The feasting on board went well into the late hours of the afternoon, the reliable current of the Gate carrying them steadily toward Hesperitte and the glittering sails swelling with a compliant and crisp breeze. It was late summer, the wind carrying the first chill of fall with some relief for the still-sweltering sun. They had lost several hours to pacing and coming upon the Bhema last night, but none on board would have complained greatly for the tradeoff. The ship would still arrive in the early hours of the next morning.
The Dawnstrike crew was somewhat remarkable in constitution, carrying on with eating and drinking between making the necessary adjustments to the sails to maintain steady course. They seemed to have an unflagging energy, despite the fact that none had slept and almost all had partaken of a hardy amount of drink. For his part, Kaever was not accustomed to the lulling effect of the sea nor any frequent need to deny himself sleep. As such, he departed the merriment on deck in the late morning and returned to his cabin to rest. Enslen, too, took his leave around the same time.
Saeli did not notice that either had left until it was mid noon. Though she felt reasonably invigorated, being on the ocean again, she decided it might be best to rest as well. She went down the ladder to pause at Kaever’s hatch, knocking once lightly before letting herself in. It would have been circuitous to take the alternate route to her cabin and she was accustomed to the minimal privacy afforded at sea. The knock was soft, such that he might have an opportunity to deny her if he was somehow compromised but would not disturb him should he be sleeping. As she stepped into the space, she found the latter to be true.
She had intended to pass quickly through to her own cabin, but paused in the middle of his space. In his slumber, the High Conductor looked a good deal softer. He was an undeniably handsome man regardless, but the vulnerable part of his lips and low fan of his lashes was remarkably more resonant with her. A man, in the end, no matter his station or loftiness. She wondered if she could kill him while he was sleeping or if his flow of Misericordia would sew him up without conscious intention.
Saeli had drawn closer as she considered the possibilities, standing at the foot of his berth and studying his sleeping face. She supposed it was like to be the latter possibility, as he’d maintained he had nothing intentional to teach her regarding his regenerative prowess. Still, she decided not to attempt anything now, as a precaution. She supposed, even if he was an ass, she’d feel bad for truly harming him when he was possibly defenseless. Saeli saw again the way he’d sprouted those suspended gory trails and frowned. She had not honestly meant to harm him that way, only to drive her knife in as some retaliation. She sighed softly. Perhaps she had become too comfortable with violence against her peculiar, immortal Conductor. She would make a point of reminding herself not to become cruel in the name of learning.
She made to go on to her cabin and did not see Kaever lift his head quietly to watch her as she left. He lay back on his pillow after she had gone and hummed to himself. He wondered what she had been thinking to make such expressions at him as he lay there. He was at odds with her character, he supposed. The Vaentatori had a reputation for unconventional moral codes, blossoming from their not-so-distant origins as seafaring outlaws. He thought it was a silly distinction; as if the Academy raised up Magi to be any more righteous. Kaever wasn’t one for too much introspection, but he had the sort of ego that did not require him to deny his faults. He would readily admit he’d brought some of them with him, but his long years at that Academy had done nothing if not cultivated them. Primarily, he wondered why he ought to care. He could devise several answers, but found he did not like any of them.
Kaever was furthered annoyed to find Saeli had not entirely forgiven their incident by that evening. He woke mid-afternoon to find her roaming the deck again, this time without the accompaniment of their Guard escort. She had spotted him and nodded a curt sort of greeting, even smiling, but had quickly returned to her own preoccupations and made no move to engage with him. He made his way to the aft deck and seated himself to meditate well out of the way of Ilinja, who was at the helm. He remained there until the sun had half hidden itself below the horizon.
When he did finally surface from his soft dive into Misericordia, he had to blink the fog from his eyes and adjust to the wash of amber light pouring over the ship. Sunset was lovely on the water. He saw that Saeli was nearby, looking off the stern of the ship as if caught up in her own sort of meditation. He sighed. He had not intended to be any more apologetic for his behavior than he had been thus far, but he was bothered to feel the divide between them so distinctly. He had become accustomed to Saeli’s openness and eager. That she hadn’t bothered to ask him for some sort of lesson the entire day was irksome.
Kaever approached her, placing his back to the rail beside her. “I am not going apologize for making my point. However, I dislike you avoiding me and I think it might be appropriate to apologize for my methods in this instance.” He said slowly. He was keenly grateful that Enslen was nowhere to be seen. Saeli glanced at him with an arched brow and then looked away again. He frowned. “I would prefer that we are not at odds on this entire journey.” He tried, then blinked. Her shoulders were quivering, and for a brief moment he was concerned she had begun to cry. Kaever could not think of an appropriate response should that be the case. Fortunately, it became apparent when she turned back to him that she was simply containing her laughter.
“I would rather that not be the case either.” She said at last, wiping a bemused tear from her eye. He sniffed at the irony. “I wasn’t expecting you to apologize, though I’ll admit that I feel better that you have.” She said. “I am your student and I will respect your wishes as my instructor.” She told him, turning to position herself similarly to him. “But I am not just some inconvenience or anomaly that needs containing. I didn’t ask to be your Scholar. You took me, out of obligation or otherwise.” She said. Kaever looked surprised.
“You suspect I took you on out of obligation?” He echoed. She shrugged. “You’re unstable in some regards, but you aren’t so much a danger that I was obligated to take you. In truth, you interested me and I thought it mutually beneficial to remove you from Solasette and the other Conductors at the time. You are aware it would have been more than a slap on the wrist for what you did, yes?” he asked. Saeli pursed her lips and nodded. “If you are going to suppose I am your mentor out of necessity, I should be inclined to assume you persistently attack me out of malice.” He waved off the thought even as he spoke it.
Saeli sighed. “I see.” She said. He had expected more of a response, but took the softer quality of her gaze to mean he had somehow relieved some significant concerns of hers.
“Don’t be mistaken, I question the extent of your control and would like you to have a safer means of containing your Magic until you grow as a Magus further. However, you have your own means of preventing trouble and they have held up until now, more or less.” He said with a slight smirk. Saeli nodded.
“Alright. I’ll forgive you for yesterday.” She paused. “And I will set aside my pride for this trip as well. I… suppose I needed to know you were taking me seriously as a student and not just a containment project.” She laughed, but it was evident she was not joking. It was Kaever’s turn to sigh. He supposed it shouldn’t surprise him. He had not taken advantage of her eagerness to learn thus far, despite accommodating lessons. He had not felt compelled to match anyone’s enthusiasm in years. Nith had told him it would cause misunderstandings eventually. He was annoyed to find she was correct. Of course, the greater complication was that Saeli’s renewed contentment with their partnership made him feel a bit guiltier for his subterfuge. He had yet to lie to her, but he’d yet to give her the full truth either.
“Shall I make up for my behavior? I can admit I was less than a gentleman,” he suggested, though Kaever had never particularly considered himself a gentleman in the first place. Saeli looked at him curiously, intrigued by the offer. He grinned, wolfish again. “Oh, I don’t know, Lady Windvice. It seems appropriate with our new understanding of one another, that’s all.” He assured her. She was hesitant, but smiled eventually.
“Alright, Conductor, I accept.” She said. He offered her his arm in escort and she took it lightly. It was wonderful fortune for Kaever that Enslen appeared on deck at that moment and caught his gaze as he turned Saeli away from him and guided her off the aft deck toward his cabin. He resisted reveling too much in the Guard’s wary expression and steered Saeli gently below deck.
When they were within his cabin he released her from his arm and went to sit on his berth. Saeli remained in the middle of his room, watching. Kaever began to neatly remove the simple ivory cotton doublet he’d elected for the evening. Saeli immediately began to protest, but he shook his head at her. “A bit of trust, Scholar,” he said as he set the garment to the side. She seemed unwilling to look at him, which struck him as somewhat endearing. “Until yesterday, you had not attempted to injure me with anything but physical force. However, yesterday you impacted me with the will of your Misericordia.” He said. This piqued her interest enough to draw up her gaze from its firm plant on the rug, but did not help the faint flush on her cheeks. Honestly, he did question how adult she actually was on occasion. Of course, she had spent a good deal of her adolescence masquerading as a cabin boy. It was not so unlikely that she was rather naïve to most intimacy.
“Unlike your usual attempts, I was able to feel the fluctuation in my own ties to Misericordia. I suspect that with some effort, you might be able to cause a similar effect with more intention. Furthermore, with effort on my own part, I might be able to slow my regeneration.” He inclined his head slightly, the carmine shadows in his gaze seemed to be dancing. Saeli did not seem to fully understand his intention. “I told you, I found you interesting. You haven’t disappointed, really. Your preoccupation with my regenerative Magics has somewhat baffled me, I will admit. However, I suppose you’ve piqued my curiosity as well. As you say, it is not a skill I was taught.” He said, shrugging. “Perhaps it is not such a sufficient way to make up for thing, if there is some selfish intent?” he asked. Saeli shook her head.
“No, that’s not it. I, ah, how do I put it. Being invited to do you harm feels a bit wrong is all,” she said sheepishly. He made a face of mock horror.
“You prefer to catch me unawares and soil my clothes and go about your violence without my permission then?” he asked. Saeli began to protest frantically.
“That makes it sound so awful!” She yelped. It made him laugh. She was such a strange woman. “I think, rather, it was a puzzle I was trying to solve on my own and your disinterest made it a point on which to prove myself, I guess.” She admitted. His brow furrowed. “Since it did not seem you knew yourself how to teach me such skills.” She added. Kaever considered being offended but supposed he could see the direction of it. She was still quite odd by his estimation. He wondered if she was particularly aware of it. Regardless of her upbringing, she would still be odd. That made him chuckle, and he waved off her inquiring stare. He patted the bed beside himself.
“Well, come before I change my mind. It isn’t as if it doesn’t still hurt when you go about being cruel.” He said. She looked even more reluctant to participate then, but came to sit beside him nonetheless. It was apparent she had no intention to initiate anything further, so he took her hand and placed it to his bare chest. Her palm was cool on his skin, and for a brief moment he met her gaze with equal surprise at the sensation. She cleared her throat.
“What now?” she asked. He closed his eyes.
“Focus on the projection of Misericordia telekinetically as if through great pressure. Fight for precision and upmost control. Move with it as if time were slowing.” He said. She closed her eyes too, focusing on his voice. “Envision my body, every tissue in your path, my bones, my breath, and have the will to invade. Do not think to destroy, only to penetrate and invade.” He spoke slow, measuring his cadence to her breath, and felt the first sparks of her Magic like fire from her fingertips. He opened his eyes to catch the glow of her blue brilliance searing his skin.
The pressure against his chest built as his flesh uncurled beneath her fingertips like spreading flower petals and he gasped as the first pangs of pain synapsed through his consciousness. He had experienced infinitely worse by even her own hands, but the measure of this was new and strange and he’d invited it. The weight of her Magical force pushed him to the flat of his back, sprawled then on her berth, and she above him, half lain over him with her eyes still closed and her Magic pulsing. He saw beads of his blood sprout upward, caught in her hold as it rose and froze above his chest in a helix sprout of red. Even as her Magic burrowed into him he could feel his own body seek to close around it and reform what she was breaking. He focused on preventing it, slowing it beyond the pace of her progress.
Her eyes opened, meeting his gaze unwaveringly. There was concern there, and his lips curled upward to reassure her. She could feel the opposition of his own Magic against itself, pulling apart and pulling her own in a third direction. Somehow, there was a tangle. Her lips parted in confusion and she found no answer in his stare, only the same question reflected back at her. She could feel his flow of Misericordia wrapping back against her palm and weaving with her own, holding the bloody hole she was burrowing through his sternum agape. He grit his teeth. “It’s enough,” she murmured and withdrew her hand from his chest quickly holding herself above him. He exhaled sharply and, like a wave washing away marks on the sand, bone and muscle welled up hungrily to close him. “It wasn’t Misericordia,” she breathed when new skin had erased any sign of her.
Saeli reached to touch the place, cool fingers on cool skin where his blood had not fully warmed him again yet. “No, I suppose it was not.” He said. There was nothing hidden there, she realized.
“You didn’t know.” She said. He had a complicated expression, but shook his head in confirmation.
“It’s good to have some mysteries even to one’s self, after so many years.” He said lightly, though the steady of his silver stare said he was no more content with that answer than she was. “On the other hand, that was a rather commendable job. When you act on behalf of others, you strike me as possessing more refinement than I generally suspect.” He said. It was a compliment, by Kaever’s standards. He let his eyes close. He could taste her Magic on his tongue, bright spice, lingering and hot. He wondered if she would dislike it if she knew the way her Aether danced in him. She had not moved from her place above him and he reached to touch her cheek. He felt her startle, but she did not withdraw. He slipped his hand to the back of her head. “It seems I gave you no answers, but that you have instead come to an unusual intimacy with my own Magic.” He said as he drew her toward him. He stopped when he could feel her breath against his lips and opened his eyes to meet her stare.
“Well, now, here I was about to cause the same offense,” he mused. Saeli blinked at him. She was resting atop him now, and he could feel her heartbeat against his. Quick, fluttering bird, and that face said he’d broken some current on which she’d been carried.
“I suppose so.” She replied. His lips curled.
“Your Stormer friend would say I ought to ask for permission to continue,” he told her. She flushed. “Perhaps you ought to return to your cabin now, Lady Windvice.” He said. She scrambled off of him in sudden haste.
“Yes, I should.” She agreed. She left without further word, and he sat up staring at the shut door long after she had gone. He lay back down on his berth at last.
“Might as well make new mistakes while you chase old ones, Oblynt,” he told himself dryly. He touched his chest. Really, there were more important things to consider than the interesting faces Saeli Windvice made. He would demand a repeated investigation of his own Magic of her later. “For now, you are enough trouble, Ama,” he muttered.
The evening was quiet and he was undisturbed after. At dawn, he and the rest of Dawnstrike’s inhabitants made their way to the rails of the ship to watch the cluttered outline of Hesperitte form into distinct structures. They would make port without much time lost. Then, it would be on to Na’arat. Saeli approached him after he’d been watching the skyline for some long moments. “Conductor,” she said. He nodded at her and pleased to find she had her wits about her and seemed unperturbed to be in his presence. “We land today, and I wish to let Dawnstrike return to her hunting. A trip to Na’arat would be a large imposition on this crew, and an unnecessary one. Please, let me take you to Cil, where Windvice is harbored. My father will be able to make use of a journey to Na’arat better than dedicating a whisper ship to it.” She looked very serious with her request, and he noticed that Enslen had come up behind her. The Guard did not seem surprised, which irked him more than her request would have otherwise.
“I know it will add another day to our trip, but if our journey is for my benefit I would feel better if it weren’t at the detriment of one of the Isla’s finest vessels. Besides, I would be happy to see my brother and father.” She said. Kaever mulled over the proposition unenthusiastically. He couldn’t very well say no. His urgency was not shared by the other two precisely because he had not let it be known. It was for the sake of his own contrived stories that he would be forced to acquiesce. Beyond that, he was not heartless. It would be poor of him to deny her the chance to see her family.