Chapter 45: Sailing Winter Seas
A sharp wind rolled down into the mouth of the Wrenhaven from the sea, cutting through the thick coat Emily wore and tugging at the loose locks of her hair. She hugged her chest, putting her hands under her armpits and suppressing a shiver. The Outsider stood close beside her, a thick scarf wrapped around his face and head and hands shoved into his pockets. Together they leaned against the upper cabin wall, heat barely radiating through the metal. The other passengers were below deck, hiding from the piercing cold. Emily had no desire to mingle with them in the cloying warmth, her stomach doing unpleasant flips the moment she stepped below decks. While the cold was equally unpleasant, at least it did not induce nausea.
"Are you guys really going to stand out here for the entire journey?"
Emily turned her head to see a shivering Juniper, her ratty layers fluttering in the breeze, purple hair barely visible underneath the wool fisherman's cap. Emily flashed a small smile at her. She didn't know much about the girl, but she seemed nice enough.
"Probably not. I just feel better outside than I do below decks," she confessed.
"And I will stay with Emily," the Outsider added, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf that covered his nose and mouth. His dark glasses fogged up, going from black to grey.
Juniper looked at the two of them as if they presented a puzzle she had to solve. She crossed her arms, fingertips poking out of holes in her worn gloves, and tilted her head.
"But aren't you guys cold?"
Emily shrugged. "A little, but is preferable to be here right now." She glanced over at the Outsider, who seemed to catch her eye.
"Freezing," he replied bluntly to Juniper.
Almost immediately Emily felt badly. She reached out and put a hand on his arm.
"You don't need to stay up here with me."
A laugh came out of him and he playfully leaned in her direction. "And leave you alone and unguarded? Corvo would have my guts for garters!"
Juniper burst out into a forced laugh, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "Really?"
From the way the Outsider huffed Emily guessed he was rolling his eyes. It was impossible to tell for certain due to his glasses, which once again fogged up with his breath.
"You underestimate the abilities of Corvo Attano," there was a bit of a bite in his tone. "As well as my desire to see Emily safe."
The final remark seemed to take Juniper aback, her wide eyes blinking at the two of them. "Wait," she pulled out a finger, pointing between the two of them. "You guys are friends?"
"Of course we are friends!" Emily said with a laugh. "Why else would he be here?"
"Well," Juniper inched forward, her tone now conspiring. "You're one of his Marked and he is just watching you."
"Oh, I am doing far more than watching," there was something teasing in just how cool and even his voice was. Emily could not help but smirk and make eye contact, leaning onto his shoulder. Juniper stood back, drinking in the sight before her, breath coming out in small clouds.
"Wow. I didn't realize you both were good friends," her tone was exceedingly thoughtful, then her eyes slid over to Emily. "I didn't think he did friends, ya know?"
The Outsider made a noise of annoyance and grumbled a curse in his cradle tongue. The boat rocked steadily and the wind blew, gently yet persistently. Across the grey sea was a dark outline of Gristol's coast, the occasional passing ship breaking the horizon line. So few were out on this grey winter day.
Juniper sighed, and strolled over to the other side of Emily, planting herself against the wall beside her.
"There is someone really strange on the ship with us," she said, borrowing her face. "Well, not just one person but four. And I don't really feel safe hanging out in the cabin with them."
"Oh?" Emily linked her arm with the Outsider's, taking comfort in his steadiness as the rocking of the boat worsened the feeling in her stomach.
"There are two Blind Sisters, one wearing a purple blindfold and the other wearing a red one. Blind sisters are nice enough but these ones just seem to… I dunno, radiate energy?" Juniper adjusted the ragged plaid scarf around her neck. "As for the other two, well first off they both look like they just wrapped themselves in drapes and blankets and called it a day. The younger one seems fine, but a little... hollow? So did the super scary older woman, she had this scar across her face and these cold, cold blue eyes."
A small frown appeared on Emily's face. The older woman Juniper was afraid of was definitely Jane Willoughby. The younger one in the strange robes… Emily was reminded of that petitioner months ago, what was her name? It does not matter. As for the Blind sisters, what would the odds be that she knew them?
She breathed in deeply and slowly, appreciating the sharp bite of the cold sea as it banished her nausea. Of course, today had to be the day it revisited her. Emily could not wait for it to go away for good.
They had stood out there for an hour and half, finally succumbing to the cold when Emily could feel both Juniper and the Outsider shivering as they both leaned on her. Oh well, she was also numb with the cold, and her fickle stomach was screaming for food. So the three of them sat at a small table in the café, the Outsider downing nearly three bowls of chowder, tea left untouched, steaming gently. Juniper was neatly eating a meat pie, her manners surprisingly good for a former low-level gang member. Emily nursed her bowl of chicken broth and crackers, her stomach behaving for now. She could not help but envy the Outsider as he finished his third bowl and immediately jumped to a fourth bowl.
"Hey Emily," Juniper leaned over, her voice a whisper. "Does he always eat this much food?"
Emily shrugged. "More or less."
"How is he not fat?"
Emily could not help but give her a sharp look, the girl's poor manners leaving a bad taste in her mouth. The Outsider cleared his throat, bowl still in hand.
"Daniels, the fact you would even ask that means you are far more stupid than I originally thought."
Juniper's jaw dropped and anger bloomed on her face. "Hey! It is a perfectly valid question."
"No, it is an ill-mannered question," the Outsider put down the bowl, his voice knife-sharp.
"I'm not getting lectured on manners from somebody who drinks chowder straight out of the bowl," Juniper snapped back, folding her arms.
"Well excuse me for living my best life," he replied primly, taking a long sip from the teacup. Emily snorted into her bowl, half tempted to drink straight out of it like he did. That coaxed a fond smile out of him.
"Are you feeling any better? You certainly look less green around the gills."
Emily nodded, deciding to let her more eager consumption of her soup answer his question.
"Oh shit, are you seasick?" Juniper immediately began to dig through her pockets. "I have an anti-seasickness bonecharm in here somewhere, you can totally have it if you want it."
Emily immediately waved her off, touched by her kindness. "Oh no that's alright!"
"Are you sure?" the girl opened her coat and reached into yet another pocket, a touch of concern on her face. "Feeling like you're gonna toss cookies any time you open your mouth can't be fun."
Juniper's turn of phrase was strangely hilarious to Emily; she could not help but laugh. In the corner of her eye she could see the Outsider yanking several materials from his pocket and laying them out on the table. Curious, Emily turned to him and he shot an apologetic smile at her.
"I should have replaced the bonecharm you lost, and I have failed to do so. This might not be as effective but it should help."
"You really do not have to do that!" Emily felt her cheeks warm, really touched that the Outsider was going out of his way to try and help her.
He gave her a teasing smile, a dried flower and scrap of bone in his hands. "Ah, I might not have to do it, but I want to."
Charmed, Emily silently watched him work on the bonecharm. Juniper too went silent, watching him work as she leaned forward, chin in hands and elbows on the table. The Outsider was utterly engrossed in his work, flicking his hands and twitching his fingers to conjure an orb of boiling water, then dropped the bone, the dried flower and other strange materials into it. Slowly, the hissing, bubbling orb turned a shade of dark yellow, shrinking as more and more steam emanated from it. The Outsider hummed a strange tune, a pretty little whittling knife sliding out of his sleeve and into his hand. In the other he held a strange and wonderful-smelling root, and with practiced ease he began to slice it, flicking the slivers into the orb.
A small crowd began to gather around them, clearly entranced by the scene. Emily could not blame them. The Outsider paid his audience no heed, after a minute dissipating the small orb with a wave of his hand, plucking the dark yellow scrap of bone from the air. With deft fingers he immediately began to shape it. It was rather soothing to watch shards slough away, clattering onto the table.
"Erhem, excuse me?" it was a rather portly man of middling age who had just cleared his throat. "Are you possibly selling bonecharms?"
"That depends," the Outsider replied, still focused on the charm in his hands. "I can only make three bonecharms right now. One preventing seasickness, one that increases your chances of getting money on the ground, and finally one that makes any food taste good."
The portly man made a noise of disappointment and left. Several people around him left, but many remained, likely curious to see how other bonecharms were made.
Juniper immediately perked up. "Oooo, can I have the money one?"
"Three glis glis," he finished the charm with one more slice, and handed it to Emily. As soon as she touched it she felt even better.
"The void is a glis glis?" Juniper asked, baffled. "Some type of Pandyssian fruit?"
"It is a type of mouse, they are apparently delicious when roasted and dipped in honey," a wistful look appeared on the Outsider's face. Emily made a note to try and procure the animals for him. Hopefully it was easy to find.
Juniper rolled her eyes. "Just take my money, I'm not up for bartering."
"Fine," he held out his hand. "10 coins."
An hour had passed and finally, everyone who asked for a bonecharm received it. Emily breathed a sigh of relief, glad that there were not so many eyes on them anymore. The Outsider looked rather tired, slumped back in his chair, hands limp. A large pile of bone shards competed with the stacked chowder bowls for space on the table before him. Juniper had disappeared a while ago, likely to find a bathroom. Emily mutely stared out across the cabin, eyes fixed on the grey windows. Her eyes caught the gaze of a rather familiar pair of icy blue ones. It was Jane Willoughby, and next to her was her wide-eyed dark-skinned daughter.
Jane smiled at her and gave a wave. Uncertain with what exactly to do, Emily gave a small wave back. Immediately Jane began to approach them, her daughter reluctantly following, looking frightened.
"Dear Empress, it is a pleasant surprise to find you here," Jane greeted, a cheerful smile on her scarred face.
"I should say the same," Emily replied, wishing to be polite. "Have a seat."
Jane took the seat next to her, leaving her daughter to take the seat next to the Outsider. The girl shrunk away from him, as if she knew who exactly he was. Jane was either oblivious or heedless of her fear, because she leaned forward to stare at the Outsider.
"So, you must be Owen Pharmakós!"
The Outsider pulled himself upright, a wary expression on his face. "Yes, and you are?"
"I'm- " her words were cut off by the girl desperately grabbing at her robes and crying out:
"Mother don't! Don't give him your name!"
Emily tried and failed to hide her surprise, glancing over to the Outsider. He shrugged at her, a mildly exasperated look on his face.
"What do you mean Monica?" Jane said to her daughter, a lost expression on her face.
Monica's eyes darted between Jane, the Outsider, and Emily. Her voice lowered, she whispered:
"Mr. Pharmakós is not a human, he is the Outsider."
Emily would never have predicted the expression of sheer delight on Jane's face. The Outsider as well looked taken aback. The woman leaned forward, eyes glinting.
"This has to be the best news I have heard in years!" there was a clinical sharpness on her face that filled Emily with unease. "Do tell me, Owen, what is your reproductive history?"
Monica buried her face in her hands, mortified. "Oh Void mom, why did you say that?"
Emily felt her mouth fall open and then close when words failed to come. What kind of person would ask such a delicate yet crude thing? Then again, the woman was uncomfortably interested in her relationship with the Outsider. Almost as if they were a pair of fascinating animals. The thought filled Emily with disgust.
The Outsider folded his hands under his nose and let out a long sigh, eye closed behind his glasses. Finally he opened his eyes and pointed his folded hands at her.
"Do tell me, what are you to me that you think you can even ask me such a question?"
Jane's face went from cheerfully expectant to dumbfounded. "I'm sorry?"
"Who. Do. You. Think. You. Are. To. Me?" The Outsider spoke as if he was talking to a child.
"Ah, a friend?" she hedged. From the dark feral expression on his face, Emily guessed she chose poorly.
"No, to me you are a rude and insubordinate stranger. Push my boundaries again and you will regret it. Understand?"
Emily tried to swallow her smile in an effort to be polite. Monica was looking at her between her fingers, seeming to beg for forgiveness. The Outsider watched the apprehensive and ashamed Jane, waiting expectantly for a response.
"Owen? Is that you?"
Making their way across the cabin was Hope and Eileen. The two were wearing colorful blindfolds, but that did not hinder then in any way. Monica immediately looked up over to them, hope shining in her eyes.
"Praise be, you both are here! My mother has gravely insulted the Outsider."
"Whoa whoa whoa," Hope held up her hands. "What do you mean that Jane has insulted the Outsider? How?"
"She asked him a very personal question that she had no right to ask," Emily answered.
The two Sisters seemed to freeze for a moment, and then Eileen lifted up her purple blindfold, peering at her.
"Empress? What on earth are you doing here?"
"Why, travelling to Bastillian of course. What are you two doing here?"
Eileen put her blindfold back in place, looking rather sheepish. "We're escorting Jane Willoughby and her daughter home, as well as checking up with our sisters in Bastillian. I did not think you traveled on standard ships like these."
Emily instinctively waved them off, forgetting they were blindfolded. "It is alright."
She was going to say more, but Juniper suddenly burst into the cabin, her eyes wide with fear. She raised her arm, pointing to the starboard side.
"THERE'S A GIANT FUCKING SQUID OUT THERE!"
As soon as she said that, the largest tentacle Emily had ever seen in her life slammed onto the side of ship, knocking everyone off balance and more than a few people out of their chairs. The dishes and bone shards clattered off the table, which was fortunately bolted to the floor. Emily braced herself against it, trying not to fall to the ground. The Outsider immediately leapt to his feet and grasped her arm.
"We need to get off this ship," his voice was even, but there was apprehension in it. Around them people were frozen, their eyes wide with fear. The ship shook again, another tentacle attacking them. Hope and Eileen were looking at her expectantly. Somebody needed to take charge, that somebody being her.
"Everyone, gather your things and get to the upper cabin!" she ordered. "If you have weapons come with me."
That seemed to shake people out of their paralyzed state. Immediately the cabin exploded in activity, people gathering their things, their travel partners, and their families. Emily immediately headed to the exit, the Outsider and the others following behind.
"So what's the plan?" cried Juniper as the ship shuddered again, throwing them against the walls of the narrow stairwell.
"Destroy the tentacles, and if we cannot, keep it occupied so we can evacuate the ship," Emily hoped that plan would work. If not she was at a loss for what they could do.
"We'll have to move quickly," the Outsider added. "Krakens break ships."
"You're telling me we're up against a fucking KRAKEN?!" Juniper's voice nearly broke with shock.
Nobody responded to her. Emily grabbed the pistol at her hip, removing the safety as she opened the door out to the deck. Sailors were running around, shooting into the thick tentacles with little success. One by one they crept out, Emily darting to take cover behind large coils of ropes. The Outsider joined her. Hope strode straight past them, her two pistols in hand and a wide grin on her face.
"I've been hoping to try these babies out!" she cried, lifting them up and taking aim at a nearby tentacle. Her right hand glowed under her thin wool gloves, and she squeezed the trigger.
A series of beams of red light shot out of the pistol's muzzle, burning a hole into the tentacle. She immediately did it again and again, her grin growing wider and wider. Even with the damage, the tentacles did not cease their attack. Eileen did not keep her distance like her sister. Instead, she darted forwards and laid her hand on another tentacle.
"What is she thinking!"
Before Emily could ask what the Outsider meant by that, he scooped her up and hovered a good distance off the deck. A ripple of electricity flowed through the giant tentacle- and through the ship. The sailors, Hope, and Juniper yelped in pain as they got shocked. Eileen winced.
"Sorry!"
"Hey Owen!" yelled Hope. "Help us the FUCK out!"
The Outsider set Emily down, an uncertain look on his face. "What do you think I should do?"
Emily shrugged. "Teleport it away, impale it with something, turn it into something else, summon whales to eat it? You know your abilities better than I do. Just try not to damage the ship."
He nodded, expression somewhat abashed. He looked over his shoulder. "Juniper-"
"Yeah yeah, guard the Empress, make sure she doesn't get hurt, die, I know the drill," the girl was pushing forward an old fashioned cannon, and next to it was a neatly stacked pile of cannon balls. "Feel free to use this if you know how."
A spark appeared in the Outsider's eye. Without an extra word he picked up two of the cannon balls, and ran off.
"So what are you going to do Empress?" Juniper was looking around them, very nervous.
Emily reached out with her left hand, a small cloud of mist pooling and churning just a ways away. The Mark glowed through the leather of her glove, and with a gesture of her hand, a doppelgänger emerged from the cloud. Juniper fell back onto the deck with a thud.
"What the fuck! Since when could you do that?"
"Since the coup," Emily replied, humoring the girl as she summoned another doppelgänger. Both darted off to deal with the kraken. "Do you have any spring razors?"
Juniper's face screwed up, and she rifled through one of her inside pockets before yanking out a pouch. "This should have them."
She dumped its contents onto the deck. At first Emily thought they were little pills, but Juniper snapped her fingers and seven spring razors popped up. Juniper grinned at her.
"I've got all sorts of things on me, they're just mighty small!"
Emily carefully gathered up the weapons, glad she had this outfit made to hold such things. "Juniper, I want you to mind the other passengers and the crew. If you can, try to snipe the Kraken a bit."
"Whoa whoa whoa, I can't let you go out and fight!" her eyes were huge, and her tan skin blanched. "What if you get knocked off the ship?"
"I will be fine," Emily reassured her. "Make sure the others will be as well."
Ignoring the sputtering Juniper she vaulted over ropes and joined the fight. There were two nearly severed tentacles on either side of the boat, and at least two more making their way across from port to starboard. Eileen, Hope, and a sailor were wailing on one, her doppelgängers on the other. The Outsider was nowhere to be seen.
Towards the bow she could see another, rising out of the grey water towards the deck. That was hers. Emily closed the gap quickly. The tentacle stood tall off the prow, wiggling around as if feeling around for something. That something was the ship. She took one of the spring razers out, holding it in her left hand. She hoped that her aim was true.
Emily hurled the spring razor at the tentacle. Like a nail pulled by a magnet, it landed right at the base, just above the water. Almost immediately, it sprung. Emily ran away from bow as the water and ship shook with an angry, pained roar. Five more tentacles shot out of the water and grasped the sides of the ship. Emily could not help but feel deep irritation along some sort of feral pleasure. She succeeded in wounding it, so now it must take them seriously.
Six spring razors, five tentacles. The odds were in her favor.
She moved fast, darting forward to attack the nearest two. Her aim must have been blessed as each one landed. Their grip weakened, the metal of the ship groaning.
"What are you doing?" yelled Hope.
"Spring razors!" Emily slid past, focused on her next target.
"I think all you're doing is pissing it off!" a sailor shouted.
Pissing it off? Maybe so, but she was also weakening it. Even over the noise of the waves and the groans of the Kraken she could hear the spring razors go off. It was working.
Then the ship shifted.
Emily felt the bow behind her tilt upwards. She felt herself begin to slide alongside crates, the deck slick with seawater and Kraken blood. Something was going wrong.
"It's got the stern of the ship!" screamed Eileen. "We have to get people out of here!"
"How?" she grit her teeth in frustration.
"Leave it to the sailors!" Hope ran past, skillfully firing her pistols down into the wounded tentacles. "Where the Void is the fucking Outsider?!"
A sudden, furious scream split the air, and the ship fell forward. Emily could hear the metal smack the water as a wave slammed into the prow, feel the cold water flow over her boots and splatter her coat. Someone had caused the kraken to let go.
But down towards the stern, she saw movement. A tentacle shot straight up, holding something high over the wheelhouse, nearly as tall as the mast in the back. Then, like a star falling to earth, the Outsider was slammed back first into the tall iron crate beside her.
All of a sudden everything sounded far too quiet. Her vision was ringed with black, she couldn't feel anything. Her hands felt wet, why were they wet? They were warm too- that can't be right. It is winter, isn't it? Her knees were wet and cold, her hands were wet and warm. She held something, no, someone, close to her chest. The scent of iron burned in her nostrils.
"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!"
An ashen-faced Juniper was standing in front of her. Emily could feel the sting on her cheek where she had been slapped. Her throat was sore, like she had been screaming for a long time. The last time she had been like that, that was when mother was murdered. She knew who she was holding against her, but even so, Emily could not bear to look down.
"We need to get off this boat, it's a lost cause," pity filled the girls voice. "One of the sailors told me the kraken yanked of the propeller, and it is still coming for more. Can you carry him, or do you need help?"
Emily shook her head. "No, I've got him."
The lifeboats were not made for long trips in the open sea. It was fortunate that cold waters were calm, the waves barely lashing the edges of the boat. The salty wind bit harshly at everyone in the open boat, but Emily barely noticed it. She stared down at the Outsider's pale face as his head rested upon her lap. It helped to think he was only sleeping as she pet his hair, his dark eyes gently closed. It helped not to think of the bloody mess beneath his coat, it helped not to think of the pain he was in.
"Emily?"
Hope reached out to touch her shoulder, blue eyes warm with sympathy and kindness. "He'll be ok. Before you know it he'll be up and cursing the Void."
Emily forced a smile to her lips, trying to show how much Hope's words meant to her.
"Phst, I'm less worried about Owen here and more about us," Juniper grumbled. "We're still a long fucking way from coast, I'm on my last thing of whale oil and that can't go to all 10 fucking lifeboats. It's three hours away from sunset, and we're all gonna freeze to death!"
"Oh will you quit your whining!" Eileen snapped. "Let the Empress be worried about Owen in peace. We'll figure something out."
"We'll figure something out," Juniper repeated in a mocking voice. "I've been doing all the heavy lifting here! Who has all the whale oil? Me! Who has all the blankets? Me! Who made sure everyone had a boat to get into? ME!"
"Well what do you want to happen?" Eileen asked tartly.
"I don't know, maybe get a bunch of whales to pull us into port before sundown? To not be in the goddamn cold?" Juniper rearranged the blanket around her. "Just anything that gets us out of here!"
Emily returned her gaze back down to the Outsider, feeling even more upset than before. As miserable Juniper was, she also had a point. They couldn't stay drifting in the sea until some other ship picked them up. As numb as she felt, the cold was still getting to her. Not to mention a lifeboat in the winter sea was not the best place to recuperate from a serious injury. She caressed his face, hating just how powerless she was.
"Hey Juniper, you might get your wish," Hope said warily. "I see whales approaching us."
Indeed, coming in from the west was a small pod. Emily counted the spouts- one, two, and three, all the way up to nine. She could hear, slowly getting louder, a cheerful clicking call.
"Holy shit," breathed a sailor towards the back of the lifeboat. "I've never seen so many of them in my life."
Just below the surface, Emily could see a small shadow zooming towards them.
"Uh, guys, I think one of them is charging at us," Hope peered over the edge alongside her, worried.
Almost as if she heard her fears, the whale calf came to a halt just before the boat and surfaced, giving the starboard a light tap. Recognition came over Emily in a wave.
"Idyia," the name came out in a breath, and she carefully leaned over the side to pat the sweet calf. A very sweet noise came from her, coaxing a smile from Emily.
"Holy shit, that is fucking adorable," Juniper said, awe in her voice. "Do you know these whales?"
"They're the Outsider's," Emily replied, watching the affectionate Idyia. She could see Alkippe waiting just a ways away.
"Perfect!" Juniper cried. "Now all we need is for the Outsider to ask them to pull our boats."
Emily tore her eyes off the whales to give the girl an incredulous look. "He is in no shape to ask them to do anything."
The girl gave a groan and put her head into her hands. "Then what's the fucking point of having these whales show up?"
"There doesn't need to be a fucking point!" Emily yelled back. "They can do what they want!"
Eileen coughed politely. "Empress, do you think you can talk to them?"
"How?!" Emily threw her hands up, trying her best not to jostle the poor Outsider.
"Put your hand against the whale and think what you would usually say?" Eileen suggested uncertainly. "It is worth a shot."
Idyia bumped against the boat again, giving the cheerful chirp. Emily sighed.
"What the Void, might as well," she reached back down to Idyia and placed her palm flat on the calf's skin. "Hi Idyia"
"Emily! Hi!"
Emily nearly yanked her hand away in shock. This couldn't be happening. She just talked to a whale. And the whale answered!
Idyia did not seem to notice her shock as she kept prattling right along. "Outsider said you both were going to the inlet with the cuttled fish. Said we shouldn't follow. But we are pod and pod travels together, yes?"
Emily could feel her heart swell at the sweet innocence of Idyia. The fact that the calf considered her to be family was exceptionally touching. But there would be time later to dwell on that. Right now she needed to talk with Alkippe.
"Yes, we are pod. I am very happy you and the others are here. Can I talk to your mother?"
The first thing that came to the Outsider's mind was that his entire chest hurt. The second thought was that his back and legs felt like they were being stabbed with hundreds of little needles over and over. In spite of that pain, he felt strangely comfortable. Perhaps it was warmth of his head, and a familiar, comforting smell. He could hear the sound of the sea, and several voices raised in song together.
"He shipped me on board of a whaling ship bound for the Northern seas
Where the cold winds blow through the frost and snow and Karnacan rum
It would freeze
But worse to bear, I'd no weather gear for I'd spent all me money on shore
'twas then that I wished that I was dead and could go to sea no more
No more, boys, no more, go to sea no more
'twas then that I wished that I was dead and could go to sea no more."
The Outsider recognized one of the voices. Not quite on tune, but sweet nonetheless. That voice, with that scent… A smile rose to his face unbidden. Emily.
One of her hands cupped the side of his face, so he reached up to cover it with his. He felt her jump a little, clearly not expecting his touch. But almost immediately she grabbed his hand and planted a kiss on his palm. His eyelids felt heavy, but he had to open them. He had to see her.
"Are you alright?" the words came out with a wheeze. Gods, his chest ached and burned.
Emily looked down at him, her lovely hair framing her face, holding his hand to her cheek. She laughed at the question, but there were tears in her eyes.
"I should be asking you that question, not you," her voice quavered, her humor heavily tempered by relief.
"Still," one word was all he could manage before the pain got to him. Emily immediately put a finger to his lips.
"I am fine. I am better now that you are back," she stroked his hair, drawing a hum from him. "You scared me."
A different pain twanged in his chest. He hated scaring Emily. He should be making her feel safe, feel happy.
"Is he awake?" it was a familiar voice; it sounded like one of Greta's Sisters.
"Yes," Emily replied, sheer relief filling her voice.
"Wait really?" A bout of irrational irritation laced through the Outsider. Juniper sounded genuinely pleased that he was fine, well mostly fine. "Hey, can you move your legs?"
He scoffed. Even that hurt. What the Void happened to him? In any case, his legs obeyed him, he pulled one up to his chest and the other straight into the air. Pain snaked up his spine, suppressed by a sharp inhale between clenched teeth.
"Don't push yourself!" Emily pleaded. "It is enough that you are awake!"
"Yeah yeah, no need to do anything fancy!" Juniper added, sounding a tad panicked. "I just wanted to see if you were paralyzed. After all, you broke your back."
"What," the word came out of his mouth numb and flat.
"Dude, the kraken flung you into this iron crate," Juniper continued, her voice somewhat hushed. "In my opinion it was damn good you landed on the crate otherwise your skull would've been busted open like a tin of jellied eels in tomato sauce."
Emily made a rather distressing noise of horrified revulsion. Juniper didn't seem to notice, as she kept on talking.
"I'm actually surprised you've healed enough to breathe and whatnot. Like you still kind of smell like blood and entrails, which isn't surprising because I swear I saw one of your ribs poking out and I thought 'Wouldn't it be cool if you could make a bonecharm out of your own bones?' but it was still attached to all the muscle and blood and whatnot, plus I don't think the Empress would appreciate me yanking a bone from you even though your chest was basically meat paste."
"Hey purple-hair, you might want to be quiet," the Sister warned, her tone quite chiding. "Poor Emily looks ready to throw up."
The Outsider wanted to thank the Sister, but another wave of pain lanced through his ribs. Next to his head he could just barely see Emily's hand tightly clenched in the wool of her overcoat, the other likely at her mouth.
"Huh? Wait, does gore really make you queasy? How on earth did you deal with the whole killing people then?"
Godsdamned girl. How tasteless it was to ask such a question.
"Tell me Daniels, how much of your idiocy is inherited?" he hissed. "Was your mother as rude as you? Did your father berate you for having a shred of manners?"
The sound of the sea filled the sudden silence. The dim light from lanterns threw pale yellow pools on the wood of the rowboat, on the scratchy wool of the blankets. In the distance he could hear the breath of whales.
"Well fuck me for being curious," Juniper griped.
"Just be quiet," the Outsider growled. "Don't speak until you have something practical to say."
"It is alright," Emily replied quietly. "She does not know any better. We should be getting out of the boat soon, I think I see the lights of Bastillian."