Role

Chapter 25

Clouds formed in the sky, the beginning of a storm, and blue lightning cracked,
high in the clouds. The light was followed by a whirlwind that descended from
the clouds and touched the ground behind the Inn. Suddenly it made sense to
Oirwn why the Captain would want to be out in the open. The winds picked the
goddess up and she laughed the whole time as she was propelled far into the sky.
Near the moon, a faint light flickered, and that was the last glimpse any got
of the Captain.

Oirwn set her sundial firmly on the ground and convinced Flackerbuz that they
should keep a vigil over it. Soon after, Aeswren joined in the watch, and the
three of them babbled on in awe of the storm, joked around about moon people
and cheese, talked fighting dragons, and (once Elucien arrived) sculpting
artworks from ice. It was a merry time, for a while, with a handful of mortals
smiling in awe. And then strange dreams began. First it was Hael who slept and
saw a wraith, a woman with empty eyes, without the fury of the storm. Aeswren
heard his recollection and fled swiftly to the Thundering Maiden. Oirwn hefted
the sundial onto her back and she and Flackerbuz followed.

On the ship, Flackerbuz napped, tired from the long ride on top of Oirwn's head.
He too had a dream, much like the one Aeswren was told of by Hael. Soon after
exhaustion caught up with Aeswren and Oirwn and they slumbered as well. They
too had the same dream.

When Oirwn woke, panic set in. She felt somehow responsible for the danger
the goddess might now be in. Oirwn asked Grutiv how high the Maiden could fly.

The deckhand told Oirwn that only the Captain could fly the Thundering Maiden,
and when they told him they suspected the Captain might be in danger, he offered
advice. He assured them that Neltouda was fine. Part of her heart was within
the ship, and if the ship's heart still sparked, the Captain's did too.

Oirwn asked him where the best place on the ship to put the beacon might be, and
he advised to climb as high as could be, up into the crows nest. So they did,
and they kept their vigil in the violent wind, as close to the sky as they could
be.