You'll Not Feel the Drowning [Aeden]

[Tabarnac]

1st Fall, 510 A.V. The summer storms were unpredictable on these seas, the shores rocky and ragged where anything could wash ashore. As summer passed into autumn, a certain vessel was run up against rocks, tearing out her belly, tossing her crew out into the dangerous dark seas. Some were boiled by lightning licking the water. Some were shredded against sharp rocks, crushed between the tortured planks that groaned and snapped, but not loud enough to be heard over Zulrav's rage. Some were eaten by sharks and other sea creatures, come hungrily swimming at the scent of fresh blood. The dawn broke clear and beautiful, of course, and all the calmer in contrast to the night's violence. One sailor, luckier than the rest, lay on his stomach in a patch of sand among the rocks, driftwood, and cormorant bones. The sea, gentle but insistent, lapped against his body, nudging his body to and fro, and finally slapping gently against his face. There was little to remember from the previous night but fear and horror, and finally the welcome darkness of oblivion where even the lightning could not find him. And now -- new hope? No hope? The storm had surely blown them off course, but how far? Storm Bay's shores were very sparsely populated, and Fall became much like Winter rather early this far north. This bit of beach, if one could call it that, rose steeply into rocky hills, very sparsely wooded, it would seem, and with scraggly bits of chaparral eking out a life peeking out from between tumbled boulders, the land giving way to the erosion of Laviku's waters. Gulls cried and circled over the water and further up from the tide. But first things first -- awake and sing, you who sleep in the surf! Sing for grief and for joy! You live yet, praise Kihala!

[Aeden]

Aeden lay in darkness, his sense of self slowly returning. He could feel something beneath him, something wet and yielding, but firm. As he lay there, he felt a rush of water flow around him, lapping against his face. After a moment, his eyes fluttered open, realization hitting him. He was alive! Slowly he pushed himself upward, his body aching from the punishment that had been inflicted upon it by the seas. Unsure if he could walk, because of his cold and cramped muscles, Aeden proceeded to crawl away from the surf, moving to a dry spot upon the beach, and turning to sit down, facing the sea. He was wet, he was cold and he was lost, but he was alive!

He sat there for a few moments, contemplating the miracle of his survival, and couldn't help but wonder what deity had looked upon him to save him. His keen eyes could see the remnants of the ship, a mile or two off the coast, broken into several pieces against a rocky shoal, but the mast, what was left of it, was still upright. He had been atop the mast, lashing the mainsail down, when it had cracked in the violent winds. He could remember fighting to stay afloat, then grabbing part of a yardarm and watching as the vessel wallowed away in the waves. He had heard the impact upon the rocks before he had seen the ship being smashed apart, flashes of lighting illuminating the scene. It had been horrible. His home, his friends, everything he had known for the past ten years of his life, gone in a single night.

He began to wonder then as he looked at the ship; was he the only one alive? Aeden looked around then, trying to see if there was anyone else on shore. He didn't see any walking figures, nor could he see anyone sprawled out on the ground. He began to stretch his legs out and think, trying to take stock of the situation. He was probably alone, on an unknown coast... it was then that a panic hit him. He reached down towards the inside of his right boot, hoping a familiar object would be there. As his hand felt the wooden handle against his calf he sighed with relief, happy that, somehow, his father's old knife was still tucked into it's sheath in his boot.

Aeden stood, a low groan escaping his lips as his muscles stretched out. His mind was awhile with what he might need; food, water, weapons, shelter, all things he had had the day before. Now he would need to find them and hopefully find somewhere to go. If he didn't, he wasn't sure if he'd last the next few seasons. So he set out down the beach, hoping to find whatever he could that might help him stay alive or to find others yet alive.

[Tabarnac]

The beach, such as it was, contained mostly rocks. Other than the patch of sand where Aeden had come back to life, there were a few other such patches, some filled with rotting seaweed, another with a bloating corpse, which was drawing the attention of the gulls. If inspected, the hapless sailor might recognize him as the bosun, who would no longer harangue the crew over the rigging and other such things. He still wore his bulky wool coat, but his hat was gone, dark hair matted with clotted blood. Just beyond the dead unfortunate, a scree blocked further view in that direction. Climbing it would prove no great difficulty; though battered and bruised, Aeden had all his working parts. Above the scree was a sharp rock face rising up to some modest cliffs where gulls seemed to be nesting. Atop the loose, fallen boulders and other detritus, he might get a better view of the coastline. As any sailor of these waters knew, however, going inland would likely just get him killed, so dangerous was the terrain. Well, he could certainly try, but nobody had ever heard of anyone who had survived this part of Kalea. Its settlements were called 'remote' for a reason. It was a shame, however, as it was beautiful the way ruins were beautiful; wild, overgrown, dangerous beauty.

[Aeden]

Aeden trekked along the rocky shore, keeping his eyes open for any survivors or anything that might be looking at him as if he were prey. He had grown up in the streets and was far more used to looking for danger in an urban setting. Out here, in the wilds, he was nearly helpless. It wasn't long before Aeden spotted a form laying face down in the sand. He hustled over as best he could, his sore muscles screaming in protest. As he approached he recognized the still form as the ship's bosun. Aeden could see the blood on the man's head and how pale his skin was, not to mention the smell. It hadn't been the first time Aeden had seen a corpse after all.

He approached the form, kneeling beside it. Well the man was dead, so he wouldn't be needing any of his possessions. Had he been someone who had been raised in a more ideal setting he might not have been considering stripping the corpse bare, but as it was that's immediately what his mind leaped too. The man was dead, he wouldn't be needing the stuff, so Aeden quickly went to work, stripping the body of everything that would be worthwhile.

Once that was done Aeden quickly dug a hole in the sand, using a bit of wood he had found as a shovel. He then pushed the bosun into the hole and quickly covered him with sand and a rock cairn. That done he stood over the man's grave and whispered a Laviku, the god of the sea, then turned back to his new possessions. As he began to sort through them he looked about, taking in the lay of the land. He figured his best chance to get out alive would be to catch the attention of another boat or at least stick to the coast so he wouldn't get lost inland. He noticed a rock face leading to a cliff and figured that might be his best chance to sport and alert a passing ship. So, once he knew what he had, he decided that'd be the best place to go.

[Tabarnac]

The damnfool bosun had a pouch of coin on him, damn near enough to drown him, though his head wound was obviously what actually killed him. There was a dagger in his belt sheath and a silver medallion stamped on one side with a stylized wave and on the other with a stylized gust of wind. Laviku and Zulrav had claimed him, anyhow, and turned him over to Dira. The coat might come in handy if Aeden survived into winter. The landscape was clearly unforgiving, and the weather had already proven the same. When he reached the top of the scree, he could see fishing boats appearing from behind another, similar scree. Ivak had shaken this area up centuries ago, but it had yet to recover entirely. If they followed the coast down in his direction, they would likely see his shipwreck before the waves claimed it entirely, but even if they didn't, their mere presence was a good sign for nearby habitation. No fishing vessels would leave the safety of a harbor until they were sure such a storm as last night's had blown over, unless Aeden had been unconscious longer than he imagined, which was a valid possibility. His choices, then, were to somehow get the attention of the fishing boats, try to maneuver through the rough terrain to the hidden settlement, or some other course which his weary mind might imagine. It was then, however, that his stomach began to growl like wild beast. It had been a good deal of time since he had eaten properly, after all. There were those gull nests, tantalizing but possibly within reach if he was a careful climber. Eggs were a good breakfast. There might be other things up above among the woods, but again, could he climb safely? A settlement, however, would have a wider variety. The Denvali were known to be extremely hospitable. The Inarta were rather insular. The Jamoura were mystical apes, but they weren't supposed to be amazing sailors.

[Aeden]

Aeden had stripped the body of everything besides the bosun's undergarments, even taking the man's boots and clothing. Everything he knew about survival had been learned living on the streets, and that told him not to leave anything behind, especially if it might prove useful later. When he picked up the pouch of coins, Aeden resisted the urge to look inside, realizing that, at the moment, the coins wouldn't do him any good. The dagger, with it's sheath, were slid into the outside of Aeden's right boot. The medallion he placed in the pouch of money, which was in turn wrapped in the clothes and then wrapped in the coat, all held together with the bosun's belt. With that pack and the man's boots, Aeden set off, his destination the cliffs.

As he walked Aeden began to become distinctly aware of something, he was hungry and rather thirsty. As he walked he looked around and the scrub and plants, wondering if any of them were edible. He hadn't the slightest idea and he wasn't hungry enough yet to start testing. He did know that water ran towards the ocean, so maybe he could find a stream or river to drink from. It was then, thanks to the call of a gull, that he got another idea. He looked up to the cliffs again, smiling as he saw that the birds nested there. Perhaps he could get one of them or maybe some eggs? It'd be risky, but it might be worth it. First things first though, finding his barings.

As he reached the scree at the base of the cliff, Aeden looked up, daunted a little by the height. He was somewhat used to climbing, thanks to his sailing experience, but he had never climbed a rock face before. Knowing he'd need both his hands, Aeden tied his little bundle to the back of his belt, but then realized he'd have to leave the extra pair of boots. Oh well. He dropped them then setup the scree before beginning his climb, picking his way slowly and making sure every handhold he used held. He didn't need a broken bone to make the day any worse.

The climb took him awhile, longer then he had expected, but when he reached the top he was afforded with a wonderful view. As he looked around his heart leaped, for he saw the small sails and bodies of fishing vessels darting out into the waves of the bay. He had to get their attention! But how?! He looked around the top of the cliff, seeing a few bits of wood. Aeden dropped the pack and then began to quickly gather twigs, wood and bits of old gull nests. After he had the start for a fire he picked up a rock, hoping it'd work. He pulled his father's old knife from it's sheath. Kneeling beside the fire he then began to strike the rock with the back of the single edge blade, hoping to get a spark.

[Tabarnac]

Aeden was lucky to find flint among the rocks and with some effort, he did manage a smoky fire with the damp wood and gull mung. As his smoke signal of distress began to bloom, all he could do was wait and watch the fishing vessels. At length one began to turn toward him, perhaps to suss out the source of this beacon on the cliffs. Below in the water, the wreckage of Aeden's ship was still slowly sinking beneath the water. It would likely take a few days, a few high and low tides, to pull it down permanently into Laviku's realm, and so these altruistic fishermen might have an idea when they met Aeden what had happened. They anchored out a safe distance, sending a tiny dinghy in to investigate with one man rowing and one man watching the shore. They were both of them armed with utilitarian knives and a knowing eye would see they knew how to use them. Just because Kalean settlements were remote didn't mean that there weren't dangers. The man not rowing began to shout "hallo" as they approached, his Common accented with a recognizably Denvali flavor to those who had an ear for such things. This was good news for Aeden, as the people of Denval were known to be welcoming to strangers.

[Aeden]

As he struck the steel to the rock he was rewarded with a spark. Aeden couldn't help but cry out happily as he struck the stone again, another spark leaping forth to catch the tinder. Aeden fed the fire slowly, letting it burn the damp out of any of the wood before adding more. Eventually he through the rest o his wood on, not caring if it smoked, since the entire idea was to get attention. He turned his gaze out to the sea, hoping one of the boats might spot him. He knew many sailors on other coasts were loathe to stop for a signal, fearing it was a trap set by pirates or something of the like. He just prayed that this coast didn't have the same plague.

It seemed that his prayers were answered, for one of the boats turned towards the shore and launched a dingy towards the shore. Aeden stood and waved his hands over his head, trying to draw attention to himself as he caught the echoes of the word, "Hallo." Aeden laughed loudly and cried out in joy, "Hello!!" Without taking a second glance at the incoming dingy, Aeden moved toward the cliff and began to slowly climb down.

Once at the base of the cliff, Aeden began to walk toward the dingy. He waved towards them, yelling as they came closer, "Thank the gods you stopped!" As he walked towards where the dingy would come to shore he noticed that the man standing at the bow was armed with a rather nasty looking knife. He did not know anything of the people on these shores, so he just had to pray that they would be friendly.

[Tabarnac]

The Denvali were hospitable, but not stupid. They smiled at the castaway and beckoned him toward the boat. "Come, come," the one said in his accented Common. "You fish with us today and we take you home with the catch. Are there others with you?" The rower was scanning the rocky shoreline for signs of other castaways or, pirates setting a trap as sometimes happened, but generally not so often in these less inhabited stretches of land. The more talkative fisherman put out a hand to help Aeden into their dinghy. It was simple and serviceable, enough to be an auxiliary of the fishing ship from which it came. The Denvali fleet, such as it was, had grown considerably since 451 as they gained access to more forested places and more skilled shipwrights.

[Aeden]

Aeden was happy to see the men's smiling faces, but still had a little suspicion of his own. He had never met a sailor from these parts, let alone anyone else from here, so he wasn't about to trust them entirely. But their hands stayed away from their blades, which was a good sign, so Aeden kept his hand away from his new dagger as well. As the men spoke, saying he'd fish with them today and then go home with the catch he chuckled, "Never thought work would sound so good right now!"

But when the subject of others came up, Aeden couldn't help but somber up a bit. He shook his head a bit, "I've only seen one other member of the crew, and he was dead." He pointed to the rock cairn he had made, which was visible on the beach, "He's there now." The boat was now in fairly shallow water, so Aeden waded out to it as one of the men extended a hand to him. Aeden tossed his improvised pack into the boat, on the opposite side, to counteract the weight of him getting in. He took the man's hand and braced his other hand on the side of the boat, leaping up as he was hauled and dragged himself into the dinghy.

As he took a seat in the bow of the small vessel he grabbed his pack, putting it between his legs. He looked at the men, wondering where he was, considering their odd accents. "So, where abouts am I? We were blown far far off course by storms, all the captain had told us was that we were somewhere known as the Bay of Storms...." Aeden didn't know much about geography or anything involving navigation, hell he couldn't even read!