Completed [The Great Harbor] The Young Man and the Seafolk (Solo)

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love 62nd of Spring, 515AV What do you mean you can’t pay? Everyone who buys a meal in our establishment pays for it one way or another. Ser Kevith’s voice was low and dangerous. The Svefra had been here for two days now, effectively shutting down most of the Syliras’ infrastructure and no one was happy about it. Of course the Svefra were unhappy at something or other to do with the treatment their merchants had received. And when everybody was not happy, nobody won. Ser Kevith was angry at the influx, as well as the Svefra's callous treatment of money and possessions, but as a former knight he was understandably wary at anything that might antagonize the Svefra further. And since their Nal'Lyeo had come about from an insult, his hands were effectively tied. So he was walking a fine line between making his displeasure known without pissing the Svefra off further and potentially escalating the conflict further. The Svefra spokesperson, for his part, seemed legitimately confused about why this was turning into an incident. He startlingly pale blue eyes showed more than a hint of puzzlement and his pale skin wrinkled slightly as he frowned, his sun-bleached blonde hair flopping into his eyes until he pushed it out of the way. He was quite young and had a vibrant personality as evidenced by his easy camaraderie with his friends. Right now, that was hidden beneath a mask of seriousness. "Look, I'll tell you what. I'll trade you a lesson in how the Svefra eat for your kindness with the food. It's the least we can do The Svefra's voice held an accent, but was clear enough. He had a light tenor voice with a musical lilt. Kevith turned away and a brief but heated whispered conversation took place between him, Remi, and Rondo. Orin couldn't make out what the conversation was regarding but he grew slightly nervous at the furtive glances being sent his way. Finally, the trio broke apart and Ser Kevith clamped his heavy hand over Orin's shoulder and propelled him forward. "Fine we accept your offer, but don't come back here ever again unless you have money!" Kevith stomped off and Orin watched as the Svefra made a gesture with his hand, likely rude from the guffaws his friends let out. Shooing them away, the Svefra put an arm around Orin's shoulder in a way that was far too companionable for Orin's taste. His friends disappeared in a whirl of color and fast paced-chatter. "So! Just the two of us, young master. Never fear, you're in good hands. Obviously, since they're mine." The man chuckled and started guiding Orin forward. "The name's Crest Tideweaver. Care to share yours?" "Orin Fenix," Orin replied, bewildered. This was all moving incredibly quickly for him and he wasn't quite sure he knew how to react. This was far outside what he was used to. Crest drew them inexorably towards the docks, where it was more than likely his ship was moored. The Svefra had swept in with almost no warning and had essentially swarmed the docks. If Orin didn't know that they were deadly serious about the insult they'd be given, he'd almost think it was a festival, since their open manner and exuberant greetings belied their anger. And what was even more remarkable, Orin noticed as they drew towards the docks proper and the Svefra crowds thickened, was that they all seemed to know each other. It was one big family reunions. Hugs were given, gifts were exchanged, friendly insults were given and retorted to, and jokes and songs filled the air. In some places, impromptu concerts and dancing had broken out. Orin imagined that the musicians and entertainers of the city were enjoying it. Crest was in the thick of it, responding mostly in Fratava. Orin recognized a few words here and there but the vast majority of it went completely over his head. Orin was very aware that he was the center of attention. His clothes, a drab brown, actually stood out amongst the vibrant shades of the Svefra. Although, Orin was just now noticing that mostly the color came from the waist down. The men were shirtless, but as Orin stared in shock, so were the majority of the women. Sometimes strings of beads or jewelry saved them from indecency but more often than not the woman's assets were displayed freely. And no one found this out of the ordinary. Orin started blushing, and looked at his feet. The women saw this, and teasing catcalls began ringing out making Orin blush even harder. Crest dropped his arm from around Orin's shoulder so he could punch Orin lightly in the arm. "I can't take you anywhere, can I? the joke falling easily from Crest's lips. Orin stuttered out a response. "No no no it's not like that, it's just ah, just just that I'm well not used to it and I'm sure they're lovely ladies and everything but it's just different from what I grew up with." Orin was certainly dealing with a lot of nudity these days. Between Sylvette, his encounter with Asim, and the Svefra, Orin had seen probably at least twice as much flesh in the past season as he had in the rest of his life. And yet, it still bothered him. So, he kept his eyes downcast to spare himself further embarrassment.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Finally after traveling through what felt like most of the docks, they arrived at a ship tied off. Crest ducked under a rope and patted the side of the hull. "This here beauty is the Wavedancer. She's been my home all my life although that might change at any moment. Who knows? I've got my eyes on a few beauties here in port, and let me tell you, not all of them are wooden. But Wave's a good ship and she's seen me through some good times and some bad. She's a Palivar but I don't expect you landlubber to know what that means. C'mon board don't be shy." Crest pulled himself to the deck with a wink and an impressive show of upper body strength. He extended a hand to Orin. Orin, however hesitated. "Ah, are you sure it's safe? I mean I'm sure the ship is safe but well what I meant was is it safe for me?" Crest cocked his head at a jaunty angle, clearly mystified by Orin's questions. Giving up on his last shreds of dignity, Orin blurted out, "Look I've never been on a boat or a ship or whatever so I have no idea what to expect. And...I can't swim. No one ever taught me and I was too embarrassed to ask for help once I got older. So you'll understand if I'm leery of getting onboard now." Crest threw back his head and laughed good and hard. He started wheezing and holding his sides as streams poured from his eyes. Orin scowled. "Sure go ahead and laugh at the poor ignorant landlubber, that's really showing us the Svefra hospitality." Orin didn't take kindly to being laughed at by strangers. Usually it preceded a beating and Orin had found that anger was a much healthier emotion than fear in these cases. Orin turned to go, disgusted with Crest but Crest put out a hand to stop him. "My apologies my friend. It's just the thought of someone not knowing how to swim is such a strange one. I promise no harm will come to you and yours when aboard any of my ships. Please come. I'll give you a tour." Partially mollified, Orin muttered, "we're not friends," under his breath, out accepted Crest's help onto the ship's deck. Crest walked backward, not even looking as he stepped over coils of rope and netting. "So, since you've never been on any kind of vessel before, I guess I'll have to start from the very basics." Crest sounded far too delighted with that idea but Orin let it go not wanting to cause any more problems at the moment. "So, that means you get to learn a whole new set of directions my friend! Isn't that exciting? Now, forget all that left, right, up, down nonsense you've been taught. On the open sea we use different words. Now we use bow for the front of the ship and stern for the back. Fore or forward means toward the bow while aft means the opposite, towards the stern. When you're facing the bow the right is starboard and the left is port. Confused yet? Good! This last part was accompanied by a widely infectious grin. Though Orin was bewildered he smiled tentatively back. Although earlier Orin had been more than annoyed at Crest, the man's personality was simply so open and charming that even Orin felt himself warming to him. Seeing Orin's response seemed to spark Crest to even higher levels of exuberance, if such a thing were possible. "Now abovedecks and belowdecks are pretty self-explanatory. Basically they're up and down. So right now we're above decks but when we go to the kitchen in a little bit, we'll be belowdecks. Simple, right? There are a few more directions you'll need to learn if you're ever actually on board a ship, but those will do for now. Now c'mere I want to show you something." Orin followed Crest to to the left-"No, port! It's port now! he reminded himself fiercely-side of Wavedancer. He leaned over the side, copying Crest. The open ocean lay before them, sunlight sparkling off the surface. There were seabirds circling in the distance and Orin watched as one dove then flapped to the sky, a fish wriggling in its talons. It was a majestic sight. But Orin couldn't see what that had to do with the ship itself. He was about to turn and tell Crest just that when a hand planted itself on his back and shoved him overboard. Screaming with terror Orin watched the surface of the water rushing towards him. Just before impact he took a deep breath He hit with a splash, arriving deep under the water. Orin was disoriented not knowing which way was up and down. He was weightless and presumably sinking. The salt water stung especially in Orin's cuts. Risking opening his eyes, Orin thought he saw the surface. He started flailing about, but nothing he did seemed to bring him any closer to the top and the breathable air. He would be thinking of killing Crest for this betrayal if he hadn't been so panicked at the thought of drowning. With each passing second, that eventuality seemed more and more likely as none of Orin's attempts to move worked. He gave up to despair as his lungs started burning for air. His last thought was for Sylvette who would feel his death. Orin just hoped their bond was new enough and not so deep that this crushed her.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Just as Orin was about to give up and just let the water take him a strong arm wrapped around his chest and under his arm. Orin felt himself pulled upwards. From somewhere, he found a few more dregs of air in his lungs. It managed to sustain him until they broke into the open air. Orin gasped, sucking in as much air as he could, terrified he'd plunge under again. His rescuer kept them above the water though. Orin finally turned to see. It was Crest. "What the petch do you think you're doing? What kind of game are you playing anyway! I could've died you little shyke." Orin's anger faltered. While it was true Crest had pushed Orin over and almost let him drown, Crest had also rescued him at the last second. So Orin didn't know quite what to think. Crest kept his smile serene throughout Orin’s outburst. Orin felt a sour feeling start in the pit of his stomach but he grudgingly offered a half-hearted apology. ”Thanks for rescuing me I suppose even if this was all your fault in the first place. ”Now, don’t be like that. There’s an unspoken rule that everyone aboard a Svefra vessel has to be able to swim. But since I knew you wouldn’t get in the water on your own I just, helped you out a little mate.” With that Crest let out a piercing whistle. If Orin hadn’t been clinging to him for dear life, he’d have covered his ears. A snout surfaced in the water next to them and Orin watched in amazement as an intelligent looking creature nudged Crest with its nose. Intelligence glittered in the animal’s eyes and it let out a chittering cry that sounded happy to Orin’s ears. Crest slipped his free arm around its back and it wiggled into a more comfortable position before settling down. The three of them were now spinning in a slight circle. ”This here gorgeous lady is Sacha. She’s a member of our pod and my best friend in the whole wide world. Present company excluded of course. She’s a dolphin. Say hi, she won’t bite.” Orin didn’t really appreciate the good-natured teasing, and apparently sensing his mood, Sacha chattered disapprovingly at Crest. He just giggled and leaned in to whisper something that Orin didn’t understand at all into her ear. ”Hi Sacha, it’s nice to meet you. Sorry you have to put up with this lout.” Orin wasn’t at all phased by unusually smart animals. After all, he was bonded to a Kelvic so he was used to such instances by now. Sacha butted him playfully in the chest, not hard enough to bruise but with enough strength to show she wasn’t soft. Crest put his hand over his heart in mock agony. ”I’m crushed, crushed I tell you! Well, since you feel that way, it’s good that Sacha will be overseeing your swimming lessons, not I. When you can get to the docks without aid I’ll consider them finished.” Before Orin could speak a word of protest Crest slipped away and Orin found himself floundering again. ”Crest wait, come back here I can’t mmph--” unfortunately the rest of Orin’s plea was swallowed as he went underwater again. Trying to remember the movements Crest had made and the way they had felt, Orin stopped thrashing without direction. Kicking his legs wildly he arrowed upwards to break into the open air. He slapped his arms on the water and kept pumping both them and his legs. Whatever he was doing seemed to be working, at least marginally, although he was quickly becoming fatigued from the effort he was exerting. When Crest had moved it hadn’t looked this hard. Sacha drifted into his view, and nodded. Orin risked turning his head. Of course, he saw Crest swimming easy and lazy circles around Orin. Annoyed, Orin tried to make his way towards him. Orin began paddling, and it sort of worked as he meandered his way to Crest. As soon as he drew near, Crest added insult to injury by started to swim backwards without even a break in his motions. ”Come back here you cow--” Orin’s words were once again cut off as he slipped under. Angry, he found extra strength in his flailing limbs. When he could see and breathe again, Orin saw Sacha bobbing up and down as if to get Orin’s attention. When she saw she had it, she rolled over until it appeared she was floating on her back. Orin was confused, but then realized she was probably trying to tell him a better way to stay in the water. If it would help him save energy he was willing to give anything a try. Leaning back, he brought his legs up. They started sinking again, until Orin began a slow kick. This seemed to stabilize him, and it was much easier on his body than what he had been doing before. Grateful, Orin flashed a quick smile at Sacha, who open her mouth in a surprisingly accurate facsimile of a human grin. Without warning, Crest came up from underneath Orin. Orin nearly died of shock as he forgot to kick and move his arms and started sinking, but Crest put a steadying arm on his back until Orin started treading water again. Crest was sporting that stupidly happy grin again. ”Good! You’ve mastered not dying. Now it’s time to move onto the proper strokes. Hope you’re ready for this.” Before Orin could say anything, Crest had ducked under again and was soon lost to Orin’s sight.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Orin hadn't the slightest clue of what Crest was talking about. He'd also had no idea that swimming was this hard and complicated. His arms were burning and he didn't know how much more of these lessons he could take. Especially since he wasn't anywhere close to getting back on the Wavedancer or returning to the docks. Still Crest and Sacha had taken him this far and Orin supposed he would let them take him a little farther. Orin went to nod his acceptance then realized no one could probably see it since he was bobbing up and down so erratically. "Fine you can show me the strokes or whatever they're called but make it quick. I don't know how much longer I can keep myself afloat." Hearing Orin acquisience Crest let out a whoop of joy and Sacha clicked out something unintelligible. Sobering Crest returned to Orin while Sacha moved next to him, poking his arm until Orin recognized she was giving Orin permission to use her as a floatation device. Grateful for her aid, Orin placed an arm carefully around her. He risked a pat on her mouth and she let out a happy sound. As soon as Orin had settled, Crest launched into an explanation. "I don't think you're ready for anything more complicated but you could definitely pick up freestyle. So, watch me carefully. Kick your legs at a quick but steady pace and alternate arms." Crest swam a little distance away, then started his demonstration. Crest looked much more ungainly than before and Orin was confused as to why Crest was teaching him such an awkward technique. Then, Orin figured out that Crest was exaggerating the strokes to make it easier for Orin to see. Face burning that Crest was dumbing it down, Orin nevertheless kept a close eye on it. Crest's feet were partially hidden by the splashes up water he was throwing up each time they hit the water. However, Orin could see that they were slightly pointed so the tops of the feet were hitting the water not the toes. Orin guessed that was to help with the forward motion. Crest threw first his right arm in front of him, then when it entered the water the left, before the right came up and forward again. Orin could see that every few strokes Crest would turn his head sideways to breathe. The rest of the time however he kept it in the water. This cycle continued, looking like one seamless whole when Crest performed it. Orin was sure he'd look awful and far from graceful when he attempted it. Still, Crest was making much better time than Orin had been before, so Orin figured that he'd have to at least give it a try. Releasing Sacha with a pang of worry, Orin titled his body forward. It felt horribly unnatural to deliberately be inserting his face into the water but Crest didn't seem to have any issues with it. So Orin took a deep breath and dunked his head in. Starting to kick his feet, Orin began moving. Adding his right arm, Orin thrust from his shoulder into an arc that landed in the water in front of him. He then repeated that motion with the left, but that left both arms in front of him and Orin stalled. Crest came up to help him out of his predicament. "Now see, you've got to move the arm in the water back, kind of scooping the water as you go. It helps propel you and let's you take continuous strokes. Frowning in concentration, Orin attempted what Crest had suggested. When his right arm entered the water he pulled it back towards his body, turning the arc into essentially a full circle. The resistance the water provided was kind of shocking, especially when Orin realized he'd been getting used to the almost weightless feeling it bestowed upon him. However, the new style worked and Orin felt a giddy feeling grow in his chest. Remembering to turn his head every three strokes or so, Orin began to revel in his newfound power to move through the water. However, his aches from earlier were growing worse and with a feeling of regret, Orin pointed himself towards the docks. His progress was slow and not quite straight but he was heading generally in the right direction. Finally, his hand hit wood with a smack and not water. Pulling himself out, Orin simply lay on the warm and damp wood of the docks, exhausted but pleasantly so. Water streamed off of him and Orin realized with dismay that everything he was wearing was soaked through. The sun felt good though, and Orin basked in it. Orin felt that peculiar sensation of wrinkled fingers from being in the water for so long. Suddenly Crest was there, blocking the sunlight and throwing Orin's whole body into shadow. "Up and at em' lazybones. You're now officially allowed on the ship and are ready for your real lesson. And we can get you cleaned up a bit as well." Orin groaned but levered himself up. Though he'd never admit it Orin was actually starting to enjoy himself on this impromptu holiday and day off. And even though he was still harboring a bit of resentment towards Crest for tossing him overboard, Orin honestly was glad that he'd gotten the chance to finally learn how to swim. It seemed like a useful life skill to have.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Orin hobbled after Crest. The Svefra looked none the worse for the wear after their dio. Orin's body, on the other hand, was one whole mass of agony. Apparently swimming required a whole new set of muscles that Orin had never used before and they were making their protests loud and clear. Orin gritted his teeth. He refused to let the pain get to him. Crest probably already thought Orin was an imbecile because Orin hadn't known the first thing about swimming. Orin was surprised that he seemed to want this man's respect. So he suffered in silence, somehow managing to keep up with the other man's carefree strides. Finally they reached the Wavedancer again and Crest offered Orin a hand up. Orin was proud, not stupid. He honestly didn't think his abused arms and legs could take any more of a beating today. So he clasped Crest's hand in a firm grip. The man showed his strength by basically pulling Orin on board though Orin did his best to help him out. Almost skipping, Crest sketched out a comical bow that might be seen in an entertainment. "I can now in good conscience welcome you aboard the Wavedancer now that your egregious upbringing has been corrected." If he hadn't been so obviously joking Orin would've gotten mad all over again. As it was, Orin simply made a lethargic attempt to shove Crest who danced out of the way. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Honestly I'm not sure why you think you're so hot, Sacha did most of the work out there." Orin was quickly coming to understand that giving as good as he got was entirely acceptable among the Svefra. Or, at least with Crest. He laughed uproariously at Orin's comment and walked to a hatch, opening it up. Crest gestured grandly for Orin to enter. Orin did as ordered, discovering a ladder to the lower decks. Moving gingerly to avoid jostling his sore muscles, Orin slowly descended. Crest scampered down, closing the hatch behind them. "Now you're lucky. None of the women are here so we don't have to go pay our respects to anyone. The Lia took them all off so we've actually got the whole ship to ourselves. This is nice. I mean, I love my family but when you're out there on the open sea it can get stifling sometimes. Especially when it's your mom in charge of the vessel." A faraway look entered Crest's eyes as he spoke of his time at see. Orin didn't really follow the logic. As best he could determine, the Lia was the captain and her word was law. And on the Wavedancer the Lia just happened to also be Crest's mother. No wonder he liked the solitude. Orin felt bad taking away from Crest's rare freedom. Although it seemed that Crest would simply be wandering around the city with his friends from other ships if his earlier behavior had been any indication. "Ah if you want me to go, I can go. I mean I don't need the lesson although I'd love to learn. I bet I could make something up that would sound reasonable enough for Remi and Rondo, the chefs at The Rearing Stallion I mean, you probably didn't catch their names." Crest swung his eyes towards Orin but there was a reassuring smile on his face. Crest pushed past Orin to the hallway beyond. "Nonsense! Come my cabin is right down here. And watch your head, the ceiling is a bit low. Don't worry about me now, I'm having fun! Are you not having fun?" This last part was tinged with a mock anger. Orin's doubts were appeased and he gladly followed Crest until the stopped by a door. Holding it open for Orin, Crest pulled it shut behind him. The room was small and enclosed, and everything was neatly laid out. An extinguished lantern with a locking shutter hung over the bed. Orin figured that was to prevent fires from breaking out. Those would be a disaster on a ship like this. Crest open his arms wide as he walked the few paces around the room coming to face Orin with a cocky expression. "Welcome to my humble abode. I think I've got some clothes that wil fit you while yours are drying out above. Without any warning, Crest stripped off his own pants. Orin saw that Crest wasn't wearing anything under his red trousers and he averted his eyes hastily. But not before he had gotten a good look. Orin felt himself blushing wildly. He was suddenly horribly and acutely embarrassed and a flush suffused his cheeks. Orin still didn't deal with casual nudity very well despite the fact that more and more people in Orin's life seemed to embrace it wholeheartedly. But it wasn't how Orin had been raised. He wasn't sure he'd ever get over this quirk of his. Not that Orin necessarily felt he had to. A giggle brought his attention back to Crest who was lounging unabashedly and uncovered on his bunk. Orin quickly ripped his gaze away again. "I will never get over you land dwellers and your modesty. There's nothing wrong with how Laviku made us. And there's nothing wrong with looking either. Especually if you like what you see." Orin swallowed hard. He was about a chime away from panicking. "Look, c-can we just go to the k-k-kitchen now?" Orin was ashamed that his voice came out as such a pathetic squeak.

[Orin Fenix]

Crest chuckled and Orin heard the rustling of cloth. ”It’s safe to look now, I swear. Laviku drown me if I lie, cross my heart and hope to die. Even though it’s really not a big deal.” Deciding that it was probably safe if Crest had sworn on his god, Orin turned until he was facing the man again. Crest was wearing a baggy pair of blue pants and he held a bundle of red in his hands. He tossed it and Orin caught it. It was a pair of red skinny looking trousers. Orin stared at it, then Crest. He would never in a million years wear something like this. Besides, there was one huge problem. ”There’s no shirt here. Orin’s voice came out as a drawl but that was just a thin disguise for his anxiety. He wasn’t as free with himself as nearly everyone else around him. He’d assumed that he was in the right but maybe his horizons needed expanding. ”I don’t got any that will fit ya, I’m afraid,” was Crest’s carefree response. Orin was at a loss. While his clothes were quickly getting clammy and Orin knew he was at a risk of catching a chill if he stayed in them, it was totally unlike him to walk around half-clothed.

But seeing as he had no option, Orin sighed. He threw off his boots and removed his shirt, shivering as the air hit his bare skin and goosebumps spread across his body. Crest stooped to pick them up and waited before Orin. Orin coughed but Crest just stood there, not budging an inch, with an annoying tilt to his head as if Orin was some specimen he was examining. There was nothing for Orin to duck behind, so he resorted to turning around and stripping of his pants and underwear as quickly as possible, then shimmying Crest’s spare pair as quickly as possibly.

They were indeed tight, pinching in all sorts of odd places and Orin was sure that between the color and the fit he looked completely ridiculous. If at all possible, Orin would never put on anything like this ever again. Suddenly and completely out of the blue a pair of arms wrapped itself around his abdomen and a warm body pressed up against him. He swatted at the arms and spun out of the grip, pissed. ”You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are, Crest, and one day that carelessness is going to get you killed.” Crest, the bastard, was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face. ”Aw man you should’ve seen the look on your face. It was priceless. I wish I could get a portrait of you. But seriously, you are way to uptight. You have got to relax, mate. Otherwise the stress is going to kill you.” Orin balled his hands into fists, almost swinging at the Svefra then and there. But that would have been an unforgiveable breach of hospitality and Orin was doing his best to try and uphold what little manners he had left to him. Crest was making it very difficult for Orin to keep a level head.

Honestly, Orin didn’t know what to make of the other man. He was a study in contradictions and far different from anyone that Orin had ever known. Most people had rules and rituals and plans and didn’t appear to just float through life, eagerly waiting for what was going to be thrown at them next. And they didn’t have this mad gleam in their eyes, as if they knew a joke that the rest of the world was ignorant of. They lived quiet lives and had quiet hopes. Orin would have called Crest outrageous and unacceptable, but the man had also been incredibly kind and surprisingly insightful. Maybe all Svefra were like this. Or people were like this in general and it was Orin and his culture that were the odd ones out. After all, Sylvette was much closer to the Svefra in behavior than Orin, in so many ways. Orin wasn’t much given to soul-searching but he was beginning to have an inkling that so many of the things that he took for granted were anything but.

So, for once Orin let the tension drop. He’d try it Crest’s way, just this once. After all, it probably couldn’t hurt. And if it didn’t work out for whatever reason, well the two of them were completely alone on here and therefore no one would ever find out. And Crest would be gone soon enough, sailing away when this misunderstanding had been worked out again, so he’d carry Orin’s secrets with him. Not that Orin was expecting any secrets to come of this, but stranger events than this had cropped up in Orin’s life.

Sensing the change almost immediately, Crest clapped Orin on the shoulder. ”That’s the spirit! Come on, live a little, let loose. No long faces here, just two men in the prime of their lives! What’s not to be happy about?” Orin certainly couldn’t find anything wrong with that statement and he finally met Crest’s grin with a wholehearted one of his own. It felt good, this pure honest joy, and Orin was starting to think that maybe there was a method to Crest’s madness after all. It’s not like anyone was getting hurt by this, and if it felt this good, then it couldn’t possibly be bad.

[Orin Fenix]

Taking Orin’s arm, Crest pulled him back along the hallway, both of their clothes bundled under his arm. Orin groaned in protest at the quick movement. His muscles still hadn’t recovered from his earlier exertion and they definitely didn’t enjoy being forced into this fast pace. Seeing the ladder, Orin steeled himself. While Crest ascended rapidly, Orin took his time and moved at a much more sedentary pace. It was one thing being carefree. It was another thing entirely pushing one’s body when it was already clearly at its limits. So, by the time Orin finally got abovedecks, eyes squinting as they adjusted to the sudden sunlight, Crest was hopping up and down impatiently. He had laid their clothes out until they were draped partially off the side of the ship. ”Those should dry relatively quickly in the open air and no one should take them since they wouldn’t dare come on board without permission from a crew member. But, more importantly, you’re far too slow my friend. We’ve got lots to see yet!” Orin was about to retort but Crest was off again and sighing only slightly over the man’s exuberance Orin picked his way carefully to another hatch leading below. There were lines strung out and ropes coiled everywhere and Orin didn’t want to trip and fall face first to the deck. Crest would never let him live it down.

Stooping Orin lowered himself into yet another part of the ship. He was quickly getting confused especially when he tried to think of where he was using the nautical terms. If he had to guess they were on the port side near the stern but he honestly had no clear idea. Thankfully he wouldn’t have to remember any of these for long. Orin didn’t really foresee himself spending a significant amount of time on a ship or boat in his future but he was still filing away this information just in case.

Apparently they had finally arrived at the kitchen and in Orin’s opinion, it was about time. He simply stood there and took in what he was seeing, trying to match what was there with what Orin already knew about kitchens. It was incredibly small, which made sense considering space on a ship appeared to be severely limited. There was a curious area that Orin tried to comprehend. It looked like a bin filled with sand and a tripod holding a covered pot was set up above it. Then, remembering the lantern in Crest’s cabin and the fact that Orin often used sand to put out small fires in the kitchen, which more often than not he’d caused in the first place, Orin realized that this must be where the actual cooking was done. It made perfect sense. The fire would be built on the sand and kept from spreading to the rest of the ship. The tripod would be stable as long as the ship wasn’t tossing and turning too much and the type of pot would be the kind that could cook a wide variety of food, would keep the food warm and fresh, and would only require a basic fire to keep cook it in the first place. It was an ingenious system. It made the maximum use of limited space and dangerous conditions.

Crest saw the light of recognition in Orin’s eyes. ”Aye this here beauty is where most of the real cooking takes place. Now, keep in mind, most of our victuals is preserved. You know, salted or smoked meats, stuff that’ll keep when we’re on a long voyage. That’s necessary since it’s only possible to cook when conditions are calm and we’ve got some smooth sailing. This baby can’t stay upright when we hit the more serious waves. And fire is too serious an issue on a ship. While we can and sometimes do fish, usually with nets instead of lines, because we move to fast for lines unless stalled, usually us sailors is too busy with the actual sailing to take the time for fresh food. So we make do with what we have.” Orin nodded. All that made a strange sort of sense to him. He wouldn’t have necessarily come to those conclusions on his own though. But it was easy to see that a skilled chef could throw pretty much anything together in this system, given time and provisions.

Crest grinned, a sly light entering his eye. Orin immediately became wary until he remembered that he was supposed not be letting stress get to him. So he took deep breaths and forced his shoulders down. Crest, thankfully, didn’t notice the internal struggle, or if he did, he didn’t say anything. ”Now, food is good and all and sailors love a hot meal, but drinks are far more important. While yes, you can and probably should boil the water periodically to make it safe to drink, that only works for so long before it’s no longer salvageable and it gets stale rather quickly. But, never fear, for we have grog, or if we’re especially lucky, bumbo!”

[Orin Fenix]

Suddenly, it was as if Crest was speaking another language entirely. Grog and bumbo sounded like the names of strange creatures not anything that a human being could actually ingest. In fact, based on Crest’s track record of messing with Orin so far, it wouldn’t surprise Orin in the slightest if this were just another one of his tricks. If it was, Orin wasn’t going to take it lying down. After all just because Orin was trying this new roll with the punches lifestyle didn’t mean that he would just blindly accept everything that came out of Crest’s mouth.

So Orin crossed his arms stubbornly. His mouth was set in a thin line and one eyebrow was raised. ”I refuse to believe that those are the names of real drinks. Come on, how dumb do you think I am? Crest’s jaw dropped. He stood there, not saying anything, looking as if Orin had poleaxed him. The flabbergasted expression on Crest’s face was completely unlike everything else he’d shown to Orin. Orin dropped his arms and was suddenly uncertain. Crest was blinking rapidly. Orin took this reaction to mean that grog and bumbo were not mythical or rare, but so common and central to Crest’s life that the thought that Orin didn’t know what they were was like being told the moon shone in the day and the sun shone in the night or the world had flipped upside down. ”So, ah, I take it that they are real and you uh, drink them a lot?”

Crest was still recovering, but he nodded absently, as if his thoughts were scattered to the four winds. ”Aye it’s real and I can’t believe you’ve never even heard of it! You really don’t have it on the shore? That’s criminal mate.” Orin shook his head to confirm and Crest went to a barrel in the corner. He took two mugs and filled them nearly to the top, then carried them carefully over to Orin. ”We don’t have the sugar or the nutmeg, they’re too expensive, y’ken, but we’ve got plenty of grog. Cheers mate!” Crest clinked his mug against Orin’s before taking a satisfied gulp of the beverage. Crest made a little happy sound, then looked pointedly at Orin until Orin cautiously took a sip. The grog tasted tangy and sweet, if slightly citrusy. ”This is—good! Orin exclaimed, surprised. ”What’s in it?” Orin grinned, and started throwing back the grog as quickly as he could.

Crest, extremely pleased that Orin liked grog so much, filled their mugs again, before leaning nonchalantly against the wall next to Orin. Orin got halfway through the second cup, eyes closed in satisfaction, before he turned slightly so he could talk to Crest without craning his neck. ”So, what exactly is in here? It’s delicious.” Orin took another mouthful of the drink while waiting for Crest’s reply. ”Let’s see, not sure the exact concentration of this one, but it’s usually two to three parts water, one part lemon juice, one part rum, and a dash of sugar or cinnamon if it’s on hand. See, fruit spoils pretty quickly out on the open sea and we need something with citrus in it to prevent scurvy. Nasty illness scurvy, you get tired all the time and your skin gets all patchy and you start bleeding from strange places and acting all out of sorts. If you don't catch it in time, people die from it too. You alright mate?

Orin had nearly spit out the liquid in his mouth, but had refrained at the last second. He almost choked when he forced himself to gulp it down instead. Even though Orin knew he was making this up, he felt a burn as it slid into his stomach and settled there with the rest of the grog that was already pooling there. Orin felt sick. He had vowed to himself that after what had happened to his father with alcohol, Orin wouldn’t touch a drop. He was too afraid that he would like it too much and end up just like his dad. Still, Orin hadn’t grown up to be like his father in any other regard. It didn’t make sense that Orin would resemble him in this either. At least, it was silly to be scared when Orin didn’t know one way or the other. Besides, Orin had people now, Sylvette especially, who would tell him if his consumption got out of hand. And Orin refused to live in fear of his past if it started interfering with his present or future. So, Orin took another sip, then smiled at Crest, refusing to let the phantom of his father hurt him anymore. ”I’m fine, something just went down the wrong tube is all.”

Crest nodded in sympathy and punched Orin’s arm lightly. It was a pretty common phenomenon and a perfect excuse for Orin’s behavior. Orin didn’t share his past with pretty much anyone. Well, he had with Isolde, but only because she’d opened up to him first and it felt completely unbalanced for Orin not to let her into his heart when she had let Orin into hers. Especially since, if anything her tale of heartache was much worse than anything Orin had experienced. Orin let his mind drift to that morning. It seemed that this season was full of firsts for him. First time he’d told anyone his life story. First time he’d met a Kelvic, who then bonded with him. First time he’d made a concerted effort to train himself in the arts of war. First time he’d hunted down treasure. First time he’d swum. And now, his first drop of liquor. It seemed like a sign of some kind, that this was the pinnacle of the numerous smaller changes in his life. As he reached the bottom of his mug, and Crest got them both third helpings, Orin grinned. He was far from the shy, friendless, and anxious youth who had come to the big city seeking a new life. While Orin wouldn’t go so far as to say he was a man yet, it definitely felt that he was on the path to getting there. And that felt good.

[Orin Fenix]

There was a pleasant buzz in Orin’s thoughts. He and Crest had been trading humorous stories. Crest’s were outrageously ridiculous and Orin was sure that they outrageously exaggerated as well, but Orin didn’t care. Mostly they comprised of tales from the various ports where the Wavedancer had made landfall. They were exotic and spoke of people and places that Orin had either barely heard of or had never even in his wildest dreams imagined existed. Crest’s words were awakening a strange feeling in the core of Orin’s being, in his soul even. Orin found himself longing to see the locations that Crest was painting with the cadence of his melodic voice. The mental pictures were probably more vivid than the reality but Orin would never know if he didn’t go. The wanderlust was growing strong with each tick that passed. Places like Zeltiva and Riverfall, Alvadas and Kenash suddenly took on new life. Orin yearned to discover if what Crest was telling him was the truth, even just in part.

They’d fallen into an easy pattern. Crest was the better storyteller, but he listened to Orin’s politely, nodding and laughing and commenting in all the right places. Orin even began to hope that maybe Crest was actually enjoying the comparatively mundane anecdotes of Orin’s daily life. ”Mmhmm, so, anyway, Rondo couldn’t stop screaming. And for some reason I got it into my head that trying to take out the rat with a broom was the best idea that anyone had ever had. So, I started swinging it around like a madman but of course that didn’t work. It got past me, and Rondo nearly died of shock when it came running for him, but Sylvette rescued him, and that’s how we met. Although now I kind of wished she a waited just a wee bit longer and let the rat get to Rondo. The colors his face were turning were priceless.” Orin chuckled at himself when Rondo let his laugh ring out clear and true. ”I know I know I’m an idiot,” when Crest reached out to ruffle Orin’s hair.

Finally getting control of his laughter, Crest grinned at Orin. ”Ok my turn. How can I top that though? Oh I know! I’ll tell you about the dancer that tried to sneak aboard our ship in Sunberth! Crest launched into a tale that Orin could barely follow as the Svefra got more and more excited. Something about the dancer fooling around with members of multiple gangs culminating in an all out brawl when her duplicity was discovered and she tried to disguise herself as a sailor and sail out on the morning tide. To here Crest, he had singlehandedly defeated every challenger, and won the beauty’s affection to boot. Orin just smiled and listened happily. Orin had never had this before, this talking without purpose. He’d never really had any friends close enough to do it with. But it definitely felt good as Crest concluded with a wild flourish as he talked about when he had found out that the dancer had instigated the whole incident just to get back at someone who had rejected her advances. Crest shook his head in mock horror, and Orin put his free hand over his mouth as he honestly giggled.

Suddenly, Orin hiccupped. Mortified, Orin looked for his mug, but it was drained and complete empty. Orin pouted and pushed himself away from the wall, swaying slightly on his feet. Somehow, he’d lost track of his drinks along the way. He stumbled, and Crest caught him as Orin hiccupped again. ”Whoa there mate. Looks like you can’t hold your drink. I’ll get you some water, hold on a tick.” Orin watched Crest walk to a separate barrel and take a clean cup. The man filled it with water and brought it back to Orin, who started sipping it gratefully. Crest went to get his own cup of water then rejoined Orin. Thankfully, Orin’s hiccups were temporary and quickly subsided.

”Thanks,” Orin said, and tilted his cup to indicate what he was talking about. ”I guess that I aha can’t, do the, holding my drink thing. I don’t know I’ve never drinked, drank, drunk? One of those is right. Orin’s voice was slurred and his thoughts were getting a bit blurry. Crest looked at him in shock, then shrugged. ”Well, I’m glad to be the one to introduce ya to the wonderful world of alcohol, mate. Just wait you’ll be thanking me especially hard come morning.” Crest looked as if he thought that was the funniest joke in existence. Orin, who knew all about hangovers even if he’d never had one himself, just leaned forwards, tipping only slightly, and poked Crest in the chest. ”Hah hah very funny. You think you’re clever don’tcha? Silly Svefra…” Orin’s voice held simply a happy burbling tone to it, no real heat. Crest grabbed his finger and shook it, then bowed that same comical bow Orin remembered from earlier. ”Cleverest lad in all the world, at your service.” Still holding onto Orin’s finger, Crest began pulling him to the hatch. ”Come abovedecks I want to show ya somethin’” Orin complied, intrigued by what else Crest had to share with him.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin emerged on the upper deck and was completely surprised at the late hour. It was sunset already, and yet Orin felt he’d been on the ship for chimes, not bells. Crest continued dragging Orin to the center of the ship. At least the man had slowed, though whether it was due to his respect of Orin’s muscles, which still ached or his state of inebriation, Orin didn’t know. Not that Orin particularly cared as long as it meant he could keep up. ”Where’re you taking me?” Orin asked slowly and carefully. He had to make sure every word was there or in order or else they’d slip away or come out wrong, Orin was sure of it. Words were funny that way, now that Orin thought about it. Who came up with them in the first place? I mean, there are so many of them! As he was musing on that, Crest finally let them stop.

Glancing around Orin couldn’t see anything special and was about to tell Crest exactly that, as soon as he had it lined up in his mind, when Orin saw where Crest’s gaze was going. He followed it up and up until his eyes lighted on the top of the ship’s main mast. ”Oh no, no absolutely not, I cannot get up there! Don’t even think about it! Not happening, thanks for thinking of me but I’ll be going now.” Orin spun to do just that, forgetting that he was far from tip top shape. Orin had to put out one hand on the mast until the world stopped spinning. While that was happening, Crest had come to stand in front of Orin, and before Orin knew what was happening, Crest picked him up and placed him on the rope ladder, then let go. Instinctively Orin grasped the rungs to avoid falling even the short distance.

Crest was standing at the foot of the ladder, pointing at the weird structure on top of the mast.”Climb. I want to see you get up to that crow’s nest mate. I’ll be right behind you and I’ll catch you if you fall. I told you I wouldn’t let any harm befall ye on the Wavedancer.” Crest’s tone brooked no disagreement, and realizing that there was no way he was getting past the man, Orin sighed and started making his way upwards. Not before he muttered just loud enough to be in Crest’s hearing, ”Yes, if I remember correctly that was right about the time when you threw me over the side and almost let me drown.”

Moving at a snail’s pace, Orin made sure his feet were firmly planted before he reached his hand up to the next rung. Unlike a wooden ladder, this rope swayed just slightly and it made Orin’s incredibly nervous. But Crest’s presence steadied him and kept him going, and sooner than Orin would have thought possible, Orin had reached the structure that Crest had called the crow’s nest.

The wind buffeted him slightly until Orin turn sideways to it. Crest joined him and Orin turned to the other man. ”So what are we looking at?
Orin asked breathlessly. He hadn’t been this high in a long time. While Orin wasn’t scared of heights the movement of the ship rocking in the slight waves of the harbor gave Orin the curious sensation that the ship was about to tip over at any moment. Or maybe that was just the alcohol. Crest grabbed Orin’s shoulders and turned him until Orin was looking out to sea. And Orin gasped at the sight before his eyes.

Syna was setting and she was filling the sky with her fiery glory. And that image was reflected on the surface of the ocean until all Orin could see were shades of the deepest reds, oranges and pinks he had ever seen in life. Whooping with delight, Orin stood there and drank it in, letting the rays wash over him and bathe him in their slowly fading light. ”It’s the time of the twilight lovers! Orin commented excitedly. ”Thank you Syna for another day and Leth for another night. May your time together now be blessed as always.” Orin hoped he had gotten the prayer out correctly but the sentiment was there and Orin figured the deities cared more about the emotion then the content.

”Twilight lovers?” came Crest’s soft inquiry. Orin nodded but didn’t look away from the splendor before him. ”Aye, Syna and Leth. I was told long ago that their love was so great the heavens could only bear it for short amounts of time. So Syna lights the day and Leth guides the night and they meet at dawn and dusk, the twilight times of the world. That’s why sunrises and sunsets are so beautiful, because they’re the only time the world gets to see their love.” While Orin didn’t know if any of that was true, it was a gorgeous thought to have. And Orin believed in it, even though he had nothing to back up his belief. Maybe that’s what faith was all about, when it came right down to it. Regardless, whether or not that story was true didn’t matter to the sunset now, and Orin eagerly took it all in, as if it would be the last sunset he would ever see or the first sunset he’d seen in his entire life. Though Crest made a funny sound in his chest when Orin stopped talking, Orin wasn’t distracted by it. If it was important, Crest would tell him.