The Djaffa responds in a choked whisper, "The windship.  The Rajani have them, but this wasn't of that make.  We had no idea until they actually attacked, and our band was small."

Aalistair nods. "I see."

He sits in silence for a moment. "Is there somewhere we could drop you? Allow you to make it back to your home and kin? I am not sure precisely of where we are currently heading, so any such changes might be advantageous early on."

In reply to Aalistair (msg #402):

Mirna watches the exchange, her hand on her sword and a skeptical look on her face.

In reply to Aalistair (msg #402):

There is a small shrug from the huddled man.  His voice is still choked up.  "Anywhere.  Wilderlands road, Djaffa, Carantheum, Seven Kingdoms would be appreciated."  His voice grows huskier, "or I would stay on, if it might be in your thoughts to give chase to these villains, and you would have another blade."

Aalistair looks up at Mirna for a moment before returning his attention to the smaller man.

"No, I do not think that we intend to give chase to these vile and degenerate Rajani scum. We are few in number and having retrieved this windship have achieved our immediate goal."

He pauses a moment.

"You said that the Rajani have more windships? You have seen such?"

In reply to Aalistair (msg #405):

"I have not seen any myself, but all of us know of the Rajan windships, and others I know have seen them.  Usually they do not stray far from their homeland."

Aalistair pauses for a moment, clearly deep in thought. He claps the Djaffir lightly on the shoulder. "Rest for a moment. Maybe there were more of these masks found."
With that he gets up and moves to the closed door, beckoning Mirna and Jaxar closer.

"I am still not sure of our guest. Perhaps it is just me being unsure, maybe it is some premonition. I do not know. One of us should go above, find out where we are and where we are going. If we can drop this fellow off somewhere, I would feel safer; but if it is the wish of the rest of you to keep him along, I will not contest it."

In reply to Aalistair (msg #407):

"I don't trust him. He wasn't on the 'ship when it was taken, and I don't understand why the Rajani would stop to pick up a band of D'jaffir." Mirna shrugs. "I'll go see what I can find out abovedecks. Should I bring one or both of the other masks?"

After getting an answer about the masks, Mirna will head upstairs. If no one has an opinion about the masks, she'll bring both back down.

Aalistair shrugs. "I say bring them both. Maybe have Jaxar here or J'landria check them out for smells or whatever." He looks back at the sorrowful Djaffir. "Maybe he is just an innocent caught up in all of this... like the rest of us...," he sighs. "When you go up, tell them that he wouldn't mind being dropped off. Maybe after sunsrise."

In reply to Aalistair (msg #409):

((In case it wasn't obvious from my last post:))

Mirna nods and heads upstairs.

In reply to Aalistair (msg #409):

Mirna comes downstairs, with a mask in each hand.

"How is our friend, Aalistair?"

"About the same. Mournful and distressed." The Aamanian shakes his head. "Maybe this will all make more sense come daybreak. Any consensus up top? Do we just give him the masks, lock him in, check when we're a bit more clear-headed?"

In reply to Aalistair (msg #412):

Mirna shakes her head. "I won't rest until I know what is going on." She hands Aalistair the mask with the man in the hold's scent on it. Softly, she says "Hold this. I don't want him to know you've got it."

Mirna opens the door to the man's cell, and holds up the mask. "Is this your mask?"

The Djaffa looks up, begins to reach, then lowers his head, while shaking it.  "No, that one is not mine.  Was there no other?"

In reply to GM (msg #414):

"Do you know who it belongs to?"

Aalistair, the other mask behind his back, leans against the door-jamb and listens, remaining quiet.

The man crumples to the floor completely again, a howl escaping him that is barely human, more like a wounded animal.  "That was my son's!" he manages to wail.

In reply to GM (msg #417):

Mirna waits, patiently, for the man to regain his composure ((ooc: See? Danuvians do have SOME compassion!)).

She hands the son's mask back to Aalistair, and holds her hand out for the third mask. She holds it up, and says, "This, then, is yours? "

Aalistair hands the mask over to Mirna when she reaches for it. but his eyes stay on the mournful Djaffir.

He slowly regains some of his composure, his hand extends, and he nods his head.  "Yes, this is mine," his voice thick and hoarse.

In reply to GM (msg #420):

Mirna holds on to the mask.

"Who else would have worn it?"

In reply to Mirna (msg #421):

"None other," the Djaffa replies immediately.  He seems to think a moment, then adds, "while it was in my possession."

In reply to GM (msg #422):

"My Jaka friends smelled three scents on this. One is Rajani, I'd like to know who the third is." She hands him the mask. "I don't think we'll resolve this tonight. Get some rest, we'll figure out what to do with you in the morning." She closes and locks the door, then sits down with her back against the door.

"Aalistair, go find someplace to sleep. I'll stay here for the night." With one hand on her sword, Mirna closes her eyes and relaxes into a light nap.

Aalistair will nod and then wander off to find somewhere quiet to pray, rest, and sleep.

The Djaffa takes the mask from Mirna, nods his thanks to her while also rasping out the word.  Once she closes the door, she can hear him moving about for a few minutes within the cabin before he settles quietly.

Aalistair finds the crew quarters at the opening of the hallway, and is able to find a bunk, a hammock actually, which though somewhat strange and unsettling at first, the gentle swaying an motion of the windship soothes him to sleep, after an exhausting day and night in the service of Aa.

Likewise, though uncomfortable, Mirna is able to doze off eventually, her body tired with the rigors of travel and combat.

Jaxar returns abovedecks.



OoC:  I will close this thread, but open another for the crew quarters/main deck of the windship.