Closed Knotted Rope and Ties that Bind

[Jay Darkcrest]

Spring 11, 516 AV
The Mischief


They had pulled anchor only four days ago, but Jay already knew that he loved the Mischief. It was a relief to be out on the sea again, to feel planks under his feet and breathe salty air, but above that, a vessel blessed by Ionu was unlike any other he’d seen or heard about before. Just like its home port, the ship changed every day, never failing to impress with its magnificent sights and sensations. Jay would’ve said the wood was still alive, but he knew better. Ordinary wood didn’t grow lush purple blossoms one day and turn into glass the next, ordinary sails didn’t change color and fabric every other day. Sometimes the hull was adorned by elaborately carved fish, sometimes by menacing steel spikes (you had to keep away from the railing). Even the figurehead changed shapes and Jay was beginning to think it was meant to depict Ionu in all their confusing glory.

And hiring as a deckhand was the best thing he could’ve done. He didn’t mind doing chores around the ship – after all, he’d grown up doing them – but above all, he loved sitting in the crow’s nest. Up there, the sea and sky melted into one vast expanse of blue. Up there, he could understand every word the breezes hurled into his ears.

After helping around the crew’s quarters and kitchens the entire morning, Jay had climbed the mast and relieved the sailor in the crow’s nest. He’d been looking forward to that afternoon shift all morning, now he could lean back and relax.

With only a few white clouds in the sky, the Kelvic kept an eye on the horizon and directed most of his attention towards the upper deck. Performers were loitering, chatting or practicing their craft. A little explosion here, an outburst of green sparks there was perfectly normal on the Mischief, but Jay never tired of watching. Leaning over the handrail (sails beneath painted navy blue with abstract ornaments), he squinted and scanned the deck, wondering if Karin was working somewhere in sight.

[Karin]

The crisp, pleasant wind of the day brushed over her hair, spinning it into blonde whipped clouds as the wind whistled past to push the billowing sails of the boat on their journey onwards. The pitching and tossing was at once familiar and strange, but Karin didn't have time to worry about her footsteps, or indeed about anything at all. Nor did she want to worry. Her life on the ship was intensely busy, yet incredibly fulfilling, and currently all she cared about was pulling on the ropes and directing their course alongside the other sailors, living the sailor's life.

The day skipped on, like the Mischief across the waters. But by lunchtime, the girl was exhausted, with her hair tangled and her cheeks windburnt, and all she wanted was to eat her bread and cheese in peace and quiet, somewhere new yet familiar. The ship was both simultaneously large and small, much bigger than any boat she'd seen, but not as endless big as Alvadas. She'd managed to explore quite a few places: the 'kitchen', the officer's quarters, the bunks, the helm and the stern.

There was one place she hadn't been to yet, but she had been prompted, it being somewhat of a right of passage for a sailor. Yet she hadn't climbed the rigging to the crow's nest, simply because she hadn't wanted to. And she had a slight fear of heights. But now, as she gazed around, she caught sight of a familiar face, right up high.

Of course, it was her Kelvic friend, Jay. It had surprised her when she'd found out he was coming on this voyage too, but then it had seemed completely natural, and she smiled as she remembered the occasion. Now, she waved up to him, wondering if he would come down. It didn't seem so, and Karin idly glanced at the distance between him and her.

Oh... But if he wasn't going to come down, then she would go up. After all, it was a place she hadn't discovered yet. She quickly fumbled with a kerchief, tying a knot to secure her food and looping it around her belt. She was wearing her white shirt, brown trousers and boots- clothes that thankfully were easy to climb in. She quickly shouted upwards, "Hey Jay! I'm comin' up!"

Then it was one hand in front of the other, all the while not daring to look down, or even acknowledge that she was far from the floor. In fact, after the first wobble on the ropes, she didn't find it too bad. The climb was not difficult, and despite the movements of the ship, she felt secure. One hand above the other... She was soon near the top, feeling refreshed by the climb. She didn't notice it either, but she was much fitter than she had been, seasons ago.

Ducking her head up, the girl passed her food up to Jay as she shimmied her way up the final part of the mast. Finally at the top, the girl refused to look over the edge, but instead gazed at the sky, saying, "It's a beautiful day, right?"

[Jay Darkcrest]

He discovered Karin quickly as she was just standing on deck near the mast. Looking up to him, she gestured. With a grin, Jay guessed at her message and gestured back. No, he couldn't come down, he had to stay put. Then he watched as she tied something to her belt, shouted something and began climbing the mast. The wind carried her words away, quite ignorant of its Stormwarden that day, but they were forgotten soon.

Jay watched as she came closer, noting how she seemed fitter and more self-confident than two seasons ago. When they'd found themselves on the same ship, he'd been thrilled and thanked both Laviku and Zulrav that night. As far as the Kelvic was concerned, he knew with certainty that he liked to be with Karin, enjoyed her company and everything she did. At the same time, he didn't know if she enjoyed his quite as much or if she simply wanted someone teaching her of the Svefra and their ways. So when their friendship had continued on the Mischief, Jay had been relieved.

He took the bundle and watched as she entered the nest through its hole in the bottom, handing it back to her afterwards. "Thanks for coming up here. I'm working a shift, so I can't leave." Instead of looking around, Karin gazed up at the sky and Jay suddenly remembered her problem with heights. "Aye, so it is. You taking a break? Is that food?" He could smell it, of course, but didn't think of asking for a part. It was her food and her time.

His grin widened as Jay tried to come up with a way to tease her about the height. "But the view is more beautiful than the sky. Look!" With that, he leaned over the handrail, spreading his arms wide in exaggerated gesture. Jay was never afraid in the crow's nest, even less after gaining Zulrav's favor, and it showed.

[Karin]

Karin grimaced with a grin at Jay's exaggerated movements, sure for the briefest flicker of time that the ship would lurch and he'd fall to the deck. But he was so sure of himself that she had to grin, too. And he was right- the view was spectacular. Water stretched out in all directions, the majestic hide of the ocean that Karin had fallen in love with.

Battling down her fear, she stretched out on the narrow bench, picking up her food and untying the knot that held it in place. She grabbed the food eagerly, as her appetite was quite large by this point. Half a mouthful of cheese later, and the girl belatedly offered some to the man. "Uh, yesh, it's food. You want some?"

Swallowing, she looked around, down at the rigging and the sails. Abstractedly she nodded. "Yes, I was working. I'm still trying to figure out why I end up having to scrub the deck on a beautiful day though. But I'm glad to be up here." She was, too. The air was cooler on her skin, and the stresses of the day seemed to wear off, especially in Jay's presence.

"What do you make of this shift?" She asked, and then continued half-teasingly, "Don't you get bored of the endless blue?" She herself could never get bored of it, but she wanted to know what Jay thought. Whether he took this shift because he had to, or whether there was something about the crow's nest which he enjoyed.

She watched him a little. He did look comfortable, as she surely didn't, gripping onto the railing. Maybe it was in his animal nature, to be fearless with heights. In fact, she didn't even know why she was so afraid of them. That dizzy surge of head moving to stomach was an odd feeling, but she supposed it didn't have to be a bad one, not necessarily.

"But anyway, how have you been today Jay?" So customary that she didn't even realised, she smiled brightly at the man.

[Jay Darkcrest]

OOCOnce again, sorry for the delay!


Jay leaned back when she grimaced, satisfied that he’d shocked her a little, but with no intention to instill true fear. It was a joke, one he loved to play on everyone at least once, it got old quickly. He could live without the view if Karin was there, so he plopped down on the wooden floor opposite the bench.

The way she wolfed down her food prompted a teasing grin. Jay knew how hard work and the salty sea breeze exhausted the body. As a Kelvic, especially a young one, he was always hungry, but more so at sea. “Sure,” he replied and took whatever she gave. Working in the kitchen, he’d snagged crusts and dipped fingers into stews, but Karin didn’t need to know that. Still, he made sure she got the biggest part of her own ration.

While they were eating, Jay marveled at the beautiful picture of Karin against the mast and impossibly blue sky. If asked, he would have had trouble deciding which was more vibrant, her wheat-colored locks or the firmament. She was like a second sun, with the significant difference that he could smell and touch her. The sun, within reach.

He laughed sharply. “You kidding? When the weather’s good, it’s easier to see dust on the deck. So you scrub it. When it rains, you don’t scrub it. You should be glad.”

Then his grin subsided a little, it was as if she’d guessed his earlier thought and answered to it. He shrugged and reached up to touch his earring, suddenly restless. “No, never. You know I was on ships as a young one, all the time, so I know the different kinds of works there are. But the crow’s nest is my favorite. I don’t know why.” He paused, groping for words, then said something in Fratava about the Storm Lord before switching back to Common. “Blessed by Zulrav, my mum always said. Maybe that’s the reason. It feels good to be in a high place, is all. The wind, the birds. If there’s land, you see it first.” He shrugged, the grin returned.

A piece of rope was coiled tightly around a hook next to Jay. He took it and let it run through his hands, played with it as if trying to braid it together with is fingers. “Not bad. I helped clean the living quarters, then I did some chopping and peeling in the kitchen. We have good cooks, don’t you think? But say. You already did a few different things on the ship, no? Which did you like best? And does it feel… good? Like being a Svefra again?” As he continued playing with the rope, memories of different knots surfaced, things his mind had pushed into dark corners. At sea, albeit a different one, they were once again part of everyday survival.

[Karin]

As Jay spoke, she continued to test her limits, looking over the edge of the crow's nest with gradually decreasing amounts of caution. "Mm, that's true I guess..." She nodded at his mention of dust, having never thought about it like that before. Her nod turned to confusion as she tilted her head. "Zulrav?" He sounded like a god, but one she hadn't heard of before. In fact, she really only knew of two gods: Ionu and Laviku. An odd combination if ever there was one.

She thought for a tick or so at his question, with a slow-dawning realisation growing. "Well, I've enjoyed a lot of it. Mostly the work hauling the sails about, the maintenance. I haven't felt like a Svefra, not so much because of the illusions on this ship, I think." She laughed, and mentioned, "Like the other day, when the masts were covered entirely in snails." She grew serious again, looking over Jay's face before glancing away again. "I suppose that they've made it feel like I'm, like we're still in Alvadas. But the ocean, and the sun, and the brine-smell. That makes me feel like a Svefra, and that's wonderful."

"Have you been enjoying it here on the Mischief Jay?" She smirked to herself- Mischief Jay. That was an appropriate nick-name for the Kelvic. With a small sigh, the girl leant back against the sides of the nest, and looked up at the sky. Seabirds wheeled overhead, a common sight. She was thinking about Jay's Kelvic nature again. He was the first one of his kind that she'd ever met, and she was full of questions, like usual, unvoiced yet still there. Did Kelvics come in every animal form? What were other animals like to them? Did the shifting hurt? Because she had innumerable questions about the shifting- the bright light she'd seen, the ease with which Jay had done it. Was it magic, and could Jay do other types of magic because of it?

Bringing her attention back to Mizahar again, she noticed the rope between his hands, twisting this way and that. She sat upright again, leaning forwards with her elbows on her knees. "Are you good at knots?" Karin wasn't, not brilliant, but she had some rope in her bunk that she'd had for a few years. Her knotwork was... interesting, to say the least, but she wondered then if Jay was any good. Her half-remembered memories of her past echoed of time spent around a fire on the beach, looking over someone's shoulder at work on a knotted mat or bag, intricate and gorgeous. She'd wanted to be as good as that person, she remembered now.

Karin spoke with a startled burst of speech, "You know, I remember ages ago. I was on a beach, and there was somebody else there, maybe an aunt? Or a family friend. Anyway, she was tying knots and making something really beautiful. I wanted to do that too, back then. I'd forgotten about that until now." She looked sheepish. "I guess that was a bit out of the blue."

[Jay Darkcrest]

“Zulrav, lord of the wind, you know? Breezes, storms, lightning and thunder, all that. My mother always said I was blessed. She got me in a terrible storm, is why. He marked me too.” Half glad to have an excuse, Jay tugged the rough tunic over his head and shifted so that Karin saw the green and blue tattoo that swirled around his shoulder and down part of his back. When she’d seen enough, he left the tunic in a pile by his feet and went back to twisting the rope around between his fingers.

He nodded vigorously when she explained. So it was sailing the ship, but also the freshness of changing illusions. While Karin was talking, he cast quick glances at her, looking and then not looking. The Kelvic was still uncomfortable with direct eye contact, always would be. It felt like a threat. But Karin seemed to feel the same, or similar at least, since she often avoided staring at him for too long.

“Aye!” he replied immediately. “How can I not? I know lots of ships, but this one is special. Different every day, like hundred ships in one! It’s exciting. You can explore it every day, if you have time. Hey, do you want to do that sometime, during midday break maybe? Explore the ship?” Working with the blond Svefra was fine, but you couldn’t talk and laugh about random stuff during a shift. Jay liked the crew, but he always wanted to spend time with Karin, like they did now.

Frowning, he looked down at the rope. He hadn’t paid attention to what he was doing with it, it had gotten tangled. He untwisted it and tried to tie a simple knot, one of the few he knew by heart. Taking the tail, he passed it over the rope once to form a loop, then continued to wind it around under the loop and through, so that it formed a figure eight. It could be untied easily and was used as a stopper, although it sometimes came undone by itself.

Before he could think of another knot, Karin asked her question. Jay shrugged. “I know some…” The question of good or bad had never occurred to him. You learned knots because you needed to know them. It helped with sailing a ship. They didn’t have to be pretty. Still, he listened to her story with interest. “They look nice, I guess. Some more, others not so much. They’re important for sailing though. This aunt or whatever, did she teach you any?” He bent one leg and wound the rope loosely around his ankle, twice. Then he passed the tail over the end that led away from his ankle and under the part tied around it. What next? He tugged on it idly, trying to remember.

[Karin]

Zulrav, huh. She placed the name to the element, and then directed her gaze to the man's mark. It was beautiful, really, truly. Not a mark as such, more a piece of artwork transcribed on his skin from a god. She found herself staring at the vibrant shapes of what could only be wind, ordinarily invisible but shown on the canvas of his body as almost shimmering blues and greens in swirling shapes that defined the man's shoulders well.

In fact, at that very moment, Jay looked the picture perfect sailor. Shirtless, grinning mischievously, hair tousled by the breeze. Karin took a glance at his eyes, and found him looking. With a half quirk, half smile, she looked away again.

"It's a plan." She too shared his excitement- the Mischief really was a phenomenal ship. "Tomorrow? I'm sure we'd be able to grab some time off then. Maybe we could do some more climbing too... if you'd like?"

She leaned back in response to his answer, feeling utterly at ease. "I get that they're good for sailing, and I can kind of remember some of those type. I suppose what I meant was the decorative ones. Y'know, those ball knots, or ones which are tied to look like patterns?" She gestured vaguely with her hands what she meant, threading her fingers with each other to represent what she meant. It looked nothing like what she was trying to describe though, and she laughed, slightly exasperated at herself. "Gods I'm bad at explaining."

However, as Jay started to tie a rope around his leg, her exasperation quickly turned to mischief. Trying to be as sneaky as possible, she crept her hand along to quickly claim the free end of the rope. "Haha! Captive." She winked as well as she could, before offering a brief smirk.

"Well, I'm not sure if she was an aunt, after all. Definitely a friend of the family though, maybe a relative of an aunt? Anyway, she taught me something, let me see if I can remember it. It was a long time ago." It was, at that. The memory was fuzzy, just flickering flames and hushed laughter, clinks of bottles and the soft strumming of a gea'tar or mandolin. A brief piercing of sadness for her lost past, a brief moment of wondering what could have been if she'd never moved to Alvadas...

She shrugged. Taking the end of the rope that Jay had been working with, the girl looped it loosely around her left wrist. Then she took the free end and tied it around the end of the loop she'd already made. A couple of times round, and then she pulled back, dissatisfied.

The end result wasn't mind-blowing, in fact it was rather average. That was to say, not really decorative. If Karin was to put a name to it, it'd be a simple buntline hitch (not that she knew it's name). Yet she let out a quiet laugh as she realised. "And now I'm a captive too."