With Tongues of Stone
The Thirty Eight of Elnu-eza [Elnu Ascendant], Year Unknown
Inge slept poorly, not from the rocking of the ship, which was gentler in the great oared vessel than in the swift wave-cutters of the Islands, but from the many voices of the men aboard her. They had saved her, of that she had no doubt. There was no way she would be able to hide forever, but still most of them feared her, feared and hated her.
Ill wing and storm's wing they will call you, she recalled her master's words when she had sworn a vow by salt and blood, but she had not really understood them then. All that mattered was the lightning that sang unseen through the air, the whisper of wind on her skin that could become a storm, all else was stone worn by the tides... Inge had learned since that she was still but flesh and blood and not the current of the Deep, save in that moment when sky and sea became one, and flesh can all too easily be crushed.
And so she could not sleep and lay awake, conjuring thoughts of where her rescuers could be from. Not from the south from the Great Lands beyond the desert, for the south tongue was kin to that which the Islanders spoke, and not from the cities of the north either for then the bearded one would have cared more for the talk of the wars of Orinilu and Ibanora, little as she knew of them.
So where then? The east at the other end of the blue water, it would fit the great lumbering ship...
The thought broke off as the door of the cabin opened suddenly. Swift and breathing, and just to stop Inge reached Beyond and the wind rushed beneath her fingers, but it was only the bearded man, Zaia, and he did not seem to notice, or more likely to mind the cold wind ruffing his hair. "There are boats in the water, we wish you to speak to them."
Here, so close to the mouth of the world, but that could only be... "I will try, maybe talk, maybe need fight."
The bearded man nodded grimly and quickly threw open a chest to withdraw a strange glass vial sloshing with colorless liquid that was
not water.
A moment later the two had rushed to starboard to look out into the foggy evening at the thin dark shapes emerging from the foggy evening, not boats at all and certainly not ships. There were thirty canoes in the water and they were circling the ship as sharks did a Sun-Basker. Two or three to a canoe, that was more than the warriors she had seen on board and the fog would veil them from the sting of bows. Even victory here would pay a heavy price to the Mother.
"What do you seek, Brothers of the Stones?" she called in the trade tongue of these waters, recalling how the stout ones preferred to be addressed.
The largest of the canoes rowed forward and she could finally see their faces. Ashinu had not molded the Stout Ones quite of the same clay as other kindreds of men. Their brows were heavy over wide dark eyes and think muscled arms bore spears of black and pale wood. They dressed in the hides of their beasts, though Inge was not skilled enough in such things to tell one form the other. All she could recognize were the feathers of sea birds in the hair of the white haired elder at the back of the canoe and from that she took heart.
The voice that answered her was harsh like the cawing of a raven. "We came to see what disturbed the spirits, in its passage as it drew near. Some beast perhaps or blight upon the waters we thought, but I see now a ship filled with strange men and a storm bringer for a voice. I know not what curse you bear but you do not seem to be dark spirit or blood mad, young one. I shall give you a choice, turn back now and you shall not be driven to the bottom to join your hungry spirit-mother."
Back? But home was before them, they couldn't go back. Still, she relayed the words to the Roland of the Steel Shell and to the captain of the great ship, wondering what they would say in return. The spear in his hand she now noticed glowed faintly green-gold with the touch of the Otherworld. A mighty weapon, perhaps a mighty prize too.
The girl wondered if she could best him and claim it for herself, true she was young and new come to her power, but he was old and in the dusk of his strength... and home was before her.
What do you do?
[] Shoot while they are not expecting, force your way through
[] Turn back as you are bid
-[] Write in argument to convince the captain
[] Try to negotiate
-[] Write in
OOC: Well you guys did roll on the lower side of the encounter table, but you did not roll the worst one at least. 
