The Warden's Awakening

Chapter XXX - Voyage

"I don't think I'm going to like this," Thelan said as she walked along a weak wooden plank. Beneath her was the deep, shifting water of the harbor, its blackness hiding just how deep it really was. Each time the water moved, the plank moved with it, and Thelan struggled to keep her balance.

Ahead of her, Lerin and Senara had already boarded the small wooden sailing ship, and were watching to make sure their chief of security would be all right. Next to them was the captain of the ship, a young man by the name of Isario. He did not look much, if any bit older than Senara, with long, light red hair tied back in a horen tail. He sported a well groomed mustache and short beard that only went along his chin.

"You gotta lose yer land legs, lass. Once ya get rid of 'em, you'll never wanna go back." he yelled to her. Thelan shot him a stern look, and quickly hobbled across the plank. Finally, she had made it to the ship. The captain quickly walked to the main mast, and pulled one of the ropes. It released a large white sail, and the ship lurched, moving forward with the wind. The captain then pulled another rope on the second mast, and another sail unfurled. Just like that, they were underway.

"Remind me again why we had to sail at night?" Thelan asked Senara.

"It's almost a full day's voyage to Dock Watch. If we leave now, we'll get there by evening, and we'll have time to set up and relax. Once we're rested, the next day will be ours to investigate," Senara explained.

"Plus," Isario interjected, "All the beautiful ladies are out at night," he then turned to Lerin, and grinned to her. "Though, I think none are as beautiful as you," He flirted. Lerin blushed, so much so that even in the darkness her face could be seen. Senara sighed.

"Is there a place where we may sleep, Captain?" she asked.

"There is a room beneath us in the cabin. Just tell my crew to make the beds. They'll listen to you," he said, walking down the short stairs that lead to the lower section of the top deck. He was examining the ropes and nets that had been laid out to dry for the night. Thelan walked down the stairs, and continued following them farther into the belly of the ship. Lerin stayed with Senara for a bit, looking up at the starry sky. Three Moons were still visible, with the fourth a slight sliver of light in the sky.

"What do you expect to find in Dock Watch, Baroness?" Lerin asked. Senara had barely heard her. She was enjoying the sailing. The water lapping against the ship, the rocking, the sound of the wind blowing around her, the chill, everything made her feel so free. As though she were flying again, but simply standing still.

"I expect to find answers to questions the Seers have been forcing me to ask," she replied. Lerin shuffled in her dress a bit. Senara had realized that she had not told Thelan or Lerin about her plans. She simply expected them to follow her along without question. Was she really that awful to them?

"I'm sorry, Lerin," she began, "I should be more open about what is going on. You see, Yarne has said some very peculiar things. He believes, and my mother did as well, that these stones are a sign of the end of the world. I'm trying to ignore such brazen claims, but when I use magic, something else happens to me. Yarne believes that it is connected to the stones somehow, and I'm hoping Dock Watch has some answers for me," she explained. Lerin looked intrigued.

"What do you mean strange? Like possession strange? Because if you tell me that you're a possession in disguise-" she was stopped by Senara.

"No no, nothing like that. Yarne believes that I am a Life Warden. I'm finding myself saying it in the mirror more often than I would like. It was never something I wanted with my life. Sann, I didn't even know what one was until recently," she admitted. She stood up from the bench she had been sitting on and walked in a small circle, feeling the ship move beneath each step. "I never knew what I wanted, I just knew it was something different than what I had. I never believed I could ever be a Life Warden, let alone want to fight these World Renders. And how am I supposed to know what to do when I see one? Yarne and the other Seers expect me to just wave my hands and make the thing explode," she vented. Lerin had not stopped listening.