Tahirah watches the odd patterns of the girl dancing with the storm, entranced.  Such curious movements, from such curious people...

After a short time, she draws herself out of it, and approaches the blackened lump.  With a nod to the carpenter and the sailor - deep enough to make a small nod through her hood - she crouches next to it, gingerly laying splayed fingers along the top.

 

•• He's dead • Jim ••

The blonde breaks of her dance, at least with the roaming Roman and skips over to the fallen piece of rock.

•• Kind of tricky • I figured • to shift if I took away its control •• Guess I was right ••

She giggles a little but then spots the captain and grows more serious.

•• Will she be all right ••

That was definitely a question, laden with genuine concern.

 

With Banglen-Yp over by the remains Roman returns to human form.  The shift could have been uncomfortable, if accompanied by fingers poking into his substance.

It is in his human form that he approaches James.  "So, what was that thing, and why was it here ?"

As directed by James, the new First Mate takes the helm, while two of the crew nervously start to move Rovane down to her quarters

Benedict dismisses the carpenter, and orders the crew who had been sent to help with the fight to dispose of the misshapen corpse.  Then he walks aft, following Roman and Banglen-Yp towards James.  Behind him, Tahirah stands and moves away as the seamen, after a brief discussion, swing aside a hinged section of the rail, and approach the fallen bulk...


Benedict overhears Roman's questions, and answers in his usual garrulous manner.

"Same reason you're here."

The man is good with a blade, but not exactly offering useful information.  "If you merely mean that it was  'going to Amber', you might be correct.  But that is hardy useful.  Better to know why it was going to Amber, and I doubt that it had the same reasons as i"

"Travelling," Tahirah says, thoughtfully, kneeling down to pick up one of the smaller ossified bits.  She takes it over to the barrel and crate combination that has become a favorite sitting place of hers, and sets it down atop the barrel.  Taking her seat, she draws out her cards, and lays a trio, with the chunk of ex-Shifter in the middle.  Soon, inevitably, follow other triangles.

"That would be nice."  James approaches the others as they talk.

"The last one of these we encountered was an assassin of sorts.  Travelling would be a nice, innocent motive by comparison.  But I doubt Tarrek would agree with that conclusion."

"The Captain should be okay, Banglen-Yp.  I think she has broken ribs, but as long as she's not bleeding internally she should recover quickly.  Still, I might go check that the cook's on the job.  If you'll excuse me."

With a brief nod of farewell, James turns and heads for the Captain's quarters.

 

•• That is good to hear ••

A brilliant smile, shifting into a briefly brooding one.

•• May I come with you •• I think I might be able to assist the cook ••

The brooding is once more replaced by a cheerful expression as she skips after James, awaiting his answer.

 

Benedict simply shrugs, "Same destination, different objective,"  He turns to face the bow, but his hazel eyes fix far beyond that, on the horizon, as he adds, "and convenient transport."

Tahirah lays her cards out across the barrel, and one or two of the nearer sailors move a little further away from her.  Superstition has the same effect here, it seems, as in Charyk.  The cards spread, new triads sprouting from old, with a nondescript chunk of stone at the heart of the pattern.


James leads Banglen-Yp below, and they enter Captain Rovane's cabin, where they find her laying in her hammock, while the sailors who brought her down here try to make her comfortable, despite her protests, "Leave me be, and get back to yer work!  I can fend for myself, without ye mothering me!"

She catches sight of the passengers, "Come to gawk, have ye?  Well, there's nothing to see."

"Not gawking, Captain.  Nor mothering, if it comes to that.  We came to see if we could help at all.  Both Banglen-Yp and I have some ability at healing that might get you back on your feet a bit faster."

James smiles a bit self-consciously, "I don't actually know much of what Banglen-Yp can do for you, but you might still prefer it to my technique.  Or you might still prefer that we leave you alone?"

 

Thinking for a moment as the captain asks her question, and then while James replies, the blonde seems to pick her words carefully once she do speak.

•• That thing we fought • the shifter •• I took away • temporarily • its ability to shift •• In a similar fashion • I can bestow this ability to you • to help your body heal itself quicker •• Any other kind of healing helps • so whatever James can do will only help even more •• It is harmless and will only last a short while • however • I will of course not do it unless you approve • captain •• It is the least I can do • if you let me ••

She smiles, a simple and genuine smile, aimed at both of them, and then awaits the captains reply to their proposals.

 

So, he knows nothing.  Hardly a surprise.  With a shrug Roman turns to watch Tahirah laying out her cards.  The strange woman had done something in the fight, but whatever effect it had - if any - was difficult to discern.

The Captain shakes her head, not altogether sure what Banglen-Yp is offering, but at least understanding James' words.  "I don't need yer hel...  Hells and Damnation!" she yells, as pain rips through her nerves.  When it subsides, there is a shift in her attitude.

"Very well, do what ye can."


Benedict looks about the deck, noting that the sailors' training seems to have been adequate for the situation.  His gaze follows Roman's, alighting on Tahirah and her cards, as more chunks of broken stone splash into the ocean.  The crisis seems to have been averted, for the moment.  The trick will lie in keeping it averted.

"You have command." he says to Roman, before heading off towards the Captain's cabin, to check on her condition.

Tahirah studies her cards for a time, as the swirling activity of cleanup rushes around her.  Finally, she gathers her cards and puts them away.  She rises slowly, lifting the chunk of shifter-rock, and walks with a measured pace to the edge of the ship.  Finally, almost solemnly, she reaches out, and the chunk splashes down into the water.  It is the last piece of the shifter left to drop.

After standing quietly for a moment, her head turning slightly as she watches the spot where it fell, she turns away.  Walking over to the ship's carpenter, she steps up beside him, and says, "If it is not too much trouble, may I please borrow your tools?"

In charge ?  If it were a matter of rank it might make sense, but it is not normal to hand over command to a passenger - however exalted their position. Nevertheless...

"See to the ship!  The captain will want to know what damage was sustained."

 

Banglen-Yp reaches out and takes the hand of the captain, smiling gently.

•• It will simply help you heal faster • captain ••

An optimistic statement and she releases the hand of the captain with a small nod.

•• Done • now let James do his part too ••

 

James takes his cue and steps forwards...and stops.

James was fairly sure he understood what Banglen-Yp had just done, although for the life of him he couldn't see how an ability like that could be transferred.  Anything that helped the Captain to recover would be a good thing, it might also help as a buffer against the side effects of what he intended.  And that was the problem.

"How much do you trust...?" James begins uncertainly.  Evidently he has changed his mind, since he stops abruptly and start over.  "You know what?  Nevermind, you shouldn't have to answer that.  I'll explain: The technique I use is very draining and I haven't had the opportunity to fully test it yet.  Not enough to be completely sure it's safe.  I've a lot of respect for you, Captain, and I don't want to take that chance.  Better that you recover normally, and quickly with Banglen-Yp's little boost, than risk something worse."

 

Banglen-Yp tilts her head to the side, watching James with a sweet and gentle smile as he speaks to the captain.

•• Perhaps another time and place ••

It is aimed at James and, evidently, a question, if perhaps a rhetorical one.  Her eyes narrows a little in a smile, although the reason for the spreading smile remains unclear.

She is indeed an odd one sometimes.

 

The carpenter regards Tahirah as if she had just asked him to cut off his hand and let her take it.  At least for a moment.  Then his expression changes slowly... the strange woman had, after all, defended the ship.  It would be most unlikely that she would then choose to do Seahorse any harm.

"The Captain lays still while Banglen-Yp... does whatever she does.  "Doesn't feel any different." she grumbles, and then adds, for James, "If ye can do something... anything... to ease the pain so that I can stand on deck and give orders, then I'll take it.  Can't depend on that shower of useless lollygaggers to work without me breathing fire down their necks."

At which point the cabin door opens to admit Benedict.  "Good work." he says, though it isn't clear who the comment is directed at.  "Well, when we get to Amber, ye can tell yer sister that I'll be looking for a deal more coin next time.  For repairs... to me, and Seahorse." Rovane growls.  Benedict closes the door behind him.  "I'll speak to her."

The carpenter is quite happy to lend Tahirah his tools, though he almost dies of fright when he sees her start carving strange designs into the deck.  Rovane will surely have someone's hide for this.

Under Roman's watchful gaze, the crew continue to throw the remnants of the creature over the side.  Fense, the mate, finally approaches the Chaosite, as the last chunks drop into the ocean, "We're done there, Sir.  And the men wanted me to pass on their thanks for saving their lives from that thing"

"Well, I guess I can do that.  But you'll need to rest for at least eight hours after we're done."

James moves closer to the Captain's bed and sits down on the floor with his back braced against the Captain's sea chest.  He reaches out a hand and places it gently on her shoulder.

"Close your eyes and clear your head as best you can.  You need to listen carefully to what I say and do what I tell you.  Now imagine that you are standing in a large chamber, the walls are all but concealed in the shadows to each side and the ceiling is a long, long way above.  The floor is a flat, smooth, stone surface.  Pay attention to the floor.  Inscribed in it are lines of pale fire.  Look closely and you'll see that it is one continuous line that twists and winds."

James continues to talk, describing the Pattern Chamber in Amber as it appear in his mind.  The meaning may be lost on Banglen-Yp and the Captain, but Benedict surely recognises its significance.

"The Pattern you see is a symbol of the order of things, all things.  Your body, too has a Pattern, blood joins to blood, bone to bone, muscle to muscle and each to each other.  Your body is damaged right now and so the pattern is broken.  Notice that dimmed area and the gaps on the far side.  We can mend the pattern by walking it, but it's very hard and once you start you can't pull out.  This is your last chance to say "No"."

In fact the welfare of the crew had not featured highly on Roman's list of concerns - and then mainly in terms of needing someone to do the work of sailing the boat.  Saying as nuch would be unwise, though.  "I did what needed doing.  Now someone needs to go down into the hold to check the damage there.  It put up quite a fight."

 

Banglen-Yp stands there silently watching, a carefree smile on her lips.  As James informs Rovane about the procedure he suggests the blonde tilts her head to one side, then the other, but still says nothing.

In her mind, however, something that The Screen showed begins to play.





A foot begins to tap in beat to the unheard music as the odd girl observes with unbridled curiosity.

 

Benedict glances at James, as he becomes aware what the man is suggesting.  Then, with a barely perceptible shrug, he moves back and leans against the cabin door.  It's unlikely that anybody would disturb them anyway, but clearly he feels that this extra precaution is warranted.

"Yes.  Do it." the captain growls at James, then looks at Benedict, "And ye, see that ye do speak to her, else Seahorse has worked her last for Amber."


Under Roman's command, the carpenter is pulled away from watching Tahirah's  strange activities, and is sent, with two other men, to check the hold for damage, and to see what they can do about any necessary repairs.

Approximately ten minutes later they are back to report that, while there is damage to the cargo, most of the damage to the ship seems fairly superficial, and should be easy enough to repair.  With a shake of his head, one of the men even remarks, "I'm tellin' ye.  I saw it.  The timbers are pullin' 'emself straight, an' bindin' together agin.  By the morrow, there'll be naught to repair."

His companions are sceptical though, and the carpenter jerks his head towards the man, with a wink at Roman, then uses one index finger to describe small circles in the air alongside his temple...

James attention is fixed entirely on the Captain and on the impression of the Pattern he has fixed in his mind, so he doesn't even notice Benedict's reaction.

"Okay.  Keep your focus on the room and the Pattern.  In a moment we're going to start walking along the line.  You go ahead of me.  It will quickly become hard to move your feet.  The important thing is to keep moving.  If you stop, it's much harder to start again so concentrate on putting one foot in front of another.  And whatever you do, stay on the line, don't move off it for any reason.  When we get to the broken areas, think about your body as it is when it's healthy, it's probably easiest to think back to a time when you felt truly alive and well."

James didn't have to try very hard to guess the image the Captain would choose.  Almost certainly, it featured the Seahorse in full flight.

"I'll be right behind you. I'm going to push you to help keep you moving and I'll steer you if I have to keep you on the path.  And if you stop or look like falling, I'll carry you."

"Okay, let's do this."

James did his best to concentrate on the job at hand and not to let any of his uncertainty leak through his connection with Captain Rovane.  She would need to b absolutely confident if they were to succeed. James sincerely hoped that Banglen-Yp's contribution would make it easier to re-inscribe the gaps in the Pattern, otherwise he risked killing both of them.

Roman only shakes his head at the carpenter's gesture.  Has he not seen enough to realise that his ideas of what is possible are merely a parochial prejudice ?  "If the cargo is secure, we should get underway.  Show the captain how well you can do when she's not looking over you shoulders!"