Lewre Kocharian

[*Lewre]

Her First Big Battle

The day started like any other. She and James went training and then out for pastries. They visited with a few people in the bazaar. It seemed like another ordinary day, until it wasn't. 

They were heading to the Lady's Ward to see if there were any good date spots there. As they were walking they heard a loud booming sound. It sounded like a cannon going off. Soon, there were more booming sounds. Harmonium soldiers were running toward the Lady's Ward, where the noises were coming from. James and Lewre followed, finding others gathering there too. 

"This does not look....good." She stated the obvious. Buildings were destroyed. There were fires everywhere and debris littered the streets.  James reached for her hand. 

Those gathered surveyed the damage and chaos. Soon they heard voices coming from up ahead. She didn't know exactly what to expect, but she knew she'd need her blades. She squeezed James' hand before releasing it to pull out her shortswords. He changed form, preparing for a fight. 

When they came upon the modrons who were attacking, James wasted no time going to the frontline. The sound of his roar rose above the sounds of battle. She could have watched him all day, but she had a job to do. She turned to the closest group of modrons and put her blades to use. 

When the first wave was taken care of she sought James out and placed a hand on his shoulder so he'd know where she was and that she was safe. This became their pattern. A wave of modrons would come, James would rush to the frontline, she'd fight alongside others, and then she'd seek him out. Always, she would stand at his left shoulder and place a hand there. 

Eventually, they made their way to a large portal the modrons had been coming through. The group worked their way through the final wave of modrons and destroyed the portal. When the job was done and they were certain they were safe, Lewre sheathed her blades and James became James the man again. They stayed close to Sharon, taking a portal out of the place when she was able to open one. 

Once they were on the other side of the portal, back at the bazaar, James pulled her close and kissed her soundly for several seconds. She wrapped her arms around his waist, not caring that they were kissing in public. 

When the kiss ended James grinned at her, "Well. Now you're a big damn hero."

"Yay me!" She chuckled. She could relax now that the fight was done. "You were amazing. It was fun to see my big copper dragon rushing into battle." 

"You did well too." He paused a moment before continuing.  "There is a basic tenent of battle that I may as well share with you now."

At that moment their quiet conversation was interrupted by another who had fought alongside them. They chatted a bit about what had happened and what would likely happen in the Lady's Ward to get it cleaned up and rebuilt.  When the three were done chatting James and Lewre headed to their room at Chirper's. 

James began where he  had left off in the bazaar. "So, the tenent of battle I was speaking of." He waited until he was sure she was listening before continuing.  "As crass and cold as this sounds, if you and I are in battle, and the situation is beginning to look dire, we need to forget about the other person, and take care of ourselves." She nodded to let him know she was listening. "If you fall, I can carry you to help. If I fall, you can go get help. If we both fall...." He let the sentence hang. She understood what he was saying and nodded again. "It sounds horrible, but it's the best course of action." 

When it was clear he was done speaking she replied, "It makes sense. Battle is horrible and there will never be a perfect scenario that plays out. Tough decisions will need to be made. Your tenent makes the most sense." 

Their conversation turned to other, more pleasant things and they eventually made their way back out to the bazaar to visit with others who had gathered there after the battle. 

It had been rough, but she'd done it. She'd made it through her first big fight, and had done her fighting without James right there to protect her. She smiled to herself, though likely no one saw.

[*Lewre]

The day that nearly broke her


Something wasn't right with James that day. The day had seemed to start off well, but he was more and more not himself as the day wore on . She thought maybe it was because she and Tasha had talked with him about searching for his mother and that maybe it was weighing heavy on his mind. She suggested a treasure hunt, hoping that would help lighten his mood. Ronja was able to go with them and the three were chatting about random things as they made their way through the Gith Ruins. Still, James wasn't James. He was quiet and withdrawn. He wasn't humming in the halls as he usually did and he wasn't being as careful with his attacks as he always was. She was worried about him. She had asked Ronja if maybe she knew of anything that might be upsetting him and she didn't know either, but she had noticed the difference in him. 

Things went without incident until they came to the last room of their first loop through the ruins. There, they ran into a drow, who seemed to be in  a hurry. He muttered a curse and fled when the trio entered the room. In his hurry, he dropped his dagger, which Ronja picked up. James told the women to stay close as they followed after, trying to catch up to the drow. He was concerned there might be others in the area. 

They eventually found him near the entrance. He appeared to be looking for something, frustrated that he wasn't able to find it. 

"Hello there." James said. The drow cursed. "You seemed in a hurry back there. So much so, that you seemed to have dropped a dagger. We found it and thought we'd return it."

The drow looked cautious. "What do you want?" 

"Oh," said James, "the usual things adventurers want. Treasure, and a good story." 

"I've done nothing to you, and I have no treasure, dragon." 

"I wouldn't dream of trying to take your treasure, unless you gave me reason to."

"Then I'll just be on my way." The scout tried to get by James to leave.

"Not without your dagger, surely." Ronja held the dagger out for the drow to take.

"I'll survive."

"Oh, come now," said James, "no need to be hasty. You seemed to looking for something. Perhaps we can help?"

"I was just looking for the exit." The drow said. "Wrong tunnel. Obviously."

James chuckled, "Obviously. You need help back to the ship, then? We'd be glad to escort you there." 

The drow seemed at a loss and his shoulders slumped. "Fine. If you insist." 

The trio escorted him back to the docks where James called for the ship so the drow could leave. Once he had boarded the ship the three headed back into the Gith Ruins. James was still not himself, but he seemed more focused on the task at hand at least. 

As they walked back into the ruins she asked, "What do you think he was looking for? I'm certain it wasn't the exit." 

Ronja suggested they wait to see if the drow returned and then follow him. James suggested they go back to where the drow had been searching and see if they could find anything. The three agreed to search the area in the first room, among the chest and crates there. While poking around and searching, her fingers found what felt like a mechanism of some sort. She search to see if she could find any hidden traps, and being satisfied that there were none she worked the latch and opened a secret compartment. Inside she found a note, written in a language she couldn't understand, and a horn. While holding the horn she felt a tingling sensation in her hands. She told the others what she felt and tucked both the horn and the note in her bags before they headed back to Sigil to have the artifact looked at and the note translated. 

As they rounded the corner to the exit they were ambushed by a drow party. They fought through the ambush, exited the ruins, and hurried to the docks. Once there they came across and even larger drow party and were attacked on sight. They fought hard, but both James and Ronja were knocked unconscious. Seeing the amount of drow left, her friends lying on the ground, and knowing she carried a valuable artifact, Lewre quickly hid in the shadows. The drow searched her fallen friends, and finding nothing on them quickly boarded a ship and left. 

Once James and Ronja came to, the three headed for Sigil. Along the way she felt like she was being watched. Once at the bazaar she found a quiet corner to sit it, to calm down and try to process what was happening. James still wasn't himself. In fact, he went to the bar and ordered half a shot of fire giant whiskey. She had never seen him do that. She was concerned for him. She was concerned for Ronja and concerned for the life Ronja was carrying inside her. She felt the magic of the horn she carried, vibrating in her bags. She felt the weight of the note she couldn't read. She was beginning to get a headache. 

There was commotion in the square. Derik's wife had made it to town. Lewre had never met her, but the excitement of the drow relic was forgotten for a time with everyone welcoming Lannia to town. James didn't even seem to think about introducing the two. She was glad she'd found a somewhat quiet corner. 

Eventually, after collecting herself and taking a deep breath she stood to stand at the bar with James. As soon as she was close he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her soundly on the mouth. When he ended the kiss he continued to keep her very close to him, his arm around her waist. She didn't mind. She needed to feel safe there next to him. They were quietly listening to the conversation around them without really being too involved in it.  

"Love, what's wrong? You have seemed troubled even before the attack." 

He took a moment, a small frown on his face as he thought for a second. "I lost Belle....one month ago today. And then, today I nearly lost you, too." 

She didn't have words. She'd had no idea of what this date had meant to him and she'd gone and talked to him about his mother, and then the whole drow thing happened. She got tears in her eyes as she pulled him in close. "I had no idea, Love." Tears continued to fill her eyes as she shielded her face from the crowd around the bar. "I thought I was going to lose -you- today."

"Don't worry about me. Takes a lot to take me down permanently."

"I know. But...I didn't like it." 

Eventually Sharon looked at the horn and Lannia translated the note they'd found with it. She had just tucked them safely back in the bags when a dark elf female showed up in the square. She squinted in the light, seeming to look for certain individuals. Lewre knew she was one of them. They'd been scrying the artifact and found her. Her body tensed up and her heart raced a little. She reached a hand down under the counter to slip it into James' hand. She didn't know what to do, but she knew she couldn't be seen looking as fearful as she felt. She put on a brave face and tackled the task at hand. 

The dark elf began the conversation. "One of you has the horn. We wish to trade for it."

James whispered in her ear, "She will not barter with me. I'm only a male."

"James...I don't know what to do." 

"Just stay close. In her mind, you own me." 

The drow stepped around those standing in front of her and James. She made sure she was standing between James and the female drow. 

"I thought those fools missed one," she said as she stared at Lewre.

Lannia stepped between the drow and Lewre as the drow continued talking. "As I said. We want the horn you took. It was bought and paid for by us already. If you won't give it up we will barter for it."

"Your merchant seems to be untrustworthy, dropping it in random crates." 

"Yes. He will be...chastised." 

There was some very quiet conversation between Lewre and those close to her. She decided to follow her gut instinct to keep the horn out of drow hands, at least for the time being, and spoke to the drow again. "I've grown rather fond of it. I think I'll keep it." 

"Should you reconsider, we will be docked at the corpse of the dead god for a time. I would advise you treat with us in good faith."

"Like you treated with us when we walked up to the docks?"

"The fool male claimed you had attacked him. I....apologize." 

"We may seek to treat with you after I've spoken with my associates," she said. And with that the drow finally left. When the drow was out of sight Lewre finally relaxed a little. 

They and their friends went to their apartment at Chirper's to talk about what to do. They finally decided to take the horn to the Celestials at the Shrine of Dominel. She was grateful she didn't have to do this alone. These people hardly knew her, yet they were willing to help even in the face of possible danger. Which, is of course, what they found as soon as they stepped through the portal into Mecuria. 

"I understand my wayward daughter has given you some grief in her blind ignorance." It was a dark elf, obviously higher ranking than the priestess who had found them in Sigil. 

Sharon spoke up. "Unfortunately. Though, don't mind us. We'll be on our way now." 

"I am Zildiira Coliiryn, representing the assets of House Coliiryn. I ask you once more to treat fair with us. You have, after all, effectively stolen our purchase."

"Found something in a heap of garbage, and then attacked for it...doesn't seem like we stole anything." James said from behind her. 

"Well." The high priestess continued, "Nobody cannot say I did not try to be reasonable." And, with that, she and the warband she had brought with her attacked. 

For the third time in a single cycle Lewre was in a fight with drow. The fight was not easy, but in the end she and her friends were all standing, the horn was still safe within her bag, and they headed quickly into the shrine where she handed the horn over to an angel. She felt relief as soon as the artifact was out of her hands. The angel assured her it would be locked away safely. 

Much later in the evening, when she finally found herself alone with James, she tried speaking to him about Belle. He wouldn't open up, only saying that it wasn't fair to her for him to miss his first wife. She told him she understood, that missing Belle was normal and right. They talked about other things for a while before heading home and retiring for the night. 

Things weren't quite right and she didn't know how to fix them. Her sleep was troubled that night. 

[*Lewre]

The Proposal

She looked down at her left hand and smiled when the light caught the diamond set in her new beautiful ring. She was engaged. Before the year was up she would have a new last name. Still smiling, she took some time to remember the evening in detail.

Earlier that night they'd had friends over to their room at Chirper's. They'd spent the evening chatting and eating fresh cinnamon rolls. When everyone had left she was occupied at the table, going through her card deck. James was sitting next to her, sipping on his mead. It wasn't long after all their friends had left and the room was quiet that he broke the silence. 

"Lewre?"

She was still a bit distracted as she answered, "Yes, Love?"

"I want to play a game." 

"Oh. Okay." She enjoyed games and she gave him her full attention. "What game?"

"A scavenger hunt. I've got clues for you."

"Oh! That sounds like fun!" She started putting her card deck away. 

He left the first clue on the table with instructions to give him a few moments head start before she read it and started following the clues. As he headed out the door he said, "I'll see you at the end!" 

The first clue sent her out to Karasuthra, the place where they had their first date. She remembered how fun that night had been. James had placed a blanket and pillows on the ground and they had a picnic dinner under the moonlight.

The second clue sent her to the place where she first told him she loved him; the gymnasium spa. They'd gone just to look at it, but when they had found it empty she suggested they get in and relax. They'd been talking about many things and she was finally sure enough to tell him she loved him. Really loved him. They shared their first kiss there too. She smiled at the memory as she opened the third clue. 

Next up, a trip to Daisy's! He took here there every single day for coffee and pastries after training or treasure hunting. It had become a favorite spot of theirs and they had spent many moments there chatting and getting to know each other. 

The fourth clue sent her to Elysium. It was probably her favorite place of all the places they'd visited since she found herself in Sigil. She loved the feel of her toes in the sand and the crash of the waves on the shore. She could easily spend hours there. As she walked around the corner in the path she spotted him. James was standing near the water, watching her. She grinned as she made her way to him. Oh how she loved this man! When she got close enough he pulled her into an embrace.

"Hey, Love." She smiled at him, a sparkle in her eyes. 

"So, you found me."

She nodded. "Do I get a prize?"

"Well, if you count a speech as a prize?" He grinned at her. 

"A speech, huh? I thought maybe you had picked up a pastry at Daisy's." She grinned, "but, a speech will work." She figured he was practicing some new bard story or something. She smiled sweetly at him as he began. 

"Lewre, we've known each other for what some would say is not a very long time. But, when I look into your eyes, time means nothing. It stands still, leaving only our two hearts intertwined. I have come to live for your smile, the sight of which brings joy to me. I love your hair. I love your nose...."

She giggled, "My nose?" He just nodded and continued. 

"...and your ears. I love everything about you. And, as happy as you've already made me, I am going to ask you something that would elevate my levels of happiness."  

He got down on one knee in the sand and as he did so he pulled out a ring. Her eyes grew wide in surprise. She wasn't expecting this. Her hand covered her mouth, which she was sure was open wide as well. Her eyes went from his face to the ring and back to his face again.

"Lewre, would you please marry me?"

Her eyes grew wet and she grinned. She wanted to say everything she was feeling, but words wouldn't come. She was finally able to get out just one phrase, but it was the most important one, "Yes, Lian Tyhuekyra." He slipped the ring on her finger and then stood to pull her back into an embrace. They hugged and exchanged I love yous before he kissed her soundly on the mouth for several seconds. 

So, here she was, proudly wearing a beautiful new ring on her left hand. James had it custom made especially for her. It was a simple white gold band with a single diamond inlaid in it. Etched in copper were the words, "Lian Poieondran" which is "My Beauty" in draconic. It's his special name, just for her. 

[*Lewre]

Cantor Estate

She had woken up that morning and found James in the square. He was nearly beaming, his smile was so big. As she walked up his smile grew and he held up a set of keys. She smiled back. Their house was ready and weeks ahead of when they thought it would be.

Later that day, she looked around their little apartment at Chirper's one last time. She smiled as she thought of all the memories they shared there as they had started building their life together. She was going to miss this little place. 

"Ready to head over?" James asked her.

*Let's go, Love," she nodded and slipped her hand into his, "and start making memories in our new home. 

He gave her a quick kiss and they walked the distance from Chirper's to their new home, hand in hand. When they came to the front door they paused. He had been working toward this day for months, planning, talking with the builders, gathering the necessary funds, and then allowing her to make tweaks and changes as she thought of them. She was excited about the house, but it was even more fun for her to see how happy this day was making him. 

"Ready?" He asked her. She just smiled at him in return. He smiled back as he opened the door and stepped in. She stood back and watched him as he enjoyed the moment. 

He took her on a tour. She had seen the plans, of course, but seeing it finished and walking through it was far different than she had imagined. The place was large, but he'd done a fantastic job of making it feel cozy and livable. He took her through the public areas first, the office and dance studio and the theater. 

He then led her into their home. When she saw the cozy library nook he had done for her, complete with fireplace and pillows, she grinned. It was perfect. Then she noticed the painting above the fireplace. It was a picture of her and James. He was in dragon form, his head lowered and receiving a kiss on the muzzle from her. He'd thought of everything, it seemed. 

He led her through the kitchen, the spa, the bartrium (named so because it was a bar inside an atrium), and then showed her the pillow fort room. A whole room with nothing but pillows. She squealed and ran through the room picking up and tossing the smaller pillows. She ran back to where he was standing in the doorway and kissed him enthusiastically. "I love it!" 

Next on the tour was the cave. His cave. She wasn't prepared for what she saw in the room. It was filled with a dragon's hoard. Over in the corner he'd placed a bed for her, in case he wanted to sleep in his dragon form and she wanted to stay in there with him. 

They moved on the guest rooms and bath and lastly, he took her to the master suite. It was bigger than their entire apartment at Chirper's. There was a fireplace and seating area, more pillows, curtained off dressing areas for each of them, and a big four poster bed. The colors in this room were different than the rest of the house. This room was green like her eyes and copper like his scales. She loved it. It was a space put together with only her and James in mind. 

He led her to the bed where they kicked their boots of and just laid there chatting. They talked about the house and which friends they wanted to invite over. Her finger began tracing the muscles on his chest. 

"Are you happy, Love?" she asked him. 

"I am." 

"It's fun seeing you so excited about the house." 

"I spent a lot of time working with the contractors to get it right." 

"It paid off," she said, "It's beautiful." 

He then pulled her over on top of him and held her as they continued the conversation, eventually ceasing the talking and beginning to make their first memories together in their new home. 

[*Lewre]

Research

That tattoo of his. The sentiment was beautiful, but every time she saw it she was reminded that his special name for her would one day mark his shoulder. She would be gone, and he would be left to deal with the loss of another mate. Eventually he would move on, only to repeat the cycle for millennia. She didn't want that for him. She would gladly take the pain in his stead if she could. 

One day she realized there was a way. It would give her immortality. Vampirism. She would outlive him, of course, if she went that route. She only cared that the one she loved would be spared the pain of losing a mate. After much talking James was able to convince her to take that option off the table completely. He insisted he wouldn't let her do anything that just transferred the pain she wanted him to avoid to her. Also, many of the things they enjoyed together would no longer be options for her. They agreed that a short life together doing the things they loved was better than a long life having to avoid those things that made life together fun for them.

They heard about a ritual that could change one species into an entirely new one. This would mean she could become a dragon like James, with a similar lifespan. They spent countless hours researching the ritual. 

 She knew of a couple of people who either had been gifted with dragon blood or were born with it. She spoke with each of them and asked them how they dealt with their dragon tendencies. One thing she knew, she didn't know anything about actually being a dragon. She assumed she'd struggle with balance at first, that she wouldn't quite be herself. One thing she was worried about was whether or not her core being would change. Would James even still love her if she went through with this? Would she like herself or would she change so much that she wouldn't even recognize herself. She was nervous, but she kept pushing though the grueling task of researching. She was very good at looking for details and overthinking everything. 

This cycle found them searching an old, abandoned mage tower. When they got to the library they split up and began searching the bookshelves and tables and nooks and crannies. She spotted an old journal that still had some legible writing in it. Near the back she found an entry that seemed to say the man owning the journal had done much studying about the ritual they were looking into, but dragons had stolen his research. There was also a list of names, all dragons. James was able to locate what looked to be a reagent list, but it was incomplete. It was good information, but now they needed to make sense of it all. James wasn't looking forward to searching for the dragons on the list. She wasn't either. However, it was the next step and she hadn't come this far just to quit now. 

[*Lewre]

Feeling Restless

She was sitting at their dining table with a small meal in front of her. She sat in the silence and thought as she ate. They had continued working on research. James was talking to others about helping them. Tymora smiled down on them one day and they came across one of the dragons on the list they had found. They were pointed in the direction of another dragon on their list and now had a plan for the next step in their research. This was such a long and tedious process and she was starting to feel restless with no real activity in her life. She should see the boredom as a gift instead of a curse. Maybe a trip to the Great Library and the trip to look for the dragon would help ease the boredom. She hoped they could do so soon. 

A trip to Toril was needed too. She pushed the plate away, and placed her head in her hands. Why wouldn't James move further in that search? It was the one thing she asked him to do before they got married; look for his mother. As much as she didn't really look forward to a trip back home, she wanted him to work on the wording of the sending so they could go and get it done. Why wouldn't he talk with her about it? She didn't understand. If she found reason to believe, after all these years, that her father was still alive she'd want to find him and get some answers. 

Her thoughts started moving to a dark place. She stood with a sigh and took the plate of food to the kitchen. "I need to relax a while," she muttered to herself. Maybe a break from the research and the thoughts running through her mind were what she needed. She had seen a sign in the square earlier that said The Hideout was open. She cleaned up and headed to Baha. If nobody else was there she could at least do a little shopping and visit with Katani.

[*Lewre]

She sat, or rather stood, through another conversation she couldn't quite keep up with. It seemed everyone in Sigil knew draconic but her. This wasn't the first time this week she couldn't keep up. She was catching words and phrases here and there, but not quick enough to be able to respond. On this particular cycle she just felt helpless and worthless. As soon as she was able, she slipped away from the group, not even bothering to say goodbye to anyone other than James. 

She went home with a determined attitude. She was going to conquer this language. She'd been working on it for weeks, months even. She would speak it, if not fluently, at least well enough to carry on conversation. She went home and brewed a large pot of coffee. She took the entire pot and a mug to her desk where she sat and studied. She planned to be there a long time. 

[*Lewre]

In the weeks that followed, she studied whenever she had the chance. She practiced with James, sometimes even asking him to only speak draconic for a time. She was finally starting to understand it a bit more and was getting quicker in being able to translate the common to draconic and speak it back before the topic moved on. She wasn't fluent in it, but she was happy to be able to at least understand those around her and sometimes be a part of the conversation. 

When she wasn't studying and practicing her draconic, she was doing research, collecting sunstones of all shapes and sizes. Life was keeping her busy. 

[*Lewre]

The Trip to Toril

The day had finally come. She and James were on board a ship with several others, heading for Toril. There were many things on their agenda and she was looking forward to them all, well, looking forward to mostly all of them. She had a feeling Waterdeep would be hard on her heart.

It had been a long time since she was on a boat. In fact, the last time was with her father. She was just ten years old and he'd taken her on a short trip, collecting things from nearby ports. She spent most of her time above deck, just as she had as a child. She loved the salty sea air, the sunshine, the feeling of the wind whipping through her hair. She did what she could to help the crew, her skin growing tan from her hours in the sun. 

During their down time she'd practice draconic with James. She was getting better every day and she was pleased with her progress. She was looking forward to getting home and seeing the looks on her friends' faces when she was able to keep up with and even participate in the conversation. 

[*Lewre]

A Visit to a Fortune Teller

Most days were fairly uneventful, though one day they did happen upon pirates. She was sure a fierce battle was about to begin and she readied herself next to James, but the pirates were no match for James in dragon form. She couldn't help but smile at his scales gleaming in the sunlight as he flew over the pirate ship. He was magnificent and the pirates were terrified and easily taken in. 

They anchored in Baulder's Gate for a day so Derik could take the pirates in. Lewre found herself wandering the streets alone, enjoying the city and the merchant's stalls. She came across a carnival in town and was thoroughly enjoying herself when she happened upon a fortune teller. Thinking it was nothing more than a fun game, she stepped inside and allowed the woman to tell her her fortune. She was not prepared for what she found. This woman knew her name, first and last, though she'd never told her. She knew about quirks in her personality and warned her to be careful because after she'd done the work to obtain her desires, and was successful, she might never be the same.  She knew then, this was no fortune teller just faking it to make some coin. This woman should be taken seriously. She sat up, more focused. 

She was told there was good reason for the anxiety she had over her trip, and that if she weren't careful the wrong people would get involved. She really had no idea what this meant, but tucked it away to be thought on later.

The woman brought out a crystal ball next. She focused on it, after asking Lewre to blow on it. The things she described seeing in that crystal ball brought a tear to Lewre's eye. It was her and her father, aboard a ship. It was the last time she'd gone to sea with him. What a beautiful memory! But, it didn't stop there. The woman continued looking into the ball, studying it, she shared the next image with Lewre. It was her father, now older, more gray in his hair. He was atop what appeared to be a snowy mountain. In his hand was, treasure? Golden coins? He seemed to be heavy of heart. Tears fell from her eyes, "My father lives?" The woman told her that, yes, she believed that to be the case and even pulled out a map. She was able to show Lewre where she believed her father was. Icewind Dales. Lewre burned the image into her mind, knowing that at some point she would go to him, rescue him. Oh, to hug his neck again! 

Just before leaving, the seer gave her a final warning, "I do not know how any being is capable of achieving such a lofty goal, but you, miss, hold what it takes within you. Only life will change, and there is still time to back out before it is done. You will find yourself changed in ways you could neither foresee, nor change once it has been done." The seer began putting her things away, rising to walk her to the door, "Some parting advice I could give is this; do not dismiss the anxiety you feel. At times it might act as a warning bell. I cannot grasp what it is, but something dangerous waits out there for the chance to attach itself to you."

When the seer was done, Lewre thanked her and took her leave. She felt better in some ways, more anxious in others, and then to think her father might still be living... She was overwhelmed. She went directly back to the ship, to her bunk, and tried to rest. Sleep would not come. The ship left the harbor, and she was on deck asking the captain what she could do to stay busy. She worked nearly through the night, repairing sails, getting the lanterns clean, organizing the ropes. The captain finally sent her to bed in the wee hours of the morning, after getting her to agree to captain the ship herself the next day so he could get some rest. Well, that would be interesting, seeing as she'd never captained a ship before!