Private Tales Upriver

[Eislyn Gray]

"It's more important than that," she shook her head.

How much wisdom was there in being vulnerable with Rayth? He knew something she already wished he didn't. Lips thinned. A hand rubbed across her face.

"It hides who I am from other magic users. And as much as the light I can produce repels certain...creatures, my power can also attract them. We have to get it back."

If they didn't, any of the hired mages traveling up and down the river might just be curious enough to get close to the cliffs. They of all people would discover the magic of the cave entrance. Could even be another warship, like the one they'd seen earlier. Or worse. The creatures of chaos or dark-magic could come calling.

There was more to explain behind all that but there wasn't time.

Eislyn picked up her pace and it was clear she did not intend Rayth to go back to those steps alone.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Stop a moment," Rayth urged. Two long strides put him ahead and he turned to thrown an arm across her path, palm slapping against an old wall that still held fragments of a colourful mosaic pattern.

"I don't want you going back down to the water," he said. The young sailor didn't look entirely convinced. He wanted to get the others to go down with him, but that required him to tell them about the bracelet. He mentally veered back and forth before coming to a decision.

"Take your shoes off when we start on the path down. You can come down half way and then watch for me. If they come back up you run to the others. Understand?"

 

[Eislyn Gray]

She almost bounced off that arm. Eyes traveled from the offending obstacle past the gristle on his face, hard-set lips, sun-kissed nose, and focused eyes. She held her breath.

She'd been out from beneath her father's thumb (for the most part) for awhile now and she wasn't used to having someone else decide her actions. Not since she'd stepped over the plank to the Paragon.

That breath she'd been holding slowly released as her chin dipped down once in acknowledgement.

"Understood. I need some water before we go."

She pointedly looked up at him, waiting for him to move that arm of his.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

His arm slid halfway down the wall. At an angle to his body just one fingertip was still pressed to the mosaic. Rayth narrowed his eyes.

"That was too easy. What are you planning?" he asked suspiciously.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

She blinked. Face still tipped up toward his own. Own eyes narrowed.

And suddenly her lips felt very dry.

Fingers fell to her hips. “Must I always be planning something Rayth Keirn?”

Foot would tap once in impatience.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Fine," he replied, eyes narrowing to slits. His arm didn't fall away but the suspicion suddenly left his expression. It was as if it had never been there. Instead there was just that hint of amusement that lingered in the corner of his eyes and his smile.

He was in over his head, alone with a dangerous prisoner and monsters of the deep. It was a truly grand adventure now.

"Do you know that you are stunningly beautiful when you let your anger sneak past your maddening sense of proprietary?"

It was said with a carefree tone that he fully expected would get under her skin even more than her stubborn nature under his.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

Watwat

The dangerous prisoner’s golden brows lofted then scrunched up as a burning color blossomed on her pale cheeks. Fingers of one hand twitched against one hip. How she wanted to bring that palm up in a smack across his face.

“You, sir, are inconceivable.”

Finger would rise and point toward his chest. “Do you know that I think you act more like a blithe scoundrel to hide who you really are?”

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Are you sure your books have taught you what that word really means?" he asked, looking down at the finger. It didn't point him out, but her words found him through the act.

"Maybe a little," he offered. "But also because its exceptional fun."

Just as the diplomat would not miss the slight twitch on his face that showed she was not entirely wide of the mark, the swordsman saw the movement in her free hand. A slap wasn't entirely off the cards yet.

"My parents wanted me to join the clergy. This is far better. Tentacle monsters and all."

 

[Eislyn Gray]

There was something to be said of adventure and its cravings. Once she made it out of the Iron Fortress, well, she never wanted to go back. Eislyn shared that trait with Rayth. Far be it of her to admit as such to him. At least now.

“Wait,” her stern expression broke for a moment. Something lighter mixed with incredulity. A glimpse of an expression she might’ve shared when catching up with a trusted and close friend.

And for a moment, she wasn't put out by that arm or the man blocking her path. Accusing finger lowered. “Your parents wanted you to join the...clergy?”

It started as a light tremble in her throat until it bubbled from her mouth.

Genuine laughter. Not at Rayth. Just at...at...

“Oh,” she caught her breath, eyes crinkling slightly in the corners. “I’m just trying to picture you taking confessions.” And leading a group in somber prayer. And wearing those robes.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Yes, we had even got as far as trying to get me memorising passages of the scriptures of Kallindia." Without thinking about it, Rayth had narrowed down again the region where he had come from. That off-shoot of celestialism was practised in just a few regions.

"Books that told stories of peril and adventure, or even romance and tragedy were more exciting. Far too many of Kalliindia's tales were lessons in how you should avoid anything that could be vaguely exciting.

"Your family might have wanted you locked away, but mine wanted me hide me away with a church cottage and a congregation."

 

[Eislyn Gray]

“It does sound rather droll.” Her laughter slowly ebbed. Fingers came up to brush at the corners of her eyes. Whew. She needed that. After everything.

Eislyn was good at adapting to change but giving up control was still stressful.


Expression sobered.

“A prison can take many different forms. But there is one more thing I’d like to know. Do you still have any of those scriptures memorized?”

Blonde brows bobbed up and down.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Why, are we having impure thoughts or merely need to catch up on some more sleep?" he asked, the urgency of the bracelet all but forgotten

"I can remember some oddly specific warnings on the dangers of having too much of the colour red within your house at the start of a month."

As he laughed, he tried not to think of what that life would have been like. Just the celebecy to start off with. Giving fake hope to peasants with problems he could not solve.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

"No," she sputtered, the audacity of his suggestion making that color stay in her cheeks. Genuine curiosity quickly replaced her ruffled feathers.

The color red?

"Strange."

The small smile that drew on her rosy lips was drawn out by Rayth's laugh. She liked it, when he was genuinely laughing and not when it was forced or when he thought he was being funny or when he was poking at another crew member. Eislyn liked this one.

"Oy, what's taking you two so long?" Geelyn's voice called from their dilapidated cottage.

Eislyn used the moment of distraction to reach out a hand to gently try and nudge and lower his blocking arm out of the way. Geelyn wasn't wrong. They had to get going but not for reasons the half orc and Brin would ever know about. If Rayth stuck to his word.

"Wait. Why do you need me to take off my shoes as we start down the path?"

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Less noise, less likely to attract attention from sea creatures that can feel disturbed water for a long distance," he explained.

Rayth turned over his shoulder to call out: "I'm busy meddling with our captive!" He ignored any aghast expression from Eislyn.

"That wouldn't have taken you this long!" Geelyn called back.

Rayth let his arm down, still smiling. He turned and continued down the path. They passed the door and Brin offered a lazy wave.

"Back shortly," Rayth said as they passed.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

Princess Eislyn Gray was mortified. So much so, that she couldn't look up at Brin as they passed. Or even try to search out Geelyn's watchful gaze from within the room. So much so that she didn't say another word to Rayth until they were at the point where she needed to stop and take off her boots.

At least her face looked less red than a tomato by now.

Teetering on one leg, she began peeling one of her boots off. Not the same slippers from before. It was clear she'd been dressed to flee from earlier.

"I was hoping it was because of the noise because for a moment there I thought you were worried that I'd outrun you."

She doubted she could unless his scabbard got in the way or another blunder happened. And the comment was said with a smile on her face.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"I wouldn't have thought you could run all that much more quickly with those shoes. You know if you had been a prince rather than a princess you wouldn't have even felt a slight blush at that comment," he mused quietly. "Another one of those things," he added, referring to how different expectations could be.

Rayth looked down to the water's edge. No sign of even the corpses of the ones Eislyn had roasted. He flexed his toes against the cold, hard stone beneath his feet.

"Any sign of them at all and you run, understand?" he repeated. He hoped that she had been telling the truth about the bracelet. He could see no reason for her to lie. Her fear had looked entirely real.

Rayth took a few tentative steps down and drew his sword.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

Eislyn provided no further comment to Rayth before he began creeping down those slick, stone steps. She agreed. There was a difference in what was considered appropriate for a man and for a woman. And those considerations and expectations were not equal. A man’s reputation would not be ruined by a tryst while a woman’s would.

Breath held as she leaned over the supporting wall. She had a clear view of the stairs, the bay of water, and the rock wall on the other side, hiding the magic entrance. Lips pursed as she scanned the stairs from where she was, trying to see the bracelet.

Had he told her to run because he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance with just her? He must know she wouldn't be able to do what she did again. Not, at least, for another few hours. Or did he actually care about what happened to her?

No, no. He probably just cared that if anything happened to her and he lived, the Captain would kill him.

Verdant gaze shifted from Rayth’s descending form to the water, watching the surface closely for any signs of disturbance.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

His own breath suddenly seemed very loud indeed. The light played across the water and every time the surface rippled he started to imagine dark creatures unfurling beneath it. Water could hide such creatures that none on land could imagine, let alone believe in.

On Rayth's first voyage out into the ocean he had caught sight of a whale. It had thrown its enormous bulk up out of the water and sent water shooting into the air. On that day the adventures in his books had suddenly come to life. He had been inexorably changed by that experience.

Soon his heart sounded as loud as his breathing and he was convinced they would hear that too. He didn't dare step any closer to the bracelet. Despite putting himself off balance he dropped to one knee and reached as far as he could to lift the simple band of iron from the stone. Nothing moved.

Rayth stood back up and took his first tentative step back. Still nothing moved and he finally released a breath that he hadn't realised he had been holding in tight. He waved the bracelet towards Eislyn and slowly padded back up away from the water. That icy fear became a tingle that ran up and down his spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

"Easy," he exclaimed. His face could not hide how frightening that had been. Rayth made no effort to restrain his expression as he shook his head and offered the bangle.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

Her own fingers had tightened on that rocky-wall, fleshy pads digging into the stone.

Eislyn sat by her sister's four-poster bed. Fingers tightened around the cloth she pressed to the girl's clammy forehead. Hannah could always smile. When she fell out of that tree. When their father dolled out his spankings and other punishments.

She could always smile. Or, smile afterwards when Eislyn was crying.

Eislyn envied that.

'Don't look so worried, Eis; I'll see you soon.' When Eislyn squeezed her sister's paper-thin hand she wanted to believe what the girl said. Especially with that tired but confident smile. Now, Eislyn wondered if she'd ever believed her at all.

"Thank you," Eislyn released the stone wall as Rayth came up and quickly slipped the plain bracelet on. She began putting her boots back on as well. Though they were well enough away from the water, Eislyn found she was still whispering.

"I don't think we'll get off so easy. I think they'll come back once they've recovered."

Not to mention who knew how many more were down there in caverns below. These types of creatures seemed to be the avenging type. Not to mention now they knew there was a food source in the cavern. Perhaps they thought there were even more landwalkers around than the three they'd seen.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"They can't breathe air," he said. "But they can come out of the water for a long time."

Rayth gauged the distance from the water to their abode. He did not know how deep into the settlement they could go. There was always the option of taking the secret passage and leaving the hidden city. Rayth had been lying about that because he was convinced it would only encourage Eislyn to put even more effort into escape.

"We will have someone watching the water at all times," Rayth said as they returned to their shoes. "Perhaps they're the entire reason this city got abandoned in the first place," he mused.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

"Perhaps," verdants flitted to a trio of scratch marks in the old, crumbling stone wall as the walked. She couldn't help the glance over her shoulder from where he'd just come. Still couldn't see anyone. As they walked, glowing-violet mushrooms began lighting up, wherever nature was beginning to take over the stone-structures.

Stopping, she leaned over to finish lacing up her boots.

"What're you going to tell the others if they ask where we went?" She didn't think Brin would care. Geelyn might press for an answer or already have an idea. The half-orc was smart. Knew enough to come follow Rayth and know where he went when she'd try to escape earlier.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Fetching something of yours that got dropped on the way back," he replied. "First rule of lying is to stick as close to a truth as possible. But I'm sure as a diplomat you know far more about lying that me."

Rayth paused at one of the clusters of mushrooms. Drawing out his knife he gently prodded one, which became even brighter. He dared not touch it wihh his bare hands, or even inhale the air too close to it.

There were plenty of poisonous mushrooms in the world. Some, like the sporetta, grew arms and legs and stabbed you with spears if you invaded their caves.

"I wonder why they do that," he mused under his breath.

 

[Eislyn Gray]

“Probably a defense mechanism for sensing danger,” Eislyn heard his muttering was well as his earlier jab. Standing, she eyed Rayth.

“Bitter taste in your mouth from diplomats or is it only from meeting me?”

Eislyn preferred the term negotiator.

Arms crossed beneath her chest in a defensive position. Just like the mushroom brightening when poked. She’d blame her easy fall to his bait later on fatigue. And being princess-napped.

 

[Rayth Keirn]

"Honestly I'm just guessing at this point," Rayth replied. He stopped and turned towards Eislyn. There was no method in his teasing. As soon as he heard the change in her tone he latched on to it.

He looked out to the side, pretending to be in deep thought.

"Hmm...no I don't think I've been lied to by a diplomat before. But... Hmm..." he turned sharply back to meet her gaze, "...no! Haven't been poisoned before either."

 

[Eislyn Gray]

Verdant eyes narrowed, meeting his gaze. Arms tightened. She knew he'd guessed. Ever since Brin's comment when she'd gotten up from her pain-filled oblivion.

Eislyn could still feel the hidden, small vile in her dress of what she liked to call the dragon-juice.

Lips thinned.

"I can neither confirm nor deny your accusation," she spouted off and turned abruptly on her heel, marching up the path. It wasn't the path back toward their little cottage. It was a path further into the abandoned city. Past an old smithery and larder. Funny how even though she was tired and thirsty, Rayth had a way of getting her blood boiling enough not to feel those things.

"And haven't been poisoned before," a dry laughter left her throat as she huffed over her shoulder back to the literate scoundrel. "That's rich. Does your Captain usually stick to abducting air-headed damsels in distress?"