Ardent

"Like hell I'm coming with you!" Rynn snarled, kneeing the man in the groin. He doubled over and she used that as a oppurtunity to kick him down onto the ground. A moment later, Rynn's hands were freed as she pulled a knife from her belt and cut the ropes. She drew her blades, looking aso t the two men immediately by her.

"If you want to take me home, You'll have to take me dead." She smirked, slashing one of her blades at the closest man while she parried a block from another. The blade made contact on the man's shoulder and he winced in surprise. Rynn took this as an oppurtunity to cut Boj's binds, though she didn't take time to help him up, the guard she'd kicked early was back on her, having slashed her on the arm.

"Hey now, don't scar my sky you bastard!" Rynn said, he just smirked and made a grab for her. In response, she cut his hand clean off. The brutally of what she'd done would hit her later, but she didn't have time for it now. The leader, who'd just lost his hand, turned and ran off, disappearing into the woods. The four other guards, however, decided it was high time to put the girl in her place.

(Feel free to control the men as you will, you can also have them do something like grab Rynn if you feel like it.)

The guard was busy expressing his amusement at Boj's little fireworks display when Rynn's knee found his groin. Boj blinked. He had never been fast, and even as Rynn cut his own bonds he was slow to react. He stood carefully, unbalanced as ever, and drew his freed hands apart.

Boj was not one to hurt a man if he didn't need to. Hell, he wasn't one to hurt a woman even if he did have to. Canted his neck, rolled his shoulders, flexed his fingers enough to make them crack. Boj might not have been the best bender of flame, but he'd worked the docks long enough to bend bone.

He was slow. Too slow. He swung left, then right at the assailants, a hulking juggernaut that backed the men slowly, surely, into the range of Rynn. Between the two of them, they'd have an acceptable flank.

Cain sniffed, brushing a thumb against the tip of his nose. His eyes stared up at the beautiful maiden in front of him, her form gracing the sky line as if she were doing it a favor by being there. How long had it been since he’d looked upon her, since he’d felt each shudder and heard each moan as she moved with his guiding? How long had it been since he’d smiled so earnestly? Too long. Terribly too long. Would she still appreciate the feel of his gruff hands or had they outgrown each other, the effects of age keeping them from the rambunctious days of their youth? Some nights, Cain found his self worrying about this. Growing old. He’d already lived a hard-knock life on this maiden’s back, but that didn’t mean he was ready to stop living it.

In truth, Cain had been walking on air when he’d received word of the Ardent’s repair and the new adventure planned for her. Upon learning where applications were being taken, Cain had to dial back the complete giddiness he’d felt to appear normal, calm, and responsible. He’d also had to appear regretful when quitting the other aeronaut position he’d taken to fill the void left by the Ardent’s crash. The captain was more than thrilled to let such a wild pilot go. The shipping company he worked for was less so. Something about using a popular image for the public. Whatever it was, Cain didn’t give a rat’s ass. He knew exactly where he belonged and there was no keeping him away anymore. When he heard Captain Fort was still in command of the ship, Cain all but messed his drawers in sheer happiness.

They couldn’t get rid of him that easily.

Cain hefted his things onto one shoulder and boarded. He took note of the familiar faces but casually breezed past them, making a note to have formal greetings once he’d made sure of the most important thing the ship had. It was beyond the galley, in the store room where food supplies were kept dry and cool away from the engines. In there was a shadowed alcove in the walls of the ship, just long enough for a man to curl up and nap in peace behind barrels of supplies. It was here that Cain carved notches in the wood and strung up his trusted companion: the hammock. Happy with the set-up, he climbed in and settled against it, heaving a comfortable sigh and closing his eyes for a moment. Yup, this would do nicely. This would do absolutely perfectly for the voyage ahead.

But first? Introductions. Cain wandered back onto the deck and looked around. Cas was happily discussing something with Fort. Probably asking how soon she was allowed to throw him, being Cain, overboard. Hopefully never. Fort was good about keeping his crew in check. Thank whoever created him.

Turning around gave him a view of some new tail. She was leaning on the rail and looking toward the sky line. Cain crossed his arms and did a once over, sucking his teeth when he finished. She was too young. It’d be creepy. Way creepier than what he did to Tassa. Hopefully, someone older will board soon. Still, no use not saying hello.

“First time on an airship or just the Ardent?” he asked, leaning against the rail beside her.

Rynn smirked seeing the guards being herded to her. She stabbed one of them in the chest, a deep wound. She wasn't sure whether or not it would kill him and she didn't care, because he ran off as well, probably retreating to find his handless captain.

Three left.

Rynn wasn't really even fully aware of what she was doing, it was her instincts taking over. The shock of it would get to her, but not yet. She'd been distracted, thinking of what was going on, and one of the men elbowed her in the stomach, she gasped and stumbled back a step. "You jerk! You hit me!"

"Heh, you just wait til nathaniel gets his hands on you" the man said gruffly, taking the oppurtunity and grab one of he sword arms and pinning it against the wall of the alcove. He slapped her hard across the face, drawing a little blood from her lip. "The Lord said we could do whatever we needed to catch you." His body was heavy, and he wasn't going to be caught off guard as he pinned her against the wall again.

Here was a conundrum. Boj hadn't really expected Rynn to go all out and stab the man, in fact, he flinched at the sight of it. They presented a danger, but Rynn was going too far for his taste. He had to act fast. And put her in her place, later. If he could bring himself to.

She'd cut them all down, if she could. Better to hurt one and try to scare the rest off. Boj lunged forward, grabbed the closest one by his shirt, and slammed his thick skull into the man's.

She had been in her own world, looking out at the horizon. Alcy hadn't even noticed the footsteps as the man walked towards her. She only turned to face him when he spoke to her, only then noticing that he was there.

"Oh no, I know I look young but I've been on airships for the past three years. I have a knack for shooting people." Alcy grinned, turning to the man. He had the look of a man aged by his life but his countenance told her that he had been a handsome man, and still was in some ways. Of course, he was probably old enough to be her father, she couldn't be sure. "I'm one of the new gunners, although something tells me you've been on the Ardent before." She said, grinning at him "I'm honored to be on a such a famous and beautiful ship." Alcy might as well start the sucking up, he was the first crew member to approach her and she needed to have a good reputation.

"I'm Alcy. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." She grinned, offering her hand for a handshake. As Alcy spoke to the man, something dawned on her. There may be no eye candy on this ship for her to look at. The two men she'd men so far were at least ten years her senior, and she wasn't sure if there would be anyone younger. It had been around a long time, this ship, and the nature of skill it required to be on it usually took years. Alcy just got a stroke of dumb luck mixed with a little natural talent.

The guard that had had his hand hit was dazed, looking at Boj in confusion. He then looked at the other two that were left, and that Rynn was about to bring down the one pinning her. With that, he motioned for the other two men to give up and follow them.

"Let's report back to Lord Randersvayne, he'll be able to give us more troops or find us a way to catch her. It's clear this won't work..." He announced, and with that they left.

The minute they were gone, Rynn sank to her knees, her back against the wall. She buried her head in her hands, shock coming in on her. "Oh god..." She said softly to herself. How had she done it? She'd fucking cut a man's hand off, and stabbed another one pretty deeply. She wasn't even paying attention to the cut in her arm. It was still bleeding, and would need looking at, but right now the girl was nearly catatonic.

"Oh god..." She whispered again, looking up at Boj with her shining green eyes "I just cut a man's hand off...." Rynn couldn't handle it.

Boj glanced around rather awkwardly. He'd never been good when it came to crying women. It was good that she wasn't a cold killer, but...his huge hand thumped the top of her head a few times in what he hoped was a consoling pat.

He stood there and scratched his back, looking at his feet and waiting for her to finish. If she finished without incident, Boj helped her up a bit too carefully--a cryin' lass is made outta glass, his poor joker of a father had always told him--and set her straight, hands gripping her shoulders.

Steadily and somewhat sternly, he looked at her. "You said they would not be a problem." He shook his head and let go, starting to pack up his things.

From the moment word had reached her that Deryn was being sought out to board the infamous Ardent her mind hadn't been able to steady itself, nor had the eager elf been able to get an ounce of shut eye. None the less; it wasn't bringing down her stamina one bit, in fact she had spent every moment since doing some of her own investigation. Of course she knew of The Ardent, and she had remembered picking up the front page of the local paper before it had blown by her on the street and in bold faced print the revealed details pertaining to The Ardent and it's crew coming to an unexpected end in their journey for The Shift Particle. Deryn was not shy to a bit of unruly gossip, usually having an easy time sifting through stories to find the real truth and figured it would do her some good to have some insider knowledge on the legend that this vessel and it's crew members were. It was hard to get the actual names of most of the crew other than Captain Fortinbras Carlyle and what a name that was, he was certainly born for a title as prestigious as captain.

But why the anonymous nature of the crew? she thought, making her way toward the docks and leaving the city of Cann behind her. Perhaps this will be quite the motley crew... With that thought she pictured a group of bloodthirsty criminals flooding the deck and bearing devious grins. Was she to be easy prey aboard a ship of senior ranked crew members? I think not. Taking quick and jump like steps down the stairs that led down to the docks she took another crisp bite of her reddish yellow apple in her fist. Deryn was adamant on making sure not to let her guard down once boarding the ship, and by far not becoming a lackey of any sort. If the elf had done her research a little better on the characters she were about to meet she would have known that idea may be far from the truth she was going to be forced to accept, but lets just say her ignorance was keeping that confident smile on her face. But it was clear she had "virgin sailor" tattooed across her face as she approached the glorious ship; not only because of the clear over packing job she had done with not only one but two large pouches on both shoulders filled with tools of the trade amongst other things that she deemed necessary, but the awed expression on her face. She hadn't even been close enough to make out the group standing before the ship out clearly and she had already begun basking in it's impressive beauty.

Nothing but a fascinated gasp escaped her painted lips as her eyes remained unsteady, examining every perfectly orchestrated line. Her feet stopped underneath her, glued to the creaking wooden boards of the dock, seemingly frozen in place. "Oh I can't wait to get inside you, beautiful." Her voice was seductive, as if Deryn had to seduce the ship before taking reigns of her... simply out of respect of course.

A very large smirk crossed his lips as he set eyes on the vessel. He could not care less about the mission of the Ardent, and hell he didn't give a rat's ass about anyone on it. It was a tool, a method. He needed it to find her. Some of his guard had recently returned from a very failed attempt at catching her. She'd even cut the hand off of one of them. Apparently his little to-be wife had bite. Perfect. He needed a little bite to keep him interested. Although the real reason he wanted her back was to make her pay for leaving him. Nathaniel never failed, and he wasn't about to lose a woman, something he could have collected very easily.

He had a few guards surrounding him, though not many. Only three. They were Nathaniel's personal guards, told by him to do whatever the crew asked them and make nice. He himself would make nice, not invading on the captain. Nathaniel needed the captain to at least be civil to him, and the best way to do that was to never, under any circumstance, tell them the truth. He was the bereaved loving fiance of a poor kidnapped noble. He would never tell them he was a cold, cruel man bent on ownership of said runaway noble. Never.

The odd thing about Nathaniel was that he wasn't dressed in finery. He was wearing something quite functional, though still clearly expensive. It was made of a heavier cloth though, no silks or satin in sight. He was also packed remarkably light considering he was a man used to opulence. But he wanted to look as little like a snooty noble as possible, though the crew would always consider him an outcast. He'd never fit in, but that was fine. As long as they found Rynn he could care less what they thought.

He'd stood outside the Ardent long enough, and so the man boarded the ship. His first order of business would be to speak to the captain and let him know that the guards were his for the using. Unfortunately the captain was busy, and so the man, now wearing the most pleasant, innocent smile on earth, decided to take a round about the ship and get a feel for his new home. As he walked he saw something mildly interesting.

First, were the two elves. He'd seen elves before, but never in a position where they were his equal. He supposed he'd have to adapt to that. But he chose to remain quiet for the time being, wanting to be as unobtrusive as possible. And then he saw a woman around his age leaning on the railing next to a man a little older. The girl herself wasn't particularly interesting, she had slum rat written all over her. It was her face that interested him. She looked just like Frederick Kensing, a respected lord. She looked more like him than his own daughter did.

Well now that was interesting.

She was currently otherwise inclined, but the minute the woman was free Nathaniel intended to talk to her and find out exactly why she was the spitting image Frederick Kensing. Until then though, he continued to look around the deck and wait for the captain to be free.

Upon hearing her initial response Cain’s first thought, and he wasn’t proud of it, was a very rude “Great, we’ve got another one.” This was referring to a young, spry female who was well-versed in and enjoyed using her weapons. Hope of all hopes? This one had a sense of humor and would not spend most of her time looking down the barrel at his old mug. Desperate prayer above all hopes? She was actually a very poor shot. This one seemed far less likely, but a man could dream. Shame that dreams don't improve your chance of not dying. His only course of action would be to pull his most polite behavior ever seen and to never let her near Cas. Ever. No girl talk. No elven witchcraft or mind-bending powers or whatever it is that they do that makes people do what they want. Cain sent a side-long glare at the back of Cas’s head, telling her to politely stay the f*ck away from this one. Then he regretted his decision and told her she was a talented individual and they were all lucky to have her onboard again.

Followed by a prompt “Please, don’t kill me.”

Turning back to the new recruit, Cain smiled and took her hand. “Ha, you caught me. I’ve worked on the Ardent before. Was it the natural finesse my sky-legged stance bears? The rugged lines of my face? It was the beard right?” He chuckled at his own joke and waved it off. “I kid. The name’s Cain. Pleasure to be working with you. Any questions you might have, I would be happy to answer. In fact, one answer free. See that elf over there? The abnormally tiny one?” He pointed over toward Cas and the captain. “She’s psychotic. Avoid her. The captain though? He’s great. Stony. Doesn’t talk much, but great. I assure you, you’ll love him. The rest of us? Maybe not. Tensions get high when you’re forced to spend long periods of time in small spaces with people as I’m sure you are aware, having served on airships before. Captain Fort is phenomenal at handling situations that get out of hand so we’re all in very good hands.” Cain rapped on the rail. “And the Ardent will be the best ship you fly on.” He paused for a moment before nodding and turning back to her. “What made you sign up for this job anyway....uhhhhhh..." Cain wracked his brain for the name she'd introduced herself with. Had she said it? Yes, he vaguely recalled a "My name is," before he'd lost focus glaring. He looked at her and sucked his teeth. F*ck it.

"I'm going to level with you. I forgot your name."

So much for a nice start.

Like the murder maiden a ways up the ship, Deryn Langdon would, despite herself, find her eyes a least momentarily drawn to the fur-wrapped old man who hobbled out from the crew's quarters and back into the fading sunlight.

The old guide caught her eye, glanced over his shoulders in the direction of the captain, and made his way to Deryn. Aged hips creaked and cracked with each step, his simple walking stick wobbling under his weight. Thump, thump, thump, went it on the steps.

He smiled at her.

Odd voice, accent she'd never be able to place. Each syllable sounded the tiniest bit malformed. "I was not informed we would be joined by two elves this day."

The guide did not say more than this, for he knew his presence would be enough.

To others, it would seem impossible to break the stare that Deryn had fixed on the ship but something had disrupted her, bringing an uneasy feeling to her mind. What's this? she thought as her glance shifted down to an elder man, his skin tone and facial features gave him the appearance of a withered Kerrian but that wasn't what was keeping her focus. This man was making his way right toward her, and with every inch her heart would stammer. It wasn't fear... what was it?

A vexed expression was plastered on her face as a wrinkle of confusion sat upon her brow. He stopped right before her, only a few feet separated the two of them as he kept those sagging eyes on hers...

... and then he smiled. As if he thought something was amusing, as if he knew something about her she had not yet come to understand. That common gesture did not put her at ease in the slightest, if anything it stirred up some kind of life inside her she did not live. "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Those words almost a whisper, slipping from her tongue as opposed to staying in her mind where she had preferred them.

A large part of her wished to ignore the old man, but that desire wasn't strong enough to beat out her curiosity. He spoke of two elves aboard this ship, now that would be a sight. Wondering if the reason why he had previously nodded in the direction of the Captain was to draw her attention to this other elf, she was not sure... but now that the idea had popped into her mind she couldn't help herself but glance over the mans shoulder to see who the Captain was speaking with.

Not much could be recognized from the angle she was receiving, seeing more of Captain Fortinbras than the female figure. But it was true enough, she could see those pointy and distinct ears peering out through dark strands of hair. Taking a moment to think, she had never heard word from her mother that anyone else in the Cann area of elven decent would be accompanying her so the woman could not be local, but her side stare kept affixed on her to attempt to catch a glimpse of her face for that aura did feel familiar.

The old man's whiskery face stretched into more of a smile as her eyes spoke confusion and her lips murmured elvish. His weathered hand lifted seemingly of its own accord and he placed it on her shoulder, patted once, twice. His throat vibrated with almost-laughter when he spoke, clearly amused by her reaction.

"Tell me, girl. What makes you find yourself on this ship, bound for so great a prize?"

He turned slightly to follow her gaze which had landed on the captain and his gunner down the way. "Am I keeping you? My deepest apologies." The guide stepped out of her path and with a tiny smile, opened his hand towards the deck.

Nearby, one of the passing crewmembers gave the pair an odd look.

The guide rarely ventured from his room, even pre-launch. And another elf? Hell, they just might start seeking another job for that...cap'n Fort'd gone daft, he thought, shaking his head and continuing on.

Enris finished off the last piece of salted pork with satisfaction as he approached the docking area where the Ardent was kept. He thought about reaching into his messenger-style bag to grab another piece but restrained himself. Best to save what he had left for the actual voyage. He had been requisitioned by a Captain Fortinbras Carlyle to join him (and others) aboard the Ardent to search for the Shift Particle. Enris had heard of the relic before, but knew it by another name: the koysqatsi. His parents had told him about it and about the boundless power it was rumored to possess. All rumors. He wasn’t even sure if it existed. No one had recovered it yet and he found it hard to believe something with so much power could actually be real. Then why was he here? Why had he accepted the offer? He didn’t know. Curiosity? Boredom? Or something else? Well, it definitely had something to do with his boredom as of late but other than that, he could give no reason.

Sighing, Enris adjusted the strap of his bag so it sat more comfortably on his shoulder. Ahead he saw the Ardent and almost stopped walking completely. It was an impressive sight to say the least. It’s silhouette was so graceful and intense that he could only describe it as being fiercely feminine. It wasn’t the largest ship docked here by any means but size wasn’t everything. The Ardent was a fine vessel and lived up to its reputation if not surpassing it. Seeing the vessel for the first time made Enris’ thoughts of why he was there disappear. At that moment, he was just glad he was there.

Walking up the ramp that led to the vessel, the thought crossed his mind of how he would be received by the crew. Innates weren’t exactly welcomed everywhere. But before he could pursue the thought further, he had reached the deck where members (he assumed they were members) were milling about, waiting for everyone to show up no doubt. He saw an old man speaking with an elven woman (Great. An elf.), a gruff-looking man speaking with another woman who looked much too young to be aboard, a man with dark hair who’s aura dripped with cruelty and then a familiar face speaking with yet another elf. He hoped the elves wouldn’t be trouble, he would have to keep his eyes on them for a while. The familiar face was none other than the very Captain who requisitioned him. He felt he should greet the man, but he was still speaking with the elven girl. Adjusting his strap again he walked towards them and hovered at a polite distance while he waited for them to finish speaking.

He seemed to zone out for a few minutes, Alcy noticed. He looked over at the elf speaking with the captain. Alcy had never met an elf, at least not that she could remember. She'd heard some pretty nasty things about them, heard they were not very nice, but Alcy hoped they might be nicer to her since she was female and therefore not attracted to them so she wasn't going to be hitting on them.

"Well I guess it was a few things..." Alcy grinned. "You do seem at home here, and you are rather old." She chuckled a little bit, clearly teasing him. "Gruff too, very much the look of a well-traveled airman." Alcy turned and rested her back on the railing as she looked at the Captain and the other elf. "Avoid that elf? Is she really that wretched? I've heard things about elves and, not gonna lie I'm a little intimidated." she turned her head back to Cain. Shame he wasn't her age, Alcy would've liked a little eye candy. Cain was handsome, but in the way that one thought a friends father was decent looking. Alcy wasn't really that young. Twenty wasn't a baby.

"Its Alcy..." She chuckled "Getting senile old man? Already forgetting names?" she teased again, but it was a good natured teasing. There was no venom in it. As she looked out over the deck, she watched another man board. A noble it seemed, she scoffed at him as she watched him parade around the deck, Alcy had a bit of distaste for nobles. A few moments later, one more man boarded. This one was younger, but not so young as Alcy. He was handsome, but seemed disinterested in most everyone, although that could be because he was waiting to speak with the captain, something they all were doing.

"Whats it like on here? They gonna be nice to me?" She asked, grinning over at him again.

Rynn calmed down, fortunately she had managed to avoid hysterics. Boj's attempt at consolation was heartening, though it didn't do much to help her. She accepted his help up and turned to look at him. She didn't much enjoy showing vulnerability, but she supposed she hadn't really had a choice. Rynn hadn't expected to amputate someone's hand.

"I didn't think it would be..." Rynn said with a sigh looking over at him. "I thought I covered my trail perfectly. Someone in one of the earlier citie's must've recognized me." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I think we'll be okay for a while, any men that were around here are gone, and they won't know where to find us after that. Besides, Nathaniel doesn't make the same mistake twice. I doubt he'll send brute force again. I'd expect he'll try trickery or the like."

"Look we should just get moving." Rynn drew in a breath, packing her things.

As Rynn finished packing, Boj turned slowly. He gave her the most withering of looks he could give--granted, it was relatively mild--and spoke very slowly, as if she might have trouble understanding him. His eyes, locked most sternly on her. Fists slightly clenched.

"When you left. Did you. Cover. Your. Hair."

The elf didn't let herself dwell a moment on her captain's response to the gift, though she wanted to, instead dragging her attention by the hair to hiss at the passing shipwreck that was Cain Nakim. Of course he'd still be here. Her hand still resting on Vega's head, she gave him a warning look as he turned away.

It was then that she felt the tiniest bit sick. Her nose twitched. An Innate. Belo? Or was that just Cain's stench?

Cas quickly scanned the deck, scowl in hand, but the blonde-headed bitch fueling the entire alchohol industry was nowhere in sight. No, a new pariah of the extended family was onboard. She briefly recalled her mother's comment of how quickly they seemed to reproduce. Indeed.

Let's hope this one bears a little humility.

A tall, dark Kerrian stood not far away, apparently waiting in polite silence for either her captain's or--far less likely--her own attention. She grinned that wicked grin. The less familiar faces, the better. She intended to make a comfortable, permanent home for herself here.

"Did you replace Belo, then?"

She took a moment to glance back at the captain. Cas'd been too occupied trying to keep herself from chatting Fort's ears off--finding herself more talkative than she liked to be, gods above had it really been so long?--to...hells, it had been long. The evening light struck him, and all his age. It had only been two years. His hair had faded, the elf could even spy the beginnings of colorless threads at his temples.

She set her jaw, feeling a little sick.

Rynn was surprised by the cold look from Boj, though it was ineffective, but she knew he meant it, which was enough for her. She felt terrible, stupid, naive. The memories of the night were foggy, but Rynn could recall them enough to answer Boj's question.

"I left Cann so quickly it slipped my mind to cover my hair. I picked up my first cloak at the small village a few miles outside of Cann, and I left in the middle of the night there, cloak up. I have not showed my hair since then until you and I entered these woods. That must have been how they traced me, though I cannot believe they got this far. I thought I had handled this so well..." She said miserably, exasperate with herself.

Captain Fort caught the package that the elf-gunner tossed his way one-handed, more from luck and a knack for protecting his face than any actual skill. He plucked it from the air and, transferring it into the crippled left hand so that his more dextrous right might set to the task of unwrapping, fixed Cas with an inquisitive little stare. "What in the merry sphincter of...?"

When the ribbon came off, and the box lay opened, he blew out a little gasp of surprise, his eyes crinkling into genuine mirth. Crows feet showed at the corners of his eyes, deeper than they'd been during the last voyage. "Cas, doll, it's..." He whispered, drawing the carved wooden model of the Ardent from the package. "Thank you." He tucked the model back into the package, adding with a knowing wink. "Know just the place for her, too."

Cain tramped on board, and Fort gave a nod of recognition. Good, the ol' Aerodar had remembered which dock and quay. Surprised he hadn't come trundling up at the last possible minute, still half-asleep and nursing a mason-jar of that horrifying brew he insisted was coffee. Still, another familiar face, and that was always a rare delight. He wasted no time in seeking out their newly acquired young gunner. And of course, why wouldn't the old lech? She was young enough to be his daughter, and she lacked Aleta's good-natured hatred for him...

"Did you replace Belo, capitane?" Cas asked, her view askance. Fort laughed, but it was a rueful one; like a man who'd slammed his thumb in a door and could only laugh at his own stupidity. "Who could replace Belo, Cas? Throne, if she'd been game for another go at the Particle, I'd have snapped her up in a minute. But," he shook his head, running a hand across his jaw, "I don't think she's been quite the same since ma'Deu, and the crash. But we can't go in again without an Innate; 'd be like hunting Stroud with a pop-gun." Fort motioned toward the newly arrived figure of Enris, the Ardent's new Innate. "Enris came with a glowing recommendation from Aleksy and Bruno from the Heaven Sent. They say he's the best they've ever seen. So I figure, he might be able to hold a candle to our old girl." Fort shrugged, a good natured smile tugging at his lips as he spread a hand placatingly. "Maybe."

Another figure caught his gaze, his stuff-shirt watchdog. What was his name? Ravensdayne? Randersvayne. Right. That was the one. Cousin to the Queen and valuable cargo in this endeavor of dashing heroics and nigh upon certain doom. Fort sucked in a breath through his nose. "You'll have to excuse me, Cas. There's some business I need to see to." He flicked his eyes to indicate the nobleman. "I assume you remember the way around the old girl? We'll cast off presently." He looked her up and down with his old wolf's smile. "Good to see you again, doll."

Captain Fort crossed the deck toward Randersvayne with the assured swagger of a man firmly upon his own territory. He extended his good hand to shake. "Glad to see you found us, y'lordship. Fine day to get underway. Wasn't any trouble finding the old girl, was there?" For a man who counted himself an antagonist amongst the upper classes, Fort did his very level best to offer a courteous face to this endeavor. After all, the man was a meal ticket, and they had a VERY long trip to look forward to.

Nathaniel gave a smile as the captain approached him. He shook his hand, the typical niceities people did. "Oh hello captain. Yes, I found her just fine. She is a fine vessel" Nathaniel said, looking around the ship appreciatively. Best to start up on the right foot with the ruffians. He did, after all, need their help. He took no issue with them, but they probably didn't care for him.

"Oh and I wanted to let you know, the guards that I brought on board, they are yours to direct and use as you see fit. I brought them to calm the Queen's worries that I would die, but I don't need them to protect me on here. So if you need an extra hand that will always listen to you, just ask any of them and they'll be sure to help you out promptly. I look forward to the journey." Nahaniel smiled again, meeting the captain's eyes.

"One more thing, before I forget" He grinned self deprecatingly, as if he often forgot things "Where is it that I will be sleeping, I do not expect special treatment, I was just wondering where it was so I could go ahead and drop my things off there." Nathaniel lifted the large bag in his hand, underscoring his point. He was still smiling, in a good mood it seemed. And he would be, he was after all about to set off on the journey that would reunite him with Rynn.

“I like to think I’m aging well. No creek in my joints or undeniable urge to wave a cane at children.” He glanced at her and smiled deviously. She teased him about age. Clearly, that was free rein to tease her back. “You seem like a troublemaker. Count yourself lucky.”

Cain nodded, scratching at his chin and smirking. He liked this girl. They had barely broken through small talk and she already demonstrated at least the remnants of a sense of humor. This was one of the best signs he’d ever had when meeting new crew mates. It actually threw him off. Cain was so used to people, upon seeing his scruffy head approaching, dig out the complete extent of loathing they could have for a single person. He was not used to someone treating him kindly, let alone not hating him enough to tease him. Seriously, why wasn’t she like…five years older? Wait...how old was she? Would five years be enough? Hmmm...as soon as he got a moment to his hammock, he’d do the math on that one. Figure out the acceptable age difference between paternal and flirt-ternal. He’d also come up with a better term for that. He glanced at her and clicked his tongue. This one still seemed off-limits. Even for him.

Fort would be so proud to know that.

He looked back over toward the offensive sight of the midget they were discussing. He caught a glare from her and wrinkled his nose in response. There was a prickle at the nape of his neck, the warning of a spiraling stand-off between him and his old nemesis. It really was a shame. Sometimes, when she wasn’t snarling or fondling the captain like her personal prized piece of china, Cas could be cute. Like a cat. Before it clawed his face off.

“Yeah, she’s trouble. Like’s to shoot her team if she doesn’t get along with them. She’ll probably view you as competition, so she won’t like you much. The rest of the crew? I’m sure they’ll like you.” Cain noted the stuffy looking gentleman who boarded and stood up straighter, picking himself up off the rail and watching for the way Fort treated him. “Huh, that one doesn’t look promising,” he muttered to himself. When she introduced herself again though, Cain made sure to pay attention. “Alcy, huh? I’ll be sure to remember that. It’s important to shout at the proper gunner when they miss an important target,” he shot back, an amused smirk on his face. “I assure you, everyone will like you on this ship. We may not get along, but there’s a lot of trust we place in each other. The only thing you should be worried about is doing your job when it’s needed. That’ll make the crew happy. Doing it well will make the captain happy. Keep up this process, add in a few jokes and polite conversations, and you’ll have everyone on your side. ‘Cept Cas. But she can be ignored.”

"I was only teasing you.... you aren't really that old. I think its the life that make you look like a grandpa...." Alcy chuckled again. That would be her last age joke. For now. As he commented about her being a trouble maker she grinned at him, clearly a sign that he was correct. "I prefer the term 'mischievous' or 'mood lightenting' to troublemaker. Troublemaker just doesn't feel right. Its more amusement than trouble." She shrugged, still grinning.

The cards were looking good, at least with Cain. Save for the likely ten year or so age difference, he seemed like a great friend. Probably would be her best. They seemed to understand each other, neither taking anything too seriously unless absolutely necessary. At least she knew for sure at least one person on this ship liked to have a little fun every now and then. She foresaw spending lots of time with Cain watching the others and making all sorts of jokes about them. And likely annoying the hell out of them, or at least Cas from what he told her.

As Alcy saw the look on his face in reference to Cas, she decided perhaps to be careful with her, though she'd rather not have to be on guard. Cas just wasn't a candidate for her tendency to tease and patronize lovingly.

"Competition? For what? Certainly not the Captain's attentions..." She scoffed, looking at the captain. He was the oldest of all of them. "I'm not here to take anyone's place, I just wanted to take this job. If she's head gunner then, well, I guess I have to keep her happy. I can be a good girl, I swear Cain..." She wore a glinting smirk, making it clear that while, yes, she could be, she had very little interest in being a good girl. In the slums, good girls don't survive.

"I don't like that one either...." Alcy said, actually sounding serious as she referred to the nobleman "He's one of them, like the man that kicked my mom out to live in the slums after he knocked her up with me." She snarled as reasonably as a person could snarl and not sound ridiculous "Yeah, I'm a bastard child of a noble. Fun times." It didn't seem to bother the girl, and in fact, even under her tough exterior, it genuinely didnt. She didn't need some uppity fop to help raise her, her mother had done just fine. Alcy just wished he hadn't broken her mothers heart and that he'd at least given her some money.

"I certainly hope they like me, I've had issues with people thinking me cocky because I'm 20 and a gunner. They say to be any sort of good shot you need at least ten years experience. I prove them wrong, they give me shit, I punch them in the face." She grinned again "And no, I'm not kidding about that last part. Although I don't think I'll be punching anyone on here, I have too much respect for Captain Fort and everyone else."

((Sorry for the slow response.))

Boj sighed and nodded, letting his shoulders drop and his harsh gaze fizzle. Nevertheless, he kept his eyes stern and rested each of his hands on her shoulders. "I do not mind bringing you. And I will help you. But there is another I must help, and they must always come first. Do you understand?"

He paused to let her soak that in, or respond, before letting go. "I'll teach you to cover your tracks. We will both begin covering our tracks. We will make do with fires when we can. And--" he hesitated here, hating the idea himself.

But all he could think of was his wife's face, and the binds around his hands that would prevent him from ever seeing it again.

"And," he continued, "we will not let them escape if they come for us again. I will not. Do you understand?" Regardless of her answer, Boj nodded, steeling himself for his own orders. He opened his hand for her. "If you have an extra weapon, you will give it to me."

Her eyes snapped back to the focus of the old man before her when he imposed an understandable question, which she didn't even need to think about really. "The prize isn't what brought me here, the voyage did. It's risky, exciting and just the kind of mission I need to really prove my skill and expand my knowledge of that vast sky..." Looking up at the clear sky above her decorated with flocks of birds overhead; a strong gust of wind came onto the deck sending her coat tails flapping and once again drawing her attention toward the elf who was now standing alone, since Captain Fort had managed to make his way to greet a noble fellow.

Miss Langdon had spent a lot of time mingling amongst the nobles since she left her home many years ago. It wasn't her favorite thing to do but one thing nobles had was money and with money came good education and if she could get her hands on a man who had knowledge and wisdom to spare she was pleased.

Being so distracted, she never noticed that the deck was now full of what she could only imagine to be fellow crew members. One of which had a presence that was doing an exceptional job at bothering her, he wasn't saying a word but as a Langdon trait she could smell an Innate from a mile away. There was no point in stirring up trouble with the likes of him, as long as he was willing to do the same Deryn wasn't going to go out of her way. A little farther down from the Captain and the noble, an attractive girl who seemed to always have a smirk on her face was casually leaning against the rails of the docks as she spoke with a man who showed the same veteran signs that the captain did. They both seemed to be conspiring against the now lone elf, for reasons Deryn would soon find out.

With that the elven woman managed to turn enough to reveal her feminine yet strong features. That face, could it be? No that was impossible... how could she be alive let alone walking about so casually on the docks of Cann? Not much made her flustered but this was certainly getting her heart to race, unbeknownst to her Deryn's gloved hands clenched into fists as she debated in her mind how to handle the situation. It had been so long but she did not change, other than that probably well deserved scar on her face she was just the same as the day Deryn left the mansion.

The now steaming elf was left alone as she stood, the old man leaving her to tend to her business. That was probably best, she didn't much enjoy the presence of the old geezer and Deryn had some new issues to tend to. Oh you little brat, you're lucky I'm not making a scene my first damn day... A tornado of different trains of thought and emotions were swirling inside her head. Was she relieved that her childhood friend was alive? Was that sense of betrayal boiling it's way back up to the surface? No, now was not the time to let these feelings overwhelm her and possibly get her banned from the voyage. But Deryn wanted one thing, she wanted her presence known to Cas.

With that she walked farther down the dock, not too far away from where Cas was standing, and leaned her back against the railings... never letting her eyes part from her, burning a stare into her skin.

From the way those two were speaking to each other, the Captain and that elf girl were obviously close. They had probably worked together during the first attempt of retrieving the Shift Particle. The elf girl. . .she could be a problem. He could tell she disliked him, or rather hated him; he could sense it spewing forth from every pore on her body. His family had warned him about the condescending nature of elves towards Innates and so far, it appeared to be true. She was quick to judge, already hating him before speaking with him. Enris didn't think himself better because he judged people too, but at least that was after a first conversation. Speaking of which, he would have to have one with the elf sooner or later.

He was just out of earshot so didn't hear what the Captain said before walking off to speak with the dark-haired man who emanated malice. The only reason such a man would be aboard this ship was either that he was exceptionally skilled or had an exceptional amount of money. From the way he dressed, Enris guessed the latter held true.

He turned his attention back to the elf girl and hoped he would not regret speaking to her. She seemed a bit volatile so it would be best if he kept his guard up. He had never really met that many elves. They tended to avoid him and he them. However, on a ship this small they couldn't "accidentally" avoid each other forever.

"Excuse me Miss Elf." He greeted as he approached her, nodding his head at her politely. He was always polite when opening a conversation, during however was a different story.

"Are you going to be a problem?" Blunt and to the point. Was it rude? Probably. Was it necessary? Probably not. He didn't care. Enris could have asked the same thing multiple ways so why not the most direct and clear. It made sure there were no misunderstandings at least. He noticed the second elf had taken a position behind Miss Elf and was staring at her with unabated hatred. Interesting. So not everything was all happy and peachy in elf land.

The miniature monster's heart positively soared at Captain Fort's reaction, and she let an even grander smile break her bored facade. Her throat tightened just the littlest bit and she returned his wink and words of gratitude with a slight nod.

Who could replace Belo, Cas?

She realized her heart sank just the tiniest bit that Belo would not be joining them. Cas despised her, truly, but for all her trickery and stench of ale and magic, the elf had caught herself musing whether, had things been different--herself human, Belo untainted--they might have got along, even be friends. It was a strange thought to direct towards a person one might have killed had they gotten the chance. But Cas had found herself entertaining many odd thoughts these past two years.

Enris, hm? Might be able to hold a candle? Cas turned a doubtful eye on the dark man. Bitch or no, Belo had still been crew. And that meant this one had to earn his place.

But alas, the ship was beginning to fill, the evening growing yet later, and her captain had places to be, people to see. She nodded and unlaced her arms, dropping them at her sides to watch, disappointed, as he left. Her throat tightened again.

"It was good to see you, too," she whispered.

Cas glanced towards the Innate--Enris--whose words demanded her attention, and answer. She spoke as she turned, with a curl of her lips in what might have been either a cruel smile or an attempt at a friendly one. Are you going to be a problem? "That depends. Are you?" she answered, her hand on Vega's gleaming brass head.

She noted, dispassionately, his pleasing build.

As she finished turning towards him fully now, she spied the familiar face burning a hole in her eyes not far beyond the man before her. Cas' throat tightened at the sight of her, features paling just a little, the reminder of her mother trailing across her face made all the more visible. Cas' hand flew up to cover it, glancing away.

Her other, slid one of her pistols from its holster just enough to give her the advantage, should Deryn try anything. Two years prior, she would have shot first and asked questions later. Any other day, she would have demanded an explanation from someone. But the years had bred good behavior, and the presence of the fop whose attention Fortinbras found important demanded her own discretion. Embarrassing the captain in front of, what--a noble? financier?--would not do.

What would do was a warning look thrown across to her old friend. Instead, her features betrayed uncertainty, a hint of fear, and a dollop of joy.

Keeping her eyes on Deryn, Cas finished speaking to the Innate. "I wish to see this job completed. So long as we are on the same page, and you do not send us into death-dives on a whim like our pilot over there, we have no problem."

Rynn looked at him quizzically as he mentioned having someone else to help, she was fairly certain he hadn't meant himself so who was he talking about? "Its quite alright, I completely understand." She said, desperately wanting to ask but knowing that if he'd wanted her to know, he would have told her. Even though they were on fairly decent terms, Rynn still didn't want to push him too far.

"I appreciate it Boj, I really do." She said, nodding at his suggestions. As he paused, Rynn looked over to him, curious as to what would cross his lips next. Rynn nodded again at his next words. "yes, that would be a good idea. We should have killed them today, but I just.... I don't know if I could kill anyone. Its not exactly something I've done before."

As he mentioned the extra weapon, Rynn was very displeased about letting go of one of her precious blades, but she did not let him know that. Rynn simply removed the sheath of one of them from her belt and handed it over to him. "Its not really extra, but its better for me to have just one so that you can have one than for me to keep them both."

Boj felt the thud of the leather and iron in his hand, and he weighed it carefully a moment. He wasn't a swordsman, really, what he knew was a hodgepodge of what the traveling or retired mercs, sailors, and pirates decided to pass onto him on a whim. It was, at best, an incomplete education, a difficulty further compounded by the then-boy's reluctance towards violence.

He nodded at her thanks, her own expression of reluctance, and finally her explanation.

"It is."

The man-giant spent a good minute or so securing the sheathe to his belt, the thing laughably tiny against his frame. Nevertheless, it was time to move.

"Come," he said, and began to move. "It will get steep soon. We still need to eat, but we should begin to make progress and get to high ground. It will allow us to watch for any more of your friends. Then we can eat." Indeed, the ground became progressively more difficult to traverse, boulders and shards of boulders consistently making the ground an uneven, unstable thing. Boj stopped or steadied her if and when she needed assistance.

His stomache growled from the lack of breakfast, hunger boring a hole in his gut. Several feet higher, the gears in his head ticked slowly. Worry bore a hole there, as well. He'd only made the trip through the caverns alone before. He'd brought enough rations and water for himself, hopefully she had as well.