“Or you can call him plenty of other things! Here’s some of my personal favorites: bastard-”

“This is my first mate, Deelah,” Xasan’s introduction came over some colorful and inventive nicknames, some of which seemed like they must have been inside jokes.  “Deelah this is- You said your name was Brin- no, Brit-”

“Brysys,” she provided again. “Nice to meet you Deelah. So I- just show up to the ship?”

“Show up when you like, but we aren’t sailing for several days,” Deelah provided. “You’ll know the ship, can’t miss it.”

“Deelah will have your room ready,” Xasan volunteered.

Deelah’s frown deepened accusingly at her Captain. “Oh, that’s a project for me, is it?”

“Well I would,” Xasan protested, “but I have this list of goods to acquire.” 

These two either hated one another or just enjoyed arguing. “Okay. I wouldn't mind collecting some herbs while I’m here. Can I meet you in two days?”

“Certainly,” Xasan was cheery again, now that she’d agreed to come with them. “We can assess your skill level once we’re on the ship and decide where you’re best suited on the crew.”

Brysys nodded, still a bit dazed by the turn this conversation had taken. “Alright, and I can assess your knowledge as well.” She smiled and played at making a joke, “If I don’t like you, I can always fly away!”

“Sure wish I could do that,” Deelah grumbled before turning to head to the bar. 

“Where are you going?” Brysys watched her while Xasan finished his drink.

Deelah responded without turning around. “His turn to work, my turn to drink.”

“She wakes up far too early,” his muttering was largely captured by the bottom of his glass as he finished the strange concoction. 

Brysys indicated the now empty glass. “What was that anyway?”

Xasan grinned. “Sensual Shiphand. I named it myself.”

What had she gotten herself into?

---

The days in port passed quickly, as they always seemed to. However, once they were finished everyone set back to work with renewed vigor. It was good to get off the ship and see new faces, but every sailor grew restless to return to the sea. Xasan found that three days was a nearly perfect amount of time to vivify the crew without forcing the hangover of too long in port. 

He took one last stroll down the docks to enjoy the feeling of solid ground under his feet before making his way back towards the much more familiar rocking of the waves. Along his way he spotted the druid- Brynsis? Yes, that was her name. She was looking much as she did in the bar: pretty, dark hair bound back in a braid, bedecked in brown leather and green fabrics - a very practical look. She wore a large pack on her back, that was different from before, and she held her staff in hand instead of having it tied to her person. It was an interesting thing, a long dark wood that split into branches at the end like a tree, but each of those branches were charred dark as though they’d been burned. Interesting choice, but maybe it had sentimental value. Anyway, after being on his crew she could afford something better.

“Bryn!” he called out, waving at her as he changed course away from the ship. “You’ve made it!”

She looked up as he got closer, obviously having not heard his greeting. “Hello,” Her eyes were quickly distracted away towards the sailors hauling cargo onto their vessel. “Should I be helping with that?”

Xasan glanced back, having noticed his crew for the first time. “Oh no, they’ve got it. Come! We’ll get you settled into the ship.”

He extended an arm, but she gave a soft declination which he respected, instead walking beside her towards the gangway. “She’s a beautiful ship, I oversaw her construction myself.”

“Alright.”

She didn’t give him much to work with, but he didn’t need encouragement to keep talking. She’d even pointed that out herself. “You aren’t going to interject?” He teased, “I kept myself quiet and everything.”

Her eyes met his, a honeyed brown in the sunlight, they canted up slightly like the points of her ears. She was only slightly shorter than he was in their boots, but his hat and antlers made him appear much taller. He’d always been small for someone dragon touched, but that just made him fit in better with other races. 

“I’m just trying not to insult you.” Her words were simple, honest. He grinned at the implication that she even could.

“Nonsense! I love being insulted!” Although, he should add a caveat there, he didn’t know how sensible she truly was, after all. “Not in front of the crew, obviously. I need to be respected in my station, but between the two of us? I was only born with one feeling and I misplaced it years ago.”

Bryn still seemed uncomfortable, but she was taking a big step here. He could put her at ease over time. She’d feel much better once she was settled on the ship. Xasan continued to chatter at her while she mostly agreed and stared around like a frightened doe. It was disappointing really, he’d hoped for more of the fiery woman he’d seen back at the bar, but if he was wrong about her he could always just drop her off at a port before they got to Trove. It didn’t really matter to him, but it would be disappointing. Druids were very useful.

Brysys watched people of all species carrying unmarked kegs and boxes onto the ship.  They would sometimes catch sight of her, walking alongside the golden man they called Captain and stare, just briefly, until she noticed them looking. She didn’t care for it, didn’t care to be around people generally, but especially groups of unknown people. It was uncomfortable. Maybe she’d just spent too many years in the woodlands where her only company was the trees, the animals, and - when she got especially lonely for touch - the occasional hunter.

Still, this was an opportunity to travel without expending her own effort, and if Xasan was honest about being a pirate then she’d be able to make opportunities in their city. She was a useful scavenger and criminals often had access to information that was difficult to come by. She’d be able to find who she was looking for, if he was even here.

How many places had she been already? How many years had she spent? Time had started moving strangely as her powers grew. She couldn’t even notice herself aging anymore, and she wasn’t sure if that was the elven blood or something about her magic. Either way, She was tired of searching with nothing to show for it.