Aims — Roleplayer Guild

Daryn cussed loudly and jumped up, kissing her brother on the head. She grabbed her sword, strapping it around her hips and looking at Adi expectantly. She didn't like that the man acted like he knew more about Port than anyone else in the room. She definitely hadn't planned on letting Triver swim with mermaids, but he did deserve to see them. They were amazing things, the mermaids. With Adi behind her, Daryn took off out the door, seeing that Triver hadn't made it too far. She fell into step beside him, touching his shoulder gently. 

"Today, Triver, you will see some amazing things," she said, smiling at him. First, she intended to take him down to the ocean. Not to swim, but to look. Everyone needed to feel their feet in the water, taste the spray of the water against the rocks. She wouldn't feel right if he didn't at least stick his hands in the water. Yet, Daryn knew that he was hurt. Ser'deni was right, but she knew how hard that was to hear. There had been a time when Daelyn and she had the same conversation. The night before the trials, they had sat down in the dirt floor of their shack, held hands and prayed to whatever god was listening. 

"What happens if one of us dies?" Daelyn had asked, unable to hide the shake in his voice. Daryn had squeezed his hand, staring at the footprints in the dirt. 

"The other must go on," she had whispered, "And they will have to learn to survive alone."

Daryn knew how impossible it felt to live without a sibling. She couldn't imagine that life, a life without his curls, his eyes, his gentle personality. Daryn snapped herself back to the present, concentrating on where they were going. Triver was leading himself through the center of town. People were lined on the side of the rocky street with fruits, fishes, and other wares. Women shopped, baskets propped on thin hips, babies on the other side. Old men gambled with little wooden balls and cups in front of the tavern, cussing loudly when someone lost. It all made Daryn smile, feeling back at home. There were faces in the crowd that knew her, and she knew them. 

"Port is forced to survive on its own. Because of that rebellion Amaria told you about, people here don't receive help from your father. The people are tough, making their own ways to live, and no, it's not always honest. See that lady over there?" Daryn pointed into a colorful tent with clothes hanging from the swaying beams, "Her name is Lydia. She has three children, and her husband died at sea when I was just little. She dyes and sells her own clothes to the people in Port. Lydia is one of the wealthiest people in Port. Without interference from the royal city, Port sort of flourished." She led him out of the growing crowd, onto a smaller pathway. The ocean stretched out to their left, at the bottom of a steep cliff. The farther they walked, the less people they saw. Daryn walked close to the edge, looking. 

"Ah-ha!" she said, coming to a stop. "Adi thinks it's a bad idea to swim in the ocean, and I agree. But I think you should definitely see it closer than this." She knelt down on the ground, reaching over the edge. There was a ladder, made from ropes and wood, slung over the edge. It was a long way down, but the edge wasn't as steep as everywhere else. The cliff went outwards here, coming to end on a big stretch of sand. It was like a tiny beach. Daryn pulled the ladder up just enough to show the prince the first rung. "I'll go down first, you go second, and Adi will go last. I promise it's completely safe, and I will not let the mermaids get you." With that, she disappeared over the edge, breathing in the amazing air. It hadn't been this clear before how homesick she'd really been. 

Back at Amaria's, Daelyn watched the door shut, hoping Daryn would actually be able to calm the prince down. She wasn't very good at being patient with people. He let out a big breath and looked across the table at the mage. The feeling in his gut told him that the mage didn't like him very much at all. This was business, though, and it didn't matter. They were on a mission. 

"The best place to talk to people would be the marketplace. At this time of day, I bet everyone is there. After that, we can go to the docks and see if he got on a boat," Daelyn said, pushing his chair away from the table. He moved to get his sword, squeezing Amaria's hand as he went past. "Ser'deni, do you think you could glimpse into people's minds and see if they've seen him? I mean, we can't ask everyone, and that would be the fastest way to do it." Daelyn remembered her saying that mind magic wasn't her strong point. Yet, he wasn't about to point out that if she couldn't do it, he would find another way. Ser'deni was completely capable; he was sure she was more capable than even he understood. He finished getting ready, standing by the door. 

"Oh, sorry about last night. I know you could have taken care of yourself; I didn't need to toss you around," he said, to the mage, "When people get hurt, old shepherd instincts kick in, and I tend to get protective. I didn't mean to insult you, if I did."
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Bearer of the Wings of Freedom

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