Flashback [Flashback] A Day On The Water (Gia)

[Theo Coaststrider]

Theo was shortening his stride to keep pace with the young woman. As the pair made their way out of the cramped market area of the pier the air became less stifling and the people less shiftless, with the day suddenly seeming very nearly tolerable he felt no need to push the pace. As they strolled he took a moment to chew on the young woman's question, he recalled that for outsiders the familial relations of the Svefra were less than natural. The peculiar habits of his particular didn't make the cultural difference any simpler. "In my pod we have many fathers, and many mothers. I suppose, from a 'physical perspective,' you might say that I only have one of each. I was carried by only one woman, but my family doesn't see that as the only factor. My biological mother only carried me for nine months, my other mothers have carried me for years. The same can be said for my fathers." Satisfied with his own explanation he took a moment to turn away from the woman and get a better look at his surroundings. He didn't really expect her to understand the way the Svefra thought, he knew from his time in Zeltiva that the people of the cities thought very strangely about these sorts of things. They lived a broken and greedy life and seemed to only care about what they could own, and that included the fruits of their seed. The Svefra found it all very short-sighted and infinitely confounding. "Come to think of it, I've been very rude and you've been very foolish. Your mother might have done an excellent job teaching you how to flit about, but she should have done more to protect you from the dangers of the world. You've been tramping about with a complete stranger! My name is Theo, from the Coaststrider pod." As he finishes speaking he reached to his belt and produced a tiny canvas pouch, handing it to the woman with a grin. "If you're going to come on my ship you'll have to make an offering. Laviku, the God of the Sea, can be less than gentle to virgins. He won't ask for much, but on my ship he offer him salt to win his favour. I know it may sound silly, he has plenty already, but I like to give him something that won't harm his creatures. When we make it to the ship you'll have to sprinkle that onto the water and ask him for his protection." As they stroll, he quickly undoes the buttons of his shirt removing it in a deft motion. Theo is heavily tattooed his chest and arms covered with swirling designs, crashing waves, and various mantra's written in a dozen different language. He points towards a special design, a bizarre tattoo made in a rich blue ink. The design is a massive tidal wave crashing from his chest down his left arm. The tattoo is constantly ebbing, flowing and crashing across his body, animated by divine magic. "Don't skimp on the offering, Laviku is one of my fathers and I take my obligations seriously." He gives her a deep guffaw and quickly throws his shirt back onto his shoulders, absent-mindedly fastening the buttons while they stroll. As he returns his attention to his surroundings he begins to recognize some of the structures. They've nearly arrived at the pier. Quickening his pace he points to the end of the dock to his ship. The formidable Casninor, 30 feet of richly polished timber sailing under a rich and well-kept canvas sail can be seen rocking to and fro. "There she is. Her name is "The Defiance" and she's the most beautiful thing on no legs."

[Gia]

Gia chewed over the giant’s explanation of the Svefra familial outlook, and she hazarded a silent guess that what he meant – in one regard – was that their women slept around and had no idea who the fathers of their children were. But beyond that, she could also grasp something of what he was really trying to say – that the “pod” took care of its own and all the adults helped raise all the youngsters. That was something like her own experiences only it was different in terms of ages – for in Gia’s childhood, the children had flocked together and the older ones – those reaching adolescence, or younger, tended to keep an eye on the youngest ones. The men were, for the most part, absent altogether – and that was probably for the best, as they tended to have heavy hands when they were around. The women came and went and some seemed to forget altogether that they had any children. Gia supposed that, living on a boat, that wasn’t quite so easy to do. On the whole, it sounded a pleasant life – everyone looking out for everyone else. Yet another reason to sigh slightly, over her own stifled existence. She imagined that if she ever did have a child, it would probably be Xadel’s, and he would have a cow when she told him she was pregnant, and maybe he’d eventually come around to being pleased about it. But not right off, no. Xadel was too much of a free spirit to relish the idea of fatherhood, or so she suspected. Then the giant made mention of her own mother, and said she had been remiss in one respect, and then he introduced himself. Gia grinned. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry – I know I have horrible manners. You don’t really need good ones around here. I’m Gia. Nice to meet you, Theo. I don’t have a pod – or a family really. So – it’s just…Gia.” Theo was extracting a small cloth pouch from his clothes and handed it to her and she took it avidly and with great curiosity, listening as he spoke, explaining what was inside, and what she was to do with it. It all sounded so different and amusing. She nodded enthusiastically. “Alright. That sounds only fair. I don’t know much about him – about Laviku…” she had started to say, but she paused as Theo removed his shirt, her brow puckering in puzzlement as to why, and then her eyes widening at the sight of all his many tattoos – and the one in particular. She would have reached out and tried to touch it – it was magical, the way it rolled and pitched – just like a real wave! But Theo quickly put his shirt back on and so Gia simply shook her head, and then nodded it as well. “I won’t. I mean, I will – be generous, and not skimp.” Her face was alight with the wonder of that tattoo and she thought Laviku must really be a powerful and amazing god, that his followers would sport such a fabulous thing etched right into their very skin! “Did – did Laviku put that mark there himself?” she asked, rather shyly, dismayed at her own ignorance. Along with lawless, Sunberth tended to be a rather godless town too, and Gia now regretted that she knew so little about any of the pantheon of deities. They strolled along and now were come to the docks. Theo led the way to one and down its length, until they reached a beautiful vessel that made Gia gasp at its trim lines and polished wood. She placed one slender hand to her pink flushed face and gasped in amazement. “The Defiance? What a wonderful name! Oh, Theo, your boat is so pretty!” Gia said with awe in her voice, thinking that at long last, she was actually going to be allowed to venture onto a real sailing ship.

[Theo Coaststrider]

Gia's joy was infectious. He had never really considered that the mundane details of his own simple existence might be a source of surprise or wonderment to another person. As a child he had ignorantly assumed that everyone lived more or less the way that he and his happy family did and he couldn't even imagine people choosing to exist any other way. In a way, he still stunned by the huge diversity of ways that people chose to organize their lives and, though he had gradually learned to keep his opinions silent, he found the vast majority of them rather stupid.

"Laviku marks my people at birth, it wasn't a simple turn of phrase when I said he was my father. Everyone's mark is different, and they don't always crash about so distractingly, but they serve as a reminder of his favour and the obligations that come with it." He offered his explanation with a simple sort of joy. The lesson was delivered as a matter of fact, a recitation--or as close as he could manage--of the lessons he had received as a child. As he spoke he wondered which God had chosen to protect Gia's own people.

When Gia mentioned that she didn't have a last name Theo perked up a bit. "So you are your own Lia! That's a great honour. The women lead the pods in my culture. So, when a young woman like yourself leaves her pod she is free to start her own and to build a family for herself. All you need is a ship and the blessing of Laviku and you can pick your own name."

Theo capped his statement with a long chuckle. The real process was a bit more complicated than he had made it sound, and he had never heard of a non-Svefra Lia. He felt bad for the young woman, as far as he could tell her family was a roving band of drunken, hands-y acrobats. But, again, Theo really didn't know the woman. For Gia to be so full of joy she must have some folks who served as a family.

Speaking of ships and family, Theo took a moment to beam at his ship. As the young woman voiced her delight he leaned down briskly and began to untie the moorings. "Well thank you, Gia. Feel free to hop aboard and don't forget to make your offering. You can do it however you like, Laviku isn't picky."

It wasn't the most elaborate vessel on the sea, but it served his needs well. The ship was made almost entirely of teak, which shone brightly in the summer sun. Small streaks of grey could be picked up in the timber, giving the ship an air of ageing gracefully. One of the great joys of having a teak ship was that the deck had a natural slip resistance mechanism in the form of the wood's own oils, which made it a gentle ride for those less accustomed to the rigours of the sea.

Once Gia had made her way aboard she ship he carefully pushed the boat away from the pier and hopped aboard.

[Gia]

Once again, Theo made mention of something Gia had little comprehension of - this talk of Lias and pods, and going off to begin one on her own. It all sounded so very foreign to the city dwelling human. But when Theo reminded her of the offering to his god, those matters fled from Gia's mind. At Theo’s encouragement, Gia opened the little packet and put her thumb and forefinger in, pinching up a bit of salt. With a frown of uncertainty, she considered for a moment, before sprinkling the salt into the gap between the bow and the side of the wharf, watching it fall down to disappear into the dark water. Gia’s naturally exuberant spirit prompted her to conclude that perhaps another pinch would not go amiss. So she reached for another and sprinkled that one too. Then deftly, though with some little trepidation, she stepped from dock to gunwale to deck, her dancer’s grace and agility making negotiation of the slight rocking of Theo’s vessel not quite as difficult as it might have been otherwise. Once on board, she contemplated the tiny packet once more, and then simply tilted it upside down, letting the whole shebang pour into the water. Satisfied, she turned with a grin to her host, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she did so. Already, there was a bit of a light, wafting breeze, here in the harbor. Theo was at that moment hopping on board himself – his great height and relative bulk no hindrance, as he moved with an agility quite the equal to Gia’s. “Can I help?” Gia said, with the bright eyed ardour of a child. Theo had pushed off when he made his exit from the dock, and the boat bobbed a bit. The girl wobbled just the slightest bit, her eyes going wide. But then she laughed. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!” she exclaimed happily, before wobbling a good bit more and having to clutch at Theo’s arm for stability. “It’s almost like riding a horse,” she said, her gaze looking down into the water, which lapped at the sides of the Defiance and sparkled with the sunlight. “Though the only time I tried that, I fell off.” She looked with trusting confidence at Theo as she added, “I can’t swim either.”

[Theo Coaststrider]

Theo was taking a great pleasure in Gia's delight. As me made his way toward the back of the ship, careful to stay close to the young woman while she got used to the bobbing and rocking of the vessel, he pointed to a couple of large knots at the base of the main rig. "Actually, you can help. We'll try and make a nice, gradual pace out the harbour but to do it I'll need you to help me with the sails. How about you walk over there and give me a little bit more sail by pulling on the "halyard"--that's the big thick rope in the middle--gravity should help you out. Just drop them about half way and I can take care of the rest."

Truthfully, through a series of clever riggings "The Defiance" had been designed to be sailed effectively by only a single crew member, but it was nice to have a hand. As they wound their way out of the fetid harbour, Theo kept the ship at a very gradual pace. He hadn't thought to ask if Gia could swim before taking her out on the water, but the news that she could not didn't present him any particular distress. At 30 feet in length, his Casinor was a sturdy vessel and given the calmness of the water there was no real threat of a large wave sweeping her overboard.

Theo watched the normally graceful acrobat focus on maintaining her balance as she paced the deck of his ship. It seemed her natural sense of balance was a passable replacement for proper sea-legs, but the unsteady motion of "The Defiance" robbed her of some of the athletic grace she had carried herself with back on land. "You won't have to worry about falling off, if you're careful. Once you drop the sail you can take a perch at the bow of the ship, if you like. Or you can come to the wheel with me!"

As the ship began to pick up speed, Theo considered where he might take them. After a few moments of careful contemplation, a poignant whif of waste made up his mind. He would take them just north of the city, up-current from the stinking waste depository the people of Sunberth called a harbor. "Have you ever been out of the city before, Gia?"

[Gia]

Gia smiled and frowned in turn, going over to where there was a seemingly complicated series of knots involving any number of ropes, and looking down uncertainly, then back at Theo. He pointed out which one he wanted her to handle, and she began to undo the sailor’s knot that held the one in place. Theo took his place at the wheel, and Gia kept her eye on him, over her shoulder. When he gave her a nod, she began to let the halyard out, and the rigging was such that the sail began to hoist up the mast. She beamed as that seemed to be what was called for, and Theo began to steer the vessel skillfully out from its berthing. As they went along, they picked up a little speed. But far from being alarmed or fearful, Gia was delighted. Already, the breeze in her face was amazing, and refreshing, and she tilted her chin up to better catch it under her long waves of hair, which now flitted about her face. The further out they got, though, the bigger the swells became and the faster the Defiance was cutting through them, causing the little ship to bounce a bit. At one point, Gia almost lost her footing and Theo suggested that she get situated somewhere. With curiosity overwhelming her, Gia didn’t hesitate in making a choice and went to sit beside Theo as he manned the ship’s wheel. His question was a sore one – a sore point, anyway, for her. But today, for once, the question didn’t seem to rankle quite as much as it normally did. Pulling her knees up to chest, wrapping her arms about them and enjoying the wind that now played in her hair, Gia smiled wistfully. “No, I’ve never been farther than the farmlands to the west, heading towards Syliras.” She looked with some amount of envy at her host, and said, “I’m sure you’ve been everywhere Theo! Tell me – have you ever seen a mermaid? Or heard a siren? What’s your most favorite place in the world? Is it true that dolphins can talk to men? Do you know the names of all the stars and constellations?” She looked at him with the shining glee of a child on their birthday – at least, a child that might have been gifted with presents and feted with parties, as Gia never had been. Still, she was healthy and had a profession, of sorts, and was skilled at it, and was relatively happy with life – so…life was good, was it not?

[Theo Coaststrider]

Theo took an odd sort of pride in watching Gia handle the her task so competently. He gave her a beaming smile as she strode across the deck and took a seat near him. In a fraction of an instant he turned his attention back to the task at hand. He was happy to leave the stinking harbour in his wake, and took a moment to enjoy the glory of the day. The summer sun was high in the sky and the water shimmered brilliantly. As the ship made it's way out of the mouth of the harbour and onto the open sea the water changed rapidly. The murky brown of kicked up silt and discarded refuse shifted rapidly into a deep blue. As soon as his Casinor cut it's way out of the last band of disgusting water Theo felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.

His connection to the sea was a very literal one, a bond tied together by his mark of Laviku. He had ascribed the nausea, and acute feeling of illness, to the smell. However, as they skipped their way north of the city he realized it was very likely his "sea sense" that had been offended the most. He always found it difficult to sort between his normal senses and his ability to feel through the ocean. The added vitality gave him a bit of an idea and he looked over to Gia. "Look up here, just over the bow."

He reached out through the sea and found a small porpoise through his sea sense. In an instant, Theo gently took control of the animal through his mark and it spun quickly. With a playful urgency it darted up along the side of the vessel, skipping and flipping through the water beside Gia. The powerful animal then dove under the water, powered itself towards the front of the ship and threw itself through the sky in a spectacular arc, showering the deck of the vessel with droplets of ocean water as it soared above the bow and crashed into the sea on the far side of the vessel's bow. As quickly as he had reached out to the animal he cut the tie and turned his attention back to Gia. "See? Laviku heard your offering and sent a friend to thank you."

Theo let out a long rolling laugh to cap off his little piece of evangelism. With a few quick motions he let the remainder of his sails down and gave a whoop as the ship picked up speed. The joy of the young woman was infectious, and Theo looked over to answer her questions, shouting to be heard over the crackle of the sails and the whipping of both of their hair. "You're full of sailor's tales! I've heard the singing of the Konti on the White Isle, and watched the Akvatari at work while sailing past the island of Akvatar. As far as talking to dolphins, who do you think made that little one hop and skip besdie us?"

He realized that he might be letting all the positive attention go to his head so he quickly followed up his statement. "Alas, I'm not nearly as keen with the stars as I am with a sail. I use charts I copy by hand to navigate, or just sense out the currents and shallows with my mark rather than look to the sky."

He gave her a wink. In truth, his inability to read the stars was a bit of an embarrassment. Theo just never trusted the damn things and felt no particular passion for setting his course by them. The stars might be pretty to look at, but they weren't how a man got around. "Now, you have to tell me a little bit more about yourself Gia! If you could go anywhere, where would it be? What do you love most about Sunberth? Is it true that your people are the greatest acrobats in the world?"

The young woman had put him in a genuinely inquisitive mood. With a sweeping gesture he pointed her towards the wheel. "Would you like to take control for a moment? We're away from the shallows so if you just steer us straight you'll have nothing to worry about. I need to go adjust the ballast to help keep the nose down. It'll stop us from skipping about so badly."

[Gia]

At his look and suggestion, Gia turned her gaze to the water that now frothed and foamed against the hull where it slipped through the blue of the sea. At first, she saw nothing, and she turned back to look at Theo, questioning. But he merely nodded and she turned her eyes once more to the water. It took a moment, but then suddenly, there was a curved grey back, sliding through the waves beside them. A sail-like dorsal fin cut up into the air, and Gia laughed in delight. Up and down it bobbed, racing beside the Defiance, until suddenly it sank, only to come powerdriving up and right out of the water, leaping clear for a few moments, crystalline rivulets running off its back to catch the sunlight. Over the bow it soared, like some mythical creature of legend, flying without wings. Then it was drawn back to its earthly habitat, and when it hit the water, droplets cascaded up in a rainbow tinted arc and came splashing down on them. Gia gasped and then laughed and clapped her hands, pulling them to her chest and giving Theo a beatific smile. “That was incredible!” she exclaimed, a drop of water hanging suspended from chin. “What was that creature! Was that a real dolphin?” She could hardly compare the magnificent, magical beast that had just christened them to the sad, stinking carcasses that she had seen sometimes in the fish market. Theo said it was a messenger sent by Laviku, and Gia marveled at this, utterly believing every word that fell from the Svefra’s grinning lips. He laughed and Gia thought perhaps he was teasing her, but she didn’t mind, not in the least. It was too beautiful and too exciting, out here on the ocean, on this beautiful ship, to feel anything but pure joy. They were picking up speed and Gia had to almost strain her ears to hear Theo’s answers to her many questions, as the wind rushed through the rigging and the sails. She thought she could never be so close to actually flying herself, as she was right now, and she could feel the bursting energy that such a delight must have given the little porpoise who had leapt so merrily from the waves. Theo claimed that he had brought the animal to her and she believed him – he could have told her that he had once visited Leth in the night sky on this magical boat and she would have believed that too. His slightly deprecating dismissal of his skills at celestial navigation she ignored. Surely Theo was as magical as his ship, and she imagined the stars singing directly to him, guiding him on his way from one adventure to another. In stark contrast, her own life looked dull and drab indeed. But she felt it only fair to answer his questions, as he had answered hers. “There isn’t much to tell, really,” she said, pulling a strand of hair from her mouth as that seemed to be where it wished to go whenever she opened it now. “I was born there and my mother raised me to be a fire dancer, just as she was. She died a few years ago. I don’t have any other family, except for Xadel, and he isn’t really. Not family I mean. He’s my best friend – he’s part of the troupe I perform with too. Though he wasn’t there today.” Her tone seemed to say that she wasn’t sure why that was, and her brow furrowed for just an instant, as she thought to herself that she hoped he was safe, whatever mischief he was getting up to. “And I don’t love anything about Sunberth – except for Xadel. It’s an awful city – but I have no money to leave. I don’t know where I’d go if I could – anywhere…everywhere?” She laughed lightly. “I’m so ignorant, I don’t know much of what lies beyond – sad, isn’t it?” And by that she meant that she was lacking, not that it was a cause of sadness. But her mood brightened instantly again when Theo suggested that she take a turn at the wheel. She wasn’t a fearful person, and she rose with alacrity and stepped right over, saying excitedly, “Oh, yes! Really? I can steer? Oh, show me how, Theo!”

[Theo Coaststrider]

"We don't have many firedancers on The Anchorage or visiting any of the pods. I suppose it's because any accident would doom us all and destroy all of our homes." Shaking the picture of the Coaststrider Pod out of his over-active imagination, Theo turned his attention to the steering wheel of the vessel. He took a step out of the way and gently pulled Gia in front of the wheel.

"It isn't so difficult. I've kept us far from the coast, and any enterprising shoals, so there aren't any real dangers out here. If you could just steer us gently towards the centre of that inlet up ahead, and do your best to stay on this course so that we don't lose the wind, we should be just fine!" He pointed over the young woman's shoulder to a picturesque little inlet just ahead. The mouth of the natural bay swooped out from the rest of the coastline invitingly. With his brief tutorial given he patted Gia on the shoulder and made his way to the front of the ship to make his adjustments. As he laboured away at a series of knots at mid ship he looked back towards the woman and gave her a quick smile. Theo wasn't used to inviting strangers onto his boat for day excursions, but the infectious energy of the young woman was a nice relief from his long and solitary sea journey.

With his knots checked and a few small wind adjustments made he hustled into his cabin and pushed a small number of heavy boxes to the nose end of the vessel to help keep the vessel flat to the water and then poked back up to check on Gia. He took a moment to consider her feeling her life was 'sad' because she hadn't explored more of the continent. It struck Theo as exceptionally disappointing that the young woman felt that way. Truthfully, a life tucked away in a place like Sunberth would be a nightmare for Theo, but he didn't want to believe it was so bad for the young woman. After a few moments of pondering this, the Svefra decides it might be a bit much for him to try and help at the moment. "Sorry for leaving you alone for a few moments there, how did everything go up here? Any pirates? Sea Monsters? Mermaids? Giant Rocks?"

After his teasing inquiry he was forced to pull a bit of his own salty, windswept hair out of his mouth. Many of his brother's would tie their long hair back to keep it from their face, but Theo never did ascribe to that philosophy. He always felt that there was a certain element of respect in allowing a part of you to go naturally with the wind while your mind was seeking to harness and manipulate it. In a way, it was a paltry little offering, but for the Gods it was the thought that counted. a position beside the woman. With a gesture of his hand he signalled that he wanted tthe woman to try and steer the ship into the inlet. He couldn't sense anything particularly dangerous, so it seemed like a harmless enough offer. At this stage, he was simply striving to keep Gia's almost childlike exuberance alive.

[Gia]

Gia really had no idea what Theo was talking about, when he made mention of the Anchorage and how it might catch fire. But before she could ask about that, he was stepping back a bit and gently pulling her to stand between him and the ship’s wheel. With a great deal of excitement, she placed her hands on its solid, wooden curves, wrapping her fingers about the spokes that erupted at regular intervals from its polished surface, just as she had seen Theo do. Immediately she felt the rush of water tugging at it, and she was surprised by the force she felt in her hands. What power! To be able to direct this vessel, and have it obey her commands! She felt a bit giddy, but tried to concentrate on what Theo was telling her. Her hazel eyes lifted to take in where he was pointing, and she nodded. Just keep it straight? That shouldn’t be too difficult, should it? Apparently, Theo didn’t think so, for he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and made his way forward. Gia was grinning like a maniac, but soberly she held the wheel and kept them on their course – at least, she hoped she was doing so. This far out on the water, it was a bit hard to tell, really. It wasn’t like walking a straight line or marking a series of steps for a dance – that was finite and tangible. Out here, distances stretched on and on and whether the ship was actually heading towards the inlet, or just generally appeared to be so doing, she wasn’t quite sure. But she did her best and figured that Theo would be sure to set things right if she got them going on the wrong direction. At one point, he did look back at her, but only to throw a smile her way, which she returned tenfold. She thought to wave at him, but didn’t dare take her hands from the wheel. Then Theo went below deck and Gia bit her lip with concern. Now she seemed truly master of the Defiance, for a few moments anyway, and her heart soared as she took in the waves that ran under her bow, the foam, the wind snapping the sails and singing in the ropes above, and her own hair whipping like crazy about her head and face and shoulders. It was glorious, and for that interval, while Theo was gone from sight, she felt truly like she could sail this ship to Mura and beyond, and never once look back. Well, though, she’d have to go back for Xadel… At that thought, Theo popped back into view and came back to her at the wheel. His silliness made her laugh. “Oh, yes!” she said, above the sounds of ship and wind. “Any number of grand perils, captain. But I managed to outrun them, except the rocks.” She giggled. “Those stayed put, but I dared them to get in our way.” She gave him a grin too as she added, “And there was one quite beautiful mermaid that asked me to tell you that she was quite missing your company and please would you come back and pay her another visit, soon.” Theo’s hair too was whipping about like demon serpents and Gia watched him for a moment, thinking with some wonder that here stood a man really master of his fate, what with a ship to take him wherever he chose to go. Theo looked like the sea – big and strong and wild – and yet he had a tamer side too, and a comical one. Gia thought to ask him if he had a wife – though she wasn’t sure after his earlier explanation if the Svefra took wives – and it seemed that if he did have one she would have been here on the Defiance too. But by this point Theo was pointing at the inlet again, and Gia was surprised to see how much closer it was looking. Biting down on her lip, she hesitated, and then looked up – way up – at him, beside her, and said, “Um, maybe we should do this together?” and pulling one hand from the wheel so that Theo could help her with what seemed a rather hazardous assignment.