The Leviathan

[Corren Laine]

Once their boat had nudged its shoulder to the dock and the thick, splintered ropes were dropped and wrapped around the posts, men began unloading their things. Generally speaking ships just threw what was trash overboard so what they unloaded were belongings, empty containers and the like. The ship's crew were fixated on provisions and clothes, they didn't have much space for anything else. Maybe another chess board so that the squabbling over the one with a missing pawn in its set would stop.

Sea gulls cried. They followed the ships when they came in, hoping it pick off delicious refuse. Bread that had gone moldy was tossed overboard upon docking. They always kept food, no matter its condition, until the very last moment. Never knew if the sea would take you on a detour and you've be deciding between a rotten apple and a rotten body. Having arrived, multi-colored fish and bits of bad food were tossed over. Sea gulls, like vultures, picked through it and argued.

Corren's bag, like a hitchhiker's backpack, was strapped to him. This was similar to how all of the men looked with their backs hitching a ride on them. The Prefect was always easy to distinguish from the others. His hair was naturally a bleach blond, in the light it looked even brighter. His eyes, too, were crystal blue like his ancestors. Had his father been his age and next to him they would have appeared very similar. Hair got darker with age and somehow the shine to the eyes dimmed. Or perhaps that was just his father, under the weight of something bothersome in his chest.

"Topaz?" He turned around to see her with her bag, well, the one she felt comfortable carrying, anyway. One of his men, Jared, was behind her carrying the larger one. His grin has some salt in it, to be sure. "I think the Leviathan is over there, that building."

It was a brown painted building that sat about ten yards away from the docks and shores, about a half a mile's walk from where they were. It was built with many similarities to a cabin. Thick logs intersected to create its walls. The windowpanes were also thick. Had to be when you were that close to the ocean. Corren wondered how the horses took to the conditions. As they got closer, he could smell the stables.

After their walk up to the door and upon stepping in, the man behind the counter smiled dimly and nodded, "You must be Corren Laine. We were hoping to have your business." There was a small tightening at the corner of his lips. Corren wasn't so sure he liked being expected.

[Topaz Delaine]

No one carried this pack. In it the tools of her trade, a trade that neither a man or motherhood could completely erase. Never knew when a set of picks would come in handy. At Corren's call she turned to look up at him, near blinded by the sun dancing on his hair. His eyes picked up the blue of the sea and nearly glowed with the color.

She smiled softly as she hurried to catch up, (well hurried as much as a woman carrying what had to be fifty pounds). Her small hand slipping around his arm for purchase as she waddled along beside him. By that half a mile she swore the kid was dancing on her bladder and crushing her kidneys to boot. With a faint sigh of relief she followed him in.

Her back was up at the words spoken by the Inn Keep. It never was a good sign when you where expected.. but that was the instincts of a street rat for ya, predictability was dangerous.

Following Corren up the stairs and to their room, she let out a grateful sigh as she flounced onto the bed to sit. Letting the all import past drop to her feet as she rubbed at the ache in the small of her back. The babe twisted and kicked as if eager to be freed from its dark confines. She wondered how much longer before it came.

And just as quickly squelched the wondering as with it came the fear. She had absolutely no idea how to be a wife much less a mother. Not that she was a wife yet. Talk of Marriage hadn't really come up between them.

She cast a longing glance toward the empty bath and wondered how long it would take to have heated water brought in, how difficult would it be to get her girth into it.. and then back out? Debated on whether it was even worth the effort.

"I'll just see our things settled in if you've a need to get on with your Business?" she suggested as she hefted herself back onto tired feet. Thinking he would need to check in with someone about the Church business. Set up contacts or what have you. Later when she felt more up to it, she'd do a bit of snooping about the town and see just what was what here.

[Corren Laine]

"Just checking in with the men. He isn't here yet." Sometimes the same representative from the Church arrived. Sometimes not. He could always spot them by their plain faces which were frighteningly clean. Always men. As if they weren't human or walked on this world. His training, his ship voyages, had done something to him to make him trust the grim and grit of the world. Those without were strange. What did they do with their life? They were uninvolved aliens in observation.

"You should rest," he lowered his voice, not stern but definitely the truth of warning in his voice. The voyage had been long and hard on her, she shouldn't have been on her feet so much and it was showing with how she moved. His eyes went to the bathroom she'd been daydreaming over and he half smiled, "Your wish came true. I'm sure it will hardly measure up to scarse buckets of water on a sea voyage but I imagine you'll survive." He unbuckled his back pack from around his waist and set it down. When he rolled his shoulders the under skin pop-pop followed. Did his bones crack more now or did he just notice it more than he use to?

Before going anywhere, he washed his face up in the bathroom before stepping towards the door. He had to do it, it felt as though a layer of sweat and saltwater coated him, "I'll bring you something to eat when I get back. In the mood for something in particular?" His eyes briefly jumped from her face to her stomach and then back to her eyes. Tone flattened, hardened into a fleshed out worry, "Make sure to keep the door locked while I'm gone. I'll give you a special knock so you know it's me, all right?" 1...4...3. The amount of knock taps he demonstrated quickly on the threshold of their room. He was standing in the doorway now, it was opened wide as if there was nothing to be afraid of. His eyes diverted from her to look down the hall where he saw his men gathering, their eyes in the same hunt as his own. What would happen next? Would word come soon? Sometimes it was as if they studied the world, thinking that they could predict what it would be that the Church would ask.

To Topaz, "I don't know what to expect yet so we should just stay careful. It could be a couple of days until they let me know." At the Widow's Spoon it had been weeks.

[Topaz Delaine]

"Alright," Said in response to his checking on his men. She puttered about putting their small pile of things away. "We can order up a meal when you return, along with some water for a nice soak in the tub. It'll be good to rest upon a bed that doesn't rock you to sleep" She grinned up at him, though she noted his wariness.

He was right, it wouldn't due to let ones guard down so she paid special attention to his knock.

"Do you think they've a midwife in this town?" an afterthought as he looked out the door, as if almost anxious to be gone, and perhaps mentally already gone.

[Corren Laine]

"Midwife?" His thoughts were so wrapped up in the Church that he almost made the fatal mistake of asking her "why?" It was a good day for him though, his mind caught up before his mouth moved and he smiled at her, "I'm sure there is. Having a child is pretty common." The real trick, then, was making sure that she actually liked the midwife that was there. Someone who really used herbs to help instead of herbs for spirtual... emotional... guiding reasons. He didn't imagine that Topaz could have shown much patience for someone with that train of thought while she tried to have a child.

As natural as it was to have a child, there were still women that didn't survive the process. It felt like a far away nightmare to him that Topaz could ever be that person. After all, she had survived meeting him, hadn't she? And the Brothers. And everything else that had happened during that time. It would be fine, wouldn't it?

"All right then, we'll order a meal together." He blew a kiss to her with just his lips and stepped out the door with a quick, "I love you."

Now it was down to the hall where he saw some of his men congregating. The one he had known the most, for years, was named Jared. He'd been with them through the whole trying experience of the Widow's Spoon. Him and several others had. They knew him, knew Topaz and what they were capable of. Jared had a salted disposition, one that grinned into the wind. When he saw Corren approach he bowed his head and cleared his throat so that the others might notice.

"Has there been word?" Pressed Jared first.

"No, not yet." Corren looked around the Leviathan and then back to Jared and the men, "Have any of you gotten an idea of what this might be about? Seen anything out of sorts?" Their voices were low so that the inn keep wouldn't overhear them too much.

[Topaz Delaine]

"Mmm.. Love you.. " and he was out the door before that could be finished.. "too..". She gave a faint shake of her head as she again looked about the room.

Hands on hips, brooding, "Having a child is pretty common." she mimiced him with a faint drip of sarcasm to add flavor. "So speaks a Man who's never had one, or the inclining of what all is involved."

Snapping from the brood she made her way to the windows, checking them for security. Ease of egress and access. Satisfied that any would be thief or assassin would not find entrance that easy. Still, taking no chances, she set up a few tells to alert them should access be gained.

She would wait to order a bath for when Corren returned, not only so they could share in it, but too, for reasons of security. She had no idea who was in this town or what element lay under the currents of it. She'd not take the risk, especially in her current condition of inviting a stranger into the room without backup.

The bed looked inviting and so she gave into the temptation of resting her back and feet. Wondering how much longer this child would wait to greet them. Fear, wonder, all rolled into a mix of excitement and trepidation. She had not the faintest idea of how to be anything but what she was. Thief, assassin, street rat.

She wondered how this would change their lives, would it changes his at all? Or would she be the one "stuck" at home while he ventured out into the world? Would they raise a child on his ship, hopping from town to city to berg?

She supposed it was high time they discussed how they would make this work. She never was the stay at home kind. And wondered if she was even capable of it. But the idea of leaving their child behind in someone else's care was abhorrent..

Ah well, hopefully when he returned he'd have answers to the nature of his business here, and perhaps she could help with it. For now.. she needed to put worries from mind and rest..