Starting out on Oracle Isle, the girl who had come from Pan's Isle had found meaning and purpose in Mother Earth and wanted her people to have the freedom to choose whom they would worship. Headed back to Pan's Isle as a sort of missionary, the ship she was on was attacked by Pirates. Now, she and a young girl, Taresha whose father was killed by the pirates, work on the pirate ship that is taking them to Amun Rah to sell them on the slave market.
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Unable to help herself, Nistylk found sympathetic tears running down her own face. She, however, did not attempt to brush them away, or pretend they did not exist. Oh Mother, help me find a way to ease her sorrow! she prayed silently. Her task forgotten for the moment, she propped her mop up against a convenient bench, and moved over to where Taresha scrubbed. Reaching out, she rested one hand on the girl's shoulder. "But I was unnecessarily cruel, and for that I beg your forgiveness," she said with quiet earnestness.
[hr][/hr]Contact and the touch of another was all it took for the child to break down and fling herself into the novice's arms, sobs wracking the thin frail feeling body as she gave into the grief that weighed heavy on her. It touched the grief Nistylk felt in her own heart over her own losses and the two mourned the death of those close to them while the cook busily ignored them.
Spent and dry of enough fluid to make tears, the young girl pulled back and wiped her nose on the hem of her dress.
"I am sorry I made a mess of your dress," she blushed. "And sorry I was such a mess. I mean in my attitude. I just never..." she broke off not knowing what to say. "I miss my father so. I never thought I would miss him. I always dreamed of the day I could be on my own with no one to boss me." The narrow shoulders shrugged and she looked down.
"Guess that will never happen now..." her voice trailed off as another new fact rang home and true. The two would never know independence as such; they were destined to literally belong to someone, to be someone's property and as such they would have no free will.
"Thank you Nistylk," the girl said softly. "Best get back to work before grumpy hollers at us," she winked and produced a small smile. It had dawned on the girl that the cook had been unusually quiet during this time.
The girl's were barely finished when the first round of sailors came in for the evening meal and the cook began ladeling out food on plates that were unceremoniously plopped and slid down the counter to waiting hands. Nistylk and Taresha were left to fill cups and grab up empty plates and take them to the wash bucket when a sailor vacated a space.
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Nistylk held Taresha close throughout her storm of tears, feeling her own silent sadness track lines through the dirt on her face. She was infinitely glad that Taresha had finally allowed herself to cry, but also felt the depth of the girl's grief. For that, she could not rejoice. As the girl cried, she looked beyond her to where the cook was busily ignoring them. As she had suspected, the gruff chef did possess a human soul, despite his surly appearance. It only helped to confirm her belief that there was goodness in all people, no matter how horrible they might seem.
The elf allowed Taresha to pull away without any resistance, though she did keep one hand on the girl's shoulder. At her words, she laughed a little. "Your tears would clean it before they made it any more dirty," she said, absently brushing at her filthy tunic. She did not comment on Taresha's other words, preferring to let such things lie. She only smiled and squeezed her shoulder, before turning back to her own work. It appeared her instinct had rung true.
Later, as the sailors arrived, any more thought was forestalled in the rush of plates and mugs and food and wayward hands. Dodging nimbly through the mass, she was in and out as quickly as possible. She was discoveirng something of the nack of wending her way through without being idly groped, a certain smooth sinuousness of movement with which she bent away from grasping hands. Of course, she wasn't an expert yet, but the occasional touch didn't worry her too much.
As the place cleared, she went to sit down by a bucket and finnish the last of the washing. Her face was red from the heat and exertion, and her hands were stinging. She would have to attend to them again soon. She looked up at Taresha as the girl came to sit with her. "How did you fare?" she asked with a smile.
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Surprisingly enough, the child smiled and shrugged, "Pretty good I think. I only got yelled at once for spilling some drink on one of them. Well, another complained I was too slow but when I tried to hurry is when I spilled the drink and so they told me to take my time." She chuckled and sat down.
"Kinda hard to watch all them eat with my tummy so empty though," she sighed. "Will we get to eat, Nistylk?" she asked, holding her growling tummy.
The break didn't last long and no sooner had the novice answered the child than the next batch of seamen made their way into the commons, boisterously talking and laughing. This group seemed a bit more crude and as the girl's made their way through the tables, the groping hands were more plentious and difficult to steer clear of. From across the room the novice heard the girl shreik.
"Don't do that!" the child hollered followed by a chuckle that flowed through the crowd. Periodically the girl yelped or cried out as a hand grabbed at her. Rather than turn the attentions away however, the outbursts seemed rather to draw more attention to her. A shriek was followed by the pitcher she carried crashing to the ground and more laughter from the men. Anger evident in his tone, the cook came out of the kitchen snarling.
"There's not an unlimited supply o' pitchers, girl! You break another and I'll break you! Now clean up that mess!" he growled and then waved his hand at the men.
"And you get done with yer meal and outta here so's I can clean up, ya scurralous bunch o' dogs!" and he stomped back into his kitchen grumbling under his breath as the men chuckled.
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Nistylk returned the girl's smile, unfathomably pleased to find that Taresha still remembered how. That she had a sense of humour was a new revelation, too. Neither the spoilt nor the bitterly depressed Taresha had seemed to know how to laugh or make a joke. Thanks be to the Mother, she thought to herself. Her instincts had proven correct.
"It's a wonder they can't hear our tummies grumbling even over all the noise!" she said. "But we'll eat, don't worry - once the sailors are done."
As they got back to work, Nistylk was not at all fond of the nature of this second crowd. The last had teased, but there had been no nastiness. Now, she found the hands harder to steer clear of, and the friendly banter had taken an edge to it. The placid elf was beginning to grow irritated, and her smile a touch forced when she heard Taresha's screech from across the room.
Now that - that was too much. If they harried her, so be it, but Taresha was only a child. The cook's outburst was the final straw. Forgetting all the advice she had been given, she rounded on the grumpy man. Her hands were still laden - one with a pitcher, the other with a stack of filthy plates - but she didn't much care.
"Oh, leave her be, you great windbag!" she said, not quite shouting but coming close. "You know as well as I she wouldn't have dropped it if these worthless excuses for sailors hadn't groped her into it. If you want someone to shout at, shout at them!"
The sailor's chuckling had incenced her, and so she turned on them then. "And as for you, mangy old lecherous good-for-nothings, keep your filthy hands to yourself, and stay away from the girl. She's only a child! If you're that desperate for something to grope, go back to your hammocks where it'll do you some good!" by the time she'd finished, she was shouting, her eyes snapping with her fury.
"Taresha, this way," she said then, indicating with a nod of her head that the girl should follow her into the kitchen. She set down her dirty plates, and indicated the girl should start washing. "I"ll deal with them out there," she said. "You stay here where they can't get at you," she then looked at the cook. "I'll clean up the mess when they're done."
Nistylk's brow was still furrowed with her irritation, and she was yet to completely calm herself as she looked at the cook. Somewhere inside, she knew she was probably in for the tongue lashing of her life, but she didn't care. She'd endured harsh words before, and could again. The look she gave the cook was steady, unwavering, and without fear.
The Path of the Novice: Nistylk's Journey
Moderator: Mods
The novice's outburst served only to entertain the majority of the sailors even more as the laughter continued. Growling, the cook spit and walked over to her.
"I dunna care who does what, work out tha details as ya like, but if she breaks another o' ma pitchers there'll be the abyss ta pay!" Spitting again, just for effect, he turned to the room of still laughing sailor and yelled at them to hush up! Not ceasing entirely, the volume of the noise in the room was reduced noticeably.
Quietly, the child moved over to the barrel of dishes and began to wash looking up at Nistylk with a thank you in her eyes. The rest of the meal went smoothly as the novice priestess dodged pinches and caresses for the last bit of the meal. Before long, the commons area was empty save them and the cook. Quickly cleaning up his stove, he left the rest of the kitchen for them to clean.
"Ya might want ta eat first," he grunted and set a couple of well loaded plates of food out for the girls. "Then I spect ya's ta clean this good. Take scraps and garbage topside and toss em overboard. If's not dark yet, ya might get ta see some sharks come in after the leavins," he smiled but it was a rather preditory smile. "See ya in th' mornin'," he said cordially and walked out whistling.
The only part of the kitchen that was clean was the stove. On the work table were the remains of vegetables the cook and cut off before cooking. It seemed everywhere the two looked there were more messes. At least they got to eat and the food wasn't bad. Some sort of salted pork and potatoes and something green that they couldn't identify. He'd also left them each an orange still in the peel.
Taresha made a bee line for the food as she wiped her hands on her dress. "Oh by Vargez' bowels, I am soooo hungry!" the girl exclaimed as she sat down in front of a plate and picked up a utensil.
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"I dunna care who does what, work out tha details as ya like, but if she breaks another o' ma pitchers there'll be the abyss ta pay!" Spitting again, just for effect, he turned to the room of still laughing sailor and yelled at them to hush up! Not ceasing entirely, the volume of the noise in the room was reduced noticeably.
Quietly, the child moved over to the barrel of dishes and began to wash looking up at Nistylk with a thank you in her eyes. The rest of the meal went smoothly as the novice priestess dodged pinches and caresses for the last bit of the meal. Before long, the commons area was empty save them and the cook. Quickly cleaning up his stove, he left the rest of the kitchen for them to clean.
"Ya might want ta eat first," he grunted and set a couple of well loaded plates of food out for the girls. "Then I spect ya's ta clean this good. Take scraps and garbage topside and toss em overboard. If's not dark yet, ya might get ta see some sharks come in after the leavins," he smiled but it was a rather preditory smile. "See ya in th' mornin'," he said cordially and walked out whistling.
The only part of the kitchen that was clean was the stove. On the work table were the remains of vegetables the cook and cut off before cooking. It seemed everywhere the two looked there were more messes. At least they got to eat and the food wasn't bad. Some sort of salted pork and potatoes and something green that they couldn't identify. He'd also left them each an orange still in the peel.
Taresha made a bee line for the food as she wiped her hands on her dress. "Oh by Vargez' bowels, I am soooo hungry!" the girl exclaimed as she sat down in front of a plate and picked up a utensil.
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Shiroinami
Nistylk was not too surprised at the pirate's reaction to her words, though there had been the hope of something more satisfying. She was coming to some conclusions about the rowdy lot. Individually, she could handle most of them, even come to like them. As a group, however, they were something else, something she did not like at all. She barely held of a sigh, smiled a little at Taresha, then got back to work. At least they aren't so vicious now, she thought to herself as she dodged through the tables.
When all was done, she plopped herself down beside Taresha to eat. "Aye, you and me both!" she said. Taking up her utensil, she poked at the unidentifiable green stuff for a moment, before shrugging and taking a bite. "Strange lot, these are," she said, half to herself. "Behave as poorly towards us as you please, then give us a decent meal after." She smiled wryly. "Making sure we dont waste away so we're worth more in the slave market, I suppose," she said, "though why they think they'll get much for a drab little novice priestess with a loud mouth and a spoilt councilman's daughter I can't imagine," she continued with a little laugh.
The wood elf fell silent for a while, making busy work at her plate. She finished the meal with her orange, savouring the fruit. Of all the things she had eaten, this she appreciated most. "Well, I suppose we'd better get to this cleaning," she said, standing up. Without further ado, she got to scraping all the scraps off the benches and into a bucket. "The cook certainly knows how to make a mess," she commented.
When all was done, she plopped herself down beside Taresha to eat. "Aye, you and me both!" she said. Taking up her utensil, she poked at the unidentifiable green stuff for a moment, before shrugging and taking a bite. "Strange lot, these are," she said, half to herself. "Behave as poorly towards us as you please, then give us a decent meal after." She smiled wryly. "Making sure we dont waste away so we're worth more in the slave market, I suppose," she said, "though why they think they'll get much for a drab little novice priestess with a loud mouth and a spoilt councilman's daughter I can't imagine," she continued with a little laugh.
The wood elf fell silent for a while, making busy work at her plate. She finished the meal with her orange, savouring the fruit. Of all the things she had eaten, this she appreciated most. "Well, I suppose we'd better get to this cleaning," she said, standing up. Without further ado, she got to scraping all the scraps off the benches and into a bucket. "The cook certainly knows how to make a mess," she commented.
Finished with their meal, Taresha shrugged at the novice's observations about their captors and looked at the kitchen mess. "He did that on purpose you know. Made a mess to get even with you yelling at him."
The clean up progressed slowly as the two finished the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, wiped off the tables and mopped the floor. It was several marks past sunset when the two were finished and hauled the dishwater and food scrapes uptop to dump them over the side. For the most part it was quiet with a small group down at the other end singing and making merry. Taresha yawned and leaned against the side enjoying the fresh air.
"Sure wish I could have a bath," she sniffed herself and turned up her nose, then giggled. "My mother would die to hear me say that. I used to fight against taking a bath. Amazing what you miss when you can't have it any more," the girl shrugged.
"Nistylk?" the girl paused still looking over the side at the starlight on the water. On the horizon the moon was beginning to rise. "What will happen to us in Amun Rah? I mean, I know they are going to sell us as slaves but," she paused again.
"What kind of slaves do you think? I mean, I am not very strong. I wouldn't buy me to do heavy work if I were a slave buyer." There was an edge of concern, almost fear to the girl's voice.
The clean up progressed slowly as the two finished the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, wiped off the tables and mopped the floor. It was several marks past sunset when the two were finished and hauled the dishwater and food scrapes uptop to dump them over the side. For the most part it was quiet with a small group down at the other end singing and making merry. Taresha yawned and leaned against the side enjoying the fresh air.
"Sure wish I could have a bath," she sniffed herself and turned up her nose, then giggled. "My mother would die to hear me say that. I used to fight against taking a bath. Amazing what you miss when you can't have it any more," the girl shrugged.
"Nistylk?" the girl paused still looking over the side at the starlight on the water. On the horizon the moon was beginning to rise. "What will happen to us in Amun Rah? I mean, I know they are going to sell us as slaves but," she paused again.
"What kind of slaves do you think? I mean, I am not very strong. I wouldn't buy me to do heavy work if I were a slave buyer." There was an edge of concern, almost fear to the girl's voice.
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Shiroinami
As Nistylk set to cleaning up the mess, she paused a moment at Taresha's comment. "You know, I think you're right!" she said, laughing. "He can't get back at me any other way, I suppose."
The wood elf set to the task of cleaning with a will, mopping, cleaning and wiping almost tirelessly. Physical exertion had never been something that bothered her, being an everyday part of life. There was something almost relaxing about the simple task of cleaning. It busied the hands, whilst allowing the mind to roam free. The wood elf thought of many things. Her childhood in Muchislie. Her mother, her father, her brother. The isle, and the vision she had been blessed with there. The kindly old priest who was, by now, gone to rest upon the ocean floor. What was to become of her in times not yet gone by...
Nistylk smiled when Taresha commented on her smell. To tell the truth, Nistylk had not truly noticed all that much. She had never lived a life where bathing was a daily occurence. She always tried to keep clean, of course, but when one was almost constantly on the move, bathing was more trouble than it was worth.
Her companion's second question stilled her chuckles. So closely did it mirror her own musings, it was as if Taresha had voiced Nistylk's thoughts. "There are many things besides heavy work," she said softly, after a few flickers. Then another silence, while she watched the quiet beauty of the moon rising. "Maybe the Mother's purpose is for us to be pot cleaners forever," she said after a little while, turning a smile on Taresha.
"Come on, I'm tired and we're bound to be woken up early in the morning," she said, pushing away from the rail. "A little bit of sleep never goes astray!"
The wood elf set to the task of cleaning with a will, mopping, cleaning and wiping almost tirelessly. Physical exertion had never been something that bothered her, being an everyday part of life. There was something almost relaxing about the simple task of cleaning. It busied the hands, whilst allowing the mind to roam free. The wood elf thought of many things. Her childhood in Muchislie. Her mother, her father, her brother. The isle, and the vision she had been blessed with there. The kindly old priest who was, by now, gone to rest upon the ocean floor. What was to become of her in times not yet gone by...
Nistylk smiled when Taresha commented on her smell. To tell the truth, Nistylk had not truly noticed all that much. She had never lived a life where bathing was a daily occurence. She always tried to keep clean, of course, but when one was almost constantly on the move, bathing was more trouble than it was worth.
Her companion's second question stilled her chuckles. So closely did it mirror her own musings, it was as if Taresha had voiced Nistylk's thoughts. "There are many things besides heavy work," she said softly, after a few flickers. Then another silence, while she watched the quiet beauty of the moon rising. "Maybe the Mother's purpose is for us to be pot cleaners forever," she said after a little while, turning a smile on Taresha.
"Come on, I'm tired and we're bound to be woken up early in the morning," she said, pushing away from the rail. "A little bit of sleep never goes astray!"
The night went peacefully, the seas nearly calm producing little to no rocking sensation. The two women could almost forget that they were on a ship with a bunch of pirates, headed to Amun Rah. Almost. The storage room was still too warm and smelled rank, far removed from the even spartan accomodations they'd had on the other ship. Now, those seemed like luxury rooms.
The days went pretty much one like the next as the ship plowed through the waters without stopping and without seeing other ships. The kitchen routine became easier with familiarity and the cook was less harsh as the days went on, and though they had less groping hands to deal with, that never entirely went away. Neither did the brazen comments. But no one pushed it further than that and life had settled into a pattern and routine for the two. Taresha was growing up and maturing, learning to take on responsibility that she'd never had to do before and was developing a pride in herself and her abilities that caused her to blossom.
Mostly the days were clear and sunny with high fluffy clouds if any and light to brisk winds but nothing that resembled a storm. It was the kind of weather sailor's loved. There was little to do save keep the bow pointed in the right position and the normal daily tasks.
It was their sixth day at sea since the pirate attack, though the days had begun to run together and if asked, niether Nistylk nor Taresha could have said just how many days it had been. The morning began like all those before it except that out on the horizon they were sailing into, the sky was dark. When the girls came out of the kitchen after the breakfast, the clouds were much nearer. It was hard not to notice the sailors increased activity as they began to secure anything that might move and cause harm during a storm. For the most part they ignored the girls who had become used to spending their days out on the deck in the sun, staying out of the way. Today it was harder to stay out of the way, but they managed.
When it was time to go down for the supper rounds, they noticed the cook had prepared some sort of porridge and on the side potatoes and onions with some sort of sausages sliced. It was simple and hadn't taken much to fix nor would it take much to clean up. The usual banter and groping was absent and the men ate quickly with little idle chatter. The evening meal took about half the normal time and as the girls began to clean up, the cook began to secure all the loose items in the kitchen. Soon he was done and he approached Nistylk.
"No doubt ye've noticed the approachin' storm," he said brusquely but keeping his voice low so the girl wouldn't hear.
"Looks ta be a bad un'. When yer finished wi'yer cleanin' be sure and tie the buckets up here so's they don't fly about and break other things. And in yer sleepin' room, find some ropes and tie anything that might move down and tie it good. Even crates. If ya can push it and move it, so can the storm. Once it starts, stay below decks no matter what. Not knowin' what yer doin' you'd surely get washed overboard and we won't have time ta fetch ya," he patted the novice on the arm.
"Ya've both done good work. I'd hate ta loose either of ya," he went back into his gruff I-don't-care mode, but the hint of concern in his voice when he was giving instruction had given him away.
"Gotta go above decks and help out. You girls hurry and get in yer bunks," and he was off leaving Nistylk and Taresha to finish cleaning and eat their supper.
"The storm is going to be bad, isn't it?" the girl came up behind the novice. "When adults start whispering it always means bad things are happening... or are going to happen." She shrugged and looked up at Nistylk.
"Can't be worse than a pirate attack, can it?" she smiled wryly and grabbed the plate of food left for her and sat down to eat.
The days went pretty much one like the next as the ship plowed through the waters without stopping and without seeing other ships. The kitchen routine became easier with familiarity and the cook was less harsh as the days went on, and though they had less groping hands to deal with, that never entirely went away. Neither did the brazen comments. But no one pushed it further than that and life had settled into a pattern and routine for the two. Taresha was growing up and maturing, learning to take on responsibility that she'd never had to do before and was developing a pride in herself and her abilities that caused her to blossom.
Mostly the days were clear and sunny with high fluffy clouds if any and light to brisk winds but nothing that resembled a storm. It was the kind of weather sailor's loved. There was little to do save keep the bow pointed in the right position and the normal daily tasks.
It was their sixth day at sea since the pirate attack, though the days had begun to run together and if asked, niether Nistylk nor Taresha could have said just how many days it had been. The morning began like all those before it except that out on the horizon they were sailing into, the sky was dark. When the girls came out of the kitchen after the breakfast, the clouds were much nearer. It was hard not to notice the sailors increased activity as they began to secure anything that might move and cause harm during a storm. For the most part they ignored the girls who had become used to spending their days out on the deck in the sun, staying out of the way. Today it was harder to stay out of the way, but they managed.
When it was time to go down for the supper rounds, they noticed the cook had prepared some sort of porridge and on the side potatoes and onions with some sort of sausages sliced. It was simple and hadn't taken much to fix nor would it take much to clean up. The usual banter and groping was absent and the men ate quickly with little idle chatter. The evening meal took about half the normal time and as the girls began to clean up, the cook began to secure all the loose items in the kitchen. Soon he was done and he approached Nistylk.
"No doubt ye've noticed the approachin' storm," he said brusquely but keeping his voice low so the girl wouldn't hear.
"Looks ta be a bad un'. When yer finished wi'yer cleanin' be sure and tie the buckets up here so's they don't fly about and break other things. And in yer sleepin' room, find some ropes and tie anything that might move down and tie it good. Even crates. If ya can push it and move it, so can the storm. Once it starts, stay below decks no matter what. Not knowin' what yer doin' you'd surely get washed overboard and we won't have time ta fetch ya," he patted the novice on the arm.
"Ya've both done good work. I'd hate ta loose either of ya," he went back into his gruff I-don't-care mode, but the hint of concern in his voice when he was giving instruction had given him away.
"Gotta go above decks and help out. You girls hurry and get in yer bunks," and he was off leaving Nistylk and Taresha to finish cleaning and eat their supper.
"The storm is going to be bad, isn't it?" the girl came up behind the novice. "When adults start whispering it always means bad things are happening... or are going to happen." She shrugged and looked up at Nistylk.
"Can't be worse than a pirate attack, can it?" she smiled wryly and grabbed the plate of food left for her and sat down to eat.