Tide of Shadows Ch 15: Grin & Bear It

The bright sun was like tiny needles to Jos’s eyeballs, but she did her best to smile and bear it. For the sake of the crew. 

Strolling around the main deck, she made a good show of inspecting the riggings and chatting with the crew. As she’d expected, everything was impeccable. Nexx was far better at keeping things in order than she ever was, and she was okay with that. In fact, that was one of the biggest reasons he was her first mate.

And, as it turned out, Nexx was right. The down faces of her crew members brightened as soon as they saw her. Jos was familiar with the reaction. In the Pact, soldiers held their leaders in high esteem… an esteem that was tied to unit pride and camaraderie. Yet, even after sailing with this crew for nearly a year, she hadn’t expected this kind of personal attachment. For all intents and purposes, these sailors were mercenaries, just looking for a job. 

A fleeting thought wisped through her head forcing a bit of a chuckle. That tiny voice in the back of her head asked her, “What if it wasn’t the Pact, what if it was me?” 

But the thought was gone as quickly as it came. Combat and illusion she was good at. Leading she did by necessity.

Jos found Danni leaning over the stern railing on the quarterdeck, watching as the faint outline of the sylvari’s gigantic Pale Tree faded into the distance. Jos’s stomach fluttered at the sight of it.

The captain stepped up to lean on the railing. “It’s always bothered me how big that tree is. It just seems unnatural.”

Danni didn’t even glance at her, she just turned and started to walk away. 

“Danni, wait.”

The young asura paused. “Why? So you can berate me about how I’m just cargo again? Unwanted cargo?”

“That’s not…” Jos sighed. “Okay, I kind of said that, but to be fair I was pretty drunk.”

“Are you proposing that as an excuse or an apology.” Danni’s voice held far more bitterness than Jos ever expected it could. 

“Can it be both?”

Danni scoffed and started away again.

Nexx’s voice popped into Jos’s head, telling her that they needed to keep Danni at least somewhat happy for the sake of future business with the Council. But, another voice joined in, telling her that this young asura didn’t deserve Jos’s anger and frustration. So she sighed and forced a smile. “Fine. I’m sorry.”

The asura leaned back, her face contorted. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“That… is that a smile?”

Jos rolled her eyes and relaxed her face. “Better?”

“Yes.” The asura scoffed again. “And fine?”

The captain groaned. “Poor choice of words. Look, give me a break. I don’t... do apologies.”

“Clearly.”

“Just, come back over here, please.” She patted the railing. 

Letting out a deep sigh, Danni came back and looked out at the sea and the far-off giant tree.

A few long, awkward moments passed before Jos was able to figure out exactly what she wanted to say. Mentally, she gritted her teeth and continued. “Look, I um… I was rude. And you didn’t deserve it. You’re not cargo. And even though you’re supposed to be just a passenger, you’ve been... helpful. And I appreciate that.”

Jos’s stomach twisted as another long and awkward moment passed before the young asura responded. She knew it wasn’t out of nerves, because in reality she didn’t care what Danni thought. No, she knew it was from the actual act of giving an apology. And that was exactly the reason she didn’t give them, because they made her physically sick. She was downright allergic to them.

“Thank you. I am positive that was not easy for you.” Danni picked at the wooden rail absently. “

“You have no idea.” Jos closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The sudden darkness was instant relief to the aching behind her eyes. She let the silence wash over her like the waves lapping against the side of her ship. 

“So, what is it about the Pale Tree that you find discomforting?”

“Huh?” Jos’s face tweaked in confusion for a second before she remembered her own comment. “Oh, um. First off, the name. Pale tree? That’s just creepy by itself. And, that giant piece of dragon-made firewood is a testament to all the people who died because of Mordremoth.”

“Fascinating. How so?”

The captain glanced at the asura to see if she was being sarcastic, but her face was as straight as ever. “How so? Because they’re all dragonspawn, that’s how. An entire race, created for the specific purpose of serving the mind dragon and wiping out everyone else. Charr, human, norn, asura… even the damn quaggans. Every single one of those lettuce-heads were grown to kill us.”

In the distance, the Pale Tree vanished. Danni’s face remained as unpreterbed as before. “Interesting. And what about all of those sylvari who resisted?”

“A fluke.” Jos turned and leaned with her back against the stern railing. Ahead of the ship, still leagues out of sight, the Fingers of the Tarnished Coast drew closer. The thought sent a ripple through her stomach. She swallowed hard to quell her stomach, but it did nothing. She knew that once they reached the Fingers, things would change. 

Clearing her throat, Jos sniffed and turned to the young asura. “I don’t trust them. Mordremoth may be gone, but they’re still his. Eventually, they’ll all become Mordrem. Just like Zhaitan’s Risen.”

Danni chuckled and started to walk away. “You are an exceptionally bleak human, Captain.”

“So I’ve been told,” Jos called after her. Turning back, she stared down into Hiraeth’s frothy wake and let her voice drop so that only she could hear. “That’s what the rum is for.”