Looking for Idiots

[Landra]

Landra returned later, her arms full of food and utensils. She glanced up at the ship. Never have I seen something so grand! she thought, beaming and not even thinking of the dangers that may have waited ahead.

[Blue]

"Huh? Back already? Well let be help you get that stuff put away I guess." Blue shouted from the top of the ship's mast, her favorite spot. She had been looking out for Blake as well as thinking deeply on matters. She jumped down and glided toard Landra. "I'll take the heavier stuff. The gallery is this way. You'll have a room near the gallery. It does have a lock on it so you don't have to worry about the boys."

[Landra]

"Heh, thanks," Landra said, gladly giving her the heavier items. The wind brushed the salty sea smell at her face and she blinked at the new smell. At first it was unwelcoming and gross, but it turned comforting and interesting minutes later. "How long will we be sailing?"

[Blue]

"Who knows? It's the Black Waters, we may never return. But Blake has a map and he's going to get a naiad so things should work out. If that's the case it'll take a week with no problems to get to the Black Waters, you'll get to see lots of sites between here and there. Then on the Black Waters I don't know exactly where we will go so I don't really know how long that part will be."

[Landra]

Landra silented recalled the countless stories and warnings of the black waters that she had heard from the people in her old town. One old sailor who had come into the Golden Fox for a drink had told her about a man who had been killed by fright, before anything even hit him. Of course, the man in the bar had been drinking a lot....
We'll see what'll hapen, she thought, putting away the supplies in the small kitchen.

[Blake]

"I thought I heard my name," Blake grunted, hoping that River was still following him. After all, they needed a naiad, that was certain. And hadn't he heard a snippet of her and Terasha talking about going to the water? "If all's well you can add two more to the crew and a naiad. Just like we needed," he continued in his throaty growl, sure that Blue had probably found more crew members than he could have.

[Blue]

"Hey Blake!" Blue said from the deck of the ship where she had gone once she had finished helping Landra. "So we've got a naiad? Well I've got a cook and a ship smart man who looks hardy enough for this hare brained adventure. Everyone else I talked to just laughed, at me or at the quest we're undertaking. So what are your recruits names?" Blue jumped off the side of the deck and landed on the port, close to Blake but out of reach of his sword. It showed how long she had been mistrusting of everyone that she kept her distance without even thinking about it.

[Blake]

"I hope she followed me," he said, looking around. "I think she did. Her name's River." He turned. He had a tendency to ignore or lose people easily.

"As for the other two, their names are Terasha..... uh... something-or-other, and Dre Takeme." The latter was easier to remember, but Terasha hadn't given him a last name. Perhaps she didn't even have one. After all, he'd dropped his.

"They're actually, eh, looking for you..." he added in a low voice.

Blake wasn't as stupid as he made himself out to be. The truth of the matter was, the cat could care less, and it made him look stupid.

[Blue]

"Terasha and Dre Takeme. You've got to be kidding me." Blue looked around and moved closer. "Those two have huge bounties on their heads! Dre Takeme is the King of theive and one of the largest bounties there is, only one larger is for a Kurash girl Terasha, alive. Do you realize that they could be more trouble than their worth? And who is that?" Blue was refering to a girl who was running after Blake.

River had had a very hard time negotiating the streets again but this time for a very different reason. Two men had grabbed her from behind and pressed a dagger to her throat, the other holding her arms so she couldn't reach for her daggers. She had tried to reason with them but they had just gotten angry. Fed up the dagger man moved his arm back to slice open her throat. River realized what was going to happen and turned into water. When the men realized what had happened they ran out of the alley screaming about water witches and River turned back into her solid form. By then she had lost sight of Blake and had to ask around to figure oue which way he had gone. The people of the city were very unfriendly to her though for some reason. But now he was finally in sight. When she caught up she was panting from all the running she had done. "Ah, I'm, sorry, for, disa, pearing, like, that. Is this, the Blue, person, you, mentioned?"

[Blake]

"Ah. Thought I'd lost you, kid," and truly, Blake had. "Yeah, Blue, this is River Seacurrent, she's a princess. River, Blue. She's.... uh... well, she's Blue." Blake didn't really have anything else to say about Blue. "And as for the thief king and the Kurash girl," he continued, "I suppose that explains why they want to go. And where will we get any more eager participants?" That was reason enough for the tiger. No one else would want to go.

[Blue]

"A princess? This is going to be one for the history books." Blue said moaning into her hands. She suddenly snapped up and lifted River by her collar. "Listen your highness. You'll work on this ship or you'll be thrown in the brig so that I can play with you. I won't have any of this royal privaledge stuff you got that?"

"Yes m'am! I'll do all the work that's asked of me! Umm, could you please put me down now?"

[Blake]

Blake hid a laugh behind his hand. Yes, a Faye who didnt' act like a Faye was the perfect description of Blue. Anything else just didn't fit. Though hopefully noone would ever tell her he'd said that. He didn't want to be on the wrong end of the creature's wrath. After all, he thought he might be able to hold his own, but this Blue was surprising.

[River Seacurrent]

"Hmph, well that'll do for now." Blue put the naiad down and looked about. "Where are the other's you talked about, the ones with the huge bounties that if anyone else realizes will be after us since their our new crew?"

"Huh? Oh you must mean Terasha and Dre. They went looking for you since Blake wasn't sure where you were. I think they'll come soon, the description they had to go by was very accurate." River said back to her optimistic and cheerful self. "A fae that doesn't act like a fae, it describes her very well Blake."

"A fae that doesn't act like a fae..." Blue paused, her hair covering her face made a very dramatic seen. "I guess it one way to decribe me." Blue said finally and one could almost she the tension in the air snap.

[Blake]

Blake's face showed what he was obviously in, and it was deep. "Eh, River, didn't Terasha say you needed to get to the water for something? I could.... eh.... escort you...." he made it more than obvious that he didn't want to be hurt severely by Blue right at that moment. Not that he had a choice in the matter. He was rather hoping, though, that he did.

[River Seacurrent]

"Oh yes! I'd almost forgotten with everything that has happened. I'll be fine, thank you for offering!" River went to the edge of the dock and lept in. Her legs melded into one strong tail and she swam happily around the dock.

Blue was far from happy. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm tired you'd be at the very least in extreme pain. But I will not forget this so watch yourself." Blue the flew off to the top of the mast and perched there, waiting for the others to arrive. To pass the time and blow off steam she practiced with her dagger moves that would silently, quickly, and painfully kill a man around Blake's size.