"The Captain's Delight"

Log Date:
	4/13/2002

Log Cast:
	Coralfire, Vardeus, Shelbor, Mosstracker, Lighteyes, Xhosa

Log Intro:
	What remains of the crew of the Vraeyan ship Windrider has finally
been reunited--and what's more, a longstanding mystery has come to light: that
Tiana is in reality Tyra Yfantis, Vardeus' very own betrothed. Overjoyed at
this discovery, the two have proclaimed their love for one another, and have
speedily planned to carry out as much of a proper Vraeyan wedding as they can
pull off in this strange northern land of elves.
	Meanwhile, more elves have arrived at their camp--a group from the
nearby Briarholt, led by their chieftess, Leafshimmer. Their healer Starwind
in fact has been instrumental in Vardeus and Tiana discovering the true 
state of affairs between them, although others of the Briarholt group aren't
at all as sure about how to deal with the strange humans they've discovered.
But the need to have to explain themselves to a whole new group of elves does
not daunt Vardeus in the least, nor does Leafshimmer exhibiting more of the
strange elfin magic, an ability to shape living plants; she's shaped lean-tos
of living vines to protect Lavender and Stormcrow from the sunlight. It's all
good, for the Vraeyan captain--because Tiana loves him!

----------
Beach on the VastDeep Water
The pale sand is full of river-born crystal and gleams with tiny rainbow 
  lights in the early morning light. Wide and inviting, the sands stay warm 
  long after sunset. There are drift logs here, and a large boulder pushes its 
  shoulders above the surface of the sand. You can see footprints, small bare 
  footprints, leading into the water and out. There is dense foliage to the 
  north that follows the coastline closely where it bends to the northwest.
The sun is high in the cool autumn skies.
Contents:
Blizzard
Mosstracker
Lighteyes
Shelbor
Salmakis
Raven's Tent(#6222Je)
Yellow
Campsite <CS>(#691AJLe)
Coralfire
The Windrider(#1655AJae)
Seasong's Tent <SST>(#6051JUem)
Obvious exits:
Along the Beach<S>  Forest<NE>  Up the Shore<NW>  Water<W>  Great River<E>

Midday, and Coralfire has long since returned from her early morning hunt. 
  The game is getting scarce though, so the hunters are having to trek further 
  away these days. The meat is fixed, and ready for cooking, and Coral has 
  taken advantage of the stingerfish free waters to go for a swim in the 
  daystar's light... and the vast deep.

Coralfire is not the only one out and about. A good half of the _Windrider_ 
  crew is in evidence, out a ways into the surf and going about their own 
  fishing efforts to feed themselves yet again. They've got nets, these humans 
  of Vrae, and spears they've crafted as well, and certainly the younger 
  members of the crew seem quite adept at the art of calling forth bounty out 
  of the waves. The captain of them all, Vardeus, does not exclude himself 
  from the work either. _He_ comes trudging back towards the big camp with a 
  pair of buckets borne in each lean muscled hand, and he's singing at the top 
  of his lungs. Something tuneful, something rumbling, and something rolling 
  along in his native language: "((And it's wave over wave, sea over bow, I'm 
  the happiest man that the sea will allow... there's no other life for a 
  sailor like me, than to sail the salt sea boys, sail the sea...!))"

Shelbor is glad Coralfire didn't see him burn the ravvit last night...

Perhaps it's the singing, perhaps it's the waves or the talking or just the 
  people... ah heck, let's blame the singing. Blame the singing for the 
  stirring in the tent that belongs to Mosstracker, though he may have been 
  awake beforehand, his head popping out and scanning the area with a look of 
  annoyance can most likely be attributed to these human's apparent opinion of 
  singing. For the moment he just looks at those out there, as it seems not too 
  pleasant a thought, that of going out into the company of humans, and only 
  that.

Coralfire drags herself out of the water, not working on the nets or any such 
  thing. She shimmies back into clothing and heads over to the campsite to 
  check on the meat briefly, then sets down on a rock so she can work the 
  knots out of her hair. At the singing, she looks up, a smile on her face. 
  "((Hello, Vardeus,))" she greets, once the big captain is close enough.

"((Ho, Corelfair!))" Vardeus Alirreus for the past several days has been a man 
  transformed -- _something_ has happened to kindle a veritable explosion of 
  high spirits behind his ocean-colored eyes, and the smile he turns on the 
  human woman now is beaming and broad and full of joy. He trudges over near, 
  his face and frame only slightly reflecting the effort of hauling two full 
  buckets of water from the river, their contents destined for the crew's 
  water supply. The buckets he sets easily down, and as he takes a moment or 
  two to shake the blood back into his fingers he keeps grinning at Coralfire. 
  "((All's well with you?))"

Vardeus(#108PXc2)
        Given his round ears and his five-fingered hands, this is clearly a 
  human man... but a distinctly strange-looking one. He stands taller than 
  many human warriors, with broad shoulders and well-muscled arms in 
  proportion to his sturdy frame, and although his face and form are heavily 
  bronzed by the Daystar, he is paler in shade than many of his kind. His eyes 
  are clear and blue as the Vastdeep Water beneath a summer sky. His hair, a 
  warm golden brown bleached yellow on top by the sun, is most often tied into 
  a small tail at the base of his neck; his beard goes with his hair, a short 
  scattering of whiskers that's just enough to soften the strong line of his 
  jaw. He speaks with a rich husky baritone, and in a rolling accent that 
  marks him as not of any known nearby land.
        He is clad in a motley array of garb that does not generally match 
  what a human might usually be expected to wear. Along with an undyed vest of 
  off-white and black pants which, upon close inspection, might be seen to 
  have been recently altered to fit him, he sports a heavy belt of well-oiled, 
  well-worn, metal-studded leather round his waist and leathern sandals on his 
  feet, with broad straps that wind up his calves just short of his knees over 
  the legs of his pants. On his belt, at either side, ride the matched sheaths 
  of a pair of iron daggers. At his right ear gleams a small golden earring, 
  and around his upper left arm, an armband of beaten gold.
                   (+detail Vardeus for further details)                   

Mosstracker hmm's and supposes there is little harm in this people, as they've 
  had all the opportunity needed to prove themselves threatening, which they 
  haven't taken yet, for whatever reason. Strange humans, you'd think thy 
  would jump at such opportunities. But oh well, it is their loss. He edges 
  out of his tent and stands up slowly, stretching and yawning. He peers at 
  the daystar, eyes squinting only slightly. "It figures I only wake up in the 
  day now..." he mutters to himself, and walks over to the shade of one of the 
  scarce nearby trees that could give anything worth it.

Moonrain emerges from the small travelling camp.
Moonrain has arrived.

Coralfire chuckles a bit, Vardeus' good humour contagious. "((Aye,))" she 
  replies, still in Vraeyan. She's been practicing where she can, and perhaps 
  it shows. But she switches to Elfin for her next statements, not so sure she 
  dares try the thought in the newest language she's learning. "And you are 
  obviously in a good mood. I'm glad to see it." Her fingers continue to work 
  through her hair, pausing only when her thoughts are too much for motion at 
  the same time. Which doesn't happen too often. "I brought back some ravvits 
  - if we put them into a stew, they'll feed a few more. And I know the 
  Briarholters went out looking for Fluffbirds."

Vardeus' grin remains, big and lopsided, though it turns a trifle sheepish as 
  he cants his head and tries to flip his dangling bangs out of his eyes. "New 
  food is good," he answers, following the language switch -- and apparently 
  Coralfire is not the only one that's been practicing her foreign tongues. 
  The Captain, too, seems to be getting a better grasp on the words of the 
  elves. "You have helped, and Wayfound has helped, and Raven and Kyethaerm." 
  And he adds ruefully, "Is easy to see? ((Crew)) say, I am like boy."

Mosstracker settles down under the tree and glances at the two humans chatting 
  in elvin, at which he can't help but let out a wry chuckle. He takes out a 
  small spear, the last of the five he's been working on, and never got to 
  because of all the goings-on of the last few days. It's probably unusual to 
  see Mossy displaying anything close to a work ethic, but he's been rather 
  weird lately. Though likely none of the humans have, or have cared to, get a 
  look at his nuances enough to realize he's acting strangely.

Coralfire certainly doesn't know Mossy is acting strangely. She thinks he's 
  acting quite normally for an elf. "((It was easy to see,))" she says, 
  trying that concept out in Vraeyan. She chuckles a bit as she mangles the 
  verb tense though. "What happened to have you so happy then?" she asks, 
  glancing over towards Mosstracker at his chuckle. "I bet it was something to 
  do with Tiyahna." Is that a hint of teasing in Coral's words? She finishes 
  brushing her hair out, and lets it dry a bit, before rebraiding it.

Somewhere on the vastdeep a small point rises, red glittering in the sun, as 
  of fire. And the small point rises, becoming a full elfin statue with a wolf 
  at its side on a small raft that glides on the waves as a leave in the wind. 
  Ignoring the humans around him, the elf starts to jump as fast as he can 
  from the raft, his hair blowing in the light breeze. The wolf follows the 
  elf, running up with him to the campsite, that doesn't care what happens to 
  the raft. This elf - Lighteyes - just raises a hand towards Coralfire and 
  Vardeus as he runs up towards Mosstracker's direction, and the wolf - 
  Moonrain - eyeing both in a very strange way, surely not able to believe 
  that elves and humans leave peacefully so close together. As Lighteyes rises 
  at Mosstracker's side he pants, seemingly exhausted and not having slept 
  during the day he was gone. **I had troubles to find the wolf and couldn't 
  come during the night** he breathless sends, panting, **So I am here now - 
  where is Leafshimmer?**

The presence of the elves hasn't escaped the Captain's notice, and he tosses 
  off an amiable wave in the direction of Lighteyes and Mosstracker before he 
  beams upon Coralfire some more. "((Tiana,))" he proclaims roundly, the hint 
  of a blush under his tan doing absolutely nothing to diminish the brilliance 
  of the giddy, almost foolish grin he's sporting, "((is me betrothed!))" He 
  has yet to sit down; so infused with energy is his frame that even as he 
  stands more or less still, he's unconsciously bouncing just a bit from heels 
  to the fronts of his feet and back again. "((Found it out, we did! Never 
  laid eyes on 'er back home before, and she ran off to avoid the marriage -- 
  right onto me ship! The gods've gotta be laughin' themselves silly over this 
  'un!))"

Mosstracker peers at the figure as it comes onto the beach and then up to him. 
  Oh, and elf, finally something equivalent to company. A pause. Oh, that 
  elf... great, back to hysterics, crisis and business. So much for a peaceful 
  day. So much for finishing his work. ... Then again, considering they are 
  away, maybe he will get some time, after all. ** Some went off hunting, in 
  the daytime, but they can do what they will. The rest are sleeping, though 
  I am not sure which group your Chieftess has followed. ** Nice that he still 
  says "your" chieftess, after the turns he's been in the group...

Coralfire has to blink a bit, as Vardeus talks faster. She follows most of 
  that, though there's a word or two that confuses her. "((Be-torth?))" she 
  asks. Okay, it's not right to be missing the most important word of the 
  whole thing. "((What is that?))" She raises a hand at the arriving 
  Lighteyes, but her attention is bemusedly on the bouncing captain. Yes, that 
  ((crew)) is right, just like a child. "((What does it all mean?))"

Ah, how to explain this? Vardeus bounces -- vocally, this time -- back over to 
  elfin to take a crack at it, saying brightly, "Ah, Tiana and I -- be mates! 
  Home, I say, be mate to Tyra, but not _see_ Tyra. I say to Tyra father, Tyra 
  mother. Then we leave, on ((ship)), and get lost. Tiana is also on ((ship)), 
  she comes, I make Tiana part of ((crew))! I not know, she really _Tyra_!"

Lighteyes still pants, trying to look up at Mossy without always taking 
  breath, and as he hears that the Chieftess might be... somewhere... he just 
  falls to the ground, lying down there, still panting and closing his eyes, 
  cursing. Moonrain trots up to Lighteyes, licking his chin and understanding 
  that there is need now to talk to the chieftess, but well, seems as if the 
  have to wait.

**CHIEFTESS! LEAFSHIMMER!** Lighteyes send-shouts, but is pretty aware that 
  she will not answer. Other busy things are going on and she maybe has to 
  lead a hunt. Oh well, he curses one more time, throwing away sand in his 
  hand. "Ah, seems as if age has simply _nothing_ to do with wisdom, cursed 
  hu... or well, not humans, maybe cursed... something... ack, who cares..." 
  he sighs, obviously pretty angry about himself.

Coralfire has to shake her head as she tries to figure this out. "You become 
  mates by talking to father and mother, not to mate?" she asks, first off. 
  Isn't that just odd. Why would anyone want to do that? "And Tiahna is Tyrra? 
  She has two names, like me. I am Coralfire, but also Illiana." Just don't 
  tell her family she admitted to the other name. She's not been called that 
  since she was a baby, except by her cousin Aaren.

Moonrain whurfs and looks over to Coralfire and Vardeus, then askingly looking 
  back to Lighteyes. Seeing that he is busy with himself she looks to 
  Mosstracker, as if expecting him to explain her what is going on. She has 
  known him for quite long now, maybe this elf will be nice to her - so he has 
  never been nice to her Stardust.

Vardeus finally sits down, swinging his sturdy frame down to settle upon one 
  of the many driftwood logs the crew has dragged closer to the wreck of the 
  ship to serve as makeshift chairs. With one leg on either side of the log, 
  he faces Coralfire and unthinkingly drums out a bit of a rhythm upon the 
  weathered wood beneath him. "Nae all time, say to father, say to mother. 
  Tiana father, Tiana mother... like chiefs. Big fam-i-ly. Have much land, 
  much ((gold)). Vardeus family, nae sae big." He nods, though, vigorously, to 
  the question about Tiana's names. "Tiana nae want be mates, she hide! Hide 
  on ((ship))! She not know me. Not know _I_ want be mates. She hide, make new 
  name."

Mosstracker sighs as the other elf overreacts to everything. Okay, so he 
  thinks it's overreactions, but then some might say Mossy is perhaps too 
  apathetic to things of importance. At least in Mossy's mind it is an 
  overreaction of a situation where a day wasted will not be so dire. He looks 
  at the wolf, with only a hint of pity in his eyes, as if he has some 
  understanding of the situation emotionally, but he doesn't seem outwardly 
  active about it. ** I'm sure they will be back soon, she wouldn't go too far 
  off knowing you were going to be returning shortly. ** he sends in a 
  sideways manner to Lighteyes.

Coralfire watches the hands drumming for a moment, and then she looks up, to 
  see the wolf watching them. "If the wolf is friendly, I don't mind if she 
  wants to be petted," she calls to the elves there, loud enough to be heard. 
  And then she nods to Vardeus. "So, Tiana hid from you, on your ((ship))?" 
  she summarizes. "And you both just figured this out? She's not hiding any 
  more?" Wonder how that happened to come about. "She wants to be mates now?" 
  Coralfire is still bemused by this whole mating process. Such an odd thing 
  really.

Lighteyes takes some more moments breathing deeply before he sits up, looking 
  at Mosstracker. **Yes, you are right... I am too overactive sometimes, 
  especially when I haven't slept.. I hope at least Lavender feels fine, guess 
  she went with them to hunt...** he sends, his eyes wandering over the beach 
  and watching the humans. **I think I will just take a bit of rest now.** 
  Sending that he stands up, walking towards the campsite and returning with a 
  waterskin. He then sits down again, first giving Moonrain to drink and then 
  he drinks for himself. Watching Moonrain now he cuddles her cheeringly, 
  scratching her chin. **It will be okay, Moonrain...**

"((Tiana loves me...!))" Vardeus doesn't _shout_ it, but he might as well. The 
  boyishly rumbled words have kindled sunlight behind his eyes, and his entire 
  bronzed countenance is aglow with it. "She hide, behind new name. But no 
  hide now! We talk, we find out! ((Gods)) laugh, I think! I tell ((gods)), I 
  give gift, say thank you."

Coralfire just laughs as she sees the glee the man can't hide. Now, that- 
  that's a reason to mate. Beats what Xhosa and Shelbor were telling her hands 
  down. "Good for you. I'm glad." Her smile is sincere, though there is an 
  edge of loneliness to her voice and in her eyes. Something that's not 
  usually even something she feels, it's so deeply buried.

Vardeus giggles; there's no other word for it, really, that bit of boyish 
  laughter that rings incongruously against his usual rumbling baritone. "We 
  need fes-ti-val," he opines staunchly. "Need food, song, dance! For all! For 
  ((crew)), for elfs, for Coralfire and Zosa and Shelbor. Need talk, too, what 
  we do here in new land."

Mosstracker nods solemnly and leans back against the tree, taking up his spear 
  again and trying to get to work on it, but is far too distracted already to 
  concentrate. He drops it with a hint of disgust and places his hand down in 
  the sand. He just mutters a wordless something to himself.

As Lighteyes sits there, drinking, he yawns all the sudden and stretches. **I 
  think I need some sleep.** He hasn't forgotten about Coralfire that shouted 
  to both of the elves and replies. "Thanks, but I don't think she likes 
  humans...." He stands up, regarding Mosstracker with one last glance. 
  Moonrain stands up as well, walking into the shadows to lie down and rest as 
  well.

Coralfire glances over towards Lighteyes and nods. She won't push the wolf, 
  if she doesn't like humans. Nope. Not at all. "Festival. Now there's a good 
  idea. I like that very much. Yes, let's all celebrate, right?" She remembers 
  her hair now, and her fingers go to work, braiding the long tresses back 
  into their confining braid, out of her way, out of sight. "I am sure the 
  elves will enjoy dancing and singing."

Mosstracker nods to Lighteyes as he leaves, but doesn't seem to pay the same 
  attention to the wolf for whatever reason. He just stares back at his spears 
  like he's trying to gather something akin to will to continue what he's been 
  interrupted with too many times recently. And now his own will interrupts 
  him. Phooey.

"_You_ enjoy dance, sing? ((Crew)) say, you dance good," Vardeus points out 
  hopefully to Coralfire. "They go long time, not see new faces." And now the 
  Captain's eyes twinkle, and his perennial grin turns a trifle devilish. 
  "Virdi say, Corelfair pretty."

Coralfire blinks and then she gives Vardeus a completely surprised look. "I 
  like to dance and sing - that was fun." she says slowly. As for the second 
  comment, she just ignores it. No comment. none. Even if Virdi did say that. 
  She does slowly smile though, even as her cheeks go pink.

Xhosa walks up from the beach, where she's been busy collecting shells for 
  some purpose or other. She smiles when she sees her cousin, curious about 
  the blush.

Mosstracker glances over towards the humans who seem to be getting weirder and 
  weirder as the minutes go by. He cannot hear what they are saying, but just 
  by seeing them his curiosity is piqued. Not enough to go over there, yet, 
  however.

"We dance more, sing more. Arnos make new songs for friends in new land," 
  Vardeus tells Xhosa's cousin as Xhosa herself draws near. "We thank new 
  friends for help, for food. Will be good fes-ti-val. We talk, say where 
  ((crew)) go now. Say what do, with ((ship))." And though there's a bit of 
  lingering sorrow in his eyes about the state of the poor shattered wreck 
  behind him, even this can't really dim Vardeus' joy much. Who knows... maybe 
  they can figure out how to fix her. Eventually.

Coralfire chuckles a bit. "Arnos has good songs," she says after a bit, tying 
  her hair up now that it's out of her way, expertly keeping the braid tightly 
  wrapped. "I think maybe that's a good idea too, Vardeus. You'd be welcome 
  back home at our village, I know." Well, she certainly thinks so, anyway.

Xhosa pauses. "We're having a party?" She looks rather pleased with that idea. 
  "Oh, yes. Coral's right, you're all welcomed to come home with us."

Mosstracker notes that more humans are arriving now, as if there wasn't enough 
  already. He sighs as he picks up his spear and begins to slowly work on the 
  tip of it. He seems to deliberately ignore the humans, but they are noisy 
  and bothersome at the moment...

"How far go, to villij?" As he sees Xhosa join them, Vardeus turns to include 
  her in the conversation as well, and the beaming countenance that's shone 
  upon Coralfire radiates with equal good will and high spirits upon the 
  second woman. "We ((sailors))... we live by ocean. Much different, nae near 
  ocean."

Coralfire grins at Xhosa and nods. "Vardeus wants to throw a festival," she 
  says, explaining quickly. "It's pretty far to our village. Days. I think 
  that our tribe used to live here, but they moved away from the elves, 
  Vardeus. To stop the fighting and the killing." She actually was listening 
  to some of what she's been taught since finding the Olbar.

Xhosa nods to her cousin. "It's very far to our home, but we can make it there 
  easily enough. We're going to have to go home soon anyway." She sighs. She 
  doesn't necessarily want to go back. It's so much fun being free of all the 
  politics. "We don't live near an ocean, but we've got plenty of rivers."

Mosstracker edges out the ends of his spear and stands up abruptly, going back 
  over to his tent and dropping everything off in there. Then he heads back to 
  what seems to now be his tree, and lies down under it, and resigns himself 
  to watching the rather amusing humans.

[This log was never finished, but it does set the stage for the celebration to
 come of Vardeus and Tiana's marriage! End log.]