My Darkest Fear

Once inside the confines of my cabin aboard The Elizabeth, I unlocked my steamer trunk and released Jade from her small prison as I tried not to even imagine the claustrophobia such a tight space might cause. Had I been in her place, I am certain I would have been long dead by now.

We were quick to discover one another again, wasting no time beneath the sheets of my small cabin bed. Hours passed I am certain, though I had lost count. Jade remained with me through a turbulent spell once the breakers caused a rocking in the ship. And without a hint of mocking upon her lips.

Yet as the storm died, another rose fiercely to take its place. And it was named Marius.

This my darkest fear: Jade and I were caught in the very act of thievery. We had stolen from the Slaver's purse. Stolen a slave, to be precise.

The Stowaway

Just days before our scheduled trip back across Thassa and the last stop on the island of Farnacium, Asia arrived. Drawn from my idle prattle with a lady perfumer, she told me that Jade was left on board and bade me to pay the kajira a visit.

It was not much longer then that Jade and I dragged Asia's trunks and belongings to the Inn where the lady had already rented herself a room. And on the spur of the moment I laid with Jade on her Mistress' bed, planting myself inside of her without a thought of being caught. Too, I conspired with the kajira and plotted to hide her, for I wanted her as my own.

At the time, it seemed a brilliant plan. I emptied my steamer trunk and packed my things inside of Marius' trunk, figuring these would be hauled off and stowed aboard by dock hands as usual, dispersed then into the various ship cabins. I often have my own cabin, and this time was no different. Jade was hidden away therefore, inside of my own trunk, where she would wait in abject silence for me to release her.

I was late for the roll call, and consequently the group boarding. Yet shortly after the first whistle blew, I emerged from the Admiral's Inn lugging a my steamer trunk behind me. I had not gone halfway across the plank either, when Asia, who had been missing for more than a hand, showed up suddenly and called out to me. As I turned, she hurried across the plank to meet me, causing a heavy brick of despair to sink into my belly.

Fraught with paranoia, I am sure I wasn't entirely myself and a tad green of palor. Strangely, she did not seem to notice that my trunk was far heavier than an instrument and several pairs of clothing ought to have been, and simply suspected that I was ill at the mere thought of hitting the high seas.

It was by a stroke of luck then that the dock hand sounded the last whistle and came for my boarding pass. The lady did not produce one of her own and was subsequently chased off the ship before the plank was drawn away and the anchor lifted.

As we were tugged from the harbor slip, I stood there on deck for a few ehn and watched the lady. I did not know whether she would miss Jade or not. And strangely, I did not care.

Last Encore

Marius and I set sail again for the mainland with the rest of the Theatre Troupe. We are scheduled to play several of the major cities along the Delta and the Vosk before the season's end and expected to be gone just over a month.

Before departing I had asked Asia whether she would travel to meet us, and whether she would also bring Jade along. For I knew I would miss them both. Asia assured me that she would come, and with this hope inside of me, I believed I should not succumb to utter homesickness afterall.

It was not til the last leg of this tour however,that I had begun to despair, for by the time we reached Port Kar again, there was still no sign of the lady or her kajira and I was heartsick.