Setting Sail
Setting Sail
~*~A Tale of the Long Patrol~*~
Starring:
- Sidney, a Long Patrol Lieutenant
- Collin, a Long Patrol fighter
- Ava, a Long Patrol healer
- Alpine, a Long Patrol fighter
- Torsten, a Long Patrol recruit
- Dagda, a Long Patrol healer
- Conor, a retired Patroller
Logger's Note: This story is a part of a continuing plotline. For the previous installment, click here. For the first, click here.
On the High Seas
They set out early in the morning, and have had a strong wind so far. The two boats travel close together, with Sidney's small sloop leading, and the fishing boat, courtesy of Dagda's father, following a little behind and out to one side. Close enough for easy communication between the two, and it would only take a minor maneuver to bring them closer still, if necessary to allow anyone to switch from one to the other. The semi-self-appointed Admiral Sid is entirely within his element, guiding the sloop with an experienced hand upon the rudder. He looks as relaxed and happy as if he were out on a leisure sail, eyes slightly squinted and mouth curved in a broad smile.
Meanwhile, Collin was /not meant/ for the sea. If hares were meant for the sea, they'd have fins. Or gills. Or flippers. He has none of these things, and is extremely unhappy about it. How did he get picked for this mess? He stands by the rail, knuckles white as he grips a rope, eyes squinting as he looks out towards the vast ocean. Ugh.
As they sail along the sea, Ava holds on to a rail near Collin and stares straight ahead, breathing slowly and trying not to focus on her lurching stomach as they hit a random bump in the water. Her sword is strapped to her side and her trusty bow and quill is upon her back. Chewing on her bottom lip a bit, she casts a look over to her compatriots, one after the other, before she gives a grin to Collin. "Warn me if any is going to come my way."
Alpine isn't actually doing too poorly, all water things considered. The large hare is sitting along the little lip of wood that makes for a good line fishing seat when the boat is being used for such things. The buck is leaning back and enjoying a nice, light snack. If there might be fighting, Alpine isn't about to go into battle on an empty stomach! Thick slabs of buttery, yellow cheese is stacked on top of equally buttery crackers. He munches his snack and watches Collin's back for a while with his one eye. "Anyone want some?" Alpine asks, waving a cracker temptingly.
Sidney's gaze, set straight ahead with a look of determination, now shifts away as Alpine's offer gets his attention. "Don't mind if I do," he replies with a grin, and takes a step that way to grab one of the cheese-stacked crackers without removing his hand from the rudder. He pops the whole thing in his mouth, chewing it over before turning a sympathetic smile to Collin and Ava. "Look at the horizon, not the water," he recommends. "That's the secret, right there."
Collin isn't sick, he's just... very out of sorts. The swaying of the boat leaves the usually solidly-planted buck feeling disoriented and off-put. He sends Ava some side-eye and snorts. "Ain't gonna puke," he reassures her with a little shake of her head. "Might jump 'n' swim for shore, though." He turns 'round and eyeballs the rest of them, but particularly Alpie's snack. "... Sure."
It's a beautiful thing, here -- the gentle breeze catching in sails to propel two boats in tandem across the sea, the waves lapping at the sides of the ships whose buoyancy results in a gentle bob and rock that, while causes nausea in some, acts in conjunction with the calls of birds above and the rush of capped waters as a sweet lullaby to others. Well, all that aside, the door taking passengers below the deck swings open with a loud, sudden, creak and a hard thump against the outside wall, leaving Torsten standing in the doorway, eyes as wide as dinner plates and his ears positively wilted back, dangling over his shoulders.
Reaching for a cracker, only not to be left out, Ava takes a bite from it, then almost instantly regrets it. Putting on a brave face, she says, "Yum." Swallow. Staring at the rest of the cracker, she tucks it in against her body, sliding it into a pocket. Looking towards the horizon, she she takes another deep breath. "Thanks, Alpine!"
As the only one besides Alpine whose appetite is unaffected, Sid finishes off the first and reaches to retrieve two more. "'s good! Damn sharp cheddar," he comments with an appreciative nod. Without thinking, he makes a small adjustment to the angle of the rudder in response to a brief, gusty wind that comes at them sideways, then shifts it back to its original position as the wind returns to consistent, strong billows from behind them. "Don't suppose we've got anyone hoping for a proper sailing lesson, just now..."
Alpine's ears point up straight and he pouts as half his stack is suddenly gone. But even so he climbs to his feet and makes his way for Collin while using his spear as a walking stick, swaying a little with the roll of the water. "Here," he says, shoving a cheese-laden cracker at Collin. The rest is then shoved in his own mouth and he greedily chows down. "I'll jump in an' swim with you if there is the promise of a meal on the other blooming side!" Alpine snorts a laugh and claps Collin on the shoulder. "Maybe you should go learn t'sail, matey. Then you'll like it more."
Collin's muzzle twists at Ava's obvious discomfort, because misery loves company. When the cheesy-crackery goodness is shoved at him, Collin takes it with thanks and shoves it down the gullet. Chew chew, swallow. "... Huh. Yeah. S'good," he agrees with Sidney. And then his eyes flicker towards the buck in question, at Alpie's suggestion. His nose wrinkles. "I can't promise not t'steer us towards land," he allows with a small smirk. "But I'll give anything a try once." He makes his unsteady way over to Sid, grabbing the buck's shoulder at the last minute to steady himself at an unexpected tip. "Bugger."
"Not me, I will sink us." Ava laughs nervously as she clings to the rail a bit more as Collin steps up to take over steering. "...Collin, please don't sink us either." She calls over with amusement, giving a chuckle. Heh...heh...gulp... heh. At the sight of the new face busting out of the bottom of the boat, she perks her ears upwards. ".. Uh..." She looks to Sid, pointing towards Torsten. "Sir! I think we got a stowaway."
Torsten's eyes cast between all of the hares, then out to sea, then at the hares. He's feeling very, very small right now, his paws shaking at his sides and his already white fur seeming to go a shade more pale, eyes dilated despite the morning sun. When Ava calls him out, he acts how he deems is most necessary: his mouth opens, and he screams.
Somehow Dagda has ended up in a boat with his father, alone, but close to another boat of Patrollers. Actual Patrollers, not old retired ones. "Great day t' be out t' sea, Dag," Conor, his father, states for what might be the fifth time that day. "Though I could do without tha' screamin'," he adds, nodding his wizened head towards Torsten's outburst. "Jus'... keep our boat away from that thing," Dagda replies, moving towards the bow. Narrow blue eyes gaze out at the waters, perhaps contemplating casting himself into their embrace.
Sidney responds with a short laugh and wide, easy grin as Collin staggers and grabs at him, and he grips his free hand under the other buck's upper arm to keep him steady. "Hey there, seaman," he teases, then is distracted as a scream pierces the otherwise unspecific background noise of the wind and sea. His ears flatten. From his position at the stern, he doesn't have a good view of the buck who has just emerged from the small cabin below the deck, and calls out, "Did someone go over?"
At that scream, Collin's paw grabs like a vice grip onto Sid's arm, as his entire body does one big ole clench. "... /Bloody/," he hisses out, as his heart hammers a mile a minute, and leans around to try and see /who/ the heck is making that noise. "If they didn't, someone /give 'em a hand/."
Torsten is trembling, trembling there in the doorway, his paw reaching out to grab at the door's frame to steady himself. "Ahh, ahhh..." The scream dies down to a few monosyllabic grunts, and the hare reaches out for the door, scrabbling for it, looking for the doorknob so he can just. Shut the door. Just shut it. That's all he wants to do. Back into the darkness with him. But, as it stands, he just stands there scratching at the door in vain.
Alpine grins as Collin staggers away, his crumb-dusted paw moving into the space on the rail that Collin had occupied. He eagerly watches the ocean around them, forced to turn his head a bit more than a normal hare would in order to get a full view. He turns as Ava speaks, eyebrow shooting up as he looks at Torsten. "Someone got /on/board, Col'." Alpine swings a few large steps over the deck and goes to snag the strange, younger hare. "Woah, /woah/. Steady as she goes, mate."
Flattening her ears back at the screaming, Ava shifts a bit on her feet. "Woah, woah. Ease up there! Ain't no one going to bite." She calls over to the younger buck, looking worried. "Well, this will make the rest of this trip interesting."
Safe on the non-stowawayed boat, Dag watches as the others try to deal with their new passenger. "Reminds me'a /your/ first time out t' sea, Dag," his father's voice comes calling. The healer's head slips into his paws.
With a frustrated noise, Sid glances ahead of them to check the ship's direction, then quickly lashes the rudder in place to hold course. Now he can step away, and does, pacing up toward the bow until he comes to a stop a step ahead of the shallow cabin entrance as Alpine moves to grip Torsten. Legs braced apart in the well-accustomed stance of a born sailor, he folds his arms, looking the younger buck up and down and noting his uniform. "Recruit." A glance goes among the others, with an ironic upraised eyebrow for Ava, then settles back on Torsten. "I think you got a bit turned 'round, kid."
Torsten cringes as Alpine zeroes in on him and grabs him. He stops moving, like it'll make him disappear, some sort of natural instinctual reaction in the face of a predator. At least these are all patroller hares, right? Torsten has entered the shock phase of waking up to find you are out to sea, going silent and agape as he stares up at the much, much larger hare in Alpine.
That leaves /Collin/ over by the rudder, and his mouth hangs briefly agape when Sidney just... walks away. He has /no idea/ what Sidney just did, or that the ship can pretty much just sail itself, now. He double-takes between the two and then throws his arms up in disgust.
Alpine looks down at the other hare, grinning. He tries his very best to look friendly, but his one-eyed stare complete with the eye patch featuring a marten skull design probably isn't the /most/ comforting. "Recruit, eh?" Alpine asks as Sid comes over. He rumbles a thick, amused laugh. "So he is!" Alpine lets him go and steps back. "S'he doin' here, Sid? You invite this jumpy lil' guy?"
"Looks like to me he wants to be a young hero, maybe get his first scars?" Ava calls out with a grin to the recruit. "Not to worry, I'll patch ya'up good!" At least this has distracted her from the rocking of the waves and thus her stomach isn't thinking about lurching. She shifts her stance, using the rail as a guide as she ambles over to them.
When the ship doesn't suddenly take a nose dive into the sea, Collin takes a tentative step back away from the rudder, and then another, looking ready to jerk back and grab it if need be. But in the end, he just turns, and high-tails it as smoothly as he can to go join the little stowaway party. He peers around, coming up behind Alpine, paw resting on the big buck's back. "Watch out, kid. He gets upset when othah folks 'ave two good eyes," he warns Torsten with a friendly grin. Or... well. It's a grin, anyway.
"Pull in closah," Dag finally barks to his father, his temper and seasons away from home causing him to forget to soften his tone. "...if y' would, Da'," he tacks on awkwardly. "As y' would," Conor agrees and brings the smaller fishing vessel alongside the other craft, and Dagda latches onto the ladder hanging down from the side to drag himself over the railing, coming on next to Ava. Tightened eyes begin to relax among the cradle of Patrollers, turning towards the tiller. "Nobody steerin'?" he asks of the other healer.
Sidney reaches back to rub at his neck, with a puzzled expression that gives way to a smirk. "Well, nothing to be done for it know," he reasons, and glances back, keeping an eye on the other boat as it gets in close enough for Dagda to literally jump ship. He raises a hand in silent acknowledgement of the other captain's precise steering, and gives Dagda a grin. "Welcome aboard, Sergeant. Had to step away, seems we've got a... new addition."
"Huh? No, Collin is stee--..." Ava turns and stares at Collin who is now hanging out with them, then bolts for the rudder. "Collin! I don't think you can just let go of it!" Will the boat flip over or sink if you do? She does not want to meet Davey Jones or his infamous Locker anytime soon. At least not on her maiden voyage.
Torsten's mostly motionless until Ava mentions something about scars. At this, his head turns one way, then the other, slowly, then repeating the motion a couple more times quickly. "Didn't mean anythin' of the sort, I promise! Swear on my pater!" His head shakes again, and again. "Just an honest mistake, I'm sure my mates'll tell ya when we get back to shore!" Ohhh good, Dagda. Another officer. His ears had started to straighten, but at this they wilt backwards again.
"Do /not/," Alpine huffs and sends his elbow back to bop into Collin. He shuffles back, bumping shoulders with Collin as he shakes his head. "Kids these days, eh?" He figures the other hares have it and slips away to return to his seat. "Shoulda saved some crackers for the poor tyke." Al flops down and rifles through his pack, pulling out a corked bottle of fresh water. "Does he need water?" the fighter calls as he keeps peeking around his bag.
As Ava goes lunging past toward the stern of the sloop, Sid's muzzle jerks around the follow her. He looks thoroughly perplexed, but it passes, and an amused grin spreads across his face as he follows with a few long strides, reaching to catch the doe by her arm. "Easy there. We'll have a lot more trouble if you touch anything, so... don't."
Collin glances after Sidney and Ava with an alarmed eyebrow. Why is there running? With a grimace of distaste, he looks back to Torsten, and offers a paw to the kid as he gestures for him to come on out of his figurative fetal position. "Sorry, man. You're stuck with us, now. Come meet Alpie," he offers, with a gesture towards the bench the giant is sitting upon. Oh, and: "I'm Collin. I'm sure we'll be besties in no time." That grins a little... scary, Col.
As she reaches out for the rudder, Ava finds her arm caught instead by Sidney, then points at it. "He let go of it! Doesn't something happen if he does? It's not going to just.. fall down will it?" Her eyes are widened with concern. "You know, like.. a rock. You gotta keep it doing stuff, with the.. fin .. on the back."
Torsten almost whimpers, really. Collin is not helping at all. "Torsten," he states, lacking most context necessary for this to be considered a contribution to the conversation. "Torsten is my name," he replies, finally, before reaching out his paw to shake with the patroller. "I... Wouldn't mind a drink of water right now, sah," he states to Alpine, almost meekly. "I promise I'll get my mates to fess up to everything when we get back to the mountain, wot."
And there's the stress, coming right back. At least on Dad's boat, things were simple; the old man said the same annoying phrases and things went smoothly. Here, there's running, stowaways, screams, and no more crackers. Dagda settles against the railing to watch Sidney explain the concept of floating to Ava.
Sidney's eyebrows are very, very high, and he glances up and around in an effort to see through the eyes of the frantic, inexperienced doe who he still grips as if she might go fluttering off on the wind. "The .. fin? Is a /sail/. And she won't fall.. like a rock.. 'cause she's /not a rock/." He manages to smile, still, but it's starting to look a bit pained. "You. Are the adorable /definition/ of a virgin sailor, which is gonna stop being cute 'fore much longer. So, take a deep breath and... go sit down." Pause. "And don't.. no... no touching."
Alpine looks up, holding out the glass bottle to Torsten. "C'mon an' sit, kiddo." He scoots to the middle of the long plank to give the young recruit some room. "'Fraid m'out of food. You just missed snack time." Alpine drops his foodless pack and motions to Collin. He's momentarily distracted by Ava's concerns. His own brow knits and he looks out towards the water, but they appear to not be sinking. "Life is /excitin'/ on a boat, ain't it Col'?"
After the shake is accomplished, Collin uses that grip to tug Torsten along over towards Alpine, where he himself sinks down beside the larger buck. He snags the foodless pack and has a dig-through himself, frowning. "How did /you/ not pack more food?" he complains. And then snorts, not glancing up. "That's one word for it."
With flushed cheeks, Ava looks a tad embarrassed as she rubs the back of her neck. ".. Oh. Well.. /obviously/ I don't spend ... any time at the docks." She says ss she gives the rudder a suspicious look, then shoves her paws into her pocket so as not to touch anything. "I'm not adorable." She grunts out as she trudges back to her rail so that she can eventually go back to clinging to it. "So, we giving the kid a dagger at least to defend himself?" She calls over.
"Oh, I can defend mahself," Torsten replies. "I at least have mah cutlass back there." He has a seat where Alpine gestures, taking the water and sipping at it. "Thankya, sah. Er," A realization hits him. "...Why, exactly, would I have ta worry about defendin' mahself, sah?"
"... thaaat's a girl," Sid mutters, with a light pat to Ava's back as she heads back toward where she was previously seated. He glances at the secured tiller, to quickly double check that she didn't manage to loosen it before he intervened, then steps again toward the others positioned more toward the bow. He views Torsten with a sympathetic smile. "Where'bouts do you think we're headed, ah.. Torsten, was it?"
"Back t'shore, s'what he thinks," Collin offers helpfully. "Home sweet home." Sorry, kid.
"I /thought/ there were too few does t' be th' annual Pahtrol Pleasure Cruise," Dagda mutters to himself, as if just reaching a similar conclusion to Torsten.
"Torsten," the young recruit buck confirms his name. "...I don't rightly know, sah. A quick jaunt out to the sea to see what's bally what?" Torsten's head turns to face Collin. "...Right, we're on our way out and we'll just." As the sentence goes on, he is losing sight of any chance of what he's saying being likely to be true. "Turn around and head home, wot. Heheh."
Sidney's expression manages to stay relatively unchanging, even as he catches a laugh at the back of his throat, let it out as a shallow grunt, and reaches over to jab Dagda in the ribs with his elbow.
Alpine takes his pack away from Collin with a glare. "I seem t'be the only damn beast that packed any sort of tuck, so boo to you!" With all the wisdom of an adult, Alpine sticks his tongue out at Collin. "Oh, aye. Righ' back home /after/ meetin' some verminy friends o'ours!"
"Lots o' stabby," Collin backs up Alpine's words, though he's grinning at that tongue sticking in his face. He snorts softly, and refrains from grabbing it or anything. He turns to look Torsten. "You're gonna be away for a while, mate."
"I... Am?" Torsten's brows furrow in disbelief, staring at Collin like he's been betrayed. Well. Maybe he /has/ been betrayed. He gets that long distance stare, settling in as he looks past the edge of the boat to the seemingly infinite sky past it. "O... Okay," he nods, apparently finding some sort of peace in this. "Okay, yes sah." He has another drink of water before offering it back to Alpine for him to stow away again. ".../Lots/ of stabby?"
Sidney shifts a thoughtful look between Collin and Alpine, and it settles on the former as the latter becomes distracted. More crackers, or something. "You. Mind the kid. He's your responsibility," he decides.
"/Lots/," Collin agrees with a fiendish grin. But then... he relents, and shakes his head. "Nah, kid. Probably just a little stabby. You c'n be like..." But then he stops, stares at Sidney, and then back at Torsten. He looks... oh, man. /What/. "You c'n be like our... go-fer," he finishes, and does his best not to growl.
Seemingly fully aware of when he's being a hassle, when Sidney gives his order to Collin, Torsten winces, looking at Collin's reaction and then looking away again. "I'm sorry, sah. I promise, I'll work hard, wot! Whatever ya ask." His eyes go up to Sidney, who seems like he's in charge here. "I really didn't mean tah sneak, sah! I was just... Sleepin', wot." The hare crosses his arms. "Boat's not even bloody haunted," he mutters, kicking the deck.
Collin snags Torsten by the shoulder, turning his focus /away/ from Sidney and All of the Apologizing. "Look, kid. Relax. Just... don't break somethin'." And the paw releases to deliver a pat, just about as comforting as the buck can get. At mention of haunting, he snorts. "You poor bugger."
At the word 'haunted', Sid's jaw tenses a little. "Right, then. You all better settle and try to get some rest, now that it's getting dark," he suggests to the hares occupying the sloop - no one in particular. "Let's save the excitement for the slavers."
"Yeah," Torsten shakes his head, kicking the deck again, scuffing his boots against the wood below. "I'll do my best, though! I've nevah been on a boat before, but just tell me and I'll bally well try!" He stands, ready to make for rest, even though he... Did kind of just wake up. Oh well.
Rest... on a tipping boat of doom. That sounds just... so doable. Collin spares Sidney a mild glance, his muzzle twitching, before his focus turns back to his... charge? "Yeah, um. Just... don't fall ovahboard. And... uh. Get some rest. We've got a long trip ahead of us." Oh, Gods, he's trying.
Sidney brings his hand up against the side of his face with a grimace. "... I'll be. In m'bunk." /His/ bunk, and he's never been more grateful for that fact.
"Right, right. Yes, sah." Torsten salutes Collin, and then Sidney. "Sleep tight, sah." And... Off he goes, right back where he came.
Sidney blinks once, aaaaand reaches out to grab Torsten by the back of his tunic collar. He arrests the recruit's path back to the small cabin with a small tug backward. "... that. No." He manages a smile that doesn't look /too/ harried. "'s mine."
Collin can't help it. He snorts out a laugh, and points to a bed roll over by some of their other supplies. "That. That's yours, mate," he offers, with even a kind of sympathetic smirk. It's actually /his/, but whatever.
Torsten just about wipes out when he's stopped. "...Oh," he responds, simply, eyes trailing over to where Collin points. "...Right," he finishes with a nervous laugh, padding towards the bed roll. "That'll do just fine, wot. I've had worse."
As Torsten takes the bed roll, Sid lets out a slow breath upon the realization that brings up. "Really should've brought an extra," he mutters, shaking his head, and reaches for the door of the little cabin, then pauses to shoot Collin a thoughtful glance. "'s that yours?"
As Torsten tucks off with the bed roll towards the other end of the boat, Collin watches him go with a rueful smirk. Damn, this being nice. Alpie's rubbing off on him. His ears twitch and he glances around at Sidney at the question. "Kid needed it more." Pause. "Didn't want t'have to listen t'him snifflin' all night."
Sidney's lips curve into an appreciative smile that cuts across his tired expression. He pushes the door open, and tips his head in a gesture for Collin to step inside and down the little built-in ladder. "C'mon. I've got some spare blankets, I'll grab you a few."
That appreciative smile is borne with quiet rankle. He wasn't being nice, dang it! He was being /practical/. But the offer doesn't have to come twice, as Collin glances into the cabin. "Thanks," is his easy reply. He glances at Sidney as he passes nearby, his muzzle tugging up at the corner, and then he turns to place a foot on the ladder as he holds onto the edge of the door, and heads downward.
It's just a little niche, enough to store some basics in a few small, built-in cabinets and cubbies, with a single narrow bunk elevated above a small booth-style table and seat. Some navigational paraphernalia on the table. Sid ducks in after Collin, tugging the door shut, and edges past the other buck to lean up, grabbing a spare blanket from the foot of the raised bunk. "Collin, right?"
"Mm," Collin agrees as his eyes scan about the small cabin. He's tall enough that he can reach up and touch the ceiling of the low cabin, which he does as he steadies himself with one paw, taking the blanket and tucking it in at his side. "Thanks, mate. You're... Sidney, right?" Pause. Smirk. "L.T., that is." Can't forget the rank.
"Yeah," Sid confirms, "and, yeah. Though for purposes of this excursion, more like Admiral." The alternative rank goes with a faint grin, while Sid keeps one ear angled upward, attentive to any noise from the deck that might indicate a problem. Everything seems quiet, with the others either dozing off or speaking in low tones. "Looks like the weather should be decent between here and Hobbes, though who knows 'bout the way back."
From one cocky buck to another, Collin can't help but laugh at the aggrandizement. "Ahh, /Admiral/, is it?" His eyes also turn briefly upward, ears perking for any sound. But no comes and he snorts. "I guess my /charge/," he adds with a pointed look at Sidney, "has drifted off." As for the weather, he merely snorts. "How long 'til we arrive at dear Hobbes?"
They've stayed more or less in view of land; at least, there would be a view if not for all the clouds. And the rain. Still, it's nice to be headed back in that direction, making land more than just a vague smudge somewhere near the eastern horizon. As they close in, a port comes into view, not much larger than Halyard by the looks of it. "Just in time," Sid mutters, standing at the tiller and shooting a guarded look over his shoulder, where looming blackish clouds are quickly spreading across the sky behind them.
Time passes…
Standing at the ready with her bow in her paws is Ava. She has made her way to the front of the ship to watch the land as it approaches, serving as front line support in case of an ambush. "I'm not a fan of getting rained on while in the middle of the sea either." She says as her free paw twirls an arrow about in her fingers.
Sidney's gaze turns forward, away from the brewing storm - toward the distant port, and Ava at the prow. His smile is sympathetic, if a bit distracted. "Rain's no trouble." They've had rain on and off for most of the trip; more on than off, though at least it hasn't been very heavy. "Storms, though..."
"The storms should be afraid of /us/." Ava says as she slips her arrow back into her quill, then attaches the bow on her shoulder proper. "So what's the plan, sir? I can volunteer for first watch."
"Plan?" Sid gestures forward. "Ride this wind into the docks, watch for the 'Wayward Walrus'. All depends on if we're lucky enough to spot her, but from the looks of it, this isn't a slaver town - so either they've stopped here long enough for us to catch up, or they've already kept going. In that case," the buck shrugs, "we'll find a place to dry off, grab some tuck, and start asking around."
Ava nods her head as she shifts her jaw in thought. "Sounds like a solid plan then! Anything you need for me to do before we hit land, or after?" Smoothing her paws along her uniform to straighten it out, she starts to look about the ship.
Sidney considers the earnest corporal with a faint smile. "Assuming we don't run into the 'Walrus' before docking, how about you scout out a spot for us to spend the night? Should be some tree cover around the edge of the town, somewhere for us to set up camp. Don't think the others would mind some pub fare instead of normal rations, either."
"Aye, Aye, sir!" Ava says as she gives a salute across the brow to him. "It has been quite a long time since I've done some proper camping, you know, with a tent and all." Running a paw through her hair, she takes a quick head count of the travelers and hums. "Ah'm bunking with Dagda."
"'course. And one or two others," Sid points out. He edges the tiller a little to one side, adjusting the angle of the sloop's approach toward the docks. As they get closer, a hodge-podge of small boats and a few slightly larger vessels come into more immediate view, and his eyes scan across them. "Or were you hoping to get a night alone with the sergeant?"
"The sergeant is dating my best girl-friend, so he'd be the only one I'd trust to keep their paws off." Ava says with an amused grin on her face to him. "He and I just go back, that's all. I know him well enough and we work together. I'm sure we could talk all night about poisons or something."
"Sounds like a very convincing reason why I should stick you in separate tents," Sid counters, flashing a wryly humored grin. "This isn't a slumber party, after all. 'sides, if you're really concerned that the bucks keep 'paws off', you'd probably do best with our stowaway."
"Him? The young kid? Please. He'd be the worst." Ava laughs as she rakes her fingers back through her hair. "Probably see me in my jammies and walk around 'at attention' for the rest of the night. No thanks."
Sidney responds with a low laugh, cut off at the back of his throat so it makes a 'snrk' sound. "You kidding? He's too young to even know how to salute properly." He diverts his attention from the nearest ship after checking its banner, and gives Ava a look up and down. "You're awful confident, aren't you."
Ava shrugs her shoulders upwards as she shift her bow along her shoulder. "Are you trying to say you want to bunk with me, Sid?" As they coast through the water, she hops up on the railing and walks along it to eye the shoreline as they grow closer.
"Nah. I plan on actually getting some sleep." Sidney considers the doe with his eyes slightly squinted against a fresh haze of drizzle, then looks aside, raising a hand in acknowledgement as they pass close to a fishing boat. "You can bunk with whoever you'd like, but we've got two big tents, so don't expect much privacy - and really you'd do best saving the late-night bonding for the trip home."
"I plan on sleeping also!" Ava lets out a loud huff to him, followed by a roll of her eyes. "Geez." She gains a bit of a sour look on her face, followed by a long sigh under her breath. "I can't wait to shoot someone."
Sidney turns another sympathetic smile toward Ava, with some humor lurking underneath. "Aw, come on. You lose your sense of humor? Overboard with your breakfast?" he teases.
"Hey, you're the one who's always walking around with his shirt off, getting us Does hot and bothered and talking about just 'wanting to sleep' at night." Ava says with a smirk back towards him.
Sidney glances pointedly down at himself, and makes a gesture of patting his chest, as if checking for the clothes. Shirt, check. Jacket, check. "Fair enough," he muses, "but what's your excuse today?"
"My excuse? I'm fully clothed at all times." Ava says with another grin on her face. "Or are you talking about the lack of humor?" She says as she hops down on to the deck. "Just trying not to worry myself over Tyree. He is one of my best friends and I'm hoping that once we get there, he's in one piece."
"I meant in reference to the... 'hot and bothered'," Sid clarifies with a low chuckle and shake of his head. When Ava's words turn serious, he rubs his free hand against his jaw, considering. "Reckon I knew he's your Major. Didn't realize you're 'best friends' - though I suppose does collect those, don't they?" He's still trying to provide some humor, for her sake, but his smile is kind. "You've got nothing to worry about. Tyree's been through this kind of thing and out the other end. He'd best keep that kid relatively unscathed, though..."
"Yeah I got like... three best friends in my life and each are important to me in their own ways. Sersi and I grew up together since we were tiny. Taye has been my rock and my mentor, and Tyree has been like a big brother to me." Ava says with a nod of her head. "I guess you can say I'm a bit of a collector. Maybe." Taking a deep breath of the sea air. "And any Doe that has at least one working eye in their head would be hot and bothered about you walking about with your shirt off." She says with a laugh. "You're good looking and you /know/ it. I think you enjoy our misery."
Sidney snorts, a low laughing sound, and glances upward. Oh, does. "Someone must've punched you in the skull a few too many times. I'm quite happy being average," he replies, now turning a modest look to the side. He gets a faint smile, kind of distant, eyes on the water. "'Rock' is an accurate descriptor for Taye. Him and Darklett. They're the reason I'm here."
"Average my scut." Ava laughs softly as her eyes roll upwards. "And that would be Tyree. The one who's punched me in the skull a few times. He never went easy on me during training. He'd break my nose in one direction, then pop it back in place with the next punch. I never been more frustrated in a fight before."
"Heh. Tyree's shoulder-chip serves him well. Excellent boxing partner, too," Sid says with a nod, his eyes cutting to another boat they pass, and then another. They're coming in toward the docks, now, and he gestures at Ava. "Need you to mind the tiller for a bit. Think you can manage?"
"Yes sir, I can manage." Ava says as she heads over to take over the tiller. "How about you? You a good boxing partner as well?" She asks once she slides her hand along the tiller and makes the slight adjustments.
Sidney sidesteps to let Ava take his place, removing his hand from the tiller once the doe grips it. "Light touch, eyes ahead. Mind the other boats. We'll slow a good bit, soon as I take the sails down, so don't use up the momentum with wide turns. Remember - turn the tiller /opposite/ the direction you want the box to go." He gives her shoulder a quick squeeze, then steps away, shooing the other hares out of the way so he can quickly handle the various ropes involved in drawing down first the jib, then the main sail. As he works he glances back to Ava, and shoots her a grin. "Depends on your definition of 'good'. I don't go easy, anyway."
"I don't go easy either. You don't learn to survive by being patted on the head. I'll take a punch to the gut any day if it teaches me to dodge it next time." Ava says as she only makes subtle adjustments as she gets a feel for the bounce of the water and the currents that tug the boat along.
The group dock shortly thereafter in the city of Easthaven.
For the next part of the story, click here.
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