Jade and Cattle Log, 2/17

[leticia]

Liu hangs from her knees in the rigging, honing her core strength by doing upside down sit ups. She moves fast, braids whipping through the air in a wild but rhythmic figure-eight. A sailor finishing off a knot midway from where Liu hangs and the deck looks at her with cautious eyes, but she is paying him no mind. She's counting. "Two-hun'red-three two-hun'red-four two-hun'red-five...."

Phoenix Maiden comes on deck, having passed several weary hours below decks managing the refugees. She stretches and takes a deep breath of the clean air, and paces across the deck. She has gained comfort with the water surrounding them - though she doesn't approach the rail, neither does she eye it warily as the ship rises on the waves. Near the mast, below Liu and a bit to the side, she stops and peers up.

Liu catches sight of Phoenix Maiden and calls out "Hey, hold still!" She then curls backwards on the "down" stroke of her situps, and reaching behind her grasps the spar she's dangling from.

Phoenix Maiden leans back a bit to watch Liu, hand up to shade her eyes.

Liu kicks her legs off the spar ((very poor with nautical terms, me)) and swings from her hands. She pulls her body back, lets it swing forward, then back once more, picking up momentum, before she launches off and into a somersault, legs tucked under her. She reaches to her knife-belt and grasps a knife as she reaches the inflection point of the jump, and, as she prepares to land behind Phoenix Maiden, turns the knife backwards, hilt outward.

Phoenix Maiden follows Liu's flight with her head tilted back until the little acrobat passes behind her, then lowers her head and turns around in place, not wanting to throw off Liu's landing.

Liu lands gracefully as usual, catlike, and halfheartedly jabs the hilt of the knife towards Phoenix Maiden, finishing the "practice" pounce. She stands, and hitches her shoulders, a little embarassed. "I shouldn't have called out to you. It would have been more surprising that way. Do you think you'd have been surprised?"

Liu looks earnest.

Phoenix Maiden grins slightly. "Well, I wouldn't have known you were jumping, so yes." She peers up towards the rigging. "I don't think I would be comfortable jumping from there," she comments.

Liu tucks her knife back away and bends downward, stretching her calf and hamstring muscles out. She grasps the big toe of her right foot and pulls it up over her head as she straightens her waist-- the whole gesture, while far beyond normal human flexibility, seems to be to Liu what stretching the arms are to most folks. She still seems a little irritated with herself, though she's somewhat mollified by Phoenix Maiden's comments.

Phoenix Maiden eyes Liu thoughtfully. "Something the matter?"

"I just shouldn't have gotten so badly hurt by that demon, you know? I was really careless. I shouldn't have been anywhere near where it could have gotten me." Liu bites her bottom lip and releases her foot, and looks up at Phoenix Maiden as though she's making a deep dark confession. "I'm supposed to be better than that."

Phoenix Maiden looks across the deck, busy with sailors - she suspects most the able bodied sailors from both crews are finding excuses to stay on deck, out of the dark and stifling hold full of refugees as much as possible - and lays a hand on Liu's shoulder. "At least you were hurt by the demon. I let that damn dragon-blooded wretch stick holes in me."

Liu gives Phoenix Maiden a miserable nod of sympathy and seems very glad for the physical touch of her hand. "At least we were victorious. Do you... do you think that the Unconquered Sun... do you think He gets disappointed in us, when we fail? Do you think He becomes displeased?" If ever a member of the Chosen needed a priest, Liu needs one now. "He gave us these gifts, and I think when I do not use them well, that I fail Him."

Phoenix Maiden pats Liu's shoulder gently and looks up towards the sky for a long moment, not shading her eyes now. When she looks back down, golden spots caught in her eyes from the sun, she smiles slightly. "We are still... beings with limits. We are made of different Castes and form a Circle, because none of us is invincible. Our individual weaknesses are accounted for, expected, and thus hardly cause for disappointment." She pauses briefly. "I admit, I imagine He would be disappointed if... well, if I failed in the task he set me... But I also hope the task he set me is one that I can do. Certainly I am trying."

Liu grips Phoenix Maiden's hand on her shoulder tightly and gives her a fierce smile. "You will not fail while I am still here. I promise." Phoenix Maiden's speech was more than enough to wash out all doubt from little Liu, who is again ready to face down monsters... but this time, more *sneakily*.

Phoenix Maiden rubs her eyes to rid them of spots, and grins, briefly squeezing Liu's hand. "We will all strengthen each other, and thus victory is inevitable." The grin goes lopsided. "Or that's the plan, right?" She glances around the deck.

Liu looks around as well, and flips her braids over her shoulder, straightening her spine and affecting a highly elegant poise. "Are our new guests calming down in their accomodations?" She's referring to the rescuees, of course.

Kanfi is feeling a little better since running off to curl up in the shade of a mast, (mostly) out of the way f the sailors' tromping feet. He's getting vaguely bored, though, and he hops to his feet, sauntering vaguely in a direction, not really choosing one. And of course, ends up heading towards his sister and Liu. He pauses, a few feet away, not sure what they were talking about or if his sister was in any mood to talk to him.

Phoenix Maiden nods. "They seem to be coping." Her tone is slightly wry as she continues, with a shudder. "It helps that none of us seem particularly hungry, I suppose. I don't know what we're going to do with them all when we reach shore, though."

Phoenix Maiden glances at Kanfi, and waves a bit awkwardly.

Kanfi twitches his lips and a smile and steps a little closer. "Have you asked any of them if they did other things before they became..." He coughs.

Liu nods, but doesn't seem to concerned about that. "Their lives are their own, Priestess. We gave them back to them." She smiles big at Kanfi as she spies him, and does a brief little pose for him, coquettishly.

Liu nods vigorously at Kanfi's comment. "Of course, I'm sure they had livelihoods before being captured. They've lost their posessions, but they haven't lost any skills they had. I'm sure if they see it like that, they'll be able to go out into the world and make their way."

Phoenix Maiden's tone goes just a little flat as she answers Kanfi. "I haven't." She addresses them both. "Many of them are maimed, and even if they have trades..." She sighs slightly. "I can not help but feel we have some continued responsibility, though I have no idea how they we could ever meet it."

Kanfi toys with the hem of his shirt. "But we should ask them, because if we know who has a trade, we can work on finding them contacts when we land." It's logical, right?

Phoenix Maiden nods slightly. "Certainly..."

Kanfi isn't sure at all how he would approach them, though, and for once looks deeply uncomfortable at the thought of talking to people.

Phoenix Maiden folds her arms across her chest as if she's cold, even in the bright sun and gentle breeze. "I honestly don't know what we can do for the badly injured, though."

Liu looks concerned and nods. "Well, the worst of them could probably find work in the freakshows of circuses like mine...not that we ever had such a troupe ourselves." She shudders a little.

Phoenix Maiden frowns and shrugs. "I suppose it's better than sleeping in alleys." She glances towards the hatch to the hold. "But there's something else to consider, as well."

Liu looks at Phoenix Maiden attentively.

Phoenix Maiden shrugs. "Each and every one of them - and the sailors, from both ships - saw us," she indicates Liu and herself with a brief gesture, and continues, "...and knows exactly who we are. The more they go wandering, the sooner word is going to get out."

Liu tries to look nonchalant about this, but is not at all sure how to addres this problem...

Liu frowns, "But we saved their lives. They would not tell about us."

Phoenix Maiden stares up into the sun. "They are surely grateful - and afraid - now. I think none of them will have the inital response of running to the Realm authorities to warn them of Anathema. The sailors will be at sea again, likely swiftly, and even if once away from us, they decide it is best to let the Dragon-blooded of the Realm deal with Anathema, it will be some time before they land again and can do so." Her voice is slightly distant. "The hold is full of people, though, some of who will likely never set to sea again. And some of them will be cold and hungry and sleeping in alleys." Her voice is distant, drifting into the sky as much as to her companions. "Even if gratitude holds, some of them may ponder the virtue of a reward."

Liu bends backwards, popping her back smoothly, and rather than stand back up, just does a slow back walk over. This appears to be her method of deep thought.

Liu stands, and cocks her head to the side and looks at Phoenix Maiden. "What if they were on our payroll?"

Liu shakes her head quickly, "OK, maybe not that. We can't afford that, no matter what we do. But what if we kept them connected to us somehow... if we could make it worthwhile for them to remember us as their avengers...?"

Phoenix Maiden shrugs slightly. "We would likely delay any reports, from desperation and hunger. Human nature remaining what it is, nothing, of course, is sure. The slow erosion of grateful loyalty and greed might do their work in time. We are, however, a moving target right now, and time might be enough. And, of course, there's always careless slips and in-the-cups 'What happened to you?'"

Kanfi leans against the railing with a sigh, drumming his fingers on the wooden beam thoughtfully.

Liu shrugs and nods to Phoenix Maiden. "But rumors and legends... if that's all we are, that can't be traced reliably..."

Phoenix Maiden nods. "Though I expect the Realm would follow up on any such leads. Still, hopefully, it would be a delay... And they still don't know where we're going." She laughs slightly. "...Neither do we."

Liu grimaces a little and looks at Kanfi. "Well, we know our general direction. Right?"

Kanfi shrugs and smiles wryly. "In a general sort of way. But they'll have more trouble finding us if we do some zig-zagging. And given the way the sword is pulling us, we do seem to be ging all over anyway."

Phoenix Maiden grumbles. "I'm just hoping we're not on a wild ...goose chase."

Kanfi shakes his head. "I'm sure there's SOMETHING on the end of this... tugging. It might not be what we're hoping for, but there's something there."

Brian [to Kanfi]: You suddenly feel ... nervous. Like you just stepped over your own grave.

Phoenix Maiden sighs. "Ulito said her father was alive, but..."

Kanfi shivers suddenly and rubbed his arms. "Oh."

Liu starts, and looks concerned. "Kanfi?"

Phoenix Maiden shakes her head. "I just hope it's worth all this time." She blinks at her brother briefly. "Something wrong?"

Kanfi shakes his head, brushing it off. "Cold air. Or something. I'm sure we'll find something worth it. If nothing else, we can go back to Ulito with whatever news we find."

Phoenix Maiden frowns and nods. "We need to get back to Harborhead as soon as possible, no matter what."

Liu flips her braids back over her shoulder and says nothing. She has faith that her circle will locate Swan Dragon.

Kanfi shrugs, pefrectly willing to take his time getting back to Harborhead.

Phoenix Maiden eyes Kanfi, thoughtful, trying to decide whether to say something. She sighs and looks off over the rail.

Liu shrugs and wiggles her fingers rapidly, absentmindedly. "Well, we certainly do have to talk to each of the ex-slaves, find out what they're good at, and make sure they remember that we saved them."

Phoenix Maiden nods to Liu. "I will certainly do my best to impress them with proper gratitude. But desperate people do desperate things." If her eyes flick to Kanfi, it is very brief and followed by her gaze drifting back out to sea.

Comments

[bimmer1200.livejournal.com]

I hate I missed this. Diamond would have had some interesting suggestions RE: the slaves and rumors they might spread.