Private Tales Mind the Swells

[Gavin Blackfyre]

He caught the sound a moment after Kes and knew immediately what was approaching. He had commanded many a volley in his time and suffered under others a well thanks to his life at sea. His good eye frantically searched the sky for the signs of the attack, the dark slender shapes that when gathered in enough numbers were enough to blot out the sun. He found them and was thinking of a solution with Faleru stepped in.

He felt their boat respond first, lurching forward as the water gathered and then reached into the sky. Gavin watched, utterly amazed at the spectacle, especially when it appeared the water began taking shape. He first imagined them to look like hands until he was convinced there was no other object it could have mimicked other then a pair of hands. The arrows were then plucked from the sky before they could reach them, save for two which reacted differently?

It was then Gavin knew these to be no simple missiles launched from normal bows. There was a magical means behind them, this much was true as he felt the mana bleeding off of them. About to offer aid, Gavin jumped slightly as Faleru once more helped him and Kes, choosing to catch the arrows which were still propelled forward after meeting her water with not magic, but her own hands.

"Ever the popular couple..." he joked and it didn't help that after that long discussion about how he and Kes were not together, he just labeled them as a couple.

"I'll take care of the second volley..." He said as he stepped forward and look to a second cloud that formed above them.

The dark shafts streaked across the sky racing towards them with purpose but that did not alarm Gavin. He gathered the mana with in his body, felt it's warmth spread and as the arrows drew closer, he lashed his right arm out, swiping before him. There was no delay and in truth, what followed next was rather sudden. Mimicking his moment, a thick flame cleaved the air, taking on the form of a giant clawed limb that could have belonged to some massive beast. The heat produced by the attack was so intense that the arrows that entered the flame began almost immediately, any hope of hitting their targets lost as fletching, shaft, and even metal were effected.

And just as quickly as it appeared, the flaming limb was gone though the stench of fire and burning materials still lingered in the area. Touching his fingers to his nose, they came away slightly bloody. Nothing to offer much concern, but he knew if he continued this he would leave a hell of a mess to clean up later.

"Let's hope that's all." he called to the two beside him though silently he cursed. he hoped he was able to get her to Elbion with out them being none the wiser. He was sadly wrong.

 

[Kestrel]

The boat lurched underneath them and Kes acted quickly, spinning the wheel and swinging the ship around so that they were broadside -- giving them more room to deal with the on-coming threat but also bringing the ship to an effective stop. No sense sailing into a bunch of rocks and sinking them all no matter what happened with the cloud of enspelled arrows currently coursing towards them.

Because she knew what those were. She’d seen them -- and what they could do -- before.

As soon as her hands were off the wheel they were on her daggers, drawing the long blades in the blink of an eye… Except, Faleru was there, or, at least, what was her power, the water hands tearing the arrows to shreds and casting all but two aside… Two that Faleru caught with her hands, the arrows humming and straining at her grasp. Trying to get to the hearts they’d been enspelled to. The half-elf didn’t say anything, just looked at the arrows with this strange, hard expression on her face.

Gavin spoke to the second volley, and Kes felt a small flush of anger at herself. She could hear the arrows, knew there would be a second volley, and she hadn’t warned them, too distracted -- too shocked? -- to articulate what she knew. It was a novice move, to lose concentration like that... Thankfully, he’d noticed, before it was too late, and a moment later fire rent across the sky.

Bits of arrow rained down onto the edge of the boat and into the water, pieces of charred shaft and twisted metal, cinders that had been feathers once upon a time. Kes holstered her daggers in a mechanical motion, not hearing the telltale flicks of a third volley.

She’d just turned back towards Gavin, drawn by the motion of him wiping at his nose, when she noticed the glint of something in the water beyond him -- one of the arrows that Faleru’s torrent had ripped into had been knocked out of the main part of the geyser and into the strait beyond, its red and white fletching torn and its shaft cracked. Despite the damage, there was just enough that the magic hadn’t dispelled, and its razor sharp point turned towards its target: Gavin’s heart.

Kes reacted without thinking, stepping forward even as the arrow shot from the water. It was impossible to dodge a heartseeker arrow, not at that distance, not with the arrow able to instantly re-orient and adjust to its targets new position… It would always find its target’s heart, which was why usually the Family only needed to send one or two. They’d had a dozen sent towards them, and now one had gotten close enough to hit its mark in the blink of an eye. All that, however, didn’t stop Kes from lunging forward, grabbing Gavin and shoving him hard. At the same time, she pulled her power around them both. It was as if the world changed around him, becoming somewhat less hard, less tangible, and more fluid -- he himself would feel lighter, with this strangely pleasant feeling washing over him like floating in a warm bath.

The arrow instantly “lost” them, no longer orienting to Gavin’s heart -- but its momentum was still carrying it forward, along its previous course. Unfortunately for Kes, it was a course that she was now directly in.

To Faleru, the two simply winked out of sight-- only to reappear a second later, an arrow blossoming from the half-elf’s upper chest. The force of it stumbled Kes backwards, dropping to her back on the deck, agony coursing over her face. The sheer force of the impact knocked the wind out of her, crimson blossoming out along her chest even as the arrow hummed and strained -- now that Gavin was out of the protection of Kes’s power, it could sense him again, and was still trying to get to him…

 

[Falerumasa]

Her hands held tight the two arrows, the struggling stopping when her magick consumed what had created them. A heavy sigh came from the dragon as she watched Gavin make quick work of the next volley. She snapped the shafts away from the arrowheads, the dull thud the only sign they had stopped when she watched with surprise as Kes jumped for Gavin. A streak came into view before hitting something in the air where Kes and Gavin had once been.

Surprise and horror painted her face as they blinked back into existence a moment later, one of the arrows having found its way around their defence and now burrowed into Kes. It wiggled and struggled to free itself as Faleru grabbed the feathered end and drained its magic. It stilled, but remained inside of the woman as the dragon knelt and pulled Kes to her. Webbed hands covered the woman's eyes and magick willed her to sleep. A rolling tide of warmth swept away the shock she was in as the magick beckoned her to sleep. Taken to a dream, the woman would feel like she was sleeping on a beach under the warm sun as the tide washed in and out.

"Unique arrows. And quite troublesome." Faleru hissed as she examined the mess before her. Snapping the protruding shafts, she tossed both over the edge and began to work. Her reservoir of magick had dwindled with her earlier display, but she hoped it would be enough for the task ahead.

Clawed fingers pinched into the wood at the back of her wound, slowly drawing out what remained as her other hand wove a web of magick over the wound. Blood flowed freely as she did so, coating the clothes and hand that were there. Faleru paused for a brief moment, hand coming to her mouth as she bit into her own fingers.

Her own blood flowed into the wound as she placed her fingers into the gaping hole there. It thrummed with magick, winding itself into the spell and desperately trying to replace what flowed from the wound. The last bit pulled free and for a moment, Faleru could see through the woman as the magick filled the space and wove together. It mended the flesh as best it could, enhancing what little remained and encouraging it to grow anew.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

There were moments in Gavin's life that he found he could replay much to his horror. Moments of distress he often wishes he reacted differently to. If only he had been faster... If only he had seen through the facade... If only he attacked first... Moments of regret where he felt he didn't try hard enough or his reacted fast enough. This happening to Kes would become one of those moment.

His mind went over what happened and he relived the passing moment. Kes lunging forward and pushing him, her magic wrapping around them and causing them to blink from existence, returning only to her had take a arrow that was intended for him... And then the blood, blossoming from the would like a perverse flower which didn't understand blooming was suppose to be a beautiful moment to watch... Not horrifying.

He stood there in confusion, not believing his eye could betray him with such a horrorfying sight.. Yet there she was, falling onto the deck with the arrow in her chest.

"KES!" Pure agony poured from his mouth as he raced to her. "No no no no no..."

Faleru was there beside him as he took her in his arms, working on stanching the wound an getting to work. "W... What do you need from me?" Gavin felt the words leaving his lips but didn't feel like he said them. His brow was knitted with fear as the moment stretched on.

 

[Kestrel]

As Faleru pulled the half-elf towards her, Kes weakly grabbed for her dagger, reacting in pain to protect herself -- but the arrow was in the way, agony interrupting the movement, and a moment later the other woman had sent her to sleep. The agony on her face smoothed away, replaced by the peace and comfort of Faleru’s spell... The arrow thrummed as Gavin drew closer, silenced a moment later when Faleru drew the magick out of it and tossed it aside.

Even as Faleru worked, blood spilling across the deck underneath them, the half-elf slumbered…

 

[Falerumasa]

Faleru heard the captain speak, did nothing to stop him from taking her in his arms as it freed hers for better maneuvering. The woman had on instinct most likely tried to fight off the aid, and with Gavin now at her side, there were more hands than needed to be. She did not reply until he asked what she needed from him. Eyes locked for a brief second as she went over a mental order of what needed to be done.

"Something to hold her arm while it heals." Faleru spoke quietly, never stopping her movements as she worked on closing the wound. Damned arrows were large, and left little to mend. Her own blood was spilling into the mess, and through magick was finding it's way into the half elfs system. It would not be enough to make her healthy in an instant, but it would go a long way toward her recovery.

She watched muscle and bone tentatively touch and connect, watched pink skin slowly close over and close the backside of the wound. In faerie she called for Ithyk, and it only took a moment for a response to come. The siren had done her best to avoid the onslaught of missles and debris from the earlier attack, lazily trailing the boat while exploring this part of the strait.

A splash sang as she went underwater and swam deep. Eyes upon the siren as she grabbed a handful of supplies from one of the cache's the sirens had left up and down the waterway.

Faleru waited, albeit anxiously for her return and turned to Gavin in the common tongue. "Bring me what Ithyk has when she returns. I cannot stop what I have started."

Ithyk broke the surface and could not clamber up the side as she once did before. One arm held a large bundle wrapped in a seaweed netting, preparing to throw it aboard.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

Gavin listened with wide fearful eyes, well, eye, given he only had one that could show actual emotion. He held onto Kes, taking her hands in his and allowing Faleru to do her work. The next few moments would be spent talking to Kes though she was asleep thanks to the magic used upon her.

"You're going to be fine... You're going to live... You still need to raise those birds of yours... I still need my whistle.. You're going to be fine." Gavin rambled on, and though it seemed he simply said random things, there were meanings behind each word he spoke to the woman in his arms. Private conversations between them that propelled the two to grow so close in such a short span of time.

Once Faleru's informed him she needed his help further, he rewarded her with his full concentration and once the siren was there with the mentioned items, Gavin was gingerly lowering Kes to the deck and then racing off. He would have nearly fell over board if his hand didn't slap on the railing and he gripped hard with a clutch that rivaled a eagles. His hand reached down to the bundle the siren had and he hoisted it up. He hadn't a clue if it was heavy or not, he simple lifted and raced back to Fal to put down what he carried.

He wanted to assault her with questions but the moment the words rose in his chest he just stood there.... He knew in his heart, he needed Fal to work in peace. It's what he would have wanted.

 

[Falerumasa]

The man rambled words, and she did not give them thought beyond hearing what was spoken. When the bundle was placed beside her, the hand on the woman's chest flitted away, neatly cutting the bundle open to reveal a variety of strange looking items. Without looking, the hand picked through until it found a little chunk of bone that resembled what had been broken. Deft fingers wiggled it into place and it was set with magick. It was an odd shape to begin with, the magick willing it into something similar to what should have been there slowly. It would have to do as the hand flitted back to the assortment.

The slick tendon of a whale was grabbed next and slid into place. Clean snippets being cut between the woman's clawed fingers and what could be compared to sewing began. Muscles began connecting to the new piece, tentative connections to the new bone being forged under her steady hands as she slowly remade the area. She worked silently, her own blood still slowly flowing into the work as Kes continued to bleed.

Several times Faleru had to blink and at times even shake herself awake as she began to finish her work and sew closed the hole. Her hands shook as the last bit of skin formed over the wound and sealed itself away. The bundle beside her held other bits of whale skin, muscle, tendons, and bones along with a good length of flora that inhabited the bed of the strait.

She sat back on her knees, handing Gavin a length of seaweed and informing him to have Ithyk fill it with magick to encourage the healing. Her voice was strained, and she was plainly tired, her breathing almost ragged as she began to undo the leather breastplate. She struggled with it for a time, finally loosing it from the woman and pulling a small pouch from behind it. It reeked of turned earth and death, the magic within it a similar taste to what the arrows had in them.

She held her tongue, instead setting it aside before stripping the woman's upper half down to what covered her as mortal propriety deemed, proper for her. The myriad of knives and garments amused the healer, and had it not been for a thicker but of skin about her hands, would have likely found herself bleeding more than she already was.

Faleru slowly blinked, realizing that she had left her fingers unattended and was now covering the woman in her own blood as well. She swayed as she popped them into her mouth, licking the wounds before a few tendrils closed the bite marks that were there.

She attempted to call upon the water, to make it rise and help clean the woman but found her focus broken and shaky. Instead turning to Gavin once more, eyes half lidded as she spoke.

"She'll need to be cleaned, before-" Faleru rocked forward a little before catching herself and taking a deep breath. "Before the, wrap is applied."

She stared at the planks beneath her, the world spinning ever so slowly. Cursing her own quick action, she remained there for a time to try and gather her strength. She may have poured to much of herself into the healing, but she wasn't about to let their kindness be repaid with caution.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

Now it was Faleru in his arms as he lowered her to the deck, carefully as to not cause her further distress. It was no fool and saw the lengths she took to heal Kes. The magic was new to him but he was smart enough to see it was taxing... How couldn't it be. She repaired the damaged flesh using... Heavens Gavin did not have the imagination to figure out what she had used. He just cared that it would work.

"Easy... Easy... tell me what to do.. You rest..." He spoke in a soothing voice.

Making sure Faleru was fine where she was, Gavin stepped off moments later to retrieve a basin. The act of filling it and setting it beside Kes was no more then a few moment before he set upon washing the blood from her body. Later, he could tease her about seeing her in her undergarments. That would certainly get a rise from her. Now however, he took to the task no differently then tending to his ship while in a storm. He moved with purpose, practiced hands sure of their actions and unwavering. The only time he seemed to deviated from the importance of cleaning her was to put his hand upon her cheek.

"You're going to be fine..." Said more so for himself then her. He needed to believe she would be fine.

"Fal... What now..." He asked over his shoulder while awaiting his orders.

 

[Falerumasa]

Gavin helped her lay down, arm half covering her face from the sun as he moved about and worked. His words were kind and his hands were gentle, and the world was still spinning a bit. Exhaustion was setting in from the amount of blood she had given to the woman, and she hoped it would be enough to help her recover.

"Clean her first." She informed him meekly. Despising her current state, she had only herself to blame as she slowly drew breath. It would likely take them both a few days to recover from this, the amount of blood both had spilled likely more than Faleru had ever shared with anyone. Granted her own blood was like sipping from the world's own life. Her kind had always been strange, and entwining her own life into healing always garnered heightened effects.

She didn't know how much time had passed, half asleep when he spoke again as she turned her head to look at him.

"Have Ithyk bless some seaweed, and cover, her shoulder front and back." she said between breaths. Ithyk knew how to do that at least. Still new to her own magick, the young siren still showed promise just like those before her.

"It will be up to her, after that." She stared quietly afterwards. The woman would dream for most of the day, likely part way into the night if she had been a little to hasty with the amount of power she had fed the spell.

 

[Kestrel]

The dark-haired woman slept comfortably, her face smooth and peaceful… a stark juxtaposition to the horrendous gaping wound and large amount of blood covering her upper chest as Faleru and Gavin worked. Even as the last of Faleru’s magic closed the wound, a soft sigh slid from the half-elf’s lips, settling deeper into her dreams.

Once the blood had washed away, Faleru’s good work was revealed, a pink and fresh scar that had pulled tight the wound -- marring the old, palm-sized brand that had already been there. Kes had shown it to Gavin the night they first met: two raised, red circles, one eclipsing the other in a symbol that was often used to indicate the moons eclipsing each other… and the symbol that marked her as a member of the Crimson Moon. Now, however, the new, forming scar interrupted that, pulling at the line of the eclipsed moon and distorting it.

Despite the peaceful state on her face, it was clear the massive amounts of blood loss were taking their toll, even with the potent energy of Faleru’s blood helping out -- her skin was pale, clammy and cold to the touch, a low shivering having set on her limbs even though she was in the warmth of the sun. Her breathing, too, was thready and rapid, so light as to almost be easy to miss. The wound had been knitted back together by Faleru’s magic, but it was entirely possible the damage had already been done…

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

Gavin, having received his orders, moved to Ithyk who had taken it upon herself to start the process. He waited in silence, willing the Siren to work faster but daring not to voice such thoughts. He knew he was panicked and so would not spread those feelings to her and risk causing her to err in her task. Once the blessing had been completed, he eagerly accepting the wraps and raced back across the deck, slipping in the process. His knee smashed into the wooden floor causing him to awkwardly roll as he avoided using his hands to brace his fall. He was carrying something rather important after all.

Gavin had been injured the week before and had all but healed completely thanks to his sampling of Faleru's mana but it seemed he made fast work of hurting himself once more. If he was in any pain however, he didn't seem to show it as a simple grunt was the loudest complaint he would muster. Clambering to his fee, he moved to the dark haired woman and applied the seaweed as instructed, Gavin simple watched her for a moment half expected some miracle to take place and for her to open those large eyes and dish out some witty comment That never happened however.

She appeared so peaceful looking... They always do look peaceful... The thought echoed in his mind, reminding him of the look those who passed often adopted. He shook away the thought and really looked to Kes. She felt cool to his touch which meant he spared little time in retrieving her furs. The next few moments were spent with Gavin racing about, making such that both Kes and Fal were attended to and resting comfortably before he set to his own task.

They had been attacked.. Meaning the first move had been made against them. Until the pair were better, that meant laying low so the could rest. Gavin knew exactly where to go and so he hurried across the small deck, adjusting the sails before taking the helm to himself. There would be no resting until they were safe, and so Gavin sailed the ship, hands clutching the wheel for what could have been hours. He used everything to his advantage, be it the slightest change in the direction of the wind to known stretches of water that provided the smoothest sailing. Their small ship cut through the strait racing forward with purpose and the sheer determination of the captain who sort to protect his charges. With the crazed look born of frustration and anger painted across his face any one who got in his way at that moment would be marked a damn fool... Heaven and hell couldn't stop him from getting to where he needed to be.

**********************************************************************************************************

Hours had gone by since his mad dash across the strait to where they ended up at the present time. The hollowed out cavern was massive, it's size displayed thanks to the various torches that lined the wall and had been lit in haste. Scorch marks painted the walls from where Gavin tossed flaming spouts of mana, choosing to light the space quickly even if it meant bleeding on his part. A tiny dock capable of housing a single ship was nestled in the furthermost reaches of the enclosed space and thankfully, the smugglers den was unoccupied leaving for them alone.

Most importantly, the damned arrows would not be able to snake their way in thanks to all the turns requires to enter the den. After readying food, water, bandages and a long list of other things Gavin thought would be needed, he sat there on the deck, lost in the silence of the cavern as he waited.. For something.. Anything.

 

[Falerumasa]

Faleru kept quiet, enjoying the sounds of the ship cutting through the water. Ithyk kept up easily enough, sometimes swimming well ahead only to turn around reorient herself to the ship. When they cut into the cave, Ithyk did not join them, instead staying at the mouth for a while longer.

Faleru opened her eyes when they first entered, the dark being remedied by the occasional scorching of Gavin's own magic. While she wanted to rise and examine the place they were in now, her head was still muddled and her body sluggish. Content to simply remain as she was, she watched silently as the cave passed before her eyes. When they docked, her eyes opened and she finally sat upright, albeit slowly. Half a mind to stretch, she pushed the errant want away as she looked around. A small spot just off of the dock caught her attention.

A small alcove of water separated from the rest of the open water that would allow her to rest without slipping away. And would allow them to not worry about keeping her skin wet. The thought brought with it an itching sensation, a warning that she had pushed time with falling asleep here and again on their trip here.

"If you need to rest, wake me and I will watch over us." Faleru nodded to where she was headed as she trudged to the alcove and once reached, slid into the small pool with a husky sigh. She enjoyed their company, but nothing was quite like being in the water. Sleep came quickly as her skin soaked in the water, the day and effort pulling her into the sleep she wanted. A final thought was given as her entire body slipped under the water, gills opening along her neck as the world slipped away.

---

The water trembled around her, pulling her from sleep as she snapped awake. She floated silently, listening intently as her eyes opened and the memory of where she was and prior events came into her mind. Minutes passed, and the water trembled once more. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, still exhausted and not feeling quite right yet. Surely this was some joke played by her own mind. Another few minutes passed as the water trembled once more, the sound closer, much closer this time. She cursed her luck once more, a hand pushing against the rocks below her as she popped her head above water enough to look at the boat.

She didn't see either, and she took the opportunity as it presented itself. Lazily sliding into the waters, she swam quickly to the mouth of the cave, Ithyk meeting her there with a smile. The dolt.

"He is coming closer!" She sang happily as she looked to Faleru. The annoyed look confused her greatly, as the dragon headed out further into the waters. "Is that not good?"

"Tch, child, he should not be here. I imagine your sisters told him what happened." Faleru lilted as she broke the surface and waited. A roar erupted as she surfaced and was returned in kind.

Even in the dim light, the form was hard to miss. Great wings spread across the sky, and swooped low once it caught sight of her. The air whistled a moment and a much smaller form appeared before diving headlong into the water with her. The flurry of air and water did not hamper the mostly human form from catching hold of Faleru as they both sputtered a moment.

"Above the water you idiot! You cannot breath as I can!" She spat at her mate. His words could not be heard below the water as he hugged her tight. She shook her head and began to swim them both back toward the cave. His head was still below water when she broke the surface, and it took a bit of stout shoving to finally free herself of him.

"Oh my starlight! I was told you were harmed by that despicable example of mortal ingenuity! Tell me where the wound is so that I-" the man sputtered as she lazily slapped him. Eyes narrowed at him as he stared at her, concern and worry in his soft blue eyes.

"It is mostly healed. Do not fret over the shrimp at the bottom." Faleru hissed, her muscles protesting with their continued swimming. Alarm plastered his expression as he began to swim for them, his arm tightening around her.

"Mostly does not mean completely! Have you been hiding here to avoid me?" he asked, keeping his irritation out of his voice. A concerted effort went into glaring at him, and he was content with that as an answer.

"Inside, there is a boat and two mortals. They aided me and honor the old ways." Faleru explained as she nodded to the cave. He said nothing as he propelled them forward and to the back with a speed that made the world spin around her. Ithyk did not follow, still smiling as she watched them go.

They made good time, even with all the twists and turns, excited chuckles coming from the man carrying her as he bobbed and weaved playfully around them. Air whipped through the cave, announcing them well before they actually arrived.

"Gavin, we have a visitor!" Faleru yelled once they were into the opening of the cave, the air picking up around the pair as they lifted out of the water and gently landed on the small boat. The man holding onto her smiled almost stupidly as he examined the area around them, not removing his arm wrapped around her waist. He was a foot shorter than her, and save for his hair looked almost human.

 

[Kestrel]

The ocean lapped at the sand around her feet, burbling happy noises like it was beckoning her to come join, the sun shifting in the sky overhead. It was beating down on her, hot on her skin and warming the beach underneath her, but she was still so cold, deep in her body. “Stop it,” she told the gulls, who kept landing around her, squawking her name in loud voices, voices that seemed terribly familiar but she just.. couldn’t place them. They were bothering her, when she just wanted to lay there and slip away… Every time she closed her eyes, every time she felt that darkness ink around her, one of them would yell her name, or a crab dragging a little boat would scuttle across her face, kicking sand into it and making her sputter.

“Stop it, I’m tired. I’m going to sleep,” she swatted at them, only to yelp in pain as something pinched at her shoulder -- a big golden bird with fire for eyes had pecked her, glaring at her.

“Live,” it told her, in a man’s voice, one that tingled through her, and then it took to the sky.

“Wait!” she yelled, but suddenly the water was welling up around her, lifting her up as the ground dropped away. Panic lit through her now, floundering and scrabbling for the surface, but it was too late -- she was deep under water, the inky depths wrapping around her, as if borne out of her absolute worst nightmare, and she knew, just *knew*, she was going to drown screaming.

But instead of black and inky, the water around her was warm, inviting, and she took a deep breath through her gills -- wait, what? She spread webbed fingers, feeling the telltale shift of the currents on her skin, and effortlessly kicked further down. There was no terror in the pit of her stomach, no fear, rather this deep comfort and sense of connection to the world around her. She realized she could move through the water with little more than a thought, buoyed and supported by the liquid around her. Swimming had never been anything more than a source of fear for her, but this… this was sheer joy.

She didn’t have a sense of time for how long she swam -- or, rather, how long the dream-version of her swam. Because there was no real sense of control, simply a sense of experience, like she was just a hitchhiker in someone else’s experience…

Gradually, however, she realized that the warmth was bleeding out of her limbs, which weren’t strong and cutting through the waves anymore. Instead, they were trembling, barely responding to her… and somewhere in the depths she got the sense that someone -- something -- was chasing her. A man's voiced called her, even as she caught glimpses of red-eyed barracuda, long and arrow-like, flitting just outside of her reach. They were waiting for her to get weaker, so they could finish the job, and kill her…

She just kept swimming, and swimming, but slower, and weaker, and now her right arm wasn’t working right…

Kes stirred for the first time in a long time, a soft sound of discomfort sliding from her throat. She didn’t fully awaken, though, still held by the last vestiges of the spell that had caused her to slumber so soundly… She was still pale, a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead despite how cold she was, and ever so tired… so a moment later, even as she struggled to shrug off the spell, she surrendered and slipped back into semi-fitful slumber.

Unknowingly, just as Faleru disappeared out of the cavern.

A few minutes passed before a pair of roars echoed through the passageway into the small cave -- and Faleru and her companion made their grand entrance.

The shouting was what finally fully roused Kes, rolling to her side and slitting amethyst eyes open. The dream-water was gone, having released her, despite the haunts of glowing barracuda-eyes flickering in the edges of her sight. Instead, the real world clawed at her, darker and unfamiliar other than the flicker of fire -- were they under attack, still? More arrows? A storm summoned by one of the gang mages? And why wouldn’t her body … *work*? Alarm thrummed through her as she tried to focus on a strange figure, white and slim, gripping Faleru.

Her right hand swept along her thigh, finding what she needed, and flicked forward, sending a dagger coursing through the air.

Fortunately, for Faleru’s mate, her aim was right off, and the dagger shot past his head by a margin, pinging off a rock somewhere in the back of the cave. Unfortunately for Kes, the movement revealed that her arm was definitely not okay, and she sort of sank back, gripping her shoulder with an expression of pain coursing across her face, grinding several very colorful cusswords out through her teeth.

Oh, what the hell.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"Faleru?" His voice echoed in the emptiness of the cave his eyes fell upon the empty pool. He had left her to herself as aside form appearing drained she seemed in good health. Despite that, Gavin felt the need to look over her which is why he was so alarmed when he saw no one there.

Gavin was in the motions of climbing over board, pausing to look back on Kes when he was greeted with pair roars, both sudden and loud, though the replying call was louder, that served to put him on his ass. Needless to say Gavin fell back onto the deck of the ship, shocked at the roars that reverberated off the cavern walls. Had Faleru left to answer the call of a challenger? This den had not been known to house creatures of her ilk, but perhaps that had changed since last he visited. Not at all sure on how he could aid her at this moment, Gavin began to gather mana with in his body when suddenly Faleru had returned and proclaimed they had a visitor.

Quizzical was the expression worn on his face looking to the man with her. Questions, he had so many of them as he stood there wondering who this person was when a knife sailed passed them and clattered against the wall.

"Wha..." he let out as he looked towards the only direction where the knife could have come form and his eyes landed on Kes.

"Kes!" He cried as he realized she had come to.

Gavin had yet to climb to his feet since before floored by the call and reply of the dragon kind, and judging by how how his scrambled on all fours to move to Kes, he judged getting up to be long a action. "Kes how do you feel... Try not to move to much." He blurted as he tore the furs form her paled frame and began to inspect her. There was a concern expression tightly wound upon his face as he fawned over her.

 

[Falerumasa]

"You shouldn't be using that arm Kes." Faleru scolded as the man with her almost dropped her in his own haste.

"I can spot that handiwork anywhere, and smell it." The man chimed as he carried them both over to the pair. Setting Faleru beside Kes, gentle hands pushed Gavin aside and found there way into Kes's shoulder. His eyes did not wander over the woman, staring at the cave wall for a moment as magick wound itself around the woman.

"Torn ligament. Bone needs a stouter brace. Pulled muscle." He spoke quietly as he looked to Faleru. "Something this simple shouldn't have wore you out."

"I gave her my blood. She lost a lot of her own to the wound." She informed him, eyes sliding over to him. He gave a perfunctory nod as the pieces clicked into place. His hands warmed for a moment, the pain subsiding in her shoulder by a margin as what was damaged was fixed once more.

He gave a bright smile to the half elf when he finished, stepping aside and sitting on his knees beside Faleru to allow Gavin by her side once more.

"Limit how much you move that arm for some time. That throw pulled loose some of her healing and if pulled loose again, you might very well lose some use of that arm." He told her plainly. His expression shifted suddenly as his gaze went to Faleru.

"Dragons blood is not a cure all, starlight. But the effort likely saved her life, so I should not fault you for that. Just be more careful next time." He smirked, his hand touching her leg as he finally looked at her for a long moment. He blinked once, twice, before speaking again.

"Why are you in that form?" he asked bluntly. Faleru returned his stare with her own.

"I was unable to shift any further because of my own wound."

"You should be able to shift now, mostly healed." he chided her. One could almost hear the grinding of Faleru's teeth as she stared at him. "Your vanity alone being around this pretty mortal should have you itching to shift anyway, or was a few centuries of effort for nothing?" She glanced at Gavin and Kes hoping they were to distracted to hear the conversation taking place directly next to them.

 

[Kestrel]

The wrenching pain in Kes’s shoulder was enough to white out the world for a moment, and by the time it’d ebbed enough for her to open her eyes once more, it was Gavin’s worried face that she focused on. Her good hand left her injured shoulder, gripping his wrist, because she wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew he was safety. Her head was still fuzzy, trying to make sense of where reality and her dreams had been, not to mention where they were now…

The white-haired man moved into her sight and it was Faleru’s calm voice that stayed Kes from trying to stab him or anything as he put his hand on her shoulder. It drew a wince from the half-elf, but she didn’t protest. Thankfully the throw hadn’t wrenched open the recently-healed wound, though it was red in protest of the mistreatment -- and a moment later, the stranger had assessed why, and why it was throbbing and making it so hard for Kes to focus on anything other than the hurt...

A pain that eased substantially as she felt the tingling of magic shiver into her, a soft sigh sliding from her throat as she closed her eyes in relief. His instructions were to not move her arm, for worry that she might lose movement in it, and that seemed a good enough plan right now. That didn’t stop her good arm from moving in a quiet, subtle search, until the back of her hand bumped into Gavin’s knee and stilled.

“... remind me to stab whomever shot that arrow,” she mentioned finally, her voice thin and thready, but with an effort towards that normal flippant amusement of hers.

The conversation at her side wasn’t exactly broadcast, but she had very good hearing. Despite the pain in her shoulder and how cold and utterly tired she was, she didn’t miss it.

“Gavin,” she said, very calmly. “Just a check… I’ve heard the words ‘dragon’, ‘shifting’, and ‘centuries’ from these two. On a scale of reality to crazy magic-induced hallucinations, where are we really?” Kes would normally have just laughed it all off -- dragons, shifting, haha, right, she hadn’t drunk nearly enough wine for that bullshit. However, the last clear memory she had was of a giant arrow sticking out of her chest, and now here she was, without a giant gaping hole right through her… so she just needed a check as to just how addled she still actually was.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

He looked to the newest addition of their crew as he was pushed aside but found no words of protest escaping his lips. If he trusted Faleru to tend to Kes then he simply had to extend that trust to her white haired partner... Who Gavin was quickly realizing this to be the aforementioned mate.

He listened as the man rattled off a series of ailments Faleru had tended to, amazed that she had been capable of such a feat... But then he had watched as she worked so there was little room for disbelief. Waiting until her partner had finished, he saw and somehow sense Kes was... Better, at least from a moment before. Feeling her hand bump into his knee, he winced, visibly acknowledging the bruise he caused himself for the first time. He pushed aside the silly notion of pain and took her hand in his own and laughed as Kes presented her question. There was no mistaken it, she was alive and seemingly doing well.

"A smugglers den... Safe... We are safe... And yes... We seem to be in the company of something grander then the pair of us... I do believe them really to be dragons." He answered, unable to hide the wide smile on his face. "Water... Do you need any?"

Yes... He fawned over her. Gavin the pirate known for jumping into battle and spitting fire.... While brandishing two swords while sailing into fierce storms... Was fawning over someone.

 

[Falerumasa]

They had heard, and Haratsu was not hiding anything with his smirk. His amusement was clear on his face as he listened to the two speak, slowly looking back to his mate before speaking.

"You didn't tell them what you were? Curious. You pass blessing onto ships that pay their way and yet are shy about making yourself known. Truly a fickle one you are." He teased her, getting a playful slap on the arm.

"I didn't want to scare them. Albeit he knew well enough when he drew magick from me some time ago to heal me." Faleru explained. His expression changed quickly to admiration as he examined the man once again.

"Used fire to heal!? Hah! Mortal tenacity at its finest! A feat to turn a destructive element on its head and make it do such a thing." Haratsu exclaimed, a new light of admiration in his eyes as he looked at the captain for a short time. He looked back to her sharply once more, eyes narrowing.

"Don't change the subject. Let me see your wound and I'll say whether or not you can shift." he hissed. She gave a small sigh as she leaned forward, shifting back and forth until the tabard she wore slid out from beneath her while she turned her back to him. The tabard came off completely, her body bare to the world without a second thought. She looked to Kes as Haratsu examined the scar.

"I regret not telling you sooner, but it seemed, like a bad time." Faleru tried to explain, her mates hands carefully feeling along the jagged line of the mark upon her. Almost silent were his hem and haw as his eyes took in the sight.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes felt Gavin’s hand wrap around her own and somewhere in the pit of her stomach a knot of fear that had been there since she woke up eased. He seemed okay, though even in her fogged state she hadn’t missed the flinch. He was hurt, and that was important, but her concern was waylaid by his soft chuckle and his words.

Smuggler’s den, okay, that made sense. Dragons. Okay. That made… less sense. But he was asking about water and that made her realize just how dry her mouth was and she nodded. “Water would be great.”

She was feeling more awake, the little extra jolt from the white-haired man (... dragon…) giving her just enough energy that she felt daring enough to get herself into a sitting position. Carefully pushing herself up with her good arm, her injured arm held against her chest, she took stock of the injury for the first time -- a large, pink scar pulling across her skin, marring the older dark brown brand that had been there for most of her life, now. She reached up, putting her hand over it with a slight wince.

She’d been around long enough to know she should probably be dead right now, and that was a thought that didn’t sit well.

The chill of that thought as well as sitting up out of the furs brought the next issue to bear, which was the fact that she was nearly naked from the waist up -- not really one of the most important things, but she did sort of draw the fur around her as much as she could with one arm, the tips of her ears getting a touch red…. Not that it stopped Faleru from basically stripping completely, and the half-elf sort of blinked at her, then at her words, then turned her head slightly.

“Gavin? Wine? Lots of wine?”

She, of course, had no idea just how much blood she’d actually lost, so the request seemed perfectly reasonable.

Turning back to Faleru, she frowned. “So wait. You’re saying.. You...you both… are dragons. Like. Giant scaly lizard things flying in the sky dragon-things? ‘Let’s sally forth and slay us a fire-breathing dragon’? Those dragons? But you’re…” She gestured at Faleru. Sure, the woman looked like some crazy half-shark half-person thing but she was definitely a PERSON and not a giant scaly lizard-thing. “Right. Okay. That’s… Something.”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"You mean water, lots of water deary." He corrected as he went to fetch the water skin only to look up to a nude Faleru. Well his cheeks were red as he averted his gaze and hobbled over to where he kept the small stash of provision. Hardtact and jerky was in order, being that he hadn't a clue when she would awaken.

"... She's naked." He felt the need to comment as he returned to Kes and placed the skin in her hands.

He then managed a smile as she went on about how the pair were dragons,. He knew how far fetched it must have sound but then if you really thought about how crazy could it be. He was able to manipulate fire and she could blink in and out of sight. The world they inhabited was a strange place after all.

 

[Falerumasa]

Kes requested wine, which was fair given the recent turn of events. Then the woman's attention turned back to Faleru, and the dragon half turned, earning her a solid pair of hands around her waist. She glanced back at Haratsu before turning back to Kes.

"Yes, we are both dragons. I'm limited to the water, since I actually don't posses wings." Faleru explained a bit pointedly. A small smile appeared on Haratsu's face. "He does however, possess wings. He is also covered in feathers mostly rather than scales like I am."

Gavin's words when he returned caught the man's attention, causing him to pause and look at him as though he were confused.

"Well, yes...its-" His gaze fell to Kes as she covered up and the reason behind the words clicked and leaned forward over Faleru's shoulder. "Cover your front with clothes. Mortal propriety." He informed her before gently patting her unmarred side.

"You should be just fine with a little of my help." Faleru listened for a moment as she interrupted her talk with Kes, a frown appearing as she spoke.

"We are all born into the world without clothes, why should we feel shame for something so natural?" Faleru threw over her shoulder at Haratsu before focusing on the refined form they had crafted together. It took almost half a minute to do so, but her body shifted and lost its signs of being something other. Her ears were still softly pointed, but every other feature now seemed human.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes made a face when Gavin denied her wine but plunked a waterskin down in her lap, grabbing the skin with her good hand as she glanced up at him with a grin. He’d gone red at Faleru’s nakedness, which the woman -- dragon, whatever -- displayed the same carefree attitude about it as she had back when she’d first come aboard and they’d had to have a full conversation including Ithyk about why Faleru needed clothes. Not that Faleru’s little slip of a shift had really counted, but hey… Kes was more concerned with the other issues at hand.

That… Faleru’s mate… had wings… and fathers… but not scales… like Faleru did. What. They weren’t all the same?

Kes’s brow furrowed as she lowered the water skin, having drunk a good portion of it while they’d been discussing. If not for the dull, throbbing ache in her arm reminding her that she was, in fact, fully awake, she would have been certain that she was still hallucinating. This was all just… insane, and she looked up at Gavin with an almost accusatory tone to her voice, “and you knew this the whole time?!”

To be fair, he had heavily hinted at it, and she probably wouldn’t have believed him at all. Now, however, she was watching Faleru literally shift and change in front of her.

“Oh, hey. Faleru got prettier. Though I’m going to miss the crazy teeth,” she quipped, with this dry chuckle. “And here I thought this week couldn’t get more insane…”. It’d all started with that night in Drendor’s study, with magic she could never have imagined before and, now, here she was, sitting in a smuggler’s den with two dragons who could apparently look human or completely not or somewhere in between and a man who could literally set himself on fire.

Drendor… the reminder made her straighten, her hand going towards her chest -- but she wasn’t wearing it.

“My breastplate --” she said, suddenly, casting about around her to see where it had been put. Though, more specifically, she was less concerned about the leather breastplate and more concerned about the small pouch that was sewn onto the underside, and its contents. “Where’s my armor?”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

He was in the midst of chastising her for commenting on Faleru's appearance as he himself had turned away. Who would have thought Gavin would be such a prude. Of course her sudden change as she stressed over her breastplate cause him a measure of concern.

"Calm yourself Kes... It is here." He motioned to her items he had gathered and placed near by. He wondered why she had suddenly grown so stressed over it but chose not to question her but instead put her at ease by moving away to claim it for her. "I think it's best you don't where it for now until it's at least cleaned.. And repaired."

 

[Falerumasa]

Kes seemed a little bewildered and voice her displeasure with Gavin for having known and not said anything. The tone quickly shifted when Kes made mention that she had gotten prettier, and the dragon had to look at herself briefly. The two of them had worked for some time on this form, her element proving nearly as fickle as she had been when pointing out features she liked to her mate to remember later.

Other details had been harder to get, but they had managed with some personal revelations.

Haratsu gave a nod of approval at her shift, seeming quite pleased once more with himself before he watched the captain stand. A pointed stare as he walked, little escaped his eye, his continued studies into mortal biology and psychology ever present in his mind.

"Are you hurt?" He asked when the man returned.

The tabard went back on, and she turned around in time for Kes to ask about her armor. Eyes darted between her mate and Kes, her hand touching the other woman's leg as she spoke to Gavin,

"I believe it would bring her some calm to look over the damage before it is fixed. This all probably does not seem real to her with being put to sleep so quickly." Faleru explained quickly, eyes holding Kes for a long moment. "I will hold it while you look." The last part of her words not so much a question as Kes was told.