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A Forlorn Fortnight 【Complete】 - Printable Version

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RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-10-2014

Jameson Taeros still had not been questioned. It had been three suns since the botched raid and the arrest of his men, but the Monetarist noble himself had not been found. Supposedly he was out of Ul’dah on business matters -- or at least that was what she had been told when she had asked Ser Crofte. Until he was questioned, there was no way to get Daegsatz out of the gaols since the investigation was still pending.

Roen did not like it. She knew that with each passing day,Taeros had more time to prepare his defense, thereby increasing his chance of escaping arrest.

The paladin tried to dismiss those thoughts as she entered the familiar cell however, she did not want to burden the Roegadyn with such speculations. She still noted the dimness of the dungeon and frowned. She was not allowed to bring in another lamp of all things--or anything that could be construed as a weapon; they still considered Daegsatz a dangerous pirate and a criminal. Roen wondered if she was the only one to think otherwise.

“Parchment, quill, and ink, as promised,” she said cheerfully, laying it out on the cot. Roen also laid out more fruit and bread with some dried fish, and two waterskins. “This one is rum, but that one is sweet water.” She pointed to each of them in turn. “Not even pirates can survive on rum alone.”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-10-2014

Daegsatz gave a grateful nod at the paladin, even as he snorted at her assertion. "Ye clearly 'ave not been 'round the right pirates, lass. Much 'preciated." He took the sheaf of parchment, the quill pen, and the ink pot. He shook his head ruefully at the veritable feast that Roen had brought into the cell. "Ye be spoilin' me silly. Soon I be losin' my sea senses. Maybe take root 'ere, become a tree."

He took one of the sheets of parchment and began to examine it carefully. The parchment was of average make, borderline mediocre; "functional" would have been the appropriate term for it. The parchment was made of cheap goatskin and a few blemishes, though barely noticeable, denoted the quantity-over-quality way in which it had been manufactured. Then again, Daegsatz wasn't exactly expecting Gridanian vellum. 

The Roegadyn gave the back of the quill pen's nib a quick press against his tongue and gave it a light, practised dip into the ink pot. With smooth, swift motions, he began to mark the parchment.

"So, eh...ye been keepin' healthy, lass?" Daegsatz said awkwardly in an effort to start conversation as he drew the quill pen across the parchment. Thick black lines began to criss cross the parchment.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-11-2014

Roen was leaning over ever so slightly, craning her neck trying to peek at what he was doing. But when the Roegadyn asked his question, she quickly straightened in her seat, as if caught doing something she should not have been doing.

“Aye. I have!” she blurted. Roen could only take the slightest comfort in that he seemed as awkward as she in the elusive art of small talk. She smiled weakly. “And you? You must miss home. Vylbrand, aye? The ocean, the water.”

The paladin let out a rueful chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. “Although I could not imagine missing being on the seas. The churning of the waves and my last meal never seem to agree with each other.” Daegsatz continued to draw on the parchment in silence as Roen continued to try and fill the silence between them. “My mother always loved the ocean though. You see two sunsets when it is reflected on the waters. The sound of the waves on the rocks. The breeze that rolls in, it can sooth the soul. I can see why some long for it.”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-11-2014

Daegsatz snorted as he continued to scrawl on the paper. The black ink seemed to form completely nonsense shapes and patterns, and yet the Roegadyn made every stroke and curve with the utmost confidence. "Only 'cause ye nev'r given yerself time ta get used ta the sea's embrace. Once ye adjust..." a sparkle made itself known in his eye as he grinned at Roen. "Sailin' be the feelin' o' havin' all the freedom in the world."

He sighed. "Ye be right about one thing, lass. Ev'ry sun that be passin' simply makes Llymlaen that much more insistent in 'er callin' me." Daegsatz shook his head. "Reckon it be but a few more suns 'fore the landsickness sets in."

The Sea Wolf continued to scrawl on the parchment, the scratchings and strokes growing more and more unintelligible. "Where be yer mother now, lass? Pardon me sayin', but ye seem a wee bit young ta be fightin' with swords."

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-11-2014

Roen took up an orange, peeling it slowly as she peered sidelong at the markings on the parchment. She could not make heads nor tails of it but she stole glances anyway, curious. Daegsatz’s careful diligence clearly meant that it held some significance, even if just for him.

“I have been training since I could hold a wooden sword!” the paladin replied with feigned indignation. She laid half of an orange near the Roegadyn before peeling off a piece from her own. “I started training…after my mother died.” Her voice grew soft with the recollection. “I was seven years old.”

She looked back down at the orange in her hand. “I thought if I became a knight I could protect, and...even heal my father’s broken heart.” Roen exhaled, staring absently at the fruit. “I thought, had I been a knight sooner, I could have protected my mother as well.” She snorted quietly. “What did I know then? I was but seven years old.”

Roen was about to take a bite of a piece when she paused and arched a brow at Daegsatz, his earlier words finally sinking in. “Did you say landsickness…?”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-11-2014

Daegsatz nodded absentmindedly. "Aye, landsickness. Some peoples be afflicted with seasickness- th' body bein' off balance due ta the motion o' the sea. Fer meself and peoples like me, the reverse be true. Too much stillness, an' it be mighty uncomfortable." He peeled another orange and threw the entire fruit into his mouth, consuming the unfortunate citrus fruit in four hefty chews. "It not be fatal or th' like, but ye be forgivin' me for any bellyachin' I may be groanin' 'bout fer th' next few suns."

In the Roegadyn's mind, the image on the parchment was complete. He sighed in satisfaction, examining his handiwork. It was more or less completely nonsensical, and yet the Sea Wolf seemed quite proud of himself. He put the parchment away before drawing up another sheet, this time carefully outlining the silhouette of a ship.

"Methinks yer wee seven-year self be on ta somethin', lass," Daegsatz commented gruffly, his gravelly voice contrasting with his consolation. "Mayhaps ye be too late fer yer mother, but ye und'stood th' need ta protect those 'o matter to ye. As fer yer father's grief," the Roegadyn shrugged. "'E lost a piece o' 'imself. 'Es a daft man if he be forgettin' 'bout 'is daughter, though."

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-11-2014

Roen regarded Daegsatz with some measure of sympathy. While she had never heard of landsickness, she knew how queasy she felt on ships. She would not wish that ailment upon the Roegadyn; being gaoled was bad enough--another adversity she understood all too well. She absently glanced at his finished product as he examined the first parchment, although her curiosity was now tempered by her empathy for the man.

As he began to work on the second parchment, Roen put another piece of orange in her mouth. She had not talked about her father in a long time. Memories of her mother came to her easily, and sharing those moments always made her feel as if she were paying respects to the woman who raised her. But her father was a different story; it had been Dorien nan Luraes who had drove her to join the Battle at Carteneau, and it was his involvement in the Fall of Dalamud that had made her run away and adopt Eorzea as her new home. None of this she thought to ever share with anyone.

“I saw what grief can do. Losing someone you love like that. It…was easier for him to lock away what compassion he had left and throw himself into his work.” Her voice had lowered to just above a whisper, the reminiscence of her father always bringing melancholy with it, a tidal wake of bitter remembrance. “I was…unable to bring him back, then.” She stared at the stone floor. Her shoulders slumped.

“That was over six cycles ago,” Roen said after a weighted pause. With a sharp inhale, the paladin drew herself up, looking to the Sea Wolf. “I know not what became of him after the Calamity, but I know better, now, than to lose hope. If I ever saw him again…perhaps I would tell him that.”

Roen curled a small smile, shaking her head as if to dismiss the weight her words brought with them. She leaned over towards Daegsatz, this time shamelessly watching him draw. “Is that the Second Forte?”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-11-2014

Daegsatz paused, sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth. Roen could be surprisingly introspective. The Roegadyn considered himself too simple to have such thoughts occupy his mind. 

"Nay, it bein' too large ta be the Forte. The Forte be like a dancer with graceful curves an' a shapely body. This," he gestured to the drawing as he continued to scrawl on it with the quill. "be more like a brick, or a rock." Indeed, the ship outline was almost rectangular in shape, with straight edges tapering to a point that was presumably the bow. The masts were thick and stocky and the bottom of the ship was flat. Two rows of cannons stuck out of the side of the ship, with another row on the deck. Even with the odd design, the Sea Wolf had drawn waves being parted.

"Me first ship, the Dagger. It be not lookin' like a dagger at all though, aye?" Daegsatz let out a small chuckle. "Eventually sunk due ta pirates. Common story in Limsa." He fell quiet for a few minutes as he added some finishing touches to his sketch.

"It be easy to give up," the Sea Wolf said finally. "When ye be losin' enough, ye start thinkin' ye lost everythin'. Even if'n ye lose what ye deem ta be most important to ye," Daegsatz took his first drawing and lay the pattern of nonsense scribbles on Roen's lap as she sat on the cot, and flashed a grin at her, vaguely reminiscent of a certain smuggler. "Ye need only change yer perspective to realise the good yer life still be 'avin'." 

The Sea Wolf turned the sketch upside down, and an image made itself known; what was previously a mess of black lines and curves became a tangible image of an island shore. The waves were drawn with a practised, confident hand as it lapped against a beach, distant mountains were jutting in the horizon with a surprising amount of detail. A gull was perched on a piece of driftwood on the beach, and the beach itself gave way to a forest of palm trees where the mountains began.

"If ye be losin' yer way like yer father, lass...there always be anoth'r side," Daegsatz said.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-11-2014

Roen blinked, staring at the parchment and the image she had not seen there before. She glanced from it to the Roegadyn, a soft smile lifting her expression.

“You are a wise man, Mister Traggblansyn. Your captain is lucky to have you.” She declared, holding up the sketch in front of her as if to examine it. “And quite the artist to boot.”

The paladin rolled up the parchment and tucked it under her arm as she stood. “You will definitely have more parchment and ink on the morrow. As repayment for this.” Her smile brightened. “Perhaps we can decorate this dark cell with some of your art.”

Roen walked to the barred door, knocking on it to signal the jailor again. She leaned against it as she waited, regarding Daegsatz, warmth in her soft smile. She could see how Nero would see him as a fatherly figure; the Roegadyn had a simple but astute wisdom about him.

I need to get him out of the gaols and back on the seas.

And I will, she quietly promised herself. He does not belong here.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-11-2014

Day 4

The sun rose to Daegsatz curled against a corner. Sometime during the night the landsickness had set in and the unfortunate Roegadyn's stomach had begun to twist and turn. There was no pain, but the Sea Wolf was clearly nauseous and uncomfortable. His eyes were shut and he swayed back and forth as if to emulate the motion of a ship in an effort to settle his growing sense of vertigo. His ashen hair was unkempt, a result of him rolling about the confined gaol. Every now and then a groan would escape his lips that sounded like an avalanche. The fish, while reasonably delicious at the time of consumption, was now choosing to disagree with his body.

It was bound to be a long day.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-11-2014

They believed his story.

Roen was still trying to digest the news that Ser Crofte had shared with her. Both she and Natalie believed Jameson Taeros to be innocent--and that Nero was the one trying to frame him.

They believed that the somnus that was being smuggled in was for legal purposes, and that Roen and Nero’s interference had only handicapped their efforts to find a somnus dealer. Both the Sultansworns still believed that Taeros was innocent of having any hand in her somnus poisoning, and it was now obvious that the Monetarist noble was using that belief to weasle out of an arrest.

There must be another way, the paladin told herself, trying to extinguish the resentment and outrage that continued to simmer on the edge of her thoughts. She did not expect that Natalie, of all people, would harbor any loyalty to the Monetarist who was directly responsible for disgracing them in the first place. But then again, she could never truly predict Natalie’s rash decision making or her actions. But Ser Crofte...

Roen had thought, at the very least, that she seemed to want to find the truth, even if she was not willing to arrest Taeros for the somnus shipment.

But with Taeros’ arrest on hold, Roen knew there was going to be no easy way to get Daegsatz freed from the gaols. She was struggling with the thought of how to share this news when the cell door opened and she saw the Roegadyn curled up into a ball, groaning.

The basket in her hand was quickly laid on the ground. Roen knelt by his form, one hand going to his forehead. Her practiced healer's gaze studied his complexion, and she suspected what he told her the sun before was true.

“Are you alright?” she asked, but from his expression, she already knew the answer.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-11-2014

Daegsatz waved a helpless hand against the source of the voice. "Not so loud," the Roegadyn said. "It be...takin' a few suns...ta adjust ta land...then I be right as rain..." He continued his swaying motion as his stomach made an ungodly rumble noise, as if growling its own protest to the circumstances. "Beggin' yer pardon, lass...I not be in a conversati'nal mood right now, aye...?"

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-11-2014

Roen grimaced, knowing that look and disposition all too well. Unfortunately, this was no disease or wound that she could close with conjury. She leaned away from his waving hand and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I understand. I will leave you be. I hope…you feel better soon.”

She rose, retrieving the basket and laying it near the Roegadyn. “I did bring some ginger water. Perhaps that will ease some of the nausea. And some bread. I know that helps me somewhat.”

The paladin exhaled, regarding the man with consternation for a moment longer before moving toward the door. She would share the news of his imprisonment another day; Daegsatz needed no more burdens laid on him. Not when he was like this, at any rate.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-12-2014

Day 5

With some luck, the squirming and twisting of Daegsatz' stomach had begun to settle as the sun passed its zenith. It was with a strange feeling that he actually felt grateful for the gaol; it was built with imprisonment in mind and was well insulated from Thanalan's oppressive heat. The landsickness was still present--it was likely it would not fully dissipate until Daegsatz found himself on a ship, or at least by the coast--but the discomforting nausea was brought down to a manageable level as he began to scrawl another elaborate art piece on to a piece of parchment. His movements were slow and deliberate as he sat on the floor of the gaol, bringing the quill across the parchment to form a detailed line on the feathers of an albatross.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-12-2014

Exasperating.

That was the word she had picked out early this morn for Nero Lazarov, and after having spent the entirety of a day with him in Stonesthrow, ending with a dinner at Pearl Lane...she could think up a few more.

Arrogant. Smug. Infuriating.

Roen rattled off these words in her head as she made her way through the corridor leading to Daegsatz’ cell. She at least had the piece of mind to order one more warmwater trout from Soldier’s Club before leaving Pearl Lane. Just because she still harbored ire towards his captain did not mean Daegsatz had to feel the extension of it.

As Roen recalled the pitiful expression on the First Mate’s face yesterday, she reminded herself to tuck away her annoyance regarding the pirate captain; Roen did not intend on this visit being anything but pleasant for the prisoner. She was inwardly thankful when she found him sketching again, for it showed he was feeling at least a little better than yesterday.

She laid the basket near him, gingerly taking out a lidded bowl. Roen opened it to study the contents within before setting it next to Daegsatz. “Warmwater trout with plenty of salt. Since Mister Lazarov seemed to enjoy it, I thought you might too.” Despite her best efforts, her voice sounded more than a little irked when she said the smuggler’s name.