Closed [Job Thread] A Mercenaries Mercy (Cascade)

[Tiernan Swiftriver]

Location: The Anchorage Flotilla Timestamp: 50th Day of Winter, Eleventh Bell OOCshort post is short, and random NPC was left vague so you could have full freedom of creativity. Tiernan faded from one rustic merchant vessel to another focused to find some type of work. Dispite the the fact that most Svefra used the barter system of trade, Tiernan believed that having coin was necessary to have on hand. It was why in lieu of any possible danger while out on a job, had decided to leave his daughter with his parent and Pod's Lia before sailing to the Flotilla. Hopping aboard another merchant ship he gave the owner a faint smile; the first true smile that he made all the day, one that dissipated into a curious smirk moments before he introduced himself. Standing along the bow of a ship, he looked the merchant in the eyes while trying to be professional. "My name is Tiernan Swiftriver and ay hear ya have services that need'ta be preformed."

[Cascade]

Valeria Whitewave, the person Tiernan had been seeking, raised her eyes and to look at him. Her eyes were bright blue, characteristic of the Svefra. She appeared to be around thirty years old with messy auburn hair and a mischievous sort of expression which she enjoyed to wear. The woman had been bartering with someone when Tiernan had arrived. At the young man’s words, she quickly put her full attention to him. “Oh, yes, yes!” she responded quickly. She looked at him from head to toe, as if judging him on the spot. “Finally. The usual ones just don’t seem to be around, and you should do. Yes, I have a job which needs to be done right away. We need someone who can fend for themselves and is fast on the feet. What say you?” The woman was known to be the ears and mouth of the Anchorage. If anyone had anything needing to be done, Svefra or not, they came to her. She in turn would hand out these odd jobs to the mercenaries of the sea. “I’ll be needing you to fetch a handful of Alohota eggs. I hear there’s a pod to be found in the shores south to the Anchorage, should take you a bell or two to get there if you sail quickly.” Aside from being difficult to find, the Alohota were known to be fiercely protective of their young, and fetching some of their eggs would not be an easy ordeal. They laid their eggs in shallow shores, although one would have to dive to reach the nests. Valeria patiently waited for his answer, her blue eyes staring right back at his.

[Tiernan Swiftriver]

oocRemainder of the thread will now be self-moderated . Tiernan half squinted at the mention of an Alohota, yet his icy blue gaze remained locked with hers. He didn't hear any reasons why and didn't want to know what she was going to use the eggs for, all he knew was that taking this contract was hardly out of the way for him. After receiving the information he needed about the job, Tiernan nodded his head slightly in agreement. "Aye'll be back when aye have the eggs for ya." With was noting left to be said so he left Valeria Whitewave to her business of bartering. The walk back to his Casinor was a relatively easy one as he leapfrogged from ship to ship. Once his boots touched down onto the deck of his ship he slipped them off. As a force of habit he had gotten use to roaming his ship shoeless. The Casinor itself was the last ship rafted up to a line of several other ships, and to set sail he needed to unhitch his lines from the neighboring ship he was tied too. "Setting sail." He spoke aloud to the male Charoda who was currently wandering the bow of the other ship. Though they were relative strangers beyond the fact that they were raftd-up together, Tiernan and the Charoda began to move in a coordinated song and dance. Tiernan drew up his anchor before moving to lossen the rigging line that connected the bow of his ship to the charoda's; likewise the Charoda began to do the same with the line connecting to the sterns of each ship. Releasing the lines togetner, Tiernan's Casinor began to stagger and shake as it drifted out to sea slowly. It was a controlled chaos as his ships hull rocked against the Charoda's ship. Luckily, the bumpers and fenders made of weaved rope that hung off the side of each ship were doing their jobs. Once his ship was far enough out to sea that his mast wouldn't hit any near ships, he began to work on setting his sails. Hoisting the mainsail by pulling down on its line, the sail quickly luffed out. After securing the sail's lines he walked to the wheel of his ship to steer in the direction south of the Anchorage. He couldn't help raise his arm in a half-hearted salute away from his forehead towards the Charoda as he sailed away. As the law of The Laws of the Svefra states, a man's ship is the most important thing they own. It is an extension of their soul. To strike at a ship is the same as striking at she or he who owns it. The salute Tiernan made was deeply sentimental as it brought closure to their brief brotherhood. Separating his soul-ship from a emotional connection that rivaled the concept of love. If Valeria Whitewave's information was correct he would meet the shore in either one or two bells time.

[Tiernan Swiftriver]

The information he was given was true. The cold sprays of the ocean water drifted into the air as his casinor, named The Delphian, sped along the waters surface. Tiernan tilted his head up slightly, letting the mists of the sea water wash over him as he stood at the stern of his ship with both hands on the wheel. The Delphian reverberated as it sailed into the wind causing a hum that luffed out the fully raised sail. The rigging lines of the sails swayed and swished as the ship drew closer to the shallow waters of the shore nearing a inlet beach. Turning the wheel of the ship, the Delphian began to turn until it was running horizontally against the ocean current. The swish of rolling waves began to beat against the starboard side of the ships haul causing a rolling beat like a snare drums to echo out after each constant low wave. Tiernan rushed to trim the sails to balance the fore and aft of the ship to keep the Delphian from rocking back and forth as it sailed against the tied and off of the wind. While it was true that he had found the shore, the same couldn't be said about the Alohota. His eyes wandered over the surface of the beach as he retook his position behind the wheel. The Delphian began to sail parallel to the shore from its position out at sea, at this angle the upward sprays of salt water vials of mist began to sting his eyes. To counter act this Tiernan retrieved his swimming goggles and set them over his eyes. His searching seemed fruitless as kept a keen eye on the beach, sailing fast as if he were chasing a ghost ship in a race for the Alohota eggs. As time progressed, spending thirty chimes of a bell futilely searching on land. Tiernan decided to take his search to below the oceans surface. Letting go of the wheel he proceeded to drop his main anchor which slowed the ship down to a near stop. Even through the anchor weighed the ship down, the wind in the sails were still forcing the ship forward at a slugs pace. Moving to the Delphian's mast, he began to untie the halyard rope knot on the mast; the rope that raise or lower the sail. Once the sail was down the Delphian stopped completely. Tiernan lifted his goggles so it would rest on his forehead as he went to look over the side of his ship down at the sea. Underneath the high noon light of the sun, objects beneath the water were hidden by the reflection of light along the ocean surface. However, after looking at the water long enough Tiernan began to see a vaporous shape appear far below the shimmering water. The dark speck began to grow larger as he watched it rush towards the surface before simply swimming down back into the water. Both of his hands gripped onto the wooden railings to keep him form falling overboard as he tried to find the creature again. Tiernan was so distracted looking into the sea that he failed to notice the large creature that happened to swim up onto shore. He heard a strange cry reverberated through the air, a gnarling screech that did not blend with the other calls, cries, and squeaks of inland seagulls. Wishing to find the source of the sound he turned to look for the creature. It stood upon four long clumsy legs that were pressed against its side. Each being lifted then pounded into the ground as sharp claws dug into the sand to help it drag itself across the shore. TIernan couldn't help but smile as his search for the Alohota had come to an end. He stood there watching it for a moment looking at the triangular head which was highlighted by its long colorful orange and red beak. As Tiernan watched the Alohota on shore he could hear a sound, faint as it was; it was like something was brushing against the bottom of his ship. He looked around the the ocean again, observing with eyes experienced at looking beyond the reflecting waters surface to see below. His icy blue eyes remained trained on the water until his gaze was met and received by perching black eyes. They belonged to a curious Alohota who's body remained fully submerged only allowing its beak and eyes to see who the newcomer was. The Alohota cocked its head at the bizarre sight of the man above it in the ship. Naturally curious in nature it didn't know if Tiernan was a threat or just a fellow creature wishing to live on the sea in peace. Wishing to seem as harmless as possible he only smiled at the creature, speaking with kind words. "Lovely beak. Aye'mean you no harm." Sure it was a blatant lie, but he wasn't even sure it knew what he said. The expression he gave was gentle as his yes grew soft. No longer holding his icy gaze but one as calm as the sea. Tiernan took two steps backwards before he felt the wood beneath his feet squeak. The Alohota that was the center of his attention took the chance to fully submerge back into the water.