The Grey Heron, at Port. (Heron)

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The smell of the ocean and the sounds of seagulls filled the air with an assortment of joyous sensations. The Grey Heron sat at anchor, waves lapping its hull and the boarding ramp lowered to the dock. Leaning over the deck railing with a sour bored lining his lips, Captain Felshen Cresting rolled his eyes. It had been three days since his arrival at port and two since he spread the fliers notifying the populous that The Grey Heron was looking for a crew. Felshen hated ports as it was. He found them constricting and all together unpleasant. At least here, where the sun showed for the majority of time, vampires would be few and far between.
Now he really wasn't afraid of those creatures of the night, but he distrusted them to a degree that few creatures could comprehend.

His sword hilt stood above his right shoulder and a chain he let dangle from the golden pommel held an ancient charm that was identified as a vampire repellent. He analyzed himself at that moment and smiled. He was far too paranoid, but it was better safe then sorry when working with the undead.

The boats rocking comforted him though, that and the fact that the sun was shining brightly above made him feel secure.

The docks were far from empty this day. A ship was at anchor in nearly every port and people were bustling from ship to ship carrying various sorts of clothing, barrels, chests, and crates. Some marked as food, jewels, money, and weapons.

Felshens Green, Fur collared coat was warm today so he stripped out of it leaving him in a brown collared shirt and black slacks that were armored at the hips with thin green scale. His boots were black and about knee high. And as he began pacing the deck the empty ship rang hollowly of his footsteps.

[Azazealyn]

The drow priestess had left the Underdark a few months ago, becoming bored with the petty squabbles and the pointless backstabbing and plots. She retained Lloth's full blessing, sensing that her goddess wanted the drow to expand and learn of new territories and ways to incorporate new weapons into their dark societies. She wore a deep hood, wrapped only about her shoulders to keep her sensitive eyes from becoming blinded by the sun.

That was the only down side, she supposed, was that her eyes were so accustomed to the Underdark after all these years, even moonlight hurt her eyes. However, it was slowly becoming tolerable and today was better than the rest had been. She could stand looking out over the water for periods of time and she did so, near the bow of a ship that had an angry looking captain.

The thought amused her and she let out a light laugh. The priestess was clad in long pants, a midriff baring top her only shirt, covering what was necessary. Her spider companion was nestled inside her hood, keeping out of the sun as much as possible. He was more sensitive than she was to the sunlight, hiding back amid the drowess' long white hair. She hummed thoughtfully to herself, quite glad she had decided to learn an assortment of surface languages fluently. Most of the people here did not care she was drow, seeing as they had rarely heard of them, but usually she would have trouble if another elf saw her.

Which seemed to be the case now. Sighing, she turned to face the enraged moon elf who had drawn his sword and decided to scream his desire to attack the priestess.

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A sudden cry brought Felshen's attention around and he ran to the front of the boat in time to see a moon elf charging what appeared to be a young woman with sword drawn. he had noticed the woman before in his pacing and she had just been looking at sea, an admirable trait in a woman, but not uncommon. The sea was beautiful and brought many a woman's attention. This was a sad excuse for a creature to behave. Let alone a moon elf, he was disgracing our proud race!

With a flick oh his wrist the stone of the dock shot out from the ground encasing the moon elves feet in an unbreakable shell of magick imbued stone.

A smile lit up the Captains face like a candle, finally the day was getting interesting. Making his way to the rail he stood upon one of the iron mooring chains which bond him to the dock and slid down it, Placing himself right between the woman and the attacking Moon Elf.

"My, My Brother. What Appalling behavior! Attacking a woman out of spite. You've disgraced our race you vile piece of centaur shit! What have you to say for yourself?" He cocked his head to the left and sneered drawing his long curved blade which he pointed not an inch away from the moon elf's eye, "Well, what say you?"

The Moon elf sputtered, "She's no Woman brother, Shes a Drow. She's almost as useful as a dead Male goat!"

Felshen turned his head, and took in her glowing eyes and dark skin. He smiled and turned back toward his captive, "So it appears she is brother, even more despicable of you. Not only do you attack an unarmed woman, but you discriminate against her and refer to her as a goat in her presence! You disgust me," Fleshing sneered, "It's Elves like you that caused the rift in our species to begin with,"

The Moon elf spat at Fleshing and with a flick of his wrist he used his sword to send it back into the helpless moon elf's face. The infuriated elf glared icy daggers at Fleshing "You're going to regret what you did today Wood El.."

Fleshing tilted his head and a sharp stone stalagmite shot from the dock and impaled the moon elf between the legs exciting from his screaming gaping mouth spraying gore across the dock, narrowly missing the Drow and himself. He then proceeded to loosen the hold of the stalagmite and the stone cuffs binding the dead moon elf to the dock and kicked him into the waiting bay and a watery grave.

"A disgusting creature as met a fitting end," Felshen smiled and spun on his heel to face the Drow, " My Name is Felshen Cresting, Captain of the Grey Heron and I wish to apologize for you having witnessed that,"

[Azazealyn]

"No more than I would have done as a high priestess," she said as she tilted her head to the side and took in the mess, waving a hand and calling her magic to her to clean up the blood that had been spilled, offering it to her goddess. "I am known as Azazealyn," she said as she recalled her magic to her side.

"And what makes you think I am unguarded? I can defend myself rather well against anyone who wishes to declare his intent to the world before he attacks me," she said, a faint accent coloring her words as she took in the Captain in front of her.

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"Ah a high priestess, Most impressive,"

Felshen smiled and slid his sword into his long black sheath, the charm clinking against the hilt. Felshen thrust his thumbs into his belt loops and leaned to the side a bit under her scrutiny.

"But as for saying you were undefended I did not, from the looks of things it does appear that you are unarmed and are without a weapon. If that insolent Moon Elf knew you to be a high priestess then He most assuredly would have fled craven. As for me, I am no mind reader and also could not tell you a High Priestess with your hood up as such and simply saw an unarmed maiden being assaulted by a less then savory moon elf," With a slight bow he stood "I must apologize if I have offended you. But I must thank you all the same, you livened up an extremely dull day,"

[Azazealyn]

"Then you are welcome, if only for that," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her weight on one leg, cocking a hip out as she took in his appearance. The priestess arched an eyebrow, not that it could really be seen in the shadows of her hood, but it could be told by her stance. "And why is this such a dull day for you, Captain?" she asked, stressing the title to show that she really held little respect for the male.

It was rare for her to show respect to anyone, even if they were older than she was. Azazealyn believed that respect was earned, not given and had entered many scuffles because of that and it was not a belief she was going to give up easily.

"It really seems that you should be out sailing on a day like this, rather than sitting here in port, attempting to rescue damsels in distress," she said as a lock of white hair fell out of her hood. "Or are you only here for show?"

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"Sailing, I should be madam. But here I am standing at port. Alas, I lack the crew required to set sail far from coastal waters. I've been running this ship with a minimal crew for weeks, Now I find myself at this port hoping to hire the skilled hands needed to run this vessel properly,"

He smirks, "I am far from show, I assure you though. At times I do enjoy a little showing off, but today sadly I've been at my vessel since dawn, waiting for potential shipmates to make themselves known,"

The ships creaked as the ocean rolled in against them, and Felshen turned his head to see a half dozen frantic dockmen pointing him out to the guards. The guard whistled and several more came running, most of them large humanoids several cyclops, and a troll.
"Well now, It appears this port has suddenly become quite hostile, If you would come with me?" He smirked roguishly and Ran up the boarding ramp as several more guards rushed out of buildings lining the dock. As Felshens boots touched the deck nearly a dozen and a half guards were running down the dock toward him the ship and Az.

"Come quickly, Azazealyn Ill take my ship around the island to another dock, a little less intent on our destruction, or worse, detainment!"

Felshen closed his eyes quickly and clenched his fists snapping the iron mooring lines quickly and with a flick of his wrist sent them sailing into the rushing guards stalling them. The boat began to slowly drift away from the dock the boarding ramp slowly being drug off the surface.

[Azazealyn]

Azazealyn sighed lightly as she followed him, instead choosing to merely levitate up and land lightly on the deck of the ship. "Really now?" she murmured as she reached in and pet her companion who apparently was not happy with the idea of going on the sea, if the angry clicks in her ear were anything to go by.

She was partially amused by his actions, she thought as she took a seat on the railing, watching several archers ready bows. Frowning slightly, she moved a hand and laughed when they suddenly found their bows and arrows too heavy to hold. She was good at what she wanted to do, rarely messing up a spell even if she were to be distracted. The tiny priestess knew what to do in any battle, preferring to take the second offense, learning from her enemies.

"So, Captain, where do you intend to sail to? Or do you wish to merely float away on the tide?" she asked, amusement evident in her voice.

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"Such a sense of humor!" Felshen yelled back with a laugh as he ran toward the helm dropping the sails and raising the boarding ramp with a minor application of matter manipulation magick. He picked up his long thigh length, sleeveless green coat and cast it about his shoulders.

Gazing up into the sails he saw them billow with tropical sea air and smiled Widely. The day was just getting better and better! He looked to Azazealyn and called to her over the shouts of the Guards, the sounds of the sea, and the gulls of the air.

"You know, Azazealyn I may just have to keep you around as a good luck charm! The amount of good fortune brought upon me since you're arrival has truly twisted my day around for the better!"

Laughing he spun the wheel, turning the nose of the Heron out away from the dock as She began picking up speed.

The Heron was a long slender masted ship with bright red sails adorned with an image of a large grey heron. She was not well suited for deep water but for the coastal regions of the scattered isles and the coasts of the mainland. In the Shallow waters off the coast she was second to none.

As the ship left the harbor Felshen locked the wheel in position and turned to the back railing looking back at the dock where the small forms of angry guards looked on yelling began fading into the distance. With another smile Felshen turned from the back railing and grasped the wheel, unlocking it and turning the agile vessel around the edge of the cove toward a smaller island a couple miles away from the port. The ocean parted at the bow like an artists brush on a blue canvas leaving a V of white swans in the ships wake. As the Grey Heron rounded the far side of the island Felshen steered it into a small cove with sparkling emerald water and darted about raising the sails and lowering the anchors.

"So, Azazealyn did your goddess grant you insight into the outcome of today or were caught as off guard as I was?" Felshen said as he walked over to the ships railing and leaned over staring into the emerald depths of the cove.

Felshens mood was joyous, being back among the rolling waves and refreshing breeze rolling in from the distant Scattered Isles. He was at peace again. He looked down on the intriguing Drow standing on his deck and was overwhelmed by the shear irony of having assisted her. A Drow, he was raised to hate them, but he never truly did. Misunderstandings on both sides lead to the war and exile of the Drow, no one side was ever truly at fault for such a conflict. Harsh words, and petty fights between the ruling castes were the usual catalysts. He had no quarrel with the Elf before him, she was an individual creature, not a race.

[Azazealyn]

"She works in ways that will be amusing to her and will serve her purposes well," Azazealyn said with a light shrug as she trailed a delicate hand along the wooden railing and paced towards the bow. Really she was a tiny bit surprised at the suddenness of the meetings but she knew better than to question her goddess regardless. What Lloth gives will undoubtedly be taken away at an inconvenient time if one questions.

"Although a forest elf on the seas? That in itself is an unusual occurrence. How did you come by this trade?" she asked, deciding to find out more about him of his own volition when she could very well pull it from him, whether he wanted to reply or not. She did not use her Lloth-given powers often when she could merely ask them, only when she was tired of the trivial dribble that spilled out of everyone's lips.

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"I simply purchased My ship from a Captain down on his luck about seven hundred years ago. I was a Terrator in a small village on the edge of the Zyabeth Forest near the border to the forsaken land prior to my leaving. I was simply becoming bored with the political nonsense, and the trivial droning of every day life. The forest grew stagnant, and I found myself wanting to desperately leave. I simply jumped at the chance, and I was in luck. The village I belonged to was attacked nearly a week later, only one survivor was reported and he seemingly had lost his mind during the attack. Had said some thing about shadows, an angel of death, and a wolf. But whatever the report the case was that of simple insanity, few gave him any merit,"

Felshen rolled his head on his shoulders and laughed, "whatever the case, I'm more than happy to be out of there. The sea is never the same, every day is a little bit different. I try to avoid land when I can, and I only make land fall when my scouts report some thing interesting enough to explore. But as of late there has been no exploring, no ancient ruins to delve into, and no Money flow. But Perhaps with my new luck charm I might be lucky enough to uncover a copper or two. Well what about you? What made you leave the Underdark? Personally I wouldn't be caught dead there, I'd only been once and I hated every moment of it. Far too constricting, it was like being in prison all over again,"

He smiled and pushed himself off the railing looking at the bright blue sky hanging overhead.

[Azazealyn]

"I was rather bored with the trivial back stabbing and petty squabbles between the Matron houses. As the High Priestess, it was up to me to determine who was in the right and who was in the wrong," she said with a shrug as she looked out over the water, violet eyes taking in the creatures swimming below the surface.

"In addition, I had Lloth's blessing to leave, she remains with me even now," Azazealyn added as she raised a hand to keep her hood in place, keeping it from being swept off. "And the Underdark is not where my people resided by choice, but I am sure you have been told the stories," she said, keeping her voice neutral on the topic.

Really she had no use for petty squabbles of the past, there were no living elves that could actually remember what had happened, just the enduring hatred between the races. Azazealyn lifted her eyes to watch a bird swoop in and scoop up a fish, leaning down so she rested her forearms on the railing of the ship.

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"Stories are just stories, told time and time again until the point where the only truth in them ends up being that they are just stories. I never believed them, Only a fool would believe stories like those without questioning their merit. Not to mention, why should we perpetuate an age old hatred where not even the Elders can tell you the true reason for the hatred to begin with?"

Felshen stalked over to the railing the smile on his face had long since vanished and gazed into the wave less cove next to Azazealyn.

"I must apologize for my outburst," He said calmly, "just thinking about the pointless squabbling within our race makes me angry enough to leave the society all over again,"

[Azazealyn]

"I'll keep that in mind," the drowess said dryly as she observed the ocean below her, speaking no more than necessary as she was prone to do in her years of study. It was a habit she had fallen into that saved her, letting silence reign as she observed the actions of others in the silence, letting those characteristics tell what they wanted.

"But often stories have some grain of truth, if one takes the time to pull apart the details and ask the right questions of the right people at the appropriate time," she said with a dismissive shrug, showing she was done with that topic for the time being.

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Felshen made an agreeing hmmmmm, and there was silence for a moment save for the gentle breeze gliding through the cove and the sound of fish jumping in the distance.

Smirking slightly he turned to Azazealyn, "But what is not a story is the fact that we met today. You are most certainly wanted for that Moon elf as an accomplice to murder and now you're on my vessel. The only reasonable option you have, is to join my crew,"

He gestured to the vessel, "Besides, this place really could use a woman's touch,"

The fact of the matter, which he thought he hid fairly well was how attracted he was to the Drow, it had little to do with how powerful he felt she was, more of a matter of her confidence. Well that could be expected from a Drow, being she hailed from a heavily matriarchal society nothing less could be expected.

That was another reason he never wanted to have to go back to the underdark, the concept of men being in servitude severally limited his freedom. But this is one Drow he wouldn't mind being stuck beneath her boot heel. He shook his head and smiled, what was he thinking. He nearly laughed aloud.

"So Azazealyn, what do you say?"

[Azazealyn]

She was silent a moment as she thought about it. It wasn't like she couldn't take care of herself on the Surface, she was rather adept at that. Being a priestess however, had its limits and being a drowess and a priestess of Lloth did also have limits. She weighed her options in her mind, shifting through the pros and cons of the situation in a way that would have made any Matron Mother proud.

Shifting slightly so she crossed one leg behind the other and placed most of her weight on her forearms that were resting on the deck railing before she spoke. "Since you seem to think I have no other options, I guess I will accept, if only to see if you are as capable as you like to believe," she said.

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"Well, welcome aboard Azazealyn," He smiled widely, and with a flick of his wrist he sent the pulleys turning to withdraw the anchors from the bottom of the cove.

With a turn to Azazealyn he tilted his head to the side and offered her a curious look, "Where would you prefer to stay on board?"

He motioned toward the hold, "The crew sleeps in the hold, but we have other rooms as well, such as the guest rooms. All of them are currently in use as storage for we have had no use for them, but one can be emptied at a moments notice,"

He looked around at the empty deck and frowned, "Speaking of which, we still have to sneak into the harbor and pick up what little crew I have right now,"

[Azazealyn]

"Somewhere that is dark," was all she said with a shrug of her shoulders as she leaned on the railing and watched him, violet eyes hidden beneath the hood of her cloak. He was an interesting one, that much was certain and she did not know how much Lloth would like it, but her goddess was a temperamental one and often let her do as she pleased, despite what others may have thought.

Maybe it was because Azazealyn did not care about much, she was rather apathetic after all when you looked at world things. She rarely cared for other things and this was no exception. She was out and had no real intentions of joining Drow society again unless it was to play them against each other as a puppet.

"Since you are the captain, the ship is at your whim," she said as she waved a hand.

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Springing into action, he pushed himself away from the railing and ran to the helm releasing the sails once again with his magic. Arriving at the wheel in a blur of green, brown, and black, he grabbed hold of the wheel and gazed into the sails finding a strong wind.

"We have a heading! We shall sail around Liadi, to the port at the far side, It is there we shall find ourselves a new crew. As for the old batch, I found them dreadfully boring, and not in the least bit the type of people I enjoy associating myself with. As of now, they are unemployed, sadly they have no place of residence; so it appears their last paychecks shall stay with me!"

Smiling widely, he spun the wheel heading the ship out of the cove.

"Oh, and I nearly forgot, you can stay in the mid-ship interior storage closet, It's quite large, and empty. All of the items once stored there are in the guest rooms. Where they will stay! I will have a bed hauled in there by the evening, you wont be able to see your hand in front of your face without a lantern. Is that dark enough for you my dear?"

He let out a laugh and guided the vessel onward, speaking loudly "This is to freedom! Shaking off old chains and tying ourselves off to the wind on a silver thread!"

He let go of the wheel for a moment and closed his eyes raising his hands above his head. The Ocean shifted and a tall mount of stone and rock rose from the cove behind them sending the Heronsailing out of what was left of the cove on a wave.

[Azazealyn]

"Do not concern yourself with such things, I am more than capable of taking care of it myself," she said simply as she watched him, observing his movements with surprisingly intense violet eyes. Shaking her head slightly, she turned back to observe the water and the stone, amused but hardly one to speak about using magick wastefully. Afterall, she was granted powers by her goddess, was she not?

The drow priestess moved back from the railing and her unsteady position a bit, easily keeping her balance on the ship and it's rolling gait over the waves. She really had no use in waiting around, nor did she have much of a use for his obvious lust for the see.

Drow language had no word for 'love' in it, the closest they could say it was was a perpetual feeling of lust and one of a long time companionship, but she found that the surface languages all had a term for 'love' in it, so she was finding herself having a slight difficulty when it came to relating to things that people said they 'loved'. Shrugging her thoughts away, she took a seat, leaning against the mast.