[016] OOM - At the Port, Leaving Perdita

[tristranthorn]

"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.

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[nosequels.livejournal.com]

And while that is happening, the captain turns to Tristran.

"Keep practicing with that sword," he informs him with a fatherly look in his expression, putting a hand on his shoulder once more. "You've got the talent, but you need the practice."

Tristran nods, swallowing. "Yes, sir."

He raises his hand and gestures one of the crew. He grabs something from him and passes it to Tristran.

It's a leather shoulder-bag, filled with dried meats, fruits and fragments of tobacco (his favourite), a knife and a tinderbox.

[tristranthorn]

"I -- can't accept this," Tristran says, passing it back.

The captain shakes his head. "Oh, it's no bother, lad. We're taking on provisions here anyway, remember?"

Tristran takes it back, holding it closer towards him and nods. "Thank you, sir."

The captain gives him a gruff grunt and a grin. "Take care of yourselves." He turns to the star. "And each other."

[an_evening_star]

There are still fingers against her shoulder and there's likely flour pressed there now - a fact that leaves her strangely pleased - and she nods obediently, smiling for once, right back at the Captain's all too knowing smile.

"Just so long as you are promising the same," she returns with a nods. "After all, who knows when you'll have to fetch us out of the clouds again."

[nosequels.livejournal.com]

The captain waves a hand airily. "Of course," he says with that familiar laugh. "You can bet I'll be keeping a close eye on the both of you."

While the two companions get ready to leave the ship, the crew quickly get back to their stations. There is, after all, work to be done, whether or not they have emotional goodbyes to express.

In practically no time at all, Perdita moors beside a dozen other similar sky-ships by the huge habour tree, large enough to support hundreds of dwellings built into the trunk.

[tristranthorn]

As Tristran looks over the side, he notices steps around the trunk, and there are people walking about -- in addition to some strange folk he's never seen before: gnomes, dwarves, gnomes and sylvans among others.

The ship comes to a complete halt.

This is it.

[an_evening_star]

The star steps forward to peer over the railing. There's no stalling this time - no running off to magical bars at the end of the universe and pretending that the world doesn't exist, that time will stop if you just really want it to.

And, of course, there's stairs.

Lots of stairs.

"Figures," she mutters.

[tristranthorn]

Tristran begins to climb off the ship, leather bag slung over his shoulder. His foot easily finds the first step, and then he's automatically holding his hand out towards Yvaine.

They've been through this a million times. Awkward or not, he knows the routine.

[an_evening_star]

She reaches out with the same sort of knowing in the action, hand seeking his and stepping easily into what is understood to be her place at his side.

"Ready to go home then?" she asks mildly, eying the winding steps downward dubiously.

[tristranthorn]

"I am," he says with a nod.

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.

[an_evening_star]

The star turns her head slightly and flickers a wave back over her shoulder, smiling to herself at his words. She honestly does hope so - as impossible as it seems.

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."