Feryl traveled through the badlands to the Eastern coastal cities. The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes were all foreign to her. There were many elves in this area as well, and each time she saw a male elf with golden hair, despite herself, she would hope it was Laith. Though it had been months since she woke up alone in Devil’s Deep, her heart longed for him and she felt a sadness in the pit of her stomach each time it was not him. Sometimes she would have dreams of him wondering alone in the woods, lost, and lonely.
Feryl was working as a sword for hire, and was winning herself some notoriety. She felt a pride in herself and her work that she had never felt before. When she lived in Sparrows Haven, she was privileged, but that privilege came with a price tag, and she always had to play the part of the respectable young lady, at least despite everything, she was free from those burdens now.
Although Feryl had started out with simple tasks such a ridding someone’s cellar of a rat problem, she quickly was assigned more difficult tasks as word spread of her usefulness. She was on her way to negotiate her latest assignment, a guard on a ship that sailed not through water, but through the desert and the badlands on the hot drafts of air.
Feryl was told to go to the Brass Uncle Tavern. She knew it was a bit seedy, but clients often asked potential hires to meet them at places of that sort to test their nerve. They also often had some pre-arranged rowdiness set up to test their physical prowess.
As Feryl suspected, the moment she walked into the bar, she saw a fat whale of a man in the corner sneer and say something to his comrades who all laughed and turned towards her. She did not want to give off the air that she easily resorted to violence, so she ignored it, even though the thought of that fat bastard thinking he could ever hope to beat her grated on her nerves. So she sat down, and ordered a cup of ale. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a nervous looking man jotting notes down in the corner. That must be her employer. She was about to walk over and introduce herself, when she felt a fat paw rest itself on her shoulder. “Aye aren’t ye a pretty one,” the fat man drawled. Feryl looked at him, disgust plainly written on her face. “I ain’t one whose to be trifled with honey, you wipe that look off your face and give me a kiss er I’ll show ya why ya better be careful how ya treat a real man like me,” Feryl almost laughed at the stilted way the man said the words to her, as if he had memorized a script. She promptly looked at him, batted her eyelashes, and then head butted him smashing his flat ugly nose even flatter. “Ow!” The big man complained, “Whatcha go an do that fer, I was only playin..” and he grabbed a napkin and went sulking back to his corner where a ratty looking man came to lead him away. Feryl felt her face flush, maybe she had been working too hard lately.
Her potential employer walked up to her with a grin on his face, “Very nice, very nice indeed, oh, of course I will have to see to Winchell’s nose later, but my my, very nice indeed.” Feryl was surprised she hadn’t noticed how short the man was when he was sitting down, but as he came close to her, it was quite apparent that the nervous little man was a gnome. He was small and impeccably dressed in a bright blue robes with complimented his blue eyes and curly blonde hair. He had a long pointed nose which gave him a bookish look, but stood just a bit over 3 feet tall.
Feryl had never met a gnome before, but she tried to be polite and not stare. “Please excuse my manners Miss Feryl, my name is Phinneus and I am First Mate and First inventor of the fair ship the S.S. Solaris.” The little man sketched a very formal bow which Feryl found almost comical. He came up all smiles, “ I was very impressed with your performance tonight Miss Feryl, very impressed indeed, and I think, that is, should you accept it, that you will make an outstanding addition to our crew. It is likely you will have to apologize to Winchell over the bit about the nose and all. I mean to say you did nothing wrong, it was I who put him up to bullying you after all, for which I also should apologize, but he is all talk that one, he is as sensitive as a baby lamb and he’s likely to mope if you don’t at least say you are sorry.” He paused to take a breath and before the little man could start again, Feryl said, “I agree to take the position, and I will start making up with Winchell by buying he, and the rest of the crew if that is who he is sitting with over there a drink. May I buy you a drink as well?”
The little man starting going on about how he does like the drink, but tries not to imbibe in it too much, and while he would like one he wouldn’t want Feryl to think her new employer a lush, but at the same time he doesn’t want her to think him a prude if he declined. Feryl flagged down the waitress, she had counted 6 men at the table, so she ordered 8 drinks and gently led Phinneus to the table to await their drinks.
Feryl listened as Phinneus introduced her to the motley crew he had gathered. There was the huge, but soft hearted Winchell, a thin ratty looking man by the name of Tobius, a older man who had the look of a sailor named Thrym, a pair of fey looking women with almond shaped eyes and jet black hair named Lia and Lana, and a handsome man with an easy grace named Kennus. Feryl was content to listen as they chatted, and by the end of a long evening involving several rounds of drinks, she was sure she was going to like being part of the crew.
Feryl had a week to prepare herself for the journey ahead of her. They planned to be gone for 3 months so Feryl informed the innkeeper at the place she was staying of her impeding departure. Feryl enjoyed the freedom of living from a ruck sack. While her prior home in Sparrows Haven had provided her with lots of comforts, the upkeep and responsibility of such times kept her tied down and unable to travel. A small part of her felt a sadness as she knew the next three months would only take her further from Laith and her chances of ever seeing him again. She tried to tell herself that it was over, and that she was just being foolish, but her dreams of him continued each night, and she could not help but wonder if he was dreaming of her too.
At the end of the week, Feryl had all her affairs in order. The innkeeper would be storing her goods, and she had sent word to her family in Harpsail of her impending adventure. She found herself walking to the harbor with a mixture of anticipation and sorrow. Phinneus greeted her happily at the docks. “Welcome, welcome Miss Feryl we are so pleased, so very pleased to have you aboard.” Feryl nodded politely, and followed Phinneus aboard the ship. Feryl was greeted by most of the other members of the crew she had met previously.
Thrym was a just past the prime of his life, but he had a rugged, handsome quality to him despite his middling years. His skin was weathered and tanned like leather from years of sun and sea salt. His eyes had a merry sparkle and his smile was both warm and wry. He had an easy way of speaking, and while his speech was not refined, it did not seem harsh either.
Kennus was a bard, and he was everything a typical bard proved to be. He was hired on as a guard as well and reputedly was skilled with the blade. Kennus had copper red hair and skin that was touched with hints of pink and bronze. His green eyes sparkled with mischief and his laugh was like music. When he spun a tale, even the dour Tobius listened with rapt attention.
“Ahem,” Thrym signaled and Kennus nodded towards the Captains cabin. Feryl had met Captains before and pictured a weathered salty old man, but what stepped out was quite different.
“Good Morrow Captain,” everyone but Feryl shouted in unison and they saluted her with a fierce smile. That the men and women of the Solaris loved their Captain was obvious. “Good Morrow mates,” said the Captain in a voice strong and sure “and welcome to our new crewmate Feryl, my name is Captian Kym, Phinneus has told me much, about you, I look forward to seeing you work.” With that the Captain smiled and turned back to her chamber.
Feryl didn’t know what to think. The Captain was nothing she had expected. Captain Kym was a short woman, with a muscular build. She had deep red hair and fierce blue eyes. Her crew had confidence in her though, and Feryl felt sure she would be in good hands.
The men and women of the crew all shared the same living quarters, with the exception of Phinneus, who as first mate, got the suite next to the Captain. More for convenience than modesty, Lea and Lana had set up their bunks at one end, and asked Feryl to join them. Kennus of course stayed closest to the ladies with Thrym there to keep him out of mischief, and Winchell and Tobius taking up the opposite end.
Lea and Lana were sisters and came from a distant land Feryl had never visited. Their looks were exotic and almost elvish. They had trim, narrow faces with dark almond shaped eyes. While Lea had long smooth black hair, Lana kept her curly black hair short. Feryl felt very plain in their presence. While it was not polite to say, it was obvious Lea was employed as a thief, her slim body and the cat like grace with which she moved betrayed her. Lana on the other hand was a scholar, the treasure she sought on her quest was knowledge. She worked for Phinneus, helping him with his research, and she also knew a lot about flora and fauna from all across the worlds.
Tobius was a thin wisp of a man with small dark beady eyes. When Feryl had first met him, she got the feeling he did not like or trust her, and truthfully, the feeling was mutual. When Feryl watched Tobius with Winchell though, she could see past his appearance. Tobius cared for Winchell like one would care for a child. While Winchell was not slow, he was not very bright and he wore his heart on his sleeve. Tobius was truly a friend to Winchell, and if he seemed unhappy or unpleasant, it likely stemmed from the fact that he disliked ships and had only come along because Winchell had begged him yet again.
The ship was scheduled to sail up the river as far as it would reach, and Feryl was happy to know she would briefly be docking in the town where Grenwyn had set up shop. She looked forward to seeing her friends again and only a small part of her held out a nervous hope that she would once again see Laith.
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