Captain Lasuri has called for Kiana to join him on the deck of the Spring Dryad II. Kareth and his team have finished repairs for the day, so the deck is peaceful, and the deepening evening temperate with a refreshing breeze.

With the meeting over, Kiana had switched into the less formal attire that she was comfortable with--tan britches and a long sleeved white-shirt, though she had seen to the repairs of the right side herself, and while the stitching was done very well, the entire sleeve and part of the side was off-color.  She didn't mind however; Kiana was humble by nature, and appearances were not high on her priority list.

The Captain had requested her presence, and though a little hesistant at first, when she found out it was to happen atop the deck, she brightened considerably at the prospect.  The Captain's martial prowess had certainly earned the little girl's respect, as combat was ingrained into her very being thanks to her father, and his caring and brave nature not only made him a natural leader, but Kiana found the traits simliar to those of her father, and so found herself growing to like him as well.

The sun shone brightly as she emerged from her quarters and onto the deck, shielding her eyes for but a moment as she found the Captain on the deck and made her way toward him.  Getting used to the sea life wasn't easy for an Earthbound such as her, but she was adjusting well enough.  She gave a small salute as she approahced him; though she didn't know the rules of the sea, she knew the ways of the military well enough to fall into place when needed.  She was, after all, sailing under his colors.

"You wanted to speak with me, Captain?" She said quietly, dropping the salute and standing at a loose state of attention.  She knew by now that the man wasn't big on pomp and circumstance, but did it more to humor his position more than anything else.

Upon arriving on the deck, Kiana would immediately see that Jadira is already with the Captain - at his request, in fact. Based on the things Kiana has spoken about herself, he thought it appropriate to ask Jadira to be present as well during this talk, to reassure the young woman. He understands that she might have trouble trusting him, or feeling comfortable around him, and since he knows Kiana has already took on a liking to the first mate, having her comforting presence around would help the younger woman feel more at ease.

The Sea Drake himself is leaning over the railing of the Spring Dryad II, watching the sea at sunset, eyes affixed on the slowly moving tide. He has changed to his usual attire as soon as the meeting his over, his dark blue hair waving softly in the evening breeze. He turns towards Kiana with a warm smile, and gestures for her to approach.

"Really nice to see you, Miss Kiana. Thanks for coming on such short notice." He turns his gaze back to the sea, watching it carefully. "I hope you don't mind Miss Thornbloom joining us in this little evening chat." He indicates Jadira with a short push of his chin, arms folded over the railing.

"This is not a really formal meeting or anything. I've just got a proposition to make you, and I would rather do that without other people watching or listening in, so you don't have to feel pressured into it or anything." He nods, smiling, eyes still affixed on the vast expanse of the sea.

"Do you remember one of the first things you've asked me when you were offered to join the Dryad?" He asks suddenly, without shifting his gaze. "You asked me how you could help out with anything on board. Back then, I told you we'd find something out, and left it at that."

"Today, I've given you responsibilities - things that impacted the whole crew, like keeping watch, then more applied things like defending the ship against attackers. You've been put on the spot, under pressure, and you've performed admirably. So, as it turns out, you've answered yourself that one question you asked of me way back when." He turns, and smiles to Kiana proper.

"We'll be recruiting more people when we can, and I need to organize things up here because of it. As a result, I'm thinking of building a team responsible for ship security. People who can watch, be our eyes and ears, and defend the ship when there's danger of boarding or assaults. People responsible to keep our crew and Miss Thornbloom's gunners safe when that's necessary."

"I want to offer you to head that team, Miss Kiana."

Jadira is indeed there, dressed as she was in the meeting but with the embroidered coat unbuttoned. She too leans with her back against the deck railing, but lets Lasuri do most of the talking, offering Kiana an encouraging smile.

"You don't need to feel obligated to accept this role. As you know, we aren't a militia. You have choices, and you have the right to question ours. But Lasuri would not even consider you for a leadership role should he have thought you incapable of it."

"We've not forgotten about your mother and homeland, either," Jadira adds, recalling their first meeting at the inn in Seahaven. The story Kiana had told then left a lasting impression on her. "Should you one day feel ready to return to the Crimson Isle, we would support you in that endeavor, whether you accept our offer or not."

Kiana listened intently while the two of them spoke, very little betrayed in her mostly neutral face.  All of the changes that had surrounded Kiana as of late had not had a noticeable effect on her, but it would be a lie if one said she was unfazed by it all.  In truth, the rapid pace of current events troubled the girl, and left her feeling out of control.  And for an Earth Aspect, that was a very scary feeling indeed.

She looked between the two of them, and then glanced down in thought.  She studied the ornate lines carved into the Jade boots she wore, lines she dotted on and polished every night before she went to bed, whispering prayers in hopes that her father might hear her, and recently, take pride in what she had accomplished.

Leading men spur of the moment was acceptable, as there had been little options otherwise, but this was different.  Taking command of a unit was a serious responsibility, especially given the duties that unit would be held to.  Security and safety, the assurance that when danger struck, they would strike faster and harder.  At first she was tempted to turn down the offer.  There was no sense in bringing down more attention to herself.  Her tactics were not hers alone, but also those of her father, and if word spread that such tactics were used, that was yet another lead for her mother.  She looked up, ready to shake her head sternly to the offer, when the wind blew gently from the west.

Kiana tilted her head appreciatively to the cool breeze, and then froze.  Something in the wind caught her ear.  It sounded like a whisper...or perhaps it was just a fond, distant memory that she could not completely fathom, but the words of her father resounded, ever so softly.

"One day you will lead our Armies, my dear heart, of that I have no doubt..."

It was profound, that moment, and thought she was already doubting she had heard anything at all, save for an extremely feeble gull, it changed her mind.  Instead of a stern shake, she offered the two of them a small smile and a quick nod.

"I would be honored to serve in such a way, Captain Lasuri."  She said, then looking to Jadira.  "And thank you for the kind words, Jadira.  Hopefully that day will come, sooner than later, and I would be eternally grateful for any allies...any friends who would brave such trials by my side."

She looked out to the sea that Lasuri had been gazing at so intently for a moment, and then turned back to face him.  "I will happily train any men or women you provide me, Captain, and will do my best ensure they provide this ship with the utmost of protection."  She paused for a moment, and then after a few moments added, "Will there be any other duties this new role will require, sir?  And..." She gave an unusual blush but remained steady in her speaking, "...will this be an official position and rank within the crew, sir, or is this off the record?"

Lasuri smiles warmly at the girl's words, and despite his weariness at the many things he had to take care of during the day, anyone could tell that he is very pleased at the response. As for her questions, he does not answer them directly, rather choosing to explain his decision first - something the Sea Drake seems particularly prone to do.

"You're the daughter of a strong and faithful general, right, Miss Kiana? You're also a daughter of Pasiap, so I'm sure you see the benefit of stability when it comes to groups like ours. It's... not something that came easily for me, you know. I've always been kind of informal, especially when I was younger. I was a bit of a head in the clouds and a lot of a free spirit, in everything I did. So I had to work pretty hard to start to understand what stability brought." He smiles, then turned back towards the sea. "What can I say, it's in my blood. I'm a son of Danaa'd, now and forever. But now I'm also the Captain of the Cobalt Alliance, and I can't just think of what's natural for me. I've got to think of the interests of the people under me first and foremost."

"In any case... To any group, there's strength in stability. A strong backbone makes people believe all the more, and it gives them something they feel they can rely and depend on. That's why I want to make this position official, Miss Kiana. You'll be Head of Defense, which will include, like I said, scouting duties as well as ship security. Those are big tasks... But you've already proven yourself worthy of it. You've shown it to me, as you've shown it to the rest of the crew."

He smiles, eyes affixed on the sea and the setting sun. "If that's still fine with you, and you're ready tackle that on, then we'll inscribe it in the official Charter... And we'll be ready to discuss the other point I wanted to bring up with you."

"Namely, the issue of your name."

Scouting and Defense.  She wasn't too experienced in the realm of scouting herself, but knew how invaluable it was in the field of combat.  Her keen senses made her a natural selection for the position, though, and she was sure that with a bit of study she would quickly pick it up.

"That quite fine with me, sir." She said, smiling fairly broadly now.  This was a strange feeling, but she realized she rather liked the feeling of being needed.  Of having a special niche to fill that only SHE could fulfill.  Nothing like the fake portents of 'duty' that her mother tormented her with.  No, Kiana had a certain set of skills that no one else aboard the Dryad possessed, and that made her valuable.  It was a pleasant feeling, knowing she was needed.

Of course, then mentioning of her name gave her a moment of pause.

"...my name, sir?  Is there...something wrong with it?" She was certain there was nothing wrong with the 'Kiana' part, but had an inkling of what the Sea Drake might well have in mind for the last part.  The Makohgn name was, after all, a very powerful one.

"Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with it, so I think that's not the right way to say this. Names are just words by themselves... They're given power by people, and the actions these people take."

"You and I are not so different in that regard, miss Kiana. There was a time when I was wearing a different name. Life took its course, however, and I found myself on the run like you were, with no one but the Dryad and Jadira by my side. We both carried names we couldn't wear anymore, at the time. We had to leave them behind, because the power in a name is something you can't stop. Wanting or not, you can't run from the expectations and assumptions your name builds with time."

"I was just Lasuri for a while. It almost felt like an amputation at the time." He sends a glance towards Jadira, smiling softly before turning back towards the tide. "We'd suddenly found ourselves without home to go back to, without roots to feed us. It's like we'd discarded everything altogether, and we just drifted for a while. It was kind of symbolic really. We refused to take on new names until we'd found our place."

"I don't think it's something that happened consciously, really. We didn't know where to go, and we had to lie low for a while. We ended up spending some time with a Haltan tribe, living among them and integrating to their group while we figured out what we would do. But after a while, we started to realize that where we were wasn't so important as who we were. Our actions defined us, in the end. The Haltan tribe recognized this, and that's when they gave us our new names." He smiles he reminiscence, and turns towards Kiana.

"That's a long story, but at the core, that's how this Alliance was born. In a way, we're trying to teach people the same things that were taught to us. We're trying to help people become who they're meant to be, helping them become themselves, in a way, by giving them a chance to be free to do that. That's what our group is all about."

"And now, you've shown a bit of what the real you's like, free from all the constraints of expectations and assumptions. The name you carried at birth was really powerful, because your father made it so. Now it's time you made your name powerful. Your own story begins here, miss Kiana."

"We've been around," Jadira appends to Lasuri's tale, smiling sadly in reminiscence. "It might not look it but we've lost a great deal, too. We're content with what we have now, what we are now. But it was hard won."

"Before our exile... Lasuri and I would have been wed as Dynasts. I had a sizable inheritance and Lasuri came from a family of excellent breeding. My only ambition back then was to do my House and parents proud, to build a new family and livelihood. It wasn't for the prestige, or the advantages of being born of a privileged class... I just wanted to build a respectable household of my own... something lasting, that was mine and his."

"Then... we lost it all. It struck me hard. All those dreams, all that potential, killed by a single senseless act. We wandered a long time before I realized that the means to build that dream hadn't died with our exile, after all. It had always been here, in me..." She touches her chest, above the heart, then steps close to Lasuri and covers one of his hands with hers. They face Kiana, together. "In us."

"Kiana, our new names were granted to us upon the moment we embraced our new path of life, with strength, with dignity and courage. Would you allow us to grant you a new title, as well, to symbolize your acceptance as a full member of our crew?"

She listened intently to their tale, though certainly a more condensed version of it.  The Crimson Isles were very much considered a part of the Realm, and so Kiana felt for Jadira and Lasuri, for their loss.  Though she too was a princess of the Realm, a sort of royalty even, she had not been raised with succession of the house in mind--at least, not by her Mother.  Not at all.

"That is a beautiful dream."  She said to them both, though she looked at Jadira when she spoke.  "I would have liked something very much like that, I think, if the fates had been more kind..." She looked over at the sea, gazing in the same direction that Lasuri so oft stared during the meeting, but then snapped her head back in attention as Jadira went on.

So, the new name wasn't just for strategic reasoning.  She figured that was going unmentioned, of course, though Lasuri did mention the power of names.  The Makohgn name had that, especially in the right circles.  Her mother was a thing of great beauty, and only Kiana knew how cruel she could be; everyone else saw the myriad of faces she wore.  And her Father...her father was one of the most brilliant military minds, on land or sea, that the realm had ever seen, though his campaigns had never taken him too far from the Isle, as his intentions were strictly in defending his home, not extending their boards (like her mother yearned for).

She considered the thought carefully, rolling it around in her mind.  A new name.  Allowing someone, other than her mother and father, to brand her with words of meaning.  But a name based on merit, and her actions: not traditions, or relatives.  She liked it, but with reserve.

"I was named after my Father.  He was called Kiando, and so I was named Kiana.  I bear his name with proudly...but the rest of my name is meaningless to me.  I would be honored to carry whatever name you would give me, as long as you are not offended by my keeping what little of him I have left..."

She smiled softly, waiting.  And, if she admitted it to herself, a good deal anxious.  A new name!  It was almost like waiting to hear a gift.  So many things would be told to her by what they chose.  Would it be something endearing?  Something graceful?  Something Brazen and Daring?  What impressions had she made on her new friends?

"The alliance was born out of the one thing we realized when we finally understood. When we realized that the dreams we shared were not held by something so ephemeral as nations, times and places. What we wanted was given meaning because of us. And so we continued to keep true to ourselves, and to each other. We don't really know where that'll take us. But I don't really think that's the point. The journey there's what this is is about." He keeps Jadira's hand on top of his, and turns back towards Kiana with a smile. "If you wish, this is a journey you can also be a part of."

"As for your name... It's not a problem at all. It's even more of a sign of strength, in a way, to see the good parts in an otherwise tough and harsh life. I'm sure your father would be proud of his daughter, miss Kiana - carry that name proudly, and remember why you chose to keep it." He smiles, then lifts his chin slightly. "As for the rest..."

The Captain reaches into his coat, then pulls out a simple charm - a braided leather cord from which three pure white feathers hang. "Here is the beginning of a story I'm sure many will tell in time." The Captain clears his throat, then starts to recite, in the fluid and instinctive tradition of sailor storytelling. "In a windswept Wavecrest port, a girl was seen leaving the island. She didn't speak much, and she seemed to walk with her head down, like it was her place to do so. That girl stepped aboard a ship that flew the Cobalt flag... And then she disappeared, never to be seen again. Those who remember and tell the tale swear that when the ship reached the next port, the woman who disembarked the boat was not the same one that embarked on it when it left."

"Reborn in the flames of battle, tempered in the protection of your comrades... Carried by the powerful Waters of Nevermoor, marked where the Northern and Western Wind meet in a savage cross... Born and nurtured by implacable Earth, to carry on its will and endure despite the challenges. You know how that story started... And it's up to you to show others how it'll end." He nods, and hands the charm to the younger woman. As he does so, he pulls out a second charm adorned with jet black feathers, and smiles fondly.

"I give this to you, as it was given to me through Haltan tradition. Let it be a symbol of your rebirth, a reminder of the moment where you chose to take a new step on your journey."

"From now on, you're the sole author in the tale of Kiana White-Fist."

Kiana White-Fist.

She looked down at her hands as she heard the name, and one would easily guess that she was looking for those White Jade Smashfist that she wore in combat.  They were gone, however, and rightly so:  She wore them only for combat.  They remained on her at all times, however, and their reassuring weight comforted Kiana, especially at the new name she was just granted.  White-Fist.  Again, she was being named after her father, as the fighting gauntlets had been his before Kiana had taken them as she left the Crimson Isles.  The boots and Gauntlets were all she had been able to take of his armor and weapons before she felt it wasn't safe to tarry further.  Perhaps the rest of it was still there, kept by her mother.  She dearly hoped so--it gave her more reason to return.

She looked up at Lasuri, from her hands, and smiled her first untamed, genuine smile in a very long time.  It lit up her face like a sunrise, and for a moment the weariness of all that she had endured, the torment of years of abuse of all kinds vanished, and one both of them could easily see the little princess hidden under it all.  The young girl who was still struggling with the changes of her body, with the death of her father, and with the utter evil of her mother.  The little girl who, while grown up way too quickly, still clung to the dismal hopes that all could be well with the world, and seen that hope get just a little brighter.

"I like that name very much, Captain.  I shall wear proudly, as I wear my father's."  She bowed deeply to both of them, and if she had been wearing her red dress, the image of a perfect young princess would have been complete.  However, as she rose back up the smile was fading, naturally and on its own, the bright flash of joy and respite dimming as memories flooded back in, and reminded her why she was taking a new name to begin with.

"I will make sure that those who board us against our wishes will remember the name very well."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:08, Wed 18 Mar 2009.

"Congratulations, Kiana White-Fist, and thank you. We appreciate your service to the Alliance, but most of all I'm happy that we could be here to help your transition into a new stage of life." Jadira smiles and touches Kiana's shoulder gently, her expression exuding both reassurance and pride in their new recruit. "You will always have a place with us, and I know you'll do justice to the name, and our trust in you."

"And remember... you will find in your travels that there is very much evil in the world, but there is also very much good. Nurture what hope you have, even if it is small, for once you give into despair -- that is when evil has truly won."

"But enough of my philosophizing," the armswoman says wryly and rubs her eyes, looking just a little bit weary, though far from displeased. "It may be a good idea for us to get a good amount of rest tonight. Treating the wounded is exhausting work... and we'll need to be in shape for our next task."

"No need for thanks, Miss White-Fist. Names aren't just handed - they're earned. You've won yours, so the thanks go to you." He smiles warmly at her, and nods. "I know you'll honor both names. And if we can help you find a niche in this world, watching you inscribe history with this name will be more than enough thanks for me."

"I'm sure the Lintha probably already have names of their own to refer to you and what you've done." The Captain chuckles, carefully pocketing his own charm before turning back towards the younger woman. "Probably not especially flattering ones, of course... But as you learn to live the kind of life we live, you'll no doubt understand that there's a form of strength in infamy. It doesn't get you invited in the most 'in' parties of high society, but it sure can intimidate foes if you play your cards right." He smiles, then shakes his head softly. "But enough about that. Your dad most likely taught you more about this kind of stuff than I ever will know." He winks, then turns towards Jadira, now leaning his back against the railing.

"You're right. It was a pretty rough day for everyone, and worse than rough for some of us. If we're going to tackle this thing seriously - and I intend to - we're going to make sure we're well and rested."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:52, Wed 18 Mar 2009.

Kiana studied the charm she had been given, her fingers gently going over the feathers with care and consideration.  After she was satisfied with exploring its designs with her eyes, and its texture with her fingers, she placed the charm gently inside her shirt, in hidden pocket she had sewn into it herself.

She smiled at the two of them.  "He taught me many things, Captain, and indeed reputation was one of them.  Several wars on won without a single blow or shot fired.  My Father's reputation stayed man blades, as few wanted to cross blades with such a commander."

Kiana surprised herself with a yawn, covering her mouth at the last moment and mumbling a hasty 'excuse me!' as it subsided.  "I didn't know I was so tired.  Thank you two, very much, for your kind words and encouragement.  For now, I think, I'll take leave to my quarters, and try to absorb all of this with a good nights rest."  She bowed to them again, smiling at both and meeting their eyes before she turned and entered the ship proper once more.