Good To Be Back

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 2nd December 2008

Characters: Lineal, Fog
Description: Lineal talks to Fog about keeping one of the firelizard eggs from Sunbow.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 13, day 8 of Turn 4

"Enjoying being back on the river?" Lineal asked his cousin when he found the other man in the crew dining room late at night. The Sungazer was long-since safely tied up to the bank and all the chores were done. Most of the crew had headed off to bed (they would be casting off at first light) but there were always some who stayed up. Lineal was usually one of them. It appeared tonight as if Fog was another and that wasn't so surprising after the events of the night before.

"It's taking me a time to find my river-legs, again." Fog admitted, shamefully, "I never thought I'd feel unsteady aboard the Sungazer." he chuckled lowly, "But aye, it's good to be back."

"Well, we missed you," Lineal said. "All of us. Even Uncle Barr." The Sungazer's captain leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially as if they were youngsters together again instead of the captain and one of the crew: "He was worse than ever!"

Fog rolled his eyes, "He couldn't be, surely?" He gave another small half smile, "I don't think the Sungazer would be the same if he wasn't the same old grouch." He gave a humph of amusement. For as long as Fog could remember, his father had always been surly to one and all. He doubted Barr had ever gotten past being overlooked for Captain of the riverboat.

"Nah. What would we do without him? We'd have to go looking for another crewmember with his 'special' personality to take over the engines. Having a grumpy engineer is part of my life and I don't think I could handle a cheery one."

Fog gave another low grunt of amusement. "How do I look today?" he asked, lifting his head to give his cousin a full view of the damage he'd sustained from his fight with Helvar. His eyes hand been able to open a little wider this morning, but even he had seen the discolouration around his eye sockets, and the track of his nose was definitely off the straight and narrow it had once been.

"You look like you lost, actually." Lineal didn't ever want to go through a night like that again. And their problems were probably not yet over. He would undoubtedly have to report the death to the Lord Holder.

"How is Xerxen this morning? Have you talked to him?" Fog felt as if he had lost the fight and let his mate down as well. If not for Xerxen, he might be the one laying in a shroud in the hold, not Helvar - or he would be the one feeling like his life could possibly be over. Though he doubted Xerxen would have to worry too much on that score, since there had been so many witnesses to the whole sorry mess.

"Not very reassured, but only time can put that right. We'll have to be grateful for the passengers, this time. Had it been only crew as witnesses ..." Lineal wasn't happy about what had gone on, and less than happy with the woman who had brought this trouble on them, but there was nothing to do now but plod along and get things resolved.

"I know, but Lineal, we didn't mean for this to happen. You do _know_ that, don't you? I mean, we don't even know who allowed him aboard..." Fog finished lamely.

"Nobody knows. He probably slipped aboard when nobody was watching. We've never had to be particularly security-minded. That will have to change." He had been to some ports where no ship's captain in their right mind would fail to post a guard, but that had never seemed necessary on the river.

"Eliste had no idea he would do this." Fog felt he had to defend his future wife, "We were only aboard to travel to the Hold so she can petition the Lord Holder - how he knew..." he shook his head.

"It's done now," Lineal said, more to stop himself from worrying about their reception at Emerald Falls than to reassure his cousin. "And everything should be plain sailing for the pair of you now."

"Well we'll still have to see about that." Fog shook his head, "Eliste is still concerned, more for me, that people will look badly on us both for marrying. Those who don't know her story."

Lineal shrugged. "We're riverboat people. It matters what _we_ think, not the bank-siders. Does she have a family of her own?"

"I don't know, somewhere she has, but not locally as far as I know. She never speaks of them." Fog shook his head. "But I agree, to some extent, I just don't want our passenger trade falling off due to gossip about her."

"Oh, I don't think there's much chance of that." Though the death of her husband ... Rumours about _that_ might have an affect. "There's always cargo, anyway."

"Cargo's easier, I guess." Fog cast an amused glance towards his cousin. "But word travels quickly, so if we want to marry, it'll have to be soon."

"Whenever you want."

"I have to discuss it with Eliste, but if it is up to me, it'll be as soon as we dock."

"You won't get any argument from me. The sooner things are settled the better. Then we can get on with normal life." Lineal hesitated, the asked: "Do you think she'll adapt to life on the river?"

"Yes... yes I think she will." Fog nodded, "She's been looking forward to returning to the Sungazer. She counts the women here as friends.' The Sungazer's captain also nodded. "Well, I'm off to bed, then, Fog, and you should be too. No point in sitting up worrying about things."

"You're right. Hopefully Eliste will be asleep by now." he nodded. He intended on being with her tonight, in case she had a bad night, but there was no need to mention it to Lineal.

"Why don't you get her one of Sunbow's eggs? She might like to have a little defender with her always, even though there's no need now." On his feet Lineal paused to stretch. "Think about it, anyway. I told Rahona one of them could stay onboard."

"Hmmm." Fog considered Lineal's suggestion, "Maybe, but I think she might think it a little too much so close on Follen's birth. But thank you, anyway." He tipped his mug up and drained what was left in it, before standing, "Well I think I should go and check on her before bed."

"I'm sure you'll find her asleep - as we all should be at this time of night. 'Night, Fog."

With a nod, Fog madfe his way back to Eliste's cabin. Lineal was probably right, he hoped so. After the nights altercation, she needed to sleep the worry away - and in truth, so did he.

Last updated on the December 4th 2008

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Good To Be Back