Quest The Pearltide's Plight

[Resolve]

74, Spring 520 AV

Coraline Pearltide had a problem. A problem that apparently had to rear its blasted head while her own head felt like it was splitting in two. She pressed her thumb against her temple, trying to relieve some of the pressure from her monstrous hangover.

“It’s my fault,” the young man standing before her said, his voice so quiet that it was nearly lost in the lapping waves of the Bay. Ciaran was a handsome Svefra boy, just coming into adulthood and already with a vibrant Chevas mark tucked behind the jut of his still-growing jaw. It was that mark of his which Coraline now took hope in. At the very least, they knew Summer wasn’t dead.

“No,” Coraline said, perhaps a touch too harshly if Ciaran’s flinch was any judge. She sighed and tried again, “No, this isn’t your fault. We’re all family. Stay strong, you carry no blame.”

She probably wasn’t supposed to see the minute shake of Ciaran’s head. Gods, she was usually better than this at encouraging her young pod members. She sighed and willed her hands to stop their post-drunk shaking. This was quite the cruel test that Laviku was bestowing her. Because mind-numbing hangover or not, Coraline had to take care of her pod. And―right now―that meant finding their lost daughter.

Throwing her shoulders back, Coraline called out to all who could hear: those on her Palivar, those on the nearest tied-up Pearltide ships, and even the members of the Seadancer pod who still lingered after yesterday’s celebrations. “Alright,” Coraline shouted, “We find Summer today. At least one of these ‘berthers saw what happened. So if someone so much as looks at you while you search, go find out what they know. You all know your places. Now go! Find your sister!”

All around them, ropes slapped on decks and Svefra shouted as they pushed off from each other. They all had their sectors of the Mudway and the coast to search; even if it was only the sunken wreck of Summer’s Casinor, they’d find it. And then they’d find Summer. They’d find her. Coraline glanced back to Ciaran, reassuring herself that his Chevas mark was still well and whole.

But while the mark was as bold as ever, the young man was not. Ciaran’s frame shook, and Coraline suspected he was looking skywards to keep tears from falling. One of the Seadancers―Ciaran’s brother, older by a few years and already filling out the strong frame of a good, healthy Svefra―gripped his brother’s shoulder and squeezed.

Coraline thought it a good idea to keep the Seadancer brother close. With the way Ciaran was struggling with this, she figured they’d need him. It hadn’t even been a year since Ciaran had joined Coraline’s Pearltide pod, having been lured by Summer the last time the Seadancer pod passed through Sunberth. And yet after just one night’s revely with his old pod, it would seem that he may have lost her. Laviku, Coraline couldn’t help but think, This is too much.

As the rest of her pod began their respective searches, those aboard The Otani’s Lament began their own search. Summer had last been seen on her Casinor, throwing off her tie to the Seadancer ship that Ciaran had been partying on. She’d had things to do, so she said. Ciaran evidently hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but―in hindsight―letting Summer go off by herself when she’d been just as hammered as the rest of them had been a poor decision.

While Coraline doubted they’d find Summer near the Bay―they would have found her already if that was the case―they should still be able to find witnesses here. Anything to give them a clue as to where she might have gone. And so Coraline directed her ship along the piers, her crew on the lookout for anyone who looked off.

But as Coraline scanned the ‘berthers milling about the docks, she couldn’t spot a thing out of the ordinary. There were people loading and unloading ships, a crowd hovering around the Drunken Fish―loud and boistrous as always―and just nothing that jumped out as “suspicious.”

Coraline massaged her forehead, willing her hangover to just cooperate with her. She needed to be clearheaded for this.

“Lia!”

She was at her podmate’s side in a flash. With his hand outstretched and pointing towards the pier, Coraline tracked his line of sight and ah. There we go.

[Trynne]

Trynne had woke fairly early and managed to finish what she’d needed to get done, especially after the day prior had made it decidedly difficult to get a ferry across the river in order to get what she needed in time.

In the end, she’d given up and made her way to the bay. Her prior day had partially been spent just watching the river as it met the sea and the waves that rippled and moved like a living creature. She could appreciate it’s beauty but it was dangerous, she knew that much. She usually admired and respected it from a distance.

That evening though she’d noticed something odd. All of the Svefra were celebrating together, yet she could see one of their boats sailing towards the North on its own. From what she’d seen it wasn’t all that often that one of them would seemingly leave the city on their own, not amidst the celebrations at least, and for a few moments she just watched the casinor before shaking her head.

Frowning she made her way back through the city, remembering the sight of the casinor from the previous night and wondering what had happened to it. She was certain that it would have returned to the city soon after she’d left and that its sailor would have rejoined the celebrations. Maybe they had just left a secret stash of booze somewhere up the coast. and the casinor had gone to recover that stash to help with the celebrations.

Sighing to herself and shaking her head, Trynne made her way through the streets, carefully glancing around and keeping her wits about her as she moved through the streets, getting closer and closer to the bay as she debated seek a ferry to take her to the other side. For a brief moment, she stopped and felt her backpack, glad to feel her Bagh Nakh resting against the bottom of her bag before she checked the belt that held her brown pants up, glad to see that her pouch was there and that she hadn’t left it at home by accident.

“What, no ferries?” she overheard a brief conversation as a man was seemingly taken aback by a fact, and for a brief moment, she paid more attention to them.

“Aye no ferries are running today. They’ll work while drunk but not hungover…” she heard another respond and she felt a frown spreading across her face. It seemed as though everything was failing to go to plan. It seemed as though things could have been more serious.

She’d heard of times that it was difficult to get a ferry but none where it was downright impossible to get across the river without swimming. That combined with the lone casinor she’d seen the day before made her slightly uneasy, and the rest of the conversation between the two men started to become inaudible as she kept walking towards the bay.

Baroque Bay was as busy as it usually was, with a scattering of sailors and privateers, and of drunkards already half baked and staggering through the streets and along the piers as they made their way to whatever work they had, or made their ways back to the Drunken Fish for a couple more drinks.

It wasn’t long before she found herself at the edge of the river, glancing over at the water again and looking towards the North. She wondered if it would be worth finding the Svefra and telling them what she had seen and the direction that the boat was heading. Then again it could be that nothing had happened they are all just hungover from their celebrations and her telling them would just cause some sort of drama over nothing.

Sighing to herself, she noticed the Svefra and their boats all moving, as though they were looking, and Trynne felt herself stiffen slightly. She froze, watching them all closely for a moment as she fiddled with her hands, unable to allow herself to rest at ease. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but now she was certain something was wrong. Part of her wanted to help them with whatever they were doing, the other half just wanted to deny ever having seen anything and to just find something to do elsewhere!

Frowning slightly while still staring, she was about to leave when she saw one of the Svefra pointing directly at her and she silently cursed at herself for not having made a decision on what to do. For a few moments still, she remained stood in place, her feet not wanting to move before she finally made a choice, making her way closer to the water and calling out to the Svefra.

“Everything alright?” she shouted to the boat, unsure of what else to say. She wanted to make it clear that she was concerned and willing to help out if she could, though words had never been her strong suit.