Red Ships and White Bones (Closed)

[Hysteria]

Babbling noises came floating up from the street. Talen's blue eyes opened and blinked against the harsh morning sun, willing it gone. Finally against the onslaught of morning he had to get up. He pulled back the sheets, twisted his legs around and sat on the edge of his bed. Talen's pale skin caught the morning light turning is bare chest into a blinding torso. The shadow puppeteer would have been quite handsome if not for his young disposition. He was quite tall, taller than most of the people he met. He had a solid muscular build thanks to endless practice sessions with his katana and a life on the road. Talen rubbed his hands through his short black hair, his face etched with a disgruntle tiredness.

"Uuuurr...." groaned Talen pushing himself to his feet.

Talen had arrived in town a few days ago with a caravan of travelers and merchants and had stayed at the RedCock Inn since. The place wasn't too bad, Talen's own room included a fairly clean bed, a chair and even a small desk. The young man pulled on his black shirt and cloak and picked up his sword. Today was going to be a long day.


* * * *

The young warrior was dressed normally in his black attire as he sat in the dinning hall of the Inn. Breakfast was a big part of the boys life, for one who had suffered for so long without food, he appreciated a good meal. The smell of fresh oats and stale beer and smoke filled the room with many tables still carrying the stains of last night.

Digging into the thick porridge provided as part of his fee, Talen waited for his new friend to wake. During his trip to the small town north of Scare Brae the caravan had been attacked by bandits and Talen and the other travellers were forced to defend themselves. They say brothers are born in battle, and a strong connection had been created between those that had fought. Together they had decided to try and claim a reward for the mysterious red ship that had started to hunt the waters around Scara Brae. It seemed they had many plans to make.

[Sunkiller]

Sorry for the lag on this post, Hyster. Tax-shopping for furniture ran headlong into Valentine's day weekend, and kept me away for quite awhile.

Aeryn's morning routine was the same as it had been for the last few years. She woke with a start from the horror of some recycled nightmare, sweat sticking her dark red hair to her papery white skin. Her almond shaped jade eyes slowly coming into focus as her consciousness caught up with her. Her sleeping clothes, a simple white shirt and black leggings woven of soft fabric, were twisted around her. As always, her skin began to regain its color; it slowly shifted from a deathly white to the warm coppery tones of her oriental heritage. To an onlooker, it would have seemed unnatural, the way the color seemed to drain into her.

She threw the thin covers off of her and stood. The process of strapping on her armor and readying herself for the new day was slow; nearly the only luxury she afforded herself.



---


"Already got yours."

Aeryn looked down at Talen and felt the urge to burst out in laughter. As per usual the boy was dressed in his ragged gray, once black, clothing. The hood of his cloak was up, casting a deep shadow over his face. Aeryn took the seat across from him, and immediately set to alienating him. That was often her wont when it came to interaction. She was hostile by nature, and if she could prod an indecent response from someone, she stopped feeling guilty about her actions. She stopped blaming herself for dropping steaming piles of bitch on them. She leaned forward, over the bowl the boy had just pushed to her, and used her thumb and middle finger to flick his hood back and off his head. He squinted in the sudden daylight, and seemed perplexed.

"Stop being a walking cliche, Talen. It makes us look bad." She leaned back and picked up her spoon. As expected, dried remnants of old meals clung to it, and she began picking at it with one of her short fingernails. "Egh. Remind me to buy my own cutlery next time we're at a marketplace."

Talen opened his mouth to say something, but the girl didn't give him the chance- her voice simply steamrolled over his. "What are we supposed to be doing today, again?"

[Hysteria]

lawl liberties. If you have any ideas about how we get the sleeping potion or similar let me know.... or if you have a way to make it more interesting?

Talen closed his moth, then opened it again. Aeryn knew how to cut through him with ease. In front of him she played him with dulcet words and when she was away the tones still lingered through his mind. The woman's brash actions tired feelings in Talen, ones that he didn't know how to deal with. The pale boy paused to collect himself, he frowned at the girl.

"We need to find some way of incapacitating most of the crew of the Red Ship. Like drug them or something." Said Talen smiling at the big word he used, "once they are asleep we can take out the captain and any other crew who are awake one at a time."

Talen took another spoon full of porridge and fixed his blue eyes on Aeryn. The woman though seemed more interested in the few remaining bits of dried food on her spoon. Talen's stomach shifted a little uneasily and his eyes dropped to his food.

"Well... this town is pretty small, but there will probably be a doctor or herbalist that we can get a sleeping draught from." mumbled Talen.