And I'll direct thee how thou shalt escape
By sudden flight: come, dally not, be gone.
– W. Shakespeare, King Henry VI


Only predators and their luckless victims walk the streets of Rephidim skyisland on a cloudy night. The air is damp, and thick and close so that breathing feels labored. Sound and scent is muffled so that furries on the streets do not know their doom before they are pounced, and no one will open their doors to strangers on an evening like this.

Two figures crouch behind offloaded crates and barrels on the outskirts of the Port area. Their whispers are swallowed up by the damp. Dim lights flicker at long intervals about the wharf, the kerosene watch lamps at the entrance to airship berths.

Wyn whispers, "They're guarded tonight, if at all. Shall we split up and meet back here in an hour?"

Zephyr nods quietly, whispering back. "To scout for one not too heavily guarded? Good idea… Look for guards who're drinking; their perception's lower. And… " He halfsmiles. "Be careful?"

Wyn nods. In a moment she's gone, following the wooden planking around the outskirts of the Port.

Mist swirls around, giving the air a taste that's a mix of cooking smells and smoke. It's hard to pick individual scents out of the fog.

Zephyr watches Wyn go, then turns to silently slip off in the other direction, heading for a distant, dimly-lit group of vessels. His nose and ears move as he prowls, vanishing into the thick mist.

The planking of the wharf feels soft and accepting of the fox's claws. It's a simple task to move silently.

The first of the berth-lights grows close. At its base stand two cloaked figures armed with spears. They do not appear to notice the fox approaching.

Zephyr moves closer, silently, his ears perked to listen, nose twitching, as he circles to keep himself downwind and away from lights…

The fox strains to see details of the two figures. o O {Why can't any of these be guarded by drunkards with no weapons and one lantern?}

The fox moves through the facing berth. Though occupied, the airship here is falling apart. There are holes in the hull where planking has been removed, and the gasbags are no longer present. This ship is going nowhere.

The smell of smoke is strong here.

Zephyr smiles at the strong smells, which will conceal his own scent. He glances back at the disintegrating airship, moonlight shining through the exposed ribs of its envelope glinting in his eyes for a second. o O {Derelict.} He turns to regard the other, guarded airship once more. o O {Wish I had a departure schedule… }

Looking over the details of the ship, Zephyr curses silently as he notes the wide wooded disks on all its mooring lines, shields meant to keep vermin… and climbing stowaways, from gaining access. o O {Great. Most of these ships have two guards… How do I get past them?}

There are two more airships near. The closest is brightly lit and larger than most. Sounds of laughter and merriment can be heard from it, as well as music. From the sound, it's host to a formal party. The farthest ship away is only a dim shadow.

Zephyr watches the guards at the near airship for a moment more… then, as he sees no sign of drowsiness or intoxication in their stance, he sighs and looks further down. o O {Party ship? Would cover us trying to get on board, especially if it's crowded, but could be risky… What's the one down there?} He moves off further down, still silent in the damp shadows.

The bright ship is bedecked with regalia and colorful flags. Tiki torches and hurricane lamps light the entire deck and some area around it. Classical stringed music can be heard from the deck, where couples are dancing. Two homeless drifters sit near the gangplank, their cloaks drawn tight about them.

The last ship is dark. A lone Zelak guard stands at the top of the gangplank, its arms folded purposefully.

Zephyr watches closely, his ears perked as he peers around a cargo crate. o O {Those two don't look too alert, but… there's an awful lot of people up and about on board.} He glances further, at the last one. {One of those bugs. Is that good that there's just one there, or does that mean it's a ship for that… Temple thing?}

The last ship appears to be a simple merchant. Even though it's dark, it's apparent the ship has seen better days. Its main canopy is patched and travelworn, and the hull needs repair. The gas bags are full, and there is only one light on, in the cabin. The flag is difficult to make out in the poor light.

Zephyr sighs quietly. o O {Why can't things ever be easy? I don't know if I can get that bug to come off there, but that doesn't look like a high-security ship… Anyway, I better go see if Wyn's found anything. We'll decide then.} He turns, ducking low and padding off noiselessly the way he came, vanishing back into the humid fog. In a few minutes, he's back behind the crate, waiting for Wyn to return.

Wyn sneaksneaks up on Zephyr…

Zephyr's ears perk and flick slightly.

Wyn freezes.

Zephyr sniffsniffs at the air, then sighs and leans back against the crate.

Wyn skulks forward and pokes her head around the crate. "Find anything?" she wufs softly.

Zephyr jumps! as he catches the motion out of the corner of his eye, rolling into a crouch… and then panting, collapsing and looking up at the wolf. "I… don't know. Wyn, don't _do_ that!", he whispers, but can't help smiling a little.

Wyn grins.

Wyn softly wufs, "I'm sorries. I was certain you'd caught me."

Zephyr grins too, his tail swishing a little before he settles down to talk seriously. "No… air's too thick, and these… " he pats the wolf-ear prosthetics that keep his larger fox ears folded. "I want to get rid of these as soon as I can, as soon as we're out of here. I'm too 'wanted' yet."

Wyn softly wufs, "I don't think we'll have much luck on the northern half. There're onlies two ships leaving port soon. One of them is a Temple courier, and the other is too well-outfitted. It's crewed by cats. I don' trust dem."

Zephyr winces. "No, I don't either, and Temple… no. Definitely not." He points back to the south. "There's three that way. One is in good shape, some kind of courier or merchant with two guards, armed. There's also a party boat, lots of voices, lots of lights… and a quiet, beat-up old merchant with only one guard, one light on."

Wyn listens, waiting.

Zephyr swivels his ears as he thinks. "Now… The first one, we might be able to distract the guards, but if their all-night watch is that good, their on-boards might be even better. The party boat… We might be able to sneak in with the crowd, but you can't speak the language, and we don't have formal clothes. The last one… There's only one guard, one of those bugs. And I'm thinking… the other two are nice ships, probably going to another city. The old one looks like a merchant who goes into not-so-large places, lower profit and all. Which might mean small ports, small towns… near more wilderness, less Temple involvement. Safer place." He smiles a little. "The kind of place I think we want."

Wyn softly wufs, "I really don't care which it is, as long as it gets us down quickly. How do we get on?"

Wyn swishes her tail and her demeanor brightens with relief.

Zephyr thinks to himself. {That _does_ make sense. The banged-up little haulers never ran things to the capitals when I was in the business, and the shiny new starliners never stopped in the settlements. We don't want a large city.}

Zephyr sighs. "That's… the problem. I think the last one is the best bet, but how do we distract the bug? It's at the _top_ of the ramp. Do those things even think?"

Wyn softly wufs, "Not dat I know of. Did you try talking to it?"

Zephyr winces. "No. I'm worried they all think at the same time or something, communicate like ants. Which would mean it'd recognize me. How can we get its interest? We can't get rid of it, or the ship'll be searched later."

Wyn softly wufs, "If dere's only one, mebbe they've not a very good budget. Do we want to risk a no-budget ship? What if dey've not been repairing the canopy? What if dey use cheap air in de bags?"

Wyn ers, blushing. "Sorries. I'm nervous about flying."

Wyn softly wufs, "I'll talk to it if you want."

Wyn thinks . o O { I hate bugs. Don't make me talk to de bug. That's OKie, Wyn… _I'll_ talk to the bug. You wait here where it won't gross you out. Yeah! :) }

Zephyr chuckles softly, gently reaching up to scritch Wyn's ears and smiling. "I know you don't like the idea of an airship… Trust me, if it didn't work, I doubt the captain and crew would fly it. And unless you have a couple of first-class tickets you're hiding… " He pauses. "And… I think I might be able to distract it, we can try… "

Wyn swishes her tail.

Wyn softly wufs, "I'd rather go tonight than tomorrow. I'll be able to see too well in the daylight; I'll realize what we're doing."

Zephyr grins. "Good point. Should we go, then?"

Wyn follows.

In a few minutes, the two arrive at the darkened airship. Zephyr ducks down behind a stack of rotted, discarded cargo pallets to look over the ship, pointing out the guard to Wyn. "There.", he whispers. "What do you think, should I try to talk to it, or throw a rock and hope it goes to investigate, or… "

The old merchant appears the same as before. It's guard unmoving, and it's flag limp without wind to unfurl it, it looks like a ghost ship.

Wyn shrugs. "I dunno. Where's the crew? The ship is awfully dark."

Zephyr scans the decks for any movement… "Sleeping, maybe? That might mean it's going to leave in the morning… I hope."

The only life on the ship appears to be the Zelak at the gangplank, and whoever's in the deck cabin.

Zephyr watches the Zelak intently… then looks down to silently bend a small piece of the end of a rotten wooden pallet back and forth until it crumbles off. He holds up the moss-covered piece to Wyn, whispering. "Think it'll go investigate a sound near the ship? Like something hitting the ground?"

Wyn says, "I have no idea. Dey only seem to do what they're told. Try it."

Zephyr nods. "Get ready to move fast if he does… up the gangplank, and to the first hiding place we see. We can hide better after we get our bearings. Let's… see… " He curls his wrist, flicking the flat chunk of wood into a spining toss that carries it in a low arc… to come down to the side of the merchant's gangplank, thumping quietly off a tiedown post and landing with a moist splat in a puddle below it.

Zephyr ducks quickly, breaking off another piece of wood, holding it to throw somewhere else further from the ship if this works…

The guard turns its torso slightly to look in the direction of the sound. It does not move onto the gangplank.

Wyn softly wufs, "It's a bug, alright."

Zephyr waits… and waits, ears flicking nervously… then peeks over the top of the pile, cautiously, hearing no sound. o O {Great.} He sighs.

Zephyr growls softly. "So what do we do now? Tell it its ship is on fire and hope it goes off to check? Have you been around these things much?"

The Zelak guard adjusts its stance to lean against the deckrailing, standing profile to the gangplank, facing it.

Wyn softly wufs, "No more den you."

Wyn softly wufs, "Mebbe it's not a guard. Don't dey usually come in pairs?"

Zephyr blinks… and nods… "Yes, they do… Why is this one alone, then? And what could it be, besides a guard?"

Wyn softly wufs, "I have no idea. Ask it. You're perfecktly safe unless it's been told to kill anything dat walks up de ramp."

Wyn grins and swishes her tail.

Zephyr chuckles softly. "Oh, _that_ makes me feel better… " He sighs, grinning, and nods… "Alright… I'll try. Wait here, or?"

Wyn starts to get up, and then crouches back down. "Oh, OKie. I'll wait," she wufs.

Zephyr smiles, and slowly creeps out to circle around the other way before coming in view of the bug. When he does, he marches towards the ship confidantly, pretending to examine it as he watches for the Zelak's reaction.

The Zelak does not move, though it watches the fox with bored interest.

Wyn watches Zephyr's subterfuge curiously.

Wyn thinks . o O { I bet he gets up close to de bug an' den sticks it wif a knife! Yeah! Or mebbe he'll pawkick it an' throw it over de side. That would be kewl. Wait… I wonder if Zephyr kin fly dis ship alone. I dunno I wanna go on there with him just _learning_. Be nice to the bug! Zephyr! }

Zephyr keeps a close eye on the Zelak's movements as his gaze scans back and forth. When he reaches the gangplank, he doesn't pause, but instead marches up towards the Zelak. "Hey, you… Is the owner aboard? I'm on that party on the next ship, but someone said this ship is going where I need a package to go. If you go get him now, I'll wait here."

The Zelak mutters in thickly-accented common. "Yes," it says. It does not move.

Zephyr blinks, and pretends to look annoyed, as if he doesn't have time for this. "What do you mean 'yes'?"

The Zelak guard blinks, confused. "Affirmative. Yes, not-Master."

Zephyr thinks o O {These things have less of a brain than I thought.} "Would you go _get_ your master, then?"

The Zelak chitters. "No."

A pair of gray ears poke up above the barrels where Wyn is hiding.

Zephyr takes a deep breath. "Alright then… Who _is_ your master, and why can't you get him?

The Zelak chitters an unpronouncable string of words in its own tongue, gesticulating with its arms.

Zephyr's ears flatten. "In Standard, please?"

The Zelak chitters again in its own language. "I have not rank to wake him. My place is at my post. I can not leave my post."

Zephyr tilts his head. "You can't leave your post, for any reason, then?"

The cabin door opens, and a raccoon wearing a nightshirt walks out, carrying a hurricane lamp. "Who's there? Please, come aboard," he says.

Zephyr winces, then hurriedly gestures behind himself for Wyn to hurry and come up behind him. o O {If we're stuck, we can at least act… }

Wyn walks up the gangplank. She swishes her tail nervously.

Wyn thinks . o O { What? They have room, and we get to ride fur free. Dey need ballast, dat's what. }

The raccoon turns and walks into the Captain's stateroom, leaving the door open behind him.

Zephyr glances at the Zelak, then waits for Wyn to pad up behind him before stepping aboard. o O {Remember, act like a wolf. She's just wanted, but not widely known. _I_ am the number one most wanted. Everyone is looking for a red fox… }

Zephyr pauses as the raccoon vanishes back into the stateroom. o O {Erf. Do we follow, or run for somewhere to hide, now?}

The Zelak returns to watching the gangplank impassively.

Zephyr looks back at the Zelak. o O {He gave an order that overrode its previous orders? We're supposed to be aboard now?}

A voice calls, "Come in, come in! Welcome. I've some biscuits here, if you're hungry. Food first, business second. I'm just breaking my fast; you'll forgive me," from the stateroom. The raccoon's voice.

Wyn softly wufs, "I smell food. Are we guests?"

Zephyr whispers back at Wyn. "I don't know… "

Wyn turns and wufs softly at the Zelak, "You're just a big bug, you know dat, don't you? I'd gish you if I were bigger."

The Zelak does not turn or even notice.

Wyn swishes her tail and grins happily. "I'm hungry," she wufs.

Zephyr acks, but can't help smiling again as he pats Wyn on the shoulder. o O {I've wanted to say that.} He sighs, and nods… "Do you want me to try to act, get us signed on?"

Wyn nods. "Just don't let him put me in the rigging, OKie? I want to be on the deck. Or underneath."

Wyn says, "Tied to something."

Wyn thinks . o O { Mebbe I can hide in a bed with a few bottles of something really strong, an' somefur kin wake me up when we're on the ground. }

Zephyr chuckles softly, reaching out to give Wyn's paw a reassuring squeeze before gesturing into the cabin. "I promise."

The Captain's cabin is sparsely furnished with essentials. Dinner enough for four is on the main table, though there is a setting for only one. The Captain is deep into his biscuits.

"Welcome, welcome," the raccoon says between mouthfuls. "I'd not planned for company, but one can always do with less. Makes one appreciate what one has."

The raccoon hands Wyn a biscuit with thick butter on it, and his own goblet.

Zephyr smiles as the raccoon hands Wyn food, and bows nervously. "Thank you, sir."

The raccoon says, "Welcome to the Star-crossed Lover. Your arrival is most fortuitous. Can you fly? It's not important if you can't. Well, not really."

Zephyr thinks o O {Cover story… Got it… I think… }

The raccoon pauses, remembering his manners. "Call me Romeo," he says, half bowing without getting up.

Zephyr tilts his head. "Fortuitous? I… Er, yes sir, I can fly. Somewhat. I'm a bit out of practice, but I did used to fly. o O {Of course, those were starships… Hope I remember how to sail.}

Wyn eyes Zephyr cluelessly. She wags her tail at the offer of food, and helps herself without further prompt.

The raccoon smiles hugely. "Wonderful! We'll start right away. Our destination is Elamoore. You can sleep in one of the bunks downstairs," he says. He holds out a greasy paw for Zephyr to shake.

Zephyr smiles, bowing politely again. "Kyle Zantris. And this is my… " He swallows a little. "… mate, Wynai Zantris. She can't speak or understand our language. She's from a distant, remote Jupani tribe."

Wyn perks her ears.

Zephyr shakes the paw firmly, smiling and bowing again. "I thank you, sir. We shall both work as hard as possible." o O {I hope Wyn's not too upset… What else _can_ I say we are to keep anyone from being suspicious?

Romeo sizes Wynai up, his gaze lingering on Kyle. "Right. Look, there's nothing of value on the ship. You can take what you can carry once we land, and I'll not stop you."

Zephyr blinks? "Value? I… what?"

Zephyr says, "I only seek passage, sir… We have… little money. We desire nothing of value… "

Romeo holds up his paws defensively, paws out and flat. "No offense intended. 'Kyle' and 'Wynai' it is. Come on… the tie lines are heavy. Have the Jupani clean up. We'll lift off immediately."

Zephyr smiles and offers a polite salute, then grins at Wyn and gives her a soft nod. "Yes sir."

The raccoon looks back and forth from Zephyr to Wyn, nods, and walks outside.

Zephyr glances after the raccoon, then smiles widely at the wolf. "That's it. We're signed on for a voyage to 'Elamoore', no questions asked. We lift off immediately. We're free." :)

Outside, the raccoon throws off one of the lines. "Get pinned, you thick-headed pest. We're leaving," he growls low.

Wyn swishes her tail and hugs Zephyr happily. "Fantastic! What do we do?"

Zephyr points to the cabin doors… "He said you can get cleaned up, I'm going to go help cast off… And… " his ears blush as he hugs back. "Wyn? I… er… to keep suspicion off, he thinks I'm your mate. I… hope you're not too upset at that. Your name is 'Wynai Zantris', so it's familiar if it's called, I… didn't know what else to do…

Outside, the raccoon amuses himself by cursing in different dialects. He throws off another line. "Ho, in there," he calls. "Hurry your furry butt up, or I'll throw you overboard!"

The ship tilts slowly. The hull creaks.

Zephyr flattens his ears and hurries outside, mumbling 'yessir' and sighing, leaving Wyn in the cabin. "I'll be back in a bit… "

Wyn halfsmiles and nods to Zephyr, thinking . o O { The way you look at me makes me nervous. Am I prey, or have I already been caught? }

Wyn cleans up inside, saving all of the leftovers in a pillowcase.

The raccoon walks up to the Zelak. "Last chance," he says as he works the knot.

The Zelak monotones, "I cannot leave my post."

Romeo throws the last tie line away, and the Starcrossed Lover raises sluggishly over the city. The raccoon moves to swing the gangplank gate into place, and then changes his mind and leaves it open. He patpats the Zelak guard. "You just stand there in the opening at your post, there's a good bug. You're an honor to your hive," he says.

Romeo says, "No one will leave the ship while you're here, that's a fact."

The Zelak does not move.

Romeo frowns. "You're no fun at all. How 'bout I take your cursed flag down, eh?"

The guard chitters, "It is illegal to strike the plague flag."

The raccoon grins, and walks to the main mast to pull down the flag. In the light of the decklamps, the flag is clearly a black circle in a yellow field.

The guard ignores Romeo, balancing unsteadily in the opening as the small steering sails catch the wind. Rephidim skyisland slides quickly by underneath.

The raccoon says, "Why, look at that. Do you realize that your post was at the top of the gangplank in the Port? I was there when you were given the orders. You've left your post!"

The Zelak chitters in sudden agitation. "I'm at the top of the gangplank. I have not moved. I am at my post."

The raccoon shakes his head. "You're not. The gangplank is a mile or so back that way. We took no gangplank with us. It's still in the Port. You should jump. What kind of Zelak are you? Your clan isn't getting paid for you to disobey orders. "

The Zelak chitters, looking back and forth between Romeo and the trees moving past a hundred feet below the ship.

Romeo paces, and then walks up to the Zelak. "Go _on_," he says, pushing.

The Zelak tumbles silently over the side to crash into the forest.

Romeo laughs and shouts, "Tell Perris I took his regulations to the lavatory to keep my paws clean!"

Romeo calls, "Ho! Kyle! We need to raise the mains'l to catch real wind, or we'll never make it to Elamoore. These bags won't hold us up for long. They're mostly air. I didn't have enough cash to fill 'em with the good stuff."

Romeo bursts into a throaty drinking song about the Temple Authority and an improbable birthday party for the Inquisitor Supreme.

Inside the Captain's cabin, Wyn amuses herself by looking in cabinets and drawers. "Dis isn' so bad," she wufs softly. "Wifout windows, I kin imagine we're still on de grounnnn… eep. Except fur de tilting an' creaking. Dat's… um, rats. Yeah. Under de deck. Playing. It's the ground settling. No… we're on the lake. _Dat's_ it. I like water. We're on the lake."

Wyn sits down against the bed and opens up the Captain's chest with a key from the nightstand.

Wyn peeks under papers and journals. "How boring. I bet these would be even worse if I could read dem. Hay, a picture of a flirty cat. I wunner who dis is. I bet dese words on de corner are 'I'll love you furevers… please come home soon'. Yeah, _right_. I bet he left you alone, didn' he. He deserves to be bit. Mebbe a chance will present itself. I'll bite him fur you."

Wyn fliks her ears and giggles. She puts everything back and closes the chest carefully, and replaces the key.

Wyn discovers the closet and wags her tail spiritedly at the clothes she finds inside.

Wyn tries on the clothes in the closet, choosing simple blue jeans and a loose white shirt, with a black leather belt to tie them.

Out on the deck, where he's been puzzling over a complicated-seeming arrangement of winches, Zephyr hasn't seen Romeo's 'dismissal' of the Zelak. He does hear his shouted words, however, and his hackles go up. o O {Not the 'good stuff'? _Air_? Not hydrogen? Wyn was right… } He finally figures out the arrangement of the pulleys, and shouts back down to the raccoon as he starts cranking and running back and forth from one side of the ship to the other. "Aye, sir! Mainsails… going up… " o O {This is something for at least five people to do right. Where's the rest of the crew? He can't afford one? I've got a bad feeling about this… }

Wyn pokes her head outside the cabin door. "Are we up yet? We're in the air, aren't we. Kin we go down now?"

Slowly, as it's meant to be a coordinated effort among a larger crew, the mainsails unfurl along their masts. Zephyr is careful to hoist one, then the other, a little at a time, equalizing the wind's push so the ship doesn't pull into a turn. After what seems like a long time of tiring work, the mainsails crack and billow, taut on their masts.

Romeo holds up a harness of rope and buckles for Zephyr. "Landey-ties. Keep you from falling, if you understand me."

Romeo looks doubtful, as if he were taking Zephyr's measure as a sailor.

Zephyr turns, perking his ears as he hears Wyn. He's panting from his efforts, his cloak discarded and tied to a nearby rail. He smiles reassuringly at Wyn, then looks back at the raccoon dubiously, still panting a little. "Falling? What needs doing out on the rigging?"

Romeo wears no safety harness himself. He scurries about as if he were without fear. "Where's the girl?"

Zephyr's ears flick. "Wynai is about in the cabin, getting cleaned up a bit… She's not had any experience sailing. Er… Sir? I'm just curious. Where's the rest of the crew?"

Romeo walks up to Zephyr and stops. "You're it. You, me, and Wynai. The rest fled before the Temple Authority arrived and shut me down. If it weren't for you, I'd still be stuck there. You don't necessarily get your day in court up there before you're imprisoned."

Romeo says, "So, I'm in your debt. If we live, the people I work for will thank you properly."

Zephyr winces. "The temple authority… " He nods slowly. "No, you often don't get your day in court. I've… seen that happen to many others. And sir… We are in your debt. We could not afford passage. I… " He blinks. "'If' we live?"

Romeo nods. "We've no ballast. Short of cutting the hull free, these balloons aren't going to stay aloft longer than a couple of days. We're in for trouble if the weather turns."

Zephyr glance at a rippling motion across the port sail and turns to wrap one of its lines tighter, drawing it taut. He… freezes, and turns back to the raccoon. "No… ballast? You mean there's no weight that can be dropped? No cargo?"

Romeo looks up at the stars and then over the side of the ship at the ground. "Not unless you want to jump."

The raccoon points. "We're not more then two or three day's military step to Elamoore. We want to go as far as we can before we crash, nonetheless. I don't like marching."

Zephyr, for some reason, decides to wear his harness, hurriedly tying its straps over his fur. o O {I _really_ have a bad feeling about this… } "No, sir.", he says quietly, then perks his ears as Romeo speaks, his attention on the sails. o O {I hope I did that right.}

The Raccoon says, "Not much more to do now. Wynai can man the rudder. She'll have to stay through the night and tomorrow. Can I trust her for that?"

Zephyr glances up at the helm. o O {Do they take star sightings, or what?} "Er… Yes, sir. I'll show her how to keep the ship on course. I'll man the sails." o O {Once _I_ figure out how to keep it on course… }

Time passes. Zephyr learns the rudiments of steering the ship without instruments, and shows Wyn how to keep the fore of the ship pointed at the mountains in the distance. By the time dawn turns the horizon pink, the ship is beginning to descend. Romeo throws the furniture from his cabin overboard with little effect. Wyn stands post at the rudder while Zephyr works nearby.

Romeo brings a chest of food up to the helm from below. "Fill up," he says, helping himself. "We'll have to carry what we don't eat. I'd just as soon not carry more than dried fare anyway. Wynai, I hope you're not too dainty for travel outdoors."

Romeo looks sideways at Zephyr.

Wyn's ears perk up at her name. She shakes her head and looks away from the food.

Zephyr, straining at a rope winch meant to be turned by four furries, struggles to tilt the mainsail masts to angle the sails back. From studying their shape, he's figured out that they can do this for ascent, and now struggles with them, every muscle of his form straining as the mainmasts creak slowly to their new angle. "There… ", he pants… "Should… give us a little more time in the air… not much… " He looks at Romeo. "No, she's from the Jupani tribes, she's used to wilderness… She'll be fine. As will I."

Zephyr glances at Wyn, talking quietly to her in the language she can understand. "He said to eat now, so we don't have to carry more, is all… No, I don't trust him, but he knows more about the area for now."

Romeo says, "You haven't asked of me, but I must ask some things of you. It is time for openness, before we must worry for landing."

Wyn says, "I don't want to eat. I don't want to watch you eat, either. Go somewhere else. Take the food, too."

Zephyr stands straighter, lightly brushing his fur. He's still wearing the Jupani-style breeches out of deference to what seems to be custom, but has kept his cloak and a light tunic he found below neatly folded and aside. "Openness?"

Romeo says, "You understand me."

Zephyr looks back at Wyn again, and his ears droop. "Seasick? I mean… airsick?" He turns to the raccoon. "I do?"

Zephyr makes sure that Wyn is safely where he can see her before tilting his head curiously at the raccoon. "Openness, you say. About why there's no crew? Where the Zelak went? Why this ship didn't have enough hydrogen to fly?"

Romeo says, "I need to know a little about you more than I have guessed. You're on the run. You're relatively decent, though not law-abiding. You're using aliases, I guess, which is wise. I do the same, for the same reasons."

Romeo nods.

Wyn says, "Do we have any water?"

Wyn pants.

Zephyr blinks… and pauses… then nods slowly. "Thank you for the confidence. And what you said about Temple justice, being imprisoned before being judged, or even before being given a chance to explain a false accusation… Let's just say that Wynai and I are both familiar with that process, unjustly so.

Zephyr looks back to Wyn, nodding, and gives her a soft smile. "She needs a drink, Romeo. Is there any water in there?"

Romeo says, "The crew is arrested, dispersed, or killed by the Temple Authority for trading in certain specialty items. The Zelak is somewhere in Rephidim forest, probably dead. The ship doesn't have enough hydrogen because I really did run out of funds. Yes, there's half a barrel of water in the hold."

Romeo sits back. "If you're honest people, you'll want to stay clear of me and my friends, beginning when we land. Take what you can from the ship, and head for Elamoore. Don't stray from a straight line path, or you'll run into natives. Though you might anyway."

Zephyr's ears flatten a bit at 'specialty items'. He moves up to the helm, giving Wyn a reassuring touch on the shoulder and whispering to her. "There's half a barrel of water in the hold, he says. I don't want to leave you alone up here, I'll stay here with him. Interesting conversation… "

Romeo continues, "You should consider: you have helped me be free. The Temple may be able to determine that you were with me when I left. They have dark ways. If they follow you here, you won't escape them without help. If you decide against it now, you may wish for it later."

Wyn fits a loop of leather over the rudder to keep it locked, and gets unsteadily to her feet. She disappears into the hull.

Zephyr rfs, and nods, listening… "I thank you for your help in getting us free, sir… But we are not criminals, or even purposely outside the law. All we want… is to find a quiet place with a little more justice."

The raccoon nods grimly. "I wish you luck. There is no den on the planet the Temple cannot reach out its paw to catch the unwary."

Zephyr thinks. o O {And if they follow you here, all they'll find is that you escaped with two wolves. That's a nice, false trail, and I'm sorry, but it has to stay that way.}

Zephyr's paws tighten on the rail he's leaning against, his claws sinking into the wood a little. "You mean they have that much power… outside of that floating cesspit?"

Romeo looks closely at Zephyr.

Romeo says, "Where did you say you were from, again? Not that it matters. I know your home is a long way from here."

Romeo says, "The Temple is the power. Aside from competing family interests such as the one that I work for, and they are insignificant by comparison.

Zephyr takes a deep breath, glancing over the side at the ground below… not as far as it should be. "And I wish you luck as well." He looks back, ears flicking. "Far away. Once in a while, a member of the Jupani tribes or their relatives will find opportunity for education. And some of those relatives of the Jupani were from areas that the 'Temple' once had no knowledge of. Such as myself.

Zephyr thinks o O {He's organized crime… a family, a cartel… That could be a powerful ally, but it would be dishonorable to join with him… }

Romeo says, "Please. No stories. This morning I have spoken truthfully for your sake. For mine, as well, should we travel together."

Zephyr chuckles softly. "And if I tell you the truth, what's to say you won't turn this ship around and head for the nearest authority outpost?"

Zephyr looks over the railing. "I _can_ tell you part of it, because no-one would believe it… That neither Wynai or I are from this world. I used to fly starships, in fact. In two different universes. And I've lived in two others." He looks up, grinning wryly. "Who's going to believe that?"

Romeo says, "This ship is going to Elamoore. I'm the Captain. You're the Crew. You understand that relationship."

Romeo looks carefully at Zephyr again, studying him.

Zephyr gestures back at the way they've come, to the floating island. "I was taken there after ending up here and getting beaten up by those… Kavis? out in the desert. Then the Temple beat me up some more, locked me in a dungeon, and an assassin who looks just like me framed me for murder. I honestly can't say I've had a good first impression of your world, Romeo… " He says the last with another wry grin, but his eyes don't reflect it.

"Forget that part of your past," the raccoon says flatly. "Don't bring that up again. Do you realize how many people have dreamed of cashing in on your ears?"

Zephyr leans on the rail again, looking out into the sky… and then freezes. "My… What?"

Zephyr turns to look slowly at Romeo. "What did you say?"

The raccoon says, "A metaphor. Your head is worth a stack of gold. I remember something about the girl, now, too. You won't be entirely safe in Elamoore, but at least you'll not be on the Temple doorstep."

Zephyr's tail swishes quietly. "You know who I am, then?"

Zephyr says, "And who she is? "

Zephyr turns to slump against the rail again. "And is this how they always treat Exiles? Frame them and use them in their little games?"

Romeo nods. "Not I, nor anyone I know, would be able to turn you in. None of us are without warrants ourselves, and we are not so thickwit as to make ourselves known to the Temple if we can help it."

Romeo says, "I don't know. We don't really have any Exiles. There hadn't been any for years, and all at once, a handful. I doubt they knew what to do with you. I imagine they had high goals and gentle plans for you, at least at first. You growled at them, or showed them your teeth, or something. No one does that to the Authority. Not that you'd know that."

Romeo looks around curiously.

Zephyr winces. "Yes, I did. They took me into a room with a chair and a VR helmet of some sort, I assumed it was brainwashing… especially after they closed the door behind me and put up guards."

The raccoon takes the helmsman's position and frees the rudder to put the ship on course again.

Zephyr says, "Did a little more than growled, too. Got in a few good bites on some guards and a 'subaltern', whatever that is. And I called the 'inquisitor' some rather colorful names." He blinks, and looks around too. "Where's… "

Zephyr pads off towards the cabin. "Wyn?"

The raccoon says, "That's the Temple. If you push their buttons, they push back hard. That's why I work in the family business now. I like as little involvement with the Temple as possible."

Wyn is not in the cabin. No sound comes from inside the hold.

Zephyr looks up to the raccoon. "Pardon me for a second… I need to see if she's alright… " He vanishes into the cabin, and quickly descends to the hold. "Wyn?"

Zephyr's eyes adjust quickly to the darkness as he pads around, ears perked. "Wyn? Are you alright?"

Wyn sits against a wooden support beam next to the water barrel. Her knees are drawn up before her and her eyes are closed.

Wyn softly wufs, "No. Go away."

Zephyr nearly stumbles over the unmoving wolf before he hears her, yelping softly in surprise, then quickly dropping down beside her. "What's wrong?"

Wyn opens her eyes, which glow green in the dark. "I don't know. Leave me here. Tell the Captain I'm sorry. I can't steer anymore."

Zephyr jumps slightly startled, then whispers… "Wyn… Your eyes… they're green again… "

Wyn softly wufs, "You look funny in color. I thought you'd look like sunset, or flame. You're the same color as me."

Wyn closes her eyes again.

Zephyr blinks. "You can see color again, too! I… erf… That's the disguise, Wyn, I'm disguised as a wolf, remember? My fur really is flame-colored. You remember!"

Zephyr looks around… "But I don't need to be anymore… She said this won't wash off with water, but what about… "He moves around in the now-bare recesses of the hold, then digs into a rope locker, finding a clay jar of something kept on airships to lubricate chains and winches. "… oil."

Wyn softly wufs, "My head hurts. I feel like something bad is happening. I should be running from this. I should be running."

Zephyr dips his paw into the oil, which smells like part turpentine… all the better. Taking a pawful of the oil, he brushes it over his forearm, scrubbing at it, and a few seconds later, the gray begins turning to his true flame-russet color. He quickly discards his ear and muzzle prosthetics, along with the rest of his Jupani breeches, as he scrubs dilligently at his fur with pawfuls of oil. "Wyn… Your eyes, and the color… you're getting something _back_, I don't know what yet… but you're getting part of yourself back. Just… relax."

Wyn listens. Whispering, she begins to count backward.

Zephyr rrrrrs happily as the oil dissolves the rest of the glue that binds his tail to make it smaller, letting it puff, letting his ears perk up to their true vulpine shape as the gum on them is dissolved as well. He scrubs for a few more minutes, shakeshaking off and scrubbing again, until all over, he's restored to his true, bright colors. Quietly, he pads over to Wyn and settles down in front of her, eyes reflecting amber in the dim light. "Wyn?", he whispers. "Is this better?"

Wyn opens her eyes. Green light flares around her, accompanied by heat. The wood of the hold slowly darkens and an acrid smell of burning wood pitch tickles the nose.

Zephyr yelps softly, and backs aways, still a bit soaked with oil. "Wyn… That's your magick… Careful, now… Control it, relax… "

Wyn wrinkles her nose puzzledly. "Is it supposed to do this? You do look more like I thought you would."

Zephyr nods softly. "Yes, it is, you always used to do this… But… relax, control the green fire, keep it in… Fire on this kind of ship is a really, really bad thing… "

Wyn continues to relax. The fire brightens and the heat increases. The air becomes tense, as if ringing with sound just beyond hearing. Tongues of yellow normal flame lick at the wood.

Zephyr blinks, ears flicking in alarm. He runs to the water barrel, filling a bucket and tossing pawfuls of water on the flames. "Wyn, no! Don't relax _that_ way, control it… Think cool, not heat… think control… "

Wyn looks around her and feels a sudden sense of panic. She closes her eyes and curls up like she was when Zephyr arrived. Slowly the light dims and goes out.

Zephyr sighs and drops the bucket, kneeling to hug the curled-up Wyn. "I know, I know… You can relax and 'let it out' when we're off the ship, on the ground, okay?"

Wyn softly wufs, "I don't _want_ to 'let it out'. It doesn't feel right. There's something wrong with it. It should feel a certain way, and it doesn't feel like that. I'm afraid of it. Ask the Captain if he can land?"

Zephyr nods softly. "We're going to land soon… And it's been a while, just… hold on for a while, think about other things. Think about getting a nice bath and a nice place to sleep and not having to hide or run… Okay? I have to go help Romeo land. And… Wyn? He knows who we are. He doesn't care. He won't turn us in, he's in the same situation we are. I'm going to go help with the sails, you hold on, okay? I'll be right above deck, howl, or make any noise if you need me." He fills the bucket with water again, leaving it near Wyn in case she wants a drink.

Wyn nods. "I'll be OK."

Zephyr nods, stroking gently over Wyn's ears once, then pads quickly up to the deck and out of the cabin, running to the sails and adjusting them. He shouts up to the captain. "How's she holding up? Will we be able to land softly?"

The Captain shouts to Zephyr, "No! We hit a mana current and holed part of the canopy. We're going to land a little early."

The Captain shouts, "Manastrike doesn't happen often. I've only seen it once before, but it was blue, that time. At least we didn't blow the hydrogen. Get wherever you feel safe. We'll run aground in about a minute."

The raccoon moves hurriedly about the deck cutting rigging free with an axe. Sails, emergency water ballast, and finally the anchor is the last to go. As an afterthought, he unties Zephyr from the safety lines and lets those fall.

Zephyr mumbles a curse and heads to the sail-angle winch, trying to get even a few more feet of back-angle out of the sails, trying to make them act like wings, giving lift… But as strong a fox as he is, he's not four sailors, and can't move something that four would have trouble with. "Manastrike? Blue? I know we didn't blow or we wouldn't be here, but… " He nods, then shouts down into a nearby hold vent. "Wyn? Get up here, please? We're going to maybe land… pretty hard, and the hold'll hit first… "

Wyn climbs out of the hold. "What do we do? Try to jump off at the last moment?"

Wyn goes to the railing.

The wind whips at the sail.

Zephyr shakes his head, padding up next to Wyn and pointing to the raised enclosure where deck storage was kept… until it was thrown over. "That looks good… "

Zephyr glances over at Romeo. "Don't suppose we could try for a water landing?"

The raccoon says, "That's the Wash is right beneath us. I don't think we can… wait, here," and locks the rudder in place. "Come on. You'll have to help. With enough angle, we'll use the ship to take the brunt. Help me set the aft sail."

Romeo runs to the aft cranks and begins straining. The ship is coming in at about 70 degrees.

Romeo shouts, "The Temple Authority confiscated the parachutes. Did I mention that?"

Zephyr nods, hurrying over and cranking as well, panting as his arm moves in a blur. For all that fell into disrepair on this ship, at least the spinnakers were well-greased. "Somehow, I'm not surprised.", he shouts back. "Wyn, hang on!"

Zephyr releases the crank as it locks at its furthest point, then runs forward to cut loose several of the mainsails, trying to kill some forward momentum. Taut ropes whisk free with whistles and cracks as they're cut, some of the sails snapping and tearing loose in the wind.

The steering sail thunders with strain as it absorbs energy and redirects the ship into a flatter descent. The speed tears the canopy and rigging away just as the ship hits The Wash at a bounce, disintigrating on landing and tossing its occupants carelessly into the water.

The canopy floats slowly down onto the surface. Bits of wood patter down in the water around three individuals as they break the surface, apparently none the worse for the wear. The fox, rings of rainbow-color spreading in the water around him as the oil soaks out of his fur, scans the debris for the others. The wolf, doing the same, paddles around the floating remains of a railing to meet him, and the raccoon joins them a moment later.

Romeo collects Wyn and Zephyr, and together they make for the northern shore and drag themselves out onto land.

Romeo sits up against a rock. "I told you your arrival was fortuitous," he says.

Romeo faints.