A Strangers Journey

The journey had been, for lack of a better word, boring. The swaying of the small river boat putting more of an emphasis on the sleep-inducing drollness of the voyage. Day in, and then day out the same thing over and over again. It had been this way already for over a week with nothing at all to do.

Coming down in from the foothills of the Icy Mountains, one is granted quite the wonderful view, but to the eyes of an old man who had seen those mountains and the surrounding forests, they were merely just another nice distraction for a mere couple of hours. Sighing to himself, Dirk rouses himself from his thoughts, turning his gaze back to the boat itself. It was a small vessel, designed to carry merely a dozen passengers up and down the small, unnamed river. Dirk snorts at that thought, thinking that this boat hadn't seen a dozen passengers in all of its voyages put together in the last several years, so remote was its point of origin.

Shaking his head yet again, the older man looks around the boat, looking at each of the crew members currently on deck. Three deeply bronzed and crinkly looking men, most of which hadn't probably shaved themselves in decades. The other three below deck weren't much better on the eyes. The only other person on the boat was his current charge, a 15 year old girl he was asked to accompany by an old friend of his. Dirk's mind drifts to the conversation with his friend Jin...

Lazily seated in a plush, red velvet chair, Dirk shakes his head, "You are wanting me to do what?"

Jin, sitting straight as a board, such posture so typical of him, just replied in his appearance defying warm voice, "I want you to take one of my students out into the world, take her wherever you think she would need to go."

This was a rather strange request, but looking back on it now I can see exactly what he was asking, of course I had to try to pry as much as I could from him, "So you want me to do the regular drop off with her? Find her a nice cushy position somewhere, maybe as a seamstress, perhaps a well-to-do cook or some sort of..."

His response was too quick and he actually interrupted me, that's when I knew he was pretty serious about this request, "No, this one is continuing her training, just she has progressed too fast and needs to be taught a different sort of lesson." His voice quivers only slightly, such a subtle tell that likely most wouldn't pick up on it. Well I've known him for far too long to let such a thing past my ears, aging as they might be.

The chair was comfortable, my favorite one and I was going to get as much use of it as I could, so leaning even more lazily into it I half-heartedly wave my hand, "Whatever, you knew I was already going to give you some help. Is there anything I need to know about the girl?"

As was his usual way, he wasn't very forthcoming about the girl. It wasn't a surprise, especially considering she would still be one of his students, rather than a failed student like the others he usually asked me to take away from the school. He told me the girl needed to be reintroduced into the world, and that it was up to me to best determine where and how. After telling me that, we got down to more pleasantries and quite a tasty bottle of elven wine...

Stirring from his memories, old Dirk just looks over at the girl and shakes his head. She was younger than he was first expecting, at only 15 years old (or so Jin had told him). She was a pretty little thing and likely would grow into even more beauty. With her icy blue eyes, raven hair and trained figure she could actually be attractive if not for the drab clothing, the dull brown pants, the overly large white shirt and brown vest. Really the only thing interesting about her clothing was the two silver hairpins she'd apparently gotten as some gift. Rather a shame she would spend most of her life in the shadows he couldn't help but think to himself. Dirk grins again, Jin certainly knew how to pick them, always managing to find just the right people for his school. Even though she was a beauty for her age, she certainly was a boring companion to journey with. The only words she'd spoken so far was "Hello" and the occasional "thank you." The old man snorts again, at least she was polite if not a conversationalist.

Turning away from the girl, the old man, wizened from his many years takes off his pointed hat, so stereotypical of his chosen profession and runs his hand over his head, preparing himself for yet another boring week of travel...

It turns out to be two boring weeks of travel, the boat somehow losing the strong river current and sitting idly on the small river for a few days, a few grueling, mind-numbingly boring days for Dirk. Of course his charge didn't appear to care, hell she barely showed any emotion at all, just sat there all day, watching the crewmen or the trees as they floated down the river.

Dirk again runs his hand over his head as they finally walk into the busy seaport of Hush. The river had ended a half weeks travel by land to Hush and it was a journey that Dirk and his young companion had to take themselves. Dirk sighs, wiping the sweat from his head, as if the boat ride couldn't get any more boring, at least the crewmen of the boat had been willing to talk to him on occasion. The girl still was too quiet, but that would all be changed soon hopefully. Dirk grins widely when the girl isn't looking, oh yes, he had a plan for how he was going to accomplish his mission, he wouldn't let Jin down.

Seeing the girl turn her cold blue eyes onto him, Dirk wipes the grin from his face, and rubs the bottom of his feet one at a time. "Well, guess we should find someplace to stay for the night..." He looks around as they walk through the town, seeing a swaying sign down the street he picks up his pace, "Don't you worry there girl, looks like ol' Dirk has found the place."

Looking for any type of reaction from the girl, he sighs when all he gets is a short nod. Turning his back to the girl he begins walking towards the inn, a place named the Salted Dolphin...