"Man overboard!" The cry rose from overheard, pulling Tamilyn instantly out of her slumber. Deftly maneuvering out of the hammock strung in her make-shift cabin, the small woman landed with a cat's grace and flew out the door, not caring that all she wore was a breastband and underskirt; it covered her well enough to be modest, anyway.
Launching out onto the deck, Tamilyn rushed to the side of the boat, rising onto her toes to peer out over the water. As she had expected, rather than one of the crew, not far off the bow floated - rather haphazardly - their quarry. "That's her!" she called before swinging her legs up and nimbly straddling the railing. A hand reached out to steady her and she swatted it away.
The woman looked in bad shape, floating scant feet above the water and looking toward the sky. At this distance, it was impossible to tell if she had fallen asleep or was merely accepting her fate as she sunk toward the waves. Either way, it wouldn't be long before her magic gave out, that was obvious enough.
Biting her lip, she judged the distance between them and shook her head. "No good," she murmured, glancing up at the sails. The wind was not blowing in the right direction to swiftly come up upon the woman. "Be ready for her," she directed no one in particular, trusting the crew around her to prepare. With a deft movement, she brought her other leg over the rail and dove into the water.
The waves were brutally cold this time of year, and when she surfaced she took a moment to let her temperature even out before swimming forward. Her strokes were strong, hair plastering against the side of her head, a single bead coming loose and bobbing away. Soon, she was beneath the woman, her feet within reach from where she tread. With quick, practiced motions, she drew wind to her as she would yarn, weaving an invisible basket and raising it up beneath her.
"Gotcha," she whispered, taking up the slack and bringing the woman to rest. Slowly, concentration split between keeping herself afloat in the water and the woman afloat overhead, she made her way back to the ship.
Water Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink
The fact that the island that she assumed she would be closing in on wasn't getting any closer was the least of Emalia's worries. She was losing energy - fast. Already the effects of maintaining her spell were wearing on her, and coupled with the fact that she had already been worn out before she even started... "Oh this can't be good. This really can't be good."
Emalia's frame dipped a bit in the air. The sparkling facets of the water seeming not so beautiful now, and more like a bath of glass. If she couldn't maintain her spell, she definitely wouldn't be able to swim, and if she couldn't swim, she would die. Suddenly, she wasn't flying alone - panic dogged her like a faithful friend and began to play about her legs.
The calm, as always, came about naturally. With her time to rest before she set out, she was a little something like her own self. The vicious cycle, however was started. She knew that the calm brought on fatigue, and she began to worry, and with the worry, the calm increased. She was less than five feet from the surface now as she looked skyward pleadingly, "Lathander, Apprentice - please... help me."
Emalia's frame dipped a bit in the air. The sparkling facets of the water seeming not so beautiful now, and more like a bath of glass. If she couldn't maintain her spell, she definitely wouldn't be able to swim, and if she couldn't swim, she would die. Suddenly, she wasn't flying alone - panic dogged her like a faithful friend and began to play about her legs.
The calm, as always, came about naturally. With her time to rest before she set out, she was a little something like her own self. The vicious cycle, however was started. She knew that the calm brought on fatigue, and she began to worry, and with the worry, the calm increased. She was less than five feet from the surface now as she looked skyward pleadingly, "Lathander, Apprentice - please... help me."
Fly? Over the Sea of Swords??
It wasn't often that someone so familiar walked into a shop in her town. Less often was it someone she had actually heard of. Tamilyn looked up from the monkey she had been playing with as the young woman spoke, her eyes appraising the lady's face - and she was a lady, that was obvious enough, clad in pure white robes that appeared not to have seen much travel. She had followed the woman from the road, finding herself trailing one of the women she had been watching for on her own journey back to New Thalos with her bags full from another successful trading run to Westbridge.
"She's looking for a temple of ...Lathander??" Tamilyn murmured as the woman left the store. Slipping a hand to her coin purse, she withdrew a few coins, the opened the monkey's cage and allowed the creature to climb up her arm. He had a kind face and a delightful playfulness; she hated to see him wasting in a cage. She set the coin upon the counter without a word, only nodding to Nabil, and struck out after her mark. Finding her at the docks was easy enough, after the "directions" Nabil had given her - that rascal, anything for a buck, she thought to herself - but it was not until she watched the lady lift herself from the ground and start eastward that Tamilyn decided to truly become involved.
"Hoy, Captain!" she cried, striding toward one of the smaller, faster ships in port. "Hoy, Miss Tami!" a man with a salt and pepper beard and a cunning grin cried back from the deck, raising a hand in greeting. "Comin' aboard?" His eyes took in the monkey perched on her shoulder, picking through her hair, but he did not say a word about it.
"Aye!" she called back, making a quick jaunt up and onto the ship. Its sails were down, but its crew was working steadily to load the last of a number of boxes. "Looks like you're to set off today," she commented as she closed the distance and came to stand beside the man overseeing his crew.
"Aye, we'll be gone within the hour if I've my way," he told her. Then he cracked a wide grin, slapping her on the back as though she were an old comrade - and, a few of the crew remarked, a man. "I know what you're to ask, girly, and ye know you are always welcome on my ship. Those bags look plenty full for a trip to the City of Splendors!"
"Oh, these are incoming, though I am due for Waterdeep soon." Tamilyn looked out over the water. "I'm more interested in that odd woman, though. You saw her, right?"
The captain's face turned grim. "Real pretty, too far in the air to be quite right?" "That's the one. Fool mage is going to get herself killed before she reaches the other side, either drowned or starved from island hopping." She shook her head, the beads in her hair clicking together softly. "I'm no rescue boat," the captain said simply, following Tamilyn's gaze. "But you're a good man, Donovan, and you know I will pay. I want to leave as soon as you're able, I won't deny you your cargo and we can go far longer than she can." She gave a charming smile, though her eyes remained grim. "One candlelength, then, we ought be done. I expect ye'll use your talents to track her..." "I'll be back," Tamilyn vowed, leaving the obvious answer unsaid, and jogged toward the docks again. A quick trip to drop her goods and supply herself for a journey across the sea would be well done within half an hour.
"She's looking for a temple of ...Lathander??" Tamilyn murmured as the woman left the store. Slipping a hand to her coin purse, she withdrew a few coins, the opened the monkey's cage and allowed the creature to climb up her arm. He had a kind face and a delightful playfulness; she hated to see him wasting in a cage. She set the coin upon the counter without a word, only nodding to Nabil, and struck out after her mark. Finding her at the docks was easy enough, after the "directions" Nabil had given her - that rascal, anything for a buck, she thought to herself - but it was not until she watched the lady lift herself from the ground and start eastward that Tamilyn decided to truly become involved.
"Hoy, Captain!" she cried, striding toward one of the smaller, faster ships in port. "Hoy, Miss Tami!" a man with a salt and pepper beard and a cunning grin cried back from the deck, raising a hand in greeting. "Comin' aboard?" His eyes took in the monkey perched on her shoulder, picking through her hair, but he did not say a word about it.
"Aye!" she called back, making a quick jaunt up and onto the ship. Its sails were down, but its crew was working steadily to load the last of a number of boxes. "Looks like you're to set off today," she commented as she closed the distance and came to stand beside the man overseeing his crew.
"Aye, we'll be gone within the hour if I've my way," he told her. Then he cracked a wide grin, slapping her on the back as though she were an old comrade - and, a few of the crew remarked, a man. "I know what you're to ask, girly, and ye know you are always welcome on my ship. Those bags look plenty full for a trip to the City of Splendors!"
"Oh, these are incoming, though I am due for Waterdeep soon." Tamilyn looked out over the water. "I'm more interested in that odd woman, though. You saw her, right?"
The captain's face turned grim. "Real pretty, too far in the air to be quite right?" "That's the one. Fool mage is going to get herself killed before she reaches the other side, either drowned or starved from island hopping." She shook her head, the beads in her hair clicking together softly. "I'm no rescue boat," the captain said simply, following Tamilyn's gaze. "But you're a good man, Donovan, and you know I will pay. I want to leave as soon as you're able, I won't deny you your cargo and we can go far longer than she can." She gave a charming smile, though her eyes remained grim. "One candlelength, then, we ought be done. I expect ye'll use your talents to track her..." "I'll be back," Tamilyn vowed, leaving the obvious answer unsaid, and jogged toward the docks again. A quick trip to drop her goods and supply herself for a journey across the sea would be well done within half an hour.
Into the Sea
Emalia walked up to the gates of New Thalos behind several other travelers. Many of them seemed to appear out of nowhere, riding atop carts drawn by sickly looking mules and horses, others arriving in grand status on the backs of stately steeds. Still others walked the path just as she did, carrying bags almost certain to be laden with goods for sale rather than provisions for a trip. She did not stand out though her robes (recently cleaned), were bright white. With the regalia all around her in the form of merchants, she was in company that paid her no mind at all.
Emalia wandered into the large market square and stopped to take in the sight of it. It crawled with the seediest looking beggars and shops all around. She stopped into one just by chance, full of cages with animals. Nabil grinned easily and spoke in an accent that was completely different from anything Emalia had heard before. "Do you desire pets? I have monkeys, lizards, tigers-" "No... I must know... have you heard of the Temple of Lathander?" Nabil chuckled and waved his hand to his 'merchandise'. "Buy a pet, I will give you directions." "I hardly see how-" "Then leave my store."
Emalia muttered and looked around, choosing to take with her a tiger which, she promised herself, she would free soon. "You must take a boat far east of here." "And then?" "And then you get off the boat. What?"
Emalia sighed deeply and left the shop, walking to the docks. Sailors were everywhere, some loading up their ships, some unloading, and others leering at her with toothy smiles and tipping caps. Choosing to depart without having to ask for a boat, Emalia cast a spell of fly and kicked off from the ground in a small cloud of dirt. She rose only about six feet from the ground but it was enough to send some of the men running to catch a glance under her robe. 'How disgusting,' she thought as she willed herself forward and over the sea.
The water was mostly calm as she drifted over what seemed like an endless expanse. Under the light of the sun, the surface of the water exploded into shimmering light not unlike the brilliant cut of a diamond. The salty air whipped against her face and she breathed it in deeply. Far, far in the distance, she saw what she thought might be an island, and feeling herself slowly wearing out, she sped forward deciding to make camp there to regain her stamina.
Emalia wandered into the large market square and stopped to take in the sight of it. It crawled with the seediest looking beggars and shops all around. She stopped into one just by chance, full of cages with animals. Nabil grinned easily and spoke in an accent that was completely different from anything Emalia had heard before. "Do you desire pets? I have monkeys, lizards, tigers-" "No... I must know... have you heard of the Temple of Lathander?" Nabil chuckled and waved his hand to his 'merchandise'. "Buy a pet, I will give you directions." "I hardly see how-" "Then leave my store."
Emalia muttered and looked around, choosing to take with her a tiger which, she promised herself, she would free soon. "You must take a boat far east of here." "And then?" "And then you get off the boat. What?"
Emalia sighed deeply and left the shop, walking to the docks. Sailors were everywhere, some loading up their ships, some unloading, and others leering at her with toothy smiles and tipping caps. Choosing to depart without having to ask for a boat, Emalia cast a spell of fly and kicked off from the ground in a small cloud of dirt. She rose only about six feet from the ground but it was enough to send some of the men running to catch a glance under her robe. 'How disgusting,' she thought as she willed herself forward and over the sea.
The water was mostly calm as she drifted over what seemed like an endless expanse. Under the light of the sun, the surface of the water exploded into shimmering light not unlike the brilliant cut of a diamond. The salty air whipped against her face and she breathed it in deeply. Far, far in the distance, she saw what she thought might be an island, and feeling herself slowly wearing out, she sped forward deciding to make camp there to regain her stamina.
Emalia's Shadow
As he crouched behind a scrubby bush not far off the eastern road, Colin found himself wishing the vegetation were tall enough to provide some shade. The late afternoon sun beat down upon his back and the muscles in his legs quivered in protest of holding his large frame in such a stooped position.
It had been more difficult than he had anticipated to follow Emalia on this first leg of her journey. The relative lack of other travelers meant that he had to travel the sometimes difficult terrain alongside the road instead of the well-worn road itself. Once, Emalia had caught him off guard by looking back over her shoulder unexpectedly. Colin had successfully ducked behind the low property wall he was following at the time but he had come far too close to being seen. He made it a point to keep additional distance and be more attentive from that point on.
Now, he peered intently at Emalia through the sparsely leaved branches of the bush. Although she was over 100 yards distant he could easily make out her slender, white robed form against the gates of New Thalos rising before her. Colin eagerly anticipated entering the city. It would be much easier to follow Emalia with other people around and it would afford him an opportunity to gather some supplies of his own. He had no idea how long this journey would last, or how far it would take him, but he was determined to follow Emalia to the end.
It had been more difficult than he had anticipated to follow Emalia on this first leg of her journey. The relative lack of other travelers meant that he had to travel the sometimes difficult terrain alongside the road instead of the well-worn road itself. Once, Emalia had caught him off guard by looking back over her shoulder unexpectedly. Colin had successfully ducked behind the low property wall he was following at the time but he had come far too close to being seen. He made it a point to keep additional distance and be more attentive from that point on.
Now, he peered intently at Emalia through the sparsely leaved branches of the bush. Although she was over 100 yards distant he could easily make out her slender, white robed form against the gates of New Thalos rising before her. Colin eagerly anticipated entering the city. It would be much easier to follow Emalia with other people around and it would afford him an opportunity to gather some supplies of his own. He had no idea how long this journey would last, or how far it would take him, but he was determined to follow Emalia to the end.
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