looking at Gavin. "ROW row row yer boat, gently down the streeeeam! Merrily merrily merrily merilly we are more than we seeeeeem!"

With every 'row' her arm moved up and down. With every burn that passed the restlessness got to her more and more. There was nothing to do on board a ship. There was nothing to see cept waves. There was nowhere to run!

So she resorted to singing.
Well...maybe singing was a bit of a euphemism.

"ROW row row yer boat, listen to us they shouuuuuld. Merrily merrily merrily just like Gavin cuts his wooood!"

The girl looked out over sea, squinting her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

[Gavin Tylvan]

Syrawenn’s singing was in no way helping Gavin focus on his woodwork, the tall warrior chuckling every so often and risking a nasty cut to his fingers as his studded gloves were not very suited for the delicate work he was trying to perform. Trying being the key word as this was his first attempt at making something out of wood in yahren, and he doubted arrows he had made as a child qualified as fine wood crafted items. He looked up at Gaelena’s approach and lowered both the knife and half-whittled wood onto the deck, wiping his hands and rising to help the girl tie the bandage around her hand, before sitting down once more.

Once the wood was in his hand again, the Dortman replied. “Just passing the time I guess.” He glanced towards Syrawenn and grinned, raising his voice so she could hear it as well. “I think it’ll be a whistle or a flute or something, so someone can lay a music instead of singing.” He flashed a grin at Gaelena and added I a softer voice. “I used to whittle wood for marks when I was a kid, but never made anything useful. And I’ll need a proper knife for it if I get to like it. Why do you ask? You need anything made? I can try to make it, but….. It won’t be very good.”

[Gaelena]

Gaelena murmured a quiet 'thank you' as Gavin assisted her with her bandages, a bit surprised by it. She was so used to doing everything for herself that she had forgotten that there were other people out there that were helpful. She put the salve away as well as the extra bandage into her pocket. That was done for now.

As Syrawenn danced and sang her way around the deck of the ship, the redhead smiling at the song. She understood the soothing relief that singing could bring, but Syrawenn didn't have a trained voice, so it was slightly off key. Which was fine. Singing was for fun, for stress relief. You didn't have to always be perfect.

She chuckled as Gavin teased the other girl, then turned her smile down to him. "Ah, but does it really matter how it looks? Imperfections are what make each of us unique. Besides, a gift made with love is better than any perfect purchased item," she said.

[Gavin Tylvan]

OOC; Hope you do not mind me skipping the line, but Gavin is tugging and wants to speak, so……

Gaelena’s words caused the tall warrior to pause in his wood-carving attempts, his eyes focusing upon the blade in his hand and the momentary reflection of light upon it, before shrugging “No, I suppose it does not have to be good, but I want it to be good. As best as possible until my skill improves. What is use of doing something if you do not do it right?” No longer working on the entire wood, he focused on one end of a rough cylinder and began fleshing out what was supposed to be a face, switching his focus from overall image to details that made the whole, as his words followed roughly the same path. “Every action we make has a reaction, or a consequences, and if we do something half-heartedly then the reaction will likely be different than if we did it to the best of your ability.”

Gavin lowered the figurine upon the deck next to him, looking up at the girl and spent a flicker looking into her eyes before speaking. “My goal in carving this figurine is simply to pass up time. But, if I were just to whittle the wood without a clear goal in kind it would quickly get boring. Without a goal you would have no sense of accomplishment and thus would not know if you were making a progress and without that you could simply give up any time. But, if there is something definite you wanted to accomplish, you would see how close to it you were getting, and still decide to stop if you see that reaching that goal is out of your reach.”

The wood was picked up again and the Dortman used the point to create a rough outline of a face in the wood, trying to keep his breathing steady and exercise patience by slowly creating deeper and deeper grooves and letting the wood peel off gradually “Like this whole trip to go see the Storm Lord. Asking myself what I want out of it, but also which outcome I’ll consider as success? Will we stop the decay of Dort? Will we even know if we succeeded or just think we did only to find out we were wrong ten yahren in the future? Will we have to trick the Storm Lord or will there be anything we can offer him that will satisfy him and make him stop taking life from Dort? Will he give back what he took or keep it? Can he give it back? Can we make a deal that is going to be permanent, or will someone in the future have to go through this whole thing all over again?” He chuckled nervously as a thin nose a forehead appeared from the wood, carefully working on the eyes of the figurine. “I would be happy with keeping the Dort as it is now, and buying it just a yahren more with a promise that we or someone else could make a better deal. Does not mean I won’t try to get more, including a deal that gives Dort back what it lost and also gives Storm Lord what he needs if possible. There has to be a reason why this being wants Dort or at least its life. Perhaps giving him such a thing would keep his calm?” He smiled and blew the wood dust from the roughly carved eyes of the figurine and started working on shaping its head better. “What about you? What do you want to accomplish on this trip?”

[Syrawenn]

"Rrrrrrrrrow....Hey!" Syrawenn grinned at the veiled insult at her singing. "Well at least I get people to listen this way." She defended herself, eyeing the little wooden object Gavin was carving. Her next sentence got lost in the rather philosophical discussion that sparked up between Gaelena and the bearded man.

When she wanted to interject, it was clear the man was aiming his question at Gaelena, so she stayed silent for the time being.

Trick a god? I dunno if that's possible. But yea, why would he want Dort to go under? What is in it for him? That means it costs him some valuable followers an believers. Don't make sense. So question is, who does Dort really belong to? If he threatens to take it, then that must be hinderin someone else, but who?

Shit, shoulda asked more questions.

The girl dropped against the railing, bothered by the implications of her thoughts. Her eyebrows drew together in a frown as her mind would not stop turning.

An how the flip are we gonna find out? All we know is Mother came around to soothe him. there ain't no other words or stories, unless people kept things from us again.

Shit, shit, shit. An it don't help I think the Stormlord is actin like a spoiled child either...wonder how fast he's gonna kill me if he notices that. Heh. Well, there's yer sacrifice then, cause I sure ain't gonna keep silent if things need to be said!

[Gaelena]

Gaelena listened as Gavin spoke and whittled. Her eyes, though, were not focused on him. They looked out over the water, though even that she wasn't focused on. Everything he said made her look back on her life, her fluid movement through it. She never thought of goals. She simply did what she thought was needed. Moving around, following the path of the Mother, going where healers were needed. Never with a specific thought as to what she could get out of it.

"I'm afraid we're two very different people. My reason for being here is simple. I want to help. I have no goal, besides helping the people of Dort. I'm not looking to get anything out of it, except the knowledge that I did what I could to save people from suffering." She turned back to him, her eyes refocused on the bearded man. "No lofty reasons. Just a simple wish to help. I'm sorry."

[Gavin Tylvan]

Holding the blade between his thumb and forefinger, only its tip peeking out, Gavin was trying to create brown upon the figurine's face, though he gave up after a few flickers, looking up at Gaelena and arching a brow in surprise. "Why would you be sorry? Each person picks a path he or she takes and you have chosen yours." Abandoning the face for now, he moved to flesh out the figurine's neck, deciding that it should have a clearly defined clothes, putting a rather difficult goal before his limited carving skills. "And I disagree that you do not have goals. You just do not see them as such. Helping people is a goal, even though not as detailed and clearly defined as one I described." He paused and for a flicker a tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth, as the tall warrior attempted to create a high collared shirt out of wood around the figurine's neck. "More questions if you don't mind?" He looked up, pausing for a moment and giving the girl a chance to refuse. "Why do you want to help people? And how far are you willing to go to help them? Would you give Storm Lord a hug if that is what he needed and if that was what would make him stop destroying the island?" He smiled, his question meant as a slight jest, but still not rhetorical.

[Syrawenn]

Even Syrawenn was not rude enough to just interfere just yet in the rather personal conversation that was going on between Gavin and Gaelena. Their attention was solely on each other and left no room for add-libbing.

Meanwhile her agitation grew. It was just so stupid to pretend you had no goal. Even worse if it made the girl feel like somehow she was someone less for actually wanting something.

Even worse if she actually believes that! You always got a goal! You always do it fer somethin! Even if it is cause it's expecter from ya or just cause it makes ya feel better if yer useful! Bloody netherbats, even I got a goal! Does she really think her god or whatever will like her more if she tries to pretend she ain't no person?

Gavin was following the more or less same thoughts as he bounced some questions back. The youngster grinned. He was doing pretty well when it came to the whole verbal thing. In fact, he was doing well enough to make Syrawenn wonder how much more of that horrid future was going to come to pass. So far she had managed to pick the good thing out of it.
The only good thing.
Gavin.

She smirked and got up. It was best to let em finish their conversation before she blew up at poor Gaelena who was only doing what she thought was best.

[Gaelena]

Gaelena wasn't used to being questioned. In some ways, she was like her father, though she would die before she admitted it. She did what she did because she wanted and who were they to question her. So she stiffened slightly as Gavin continued his barage of inquiry. When he asked if he could ask more questions, there was but the briefest flicker of hesitation before she nodded, though she stopped watching him and turned her eyes back to the water, which was just as well, for if she had turned to look at Syrawenn, a momentary flare of temper might have taken hold of her. This wasn't her quest. She was here because they had asked for help, not because she chose this.

The red-headed healer sighed as the bearded warrior asked the strangest questions. "I want to help people because I've seen the suffering that some have faced at the hands of those who should know better," she fired back, her normally porcelian skin pinking momentarily. "And I'm willing to give my life if it saves someone, even just one person." There was the old Gaelena, the one who had rashly run away from home when she found her father doing something she didn't agree with.

She shook her head and closed her eyes, the smallest hint of a smile showing at Gavin's last question. "If all that was required was a hug, I don't think we'd be on this ship, but yes, if that was what was needed, I'd hug him," she replied.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Focused as he was on the figuring in his hands, Gavin never noticed the change in Gaelena’s mood, innocently whittling away and giving the figure in his hand a rough shape of Vaga Hex’s ancient form. He did look up at her heated response, the tall warrior’s steely eyes trying to catch Gaelena’s, as he only half-registered her smile and mention of a hug. “I am glad you came along, though along is not the right word. I had some rough luck in finding people willing to act and change things before. They mostly waited for things to fall into their lap, and put obstacles before me when what I was trying to accomplish was not completely to their liking. In a way they worried more about methods, when they should have been glad that there was motivation. I wanted to help, but they were not happy with how I was doing it. But, instead of showing me how to help, they merely slapped my hand away when I did wrong.”

His eyes went to the spot where he guessed Milkhaire was, his rant directed both at the Clans as well as the living forest that in a way destroyed his body, the tall warrior somehow waking up unharmed half way around the globe away from home. With a sigh, he lowered the figurine down in the lap, and looked up as another odd question formed on his lips. “You would give your life to save another? No matter who that person was?” He paused and added after barely a flicker of hesitation. “I do not think I could do that. I do not even think I would want someone to do that for me. Not be a coward maybe, but actually die so I could live…..” He shook his head, and saved the last bit for himself. That would be terrible. Living with the knowledge someone died for me. Why? How? Could I return such a gift? Earn my second chance? So many questions and he was not sure he had answers to those.

[Syrawenn]

Syrawenn stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing the familiar sacrificial story. Clenching her fists she showed a remarkable amount of control by not turning around and lashing out.

Of course the lashing would have been out of sheer panick rather than anger, but the memory of Gavin giving up yahren of his life for her was still fresh in her mind.

Okay, okay, cool down..easy...Gav is doin the right thing...we need this gal. We need her knowledge. Not her fault that she got some id..ideo...some fancy idea about life an death.

Not her fault.
Behave.
Be nice.
This is a ship. No one can go anywhere. No one else to talk to.

And then it struck her.
It wasn't just the contents of the conversation, it was the conversation in itself! There was an intensity behind it that she only knew from her talks with the bearded man and somehow...somewhere it felt like Gaelena was stepping on her turf!

Jealous.
Oh man...you gotta be friggin kiddin me. JEALOUS? Of what? I already know who Gavin chose. Come ON!

Yet the little familiar voice droned on even if Syrawenn tried to ignore it. it was hard, because there simply was a core of truth in there. In the relatively short period of time that she'd had with Gavin, there had been such intense, insanely open talks between them that it was very hard to do without or see it projected upon someone else.

Ah crap.
I'm such a looser!

"Alright....alright..." She turned after all, feeling like a thief for stealing a part of the conversation. " Alright, I kinda understand the whole givin up yer life thing...kinda...sorta...but don't it depend? Ain't it better to live another day to save more? I mean...yer not sayin yer life ain't worth nothin, are ya?"

[Gaelena]

As first Gavin then Syrawenn seemed to take offense at her selflessness, the redhead frowned and stepped back. "I'm not suicidal," she said, frowning. "I'm simply saying that if its decided that my life must be sacrificed for another, then there must be a reason for it. Nothing happens just by chance. There is a pattern, a path that is before each of us. I put my faith in that."

She looked away from the pair for a flicker before turning her eyes back. "I saw the ceremony that bound the Storm Lord the last time. I know what to expect. If we can not find another way, you must promise not to try and stop me." Her tone was final, brooking no arguments.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Having taken little part in previous conversation, Syrawenn sudden involvement in it surprised Gavin a bit, though he had no problem with her saying her piece, especially since her ideas of their mission were similar to his own. And then Gaelena went and said something that troubled him greatly, so much that he slipped the dagger back in its sheath, no longer feeling very creative, the figurine in his hand all but forgotten. “I think that if we get to the point where nothing else works, we still can’t simply let you sacrifice your life. That is a promise I can not and will not make. It is your life and you could say how you can do anything you want with it, but what kind of a person would I be if I let a life be lost?”

He did not look upset, or angry, merely confused and perhaps a bit hurt, eyes soft as he looked up at the girl. “I do not like idea of sacrifice, even though some people think I would sacrifice myself for others. Sacrifice implies that someone has done something so great that made you so grateful you do not need to live anymore.” He paused and sighed, still sitting down, not in the least disturbed by the height advantage both girls had over him in that moment. “I would understand if you put yourself in danger and fought against it, even though you could die. I would understand if you did something which could get you killed, but there was a chance you would live. I would even try to understand if you did the sacrifice as the last effort to save everything, but only if you were absolutely sure it would work. I would try, but I am not sure I would actually understand. Why would you sacrifice yourself for thousands of people whom you do not even know? Some of whom know of what we are doing but chose not to come? Some of whom stayed away because it is dangerous? Going on this trip will make you a hero if we succeed.”

[Gaelena]

It was obvious to Gaelena that Gavin looked at the world differently than she did. His response and questions proved that to it. It didn't make either of their views right or wrong, just different.

She waited until he was finished speaking, then paused for a few flickers before responding. "I'm not looking to be a hero. If no one ever knows what I did, that doesn't matter to me. I am here because I swore that all life is important and that I must do everything in my power to preserve it. Its not that I want to sacrifice myself. I'm hoping to exhaust every other option before that. But if I must, I will do as my vision decrees."

[Syrawenn]

Syrawenn's eyes shot towards Gaelena at hearing her words. "You got it, miss...you got it right there. All life is important...an that includes yer own. So I'm glad to hear ya won't be throwin it away if there's other options."

Not a chance in nether that she was going to promise anything like Gaelena had asked. The chance was too great that she'd react out of sheer instinct if the young woman decided to sacrifice herself. Syra knew herself too well in that respect.

There was little use in continuing the discussion after this. Gaelena made her point clear. Gavin made his point clear.

"So..." The youngster shielded her eyes against the light and looked up into the skies. "Think we gonna keep it dry?"

It was a stupid remark.
Might even be taken as a challenge.
But hey, that's what people did when they wanted to avoid awkward silences, right? Talk about the weather?

[Maeve]

As Syrawenn looked up in the sky she could see that where once there had been a clear blue sky, now more and more grey clouds were gathering. The light breeze when they left had changed over the past few marks into one that was creating white foam on the top of the waves. It wasn't storming yet, but it wasn't quiet either.

Milkhaire stood at the stern of the ship, looking out at the expanse of sea before him, being exceptionally quiet. He had not interfered once with the debate going on behind his back, or with the fact that Gavin now sported several minor cuts, the wooden statue not badly turned out, but he had learned the valuable lesson of not cutting away too much, for you could not put it back on. The wood was a living thing, it had almost resisted some cuts, while smoothly going along with others, as if something demanded to come out, the grains of the wood demanding a certain treatment.

There was but a small crew on board and they ignored their passengers as they went about to secure ropes and prepare for a storm.

[Gavin Tylvan]

Gavin looked up as Gaelena spoke, nodding and accepting her words, not intending to push her into something she disagreed with, but determined to keep an eye on her and ensure that all options were truly exhausted. The tall warrior meant what he had said, and felt mildly uncomfortable around the silent priestess, her willingness to sacrifice herself for others, him included making him think of the way he could repay her. There were only a few things he could do and that was either to dedicate his life to the same thing she strived and carry on where she left, interrupted by death. The other was to find a way to bring her back and let her carry the task herself, and the thought he would have to go to the realm of Gods and find Gaelena’s spirit did not sound like and easy task. Syrawenn he would seek out because he would refuse to let her stay dead and live without the little hellion. Gaelena would deserve it by giving the only thing she could not take back for him.

He rose and wiping his finger upon the shirt, slipped the dagger into its sheath and tucked the piece of wood safely into his backpack. Placing his hand on the woman’s shoulder the Dortman looked into her eyes as he spoke.“I can not promise to let you give your life if anything else can be done. We could find a way t do it later without the sacrifice. I will feel indebted to you after such a sacrifice and I will never be able to repay that debt. I just want you to know I will try.” Then Syrawenn offered her challenge and it was answered by the thunder and darkening of skies. With a wink at Gaelena, Gavin grinned and set the matter of sacrifice behind him. He had said what needed to be said. “If it works and you whip up a storm we can go to Amun Rah afterwards and make a fortune by calling down rain upon the desert.”

[Gaelena]

Gaelena wanted to sigh in frustration as Gavin spoke of repayment of debts. He would have no debt to her if she had to sacrifice herself. No one would. This would be her gift to him, to them. And one did not go around repaying gifts. She wanted to tell him that, but it was clear from both Gavin and Syrawenn's comments that they didn't wish to discuss it any more. So, she merely smiled as comments turned to the weather, deciding it was best to leave them both out of her decision. She would do what she thought was right and there was nothing either could do to stop her.

"We are getting closer to him. If you will excuse me," she said, feeling the third wheel in the conversation, her presence causing tension, she decided. She waited until she was given leave to depart before moving towards the silent figure of the shaman. Mentally, she sighed. Are they always so stubborn?, she thought, not purposefully sending the message to the silent sentinel, but offering it up in general to her own mind.

[Syrawenn]

"It was a JOKE, you dimwit!" Syrawenn grumbled at no one in particular as the gathering clouds did nothing to ease her mind. Of course the sailors preparing like ants protecting their anthill before a thunderstorm did nothing to comfort her either.

As a matter of fact, she was strongly reminded of the fact that swimming was slightly beyond her -although one might consider her efforts to fall under the category of floating if one felt very forgiving. "Right, you know I didn't say that on purpose, right?" She eyed Gavin and Gaelena. "I wasn't ASKIN fer anything!"

The girl nodded at the other woman as she excused herself. Her grey eyes followed Gaelena as she walked up to the shaman. "That's a peculiar one." She mumbled. "I bet she an Milkey get along splendidly. Ain't my thing, but hey, if it works..."

She poked the bearded man. "An I blimmin well didn't mean to call down anythin, ya weirdo! If you wanna go make a buck, let's survive this first, shall we?" Her eyebrows drew together in a frown.

"Lemme guess...you can't swim either..."

[Gavin Tylvan]

Gavin nodded to Gaelena moving out of her way and got to absently sucking on his thumb, where a cut left a bit of his skin loose. He was busy chewing it off and spitting it out when Syrawenn came to his side, causing him to smirk as she grumbled about the storm and not being the cause of it. "Of course you did not ask on purpose. Is just that you have such a charming way of mentioning stuff people they feel obliged to do the opposite. I just like pissing you off and I do the opposite." He grinned and prepared to dodge the poke of elbow jab or the famed shin kick he has avoided so far.

"And I can swim. Well sorta. Never really tried big swimming. But, if I get the armor on, I am so gonna beat the axe-head in a race to the bottom. That thing weighs a ton." He glanced to where Gaelena and Milkhaire stood side by side and sighed, his expression turning serious. "She is nice, but..... Maybe too nice. I have this wish to keep to her side and look out for her. Make sure people do not misuse her niceness. Beat the crap out of bastards who try to trick her. Cause she won't do it herself. And she really thinks it is okay to sacrifice your life for others." He sighed. "That may be true, but Stormlord does not deserve to have her life if he is doing all of this." Then with another grin he turned to face the troublemaker at his side. "How the heck do we always get mixed up in stuff like this? Demons, wars, gods, dying islands?"

[Syrawenn]

It wasn't exactly guilt that made Syrawenn look over at Gaelena again, but fact was that she had effectively butted into a conversation that wasn't hers and appearantly drove the other woman off.

Well...I didn't tell her to get lost! We were just discussin. An I was gettin out of the discussion! She pleaded with herself when her thoughts were interrupted by Gavin's comments.

"Charmin, eh?" She raised one eyebrow. "I'll show ya charmin!" And indeed her elbow shot out, aimed at his ribs. Unfortunately she was quite a bit more predictable than the girl would have liked and the man dodged well out of the way.

Still muttering she folded her arms. "Swimmin is useful. Glad ya can. I'll just show em some technical floatin when push comes to shove. Dreamed of swimmin once, but that guy was just tryin to errrrrr....never mind"

That guy was trying to get into my pants. SHEESH some dreams! Frustrated? Me? Hah!

"So how bout ya wait with the armour til we hit the shore, hm?" The youngster offered up. "An I dunno about her. I dunno. Too nice? Maybe. Maybe this is just the only thing she knows. Pretty hard to show a blind man colours, eh? An as for the Stormfellow, let's face it, he's got some serious ego issues. I still wanna know why he wanted to drown Dort in the first place. Why drown yer own people? Don't make sense. So that's somethin I'd like to ask before we go all out. Nothin like showin a guy his fight is over, after all."

Syrawenn leaned forward over the ship's rail, her hair blowing around her face. She spit out a wayward strand before accidentily chewing down on it. "How do we get mixed up? Maybe it's just life as we like it, eh? Maybe this is it fer us. The real thing. Tryin to make a difference. Tryin to make it count. Be a little more than just a pest. Just...ya know...feelin life. Heart beatin. Knowin that somehow it wasn't fer nothin that ya were born, no matter what the world thinks."

She took a deep breath, the salty air tickling her nostrils.

[Maeve]

Hello sister. Milkhaire offered softly in Gaelena's mind. Are you afraid of what fate has to offer you? He smiled at her. Fate is a funny thing. It is never quite what you expect of it. He looked out over the waves again. He knows we are coming. Can you see how he is already gathering his anger. Have you ever talked to the Gods?

As Gavin and Syrawenn talked the winds picked up. Sails started flapping a bit. The blue sky had disappeared. Somebody was preparing a spectacular entrance.