#yes I put corin in there twice just to see if anyone would notice and so far none of you have

[volturialice]

The Volturi start a family band. Which instrument(s) do each of them play?

(This can include the guard if you like.)

aro - guqin/chinese zither (it's all about the Philosopher King aesthetic)

caius - harpsichord but he lacks any true passion for music, he just learned it to be Refined

marcus - sad violin boy

didyme - was big into all kinds of flutes

sulpicia and athenodora - can play the most instruments (they're so bored up there.) especially keen on anything with strings (dulcimer, sitar, erhu, etc)

heidi - glass armonica

felix - duduk (sometimes santiago plays the other part for him.) also into various kinds of ancient drumming

demetri - lyre

renata - lute

corin - electric guitar

chelsea - harp

corin - fiddle

afton - tambourine

jane - recorder

alec - takes out his cell phone and waves it around

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 55 of 83 : World of Sea

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 55 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

///////////////////////

Someone in the melee noticed them in a brief moment of better visibility. They frantically called, “Boarders aft!”  Shocked into further action, Captain Mord left the fight and led the two hundred and fifty foot charge back to the map table.  They were too late.  Kurin was gone.

In a small boat, barely out of sight in the fog, Tanlin bent her back to carefully muffled oars.  The Sea Hawk circled once and disappeared into the mist.  Shortly, they heard it scream, back near the Longin. The bird came back and circled, flying low and slow ahead of them. In short order, the Wide Wing lead them to the other three boats.

It swooped down and landed on Tanlin’s heavily padded shoulder, talons adding another few small rips to the pads.  Tanlin chucked the Sea Hawk under the beak and then gave it a bit of dried skelt.  The razor sharp beak took it gently from her fingers and made short work of it.

As Kurin looked on in amazement, Tanlin said, “Good, Skye.  Good. Now, show us t’e way t’ ‘ome an’ nest.”  The big bird bobbed its head, and launched off her shoulder, beating up, out of sight.  Tanlin had a faraway look, as if the world about her was a dream.  

She shook herself and pointed surely through the fog, “T’at way, swift an’ quiet.”  After they had rowed for a bit, she ordered, “Step masts.  Rig t’e sails.  Lively, now!”  Without a word, the crewmen and women leapt to obey.

A cat’s paw breeze swept through the fog and filled their sails.  In a short time they were clear of the fog and scudding north through the chop raised by a brisk breeze.

Finally, Tanlin relaxed, but only a little.  She called to the other boats, “Wad t’ey nae look at our message at all?”

“No, Captain.  We were driven back by knives.”

Shaken, Tanlin asked, “T’ey refused ye rescue?  T’e Longin broke the Groit Law?  Ye were attacked wit’ knives?”  She paused and swallowed hard.  In a calm voice belied by shaking shoulders and tears she asked, “W’at losses?”

“One dead, three wounded, one missing,” they replied.  

Kurin saw Tanlin crumple a bit but then brace herself.  “‘Oo died?”

“Macoul, the helmsman,” they called back.

“T’e wounded?” she asked, shaking but dry-eyed now.

“Gemma Colin, Darkistry Colm and Lenai Halin, Captain,” they called back.

“An’ t’e missin’?”

“Bosun Modanet.”

Then she did cry but she held her course.  “A good ‘elmsmon gone. Doctor Corin’s daughter.  M’ best friend.  Arnat’s mot’er. Oi can ‘ope t’at t’e Bosun got our message t’ yer Ca’tain. I’ ‘arm t’ t’ese few ‘urts so muckle, ‘ow does anyane survive a war?”

Kurin tried to distract Tanlin from her grief.  “How did you train Skye so well?  I never heard of anyone taming a Wide Wing before.  It was like he understood you.”

Tanlin did smile, though there were still tears in her eyes, “She.  Skye’s a female.  T’under’ead’s bock ‘ome on t’e nest.  Huh, she just got bock t’ t’e ship.  She brought ‘im a fish.”

“But how did you train her so well?” asked Kurin, in genuine curiosity.

“Oi dinnae.  Oi defended t’eir nest wen t’ey decided t’ make ‘t in our rigging w’ile we rode in t’e eye o’ t’e storm.  Oi brought t’em some fish, because t’ey’d been days wit’oot food.  T’ey adopted me.  T’en w’en Mecat gave m’ a Dragon’s Gift, t’ey were on m’ shoulders, trin’ t’ protect m’ from a Groit Dragon.  T’ey got included in t’e Gift.

“Sorry, Oi’m upset an’ tellin’ ‘t badly.  Let m’ calm down an’ Oi’ll tell ‘t better.”

“Did I hear one of the crewmen call you ‘Captain’?”

“Full o’ quest’ns, arenae ye?” said Tanlin, smiling in spite of herself.  “Aye, Ca’tain Barad stepped down voluntarily, for t’e good o’ t’e ship.  T’e crew elected m’.  T’was unanimous. Ye con poll t’em yersel’, i’ ye wont.”

“What I would want is to hear Barad say that he stepped down voluntarily,” said Kurin almost wistfully.

“T’en ye shall ‘ear ‘t from ‘is ane mout’, an’ t’at, soon,” said Tanlin firmly.  She pointed.  The sails of the big square-rigger could be seen coming over the horizon.  A Wide Wing could be seen leading the ship.  When it was clear that ship and boats had seen each other, the bird dove from five hundred feet up, hitting the water cleanly, with only a small splash.  A few minutes later, it surfaced and took off, circling back to the high lookout where the nest was.

“T’at wa’ T’under’ead,” said Tanlin, proudly.  “Wen we get t’e wounded taken care o’, Oi’m going t’ take t’em a basket o’ fish, for t’eir chicks.  Oi’m part o’ t’e flock, after all, an’ tis the duty o’ t’e flock t’ care for t’e young.” She cocked her head in self-conscious imitation of a bird.  “Oi’ll take care o’ ye, t’.  Wont t’ ‘elp feed t’em?”

The Grandalor turned into the wind, using it as a brake, to stop so that the party could board.  

“What fortune?” called a light baritone voice that Kurin knew.

“She came wit’ us, Barad,” Tanlin called back.  “T’e price wa’ ‘eavy.  We ‘ave t’ree wounded, ane dead an’ ane missin’.”

“You heard the Captain,” Barad’s voice called.  “Get four stretchers rigged, now!”  Their boats bumped up to the Grandalor and tied up to a piece of cargo net that had been hung over the side for use as a ladder.  The boarding party swarmed up the net, except for Tanlin and a few others who stayed behind to tend to the dead and injured.

Tanlin turned to Kurin, “Go on, get aboard.  T’ese folk volunteered t’ be in t’is party an’ ye are t’e reason t’at t’eir blood wa’ shed.  I’ ye donnae get aboard, t’will ‘ave all been for naught.”

“I’ll go aboard, never fear that,” Kurin answered seriously.  “These people risked their lives to get me here.  I can take a few minutes to help them.  I know bandaging and that abdominal wound  needs to be rebound.  She is in shock.  Wind her tightly.  Her arms and legs, too.  It will help to keep her blood pressure up.”

“Thank you, Kurin,” said a dark haired woman, injured in both an arm and a leg, as she helped wrap the more gravely injured woman.  “I’m Darkistry, by the way.  I hope that Lenai will be able to thank you herself.  I wish that we had known this trick of bandaging two hours ago.”

“I wish that I had known it was needed,” Kurin replied seriously, bandaging an arm.  “Captain Tanlin, this woman needs to go first. She’s in deep shock.”

Tanlin, who was steadying the first of the stretchers, said, “OK, Kurin, can ye ‘elp get Lenai int’ t’e stretcher?  Oi’ll ‘old ‘t steady.”

Kurin placed the crewmen along Lenai’s still form and directed, “Everyone, lift at once, on my mark… Lift!”  They all lifted until she was high enough for Tanlin to get the stretcher under her.

Tanlin signaled for the stretcher to be raised and called, “Number ane, ready for lift!  Get ‘er directly t’ Doctor Corin in sickbay!  Oi t’ink ‘e’s going t’ ‘ave t’ operate on ‘er.”

Darkistry said, “Take Gemma next.  She’s lost a fair bit of blood and got a nasty blow to the head.  My cuts are pretty deep, but I’m not bleeding much, I just need a ride to the deck and somebody to lean on until I can get stitched up.”

“Ye’ll lie flat an’ stay t’at way until we can take care o’ ye,” Tanlin ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Darkistry replied with an almost impudent grin.  As an aside to Kurin, she confided, “I never was very good at taking orders but I think that I’ll follow these.”

They helped Gemma into her stretcher and Darkistry into hers.  Crewmen went up alongside, to keep the stretchers steady.  An honor guard of Macoul’s friends came down and escorted his body up to the deck.

When they were alone in the boats, Kurin demanded, “What are you up to, Tanlin?  This ship,” she gestured at the Grandalor, “has been rebuilt for war!  I’m not blind.  You’ve changed the bow profile for better speed and ramming strength.  It’s been reinforced with at least two layers of Wing Ray for hardness and penetration.  Your bowsprit has been reinforced and broadened as part of that.

“Your standing rigging is over twice the thickness needed for storms and it’s been moved to absorb ramming shocks better.  Your rigging and sails have the coloration of fresh fireproofing by Hag extracts.

“What do you hope to gain by all of this?”  Kurin ended her tirade, hands on hips, face set and angry.

“Oi’ve made ye a promise, an’ ‘t’ll be kept!  T’is ship ‘as been remade because we see precious little o’ justice in t‘e actions o’ t’e Council!

“We are nae paddle ducks t’at ye can cut t’e ‘ead off wit’ nae struggle!  We’ll fight for t’e rights o’ the Groit Law!  Wen we can get a fair trial, we’ll submit t’ real justice!

“We’ve a few prisoners t’at we belive need t’ go for a swim t’ yer foster fat’er Iren’s halls!  T’eir trial’ll ‘ave t’ be a fleet matter.  We are ‘olding t’em until t’ey can ‘ave t’e chance t’ rebut charges o’ mutiny an’ murder!”  Tanlin paused for breath, fire in her eye.

“Tell m’ Kurin, w’at’s t’e second o’ t’e Groit Laws, t’e ane right after t’e ban on slavery?”

“The right to rebut charges.  Everybody knows that…” Kurin trailed off.

“Name m’ t’e court w’ere we can answer any charges?  T’ere’s nae such court for us.  We were condemned wit’oot trial.  Ask yer friend Sula i’ t’at precedent isnae w’ere t’e Ca’tain o’ Ca’tains got ‘is start?  T’en ask ‘ow many ships an’ lives were lost as a result.  T’e answers’ll appall ye.  

“Groit Law is put aside at groit peril.  We’ll send for Sula an’ Ca’tain Sarfin, along wit’ a quorum o’ t’e Council, yer ane Ca’tain Mord an’ ane ot’er ‘oo ‘as an interest in t’is case.  Blind Mecat.  Ye know ‘er, Oi believe,” Tanlin finished with irony.

“How can you send for Cat, or the others, for that matter?”  Now Kurin was curious again.

Instead of answering, Tanlin said, “Cume up t’ t’e deck an’ brace yersel’ for w’at ye’ll see.  Ye’ve nae beheld t’e worst t’at’s t’ be seen, yet.”  Tanlin did not wait, but climbed the net.  Shrugging, Kurin followed.

TO BE CONTINUED

<==PREVIOUS   NEXT==>

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : World of Sea : Part 55

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2018

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions. All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

///////////////////////

Someone in the melee noticed them in a brief moment of better visibility. They frantically called, “Boarders aft!”  Shocked into further action, Captain Mord left the fight and led the two hundred and fifty foot charge back to the map table.  They were too late.  Kurin was gone.

In a small boat, barely out of sight in the fog, Tanlin bent her back to carefully muffled oars.  The Sea Hawk circled once and disappeared into the mist.  Shortly, they heard it scream, back near the Longin. The bird came back and circled, flying low and slow ahead of them. In short order, the Wide Wing lead them to the other three boats.

It swooped down and landed on Tanlin’s heavily padded shoulder, talons adding another few small rips to the pads.  Tanlin chucked the Sea Hawk under the beak and then gave it a bit of dried skelt.  The razor sharp beak took it gently from her fingers and made short work of it.

As Kurin looked on in amazement, Tanlin said, “Good, Skye.  Good. Now, show us t’e way t’ ‘ome an’ nest.”  The big bird bobbed its head, and launched off her shoulder, beating up, out of sight.  Tanlin had a faraway look, as if the world about her was a dream.  

She shook herself and pointed surely through the fog, “T’at way, swift an’ quiet.”  After they had rowed for a bit, she ordered, “Step masts.  Rig t’e sails.  Lively, now!”  Without a word, the crewmen and women leapt to obey.

A cat’s paw breeze swept through the fog and filled their sails.  In a short time they were clear of the fog and scudding north through the chop raised by a brisk breeze.

Finally, Tanlin relaxed, but only a little.  She called to the other boats, “Wad t’ey nae look at our message at all?”

“No, Captain.  We were driven back by knives.”

Shaken, Tanlin asked, “T’ey refused ye rescue?  T’e Longin broke the Groit Law?  Ye were attacked wit’ knives?”  She paused and swallowed hard.  In a calm voice belied by shaking shoulders and tears she asked, “W’at losses?”

“One dead, three wounded, one missing,” they replied.  

Kurin saw Tanlin crumple a bit but then brace herself.  “‘Oo died?”

“Macoul, the helmsman,” they called back.

“T’e wounded?” she asked, shaking but dry-eyed now.

“Gemma Colin, Darkistry Colm and Lenai Halin, Captain,” they called back.

“An’ t’e missin’?”

“Bosun Modanet.”

Then she did cry but she held her course.  “A good ‘elmsmon gone. Doctor Corin’s daughter.  M’ best friend.  Arnat’s mot’er. Oi can ‘ope t’at t’e Bosun got our message t’ yer Ca’tain. I’ ‘arm t’ t’ese few ‘urts so muckle, ‘ow does anyane survive a war?”

Kurin tried to distract Tanlin from her grief.  “How did you train Skye so well?  I never heard of anyone taming a Wide Wing before.  It was like he understood you.”

Tanlin did smile, though there were still tears in her eyes, “She.  Skye’s a female.  T’under’ead’s bock ‘ome on t’e nest.  Huh, she just got bock t’ t’e ship.  She brought ‘im a fish.”

“But how did you train her so well?” asked Kurin, in genuine curiosity.

“Oi dinnae.  Oi defended t’eir nest wen t’ey decided t’ make ‘t in our rigging w’ile we rode in t’e eye o’ t’e storm.  Oi brought t’em some fish, because t’ey’d been days wit’oot food.  T’ey adopted me.  T’en w’en Mecat gave m’ a Dragon’s Gift, t’ey were on m’ shoulders, trin’ t’ protect m’ from a Groit Dragon.  T’ey got included in t’e Gift.

“Sorry, Oi’m upset an’ tellin’ ‘t badly.  Let m’ calm down an’ Oi’ll tell ‘t better.”

“Did I hear one of the crewmen call you ‘Captain’?”

“Full o’ quest’ns, arenae ye?” said Tanlin, smiling in spite of herself.  “Aye, Ca’tain Barad stepped down voluntarily, for t’e good o’ t’e ship.  T’e crew elected m’.  T’was unanimous. Ye con poll t’em yersel’, i’ ye wont.”

“What I would want is to hear Barad say that he stepped down voluntarily,” said Kurin almost wistfully.

“T’en ye shall ‘ear ‘t from ‘is ane mout’, an’ t’at, soon,” said Tanlin firmly.  She pointed.  The sails of the big square-rigger could be seen coming over the horizon.  A Wide Wing could be seen leading the ship.  When it was clear that ship and boats had seen each other, the bird dove from five hundred feet up, hitting the water cleanly, with only a small splash.  A few minutes later, it surfaced and took off, circling back to the high lookout where the nest was.

“T’at wa’ T’under’ead,” said Tanlin, proudly.  “Wen we get t’e wounded taken care o’, Oi’m going t’ take t’em a basket o’ fish, for t’eir chicks.  Oi’m part o’ t’e flock, after all, an’ tis the duty o’ t’e flock t’ care for t’e young.” She cocked her head in self-conscious imitation of a bird.  “Oi’ll take care o’ ye, t’.  Wont t’ ‘elp feed t’em?”

The Grandalor turned into the wind, using it as a brake, to stop so that the party could board.  

“What fortune?” called a light baritone voice that Kurin knew.

“She came wit’ us, Barad,” Tanlin called back.  “T’e price wa’ ‘eavy.  We ‘ave t’ree wounded, ane dead an’ ane missin’.”

“You heard the Captain,” Barad’s voice called.  “Get four stretchers rigged, now!”  Their boats bumped up to the Grandalor and tied up to a piece of cargo net that had been hung over the side for use as a ladder.  The boarding party swarmed up the net, except for Tanlin and a few others who stayed behind to tend to the dead and injured.

Tanlin turned to Kurin, “Go on, get aboard.  T’ese folk volunteered t’ be in t’is party an’ ye are t’e reason t’at t’eir blood wa’ shed.  I’ ye donnae get aboard, t’will ‘ave all been for naught.”

“I’ll go aboard, never fear that,” Kurin answered seriously.  “These people risked their lives to get me here.  I can take a few minutes to help them.  I know bandaging and that abdominal wound  needs to be rebound.  She is in shock.  Wind her tightly.  Her arms and legs, too.  It will help to keep her blood pressure up.”

“Thank you, Kurin,” said a dark haired woman, injured in both an arm and a leg, as she helped wrap the more gravely injured woman.  “I’m Darkistry, by the way.  I hope that Lenai will be able to thank you herself.  I wish that we had known this trick of bandaging two hours ago.”

“I wish that I had known it was needed,” Kurin replied seriously, bandaging an arm.  “Captain Tanlin, this woman needs to go first. She’s in deep shock.”

Tanlin, who was steadying the first of the stretchers, said, “OK, Kurin, can ye ‘elp get Lenai int’ t’e stretcher?  Oi’ll ‘old ‘t steady.”

Kurin placed the crewmen along Lenai’s still form and directed, “Everyone, lift at once, on my mark. . . Lift!”  They all lifted until she was high enough for Tanlin to get the stretcher under her.

Tanlin signaled for the stretcher to be raised and called, “Number ane, ready for lift!  Get ‘er directly t’ Doctor Corin in sickbay!  Oi t’ink ‘e’s going t’ ‘ave t’ operate on ‘er.”

Darkistry said, “Take Gemma next.  She’s lost a fair bit of blood and got a nasty blow to the head.  My cuts are pretty deep, but I’m not bleeding much, I just need a ride to the deck and somebody to lean on until I can get stitched up.”

“Ye’ll lie flat an’ stay t’at way until we can take care o’ ye,” Tanlin ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Darkistry replied with an almost impudent grin.  As an aside to Kurin, she confided, “I never was very good at taking orders but I think that I’ll follow these.”

They helped Gemma into her stretcher and Darkistry into hers.  Crewmen went up alongside, to keep the stretchers steady.  An honor guard of Macoul’s friends came down and escorted his body up to the deck.

When they were alone in the boats, Kurin demanded, “What are you up to, Tanlin?  This ship,” she gestured at the Grandalor, “has been rebuilt for war!  I’m not blind.  You’ve changed the bow profile for better speed and ramming strength.  It’s been reinforced with at least two layers of Wing Ray for hardness and penetration.  Your bowsprit has been reinforced and broadened as part of that.

“Your standing rigging is over twice the thickness needed for storms and it’s been moved to absorb ramming shocks better.  Your rigging and sails have the coloration of fresh fireproofing by Hag extracts.

“What do you hope to gain by all of this?”  Kurin ended her tirade, hands on hips, face set and angry.

“Oi’ve made ye a promise, an’ ‘t’ll be kept!  T’is ship ‘as been remade because we see precious little o’ justice in t‘e actions o’ t’e Council!

“We are nae paddle ducks t’at ye can cut t’e ‘ead off wit’ nae struggle!  We’ll fight for t’e rights o’ the Groit Law!  Wen we can get a fair trial, we’ll submit t’ real justice!

“We’ve a few prisoners t’at we belive need t’ go for a swim t’ yer foster fat’er Iren’s halls!  T’eir trial’ll ‘ave t’ be a fleet matter.  We are ‘olding t’em until t’ey can ‘ave t’e chance t’ rebut charges o’ mutiny an’ murder!”  Tanlin paused for breath, fire in her eye.

“Tell m’ Kurin, w’at’s t’e second o’ t’e Groit Laws, t’e ane right after t’e ban on slavery?”

“The right to rebut charges.  Everybody knows that. . .” Kurin trailed off.

“Name m’ t’e court w’ere we can answer any charges?  T’ere’s nae such court for us.  We were condemned wit’oot trial.  Ask yer friend Sula i’ t’at precedent isnae w’ere t’e Ca’tain o’ Ca’tains got ‘is start?  T’en ask ‘ow many ships an’ lives were lost as a result.  T’e answers’ll appall ye.  

“Groit Law is put aside at groit peril.  We’ll send for Sula an’ Ca’tain Sarfin, along wit’ a quorum o’ t’e Council, yer ane Ca’tain Mord an’ ane ot’er ‘oo ‘as an interest in t’is case.  Blind Mecat.  Ye know ‘er, Oi believe,” Tanlin finished with irony.

“How can you send for Cat, or the others, for that matter?”  Now Kurin was curious again.

Instead of answering, Tanlin said, “Cume up t’ t’e deck an’ brace yersel’ for w’at ye’ll see.  Ye’ve nae beheld t’e worst t’at’s t’ be seen, yet.”  Tanlin did not wait, but climbed the net.  Shrugging, Kurin followed.

TO BE CONTINUED

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