Closed Long Walks Along The Beach (Castor Riley)

[Lotvie]

Coonie listened patiently, trying to hold back her questions until he took a breath.
"No, my grandfather wasn't Svefra: just really adventurous, perhaps excessively and dangerously so. I've never really met Svefra - not until today anyway. I mean we'd get the occasional Svefran in Syliras, it being a city that's really close to the sea, but I never got to really meet one. I've never been on a ship, but I'd really like to, one day; there's a whole lot of things I really want to do one day... What kind of ship do you sail on and how is it, living at sea? I hope I'm not keeping you from anything... How much do you expect to get from your catch?"

Just as she prepared her answer, he added something that made the hair on the back of her neck bristle. "I'd heard Svefrans were all brigands and pirates; you don't seem at all like the stereotype."

"Yes," She began, "We live at sea. It's a hard life to live and many of us are cold people. But not all of us are. My brother, Fown, he has done his fair share of looting and pirating, but who's to say it's wrong? There are no rules at sea and we stay on our best behavior at land. Laviku watches over us and should we do something against our honor, He will tell us." She paused momentarily to contain her anger. Calm yourself, Coon. She mentally reprimanded herself. With a sigh, she went on to answer his other questions.

"My family's ship is smaller than most- a Casinor- so we can't go too far out into the sea. Still, the sea is a fearsome beast, even here at shore, and can be cruel if we aren't careful. Things simple as water can be a cause for panic. We can't just get it from the nearest river like the forest dwellers, oh no, we have to take it with us. If there isn't enough to last, we have to boil it. And believe you me, boiling salt water on a rocking ship is not a fun past time. Still, I think my least favorite part would have to be being isolated for so long. I never get to meet people like you." Coonie shifted uncomfortably before continuing.
"My favorite part is, by far, swimming. The water around you, the waves
splashing in your ears, eyes, rejuvenating your skin all the way to your heart." How she longed to be out there swimming. Her daydream shifted, picturing herself with her Tavan and Castor, but it wasn't right. Castor didn't belong at sea and she could already envision the harsh sea tearing away at him, swallowing him...

She shivered against the bite in the morning air, trying to switch the topic before her daydream shifted to a nightmare. What else did he ask? Fishing?
"We usually have a pretty steady income from our fishing. Winters are rough but, on average, I think we make 7 GM a season. We work hard and what we can't make in fishing...well, I think we've been over that."

She shook her head absent-mindedly as she turned to face the quickly rising sun. As badly as she wanted to stay, she knew she had to go. Fown would throw a fit if she didn't show up at all and she would already be virtually useless in her sleep-deprived state. With a sigh, she picked up her water-logged bag and stood in the quickly drying sand.

"Which way are you headed?" She asked softly, in a last attempt to spend more time with the stranger. She may never get to spend time with him again, and the thought nearly broke her heart. While she waited for a response, she scanned the ground for his journal. Poor kid, I can't believe he lost that...

[Castor Riley]

The anger that appeared in Coonie's eyes after his playful remark immediately let him know that he had committed a serious blunder, and he regretted playing on obviously hurtful stereotypes. 'Yes, we live at sea. It's a hard life to live and many of us are cold people. But not all of us are. My brother, Fown, he has done his fair share of looting and pirating, but who's to say it's wrong? There are no rules at sea and we stay on our best behavior at land. Laviku watches over us and should we do something against our honor, He will tell us.' Castor felt his ears tinge with a slight burn of embarassment. Still, by her own word the stereotype wasn't exactly wrong; it's that the Svefran culture simply did not implement the moral values of other ones, at least so far as plundering went. Having grown up in Syliras, a city renowned for its strict, to say the least, adherence to the code of law, he felt a twinge of animosity at the unabashed acceptance of thievery. 'My family's ship is smaller than most- a Casinor- so we can't go too far out into the sea. Still, the sea is a fearsome beast, even here at shore, and can be cruel if we aren't careful. Things simple as water can be a cause for panic. We can't just get it from the nearest river like the forest dwellers, oh no, we have to take it with us. If there isn't enough to last, we have to boil it. And believe you me, boiling salt water on a rocking ship is not a fun past time. Still, I think my least favorite part would have to be being isolated for so long. I never get to meet people like you.' Coonie went on, and hearing this snippet of what life at sea was like he relented his harsh judgement of a moment ago; after all, considering that their life is always in such close proximity to any number of horrible deaths, piracy is not really so much a choice as a necessity for survival. They must look upon any vessel sent their way by the sea as a gift from Laviku himself, allowing them some peace of mind from the constant barrage of the sea. Comparing her description of the sea with his grandfather's, he realized that land-dwellers really had a whole different notion of it. He resolved to keep an open mind. 'My favorite part is, by far, swimming. The water around you, the waves splashing in your ears, eyes, rejuvenating your skin all the way to your heart.' Her eyes as she said those words were lit up. Again he noted how blue they were. He'd never seen such eyes before. 'We usually have a pretty steady income from our fishing. Winters are rough but, on average, I think we make 7 GM a season. We work hard and what we can't make in fishing...well, I think we've been over that.' Another wave of shame at the mention of his faux pas. Finally, he spoke -rather mumbled- a quick sorry, which appeared to go unheard. 'Which way are you headed?' As Coonie said this, he noticed her scanning the ground. Was she still looking for his journal? He felt an instant liking for her, accompanied by an even deeper feeling of regret for his careless words. He finally spoke in a clear and coherent way: 'I'm going to head back into town. I think the beach hasn't been a very lucky place for me today.' he said and quickly added, upon reflection 'Not that everything I encountered on the beach today was bad!' He tried to think of some reason to stick around with her, so that he could somehow improve what should surely be an awful impression. 'Uhm, you said you're here to sell fish right? Could I buy some off of you?' As he said this he noticed a rectangle of blackness that seemed out of place in the sand. It was but a few feet away from where he was standing so he swiftly swooped it up. He smiled at Coonie brilliantly, holding the journal up triumphantly. It would appear my luck is shifting after all!

[Lotvie]

Castor stumbled over his words in a way that made her usually steely heart melt. She had to focus carefully on what he was saying so she wouldn't blubber like she had the first time.
"I'm going to head back into town. I think the beach hasn't been a very lucky place for me today." He seemed to realize that they had met on the beach, for he hastily added, "Not that everything I encountered on the beach today was bad!'

His eyes darted around, clearly trying to think of something to say. He probably to wanted to cover his frequent slip-ups with something kind. She was still surprised though, when he said, "Uhm, you said you're here to sell fish right? Could I buy some off of you?"

Even as he said this, his eyes lit up with happiness. He knelt down and plucked a heavy looking book off of the ground. Coonie nearly clapped with joy when she saw him hold up the journal like a trophy. Coonie was sure she was almost as relived as he was.

She smiled as big as she dared without revealing her teeth. "I would be honored if you could buy some." She looked down and gave her bag a rough shake. "Not these though. Come on, let's go find some fresh fish."

Coonie grabbed his arm in one hand and her bag in the other and tugged him towards the town. Already, the city had begun to wake up. Sailors bustled around the docks, merchants shouted from their stands and a citizen or two stretched outside their homes. Without ever checking to make sure the boy followed, Coonie plowed into the crowd, making her way towards the World's End Grotto. How exciting! She thought, and then, I hope Fown doesn't scare him off...or eat him alive...
She brushed aside the thought and yelled back to Castor, "We're almost there! You still with me?"

[Castor Riley]

Seeing the pleasure with which Coonie greeted the retrieval of the journal surprised Castor. He figured she must really empathize to show such genuine emotion. However, he noticed that, as before she showed a thin-lipped smile, that seemed very contrived, starkly contrasting the glint in her eyes. He didn't really understand why this would be so. 'I would be honored if you could buy some.' she replied to his question before he could come to any conclusions. 'Not these though. Come on, let's go find some fresh fish.' She tugged him along behind her as she took a course straight for town. He got himself loose for a second and quickly put his boots on. As Coonie didn't stop, he rushed to catch up. The town had woken up, all the vendors and early shoppers crowding the streets. He almost lost her in the early morning crowd; he looked around swiftly, but couldn't see her. Then he heard her voice: 'We're almost there! You still with me?' He rushed the way he'd heard it coming from and found her again. 'Yep, I'm here. Where are we headed?' he asked her in return.

[Lotvie]

"Yep, I'm here. Where are we headed?" A part of Coonie wanted to keep it a secret but she was afraid he wouldn't follow any farther unless he knew. Reluctantly, she told him.

"We're heading to The Fish Market. It's just this way and down the street." Seeing the out-of-breath way he breathed she added, "And try to keep up this time!" With that, she took off once more. Sooner than she had expected, she caught sight of her brother. He was arguing heatedly with a man. From what Coonie could hear, Fown was winning big time. It was doubtful the man would go home with any coins left at all.
No, no, no. Do you know what this is worth? This is fresh fish from local seas. At least 5 Silver Mizas!"

"Fown!" Coonie shouted happily. She wrapped her arms around his waist but he shoved her back. The customer was completely forgotten, leaving him boiling mad. He cleared his throat but Fown's eyes never strayed from Coonie. Despite his angry tone, there was concern in his blue/grey eyes.

"Coon! You scared me half to death. Where have you been!?" Coonie didn't have time to translate the furious Fratava before answering.

"With Castor! At the beach. See, I was just laying there and-" Coonie stopped herself before the story got too out of hand. "Anyway, this is Castor. He wanted to see the shop and maybe buy some fish." She whirled around to introduce the two. Proudly, she anounced, "Castor, meet Fown."

[Castor Riley]

'We're heading to The Fish Market. It's just this way and down the street.' replied Coonie, making Castor feel rather thick; after all, he'd just asked to buy fish, where else would they be going? What he didn't understand though was why she had been so reluctant in giving him an answer. 'And try to keep up this time!' continued Coonie. How cheeky! She's the one who'd rushed ahead. He smiled. 'Don't worry, I'll be right behind you.' he had hardly finished talking and she was off again. This time he followed closely and kept his eyes on her. He could hear many voices, some arguing, some cajoling customers into buying their wares. Suddenly, Coonie dashed towards a rather intimidating man and wrapped her hands around his waist. 'FownI' she shouted. My brother, Fown, he has done his fair share of looting and pirating, but who's to say it's wrong? The memory of Coonie's words rose in his mind. He shook them off, but couldn't help but feel slightly on edge by the man's appearance; standing at least a foot taller than him and clearly well-muscled, Castor kept imagining how he would have parted reluctant people from their possessions. The man said something in a language Castor had no knowledge of. Svefrans spoke... Falava? Sarava? He couldn't quite remember. 'With Castor! At the beach. See, I was just laying there and- Anyway, this is Castor. He wanted to see the shop and maybe buy some fish.' The way Coonie had skipped over the way they'd met, however unconventional that way had been did nothing to assuage Castor's creeping fear that Fown would suddenly become excessively violent. Then he chastised himself for jumping to conclusions. Still he wouldn't be making any ill-advised piracy jokes this time around. He noticed the customer, fuming at being ignored in the midst of negotiations. Castor didn't really agree with Fown's methods. Or, in any case, he had always preferred enticing a customer into buying an occasionally worthless trinket, over the aggressive manner Fown was selling his wares in. In spite of whatever he thought however, he could see that the customer, even fuming, was not budging till he bought a fish. Impressive. 'Castor, meet Fown.' said Coonie. Castor smiled pleasantly, turning towards the larger man 'Nice to meet you, Castor Riley' he said extending his hand for a handshake. He really wanted to get along with this person, and not just because he could probably break him if they didn't.

[Lotvie]

Coonie watched anxiously as Fown reached out a rough tattooed hand to encase Castor's.

"Fown." He grumbled roughly. He shot Coonie a suspicious look before turning back to the man in the stand.
"Lia's at World's End if you wanted to see her. Otherwise, she'll be here to take over my shift any minute and I can go accompany you two on whatever merry little trip you have planned."

Coonie grinned, "We came to see you. But take your time."

Fown nodded coldly. "I'll be off any minute now."
He picked up the barter again with the customer, seemingly, the price had not budged, despite the setback. The two grew red-faced and loud, but Coonie payed them no mind. She didn't know most of the trade lingo anyway.

The girl slipped her hand onto the stand and easily snatched two fish by the tail. Then, she turned around to face Castor. "Okay, Lia, my mom, is at World's End but she'll be here soon. Fown will be done any minute. Then we can go do whatever it was we were gonna do." Nervously, Coonie held out the fish to him. "Zeltiva's finest."
Then, slightly more enthusiastic, she added, "What did you want to do? Were you headed out to work?"

With a start, Coonie realized she had no clue who her new friend was other than that he carried a journal, ate fish from time to time, and had a human grandfather who loved adventure. How was it then that she felt so close? Determined to get more answers, Coonie pressed on. Often the best way to get answers was to offer more about yourself, so she did.
"That was Fratava, that Fown was speaking. He thinks he's above Common." Coonie rolled her eyes. "Don't worry though, I can pretty well translate. It's my second language. That, and Shiber, but I can't speak that, only sing it. I know a few songs that I like to sing out at sea while we work." Oh, Coonie loved music, and anyone who could make it. She so admired bards and might have become one if she hadn't been so tied to her family as a fisherman. There was nothing more beautiful than a slow song, except maybe the sea. Trying not to sound too interested, she asked,
"Can you sing?"

[Castor Riley]

'Fown.' Fown grumbled roughly. Castor felt the thick calluses on Fown's hand; they told a tale of labor and strength. Then Fown spoke some more in the language Castor didn't understand and returned to his customer. Castor saw Coonie snatch two fish up by the tail. Belatedly, he wondered how he would cook them; he had never actually prepared fish before. 'Okay, Lia, my mom, is at World's End but she'll be here soon. Fown will be done any minute. Then we can go do whatever it was we were gonna do.' said Coonie. Castor was a bit lost; he hadn't really thought beyond buying the fish. He didn't even have anywhere to put them. 'Zeltiva's finest.' she went on, offering the fish to him. He took them graciously and as he was about to ask "Thank you, how much?" Coonie went on: 'What did you want to do? Were you headed out to work? That was Fratava, that Fown was speaking. He thinks he's above Common. Don't worry though, I can pretty well translate. It's my second language. That, and Shiber, but I can't speak that, only sing it. I know a few songs that I like to sing out at sea while we work. Can you sing?' The barrage of questions was something Castor was used to by now; he had come to enjoy Coonie's curiosity, despite the fact that he usually preferred to keep his business to himself. In any case, he now knew what language Fown was speaking: Fratava. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten the name. Castor then answered Coonie: 'I didn't have anything particular in mind... I'm a student at the University, studying Literature and History, but I don't have any lectures to attend today. I'd gone out without any real plan. However, seeing as we're all pretty new to the city, I'd say go by the foothills? I heard they were quite beautiful in Spring. I actually know quite a bit of Shiber myself! As for singing, I'd have to say that, technically, I can sing. However, as my father used to say: "Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should." Ah, but I should ask, how much for the fish?' Castor ended his own long-winded reply.

[Lotvie]

"I didn't have anything particular in mind... I'm a student at the University, studying Literature and History, but I don't have any lectures to attend today. I'd gone out without any real plan. However, seeing as we're all pretty new to the city, I'd say go by the foothills? I heard they were quite beautiful in Spring. I actually know quite a bit of Shiber myself! As for singing, I'd have to say that, technically, I can sing. However, as my father used to say: "Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Ah, but I should ask, how much for the fish?"

Coonie chuckled quietly as she realized how nosy she must sound. Despite her aching curiosity, she tried to keep the rest of her questions to herself. Instead, she focused on what he had said. He was a student at the University, studying literature and history. He also knew a good deal of Shiber. She tucked away these tidbits of information for later use.

Next, she turned her attention on the fish. She badly wanted to just give them to him, but with Fown standing right there she wasn't sure that was a good idea.
"1 Gold Miza please." She said briskly, as though he were just another customer.

Once Fown had finished with his customer, Coonie explained where they would be going.
"The foothills? Where is that?" He asked. His eyes bored into her with a heat like the summer sun. She didn't answer though. The question was in Common, leaving no doubt in her mind that it was directed towards Castor. Coonie nodded towards Castor, hoping he would be able to give a satisfactory answer.

Fown was protective and quite intimidating. His strong muscles flexed and his sharp cutlass, although concealed, left a good sized bulge in his tight shirt. Coonie was afraid he might not let her go alone, but Castor was quite the charmer. We may have a chance. Fingers crossed...

[Castor Riley]

'1 Gold Miza please.' replied Coonie, reminding Castor why he didn't usually get fish. Still, he smiled, tucked the journal in the nook of his shoulder and used his freed hand to rifle through his pockets and hand the necessary sum over. 'Thank you.' he offered. After Fown was done with his customer, Coonie apparently explained to him what the plan was for he replied, in Common this time 'The foothills? Where is that?' It took Castor a few seconds and Coonie's pointed stare to realize that he was the one expected to answer. He jerked to attention: 'The foothills? Why there are foothills all around Zeltiva. The town itself is closed in all around by mountains. I had heard that the foothills were lovely in Spring, various flowers carpeting the green. Though, this is merely the beginning of Spring, so I don't know that it will be as impressive as I've heard yet. Still, we would probably have a pretty good view of the town from there. If you're interested in that kind of thing of course.' Castor wondered whether such a thing would be at all appealing to the man. He shrugged his shoulders 'Or we could just go for a beer at the Grotto, either is fine by me'.