Tristran Thorn (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tristranthorn) wrote2007-07-06 12:29 am
tristranthorn) wrote2007-07-06 12:29 am
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[016] OOM - At the Port, Leaving Perdita
"You'll be closer to Wall," the Captain starts, puffing on his pipe. His clothes are covered in a fine layer of ash (and when he isn't smoking it, he is chewing at the stem, or excavating the bowl with a sharp metal instrument, or simply tamping in new tobacco). "Still a good ten-week journey, though. Maybe more. But Meggot's got your friend's leg up to snuff. It's already been taking her weight again quite well. Her impeccable dancing proved such."
The two of them, Tristran and the captain, sit together, side by side.
"Your hand's better?"
"A lot," Tristran says, "thank you." Even though it still looks far-from-perfect, he doesn't feel as much pain as he used to. Meggot's salve had really done wonders for it, taking the pain and speeding the healing process significantly.
"You know, it wasn't entirely fortune that we found you," the captain says, voice low. "Well, it was fortune that we found you, but it'd also be true to say that I was keeping half an eye out for you. I, and a few others about the place."
Tristran frowns. "Why? ... And how did you know about me?"
With his finger, the captain begins to sketch a shape in the condensation against the polished wood.
"It looks like a castle," the boy says.
The captain winks. "Not a word to say too loudly," he says, "even up here. Think of it as a fellowship."
Tristran stares. "...You wouldn't happen to know a little hairy man with a hat and an enormous pack of goods, would you?"
The captain taps his pipe against the side of the ship. Quickly he wipes the image from the wood. "Aye, and he's not the only member of the fellowship with an interest in your return to Wall, you know. Which reminds me, you should tell the young lady that if she fancies trying to pass for other than what she is, she ought to fake a bigger appetite from time to time. Tobias has taught her well, but she's a stubborn one."
Tristran smirks, but there's something else... "I never mentioned Wall in your presence," he says in realization. "When you asked where I came from, I said 'Behind us'."
The captain merely smiles with that knowing sort of look he's become quite accustomed to over the past two weeks. "Exactly," he says. "That's m'boy."
"Capt'n," one of the crew-mates approaches them.
Alberic looks up, pipe still in his mouth. "Hmm?"
"We're about ready to land, capt'n."
"Aye."
As the crew-mate returns to his post, Alberic stretches. "Well, this is it, lad," he says, helping Tristran up. He puts a hand on his shoulder in a way that reminds Tristran of his father. "You ought to go find that star of yours, hmm?"
"A-aye," Tristran says.
The two of them, Tristran and the captain, sit together, side by side.
"Your hand's better?"
"A lot," Tristran says, "thank you." Even though it still looks far-from-perfect, he doesn't feel as much pain as he used to. Meggot's salve had really done wonders for it, taking the pain and speeding the healing process significantly.
"You know, it wasn't entirely fortune that we found you," the captain says, voice low. "Well, it was fortune that we found you, but it'd also be true to say that I was keeping half an eye out for you. I, and a few others about the place."
Tristran frowns. "Why? ... And how did you know about me?"
With his finger, the captain begins to sketch a shape in the condensation against the polished wood.
"It looks like a castle," the boy says.
The captain winks. "Not a word to say too loudly," he says, "even up here. Think of it as a fellowship."
Tristran stares. "...You wouldn't happen to know a little hairy man with a hat and an enormous pack of goods, would you?"
The captain taps his pipe against the side of the ship. Quickly he wipes the image from the wood. "Aye, and he's not the only member of the fellowship with an interest in your return to Wall, you know. Which reminds me, you should tell the young lady that if she fancies trying to pass for other than what she is, she ought to fake a bigger appetite from time to time. Tobias has taught her well, but she's a stubborn one."
Tristran smirks, but there's something else... "I never mentioned Wall in your presence," he says in realization. "When you asked where I came from, I said 'Behind us'."
The captain merely smiles with that knowing sort of look he's become quite accustomed to over the past two weeks. "Exactly," he says. "That's m'boy."
"Capt'n," one of the crew-mates approaches them.
Alberic looks up, pipe still in his mouth. "Hmm?"
"We're about ready to land, capt'n."
"Aye."
As the crew-mate returns to his post, Alberic stretches. "Well, this is it, lad," he says, helping Tristran up. He puts a hand on his shoulder in a way that reminds Tristran of his father. "You ought to go find that star of yours, hmm?"
"A-aye," Tristran says.
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"Ready to go home then?" she asks mildly, eying the winding steps downward dubiously.
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Slowly and carefully, they begin to descend the stairs.
"I suspect we'll be seeing each other again," the captain shouts from above as they get further and further away from the ship. He waves. "Take care!"
Truthfully, part of him is relieved to be back on something attached to solid ground -- and yet, at the same time there is a sense of disappointment as well, as though when his feet touched the earth, it lost something fine.
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But for now? For now it is going to be a very very long walk.
"I do hope," she says, arm hooking a bit tighter through his and ignoring the way he tenses. "That we never see stairs again after all this."