Aboard the Lady of Fortune, from Iera Verona, Oseada to Port Nyon, Burind. First day at sea.

Tienna was at the aft of the boat, leaning on the rail and staring blankly at the sea. She had heard that it would be a few days until land. If it was not for Nanoven, I would have thrown myself overboard by now.

"Writin' the ledger in rum...the whelp's crazy as a bat!" came an irritated man's voice from the middle of the ship.

"Now, now, he's a priest, he knows what he's doin'..." said a harried voice. "You don't want the Church on your arse..."

Tienna ears pricked at the conversation. She turned her head at the speakers, but didn't move. Nanoven had told her to stay out of trouble, and associating with the sailors was quite high on the list of ways to get into trouble.

"I don't care if he's a priest or a prost'tute, he's a girly little.." said the first voice, a rugged man with a rather silly 3-point hat.

"D'you like yer head where it is?!"

Tienna smirked as she went back to staring at the water. Well, there was one advantage of travelling with the priest.

Of course, given the conversation, it could quickly turn to a disadvantage.

By the crow's nest a completely different conversation was taking place.

"Can I climb up there and have a look?" asked Asher. "Seems like a nice view."

"Well..." The sailor shifted uneasily. "The Cap'n wouldn't like it, but...there's no one up there, go ahead." Apparently he had weighed the Cap'n and the Church and found the Church to be scarier.

Tienna walked around, curious. Actually, she was horrifically bored, as Asher had taken pretty much any writing implement she could use from her.

Asher started to climb the flimsy rope ladder that led to the crow's nest. "Do storms happen often here?"

The sailor shook his head. "No, thank Nanoven, our ship can't handle 'em great. Cap'n's savin' up for a bigger ship but I like the Lady, m'self," he yelled up at the priest.

Tienna watched the priest climb.

A gray, anvil-shaped cloud loomed in the distance. IT seemed to be moving faster than a cloud should, with a gray mist descending from it. Lightning played in its irregularities.

Asher reached the crow's nest without much difficulty and sat down to catch his breath for a moment.

The sailor shrugged and turned back to his duties, muttering something about special treatment and landlubbers. He looked up at the sky and blinked before dropping the rope he was repairing and running towards the captain. "Cap'n! Cap'n! Look at that!"

Tienna eyes narrowed. Great. Rain. She hated rain. Immediately she moved to go back to her room.

Asher stood up and shielded his eyes, looking over the horizon. Storm. Seems like I have the worst of luck today...

The storm crept up on the ship, lightning seeming to reach for it like slender, jagged fingers. The display of power was overwhelming. Rain began to pour down upon the ship.

The crew was yelling and running about the decks, the captain screaming orders at all of them. Asher looked up and then down at the deck. Here is not the smartest place to be right now. He started to climb down the now wet and slippery ladder, pausing occasionally to brush drenched hair off his face.

A bolt of lightning struck the rope ladder, setting it momentarily ablaze and throwing the young Priest off his balance.

Asher instinctively let go of the ladder. His feet slipped off just as the rain put the fire out, and he made a desperate grab for it again. But the wind blew it out of his reach and he fell.

Tienna was clinging to a rail, dripping wet and watching the drama unfold around the priest.

This is SO not good.

As Asher was falling, fingers of lightning seemed to cradle him, slowing his descent to a standstill.

Do you fear the storm? asked a voice inside his head.

"I can't!" It took Asher a moment to realize that he wasn't falling any more and that something had just spoken directly to his mind, but it didn't register. "Fearing it wouldn't stop it!"

Do humans have the power to choose what to fear? asked the voice. This is true. Your fear would not stop me. I hold the fate of this boat, and the lives of all upon it, in my hands. I could send it to the bottom of the Ocean. Tell me, human. Would this be fair?

There's no fairness in nature, thought Asher. None in the gods. It's only when you can change it that it matters.

But you are able to tell right from wrong? the voice asked him. It is your job, your duty. To drop you to the bottom of the sea would be unjust...wasteful. If the Gods do not know Justice...will you be my Judge, Asher Hanan?

Who are you?

To whom do you declare your undying devotion? the voice replied. Who is the Master of Storms and Father of this world?

...but no, you can't...I don't matter enough for...

You are my Chosen, said the voice. Like the Judge in the stars Juria, you will serve me as one of my own. This is the path laid before you, Asher Hanan.

The lightning set his feet back on the deck, but still crackled about him.

Tienna skittered away from the priest. She had no idea what was going on, but she did have the mind to stay far, far away from anything remotely dangerous.

Asher stared up at the sky, paying no heed to the lightning around him. ...my path.

A thread of lightning cradled Tienna's cheek. You have no reason to fear the storm, my Poet.

Tienna froze. She recognized the voice and the title He had given her.

"Nanoven," she hissed.

A man manifested out of the rain, barely formed in the gray darkness. "Asher Hanan," he said. "Tienna Pieris. I thank you for your loyalty."

Asher knelt and looked at the ground, not daring to look directly at Nanoven.

"In Kinlay," continued Nanoven, "you will find the Knight, the Hawk, and the Serpent. Others are spread throughout Mirei. You must work with them to end the insurgence. The Stars have betrayed me and must be brought to justice. What is rightfully yours shall be returned to you," he said to Tienna, "and more."

The lightning vanished, and the rain stopped. Soon there was nothing but blue sky above them.

Tienna blinked, dripping wet and still in a bit of shock. And then:

"GIVE ME BACK MY THINGS, PRIEST!"

Asher sat back and stared at Tienna. Then, somewhat faintly, "You're..."

"'What is rightfully yours shall be returned to you'!" Tienna yelled, storming over to the priest. "AND I WANT THEM RETURNED! NOW!"

Asher continued to stare up at her. "I don't think...that's what He was...talking about..."

"ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT YOU MAY CONTINUE TO KEEP MY THINGS?"

Furious, Tienna drew back her hand to slap Asher hard across his face.

Asher blinked and looked at her blankly for a moment. And then, "Yes, actually, I like staying alive."

"GIVE THEM BACK! THIS IS NOT FAIR!"

Asher paused and then sighed, appearing to actually give in. "If you won't kill me. We're on the same side..."

"No, I am not going to kill you," Tienna answered through gritted teeth.

Asher responded by unbuttoning and taking off his drenched coat. "Pens are in the pockets." He shivered and started to wring out his hair.

Tienna proceeded to ransack the coat for everything there was. "And my papers?"

"Ask the captain. He's the shouting one in the stupid hat."

Finished with her search, Tienna dropped the coat and checked her pens. Three had ruined ink, but at least the rest still worked.

Pen in hand, Tienna stalked over the the one in the stupid hat, as none of them were shouting right now. "Where are my papers?" she demanded.

"Priest said no. Go away, wench," snapped the wet and irritable captain.

Tienna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was very, very close to killing someone right now.

"Last time. I want back my things, or else I will get very upset and kill someone. Or at least destroy much of this ship looking for them." Her grip on her pen got a little tighter.

"Sod off, wench, I told you the priest said--" began the captain again.

"Give her back her papers," said Asher from behind them. "I changed my mind. And she's serious about killing."

The captain sighed. "Fine, they're in a red box in the hold. But don't expect me to go lookin' for 'em."

Tienna was about to yell some more at the captain when she decided that this was good enough. After all, she could make her own help.

The captain watched her go and then folded his arms, turning back to Asher. "The hell was all that with the lightnin'?"

"What it looked like," he answered simply, turning and walking down the stairs belowdecks to get a dry change of clothes.

***************

Day Two

Tienna stared at the ceiling above her bed.

A knock sounded on her bedroom door. "Hello? Are you in there?"

"Maybe," Tienna said.

The door opened and an only partially-dry Asher stepped in, looking cheerful. "Hello, Tienna."

Tienna turned her head to look at the priest, then went back to staring at the ceiling, as it was so much more interesting to her.

"I have questions to ask you," continued Asher brightly, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"Oh."

"Don't be snippy, it'll go smoothly if you aren't," Asher informed her.

"Smoothly for who?" Tienna asked, still staring at the ceiling. "Questions are the easier part of this dialogue."

"For you," said Asher calmly. "And please be truthful."

Tienna dragged herself up to a sitting position on the bed, facing Asher as she leaned her back against the wall.

"Your full name?" asked Asher with a shrug. "It's procedure, although it doesn't matter much to me."

"Did you not hear Nanoven say it?" Tienna asked, annoyed.

"I have bad hearing. Humor me."

The girl bit her tongue against what she considered humour. "Tienna Pieris."

"Pieris," repeated Asher. "Spelled P-I-E-R-I-S?"

"Yes." Tienna looked uneasy.

"Well, you're not lying, at least. I guess I'll ask you about that later," said Asher cheerfully. "Occupation?"

"Street rat?" Tienna suggested.

"Half-truth. Tell me the rest," Asher said.

"Writer."

"Ah." Asher looked around briefly. "Have any pen and paper on you?"

Yes."

"You don't mind if I take notes, do you?" Asher stood up and went over to the drawers, looking for something to write on.

Tienna stared. "Yes, yes I do," she answered stiffly.

"That's a shame," said Asher, finding a piece of paper and a pen with inkwell and sitting down on the bed again. "P-I-E-R-I-S, right."

Tienna yelled and lunged for the pen and ink, horrified.

The priest quickly held both out of her reach. "Calm down. I'm not going to break them."

Tienna jumped up on the bed, grabbing at her things. "Those are mine! They cost money! And some of these things are not exactly reusable!"

"You're assaulting an officer, you know," Asher pointed out ruefully.

"Then what happens if I cannot write?" Tienna wailed, making a swipe at her things.

"You're still assaulting an officer." Asher dodged the swipe. "And I'm not going to use that much, but if you keep doing that I might spill it."

Frustrated, Tienna sat back down on the bed, arms crossed and looking as though she was going to cry.

"It's not that long of a trip, you know," said Asher soothingly. "And there'll be ink in Burind." He kept the pen and ink still carefully out of reach.

"Maybe not to you," Tienna snapped back. "And without money, I resort to stealing supplies. And it is a mystery of what affects the ink in your country."

"The ink is fine in Kinlay. All supplies are evenly distributed and of standard quality," said Asher, in a voice that suggested he was parroting someone.

Tienna glared back at him. "Oh, that is what every country wishes for its people to believe."

"But it's true in Burind." He sounded like he believed it, too. "Especially because of the influence of our church."

Tienna was not impressed, only having her patience sizzle out. She got up and walked towards the door.

Asher stood up as well and stepped in front of her. "Not so fast. We're not done yet."

"With what, reciting propaganda?"

"The questioning," said Asher, pointedly ignoring her jab.

Tienna was about to give her opinion of this questioning, replete with ink magic when she abruptly snapped her mouth shut. Instead she resorted to mentally willing herself to do what Nanoven had told her.

"Do what the priest says. Do what the priest says," Tienna muttered to herself in Oseadan. She started pacing the room, glaring at the floor and toying with her pen.

"Don't know what you just said, but it didn't sound pleasant." Asher leaned against the closed door and folded his arms, tilting his head slightly at her. "Sit back down. Like I said, we're not done, and neither of us is leaving the room until we are. That clear?"

Tienna stalked back over to the bed, the only sittable piece of furniture in the room. "No, I suppose it did not to you, and yes," she said.

"So, just another victim of the rebellion, are you?" Asher stayed by the door and regarded her unreadably. "Not used to the streets?"

Tienna crossed her legs and returned the regarding look. She cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Pardon? Your query is misleading."

"And why would that be?"

"Are you implying that I have always resided outside of a proper address or have only recently been removed from one?"

"Tossed out of your home during the rebellion, if I'm right. Something tells me 'Pieris' is not a common last name." Asher closed one eye.

Tienna toyed with her necklace thoughtfully, playing on Asher's words. "I suppose," she finally said.

"There's a little more, isn't there?"

"It is possible."

Asher decided what she was hiding wasn't important enough to warrant much more questioning. "Hear about the fate of the Everas?"

"They died?"

"I guess so, then. Did you, perchance, hear how they died?"

"Screaming?" Tienna suggested. "Painfully? Slept to death? That one was quite a popular theory."

"For all that I've had this job, I've never heard of sleeping to death. How much do you know of the Everas?"

Tienna shrugged. "Wealthy, a new power, did not worship Nanoven."

"Oh." Asher yawned and stretched. "Ever been outside Oseada?"

"No."

"It'll probably be interesting, then." The priest seemed to be remembering something. "Kinlay's something different."

"If this is more of your mainlander propaganda, I do not want to hear it."

"I was only pointing out that the mainland's a bit different from the islands. But you can see it that way if you want," said Asher placidly. "Have any siblings?"

"Yes."

"What ages?"

"Older."

"I see. Where are they now?"

Tienna shrugged. "Somewhere?"

"I see." He looked to be pondering something. "What can you do with that ink of yours?"

Tienna's hand abruptly tightened on her necklace.

"That is personal," she snapped.

"So are most things I ask people. What can you do with it?" he repeated.

"I am not telling you," Tienna said. Her left hand continued to grip her necklace, but her right hand now had a pen in it.

"Attacking me wouldn't be a good idea," said Asher, who didn't sound worried.

"I am not attacking you," Tienna answered.

"Put the pen away. Interview's over."

"Then go away," Tienna said.

"I'm going." The priest opened the door and paused. "Do yourself a favor and don't run off the second we get off the ship."

"I cannot, by any means," Tienna sighed as she fell over backwards, lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Nyon's not friendly to foreigners," said Asher thoughtfully. "Well, life could be worse." With that he walked out of the room and shut the door after him.

"Well thank you for warning me of my impending arrival to a veritable death trap!" yelled back the girl from the bed.

And he took my pen, too. Stupid mainlander.

**************

Day Three

It was the middle of the night - or, technically, early morning - when Tienna woke up, feeling dizzy. She wasn't surprised though - the food that those mainlanders made on this stupid ship was horrible.

"But beggars cannot be choosers," Tienna smiled to herself as she braided up her hair. She got up and snuck down the darkened passage, poking her head into the galley when she reached the door. Maybe a glass of water would make her feel better.

The galley was mostly empty, although a few sailors were laughing and punching each other near the barrels. The cooks had apparently gone to bed, and there was the sound of loud snoring and some shouting from the rooms nearby.

Upon spotting the girl the mood of the room changed considerably. "It's the foreign brat. Shouldn't ya be in bed with your dollies?"

Don't cause any trouble. Don't cause any trouble.

"I should," she answered.

"What'ya want, little girl? The priest's not here, if yer looking for 'im." This time it was the shorter sailor who spoke up. He had a black bandanna and crooked teeth.

"A drink of water."

"Water?" Both sailors broke out into loud, raucous laughter. "We don't drink water 'ere. But the barrel's over there, glasses over 'ere, drink up."

Tienna picked out a small glass, approached the barrel and peered in. It looked like water.

She dipped the glass in and sniffed it curiously, frowning.

The hand of the shorter sailor shot out and grabbed the glass, causing the other to start laughing again. He downed it in one gulp and grinned nastily. "We don't drink water most the--"

He hit the floor still grinning.

Tienna wasn't sure if it was the 'water' or the sailor who was responsible for their actions. This surely had to be the water that she had been drinking ever since she got on this Gods-cursed ship, so she reasoned that the mainlander was just being an absolute idiot.

Tienna picked out another glass, dipped it into the barrel and quickly scooted away from the sailors, towards the exit.

The other sailor was busy yelling at and kicking his prone friend to notice her. "Up, ye stupid lubber! If water's layin' ye out ye've got more 'n foreign brats to deal with!"

Aforementioned 'foreign brat' took this moment to escape the galley and onto the deck. These mainlander sailors were starting to really scare her - not scare her as in blind terror, but she was positive that prolonged contact with these people would seriously harm her health.

Tienna walked around to the aft of the ship and took a sip of her water. It tasted fine enough, although it wasn't helping the her dizziness. Without hesitation she drank down the rest of the glass.

Or would have, had she not abruptly passed out when the glass was still half full.

A few sailors passed by and gave her odd glances and a few snickers, but none bothered to check on what was wrong with her. It was a few minutes before the blond priest wandered by and picked her up, taking her downstairs with some effort.

Had anyone been listening, they would have heard a quiet mutter. "Well, it only goes to show that for all you act you're still just a kid."

*************

Tienna slowly became aware of the fact that she was lying on a bed. Her eyes flickered open to see that she was in yet another room on this stupid boat and her head hurt. A lot.

"I really, really hate this," she muttered to herself in Oseadan as she shut her eyes again.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Go AWAY," Tienna yelled, not quite aware of the fact that no one else on the ship would be able to understand Oseadan.

"Would some ice help?" inquired a helpful and familiar voice.

"NO, especially if it is made from that drink they call water on this wretched boat!"

"I'll take that as a no," said the priest, who was leaning against the door. "Common, please."

"Which part of 'go away' do you not understand?" Tienna yelled back, clearly upset. "My head hurts and I just want to go home! Go away, go away, go away!"

"You shouldn't drink something just because it's there. Could get you killed in Kinlay," Asher continued reproachfully.

"Are you suggesting that the water that I have been drinking was supposed to poison me over three days?" Tienna demanded, still not realizing that the current communication barrier was her fault.

She shook her head slightly, but the headache didn't lessen and the dizziness only got worse.

"Yes, and the stormclouds too."

"WHAT?" Tienna yelled in Common, horrified. She buried herself in the sheets. Well, stormclouds were a sign of Nanoven, and he was a priest of Nanoven, so that would imply that everyone she could possibly speak to within the next day or so would be potential murderers.

"So if you want to kill me, at least have the decency to kill me in my home country," she muttered. She wondered how she could continue to think straight after this hangover. It certainly didn't smell of alcohol.

"Well, I can't exactly respond with something that makes sense if I have no idea what you're saying."

"I am making no sense? My communicative abilities are quite adequate to get a simple message such as 'GO AWAY' across!" Tienna yelled back. "And I can perfectly understand you and your death plots, so this must be YOUR fault!"

"Huh?"

Tienna turned over so her back was to Asher. On top of her hangover and dizziness, now she was on the verge of a sore throat from all of her screaming. And kind of thirsty. Which meant that she would eventually have to go drink something.

Furiously she shook her head, trying to clear the thought out of her mind, and only succeeded in getting even more dizzy. Nope, not her day. Or year, by the way it was shaping up.

"Ice and a cold rag really helps," offered Asher.

"Go away," was all Tienna said. In Common.

"If you say so."