FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter Three

The river proved reliable in its flow, allowing them to continue following it and the next day the denseness of the forest began to noticeably lessen. Falren cast a glance up into the blue sky, spotting the sun hanging at midday, give or take an hour. He looked back at Velanis following a few paces back, her gaze mostly focused on the mossy ground passing beneath her feet, ears twitching as the odd sound reached them. She wasn't aware of it, but they'd soon leave the embrace of Rain Wood.

The Sergal noticed him turn and lifted her head to look at him, eyes narrowed. "What?"

He shook his head slightly. "We're almost out of the forest."

"Are we..." She said, looking at the surroundings.

"Yes. The land beyond stays wooded, but nothing like it was behind us." He paused, stopping in place and listening. "Though it seems it may not want to let us go that easily."

He continued his walk as a crashing sound reached his ears, the slight bend in the river straightening so that he could see a larger than normal spread of sky downriver. Velanis followed behind him, her ears having picked up the sound earlier but paying it no real mind.

Falren soon found himself standing a few steps back from the lip of a drop off; a descent that the river followed as it went pouring down into a pool below. It was by no means a great waterfall, but the distance down was still enough to prove less than comfortable should he fall. Which in conjunction with his horse meant they'd have to find a more gradual place to descend. He stepped to the edge, grabbing a hold of one of the numerous branches as he tried to get a look at where the rock face may end. In either direction the rock face simply became obscured by branches, giving him little indication of where it may offer a means down.

Velanis stepped up to the ledge beside him, staring out at the small view they were granted by the rise. "So that is your home out there?" She asked, gesturing with a clawed hand over the trees.

"That's Rindal out there, yes." He replied, stepping back form the edge.

"Do you know a way down?" The Sergal asked him, peering over the edge down at the cascading water as it hit the pool, following it as it fed off and flowed once more.

"No, but with luck it shouldn't take too long to find one." He said, walking back to his horse.

Velanis took a moment longer to stare out across the landscape before she turned and retreated, following after him. He led his horse into the trees flanking the river's bank, moving parallel to the cliff in hopes to find a place to descend relatively soon.

***

It took the greater part of an hour to find a suitable means down, and they spent the next hours of the afternoon walking through the wooded land that stretched out from Rain Wood. Falren's statement about the trees thinning out had been a true one, and she was able to at least see a moderate distance without bushes or webs of branches blocking her view. She was used to large forests, she'd lived and explored the one her clan was near, but the amount of undergrowth that had been in the one previous was enough to just annoy her. Still, the trees around them did soon see fit to offer them up something to signify a hint of progress.

"We found a road then." She stated as they emerged onto the clear path of brown, stamped down dirt.

"Mhm." The man replied to her. "Now all we need do is follow it to a town."

She turned her head to look down each direction. "Which way would that be?"

He pointed down the road, left of where they had emerged.

"You're sure there will be a town that way?" She asked him skeptically.

"Not sure, no." He replied. "But this looks to be a well used route, and any well traveled route is bound to have at least a few villages or towns along the way."

She gave a flick of her ears, looking up and down the beaten dirt as it ran in either direction. He seemed confident in his judgment despite her uncertainty. She'd just have to trust him in this matter; being she had no knowledge of the land she was now walking in. With the decision made he set off in the specified direction, leaving her to trail after him.

Falren turned his head to look at her after she had fallen into step beside him. "If it's all the same to you, I'm going to mount up now that we're out on the road."

She just gave a shrug. "It's meant for riding, is it not?" It wasn't as if she was going to ride it after all.

He gave her a nod before quickly hauling himself up into the saddle, taking hold of the reins as he did so. She quickened her pace now that he was mounted, relieved that she was able to finally move at something resembling her normal gait.

"So, Velanis, did you fight for your clan?" Falren asked down to her. "I wonder because of the sword and armor."

"Ah... no, they were my mother's, she taught me how to fight." She said, bringing a hand up to itch her chest before she stopped herself. "Where did you learn to fight? Were you a soldier?"

At her question the man turned his silvery gaze down to stare at her as they walked on, before turning his eyes back to the road ahead. He didn't answer her immediately, causing her a bit of irritation as he left her in silence.

"I was taught as a child." He said finally.

"I didn't know you Humans taught your young to fight so early." She said; ears perked in puzzlement.

The man turned his gaze down to her once more, eyes crinkled with an amused sort of look this time. "I'm not so sure they do."

They? She thought to herself, looking up at him with confusion, wondering what he could mean by that. Before she could voice another question however, he pointed ahead as they came to the crest of a small rise in the road. She followed the direction of his arm, eyes coming upon the line of a wide river that the road fell parallel with further on. As she followed its flow off into the distance she noticed an outcrop of shapes, her keen eyes able to make out the unnatural shape of buildings.

"And there may be out first town." He stated.

"Will we be able to find one of these boats there?" She asked as they walked down the slight incline.

"Perhaps. It looks like they have a dock, though I can't really make anything out at this distance." He said, eyes trying to pick out the shapes. "At the very least they may have an inn so we can have a roof over our heads for a night."

***

They reached the town by the end of the day, the sun shining its last defiant light before the night would come. There wasn't much in the way of defense she noted, though they did keep a few guards at the main road that led into the town center. The guards didn't seem to belong to any sort of outfitted army; rather they looked to be occupants of the town who'd procured themselves some armor and a weapon. At least they didn't give them any trouble beyond the hard stares they gave her, and a warning to not cause any trouble while they were there.

"I'm going to look around the docks and see what's what." Falren told her, making his way to the riverside towards the few ships there, leaving her to look around the town.

It was certainly different then what she was accustomed to, even if it was just a small town. Most of the residents appeared to have retired for the day, leaving the packed-dirt center of the town mostly barren beyond the odd person or guard. There were stalls set around the center of the town, left empty to reflect the withdrawn state of the townsfolk. The buildings appeared to be simple things she thought; wood houses with some kind of hay-like material covering their roofs.

She shifted her attention back to the river, the orange sun turning its surface to slowly shifting gold. Falren was talking to a group of men clustered on the wood planks of the dock, trading words with the odd gesture. Whatever they were saying she couldn't make out, but after a few words he parted from the men and strode back over to where she stood.

"Not much in the way of choice, but one of them is willing to offer passage downriver." He stated, moving to his horse where he had left it by her and grasping the reins. "The inn is over there, they should have some beds available and a warm meal for a change."

She followed as he led her towards a large, rectangular two-story building that sat in the ring of structures around the town center, the glow of firelight shining through its windows. Falren walked his horse over to a small roofed area that served as a stable, placing his the horse amongst the few others before returning to the front of the building. He wrapped a hand around the latch of the door and pushed it inward, stepping over the threshold into the inn's interior. She ducked in after him, the glow of firelight and the din of the night's first patrons reaching her senses, all accompanied with the scent of wood smoke and something pungent she didn't recognize.

As the door closed behind her the jumbled noise of the patron's voices quickly lowered as their eyes fell upon the newcomers. Or rather, her. For his part Falren ignored the change, simply walking across the wooden floor to one of the unoccupied tables on the back wall. She moved down the central isle after him, claws scratching lightly on the wooden floor as she made her way to the table and sat down slowly. Falren walked over to a short counter and exchanged a few words to an older looking man there, dipping a hand into a pouch and passing a few coins after a moment. He returned to the table after that, seating himself on one of the benches and observing the people around them with a quiet gaze.

The innkeeper came over to their table after a few minutes, setting two plates down in front of them before moving away. She looked down at the contents, consisting of a pair of small roasted birds of some kind, and a mound of mixed together green and white. She plucked free the utensil that had been jabbed into the mash, flicking her tongue over the clump that stuck to it. Not terrible, but not what she'd call particularly appetizing either. She placed the fork aside and instead started picking away at the birds with her claws, finding that the meat on these at least hadn't been dried out beyond measure.

As they set about their meal the keeper returned to their table once more, this time with two wooden mugs in hand. Falren gave him a nod as he placed them on the tabletop, passing one of them to her after the man walked away, lifting his own to drink from. She peered at the liquid inside the cup, bringing it to her nose and giving an examining sniff.

Falren gave a small chuckle. "Its just tea." He told her.

She lifted the mug and tipped it back, pouring some of it down her maw. It wasn't the same tea that she'd had a few days past with Falren, but that shouldn't have really surprised her. She rather doubted she'd find that amongst Humans. She swallowed it down and placed the cup back on the table, returning to picking apart the meal in front of her.

As the evening wore on and they finished their food, the amount of walking the innkeeper did increased as he ferried mugs to and fro, the mix of voices growing louder all the while. For the most part the patrons didn't bother them at their place in the back of the room, beyond the owner occasionally refilling their tea.

"What are they drinking?" She finally asked to Falren, curious as to what the strange aroma was.

"Hmm?" He said, taking another sip from his tea. "Oh. Mead, ale, something along those lines."

"What is that? Is it like this?" She continued, motioning towards the tea.

"No, nothing like that." He said, with a chuckle. "As I'm sure you've noticed, the more they drink, the louder they get. I suppose there wasn't anything like that back amongst your clan?"

She shook her head, giving a simple "No."

"Ah, didn't expect there to be." He said back, taking another swallow.

She looked around at the various Humans, eyes passing over the group that sat by the door, still casting her glares as they favored their own drinks.

"Who are those men over there?" She asked. "They've been watching me ever since we arrived."

Falren peered over in their direction, giving them a cursory glance.

"Not sure, but they don't look like any travelers or merchants." He replied. "Don't look like local guards either, probably just swords looking for hire. I wouldn't let it bother you; people tend to stare at those that are different from what they're used to. Just ignore them."

She gave a flick of her ears and returned to drinking the rest of her tea, listening to the jumbled mix of voices and laughter. She was about to ask Falren another question, but before she'd opened her mouth to speak she glimpsed movement from near the door. She moved her gaze to find one of the men who'd been glaring at her for so long walking down the isle past the occupied tables. She assumed he was just going to the counter to consult the innkeeper, but then rather than walking past he instead stopped at the end of their table.

Falren ignored the man as she stared at him with narrowed eyes, simply bringing his mug to his lips. Or he would have, had the man not abruptly placed his hand over the rim and slammed it back to the table, some of the contents sloshing out. She heard Falren give a slow exhale of air at the action, before the man decided to speak.

"Me and my friends over there have been thinking, see, and we've come to the conclusion that you and your-" He pointed to her with a gloved hand, "Bitch here should be leaving."

She snarled at the man, teeth displayed and eyes narrowed. She didn't fully understand the extent of the word he used, but it was clear he meant it as an insult. She made to rise, temper acting up, but Falren stopped her with a slightly raised hand and a shake of his head.

"Would you look at that, you have it on a leash do you?" The man half laughed.

"You know, where I come from if you interrupted a persons meal like that you'd be in for a little show of respect." Falren said slowly, finally turning his gaze up to the man. "And from the likes of you, you'd probably end up as the next course."

The cold tone he said the words with told he held little jest in them.

The man smirked down at him, oblivious to Falren's words. "What, so you gonna try and feed me to your mutt or something?"

"I doubt she could stomach you." He retorted. "Now, I would suggest you return to your table while you have the chance."

"I have a better idea." The man said while removing his hand and placing it on Falren's shoulder, his other drifting down to his belt. She became acutely aware of how silent the room had become as the man continued. "How 'bout we just escort you and the animal outside. Could actually use a new cloak while we're at it."

That was the final line her temper could take, and she half stood to leap at the man. Falren, however, beat her to it.

Before the man could react, Falren grabbed the hand on his shoulder and pulled the man's upper body down, simultaneously placing his right hand behind the man's head and propelling it into the wooden tabletop. The 'thud' it made was enough to make even her cringe as the man fell to the floor, blood leaking from his no doubt broken nose.

The man's three companions jumped to their feet as he fell to the floor, moving across the room at Falren. He'd climbed to his own feet at this point, moving away from the table and into the somewhat clear isle running down the room. She made to move behind him but he shook his head at her, signaling her to stay out of it. She gave a frustrated growl, nevertheless heeding him to instead stand over the fallen man. He had his hand covering his nose as he reeled from the impact, and as his eyes focused on her she gave him a toothy grin, daring him to try and get up.

She watched the three men attempting to surround Falren as best they could, trying to land blows with their clenched fists'. Falren held an advantage, being as he still wore his armor, rendering any punches they directed at his torso almost meaningless. She wondered if the men would try and draw their weapons on him, but even then she wasn't sure that would gain them anything. She looked behind her at the counter, the innkeeper simply watching the display with a flat expression as he wiped down the surface in front of him.

She turned her gaze back just in time for one of the men to give a grunt and double over as Falren struck him in the gut, sweeping his legs out from under him. The man went crashing to the floor, his other companions trying to grab Falren so the other could lay into him. That plan quickly failed for the man trying to grab him, as he rocked his head back into the man's nose and drove his elbow backwards into his side. The man went staggering back from the blows, the other jumping forwards to try and tackle Falren to the ground.

As the other men climbed back to their feet to try and rejoin the fight, she looked down at the man whose chest she had her foot planted on. She removed her foot, bending down and grabbing his collar to haul him to his feet.

"Call your men off and leave." She said in a half growl. "And I may forget that you threatened me."

The man didn't make any action to comply, even though that confident sneer had left his bloodstained features as Falren knocked another of the men to the floor. The man remained foolishly quiet, until she squeezed her hand tighter around the back of his neck, claws pressing into his skin.

"Alright, alright." The man finally conceded; voice slightly skewed from his broken nose. "That's enough." He called, the men stepping back from Falren in various degrees of battering.

She gave the man a shove, sending him staggering forwards towards the rest of his company. He turned back to glare at her, spitting a bloody globule at her feet before walking off towards the door with his men in, bruised, tow.

Falren walked over to her after the door had shut behind them, the patrons returning to their drink as if nothing had happened. He had a trickle of blood running from his lip; the only blow all three of them had managed to apparently land.

"Thanks, never much cared for fistfights." He said to her, wiping the red line away.

"I wouldn't have known by watching." She said, turning her head down to look at him. "You should have let me fight them instead, I don't need someone to stand up for me."

"I don't imply you do." He said, walking over to the counter. "But I don't take kindly to those insulting and threatening any who accompany me."

She gave a snort. She could fight for herself, but she supposed he didn't do it to slight her.

"Sorry about the scene." Falren said to the balding innkeeper.

He gave a grunt, wiping out a mug with his cloth. "Brawls aren't anything I haven't seen before. You go picking a fight with some..." He gave an indication to her with his eyes. "Strangers, and I ain't gonna be the one to stop you from getting the consequences."

"Think they'll cause anymore trouble?" He asked.

"Doubt it." The man responded with a shrug. "They didn't seem very fond of your friend here, but the ale was doing most of the thinking for them I reckon."

The keeper looked up at Falren from under his brows.

"And I get the feeling that beating you gave them was a friendly pat compared to what would happen if they tried anything elsewhere."

Falren just gave a simple "Hmm" in response before turning away, heading towards a staircase that curved up to the second floor, where she presumed the rooms were kept. After casting a look around the inn once more, the local denizens having returned to their banter, she followed after him, stepping up the stairs as they angled to up to the next floor.

Falren was already halfway down the corridor by the time she ascended the stairs, stopped next to one of the doors as she caught up. When she arrived at the door he pulled the latch and pushed it open, taking a lamp from its hook on the adjacent wall.

"This room will be yours." He said, handing the lamp to her. "Nothing grand, but it's a roof and a bed if you're so inclined to use it. I'm right across the hall if there's any issue. Make sure to lock the door."

She took the offered lamp with a flick of her ears in affirmation, ducking her head slightly to step through the doorway. Falren moved into his own room as she closed the door, sliding the bolt in place as he suggested, before casting her gaze around dimly illuminated room. It was quite basic, consisting of a just a bed and a washbasin tucked into one corner.

She hung the lamp on a hook nailed to one of the walls and walked over to the bed, placing her hand on it and giving an experimental push. It was filled with straw or something similar she guessed, but it seemed clean in any case. She gave a grunt and looked out the single window in the room, peering through the muddled glass at a mostly dark scene.

May as well sleep. She thought to herself with a sigh.

She sat on the edge of the bed and began removing her pieces of armor, laying them and her sword out on the floor beside her. Free of everything besides her cloth dressings she laid on her side, shuffling a bit to get comfortable on the bedding and curling her legs, the mattress not big enough to support her length. She peered out the window as she lay on her side, the night sky's stars taking on a watery look through the glass.

She thought about how her clan was faring, feeling a pang of uncertainty in the decision she'd made. She gave a snort and pushed that thought aside, settling into the pillow and snapping her eyes closed. She may have missed her home and her mother, but she didn't regret her choice. She doubted she'd have been able to remain sane if she'd stayed any longer.

_ _

***

She woke to the sounds of feet moving in the hall, blearily blinking her eyes open to the morning sun shining through the wavy glass window. She sat up with a grumble and swung her legs to the floor, unconsciously rearranging the cloth wrappings she wore before climbing to her feet. She stepped over to the basin, dipping her hands in the jug of water that she'd noticed the night prior and running them through her fur a few times, rinsing out her mouth as well when she was done. After flicking the water from her hands, she went back to the bedside and set about strapping her pieces of armor back on.

With armor and sword donned once more, she unbolted the door and swung it open, stepping into the empty hall as she closed it behind her. She could hear a few voices drifting up the staircase as she walked towards it, but not as loud as the night before. She descended the stairs to the main floor of the inn, recognizing a number of the people sitting around the tables, conversing in a much more sober manner.

She looked around and saw Falren sitting at the same table with a plate in front of him, the scent of its contents serving to arouse her hunger at this hour. Falren gave her a small wave of his hand as she walked over, seating herself across from him.

"Sleep well then?" He said to her.

"I suppose so." She replied, looking out one of the windows at the narrow view beyond. "It's later than usual." She musingly added.

"A bit. I talked with the crew of our ship and they're not leaving for at least another hour or so yet." He told her. "Figured I'd allow you the rest while you could get it."

"Ah... Thanks." She said, turning her head to watch the keeper walking over with a plate in hand.

He placed it on the table in front of her, giving a familiar nod before returning to his customary place behind the counter. She picked up one of the thick strips of meat; its appearance reminding her somewhat of the dried variant she'd had before. She bit into it expecting the same bland taste, but was surprised to find it was actually delicious, quickly biting another piece out of it.

"Did those men come back?" She asked, tearing a chunk off the warm soft-bread that had accompanied her plate, giving a flick of her tail at the different texture.

"No." He replied to her, picking away at his own meal. "With luck we'll be bound for Amara quite soon anyway; whatever grudges they may hold will be of little concern by then."

She gave a murmur, swallowing down the bread before taking another bite from the... bacon she thought it had been called. She cast a glance around the room as she chewed on it, the people beginning to thin out as the day grew on, and the rest paying her no mind. Either they simply didn't care now, or they were trying to ignore her presence. She gave a small, indifferent shrug and turned her attention back to the meal before her.

"I want to ask something." She said after a brief time, looking up to him as he sat with elbows propped and hands folded.

"Well, I won't stop you." He replied, silver eyes watching her as he waited for her question.

"Your name, it doesn't seem very... Human-like." She said with a flick of her ears.

He gave a chuckle at her question, turning to stare out the window. When he didn't answer her she felt a twinge of annoyance, thinking he wouldn't care to respond.

"It does not derive from Man's tongue, no." He finally said. "The person who gave it to me once said it meant something akin to 'defiance'."

"Defiance? Is that the name your parents gave you?" She asked, puzzled as to why they would name him that.

"Not my blood parents. Whatever name they may have given me is lost now." He said with a small shrug.

"You didn't know them?" She prodded, head quirked.

"No, I didn't." He replied, looking out the window in thought. "Come, let's go see how our ship is faring."

With an annoyed huff she climbed to her feet with him, grabbing her now empty plate as he did the same.

Not inclined to share his past indeed. She thought to herself, depositing the plate on the counter next to Falren's.

After giving a nod of thanks to the innkeeper Falren led her to the door, opening it to the glare of the mid-morning sun. She stepped over the threshold into the small, open area that was the town's center, more people occupying it now than during the night prior. Some appeared to be stocking the empty stalls where they would be trading their wares; at least that aspect she was somewhat familiar with.

As was usual, she was given stares by those who were strangers to her, as if they were not sure what to think of her presence. She wondered what reason they would have for the looks and glares they gave her. Even if she was a new sight for them, she didn't understand why that would warrant such things. She'd met very few Humans, yet she didn't stare at them.

She gave a snort as Falren retrieved his horse from the small stable and began leading it down towards the river.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, turning his head to look back at her.

"No." She said as they moved onto the stretch of packed dirt that ran to the river's edge. "It's just these people either act as though I'm some wild animal they don't know how to approach, or they look at me with distrust."

"You're kind is a rare sight in most of these parts. Most people only hear about you in stories." He replied.

"There aren't others of my kind here?" She asked, curious.

"Out here, no." He said. "In and around Amara we might see some, as they sometimes come to trade or whatnot."

"Oh..." Was all she said as they came near the long dock that sat on the river's bank; only a handful of boats docked. "Which is ours?"

Falren pointed to one of the moderately sized ones. As far as she could tell it was moderately sized anyway; she'd never seen any such things before so she couldn't properly judge them. She spotted men moving about on the vessel he indicated, some carrying goods over a ramp onto it.

"Will they be leaving soon?" She asked.

"Seems that way." Falren replied, walking towards the boat. "Checking over their inventory and making sure it's in order no doubt."

He stepped towards one of the men then, who appeared to be directing the others as they moved about. He waved to the man as she waited, drawing his attention as he approached. They exchanged a few words, the man giving a nod before calling one of his crew over and taking the reins of Falren's horse. Falren gave the horse a pat as it was led onto the ship, the apparent owner going back to his duties.

"Looks like it's time we get on." He informed her after she had moved forward, making his own way onboard.

She walked up after him, giving the deck a look over as she stepped onto it. At one end sat a sort of cabin, while at the other a set of stairs descended into the ships belly. All in all what she saw meant rather little to her as she stood idly on the deck.

"Have you ever been on a boat before?" Falren asked her, seemingly noticing her out-of-place behavior.

"No..." She replied, watching as men moved about on their own unspoken tasks.

"Well, river voyages are usually quite tame so you won't have to worry about that." He told her. "The biggest thing you'll be worrying about is boredom most likely."

"Where is the best place to sleep on this... thing?" She queried.

"I'll be sleeping on the deck so long as it isn't pouring rain." He said with a shrug. "If that isn't to your liking you could probably find a place below deck."

She gave a grunt and began to have a look around, deciding to at least take up some time by exploring the new object. None of the crewman seemed to care about her presence as she walked down the stairs, neither staring nor objecting to her as they moved about on their own agendas. She for her part remained out of their way as she explored, the inside of the ship darker due to the lack of any windows or light source. Organized piles of cargo sat sectioned off, but weather it was by destination or type she couldn't tell.

She moved down the clear alleyway that ran the center of the ship, spotting Falren's horse in a sort of penned area with hay covering the floor. It snorted as she walked by, and she grudgingly gave it a quick pat on the head before moving on. The inside of the ship was rather uninteresting, mostly just crates and sacks of goods waiting to be moved about. She was about to turn around and go back up top when something caught her eye, spiking a bit of curiosity.

She walked over to a stack of crates, this section appearing to be for the use of the ship and its crew. She stopped next to the crates, picking up one of the two items in question: A pair of wooden training swords. They seemed to be made well enough, complete with cross guards and having a bit of weight to them.

"Taking a tour of the ship are we?" A gruff voice called as she examined the swords.

She turned her head to find the source of the voice was the man Falren had been speaking to earlier, dressed in simple, but tough, clothing. His hair reached down to his shoulders, flecked with gray to match the hair that grew on his face. She thought his tone was angry at first, but as she watched him walk up to her he didn't seem to be upset; his manner was just rough.

"I thought I'd look around." She said flatly.

"Ah, I can't fault someone for being curious about the vessel that will be carrying them." The man said to her, turning his head to look around. "She's old, but has served me well in my years."

He turned his head back, returning his gaze to her.

"Name's Captain Durn by the way."

She gave a grunt at the formality, debating weather or not to give him her name as well. Although, she quickly decided that it wouldn't due to cause any unwanted tension when they'd be on this boat for how ever many days.

"Velanis." She offered.

The man gave her a nod, gesturing with a callused hand to the sword she held. "I see you found the crew's latest means of passing time. We got those in a shipment that no one seemed to end up wanting, so they stayed on the ship." He cast her a look up and down. "While you're onboard, you and your friend are free to use them. You strike me as the sort who would get some use from them, maybe even put on a good show for the crew."

"Why does everyone think he's my 'friend'?" She said, finding it odd that everyone referred to them that way.

"Well... perhaps he isn't your friend, but you don't seem to be enemies either." He replied to her with a shrug. "Regardless, I hope your time with us is an uneventful one and should you have any issues, come speak with me."

He turned away from her at that, leaving her to herself as he walked back to the stairs leading above. With him gone she returned her gaze to what had previously caught her attention, taking hold of the second sword. She had the idea in mind, and now she was hoping Falren would go along with it as she made her own way back to the stairs.

***

Falren's thoughts were interrupted by a call as he stood at the railing of the ship, looking out at the river and landscape beyond.

"We'll be casting off lad, I'd be making sure all your things are in order." The captain said to him as he appeared back onto the deck.

"They are." He replied.

"Aye then, we'll be on our way." He stated. "Oh, and your Sergal friend may have found something to keep you busy."

"Did she..." Falren said slowly, Durn walking off to direct his crew.

He turned towards the passage that led below, just in time to see Velanis step off the last step and onto the deck. He noted she had a pair of wooden swords in hand as she walked over, and wondered if that's what the man had meant. She stopped by the railing just in time to see the crew of the ship begin casting off the ropes, while retracting the ramp from the dock.

"We are leaving now?" The Sergal asked him.

"Yes. I spoke with the captain after you left and he said it shouldn't take more than a week to reach Amara." He said to her. "They will be making a few stops along the way, so it all depends on how long those take."

"Ah..." She said, watching as they started to drift away from the dock and into the rivers body.

"What are those for?" He asked, motioning towards the two swords she held.

"I found them." She said, turning her head to him with a toothy grin on her features.

Judging by the grin and the glint in her eye, he didn't have to ask why she took them.

"We can spar if you want to, suppose it will help pass the time." He said, speaking the obvious intent and watching her grin grow a bit wider at his approval.

She eagerly passed one of the swords to him and he took the offered hilt, gauging the feel of the mock weapon as he walked to the center of the deck to allow them some room. Velanis moved across from him with a predatory smile on her features, lowering into an aggressive stance, as he took his own. She circled around him, trying to maneuver around his side for an advantage. He stood his ground, content to simply see how she handled herself for the time being.

She lashed forwards with an attack then, the crack of connecting wood filling the air as he blocked the blow. She quickly threw two more fast strikes at him before backing out of his range to avoid a counterattack. She was fast he'd give her that, a bit aggressive perhaps, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After staying on the defensive for a few more of her swings he decided to start his own attacks, swinging a blow that she batted aside.

Falren paid little attention to how long their match went on, but he had managed to work up a sweat as they traded blows. Their small duel had also managed to attract the attention of some of the ship's crew, keeping their distance to stay out of their way. For as long as they fought he noticed Velanis kept that same smile on her face, whether or not she realized it.

He parried another of her swings, jabbing forwards with his own. She blocked his blow with the crack of wood-on-wood and he stepped away, ready to meet her counterattack. Rather than a counter swing though, she did something he wasn't quite expecting her to: She leapt at him.

The gap between them from his own attack was still short, leaving him little chance to dodge. As a result she slammed into him, dragging him to the ground while locking one of her hands around his sword arm. He managed to keep his off-hand free as he was knocked to the deck, letting out a grunt as she straddled and pinned him with her weight. A moment later he found himself looking up into the same tooth-filled smile barely a few inches away, a triumphant glint in her eyes as her exerted breath blew on him.

"I win." She stated down at him.

"Not quite." He said back to a slight look of confusion on her face.

Before she was able to mouth a reply, he tapped the cold steel of his dagger against her side, making her twitch and go rigid. The Sergal turned her head away from his, peering down at the hand she had left free as it held a dagger to her side.

"You'd probably have gotten me with that." He said. "But that's a risky move that leaves you exposed if your opponent is able to retaliate."

Velanis gave a growl and shoved herself off him, climbing to her feet. He did the same once he was free, wiping his hand over his brow once he was standing. The few crewmen who had been watching the fight gave a small clap when it was clear it was over, before returning to their duties.

"You fight well, it's been awhile since I've had a good spar." He said to her.

"Same." She replied, flicking her ears.

"Your mother must have been a good teacher." He stated.

"She taught me the basics." She said with a shrug. "I used to fight my clan mates as well, when they found the courage to. Or when they felt the need to try and prove themselves stronger than me." She gave a snort. "Especially the males. I don't think they liked being beaten by a female."

Velanis turned her head to look at him.

"Can we keep doing this?" She asked.

"I don't see why not, so long as we're stuck here for the time being." He replied.

He received another tooth-filled grin as she moved back to the middle of the deck, lowering into her stance again and prompting him to do the same. He gave a small mental laugh, positioning himself across from her. She seemed enthusiastic about fighting him; that was certain.

Or maybe she just wants to try and best me. He thought idly.

Whichever the case, it didn't bother him. It was refreshing to fight someone that had the tenacity he was used to. He cleared his thoughts for the moment however, focusing on the opponent in front of him as he swung an overhand strike on her. She knocked the blow aside, and as he blocked her quick counter, he felt a grin start to tug at his own features. He could get used to having someone to train with again.