Closed Chance meetings

[Finn Reefdiver]

40th Summer 519

Camira circled overhead in the bright blue sky above Finn as he lazily looped the anchor line around the cleats. He then wrapped the extra around the outside of the cleat to make sure it didn’t unravel while he was on the shore. The ship had drifted closer to shore than he wanted as he anchored it up so when he lowered himself into the warm sea water it came up and just over his knees. He quickly sensed that high tide was about finished, he expected the tide to shift and start going out soon enough so if he planned on getting in any fishing today then he would need to return and not let the day slip away like so many of them seemed to do.

The tanned Svefra only wore a pair of pants, now drenched from wading through the warm Suvan water. He could feel the water coming through the hole near the ankle from a pirate arrow some time ago. He envisioned a day not so long ago, the storm surrounded his casinor as the wind and waves crashed against it, tossed it about like it was a piece of cork. A beautiful but drenched mage performed her magic, res emanated from her palms and the long dark hair raged around her as it only added to her natural beauty as she fought against pirates. The boulder she magicked and sent toward the pirate’s ship, broadsided them to create a huge hole where the water rushed in and quickly sank the enemy vessel as the occupants jumped ship like rats escaping a fire. Laviku’s sharks quickly finished them in a frenzy as the water boiled red all around. A cry from his gull brought him around again as he realized another had overtaken him, he turned around and continued toward shore.

First though, he waded towards shore as he made his way towards the Commons. Camira protested the delay in her breakfast as usual but she was far from neglected regardless to how often she disagreed with him. He often chided the gull on eating better than he did since he shared most anything he ate with her.The water slowly gave way to wet sand and finally to dry sand as he meandered onward and the gull floated on down the beach. The commons looked empty for a change as he approached the stairs and leisurely climbed them to the lofted platform above, the swings below swayed gently in the breeze.

He walked around the tables and benches, the platter of food that was left on the table at the top of the stairs was well picked over. It looked like it had been a deer at one time and it smelled so wonderful that he wished he had come by before it was all gone but was forced to simply grab a banana from the bowl as he walked to the front of the deck and gazed over the beach as he peeled and ate the simple snack. He casually lounged around the deck and looked over the various benches and tables that were scattered over the place, he found the slide off the platform curious as he hadn’t seen any children around the settlement yet. Finally he settled on a table under the roofed section and near rail where he pulled out a chair and sat down as at least one other person walked up the stairs he thought.

A loud screech accompanied the chair as he twisted it sideways just enough to kick his feet up on the rail, he scooted his bum forward to the front edge and leaned his head onto the chair back to comfortable enjoy the quiet peaceful of Syka, although he secretly hoped that something might come along to break up the monotony of late. He lazily watched the beach so he could doze in and out a little while he took advantage of the beautiful day while he watched or slept.

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

It was a fairly regular day for Kamilla as she made her towards the Commons, new black thigh high boots leaving no proof of her passing as she traversed the sand. It was perhaps a bell or two later than usual for her to be showing up in search of work, but since claiming her package of land, she'd been 2uite busy attempting to build her own home. It had been only days since she'd reviewed the five acre patch of land just beyond Treasure Point, but she'd made some decent enough progress of hollowing out the small mountain with her reimancy. It was because of this exhaustingly strenuous use of reimancy that she'd been coming to the Commons later each day, now needing even more rest than usual.

On this particular day, she'd decided to bring Yennefer along with her. The gray yowlwing had seemingly been growing more and more unhappy with her new life of being cooped up and restricted to the ground and she hoped a little outing would cheer the feline up. Of course, she felt bad for her pet, but the leather leash and ban on flight were entirely necessary. Twice during the spring in Syka the feline had darted off into the dangers of the jungle and forced Kamilla to risk her life by chasing after her. Both times had been a major ordeal, encountering the massive snake, Dhani, creature during Yennefer's most recent stint in the jungle stuck out as notably bad. Until she was absolutely sure that the winged feline wouldn't just dart off into the dangers of the jungle again, a leashed life was the best she could do.

Ascending the stairs to the Syka Commons, Kamilla quickly realised that it was going to be a very quiet day, perhaps even one without any work requests. The Commons were empty, or at least that was how it seemed, until the loud screeching of a chair being dragged roughly across the wooden floor reached her ears, her body twisting around in a twirl of her black wrap, skirt and boots, brown eyes finding the source to be someone very familiar.

Harboring a subtle smirk on her face as she lowered Yennefer to the ground, pulling ger along with the leash in hand, Kamilla sauntered up.to the familiar svefra's table, stopping just short of it to cross her arms and lean into her hips. "Haven't seen you in a while…" It was more of statement than anything else, though it was nice to see the blonde man, the two had been through a lot together during their trip to Syka.

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[Finn Reefdiver]

Finn closed his eyes as he heard someone make their way towards his table, he hoped it wasn’t someone that planned on ruining his leisure time. He wondered if he feigned sleep maybe they would leave him alone but he was quickly disappointed when the footsteps walked directly to him before they stopped, likely on the other side of the table from him.

They stood over him for just a tick before they spoke, or she spoke anyway. He recognized the voice immediately and would of anywhere, regardless of the earlier vision about the woman. He had no idea why he had started getting the visions that he saw, and that concerned him slightly, and they had been getting them more and more often as the season continued but he knew the lovely voice in front of him wasn’t one of them.

He didn’t even try to stop nor hide the broad smile that came over him, he doubted the mage would believe it even if he tried to hide it. “You’ve successfully avoided me all this time until now……..” he tried to sound as hurt as possible but was far more pleased by her timely appearance while he peaked open an eye to see her standing across the table with her arms crossed.

After just a couple ticks, he laughed as he sat up properly in the chair and scooted himself under the table so he could look over the mage. “Kamilla, join me!” He stated to the woman as he used his foot to push the chair opposite of him out so she could sit down across from him. He looked the woman over, she was dressed in her classic attire and boots as he was used to seeing her while she had Yennefer leashed at her side. “Your looking good as always, it appears Syka is agreeing with you although your friend might disagree a little bit, I think. I take it that she hasn’t adjusted well yet?”

He grinned up at the brown eyed mage as he hoped she would keep him company for a bit. “I hope all is well with you? Where have you been hiding yourself?” He asked her quickly to draw her into a conversation while he had the chance as he thought back to their trip together across the Suvan at the beginning of last spring.

A sudden thought came over the young Svefra, the last time she approached him similar to this was when she asked for passage across the Suvan and here she was again. Impolite or not, he asked the question directly to her “You aren’t looking for passage away from here, are you?” He had known her for his entire time in Syka, regardless of how short it was,he didn’t even like this new thought. He doubted he could refuse her if she asked him for that kind of help, whether or not he wanted to or course was a different story.

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

As expected, the handsome svefra's first reaction to her arrival was a bright smile, which Kamilla was unable to stop herself from reciprocating, although with far less shine. Immediately he was asking her to take a seat, which she promptly did, placing the leashed Yennefer on her lap. "Well, it would seem my successful avoidance string has been ruined." She responded with a playful wink, now reaching down to scratch behind Yen's ear to earn a satisfying put.

She paused for a moment, slightly surprised as the svefra complimented her, though she didn't know why it had been so unexpected from the very friendly svefra. "I'm glad it seems that way, it's only been a season and Syka has already tried to kill me three times… with some unintended assistance from Yen over here." Her free hand waved off the near death experiences nonchalantly, while the other continued to scratch at Yennefer. "I'm glad to see that you're as handsome and friendly as ever." She added, after all, with his blonde hair and sea blue eyes, Finn was undoubtedly handsome.

Shifting somewhat in her seat, which caused Yennefer to hop up onto the table in front of them before curling up for a nap, Kamilla eyed the svefra with a hint of amusement in her expression. "I'm certainly more well than I was in Riverfall, or during our tumultuous trip…" She added a smirk, "But no, I'm not seeking passage, although I do miss the rocking sensation of being on your casino… when we weren't being chased by pirates that is." She paused for a moment, recalling the stormy pursuit they'd somehow managed to survive on Finn's tiny ship.

"I'm just here in search of work, of course there are places I'd rather be." The thought of her land claim just beyond Treasure Point came to mind, the mountain still needed a lot more work before it would be livable. "What about you? Has Syka been treating you well? It's all ocean and beach sand, I should think you're in your element. In her mind, besides the ocean itself, a beachside settlement seemed like the second choice for any svefra.

In the back of her mind, Kamilla wondered why the svefra had decided to stay in Syka instead of returning to the sea and his pod. The thought brought about the familiar itch in her throat. Family. Did he have family? Where were they? Why had he left his pod? Suddenly Kamilla had realised that despite their week together at sea, she hardly knew anything about the svefra and his past.

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[Finn Reefdiver]

Kamilla’s smile and playful response brightened his so far rather dull day as she sat down in the chair across from him with Yen content in her lap. He listened as she mentioned the attempts on her life from the jungle, although he knew the mage was more powerful then she credited herself. ”Glad Syka failed killing you all three times then despite Yen’s help.” He wondered what Yennefer could possibly have done to help harm the mage as she laid so content in her lap now.

Pleased with the compliment she paid him, he grinned as Yen curled up on the top of the table. Finn reached out across the table as he held out his hand toward the napping creature as he was relieved she wasn’t looking for passage away already. Her talk of their trip brought many memories of the journey back to him both good and dangerous, “From what I hear, those Svefra are a dangerous and unscrupulous lot so I would be careful of them let alone going anywhere with them.” He joked about the trip but knew the dangers they had faced all too well and the fact they had somehow survived the trip but he wasn’t one to dwell on the past, they had lived through it and with any luck learned from the ordeal.

“I’m not sure if you are going to have many customers around here right now, it seems a little too quiet for good business. Yes, as long as I have my ship and Laviku’s seas I am at home regardless where I am located. I am finding that Syka and the beaches do have a lot of benefits that I never knew about although trouble hasn’t been stalking me this summer like it has been you.” He laughed a little as he continued “Although I am beginning to wonder if you are just a magnet for trouble, the way it seems to follow you around.”

He thought back over his summer as he realized how quiet of a summer he had, he knew the jungle was similar to the ocean in the fact that when it was hungry it would tear you apart for dinner but he had managed to stay around the safety of Syka for probably far longer than he should of. As he looked down he noticed again the tear in his pants again, he brought his leg up onto his chair making the tear rather evident. “I had planned on heading out of the bay to fish today, but if I could ever find a seamstress around here I just might have to steal her away for a little while.” He stated to the woman across from him with a grin but implied the question to her. “Especially on a nice quiet day like today.”

Of course it depended on the mage but he enjoyed the idea of her joining him on his little ship again, the company was always nice. Let alone he really could use her assistance as a seamstress as he lacked the skills for this job entirely. Maybe someday he would learn enough to mend some little things but not something he thought was needed just now, he much preferred the excuse to see people as he needed.

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

Hearing her summary of the past season, Finn seemed to take the news in stride, even responding with some of the friendly humour she'd come to know him for. It seemed as if the svefra were nothing but a friendly and pleasant people. She wondered if it was true, the itch in her throat urging her to ask, but she managed to calm it with a soft cough. "Apparently, it will take more than a jungle of wild animals to get rid of me." She simply shrugged, nonchalantly, wholly acting as if she hadn't been moments from death all three times. It didn't matter now though, she'd survived and she'd never venture into the jungle again… at least not alone. To ensure the success of this goal, Kamilla's gaze ran over the leather harness around the sleeping Yen's body, checking to make sure it was still tight and secure. She did not want the cat bolting into the jungle yet again.

"I've heard the same… awful people really. Not a single pleasant soul among them." She offered him a subtle sly smile to indicate that she too was joking before turning to scam the area for any potential customers until Finn spoke again, forcing her gaze to return to the sea blue hues of his. He was right, it seemed unlikely that she would find any work for the say as it was definitely a slow one.

Hearing his quip about her being a magnet for trouble, Kamilla genuinely released a brief laugh, "I've wondered the same thing many times, thankfully I've yet to attract any trouble that I couldn't handle…" She paused for dramatic effect, brown eyes tracing the tattoos on the svefra's exposed skin, "... with some help, of course." She needed to pay him his dues, she was completely clueless when it came to the ocean and sailing, it had been Finn's skills that had carried them successful to Syka and away from the pirates, even if she helped a bit in between.

"I had planned on heading out of the bay to fish today, but if I could ever find a seamstress around here I just might have to steal her away for a little while… especially on a nice quiet day like today."

The words bounced around within her head for tick before she realised what exactly Finn was saying. It was an invitation, to spend a day on the casino as well as get some work done. It was a win/win. Perhaps she could even ask him some more questions about his life to satisfy the growing itch in her through? In that case, a win/win/win. "Sounds like I'd be killing several birds with one stone. How can I turn an offer like that down." A short pause, "Perhaps I can even show you where I'm building my home…" She was curious to see what the mountain looked like from the sea anyway.

She liked the idea, surprisingly a lot more than she would have expected to, already standing up in her seat and waking Yennefer up from her nap. The gray yowling looked up at her owner with large green eyes and meowed adorably. "Come on then…" She added, tightening her grip around the leash as she retrieved her bag and Yen, already turning to walk. "Maybe we can even let you stretch your poor wings." It had been a long time since the feline had been allowed to fly freely, not since she'd arrived in Syka. It eas just too dangerous.

"You know… you never really told me anything about yourself, like how you came to be in Riverfall that day I was looking for a ship." The words were spoken over her shoulder, having assumed that Finn would follow. If not she'd stop dead and turn around to find him, while waiting expectantly.

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[Finn Reefdiver]

Although he hadn’t expected it, Kamilla’s laugh quickly reminded him of the carefree attitude of his own pod. He grinned at her while she watched his gnosis, or so he suspected as many people and even Svefra often were caught in the swirling and mesmerizing eddies of it. The implication that he had helped her find and get into trouble or maybe even out of it, he couldn’t help the wide grin that transfixed him. He returned a similar shrug to what she had given him earlier as he had never doubted his own ability to find trouble wherever he might be.

Her quick willingness to join him for an afternoon encouraged him as he quickly agreed, “It would be a difficult offer to refuse!” He chuckled slightly at the conversation and the fact he hadn’t thought to ask where she had settled in Syka. “So I’m taking it that you are near the shore, shouldn’t be much of a problem at all if you want. I would be happy too, just let me know which direction to sail….” He let the statement trail off for her as she decided but the offer was genuine. Whether it was the Svefra in him or not, he thought the views from the sea were vastly different and in his opinion they were much better as well.

Finn stood to follow Kamilla as her leashed companion complained ever so slightly at the interruption of the nap. “Please remember to give my tavan enough time to get away first.” He politely reminded her to protect his own bird, which he hoped could easily outfly the yowling given enough of a head start. He was fairly certain that his gull wouldn’t return for hours if Yen was loose onboard and would only approach carefully for a while afterwards most likely.

The question on Riverfall surprised him slightly as he made his way around the table, after all the days they had sailed together he felt he had little to hide from her but he also remembered she had stayed for a time in Riverfall so he quickly decided to at least speak politely of the city instead of how nervous it made him. “I had been in and out of the harbor a few times doing odd jobs as I could find them, it is a good and safe harbor to be certain. But the rules and strictness of the city made me a little ….umm…. Uncomfortable.“ he figured the unintended pause might be mistaken for that he actually hated the city, which he hadn’t meant. He sighed as he stopped on the stairs to look down slightly, with a little sigh he continued “Riverfall is nice and all just the exact opposite of my people in so many ways that it made me wary and cautious everytime I entered it.” he turned and made his way down the stairs and onto the fine warm sand below.

“I have to say that I had quite a stroke of good luck the day I met you on the piers!” he stated quickly. “How long were you there by the way? I was more than ready to set sail away from Riverfall and then you appeared wanting to come to a place such as this.” He spread his arms to encompass all of tropical Syka.

He turned away from the dock and started toward his casinor moored in the bay where he stopped. “Shyke, I didn’t think! Hope you don’t mind wading out to the ship? I hadn’t actually expected the company today.” He asked her as he pointed into the bay near them, he didn’t see it as too big of a problem himself but the lady from Zeltiva might have a slightly larger problem with it. “I can carry your things if you need.” he offered.

Finn paused to see if she preferred one way or another, he hoped she wouldn’t push him to pick her up on the dock down a bay but he knew he would if she asked it of him.

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

Kamilla nodded in Finn's direction, pleased to see that he was already up and at her side. She'd forgotten about his 'tavan', a large bird he called Camira. Honestly, all she'd ever seen the bird do during their week long sailing trip was search for food or sleep, not unlike Yennefer, but she was certain a bird could beat a winged feline when it came to flight. "I don't think you'd need to worry about that, your tavan is similar to Yen in size, I doubt she'd even try." Then again, the gray cat did love to chase birds through the air, she decided to keep that to herself, choosing to believe in her former point.

They made their way down the stairs and onto the, no doubt, hot beach sand, Kamilla scooping her cat up under one arm with little protest from the lazy creature. She remained silent as Finn explained how he'd come to Riverfall, feeling the itch in her throat grow slightly during his dramatic pause. "It sounds like we have a similar opinion of the City of the Akalaks…" she began, recalling her own initial arrival in the city and the seasons that followed. "It's a beautiful city, unlike any I've seen before, but I doubt I'd ever have felt like anything more than a visitor in their city…" A short pause, "Besides, they wanted me to learn to use a weapon and get tested on it… I think you of all people know why that was unnecessary for me." She finished by shooting a small smile in his direction.

Hearing his question, Kamilla paused for a tick before answering, their meeting still fresh in her mind. A few seasons, honestly, you were the first person I asked… Of course I arrived there and inquired about where to find a ship to get me to Syka and was told that only the Veronica makes trips to the settlement, and it only visits twice a season." She also recalled refusing to give up so easily, "Which was when I spotted you. A handsome young man busy on a small ship, I figured it would be easier to charter a trip from a smaller vessel… you know the rest." It wasn't much of a story, but that didn't bother her as the trip itself had been a bit too much of a story.

When Finn suddenly came to a halt at the water's edge, pointing at his casinor nearby, noticeably not docked, Kamilla turned to look between the svefra and his ship. She wondered if he remembered that she couldn't swim. "Uh, as long as it's not too deep for me to walk there." If it wasn't, she'd pass the far taller man her bag, as well as Yennefer and follow cautiously behind him. Her new boots were magical and entirely water proof, so long as the water didn't reach above her thighs to fill them, though that wasn't too much of a problem.

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[Finn Reefdiver]

Finn nodded at Kamilla about her cat, not that he fully agreed with her but animals would do as they wanted regardless of his interference or not. His tavan had a mind of her own for sure, he could only hope she would watch Kamilla’s little predator closely.

Her talk of Riverfall interested him in the fact that it sounded like something they pair had in common and he was forced to laugh at the thought of Kamilla being forced into a weapon skill while he answered “I would let them know their error but I don’t think my voice would help you all that much either!”.

He hadn’t realized or actually thought before about how easily the two of them had met and how easily they could have passed by one another on that day. It had indeed been a fateful day when they met, “I for one am quite glad you chose to charter and found me in the process”.

“It shouldn’t be too deep, or wasn’t when I arrived shortly ago anyway” Finn stepped into the warm water as he quickly found the tide was indeed heading out and they really needed to board the casinor soon before it became grounded on the sand, that would force him to wait for the tide to return again.

Kamilla handed him Yen, he quickly pulled the yowlwing into his chest to keep her well above the water as he tucked an arm around her with the hope of keeping her claws out of his own skin. Once she passed over her sewing bag, he started trudging into the water toward the ship that lay waiting a short distance away as he concentrated on the water that softly swirling around his feet and activated his Oceanus mark to look for the shark, and only the fairly unique one that had been patrolling around Syka during the summer. Having learned to be careful on what he looked for was a lesson that he wouldn’t forget quickly nor would it be good for the two of them to find the creature halfway to the casinor and with no safety in sight either. Luckily for them, he found no trace of her in the immediate area but wondered how everyone else around Syka managed without the sea sense that Laviku had graced him with so long again.

He forced himself to break the concentration on the sea around them as he returned his attention to Kamilla’s pet and to the woman who he assumed followed behind him as he neared the edge of his ship.”I think we are safe from ‘Big Momma’ at the moment, I don’t see her anywhere right now!” he informed her although he felt relatively comfortable of the fact himself, he set the sewing bag on the deck before he hoisted her cat up beside it where he could tie the leash off to keep her safely aboard for the moment. When or if Kamilla decided to set her free was up to the woman behind him and not to him but he would keep her safe until then.

Another of the mysterious images he had been experiencing all summer started to push its way into his mind as he turned to check on Kamilla. He really didn’t understand these visions at all but forced himself to stay focused on the present and not get distracted again. The intrusion of his own thoughts dampened his mood slightly, as he looked over the ship to get underway or to help Kamilla if she should need.

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

Kamilla offered him a small smile, it was nice to know that her presence was appreciated, though she supposed it was logical. If she thought about it, it was unlikely that the svefra would have survived the pirates without her and her reimancy, though on that same note, if not for her, he wouldn't have been sailing to Syka in the first place. It may have only been a season ago that they'd worked together to survive both pirates and a storm, but it felt like an age ago, while she still remembered it as if it had happened a day before.

Nodding in Finn's direction as she handed her bag and Yennefer to him, the yowlwing meowed once in protest before wearily settling down. She was familiar with the svefra man, but being over water without the use of her wings, she was understandably nervous and stiff. "Relax Yen, Unlike me, Finn can swim." She received a meow in response.

As they began wading through the water, Kamilla noticed that she couldn't even feel the temperature of the water through her boots, they were certainly sealed up well. She noticed Finn's short pause, wondering what was going on but her question was answered soon after. "Big momma?" She had no idea what he was talking about.

As they waded deeper and deeper, Kamilla began to grow slightly more anxious, the water was just below the top of her thigh high boots now, deeper than she was comfortable. Perhaps she should learn how to swim since she was living by the ocean. Syka really wasn't something. Wedged between the deadly rainforest and the deadly sea.

By the time they'd reached the boat, the water had reached above her waist and filled her waterproof boots with its coolness. That was going to be a problem. Now uncomfortable in the deep water, she eagerly awaited Finn's assistance to help her get up, reaching a hand out the handsome svefra. Considering how easily he'd scooped her up the day she'd fallen overboard, she figured he'd have little problem hoisting her onto his ship. After all, Finn was quite a well built young man.

Once on the small vessel, Kamilla would make her way to her old spot in the middle of the deck, an equally safe distance from all sides. The nostalgic rocking of the floor beneath her feet was soothing and familiar, she hadn't realised how much she'd missed it up until now. Taking in a deep pleasant breath, Kamilla gathered up her wet skirt and began to wring out what little moisture she could. The skirt was short and made of thin material, it would dry soon enough.

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