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The cavern wasn’t exactly spacious, but it certainly seemed large enough to hold four or five ships easily… which meant that there was space enough for Kes to find herself a corner away from their ship at the dock. She needed a modicum of privacy for what she had to do.
She picked her way across the uneven rocks carefully, glancing over her shoulder at the ship. It was quiet, Gavin and Faleru sleeping soundly aboard. At least, they had been when she’d left, demonstrating that soundless, incredible grace of a practiced thief as she slipped from the ship without a sound. She was good at what she did, after all, even if her skills didn’t exactly translate to being out on a ship in the middle of a vast body of water.
She wasn’t entirely sure where Haratsu had gone, but after a few minutes of surveying the cavern decided he was likely outside standing watch or otherwise entertaining himself. The half-elf wasn’t sure when Faleru had returned. The dragon had been gone long enough that the thief had woken up again, and at least shifted to get more comfortable than propped up against the mast, as evidenced by the fact that the dragon had returned to find Gavin and Kes stretched out on one of the furs, Kes’s head on Gavin’s chest.
Now, however, Kes found herself a flat area on the shore, away from the ship and obscured from view. Carefully, still favoring her right arm and her tender upper chest, she fidgeted with her belt buckle, sliding from underneath the metal bit a small, round disc. A red gem, scratched and worn, sat in the middle of it, with runes encircling the edge. She withdrew one of her throwing knives, carefully pricking her thumb until a single crimson drop welled up, then pressed the droplet into the gem, repeating the trigger words softly under her breath.
Not everyone in the Family could use the speaking discs -- usually only the mages and some of the more dedicated fighters who learned to trade their energy for the ability to communicate long distances. Kes was lucky; her own natural abilities meant that it’d taken very little effort to learn how to use it .As she finished speaking, there was a shiver in the air, and a ghostly, pale blue form flickered into existence just in front of her.
He was dark-haired, clean cut, and handsome, in a dignified way, wearing a tailored, velvet jacket and a ring of jewels across the neck of his silken shirt. His hands were clasped behind his back, a stance that she could recognize as perhaps one where he was contemplating the massive fire in his study. She could see it as clearly as if it was displayed before her, its opulent carpet and shelves upon shelves of books. He turned more fully towards her, his expression brightening into one of surprise.
“Ma--” He began, but she didn’t give him the chance.
“Did you send heartseeker arrows after us?” The tone of her voice was sharper, angrier, than any tone she’d ever used with him, and it took him back visibly. His eyebrows arched, then settled down into a pensive frown as he considered her. When he responded, it was in slow, measured tones.
“I’m glad to see you, my little magpie. Your Family misses you.”
Kes wasn’t prepared for how much those words hit her in the gut, especially considering what she had to say to him, but her anger wasn’t so easily forgotten. Not with the dull, low ache in her upper chest, still.. His response was answer enough to confirm what she’d been afraid of, her stomach dropping inside of her. “Don’t call me that. You did -- you sent those sodding arrows after us! You tried to kill Gavin. You nearly killed me, if not for Fal!”
The barrage of anger caused the man to hold his hands up, as if fending off her ire. “You’re my daughter, why would I wish to hurt you? Yes, we sent the arrows, but we thought it the most efficient way to free you from your captor so you could come home to us. I’m sorry to hear we were unsuccessful....”
“
Captor?” Kes repeated, incredulously. “Gavin didn’t kidnap me. He’s -- He’s helping me. Protecting me. And don’t tell me I wasn’t a target, heartseekers aren’t exactly subtle about who they’re heading for.”
“Captain Blackfyre hasn’t helped a person without it lining his pockets a day in his life. You are no different. If he is helping you, it is because he intends to make a sizeable profit off of you… one way or another.” His voice dropped, low and ominous, deepening into a frown when
Kestrel scoffed visibly at his words. “You don’t believe me? Oh, my little magpie… You’ve always been one of the more difficult of my children, but I never took you for a *fool*.”
Kes flinched, her eyes dropping to the ground at the scolding, and Drendor sighed, raising one hand to press it to his forehead.
“... I’m sorry, magpie. I’m just… concerned. You are in dangerous company, far out of the reach of my protection. You shouldn’t be out there. You should be home, here in
the Shallows, with us, where we can protect you -- from pirates with ill intentions.” He stepped towards her, extending a pale blue hand, as if she could take it and he’d whisk her right back home where she belonged. “Come home, magpie.”
Kes’s gaze flicked to his hand, then shifted to look at the ship beyond, still moored at the dock, resting quiet and still. Drendor looked over his shoulder, as if he might glean what she was looking at, though she knew the spell didn’t allow that. Just as she couldn’t see what was around him. Still, it bolstered her resolve just enough that she squared her shoulders and turned back to him.
“I’m not coming back. I’ll send word when I’m safe, but call everyone off. If you don’t, I’ll -- I’ll smash the amulet. Destroy it completely -- or throw it in the ocean so you’ll never find it again.”
Alarm coursed over his face, followed by the briefest flash of something -- something dark and angry, the same something that she’d seen on his face that night that she’d taken the amulet to begin with.
Murder. “Magpie --” he began, in a low growl, but she sliced one hand through the air to cut him off.
“No. I’m serious. I’m out. I’m not coming back. When we get to -- to safety, I’ll send the amulet back to you. But if you send anyone else after us, if so much of a
hair on Gavin’s head is touched, I’ll --”
“Oh,” Drendor said, solemnly, and the knowledge in his voice was enough to cut her off, flustered at the weight of that word. “I see. You… care about Blackfyre. Maybe even… love him?” He sighed, and she sort of shrank down on herself at the sound. His displeasure had always been the worst, because he didn’t yell. He just… was disappointed, the weight of which settled around her until it threatened to drown her. “My little magpie… he is using you. Of course he is, you silly little girl. You are on your way to
Elbion, are you not?”
She didn’t answer, but he’d always been able to read her, and the press of her lips was answer enough.
“What’s in Elbion?” he prompted, with that tone he’d always used with her. The one that always told her how slow and obtuse she was, how patient he had to be with her…
“A… mage college, thing,” she responded, low and reluctant.
“The College of Magic. Full of wizards, mages, and all sorts learning… experimenting. Take a good look around when you land, because there’s one thing you won’t see: street urchins with magical abilities.” He pressed his hands in front of him, regarding her with a quiet exasperation to his mannerisms. “There is a large market for traffickable young magic-users in and around Elbion. Perhaps they will deny it, but there are more than a few less savory academics who take advantage of those who won’t be missed and experiment on them. Someone like you… Someone with your gift? Why… The price for you would set him up for life. Of course he wants to keep you smitten and dumb. The easiest lamb to lead to butcher is the pet.”
He reached out a pale hand, with just one finger touching her chin. It didn’t actually affect her, being nothing but an illusion, but obediently she looked up at him. “You’ll see, my little magpie. He’s not Family. He can’t be trusted, not like me. Now…” His voice softened, becoming loving and gentle once again, though still carrying that stern tone. “This is what you’re going to do. At the next port town, you’re going to activate the locator spell. Your Family will come for you, and you’ll come home. Do you understand?”
Her lips parted, the good daughter response of ‘yes Father’ on her lips… but just before it came, he added, hastily, “and the amulet. Make sure the amulet is on you.”
Her brow furrowed deeply again, and he saw the change on her face even as it happened. The amulet. It still had its hold on him… She couldn’t bring it back, he’d just keep doing exactly what it was that had made her run in the first place. “Magpie --” he began, stepping forward as if he was intent on willing himself to where he was, but she’d already spoken the release words, and the spectre of him disappeared into a puff of blue smoke that curled into nothing, leaving her standing alone in the dark, with only the sound of the waves to break the silence.
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As the pale blue form of the half-elf faded into nothing in the midst of the study, Drendor ran his fingers along his chin pensively. Damn. One small misstep, and she’d bolted again. Kestrel had always been headstrong, but there was … interference, now, that he hadn’t expected.
Though, perhaps, given her current company, he shouldn’t have been that surprised.
“Tosk,” he said, to the armored man standing on the other side of the study, at silent attention. He hadn’t spoken at all during his lord’s conversation with the errant half-elf, but now he snapped to attention. He said nothing as Drendor strode forward towards his bookshelf, running his fingers along the very topmost shelf until he located what he was looking for -- a small wooden chest, with a thick layer of dust upon it.
He opened the small wooden chest, removing something from it and tucking it into his fine silken handkerchief. Once it was wrapped, he turned and held it out to his enforcer. “The amulet is still on her person. Send this to Tavash along with orders. He can use it to track them without losing the trail.”
Tosk took it from him with a slight incline of his head. “Yes sir. What orders should I relay to him?”
Drendor considered, a furrow creasing his brow. There was another with his stray daughter, a healer of some sort if her words were to be believed. One of great strength if one of his arrows had found its target but all had survived. They could be useful, if only to recharge the amulet which would surely be drained after being away from him and starved for such a period of time…
“She has at least one additional companion besides the pirate, perhaps more. Tell them to be prepared. Take them alive, if at all possible. Dead, if there is no other option. Above all… bring me my amulet.”
“And Kestrel, sir. Should I issue a Writ?”
Drendor paused at the man’s question, looping his hands behind his back. “No,” he answered, finally. “Not yet. I still intend to bring your sister home. Dismissed.”
Tosk nodded briskly, then saluted. Turning, he left the study, the door thudding shut behind him. As he walked, towards the ravenmaster’s tower, he let the piece of cloth in his hand fall open. A small vial of red liquid, still as bright and fresh as the day it had been taken, sat within, an enchanted ribbon wrapped around the seal to ensure its continued viability. Tosk grunted in approval, placing the blood vial back in the chest. With the blood, Tavash and his assassins would have little problem finding those they sought….
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It was early by the time Kes returned to the boat… or at least, with no light coming from the entrance, that’s what she was guessing, from the position of the tide pushing the boat up until it strained at its moorings to the dock. Even being an inexperienced sailor, she was well familiar with the push and the pull of the tides; they’d been a ever-present part of living in the Shallows, even with the canals designed to circumvent most of the problems caused by the rising and falling water levels.
Regardless, it was with a bit of effort that she hoisted herself back up onto the ship, mostly because with one bum arm she had to awkwardly swing herself up. She looked freshly bathed, clothes a bit damp, her black hair slicked back and still wet. It’d been the first time on this trip she’d been able to actually wash up decently, since previously she’d had to just splash water on herself from the side of the boat, not being willing to lower herself into the deathly deep water.
That, and she just really needed some time to freeze her brain with the cold water and think.
Not that it’d done any good, and now her shoulder was tight from the chill and when she rolled it, she winced slightly. Annoying… Hopefully it would ease with some food and some wine, which was the first thing she intended to see to, now that she was washed up. And… had pissed her Father off. Sigh.
Once on the deck of the ship, she glanced around, seeing who else was up… and would set about preparing breakfast of oatmeal and salted meat from the supplies in the hold -- not exactly a gourmet spread, but she was used to working with the most basic of ingredients. She wasn’t sure if Faleru ate oatmeal… but she made enough anyway. For the dragon. To share food with them. Yeah, it still sounded insane no matter how many times she said it in her head.
