RP:About A Ship
Part of the The Dust Up In Cenril Arc
Summary: Meri and Ranok discuss a few things about Rynvale. Pirates. Their ships. What might have happened to them.
Shipyard
Sitting in a huge u-shaped dock is the largest cargo vessel you have ever seen. Busy craftsmen are just now adding the finishing touches to the gargantuan vessel that seems to dwarf the stone platform it is anchored within. Several workers are rushing bits and pieces from the warehouse to the east and running up the ramp making quite a noise as their boots slam on the over used wooden structure. There is definitely a feel of excitement in the air as the ship finally gets closer and closer to her maiden voyage. A new building has just completed construction to your east, and to your surprise, it appears to be a library with something strange sticking out of the top of it.
Meri has seen better days and it would be obvious just by looking at Meri, who had a rather tired and worn out look about her today. Amongst other issues. While the woman is not the most feminine creature out there, her attire is usually more flattering than it is today between the form fitting pants and the bodice. Today Meri is going for comfort over anything else, opting to wear a loose-fitting black button down shirt that actually looks like it was cut for men and not women, baggy black pants and a pair of shoes that slip on. The reason for going for comfort could easily be attributed to the fact that one arm appears to be up in a sling. Tucked under the arm not bound in a sling are three books. One of them is very old looking and does not belong to the library that Meri is leaving, she brought that one with her. The other two were borrowed from the library itself, a bit of light reading to keep Meri busy since a tattoo artist likely cannot work efficiently with a bum arm. Subject matter is a mystery as with how Meri is holding the books, one cannot get a clear view of cover or spine to see a title. Her path is set west, leaving the library and traveling through the shipyard at a lazy pace.
Ranok respected utility over form. Form followed function, anyways. There was beauty in a thing that worked, regardless of how rough or ungilt. That was just a barbarian bastard's opinion, at least. That was also why he was dressed as he always was. The same old duster, seen better days and with new patches and stitching that made one wonder if the any of the original was left behind. White armor, so perfect and polished. If one didn't know the man, they might have called it untested. The same for the sword. Good thing most knew better, wasn't it? Ranok was not coming from the library, instead cutting through the shipyard with a leather tube, capped in copper, which shone bright in the sun. He'd been seeking the head shipmaster, but the man was not forthcoming. The summer storms were coming, so there was a great deal to be done. Ships in drydock, heaved onto wooden blocks as big as horses, covered in barnacles and releasing the stench of the sea and decay as they died in the hot spring sun. Meri was hardly noticed, her participation in several recent activities on the fringe. For Sabrina's little healing, he'd been rather focused on the untested acolyte about to cut open his favored healer. In the bug hunt, he'd rather been occupied with engaging the house sized ant lion and bigger queen. So while his eyes might have met hers as he passed, they slid on by as he moved.
Meri was fine with not being recognized by Ranok. There may be plenty of others in the land who would rather have fame and glory to the point that any individual could spot them, identify them and perhaps even strike up conversation but that was not Meri. She was okay with not always being noticed. Ranok though, she does recognize him for a variety of reasons. His every action at the battle in Gualon's desert may not have been observed but his presence was definitely noted. More clear in her mind was the encounter at the river in Larket with Sabrina. Even further, her years around Rynvale have likely afforded the woman a tale or two about a grumpy runesmith as Ranok is sure to have made some sort of impression amongst merchants and those working around the shipyard/docks. With this knowledge in mind Meri decides to temporarily abandon her course back to the tattoo parlor, she had nothing but time to kill anyway, in order to trial after Ranok. With effort, there is a bit of an internal peptalk to actually get the exhausted woman to pick up her pace and catch up to Ranok. "Hey," she calls after the guy, with the half-hearted hope that he might slow down to make catching up easier. Either way she would catch up though, "Hey, Ranok, isn't it? Funny how the two of us have been stomping around Rynvale for a few years now but have never actually met, hm?" Of course, what does Ranok care about some lowly tattoo artist? "The name is Meri."
Ranok had a fan club. Or, hate club. And a certain author's works that took his likeness to write a series of dirty literature. Safe to say, Ranok's public opinion was a mixed bag. It didn't help that he spent his time chasing down smugglers or pirates over kissing babies. Or seeking shipmasters rather then engaging in a cheery wave the public affair. When Meri ca;;s after him it takes a moment to realize he's the one being hailed, and not some workman across the way. He stops, duster surging around his legs. A whirl and a crisp crunch of boot on metaled heel and he's facing her, "What?" was the blunt word, clipped out. Seems he was having a bad day, by the expression on his face, which bordered on the thunderous. That enough would send the lesser willed scurrying, but likely Meri was made of sterner stuff. That assumed, his eyes flicker over her. Recognition dawns slowly, a flickered face in firelight. And one bathed in the harsh light of elecricity and then delved into the depths of shadow. "Yes. Funny." A shrug of one shoulder to properly align the tube of leather's strap over his shoulder and a hand clutches it. One would say almost protectively. "I remember you. I recall wondering what a frail girl like you was doing in the middle of a war party." Seems he'd missed her abilities, what with his own light show having his hands full at the time.
Meri was not nearly so discouraged by this less than positive attitude Ranok is displaying. In fact, the bulk of it brushed out without even flinching -- even the nonsense of her being a frail girl. Instead what Ranok gets once he turns to face her is a smile, cool, easy going, and even tempered. It is noted the way that Ranok seems to be rather protective of the tube that he carries but ultimately whatever he was up to was likely beyond Meri's understanding that the artist wasn't going to inquire. No, the socially acceptable thing to do here would not be to ask about his work, she has no business knowing about that now does she? "Hmm, and yet I was there." She says, her good shoulder rising and falling in a half-hearted shrug, as if she had no real interest in expanding upon why she was actually there. Back to more appropriate conversation, "Maybe like three and a half years I have been out here? Seems like things here have been running great. I have heard some stories from Simon at the Barrel? About some of the people that used to hang around here? It's my understanding that things have really mellowed out here and in large part the residents have you to thank. Do I understand that correctly?" A brow is lifted, blue eyes fixed on Ranok's face in an analytical fashion. Plus it was normally polite to look at the person you are speaking with. "How long have you been living out here in Rynvale?"
Ranok spent his fair share of time as enough meeting where polite discourse was the norm and proper protocols had to be followed. Nothing got done until the proper rituals were followed. The High Elves and their traditions. It was tiresome. Not everyone had a thousand years to wax poetic about falling leaves, or whatever other nonsense. The takeaway of all that was that he knew how to be polite. He just wasn't. "And yet you were there." was echoed by the man. This is punctuated by an almost thoughtful tone of voice, the barest of concessions. A bow of the head accompanyed it. A nugget of respect doled out, as obscure to capture as it might have been. "Stories, hm?" A lip curls slightly. He knew what sort of stories were spread. Depended on who you asked, really. The effects of his heavy hand weren't all that visible. "It has been perhaps five years now. I have done nothing but push over what already would have fallen. A certain pirate's folly assured that." To say that things were getting 'better' was a point that could be argued. Perhaps less piracy, but an influx of refugees or those fleeing the war torn parts of the world saw a surge in life in the port city. Cenril was overflowing and the lucky escaped to Rynvale. This fast injection of new blood, ideas, skills, and life destabilized the sleepy and ponderous nature of the High Elves like nothing else. Frankly, Ranok saw blood on the horizen. But then, he always did.
Meri shifts the books about that she carries in the clutch of her arm, even if it was just three lonely books holding them in the same position for an extended period of time is enough to make the joints stiff at the very least. Impossible to transfer them from one arm to the other, obviously, as such would defeat the purpose of keeping her other arm in a sling. Mention of a pirate has Meri's gaze cutting away from Ranok and turning toward the open ocean, contemplating the subject of pirates and what she has heard of them. A certain pirate? There is a moment of silence, as if Meri was trying to mull over these stories she has heard. "A certain pirate?" she inquiries of Ranok, before sharing what she has heard during her few years here. "I mean, Simon has told me a few stories about a few pirates that have favored this island. I admittedly I was pretty drunk. His fault. Not mine." There is a hint of a smirk, but Ranok probably does not appreciate this humor. "And it was pretty late when he was entertaining me with these stories. I suppose...he might have mentioned a thing or two about a pirate that sailed around on the Eternity. I never actually got to hear what happened to the guy though..." The ocean no longer holds Meri's attention, blue eyes once more settle upon Ranok's face. "Same foolish pirate? What happened to him?"
Ranok replies flatly, "Dead to a lich." Whether he was aware of any deeper meaning or information seeking on behalf of Meri, he wasn't looking to feed it. The tone of his voice also suggests that no more information in that regard will be forthcoming. There were plenty of tales told. It had been in Kelay, after all. The whole town could see Leoxander's attempt to kill Tiphareth and the war party host that had shown up ready to rumble. If Meri truly did not know...she'd be able to pry it out easily enough. It seems Meri's probing has left Ranok with a suspicious look, his eyes thinned down and beginning to regard her in a slightly unnerving way. A hand goes to rest upon the pommel of his sword. Not an overtly threatening gesture, as his hand rested there as naturally as some bard's might on a woman's back. "Is there a point to all this? Did you need something of me?" Chin raises just slightly, the brim of his hat cutting the sunlight to cast a slightly wider shadow.
Meri could read those gestures as easily as she could read a book, as casual as Ranok would like to think they seemed. The suspicion that begins to fill his gaze is more than apparent to the woman, brow lifting and perplexed look pinned on Ranok in response. What? He had brought up the folly of this pirate before she had. At this particular point in time, Meri was entirely unarmed and her arm was in a sling. The sword might be overkill Ranok! But Meri refuses to step backward, stubborn pride in what she does perceive to be a threat in it's own respect. "It is called a conversation, Ranok. People usually have them when they first meet, it's how they start to get to know one another." That being said, Meri chooses to ignore any hostilities being presented by Ranok. No smile this time as she chooses to ignore his unpleasant behavior. "I wonder what happens to ships that are left without their Captain...I suppose the Eternity was probably taken over by the first mate, who sailed away? Or maybe it was sold...." A casual shrug. "Oh, I went along with Lionel and his ragtag band of warriors to their most recent bug killing thing. They are chasing these bugs based on clues, right?"
Ranok wasn't drawing any time soon. After all, he put his hand on his blade like another man put a hand in his pocket. Besides, he had the scars to prove that caution was worthwhile. "I wasn't aware I signed up for a conversation. And we've met before." Whether his short nature was just him being his sunshine self or a byproduct of Meri's friendliness causing his hackles to raise. "Near as anyone can tell, the Eternity was in dock when he died. Whether it was taken afterwards is unknown. If anyone has it they haven't said. That alone is well enough to declare it sunken. Any man that held the symbol, and it was a symbol, would proudly display it. A man seeking to fill in the power void would use it as a rally. Any other man seeing to destroy all it stood for would show it as a symbol of their might. And yet, you do not see it among the harbor, so..." Fingers flick at the general direction of where the harbor lay. It undercut what might have been a grand gesture into one full of meh, "Lionel's bug hunt is largely outside of me. I have a few details. As someone that risked her life to jump into the fray, you are surprisingly...uninformed."
Meri was actually normally like this Ranok, some people were not nearly as horrible at striking up conversations with strangers. Like the terse man standing with his hand upon his sword. Once more he turns to unpleasantries when dealing with Meri and once more she chooses to ignore it, except this time she does not seem intent on sticking around for additional conversation. A person could only stomach these insults for so long and Meri wasn't really interested in having a verbal spat with Ranok, nor did she really have the energy. Backward steps begin to carry herself away from Ranok, taking in a breath this time to steady her nerves and keep her tone an even one. The only sign that Ranok was actually starting to wear on her with his disposition. "Right. Well. Lionel was passing around these journals during this last one and it made mention of Cenrall....and an island that was not too far off of it's coast. So yeah," Okay, her irritation was starting to show a little bit. "Maybe I am uninformed but I was thinking you might be interested to know about that snip it because what island does that sound an awful lot like? Maybe they will be coming here next. Anyway...Maybe I was wrong. Maybe that is not of interest to you at all. Either way. It was great chatting." It wasn't. She was lying with that one, blatantly too.
Daine is not here. Daine is in fact still at the Kelay Tavern very much away from the ocean. Safe and sound; emotionally scarred, what else is new. Instead here at this very shipyard would be a rather interesting sigh to see. A flock shall we say, a colorful one at that. It was a group of gnomes and each had a different color pointed hat that rest atop their heads. The one in front (big red hat) was leading the others into this shipyard, he held his tiny fist high in a punching motion. "We will never find our master at this rate!" He squabbled back to the others, his eyes fierce. The purple hatted one shook his head, 'I told ye' needed to buy them tickets Red. No one listens to dear ole Urp." This caused quite a scene because the other three chimed in, they soon formed a circle all fist flailing, hats swaying left and right. You might say see a gnome disagreement was quite the entertainment.
Ranok hadn't even begun to insult, which sort of spoke of a few things on his temperment. "Of course they're here. These things always make themselves my problem." A hand is thrown up, "Kasyr, Satoshi, Vuryal...the list goes on. Suffice to say that if that particular circus comes to this island, I will be siezing the reigns." He steps forwards as Meri retreats, his left hand leaving the pommel of his sword to point savagely at the ground, "I bled for the isle when Vuryal came. I stopped that. I bled for this island when I began to strip the grip of the criminal scum lords that choke it. Still choke it. I have bled and fought and scraped against the slavers that steal the citizens that come here for a new hope, and I will continue to do so until breath is no longer in my body. If you have come to me worried that these bugs will amount to anything, rest assured. They will fall the same to me as all other things. This island is mine, whether it wants to be or not and none will take what either I or it have built with me standing." The step he'd taken is withdrawn and Meri allowed to leave. Despite the slight passion that enflamed when he spoke, it was damped in an instant. He knew when someone wished to leave, and he doesn't even bother to mirror her lie. What would be the point of pretending?
Meri was not allowed to leave persay, Ranok had no physical restraint on her and she had enough attitude that she would show disrespect by walking away from someone if she saw fit. The woman was stubborn as a mule when she saw fit. It is of her own choice that her steps stop, making the decision to listen to Ranok's enflamed speech about his defense of this island. The woman bobs her head in a nod, just accepting his sentiments. "Take the reigns then, if they come. Lionel is no leader. Until next time, Ranok. Whenever that is." Meri states that flatly enough. The gnomes and their banter, as humorous as it is, go unnoticed as they begin their argument right when Ranok starts passionately informing Meri of his deeds here. It would not be until Meri fully turns from Ranok and begins to walk away that her blue eyes alight on this flock og gnomes, without any real recognition. It does delay her departure and for a fraction of a second she considers looking back at Ranok to see his reaction but nah, she is certain he is making a grumpy face behind her. Flock of gnomes fighting in the shipyard. What is this nonsense. Meri is undoubtably going to be nicer here, at least she approaches and tries to herd the gnomes out of the area, as best as she can with one arm in a sling and the other carrying books. "Come on. Let's go. Not the place to be fighting, midgets." Okay, maybe name calling is not nice but...
Ranok had no time for shenanigans. The squabbling that sprung forth from the short statured gnomes is pointedly ignored. Another crisply executed turnabout on a bootheel and he's off, anyone in his path be damned. Most had the sense to get out of the way. If they didn't, well...