The Re-Education of Auryon Rivorn

Tabu had managed to swim his way out to a pickup point. He was burned up pretty rough, but he would be okay eventually. He had pretty bad burns on his chest, blisters and seared flesh, and on his hands as well. He'd luckily been able to shield his eyes before tumbling into the salt water . . . which, I might add, stung like hell on all the burns. He lay in his hammock, resting for the moment. He looked around, seeing that no one was there, and reached over to a lockbox beside where he slept. He rummaged blindly through it until he found what he was looking for. He took out a cloth wrapped object and gave a last glance around. Then he unwrapped the book and started reading.

Jacob had had almost lost his whole rouse when he brought Aury on board. It took a few quick lies to cover some of the men's reactions to her. Luckily he'd managed to get her into a room and isolated while he spoke to the captain. Nathaniel Rivorn broke into a deep belly laugh when Jacob had related Aury's apparent amnesia and the story of how he'd captured her.
"We're going to have some fun with this." The captain had said. "But be careful. If she's up to some kind of trick, let's not hesitate to cut that pretty little head from her scrawny little neck." They both smiled at that part.
Jacob was now outside Aury's room and he have the door a quick knock. A moment later, Aury emerged.
"Can I return to the Rangers' Station now?" She asked him. If only she knew she'd never be seeing that place . . . or any other place most likely, ever again.
Jacob dismissed the thought for her and suggested, "Well you should talk with your Uncle some before we go anywhere. You should really try what you can to restore your memories." He was careful to keep a straight face when he added, "B'sides, the cap'n has been so worried since you wandered off and didn't come back."
This was another part of the story Aury couldn't quite remember, and Jacob had to make up details as he went along. As he did he walked her up above decks. They emerged onto the deck and that's when Aury was struck by the sight. The sails were full with a steady wind. The sea was calm and endless and such a blue as it was difficult to tell where the water met the sky. Jacob let the image distract her from her questions.

Auryon was indeed distracted by the whole experience that she had ceased walking altogether, a hand reached out almost voilently to grab Jacob's shoulder. She felt as if she were going to fall over or simply become ill, and Jacob was the closest thing to prop herself up against. Her finger nails dug into the man's shoulder blade, as her breathing hitched. Hadn't this been part of a dream she'd had before? Surely she hadn't ever been here, and yet.. she couldn't shake the dev ju that struck her so dominately.

Jacob scowled a little as her finger nails threatend to threatend to tear at his flesh, "We best get a move on. The captain wont be waitin' all night for you." He'd scoot away from Auryon as she seemed balanced again, his eyes narrowing a bit as the woman began to take more confident strides. For a moment, he thought perhaps she had been faking the wholre ordeal. He watched her saunter a short ways ahead of him before taking a few easy strides to catch up, "Will Vincent be here soon?" She'd ask, turning her green eyes on Jacob as he caught up.

He looked baffled for but a moment, "If he can manage the waves." was all he muttered, turning away from the woman as a snake like smile cruved his lips. If he could manage the waves, and the small band of men Nathaniel had ordered to be on the ready. "Yer Uncle, he's waiting inside the cabin there." Jacob would place a hand on Auryon's back giving her a firm shuve towards the door. Her hand reached out, pausing for but a moment on the handle before turning and entering. A sudden feeling of delightful dread washed over her as she stepped inside.

Nathaniel Rivorn stood in the middle of the captain's cabin of the Astrella, awaiting his guest. He was a tall, barrel-chested man and under most circumstances he was intimidating, even frightening. Today, however, his face was clean shaven, he was dressed in a red captain's coat, tan vest, white pants tucked into tall black boots with brass buckles. He almost looked the part of a legitimate ship's captain. Even an officer of some obscure navy. His smile was a mask that fit him surprisingly well and he really seemed welcoming.
"Auryon, dear. I've been so worried. Please, sit and relax for a bit." he gestured to a small table with a bottle and two glasses. "Let's have a drink to your safe return."
Aury hesitated. Something was odd. Vincent had given her the impression that she didn't much care for drinking. Then again, a lot of what he'd told her seemed contradictory to what she was now discovering. She sat slowly and looked up at her uncle. "What is it we're drinking?"
Nathaniel sat across the table from her and opened the bottle. "Whiskey. It's your favorite." He poured two glasses and placed one in front of her. "It's such a shame you're in this state. Tell me, dear, what questions do you have for me? Let's see if we can fill in the blanks."

Studied both the man and the drink before herself, her head tilting to the left as she took in his whole figure - atleast the part she could see while he was sitting. Somthing in her body tensed, and a slow realization crept down her spine. However, no warning bells sounded yet. Feeling confident, and perhaps a little more her old self, she closed her hand around the glass of whiskey bringing it to her lips, and tilting it back, downing it in a shot. She was not intmidated by Nathaniel - she wasn't in the right mindframe to be intimidated, but instead she felt she needed to impress him in some way, to show she wasn't as vunerable as she had formerly been convinced. She'd study the surroundings of the room for some time, her mind searching for the right questions to ask. Nathaniel, with his ever charming mask of a caring family member awaited her questions in silence.

"Who am I, other than my name? I know I am not a tavern worker who has a strong love for music. He told me that - Vincent - who is Vincent? Futhermore, how the hell did I come to be 'missing', " she watched as Nathaniel poured another glass of the whiskey, a polite smile on his face. His eyes, shifted a moment to the door as if to make sure they were not to be interrupted. "An' how the hell did I come to lose whatever memories I had?" She had many more questions, but these for the moment were the most dominat. She grew more demanding, as the drinks went on. Nathaniel, simply continued to pour the whiskey, awaiting her to stop.

"I must say, I am glad to see that some of your attitude is returning. Along with that healthy thrist. Now, if you'd hold that tounge a moment, I'll clarify a few things for you, my dear.."

Trega finished loading the cannons on the Roving Wench and tossed the last empty powder keg aside. The rigging was set. The guns were ready. Only a few last minute arrangements needed be made. He strode down the ramp of the Wench and went looking for Renton.

Nathaniel smiled warmly and took to answering her questions, one by one.
"Well . . . it may please your, or not, to know that you're a part of my crew here on this ship. And what we do out at sea isn't exactly on the up and up. We're pirates, dear, and you as well. This Vincent fellow I don't know, but doubtless he found you in your confused state and sought to change your point of view. He probably wanted to use you for . . . well one can only speculate. As for your memory loss and how you came to go missing, I really don't know. You said you were going into town one day and that was all well and good. But you didn't come back that night. Or the next day. I sent out two men to find you and it took them some time. I'm just glad you're safe. Come now, we should take a stroll and see if any familiar sights help you to remember."

Aury took one last drink of the whiskey. She blinked a few times as the flavor sparked something. A memory of . . . she couldn't place it. The whiskey tugged at her memories as if trying to hint that something was missing . . . or someone. She shook it off and followed her uncle.

Auryon followed Nathaniel back to the top deck of the ship, already feeling more comfortable as the whiskey that she had hurriedly down began to work its magic. "Seems about right.." she'd mutter, giving a slight nod to his mention of pirates. Her mind may have been altered, but she wasn't stupid, just by looking around at the crew that were on deck, one could easily come to their own conclusions as to what type of ship this was exactly. "Part of yer Crew, ya said?" her head tilted, as she was led along the deck, green eyes absorbing in every inch, and board of the ship. She felt at home here, but still lacked any real comfort. "What part? What do -- did I do?"

The few deckhands that had lingered long enough to catch glimpse of Auryon - wanting to see if her rumoured state was true or not grinned mischeivously as she passed, a few even making a passing grab at the woman as she neared them. She'd easily saunter out of their grasps with a playful saunter, eyes narrowing in warning. "An' why do they keep starin' at me like that?" - and who was missing? She still couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing a large peice of the puzzle.

Nathaniel threw a look back over his shoulder at the men who stared or grabbed. He wasn't about to have them ruin this for him. It was far too gratifying. He looked back to his niece.
"Well nowadays you help me with plannin' our jobs. You find out information and we use that to know where to hit ships. It's a far cry from what you used to do."
Aury looked at him, confused. "What do you mean? What did I used to do?"
Nathaniel stopped walking. They were away from the rest of the crew now, standing near the bow of the ship. The tall man seemed to struggle with the words. With some difficulty he finally came out with it. "You don't remember your father, do you?"
A cold chill ran up Aury's spine. There was something crucial here, she could feel it. But what? She shook her head silently and waited for her uncle to reveal this, what she now felt was the missing piece.
After another difficult pause, Nathaniel placed a comforting hand on Aury's shoulder and took a deep breath. "Your father was . . . Well he was captain of this ship before me. When he was, your jobs were usually of a more menial and degrading manner. Cleaning out the bilge, sloppin' meals, and sometimes . . . 'servicing' the crewmen." He looked down, as if ashamed of what he was saying. When his eyes returned to Aury's they actually had tears in them. "I'd also suspected he was beatin' you behind closed doors. I should have done something . . ." He turned away from her and looked out over the water. He couldn't help but steal a quick grin for himself. It was quite a performance, he must admit. His face was solemn again before he turned back to her. "That's why . . . " He cleared his throat and readied himself for the words he was about to speak. "That's why you killed him." He paused a moment to let the information sink in and he studied Auryon's face.

Felt somthing in her stomache drop at the words, her arms moving to cross over her chest. She felt somthing tugging at the back of her mind again, "I killed him" she repeated, quitely, her eyes matching Nathaniel's own mockingly sympathetic gaze. The man stared back at her in complete silence, seemingly waiting for the half truth to sink into the moldable putty that was auryon's incomplete memories. "Come, back to the cabin. You need to sit down, and sort through your thoughts.." Nathaniel, as clever as he was, knew that offering the girl too much familiarity to soon, could be his downfall. His arm around his befuddled neice, he lead her back to the cabin, escorting her back to the very seat she had started out in.

"More whiskey, dear?"

She had been silent on the small trek back to the cabin, and now looked up, a frown etching onto her features as she shook her head. "Whiskey isn't my favourite.." she'd say quitely, her tone flat, and distance, "Rum is.." Nathaniel kept his face poiltely blank while he faced her, though once his back was turned and he was preparing her new beverage of choice, a wicked smile cruved his lips, "How could that have slipped my mind, dear? Thank you for the reminder.."

He placed a glass and a bottle on the table allowing her the choice between the two. She, naturally chose the bottle with little to no hessitantion. A small smirk played across her lips as she took a long gulp, as her eyes roamed the room, stopping a moment on the far wall, where a wooden map was mounted - eight chunks of wood were crudely carved out and missing. She shook her head a bit, the image startling her a moment.

"It was here." She said vaugley, placing the bottle down slowly. The Captain raised a brow, looking to the mounted map, "What was, here Auryon?" he'd ask, nursing his own glass of celebratory wine.

"Where I killed him."

Nathaniel brought the glass to his lips, silently raising it to the back of Auryon's head as if in a salute to the jumbled thoughts that he happily preyed upon. "Indeed." was all cold comfort the Captain offered.

Aury was silent for a while, lost in thought . . . or thought fragment. Something was still missing. Something was just . . . off. Nathaniel finished his wine, watching the girl ponder the map on the wall. He wanted her to remember that; to remember where to rest of it was. He just needed to be careful exactly how she remembered and what memories came with it. Slow and steady was the best course for now.
"Auryon, dear." he said, putting his glass down. "It's probably best if you take things easy for now. Get some more rest. This whole affair must be dreadfully taxing on you. Why don't you take that bottle of rum back to your room and I'll have some food brought to you."
Aury ignored his suggestion, her attention now focused on the wooden map. "Where is the rest of this?" she asked.
"I don't actually know." Nathaniel stated, shaking his head. The answer didn't surprise Aury. She felt like she should know more about it than he should anyway. As if in answer to that thought, Nathaniel said, "It's been sort of a little project of yours, collecting those pieces. When you were much younger you thought it would lead to treasure. Silly of course, but even as you got older, the collecting of the pieces was a hobby of yours." Nathaniel grinned again as he laid the seeds he hoped would take root in her mind. "Maybe finding the rest of those pieces will help you find the rest of yourself."
Aury turned to look at her uncle.

"Perhaps.." Auryon agreed, eyes searching Nathaniel's face for any hidden clues that she might have missed in his words. Somthing felt wrong, but she was unable to place exactly what it was. Her attention shifted away from the man and back towards the mounted partial map on the wall the missing wooden chunks gnawed at the back of her mind "If I collected the pieices, wouldn't atleast some be there? From what you've told me, I lived..." she'd motion at the ship as a whole, "Here. On the ship fer sometime. It ain't makin' sense that, I'd dedicate so much effort into somthin' an' have nothin to show fer it.."

Nathaniel sighed as he finshed his wine placing it gently down on the cabinet. "You didn't trust your father, or some of the other crewmen with your prizes, so you hid them. Very well, I might add." He approached Auryon's chair slowly, placing both hands on either side of her shoulder, feeling the red-haired immediately tense, he did nothing more than pull her firmly up to her feet. Though, a scowl scrawled across the man's face at the woman's instictual reaction to his touch. He'd have to be more careful. The memories where still there, somewhere.

"Now, you need to go get that rest I mentioned, and tommorow, perhaps you'll be in a better state of mind.." With an arm slung around his neice shoulder, he'd scoop up the bottle she had been nursing thrusting it into her arms and leading her to the door asn escorting her promptly out, "The Cabin below is yours. Theres whiskey in the cabinet, should the rum just not do it for you." And before she could protest, the door was slammed shut.

Left alone with her jumbled thoughts, she headed back for the cabin. Deciding a bed, her bottle and maybe some whiskey would do her well. And for a moment, she chuckled. "I'm always being paired up with whiskey.." though, the meaning of her own joke was lost on her, save for a small tugging feeling in the back of her mind.

Logan stood with his back against the mast smoking his pipe as Trega walked back up the ramp. "You planning on not informing me on what all the preparations are for or would you prefer i figured it out?" Trega swagger towards his cabin door, a tired scowl painted on the pirate's face. "You're an intelligent dog, you should be able to figure it out," he said over his shoulder has the cabin door opened. The Elf in wolf's clothing moved quickly to follow before the door closed behind his friend. "Why else would I be here?" Trega gave an annoyed chuckled as he enter his personal cabin. "Hound I am tried of speaking in question, but I have one left to ask, are you coming with me?" The pirate turned to face his friend who took to leaning against the door frame, "Must you really ask that question?" the old dog smirk with his pipe hanging from his lips. His friend's face redden as he approached the Elf. "I have little use for you if you plan to be an annoyance," Trega replied taking the pipe quickly from Hound's mouth. "There is too much going on at the moment and I would prefer to know direct answers then be met with more questions." Hound smiled, placing his right hand on the pirate's shoulder, "The Wench is fast, brother but she she isn't the Rum Runner. Now with someone who can talk to the winds aboard, we might be able to catch Auryon's uncle's ship." Trega raised a brow instead of directly asking. Logan looked a bit surprised by his friend's reaction. "What! You don't think I have ears which hear, eyes which see. I may be old, my dear friend, but I know what has been going on in this town for some time. Even without you directly informing me that you needed help. Now what do you know, and when do we leave?"

Trega smiled and relaxed. That evening the pirate told his friend the whole story over a simple dinner and plenty of drink. By the end of it Logan nodded his head while lighting his pipe, "I pray to whatever gods listening that we get to the Red Head quickly.