>>5995349You’re shaken out of your reprieve by Asher himself as he grabs your wrist before you step into the boat. When it’s just you and him on the dock now. “Hey, I, um, I didn’t really need your help back there-” He scratches the back of his neck and looks down for a few moments, “But uh, shit, uh,” He looks so very awkward, “Thanks, Lorina, I mean it,” He doesn’t give you enough time to respond as he practically shoves you into the boat, though he does help stabilize you as you descend into the shaky vessel. The exchange would’ve probably been better if Marie didn’t look like she was still watching the theater.
The wooden “seats” at the end of the boat are hard and uncomfortable. The overcast day has made the metal cold and damp. Simon hits a few switches and flips a few levels as Inquisitor Abram unties the boat and in seconds you’re going out of the docks and into the waves. “Should be about an hour or two to the Clan, going to make some shortcuts but water’ll be choppy,” Simon says as he sits down and uses a level to steer away from some larger vessels. The boat itself seems to use some sort of engine to sail, something you’ve never seen before, and it’s rather loud.
The trip mostly passes in silence as the assembled people either look toward the horizon or down to the water. There’s an underlying tension in the air but nothing you feel that needs expelling. The water is rather cold and your reflection is distorted in the choppy waves. For a fraction of a second, a ray of sunlight makes your silver hair appear blond before a cloud covers it as quickly as it appears.
Time passes and few things change, at least for you. Asher and Abram chat a bit about recent jobs while Marie begins to look ill and Simon leaves the coast of the loch. Simon comments on some fishing boats as Asher listens in rapt attention while Silas continues to stew. Marie vomits over the side of the vessel and you help Asher settle down. Abram and Simon give a few comments to Silas on the local area. All in all, it’s a rather different experience than being in a noble’s stagecoach the discussions there always have a hidden meaning or threat. Here, however, it seems, oh how to put this? Simpler? You’re certain it’s not a very deep analysis but it’s certainly different from your old life in and before the Academy. Here when Asher inquires about the sea monster population in the loch he’s doing so out of genuine curiosity and without some complex motive a nobleman his age might. Whether that motive is to belittle a rival, assess the region's economic capabilities, boast their own abilities, or deflect with trivial small talk. Your mentor however simply looks to be talking with the sailor about sea monsters and nothing else. Simpler, certainly. But worse? You’re not so sure.
