A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Selene considered this for a moment, suddenly having the seeping suspicion the woman had actually considered doing that to her. She pursed her lips, giving Neride a look as she padded past her and towards the ...
The whose what?
It would take some gesturing for Selene to find her way down, but when she dipped bellow out of the sun-lit deck, her stomach churned over. She wrapped her robe closer to ward off the lingering chill. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, but when they dis she pushed carefully towards the place where Godfrey, her fiance, was being held.
She fought hard to keep her chin high. But for him, she let some of her uncertainty crumble into her expression.
The whose what?
It would take some gesturing for Selene to find her way down, but when she dipped bellow out of the sun-lit deck, her stomach churned over. She wrapped her robe closer to ward off the lingering chill. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, but when they dis she pushed carefully towards the place where Godfrey, her fiance, was being held.
She fought hard to keep her chin high. But for him, she let some of her uncertainty crumble into her expression.
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The "bilge" is the lowest, darkest, deepest part of a ship. There is no sunlight in the bilge. No fresh air. Only the stench of must and dank, slowly rotting wood, and une odeur de vieux bateau.
Godfrey sat, chained to the bulkhead, water sloshing around his ankles with the rolling of the ship. So far below the water line, chill lingered in the air. No sounds but the scurrying of tiny feet, the sloshing of leakage, the creaking and groaning of the timbers, and Godfrey's own breath.
Then he heard footsteps on the companionway.
He squinted into the blackness.
"Eh? Finally learnt to read sigils now? Come to inspect the wares?"
Godfrey sat, chained to the bulkhead, water sloshing around his ankles with the rolling of the ship. So far below the water line, chill lingered in the air. No sounds but the scurrying of tiny feet, the sloshing of leakage, the creaking and groaning of the timbers, and Godfrey's own breath.
Then he heard footsteps on the companionway.
He squinted into the blackness.
"Eh? Finally learnt to read sigils now? Come to inspect the wares?"
As soon as Selene descended below decks, Cerano materialized at her right. If Gal hadn’t met the real thing, she might’ve thought him a ghost.
“Should I?”
“Do Mantessans cheat at trionfi?”
He snorted and vanished as swiftly as he’d appeared – another shadow at pale heels, to follow her down, down, down, and listen to every word exchanged between the two Anirians.
As many commodities as pirates traded in, trust wasn’t one of them.
“Should I?”
“Do Mantessans cheat at trionfi?”
He snorted and vanished as swiftly as he’d appeared – another shadow at pale heels, to follow her down, down, down, and listen to every word exchanged between the two Anirians.
As many commodities as pirates traded in, trust wasn’t one of them.
"And what sigil is that?" She asked softly. While his eyes would have had all night to adjust to the pitch black, hers hadn't. She walked blindly, robes held up to keep them dry, her spare hand reaching out and cringing back against every wet thing she touched.
She followed his voice, the sloshing of the water helping guide them both as she came before him. "Where are you? What have they done to you?"
She followed his voice, the sloshing of the water helping guide them both as she came before him. "Where are you? What have they done to you?"
A woman's voice, clear as a bugle in the heat of the melee.
Most definitely not the voice of the pirate he had been taunting earlier.
"Princess? Zounds. I- I didn't want to think about what they might have... Nevermind me. You're alive. Did they hurt you?" He scowled into the darkness and shook his tangled mane. "I'll kill them. Bah, if only I had a sword."
Urahil strained against his chains.
They rattled in laughter.
Most definitely not the voice of the pirate he had been taunting earlier.
"Princess? Zounds. I- I didn't want to think about what they might have... Nevermind me. You're alive. Did they hurt you?" He scowled into the darkness and shook his tangled mane. "I'll kill them. Bah, if only I had a sword."
Urahil strained against his chains.
They rattled in laughter.
"Princess? Is that what the stories are saying I am now?" She humphed, shaking her head. "My father will stop at nothing to see this through."
"I am no princess. I am just a noble of Vel Anir," she told him, speaking in her native tongue. It felt more comfortable to her and it brought her a small comfort to think Neride might not be catching this all so easily. As she fully expected her to be listening.
"Selene Hardwood, sir." She could be heard curtsying. "Do I disappoint you?" She asked bluntly.
Princess. Bah. Her father's bastardy efforts could make it all the harder. Her title should have been well enough, they were known for their close relation to the throne.
"I am no princess. I am just a noble of Vel Anir," she told him, speaking in her native tongue. It felt more comfortable to her and it brought her a small comfort to think Neride might not be catching this all so easily. As she fully expected her to be listening.
"Selene Hardwood, sir." She could be heard curtsying. "Do I disappoint you?" She asked bluntly.
Princess. Bah. Her father's bastardy efforts could make it all the harder. Her title should have been well enough, they were known for their close relation to the throne.
"What?"
In the stark blackness, he could barely see her moving, but he remembered her face when he bounded up the stairs. Radiant, though melancholy. A star fallen from the heavens, who weeped, for she knew not how to return.
"No, my lady. Title-less, you would still be mistaken for a queen. Your beauty surpasses any telling."
In the stark blackness, he could barely see her moving, but he remembered her face when he bounded up the stairs. Radiant, though melancholy. A star fallen from the heavens, who weeped, for she knew not how to return.
"No, my lady. Title-less, you would still be mistaken for a queen. Your beauty surpasses any telling."
A suppressed noise of amusement could be heard. "Oh my. Did they knock you around? Have they been cruel to you?"
She dared to creep closer, blindly reaching out her hand, it brushing on his face. She snapped it back apologetically. "This isn't right. What they are doing to you, I will ask them to stop at once. We're nobles, they can't do this to us."
She dared to creep closer, blindly reaching out her hand, it brushing on his face. She snapped it back apologetically. "This isn't right. What they are doing to you, I will ask them to stop at once. We're nobles, they can't do this to us."
His skin prickled with gooseflesh at her touch and he sighed as she toothier hand away, then let out a short, sharp dog bark of laughter.
"Nobility. A mere title. I tell you truly, I know not if the gods didst truly deign to bless our birth. It seems a hard thought to grasp from these depths."
"Nobility. A mere title. I tell you truly, I know not if the gods didst truly deign to bless our birth. It seems a hard thought to grasp from these depths."
A smile was hidden behind the darkness of the room.
"Would you rather be title less then, M'lord?"
"Would you rather be title less then, M'lord?"
Godfrey frowned. "And give up all that I am? I could not. I am a Knight of Vel Anir. It is all I know."
From birth, he had been brought up as a lord, a knight, trained to bear arms and to rule. What would he be if not that?
And yet, he had almost given it all up for the sake of his orcish friend, when he slew that lordling so many months ago now.
From birth, he had been brought up as a lord, a knight, trained to bear arms and to rule. What would he be if not that?
And yet, he had almost given it all up for the sake of his orcish friend, when he slew that lordling so many months ago now.
"A humble noble, then. Aren't you a rarity." She could be heard slooshing as she tried to readjust comfortably, her nose curled to the filth.
"... Why did you come for me?" She asked after a pause, genuine curiosity in her tone.
"... Why did you come for me?" She asked after a pause, genuine curiosity in her tone.
Godfrey snorted. Humility was not a virtue he knew.
"Glory. Honor. And I could not abide the thought of a woman living out her years trapped in a tower. You must think me a fool. I know I am. But I meant only the best for you. And now it seems I have dragged you from frying pan to fire."
"Glory. Honor. And I could not abide the thought of a woman living out her years trapped in a tower. You must think me a fool. I know I am. But I meant only the best for you. And now it seems I have dragged you from frying pan to fire."
Selene made a dry noise.
"My life has been fire. At least you were trying to do the kind thing." She swallowed hard, the darkness hiding her frown. "...Still." She forced a sense of perkiness to her tone. "They are being kind to me. I expect we can be returned without harm as long as my father pays the money. I have already written to him. So. At the very least, I can give you your freedom in thanks for what you have sacrificed for me."
"My life has been fire. At least you were trying to do the kind thing." She swallowed hard, the darkness hiding her frown. "...Still." She forced a sense of perkiness to her tone. "They are being kind to me. I expect we can be returned without harm as long as my father pays the money. I have already written to him. So. At the very least, I can give you your freedom in thanks for what you have sacrificed for me."
"Ah, so they will ransom us. That is good. I thought they might put me to blood sport, or toss me overboard. But ransom," he nodded to himself, "Good. My family - well, I put them in a rather sore spot some time past, but they wouldst surely pay."
He chuckled and tried not to think of his dead men-at-arms, or Thunder's glorious frame, wreathed in flame, braying those horrible screams as he tumbled, tumbled off the-
Godfrey closed his eyes and cleared his throat. "No doubt it will be long before we are ransomed. I would not see you mire yourself in these bilge waters for the sake of keeping company. If truly they treat you well, then go. I will resume seeking dignity in the dark."
But truly, he just wished to be alone.
He chuckled and tried not to think of his dead men-at-arms, or Thunder's glorious frame, wreathed in flame, braying those horrible screams as he tumbled, tumbled off the-
Godfrey closed his eyes and cleared his throat. "No doubt it will be long before we are ransomed. I would not see you mire yourself in these bilge waters for the sake of keeping company. If truly they treat you well, then go. I will resume seeking dignity in the dark."
But truly, he just wished to be alone.
She blinked. She had intended for a longer conversation, he hadn't even given her his name. Perhaps under better circumstances...
There was silence, and then just the soft words, "I will see what I can do."
A pause, and then she could be heard slooshing away.
There was silence, and then just the soft words, "I will see what I can do."
A pause, and then she could be heard slooshing away.