Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20140530170536/@comment-24449631-20140530170632

The Nord had his eyes closed.

It made him focus more on his surroundings. The sounds of the waves, The smell of the salty seas…

After breathing in the fresh air for a good amount of time he opened his eyes again and looked in front of him.

The wind blew the hair out of his face and made his grey-blue eyes gleam in the sunlight of the noon sun.

“Quite a nice day isn’t it?” Bjornalf, a sailor, asked suddenly out of nowhere.

The Nord turned around, the wind now pushing his hairs along his face, the sudden gust of wind also turned up the lapels of his navy blue coat.

“Aye, quite windy too…” He muttered.

“Yeah… Isn’t it lovely? … We’ll be in Port Hunding before sundown if this keeps up.” Bjornalf said as he was binding ropes together.

The Nord smiled faintly at the sailor who had to squint with his eyes because of the bright sunlight reflecting on the iron hatch in the floor right in front of him.

The man sighed again. That sea breeze did do him some good. He had been working below deck the whole day, and had only just come out to enjoy the view.

“Help me with the sail, Rowan…” Bjornalf insisted as he got ready at one side of the long boat, grabbing hold of a long rope that lead to the upper parts of the huge mast.

Rowan nodded, trying to be as helpful as he could. After that he walked to the other side of the boat and got ready.

“Grab that rope, and twist it two quarters clock-wise!” Bjornalf shouted at the rookie sailor.

Rowan did what he was asked and loosened up the rope.

without too much difficulty the huge heavy sail unravelled perfectly into the wake of the brisk sea wind.

As it did, the majestic “Mjolnir Drekar” bolted forward on the Abecean Sea.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan had to hold tight a bit when they suddenly speeded up.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was an exhilarating experience and one he could get used to.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Alright, Captain! You can Turn her Starboard now.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“That’s noted! First mate!” The captain said as he turned the grand, with Nordic woodwork decorated tiller left.

<p class="MsoNormal">The sail, convexed gracefully revealing it’s thick blue and white vertical stripes. They symbolised the Windhelm Shipping Company’s colours.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan turned around again. Seeing the sail made him think of Skyrim, which made him think of home.

<p class="MsoNormal">A place which he will never be able to see again.

<p class="MsoNormal">And that cruel reality did hit hard.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan sighed as he saw the open oceans of Nirn again. A seemingly endless field of blue waves and pure motion, only bordered by the honest blue of the eternal skies.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan chuckled as he realised just how skald-like he sounded there. A job, which he, honestly, never had considered before. Though one that would now be impossible. He would never return to Skyrim. Never back to Cyrodiil… Just, away from it all. Away from the few people he knew and could hurt even more.

<p class="MsoNormal">This was his decision. And one of which he was very proud. A bold step forward in his life of self-accepted solitude.

<p class="MsoNormal">Bjornalf, the middle-aged Nord sailor with slightly greying ginger hair and almost always slanted blue eyes had walked up the drekar’s captain manning the tiller.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he walked up to his commander he nodded as a way to say hello.

<p class="MsoNormal">The captain nodded back:

<p class="MsoNormal">“Afternoon Bjornalf.” The old seadog said sternly.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ahoy, Captain…” The other Nord said as he got seated on the build-in cabinet against the boat’s inner side. Using it as a temporary stool for him to rest his tired ass on.

<p class="MsoNormal">After a brief silence between the two wintered seamen (oh har har) Bjornalf looked over to Rowan standing at the prow.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What’s up with him, huh?” He then nodded in the Nord’s direction.

<p class="MsoNormal">The captain looked at the seated sailor for a moment.

<p class="MsoNormal">“That’s a long story…” The captain admitted.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well…” Bjornalf sounded curious.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s not like there’s some rock you can hit around here… You have time to tell me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The captain smiled and slightly shook his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Bjorn, Bjorn, Bjorn… Whenever are you going to learn?” He sounded as if he was talking to a kid. Which in some way, was the case.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Learn what?!” The sailor asked, feeling slightly offended, not really considering whatever he had said seemed intrusive.

<p class="MsoNormal">“To mind your own business… Mr, Rowan here…” He pointed at the Nord in front.

<p class="MsoNormal">“… Agreed to work for me for almost no money, in return he wished to be left alone.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“An offer an undermanned captain like me just cannot refuse…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re just gonna have to learn and live with his awkward, almost silent nature I’m afraid” The cap said with a cheeky smile, seeing how Bjornalf, a very talkative feller, couldn’t get it in his head that someone could just flat out refuse social interaction as a whole.

<p class="MsoNormal">“He’s been sailing for what? Three months with us now… And he always avoids any possible discussion by giving me simple answers and such. By Ysgramor’s beard… I don’t like it!” He folded his arms.

<p class="MsoNormal">“He could be dangerous.” He then said after a bit of silence.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Aye, I thought that too at first” the captain agreed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But now… I genuinely believe he’s just a lonely character.” He added swiftly, before Bjornalf could spew any paranoid nonsense.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So… We just leave him alone and let him do his job… Ok?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“hmpf… Fine.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Bjornalf stood up from the cabinet.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan turned back to the boat’s deck as he had snapped out of his day dreams for the moment.

<p class="MsoNormal">He slowly made his way to the other side of the boat and passed Bjornalf who simply smiled at him, as he went back to do something below deck.

<p class="MsoNormal">After Rowan passed him he looked back for a bit as he saw the other Nord disappear down the hatch.

<p class="MsoNormal">After that he simply shrugged and made his way to the captain.

<p class="MsoNormal">The sea got a slight bit rougher so his steps were a bit uncertain and a bit less steady. Eventually he reached the captain.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Afternoon, Rowan…” The captain said looking at the younger Nord with a calm stare.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan simply nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal">Even though he was the only person Rowan felt comfortable talking with on the drekar, the captain had never given Rowan his actual name. Instead he actually insisted on being called just that: Captain, or “cap”.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Captain…” Rowan sounded softly.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, my boy?” The Captain joked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“… How much further?” Rowan enquired.

<p class="MsoNormal">“To Port Hunding? Let’s say… A few hours maybe. Before sundown for sure, if this wind keeps up.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan showed a faint smile.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ok.”

<p class="MsoNormal">But when Rowan was ready to turn back and go sea-gazing again the cap asked him a question.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How do you like the sea life boy?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan hesitated at first but eventually turned back ‘round.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I quite like it actually… T’has always been a dream of mine to tell you the truth…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well the first time I actually talked about it was…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan stopped abruptly. He simply showed a smile afterwards and shook his head slightly, the kind of smile people who are hurt give when they want to hide the fact that they’re not okay.

<p class="MsoNormal">“never mind.”

<p class="MsoNormal">