Steady as we go 3- Go with the Flow

Rangpar was many things. A good helmsman may not have been one of them. The ship rocked hard against the waves. Wilkes scrambled up the steps with a fury from the disturbance in the early light. The incantation for sailors’ shelter was already on his lips when he broke out from below the deck. The sky was completely clear. As it was, the orc’s massive hands couldn’t quite make the gentle adjustments that would prevent things from tossing as hard as they were. The gentle giant waved down at him once their eyes met.

“Can ye hold her steady Rangpar? Gonna knock somebody’s teeth out on the deck with how hard we’re shaking!” Wilkes shouted up at him, the orc shrugged and pinched the rungs rather than use his entire hand from then on. It was still a bit harsh, but much more stable. Meryl floated onto the deck shortly after. She leaned over the railing, pulled her veil up, and lost her last meal into the sea. Wilkes patted her gently between the shoulder blades, trying to aid her amidst the current distress. “HEY BIG GREEN, C’MON!”

“Two finger on spoke! Gently as mother with tiny baby!” Rangpar shouted back, his grip and lack thereof did begin to smooth the voyage out. Meryl continued to dry heave for a bit over the railing, waving Svend over. A waterskin was provided to get the nasty taste out of the oracle’s mouth.

“Thank you Svend, Wilkes. My constitution for voyages is a meek one. I admittedly did foresee this.” Meryl spoke softly, Wilkes continued to stroke her back to soothe her. Thankfully her veil had avoided being soiled. He did not want to imagine the smell if it had been. He felt her eyes shift from the sea back to him. A small smile crept on his lips. He held an arm out for her to lean on, she wrapped around the offered limb. Her head rest on his shoulder again, it’d be a romantic stroll if it wasn’t on the deck of a ship. And if she hadn’t just thrown up.

“Let’s get you back below deck, the rocking won’t upset your stomach as much down there.” Wilkes led her back down the stairs. She sighed once the light of the sun ceased to shine on her. If he had to take a guess, she had been enjoying the warmth and fresh air. Once Rangpar proved he could keep things from rocking her too hard, Meryl would probably come back up. Patting his hands against his thighs, Wilkes realized the one problem he hadn’t accounted for. Boredom. Heading back into the sunlight, he swayed along with the milder tilting of the deck.

If there was nothing but open sea, no beautiful women to flirt and tease, and no work to be done Wilkes had no idea what to do with himself. The only idea that tickled his brain was to practice magic, but he wanted to avoid exhausting himself in case of a storm. So he practiced something simple. The Zephyr step. Hovering in the air with a platform carved out of the same stuff was an even odder sensation when he had adjusted to being rocked gently. Stranger yet was seeing the deck beneath his feet keep rolling along without him. When he tried to have the platform keep even with the deck as they sailed, he lost concentration and fell the few inches back to the deck. To observers it must have looked as if he was practicing a slow backward leap. He stroked his chin deep in thought. The boat keeps moving, but he doesn’t when on the platform. Maybe if he stops seeing it as a platform and more like an actual wind he’s riding? A few more attempts at getting the platform to move proved equally unsuccessful. It at least provided him with the knowledge that he could rapidly move in the opposite direction a ship was headed in a pinch. It would make him even more unpredictable if they had to fight while at sea. With the sun still bearing down overhead, Wilkes began to roll his shoulders out after the light activity. His mind wandered from wind magic, apparently the weakest of his three potentials, to the other two. Water and Lightning. The two seemed almost as opposite in his mind as water and fire or lightning and earth. Tangentially connected only by his nature as a storm mage. Though maybe he was misunderstanding the elements due to a lack of familiarity? Sitting with his back against the mast, he laced his fingers behind his head and shut his eyes to think more clearly. He began to ponder his relationship with the three.

He could feel the wind around him almost like a long strand of his own hair. How it floated past lazily, brushing against himself and everyone else on the ship. Free as could be. Unbridled by the whims of anyone else. A force powerful enough to be gentle or destructive at a moment's notice. Whispering through the world as an ever present guardian. It was the version of himself he wished to idealize.

The water of the sea was different. Gurgling and washing past below in a cool embrace. It felt more like a state of mind. To move against all things with his own weight. Both physical and otherwise. To crash against things and wear them down slowly but surely. The need to endure against all things. Perhaps that was his mentality.

Lightning was a stranger sharing his body with him. He had only ever seen it from a distance. Heard the crackle and then the deafening roar of thunder as it split through the air. Perhaps lightning was his truest self then. A sudden, explosive power that had come out of nowhere and left everything in his wake as quickly as he arrived. Radiance and destruction in equal measure with fury and intimidation.

What sort of man would embody those three facets?

A cloud blocked the warmth of the sun from his skin. He opened one eye slowly, puffing air past his upper lip. Rangpar’s steering had improved dramatically. Even if he was barely holding the wheel at this point. Leif was whittling something. Dortas was actively checking the rigging, giving test pulls and smacks to be sure tension was held properly. Their eyes met briefly as the gnome worked, and he turned away sharply. The lad still had a chip on his shoulder from their last argument. He could avoid him for only so long. The ship wasn’t that huge. He shut his eye again. He’d be at the helm soon enough, and he needed to sleep now rather than later. Sleeping below the deck was an idea, but the fish smell was a bit much for him to sleep beside.

Dreams came rushing past him. As strange as they were fleeting. Sailing with the crew in a sea made of ale. Chasing a giant serpent aboard a ship staffed with ghosts. Resting his head beside an incalculable pile of women. All were pleasant. Thankfully no divine invasion of his unconsciousness came amidst such sweet dreams. The field of wheat he had come face to face with his father in did briefly flash by, but it was like a cloud drifting through the sky more than the centerpiece. He stirred slightly as he felt the deck rattle. His mind lurching back into wakefulness.

“Woah! Look at that!” Dortas called to the crew, pointing over the railing. Wilkes rose from where he slept, drowsily stumbling across the deck. Leif flanked him opposite Dortas as he squinted towards where the gnomish lad pointed. A pod of whales began to breach the waves. Some fifty strong.

“Aye lad, there be whales in these waters. Worth a mighty pile of coin if we can catch one.” Wilkes said dryly. Smacking somewhat, he fought back a yawn before giving some kinder words. “Expensive they may be, they are a beaut.”

“Hmm, they kinda remind me of rangpar.” Leif said, staring at the gentle giants. The orc laughed loudly at the helm at that. The ship rocked a bit as his massive shoulders shook. A couple annoyed cries from his crewmates had Rangpar straighten the ship back out and suppress his laughter. It was still all smiles for them though.

As the Gracious Pearl soldiered on, the whales became more and more distant. The natural spectacle put to their backs, the lads began to move about the deck again. Making rounds across the ship, trying to find things to do. Wilkes had an idea tickling his brain though.

“You two will exhaust yourselves if you only ever work all day. I really ought to be sleeping, but I’ll keep ye from burnin’ like candles lit on both ends.” He said to the apprentices. He walked down the stairs into the lower deck. Meryl waved to him and he returned the gesture. A few quick steps got him to the storage closet, and pulled out one of the nets they’d left piled in there. Shaking it loose from the tangled mess he made a mental note to have Dortas fix that later. He had the most training with rope out of the three apprentices, it’d fall on his shoulders. Slinging it over his shoulder, he blew a kiss to the oracle. Going back onto the main deck he waved the lads over.

“Your idea of not getting us to overwork ourselves, is more work?” Leif asked, putting his hands on his hips. Wilkes quirked an eyebrow at that. Apparently the half elf had plenty of bite to his words when he was stuck at sea.

“Yeah I thought we were gonna be doing less, not more.” Dortas followed up. A scowl had snuffed the stars in his apprentice’s eyes. With both lads glowering at him, Wilkes sighed and launched into another brief lecture.

“Lads, you’re walking like mad mutts. At least watching the cast net will let you look at something else than your feet and the deck.” He said firmly, beginning to lift the net up to the railing. The pair watched him with fixed gazes. He motioned for the pair to come over, and they stood still. He huffed and tossed the net over completely. He folded his arms over his chest and scowled. “Really?”

“Yes.” The pair said in unison. Folding their own arms over their chests. The three of them glared in silence as the net continued to sink. The line he’d forgotten to tie onto the ship suddenly began to drag away. Wilkes flopped to the deck and grabbed at the disappearing line. The apprentices sprang into action alongside him. The trio swore and pulled hard, trying to keep from losing whatever it was they had caught. With a coordinated group effort they heaved towards the center of the deck. Hand over hand they pulled enough rope to tie it off on a belaying pin. Once the net was secured and Wilkes began to catch his breath he gave a thumbs up to the two younger sailors.

“That -huff- was stupid.” Dortas said, hands on his knees as he watched the line pull harder against where it was tied. Not quite taut, but closing in on it. The net would need to be lifted soon, a good addition to dinner was on the way.

“Ye kidding? That was awesome!” Leif argued, a wide smile on his face. The young half-elf started towards the lower deck planning on waking his brother. Erik made himself known for the first time in a while. He grabbed Leif by the scruff and carried him away from the stairs. With a soft thunk the older half-elf deposited the younger with the larger group.

“Let your brother sleep. Tell him about it when he wakes. We’re being hailed by the navy ship, better comb your hair Wilkes.” Erik said, producing a fine toothed comb made out of bone. He recognized the notch towards the end of its handle, Beatrice always made a mark like that on her work. A pang of homesickness struck him as he took the comb and sorted through his tangled mess.

“Right, hailing us for what exactly? Parlay, or a change in course?”

“Change in course. Pauline will be over with an updated route. Since you’re our next helmsmen, and you were specifically requested, I figured I’d let you tidy up.” Erik said with a small smirk. “Do tell me if Pauline has a sister. Or a friend that needs to raise her recruiting numbers.”

With a sarcastic laugh, Wilkes passed the comb back. The lads about them went back to walking laps. There was little reason to stop them from doing so at this point. When the net was full they’d haul it back up and get started on cooking dinner. It was their turn to cook anyway.

“So what’s the reason for the change in course? Now that the lads have wandered off. The outer tropics should be fine to sail through, and we’re not due to hit any mixing air fronts for another week or so.” Wilkes said, he had a sneaking suspicion. Hearing it from Erik directly would let him prepare to bite his tongue in front of the navy.

“There was a tide reaper spotting while naval scouts were on patrol. Red this time from the report. Our bone to pick is with blue, and the yellow have yet to recover so please don’t-”

“Don’t what? Don’t go trying to chase down people responsible for ruining lives? Don’t try to dole out some justice on those monsters?” Wilkes pressed question after question onto him, a flare of anger crossing his face. “Because I won’t this time. But let me be clear, if we have a chance to kill some of them there is no reason to waste it.”

“Wilkes, that is not our job and you know it. We keep Thellin running. If you want to be a hero go join the navy. But think about what you said to Dortas before you do.” Erik responded calmly, shoving Wilkes back a step.

“Right. I’ll be below deck taking a nap. Wake me when they’re here.” Wilkes said, walking clear past Erik and back to the dank lower deck. The smell of brined fish hit him as his nose scrunched involuntarily. The fresh stuff wasn’t so bad, but the salted and preserved was always rough. Stepping quietly past the sleeping part of the crew, Wilkes crawled into a hammock. Meryl started to slink into it with him, but he held up a hand to stop her. Shaking his head, he got out of the hammock and let her have it. He slept on the deck beneath her. Cuddling in a hammock sounded like an easy way to end up a tangle of fabric, rope, and limbs when he needed to get up quickly. When he did wake up as Erik called him, she had decided to lay on his chest. She was snoring softly while clinging to him, he peeled her off of him and rose to return to the main deck. He heard some annoyed grumbling as the sleeping woman settled on the floor again. He couldn’t bring himself to leave her there. He walked back over and scooped Meryl up off the floor, then gingerly laid her into the hammock. A content sigh came from the woman beneath the mass of black fabric.

Pauline tapped a foot in place on the deck, her naval coat folded over an arm. Her shirt had a more conservative neckline today, only showing her collarbones instead of cleavage of any sort. Simple brown pants were held up with a leather belt with an iron buckle. She brushed a loose curl out of her face with a graceful motion. He watched her slender fingers trail back down the golden copper hair before returning to her side. Her wings brushed the deck as she did. The feathers turned a shimmering copper color in the direct sunlight. It made the already intelligent, determined woman even more enticing. The knowing look in those deep blue eyes made his heart skip a beat. He kicked himself mentally to avoid gawking at the visitor. Though what he noticed first was that there was no dinghy floating nearby or other members of her crew aboard the ship. How did she get here?

“Yes Wilkes, I did fly here. These are for more than just show.” Pauline said. A smug, small grin began to play on her lips. The limbs on her back stretched out to her full wingspan. A relaxed sigh left her once they were flexed all the way. From end to end, Wilkes would wager she had a thirteen foot wingspan. Well over twice her height, which admittedly was comparable to the gulls and other birds on Thellin. She stepped in close, letting a finger loop through the laces of his neckline. She was still an arm’s length away. He could pull back if he wanted, not that he did. “Careful, staring at a lady’s wingspan like that can be considered courting.”

“If you two are done.” Erik cut in, physically stepping between Wilkes and the cheeky redhead. “I need to see the updated route, and Wilkes needs to prepare to adjust our course.”

“Yeah feathers, get on with it.” Wilkes said, taking a step back now that Erik was visibly annoyed. The glare he caught from annoying his elven companion was worth its weight in gold.

“We’re going to be cutting west instead of staying due north. It’ll add about three days on the way to Tenzel where we can resupply. I assume you all have means to procure enough food to account for this?” Pauline asked, she tapped a finger against her lips while making direct eye contact with Wilkes. His eyes never strayed from them, she had applied some kind of gloss to them which had them shining like her wings. A small giggle from the redhead let him know he’d played directly into her hand.

Almost as if on cue, Leif and Dortas hauled a net full of fish up. A repeated wet swapping sound had Wilkes turn to see what the fuss was about. The net flopped wildly as the captured animals fought with their basest instincts to not be turned into food. The struggle was futile, they were literally fish out of water. Turning back, he saw that Pauline was studying him again. An involuntary shiver had her grin turn into a smile. Erik socked Wilkes in the shoulder.

“Focus you two. We can acquire the food. Wilkes can adjust the course. I’ll make sure to note it for the following helmsmen so we don’t stray too far from your escort. If that’s all you have to tell us, then you’re free to leave.” Erik spoke firmly. His eyes narrowed further into his glare, practically a squint now. There was no way he thought that was intimidating, right?

“Yea, like squinty said Feathers. If we just need to head west for a few days we can make do.” Wilkes said, slinging an arm around his friend’s shoulder. The groan that came out was worth its weight in diamonds.

“Mmm, that is most of it. I am going to ask that I can visit to potentially instruct you on your magical abilities. You have a lot of potential, but almost no applied skill.” Pauline said, her words cut a little deeper than he had expected. With a glum nod she clapped her hands and waved goodbye.