The sea tossed the Hound’s Tooth in a rhythm akin to a mother rocking her child in her arms. The cloudy sky matched the solemn duty that laid before the crew, though it seemed fitting that the crew would commit their friend Cassie to these calm waters that she loved.
The crews sadness hung heavy has Beatrice emerged from her cabin holding the book of Horobi which contained the basic prayer blessings of the dead. As the captain began speaking the simple prayer Gabbaro and Watcher began to wrap the body in a shroud embroidered with shells, coral, and objects precious to Cassie. Penny let out a soft sob as Cassie was placed in the rope net that she once called her bed. In a tender motion Typhus laid his left hand on Penny’s shoulder as he held a crying Orphee in his right. Has he looked up for a moment he saw a stoic Griffin watching the spectacle from the crow’s nest with a plain face. Typhus’ gaze returned to the deck still listening to the Captains calm voice.
The muffled sound of prayer filled the lower decks. That reassuring murmur, the sound of shifting weight on legs, and the soft creaks of the ship from a melody of comfort to Lietl as she began curing drake hide in a small bucket in her cabin on the ship. With her thoughts of Billy and old life hung fresh in her mind, she thought, maybe that’s the cost of a new life. If so, then maybe it’s too high.
As Lietl sat in her quiet contemplation, in the adjacent cabin Kaho sat at her desk spinning the ring that they had unearthed together in those dark caves. Watching the ring almost dance upon the table she amused herself by thinking of the secrets that the ring could reveal. Then the shadow of the horrors that the party endured on this return voyage and her excitement soured to regret. How could she be interested with an ancient bauble when the people responsible for saving her life were burying one of their own! She slam her hand over the ring to halt it’s dance and rose up from her chair.
Kaho had just ascended the steps to above decks when Beatrice completed the prayer. She watched as the captain closed the book and set it on the side of the mast. Beatrice then walked to the edge of the deck and stood against the rail and then turned to the crew. Her face for an instance took on a twinge of the true sadness but soon returned to a look of calm that matched the waters behind her. Her lips quivered for but a moment and then she began to speak.
“I’ve buried many people at sea but I have rarely buried friends. I’ve seen war and massacres but I was not prepared for this loss. Cassie was more than a crewmate, more than a comrade, she was a friend. She brought a warmth and levity to this crew that will be sorely missed. She is in the hands of spirits and we must carry on, may Terashi give us strength….” The captain paused as if to say more but then raised her hand to gesture Gabbaro and Watcher to lower Cassie into the sea.
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Night began to fall soon after the ceremony. Penny had shut herself in for the night. She lay in her cot staring at the ceiling going over the battle on Violet Isle. She tried to think of the last words she had said before she died or what she could have done to prevent her death. Her mind was about to unhinge from guilt when suddenly a knock came to the door. Penny rose and answered it.
In the doorway stood Orphee. Her face red and swollen from tears. She spoke suddenly, “Can we talk?”
Penny waved her hand slightly and gestured Orphee to enter. “So what do you want to talk about?”
“I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
“That I couldn’t fight and help in the last battle.”
“You were sick you couldn’t have fought. If you had you might have died.”
“I guess but I still feel guilty. Like I was useless. Though I guess it’s not like we didn’t gain anything.”
“What the hell do you mean, Gain?!”
“I mean that we still got some money and a new crewmember….”
“And you think that makes up for losing CASSIE!!!” Penny’s voice filled with rage, “A few gold pieces and a village blacksmith balance out the loss of my best friend! You really are a cold criminal bitch” With that Penny Stormed out of her cabin and into the hold.
She had to be alone; away from the insensitive babble of Orphee. She had not been there to see the light leave her eyes. She was the fool that insisted that they stayed and helped. She was the one who……Her mind burned with all the hatred that she could muster until she realized that it wasn’t Orphee’s fault for having a good heart and wanting to help others nor that she tried to see the silver innings in every bad situation. The fire that burned so furiously in one moment suddenly turned to icy guilt that weighed her down. Penny stumbled as she tried to process the storm of emotions that racked her mind like a ship on ill fated seas. She finally found a corner between to boxes in which to call port and slumped down and let the waves of emotion crash into her. She gasped and finally began to cry the sorrowful tears that one cries when something is truly lost forever.
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Penny realized that must have falling asleep has she awoke to the sound of armor coming down the stairs into the hold. The small flicker of lamp light intruded on the blackness that had invaded after her lamp had extinguished itself. She knew that the source of the noise must be Gabbaro the quiet rhox mercenary that had joined their crew during the trauma on Kai.
Penny listen to the rhox slowly shift and settle into the chair that served has the guards post for the hold. She was about to rise until she began to her a beautiful melody rise from Gabbaro’s corner. The melody slowly turned into a song in the language of rhox. Its tone taking a soft sound unlike the normal rhythm of the rhox language. Penny listened till the melody ended and then rose from her hiding place.
Startled the rhox stated, “Hello. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be down here. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”
“You didn’t disturbed me. I liked the song. What was it?” Penny replied.
“It is a rhox dirge one sings to pray for the easing of the dead’s loved ones. Has soldiers we sang it after the loss of a comrade.”
“I didn’t know you were a soldier?”
“I was once…..but that was a long time ago.”
“So you’ve lost friends too?”
“Yes. Yes I have. Too many in truth.”
“How do you deal with the pain?” Her voice trembling.
“You don’t at first. You’ve lost something and that will take time to heal but in truth you won’t truly ever get over the pain. A loss like you have experienced you never truly get passed….” Gabbaro’s brow wrinkled in thought, “It becomes a part of you and it can either make you weaker by letting the loss consume you or it can make you stronger by learning to live in spite of your loss.”
Tears welled up in Penny’s eyes, “I don’t think I’ll be stronger.” She gasped has streams of tear ran down her face. She collapsed into Gabbaro’s chest, burying her face in his armor.
Gabbaro laid a gentle hand on Penny’s back, “You’ll become stronger. You just have to remember that grief is natural. The way that the soul brings solace to its lost. You have a family on this ship and they love you. You’ll be strong for them later because they are your strength now.”
Has Gabbaro listened to Penny’s gentle sobs his thoughts turned to his old unit and his own sins. “If I became strong, so can you.” He whispered.
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Penny watched has the dawn rise on the third day of sailing. She was beginning to feel like herself again. Gabbaro was right she would become stronger. This lose would not defeat her and she would become stronger. She even felt that same sense of adventure rise up in her as she saw the first buildings of Emerald Port dot the horizon.
That feeling became even more real has Griffin shouted, “Land Ho!!”
“I’m gonna be ok.” Penny whispered to herself.
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Logbook of Rai Valotau
Entry 35:
My progress has been slow needless to say. I have been sneaking parts from the constructing of the manufacturing line. That has at least as been working out well but the rate in which I can obtain them is truly abysmal. I have been use to Izzet laboratories supplies but these Leonin know nothing about being prompt with supplies.
On top of that my attempts to create a functional assembly line being slow but effective. My attempts to get any information from the outside besides the local gossip have been complete failures. I have to find a way to get out of here! I must find the item. It is key to my device. I will begin tomorrow. At Dawn.
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