The Jaded Drifter (Marrow)

[Aarithren Whitewake]

Date: 57th of Summer Dusk began to set on the sea, where if a straight line was drawn between Alvedas and Kenash, Aarithren's long and slender casinor, The Jaded Drifter, would be in the center of the line. Aarithren realized this as he sat cross legged against the mast, his map held out in front of him against the sunlight so he could read it. The Jaded Drifter was named for it's green sails, when the sea would spray the sails, they would shimmer as if they were the jewel itself. Aarithren this as soft green glows reflected off the wet spots on the deck of the ship. He stood with stretch, feeling the tug of gravity on the boat as it jibbed slowly against the wind. They, as in him and his ship, had been jibbing for most of the day. Even then he was not bored. He was Svefra, he was one with the water and he couldn't dream of a place more comfortable than a perfectly balanced ship on even waters. He was bent over the starboard side, looking down into the moderately clear waters as he tucked his map into the damp piece head band under his dark, shoulder-length hair. He was eager, he realized, to reach to the Southern Suvan. More eager than he had originally thought. He realized this as gazed about his current surroundings of the mid-Suvan. He was one to prefer the tropical ease as opposed to the not as leisurely setting he found himself in now. The Sky was orange at this point, lessening the green glow of the Jade Drifter's sails. Aarithren recognized this time of day as the point where he took down the sails and let the casinor drift. He did this for many reasons. But mostly because he was a heavy sleeper, and would rather not sleep through a small storm to find himself far off course due to the winds. He set to work on taking them down, taking his time as he untied the series of simple knotwork that kept the complexities of sailing moving fluently. Once Drawn in, the casinor slowed to a drift. He tied the loose sail tight to the mast and set about making himself comfortable on the bow of the ship. He had tied a hammock into the ship, each end fasted to the port and starboard bow. Since it was such a slender craft, the hammock came close to touching the deck, but lacked a few inches even when Aarithren layed inside. As he layed, the low cut of his white shirt loosened, and the tail of a manta ray was visible on his chest. The mark of his pod. He took note of it and pulled his shirt back over it, it was not a mark he cared to parade around with. While he was proud of his Svefra bloodline, he was not so proud of his pod. Therein was the reason for his seclusion and lack of family. He did not dwell on the thought, he shut his eyes, pulling his headband over his eyes, a very slight smile touching his lips as he savored the last of the day's sunlight.

[Marrow Moontide]

Marrow's bright blue eyes glinted as they observed the calm waters around her island, watching the triangular fin of Rashel as she sliced the water restlessly. The Svefra knew the shark was probably hungry, and therefore trying to scare up some food from the shoals, but she couldn't be so sure. While she had been with Rashel for years, the tigeress of the waters still had some confusing habits, such as this one. Marrow knew another possibility that the shark wanted to play in the water, but if Marrow guessed wrong and went to swim, the shark could possibly kill her.

Sighing, the Svefra lifted her eyes from Rashel and the shark dipped into the water, invisible. Marrow reclined on the tall tree that she used as a resting spot and looked out over the waters much more openly. Every day she did this, it was the only way she had kept her mind this season so far. She'd already given up on waiting for the Lia's Palivar, but a faint glimmer of hope that she wasn't forgotten always lit in her heart every time she looked to the Suvan.

Today, her eyes set not on the unending horizon, but on an unfamiliar Casinor with sails down, drifting along the current. The Svefra stood and lifted a hand to shade her eyes, gazing out at the Casinor. Her first thoughts of the sight were glad, but now they were cunning. Marrow needed a ship, or she'd rot on this island like the fruit that spoiled if left out in the sun too long. She couldn't sail however.

Marrow frowned slightly, before grinning and running to her driftwood pile, tossing most of her supply on her fire, almost smothering the flame before it burst even brighter into blue-green flames. She then darted into the tree line into hiding, hoping against all odds that the Svefra sailing the ship saw her fire.

[Aarithren Whitewake]

He realized, suddenly, that he had forgotten to lock the cabin of the casinor. He did this every night, in case someone devious decided to sneak aboard his vessel and make themselves at home while Aarithren slept. He sighed as he rolled off, raising his headband off of one eye. He strode with heavy, tired steps to the door that lead to the inner hull of the ship. The door had a cleat fasted to it, while the wood by the door had an identical cleat. He took the spare piece of rope he carried and tied the two cleats together into several intricate knots. This would not indefinitely keep intruders out, but it would keep one at bay long enough for their struggle to wake him, and from there he would take action. Once finished, he turned to take back to his napping, though a strangely hued flame caught in the peripherals of his vision. It was off the starboard side, and at this point he wished he had enough merchandise to trade for a spyglass, though fishing had not been plentiful lately. He made a short note to buy a net. He decided, that since he was not really tired yet, he would explore the beach a while. He had a peculiar feeling about it. He went to the bow of the casinor, kneeling down to retrieve the anchor from the coil of ropes bound to it. Aarithren dropped the anchor into the dark water, holding the rope with his hands as he let it sink slowly, waiting for it to meet bottom. Once it finally did, he made sure there was little slack, and held tight until it dragged into something solid. Satisfied with the casinors slowed momentum, he removed his coat, shirt, and the map under his headband. He laid the items on his hammock, leaving his cutlass and daggers exposed on his belt. After checking the weapons to see if they could remain fastened through the duration of a swim, he stepped onto the starboard side of the deck and dove forward, his arms a spear tip over his head as he flew into the water, an arrow for a moment before he slowed to steady swim on the surface. Aarithren swam with strong strokes, he did not swim as effortlessly other Svefra he'd come across in his travels. It was not a skill he had ever avidly practiced, though he looked on the bright side and told himself that this was practice. Once he reached the shore, there was a certain burn about his arms, though it was only slight, and felt good to him. He turned back to check the Jaded Drifter, all seemed in check so he averted his bright turquoise gaze to the fire, which had died down since he'd last laid eyes on it. He strode through the sand to the small bonfire, but once he got close he grew wary. He drew his silver Cutlass and it glimmered with a vague reflection of the fire. He knew that the fire starter would have to be close, so he checked all directions, keeping the Suvan to his back as he waited for the individual to make a move. If they would not reveal themselves by the time the fire grew silent, he would return to his casinor and leave the mystery camper. He muttered softly to himself, a soft grin betraying his calm. "Come out, we both know how this game will end..."

[Marrow Moontide]

Marrow crouched among sparse ferns, her reddish hair flashing in the flames tinted from the salt water. Her eyes watched the shirt less Svefra -and she was glad he was a Svefra and not some boat thief- as he examined her little campfire. She pondered trouncing him and leaving him bound and gagged as she sailed off into the sunset, but she decided against it. She couldn't sail any type of ship. She hadn't been allowed to on the Palivar she had spent her life on. The other Svefra either didn't trust her, or thought she'd fall off the rigging to her death. Just because she was marked by Rak'keli and not Laviku didn't mean she couldn't love the sea and be able to understand it. But none of the Lia's family were open-minded enough for that.

Marrow sighed and pondered her course of action. Her chests were in the tree-line, moved there by a Svefra in hurry to hide herself, but they weren't close enough to the shore. The girl sighed and looked to the water. Rashel was there, she knew. Maybe she could get the shark to intimidate the other Svefra until he grabbed her things and brought them to the boat, and then they could sail. Or maybe... Not.

She'd stow-away and convince him to get her things. She was a woman, he was a man. She had weapons to get what she wanted.

Marrow nodded to herself with a devious grin and crept away from her camp to the beach, diving into the water as quietly as she could, but she hoped her splash would only sound like the waves hitting the keel of the casinor.

Once in the water, she swam to the anchor's rope, grabbing it in slick hands, made so by the salt water, and began the strenuous climb into the ship. Marrow wasn't a good climber in the first place, thanks to being unable to climb the rigging as the other Svefra children did, but she would make sure to succeed. And eventually, after many chimes, she did, her hands burnt from the rope and her arms exhausted. She could have fallen over and fallen asleep if she didn't feel the need to hide to scare the captain of this lonely casinor. Her first thought was to hide in the cabin, but she cursed when she found that the pirate had locked it with a slew of knots Marrow had no name for. She cursed him quietly for that, before laughing at her own misfortune, and darting to cut one rope holding his hammock up before laying down flat against the lip of the deck where she had climbed over.

Her plan: to distract him with the cut rope on his hammock long enough to truss him up and get her things, or to hold him at the blade of her cutlass and coerce him into getting her things for her.

[Aarithren Whitewake]

He turned, kicking sand onto the vacant fire as he sheathed his cutlass. Aarithren began wondering what this short endeavor could have rewarded him. The gentle and constant splashing of the tide on the beach reassured him as he doused the flame, and crouched in front of the fading orange remnants. He looked around again, Brushing his dark, wet hair off his face. He could only wonder who was responsible for the fire. Then he realized how his curiosity was getting the better of him. He stood, his hand resting, as it almost always did, on the hilt of his cutlass. Putting his back to the fire, he faced the sea, and waded into the water until his feet lost the soft silt at the bottom, and he began swimming, his arms growing sorer as he fought against the push of the water. Aarithren found the rope, and he used it to pull himself up high enough to latch his other hand on the side of the Casinor. He pulled himself up, and over the the side onto the deck. He rolled off his back, his hand finding empty space as he went to grab his shirt off the hammock. He looked down, and to the rope that had failed to hold it up. The rope that had been cut.

[Marrow Moontide]

Her quarry had indeed come, and had done as she wanted him to, while almost stepping on her in the process. Her eyes watched him move, and as he turned his back to look at the cut rope, she got as quietly as she could to her feet, scuffling slightly on the wood, and hesitated. She had made more noise getting up than anything.

When she felt certain that he hadn't heard, she tensed and darted forward, her man of red hair flying behind her as she hit his body and latched on to his back, whipping out her own cold steel cutlass and pressing the curved blade to his throat while her free arm clamped to his body, like her legs had. She chuckled, believing herself to have the upper hand on the make Svefra.

"Sailing alone, pirate?" She asked in their language, muttering in his ear. That was all she'd say for now.

[Aarithren Whitewake]

Aarithren decided to play his favorite card, the chance card. He recognized the Fratava, but disregarded it. Even though she weighed little on his back, the impact had still thrown him off his balance. Instead of catching himself, he let his body rock forward. He gripped the girl's wrists as he fell forward. Mid-fall, He pivoted on his toes, putting the girl between his back and the deck of the Jaded Drifter. His plan was simple, wind her, escape from her grasp, and unleash his own cutlass. He saw a slight flash reddish hair out of the corner of his eye. He wondered then what his assailant may have looked like. Definitely slender, red headed, Svefra both by blood and nature... In any other situation, he'd be playing his chances in a different, more flirtatious manner. As things were now, he figured he'd stick with incapacitating her, and probably leaving her tied naked to the mast of the Jaded Drifter, she could be set loose once her sunburn had escalated to a frightfully painful level. He smiled at the thought, hoping she was unprepared to cut his throat as they fell towards the deck.