Open The Iron Dance [Edreina]

[Razkar]

Muscle memory. That was what half of all training was, and Razkar knew that very well. But for Edreina to mirror what he had just done so quickly, even if she did yelp out in surprise at her own accomplishment, that was impressive.

He smiled wide, even if it did show his filed, shark-like teeth and nodded. His ax had been knocked away, opening up his chest, and if that had been his only weapon he would have been at the mercy of her other hand.

"Good." He said sharply, then his voice lowered. "Again!"

He was minutely faster the next thrust, but it was the same movement. Once again, the Svefra girl parried the blow, knocking it away without a yelp this time, her sweeping gladius just a tad smoother.

"Again!"

Thurst. Faster. Parry. Faster. "Again!"

Some of the crewmen aboard the Cuttlefish actually paused in their duties, muttering darkly to each other as they watched the tanned and tattooed savage thrust and thrust over and over towards the slip of a girl, and... and she was somehow blocking him.

The shock was gone from her face now, Razkar was happy to see. Confidence was replacing it, even as steel started to move faster and faster-

-his next thrust at half-speed, easily capable of breaking the skin-

-but she knocked it away, stepping forwards, other hand thrusting out-

-only far Razkar's to shoot out with snake-like speed and slam around her wrist, stopping her dead.

Stopping them both, in fact. Dark eyes that were cold and hard as stones dug from the earth stared at her from heavy eyebrows now, sheen on his face and almost forcing her blue eyes back bodily. But still she froze. Unsure.

"Now what? What you do now? Parry, good. Thrust, good, but thrust has been blocked, so-"

Just as she started to stir his head slammed forwards and pulled back an inch or so before breaking her nose-

-his leg swinging upwards as he burst forward with it, head back straight but knee pausing just short of her stomach. The Myrian stepped back and gestured to his front, from groin to neck.

"All this... you can hit. With knee, or foot, or head, or elbow, or whatever you have. But like I teach before? Do. Not. Stop-"

He thrust towards her again, faster, trusting in her skills. It was risky, he knew, and part of him screamed out at him in horror for forcing such speed and danger on the girl. But this was combat. It was fast and nasty and brutal and fluid and she had to be trained to know that fear, that horror. Or when she found herself there, she would freeze at the sight of it, and then she would die.

Razkar would not permit that to happen. And if that meant pushing her hard and merciless now, so be it.

[Edreina]

Now that she knew what to do, her block was smoother, more clean. She had to reverse her swing as the Myrian went at her again, again she knocked his ax away. He came faster each time, forcing her to do things more quickly, more efficiently. The sounds of metal meeting drew a crowd as her kin came to gawp at the lean, willowy woman whom they had never seen hurt more than a fish fending off Myrian blows. More than the Cuttlefish's crewmen gathered; Svefra stopped what they were doing to watch, curiosity plain on their sun-darkened faces. As she continued to prove herself, the little flame in her chest grew and growled, begging for more. The next time he thrusted out towards her, Edreina slapped it aside, stepping forward to jab at his midsection. Just as her fist began to move, the Myrian's darker hand snaked out and caught hold of her wrist, jarring her arm as it was stopped suddenly. The stopping was so sudden that it caught her off guard, all of his lessons flooded her mind as she attempted to decide what to do in that moment. "Now what? What you do now? Parry, good. Thrust, good, but thrust has been blocked, so-" She began to move, about to raise her knee up as she had before when his head moved forward quickly, as if to butt her into unconsciousness. Her body shied away from the fake-out, giving her no room to escape his pseudo-knee blow to the abdomen. They disengaged, each eying the other with a feral intensity. Blue eyes darted over dark skin as he motioned to his own figure, speaking in a hard, instructional voice. "All this... you can hit. With knee, or foot, or head, or elbow, or whatever you have. But like I teach before? Do. Not. Stop-" He moved at her again, more quickly than ever before. Almost on instinct, she swung, beating the ax away and taking a few quick steps out of his way, backwards. He came at her again and again she deflected it, stepping back again. Feeling hard, rough wood against her back, Edreina noticed that she had reached the mast. Something darker crossed Razkar's face when he realized that she had backed herself into a corner. Face set and grim, Edreina raised her blade as if about to parry once more but, the instant before she would have had to, she danced to the side and then back, out of the ax's path. Caught off-guard by her tact, Razkar took a second too long to react and his blade barely skipped off of the mast, creating a divot in the wood. In that instant, Edreina's flame demanded that she make a move before he make her look like a weak fool once more. She raised her blade and went to make a downwards slash, not putting a govern on her power for she knew that it was still minute compared to the Myrian's. As expected - for Edreina had never imagined that she would actually land a blow on the tattered-skinned warrior - Razkar blocked her easily, deflecting the blade so that Edreina was spinning. Using her momentum again, she brought up her knee to aim a blow at his ribcage, only to be batted away by a quick motion of his elbow. While she was off balance, he came at her again, pushing her, she knew. Somehow, when she went to block this time, something went wrong and when the weapons collided, crippling vibrations rocketed through her arm, forcing her to drop the gladius. Her shoulder ached as she jumped away, cursing under her breath. She was no trained warrior, so the mistake was inevitable. She was surprised that she had made it this far. Eyes a hard, set blue, Edreina squared off against her friend once more, waiting to see if he would continue to test her mettle despite her disadvantaged state. Her inner flame flared, disgusted that she had failed so. Now that it was awoken, it would likely not rest until she collapsed from exhaustion - already her knees trembled and her breath felt like fire in her lungs as she breathed hard, but it went unnoticed in the fledgling fighter's mindset.

[Razkar]

The beat gained pace, tempo, ferocity... and Razkar was pleased with his student's progress. In mere chimes they had gone from slow, harmless practice to a true duel. He wondered if she even remembered they were working with real, sharpened steel.

The Myrian doubted it as he thrust towards her but she dodged him, stepping adroitly out the way, exhausted limbs be damned. A feral smile passed over his face and lit his eyes for a moment.

It widened when she drew back for a sweeping downward slash instead of a thrust, even though he parried it again, knocking it away with his ax.

"Good! Never do what enemy think you do-"

As if to illustrate his point, her knee flexed and jerked upwards. Too close, too fast for him to dodge or use his hand-

-but his left elbow dropped down and sent a jolt through his arm, bone in skin smacking into bone in skin, but much better than a kneecap in the crotch.

"Ah, even better!" His smile was even wider, almost drunk with savage joy. "You listen. You learn. And you make you own moves. Very good."

He barked and thrust forwards again, and finally she made a misstep. It could have been her grip or her stance or the sheer force of his blow (or her parry), but that time the jolting earthquake that traveled up her arm made her yelp out and tired, tired fingers let go of the gladius. The Svefra staggered back out of his range and his eyebrow cocked at the string of inventive and very unladylike curses that spilled from her lips.

Sudden, deafening silence. Nothing but heavy breathing and their deck arena seemed to... expand, including the unexpected circle of onlookers. Razkar swept a cool, neutral gaze around them. Svefra, mostly, unimpressed by this savage tormenting one of their own, even if he was apparently instructing her. But still... he smiled...

Because when he looked back at her, he saw a mirror of his own thirst in her blue eyes. Even now, trembling on weak knees, shoulder screaming out at her, breath coming in short, sharp jolts...

The smile became a grin. The grin became a tooth-lined silent laugh. Oh, how he rejoiced to see that finally dragged out of her. That cold, raging fury. That lust that numbed injuries and put paid to the body's weaknesses, that screamed and froth and birth but could be tempered, battered and forged like a keen blade into the clinical, ruthless efficiency of a warrior.

Savage joy. Dark desire. Bloody hunger. Battle lust. Razkar knew all those expressions, strange and often trite juxtapositions that even Myrian chroniclers in their dramatic ways often shied away from, so cliched were they. But he understood them. What else was it when one rejoiced in shedding blood? How else to describe it? Sadism? Evil? The pure, simple desire to wade into a battlefield and take lives.

And don't you love it so?

"I knew you had it in you..."

Words said with a smile, but they sent a shiver rippling through Edreina. Now, Razkar thought, with a twinge of sadness, she understands what I do.

"We started lesson," he said louder, stepped over to the gladius and nudging his toes under the blade, "So we finish lesson-"

His foot jerked up and tossed the spinning blade towards her, whirling slowly from horizontal on the ground to almost vertical-

-he nodded approval as her uninjured, stable hand shot out and grabbed it by the hilt. Carefully, but confidently, and her fires did not dim. In fact, they brightened, like a dying man given a tonic.

The Myrian spread his arms and banged the flat of his hand ax against his scarred, tattooed chest, a challenge recognizable to any race that warred.

"So finish. Again!"

[Edreina]

"I knew you had it in you..." Edreina shivered with the realization that this was not the self that she had always known. This part of her loved the physical exertion and challenge that came with fending off blows and aiming her own. But, despite all of that, her natural curiosity could not be sated... She needed more. "We started lesson... So we finish lesson..." In a whirl of motion, the blade moved towards Edreina more quickly than her mind could process. Luckily, the fire in her chest moved her arm, snapping it up and into place so that the handle thudded solidly into her hand. Looking up, she nodded and took her stance. Steadying her breathing, stilling her quaking muscles, the hard edge returned to Edreina's blue eyes. As her breathing took on a practiced air, the flame roared. "So finish. Again!" The sound that came from Edreina's lips was not her own. It was some spawn of the Myrian's teachings and her own many-years subdued battle-lust. Placing both hands on the blade, one below the other, she swung up powerfully. When the blow was deflected, she disengaged her right hand, using the left to keep the Myrian's ax at bay as she struck out in a sharp jab at his chest that he swatted away easily. Gritting her teeth, she took a step back and swung again in the same motion, whipping her arm back around so that he had to go from one parry directly into another. As he swatted her away, she swung her body, raising her knee as if to attempt to knee him again. When he went to block, she brought her blade down like a hammer, slamming the but into his trapezius muscle, sending a vibration through her wrist that hurt but did not interfere in her grip. Stepping nimbly back out of your way, she swung again but this time, Razkar parried in an odd way, using the blade of his ax to catch her blade and rip it from her hand. Facing down the Myrian, once again weaponless, Edreina's blue eyes darted about. She took off at a sprint across the deck, dancing her way out of Razkar's range by leaping up onto the railing and then back onto the deck. Despite the fact that this moved her away from the blade, it moved her into an element that would surprise the Myrian. She ducked down for an instant, picking up a length of leather from the pile of many that laid in a tangle of rope and canvas and leather. Yanking the length out of the mess, she faced her friend again, wrapping one end tight around her hand. For a moment, all was silent, as if he were perhaps trying to figure out her plan. Or maybe, he knew and was simply attempting to anticipate the moves. Edreina began to spin the whip slowly, getting a feel of how hard or worn it was, how it would move for her. Turning her body, she whipped it out once, stopping it shy of her friend as the tip cracked in the air as it came back towards her. The sound made her smile. Finally, some bored, childish pasttime was coming to be of some use to her. She had never wielded a whip against another, especially not one with a weapon, but hey, today was all about learning. Darting forward a step, she whipped the length of leather forward once more. She heard the satisfying crack of the tip against his wielding arm. This make-shift whip, unlike her own, would not cut skin but carried enough power to make a muscle lock up briefly and then throb for chimed after. Silently, she hoped that she had not underestimated his strength. Catching a whip was a feat of unimaginable speed and dexterity. Keeping her eyes on her friend, she whipped it once more, not seeing if it made contact as she spun her body with the backlash so that she could whip it out again with more speed. The entire tactic was meant as a distractor. Slowly, she was moving in a circle, approaching the gladius once more. Whether or not the Myrian had detected her tact, she did not know. Whipping out a flurry of attacks aimed from his knees to his neck, Edreina managed to actually get him to take a step back. Seeing her opportunity, she darted forwards and snatched the gladius from the deck. Gladius in her left hand, the little Svefra doubled over the whip in both hands so that it formed a loop. Staring down the Myrian again, she balanced on the balls of her feet, waiting for anything. When his attack came, Edreina felt a smirk touch her lips, unbidden and unable to be explained by anything other than the ferocity of the flame scorching her body. She parried, sending both of their wielding arms to the same and then, keeping out of range of his arm, whipped her leather-wielding arm furiously, keeping her eyes locked on the cold, black ones of her friend so that she did not see if the lashes burned his skin as they whipped around him and then were ripped back, or if they were as ineffectual as a fly's landing. Either way, this was about to end.

[Razkar]

Battle now was truly joined. Both of them were swinging at almost full-speed... or at least the Svefra was. The Myrian knew how it would end if he started fighting like he was truly at war, and he didn't feel like being lynched by a mob of angry Svefra.

But her? She was... wonderful.

It wasn't rage that powered her strikes now, as she slashed and hacked with such abandon. No, it was more... purposeful. He recognized it quickly: that savage drive to win, to beat your enemy, defeat him, drive his weapons from his hands and have him know, in those last few seconds that it was by your hands that his honor was taken.

The will to win. No matter what.

But will was not enough, and for the first chime Razkar slapped away her blows from iron blade and folded fist with ease. The crowd of watching Svefra was now several deep and getting louder and louder, murmuring with unease at the uneven contest.

Razkar smiled tightly. But not with concern; they wanted the girl to fight better.

And she did. He caught her last swing just under the blade of his ax, just before the curve at it's bottom, and he jerked down and twisted the weapon at the same time, trapping the blade and spinning it from her hand. It clattered away and she dodged out of range, crowd making that familiar "awwwww!" mass-groan that any sporting aficionado the multiverse over would recognize.

"Good fight." Razkar said, smiling with satisfaction even as the Svefra dodged and ran, eyes still set, intent, searching. "But we are-"

She came up with a cord of leather swinging, gaining force and power as her makeshift whip-

"-done?"

The crack of the whip just before his face knocked the satisfaction off of it, and the crowd banished their groan with a cheer instead, hands pumping into the air, males and females cheering on their own blue-eyed kin. Razkar just stared, shocked as this girl rose to her full height, readying another-

"Ah, petch!"

He yelped as the whip smacked into his arm, that stinging shock able to make even a stoic warrior flinch. The Svefra were as shocked as he was, barely processing that this fearsome Myrian warrior was being held back by lil' Edreina who'd never swung a blade before.

Crack after crack ripped out from the deck as she kept him back, snarling behind the ax raised in front of his face. Her form was amateur, almost manic, and that made her even harder to fight, harder to predict. But he soon realized her game as she crab walked with every strike, circling back to the fallen gladius.

"I petching hate whips!"

"They don't like you either!"

Razkar made a note to kill the wag in the crowd. Eventually.

But he had bigger things to worry about... and Goddess, he really did, didn't he? Razkar marveled behind his grim, set mask, eyes flashing somewhere between annoyance and pleasure. She was fighting back, adapting, throwing everything she could until-

-before he could get to it she scooped her blade back up and faced him directly, whip looped around her hand, blade held tight...

Smirking. Razkar nodded a warrior's respect, and the ended it.

He lunged forward just as the crowd roared, and she was ready for him. Th whip lashed out again and again, but he gritted his teeth and bore the stings like enraged nectar-wasps. He'd taken the viciousness of a Zith bladed whip before; he could certainly handle her length of glorified string.

Still, this has to stop.

She parried his ax yet again and he saw her right arm snap forward, whip arcing towards him. He was wise to her now, the speed of the leather, arm jerking up-

-wrapping around it. Razkar wasn't so quick or arrogant to think he could catch the speeding leather, but as the leather snapped around his forearm, wrapping around it over and over wkith blinding speed, it was as good as catching it and-

-he yanked back with a roar, pulling her towards him, off-balance, but her gladius was thrusting towards him, determined to get in one last blow.

Time it perfectly, boy.

Razkar waited until he'd pulled her close enough then hammered the gladius away from him, just like he showed her-

-then immediately jerked the weapon back up and rapped the flat of the blade across her knuckles. Hard. She yelped and twitched and the gladius dropped-

-just as he slid to his right, leaving his left foot sticking out-

-and she tumbled over it, pulled along by his savage strength attached to the whip, crashing onto the deck. But she was fast, Goddess watch her, and turned over-

-staring up at a Myrian with a foot on her chest, leather winding around a bruise- and welt-covered arm, sweat glazing his body, chest pounding from deep breaths... and an ax leveled at her throat.

"Now... we finish."

Razkar beamed. Actually beamed and his eyes danced and he offered her his hand.

"You my best student."

He decided to be tactful and not mention he was her only student.

[Edreina]

"Now... we finish." His smile was so truly happy that Edreina could not help but grin back up at him. Her little flame curled up in her chest, becoming an ember, and purred with the satisfaction that she had landed at least one blow. Taking his hand, she allowed herself to be hauled up to her feet. Immediately, the crowd that had gathered - when did a few onlookers become a crowd? - burst into whoops and hollers, shouting in pride that one of their own had survived an encounter with a Myrian. "You my best student." At this, Edreina utterly beamed, seeming as if her blue eyes were lit from behind. To be told such a thing by a Myrian who had doubtlessly taught and mentored other Myrians was a vast compliment indeed. Even if he was only feeding her ego, it worked. She had always known herself to be a fast learner when it came to physical aspects, but to take on a Myrian - who was undoubtedly holding back - on her first day seemed so surreal. As the crowd dispersed, Edreina jumped up so that she could bump her shoulder against his, still grinning. "Now I see why you fight. I mean... I'm sure it is necessary in your life, but it is also fun! I might have to invest in a gladius for myself..." She smirked at the pleased look that crossed her friend's face. Abruptly, her stomach shouted its wants, causing Edriena's eyes to widen with embarrassment and a nervous chuckle to ghost out. "Now that that is over... What do you say we go get some food?" At his nod, they began to walk together, seeking sustenance. On the way off of the ship, she stopped at the barrel and used one of the cups to douse herself twice, three times, until her hair hung lank in its barely existent braid, the sheen of sweat and salt was washed away, and her linens were uniformly wet, clinging to her form once more. The movement had jostled her top to a point of aggravating looseness that she would have to fix when Razkar was looking away; if he were to look at her in that state of undress, Edreina would likely see something that did not exist in those dark eyes. Grinning, she took some water and tossed it at Razkar.

[Razkar]

"Now I see why you fight. I mean... I'm sure it is necessary in your life, but it is also fun! I might have to invest in a gladius for myself..."

The elation and pride that filled Razkar's face only swelled as he heard those words. He knocked against her with his own shoulder (only a little less forcefully), nodding his firm approval.

"I think it suit you! But try other weapon. Like ax. Or big sword. Mace." He actually leaned forward and pinched her arm playfully, grinning like a demon. "Or whip! Find one that work best for you. And always, always, always..."

Ye gods and demons and flesh bags in between, he was actually wagging his finger at her like one of his matron-teachers when he was growing up in the jungle. It was far too soon for him to be acting like that.

"... keep up practice. And you will get better."

Another smile blew across Edreina's face and now he felt pride directed towards himself. Tempered, or he attempted it, but still a satisfaction that what wisdom he had was imparted and she had learned from it. Improved. He remembered thinking the same thing when he sparred with Vanator the previous year, and the young ones of his clan and the Training Yards...

That's what we do, us elders. We pass on what we know. We make sure it isn't lost.

"Now that that is over... What do you say we go get some food?"

"Ah! Now that is fine idea..."

So they set off and despite the smile on his face, the warmth in his heart and the healthy ache of his limbs, Razkar felt a... twinge. Some whisper of doubt in his core. He wondered where it came from, then sneaked a glance at a grinning, cocky, almost swaggering next to him...

A warrior. It must sound so impressive and romantic to her. But what happens when she faces battle? Faces the reality of what war is? The slaughter and the blood and screams and begging and the innocents that die screaming. What you must become to truly excel at that art.

Razkar lowered his head slightly, nodding politely at some of the Svefra crowd who clapped him on the shoulder, but his eyes were turgid.

No. It would destroy her... and it would be worse if she survived and got a taste for it.

The Myrian frowned, not liking where his mind was taking him. He had seen females slaughter and war countless times. He had admired them, worshiped them. His own Goddess-Queen (well, the clue's in the name) was a female and the most brutal warrior in the history of the world, as far as he was concerned. War was his craft, his trade, his profession, his destiny. So why could he not see that in this girl?

Because she's not like you.

The thought flashed through him just before the water splashed on him. The realization was gone in a stunned gasp as the icy water bathed his face and he blinked and... her. She. She had splashed him. His sweating body thanked her but his mouth was still moving wordlessly, eyes moving beyond her...

A tight, dangerous smile. "I change my mind about water."

She had just enough time for her smile to shift to a lip curl of confusion before Razkar lunged forwards, crouching low, throwing her over his shoulder as he ran them both headlong over the edge of the Cuttlefish and howling into the Suvan.

[Edreina]

The moment he smiled, she knew that she was in trouble. Eyes wide, she tossed the cup aside and began to back away slowly, laughing despite herself. "I change my mind about water." Oh by Laviku's hairy- she had just enough time to take another half step back before he tackled her. She yelped in distaste as he tossed her easily over his bulging shoulder. Despite her squirming, she could not get away and his pounding steps quickly carried them up and over the railing, into the Suvan. The cool water rushed over the pair, depriving them of anything but the sight and sound of rushing water. Lucky for her, he had to release her in order to paddle his way to the surface. Sliding down his back, she lingered under the water a moment longer, letting herself sink down so that she could - with a malicious grin - tug at his dark toes. Surfacing quickly so that her laughing does not drown her, Edreina pushed him roughly, nearly submerging the poor, waterbound Myrian in the process. It took Razkar's odd, wide-eyed gaze to alert Edreina to a rather troubling presence. Up beside Edreina quickly floated her linen chest-wrappings. "Oh..." She blushed slightly and grabbed the linen. Looking down at the water, fearing what she may imagine that she saw in the Myrian's eyes, she bound her more buoyant body parts quickly and effectively, tying it off behind her back. "Sorry about that..." Edreina - whose face had reddened to match her hair - laughed nervously and dunked under the water once more. After unbraiding her tangled hair, she resurfaced and motioned to the Cuttlefish. "Ready to... erm... go eat?" An odd look lingered on her friend's face and Edreina's hesitance in speech stemmed solely from her valiant attempts to keep from looking too deeply into it.

[Razkar]

It was a curious thing, laughing underwater. You felt the laughter, not heard it. Every rumbling vibration and reverberation wrapped around your head and it was the most curious feeling as Razkar let himself submerge for a moment or two before surfacing.

Another strange feeling: he was no longer deathly afraid of the scary blue. With her in there with him, why did he need to be? But then she slid lithely over his back like a sea snake and tugged him harder, breath coming out in a rush of bubbles as she-

"PETHING BUTH!"

Oh, one more thing about being underwater: it mutes words quite nicely.

After a few terrifying seconds Razkar broke the surface like a roaring shark and found Edreina chuckling in front of him. His gaze could have melted steel and he took in her entire body, imagining how he would... punish... her...

The rage and humor vanished from his eyes as he saw her chest under the rippling waves. A flash, a blink, before he jerked his eyes down out of a respect inbuilt to him after decades being subservient to women. But it was more than enough, and in the dark behind his eyelids he saw every curve of her, shimmering and smooth and-

Stop it!

"Oh. Sorry about that..."

"It is fine."

Goddess, now he was mumbling like some child who'd seen his crush with her shorts down. What the hells was the matter with him? He kept his eyes fixed down as he heard her shift and splash quietly in the water, probably readjusting and returning her garment to it's rightful place. When he finally looked back up... it was with a sigh of relief.

Then she vanished yet again, leaving him clinging to the net still nailed over the side of the Cuttlefish. Alone. With his own thoughts.

"Stop it, you moron," he muttered to himself, massaging his temples and trying to expel that image of her... and the images that came unbidden after it. "Get your head out the gutter and stop fntasicing about every fucking female you come across! How old are you, for fuck's sake?!"

"Ready to... erm... go eat?"

Oh, shyke!

He gazed at her for longer than he needed to, and saw the faint, wrenching trace of hope in her blue eyes... and by the gods, they were beautiful. It took all his effort to swing himself upwards, forcing a smile onto his face and nodding.

"Food sounds even better now after nice... swim!"

He said, flicking a foot's worth of water back at her as he climbed and hopefully diffusing the moment for her. But the smile fell as soon as his back was turned, images still flashing and pulsating before his eyes. He'd been long seasons without the touch of his Aya. A male can only stand so much.

Just a night. One night. To explore every part of her. You'd never see her again, would you? She probably wouldn't want a life with you. One night to do anything you wanted, to take her innoce-

Edreina frowned as she heard a dull, wet and painful-sounding thunk from above her. But when she got back on deck she just found Razkr with his hands behind his back, studying the bustling Svefra that had previously been their captive audience.

He smiled at her and jerked his head to the side. "Let us go." He said, tapping his nose. "I know to follow this..."

Razkar led the way and subtly massaged his already-bruised knuckles, grateful she didn't notice the faint quarter of marks his fist had left on the side of the railing. He flinched but welcomed the pain. Sometimes one needed it, to chase away everything else.

[Edreina]

Getting hit in the face with her own element, Edreina found herself coughing and spluttering for once. Glaring, she went over and shook the net vigorously, grinning up as her friend disappeared over the railing. An instant later, she heard a dull thud that creased her brow in confusion and sent her hauling herself quickly up the railing. But, to her further puzzlement, Razkar was simply standing there, hands clasped tightly behind his back as he looked out into the heart of the Flotilla. Eyebrow still arched delicately, Edreina came up beside him, blue eyes curious. What had that thud been? His face showed no signs of meeting the deck... "Let us go. I know to follow this..." Again he did the weird nose-tapping-thingy. Puzzlement turned to laughter as she bumped him, realizing that all men were the same when their stomachs rumbled. "Have you ever had baked squid?" They were walking down the gangplank, onto a neighboring ship. All upon the ship nodded to the two of them, smiling and thanking Edreina in Fratava for such 'great entertainment' with a nod. "Well, I know this guy who has a real stone oven," such an item was rare upon the ships, "and he is always making squid tentacles. He is a friend of my aunt's so we might be able to get a few free ones... If not I'll just owe him the mizas later." She shrugged as such practices were common among the Svefra who resided permanently upon the Flotilla. If you did not have the coin, they would just expect you to repay them somehow in the future. As they walked, Edreina acknowledged familiar faces, friends, and even, shuddering afterwards, a past suitor. Glaring over her shoulder, she remembered the time that he had moored his ship up next to hers for several days. Men and their damned family obligations. Always wanting to settle down and raise little blue-eyed children... The idea horrified Edreina. She was still too young to think about constantly having another person on her ship. She would have to take his wants and needs into account instead of just her whims. True to her adventurous roots, Edreina loved the freedom of being able to leave the Anchorage on a whim for a few days and then return at her own pace. A companion would only hamper that ability. And you'll die an old crone lost at sea just like Zindr always warned, the thought was smug and condescending, as if it already knew some universal truth that had yet to reveal itself to the red-headed lass.