The Fires of Summer (first draft)

When Dawn is called up to bed by her mother later on, Klaus and Smock also decide to wrap up. Much to the younger two's surprise, and Dawn's insistence that it must be cheating, Smock overwhelmingly wins any board game that involves strategy, though where luck is involved he's not so fortunate.

Upstairs there is a large room that spans across the whole second floor. Inside of it is a collection of other smaller rooms. Most of them have curtains drawn in the doorways for privacy, all except three.

"Goodnight Brother Klaus, goodnight Smock," Dawn whispers to them both as she heads to the first, which appears to have two beds inside. There's the sound of quiet talking there that he can't make out, and he figures it must be Darla.

"Yeah, night Smock," Klaus shrugs as he heads for his little room. Smock goes for the only remaining room, figuring it must be his own, and after undressing down to his underclothes he slides under the warm sheets and drifts off to sleep.

In his dreams, there is a raven. It flies high above a vicious sea, the air battering its body and rain beating down onto its feathers, yet it continues onwards, aimless, into the dark sky ahead. Dark clouds swarm above, oppressive and violent. A flash of light illuminates the dark waves below, but they are empty, a huge mass of water that stretches out in all directions as far as the eye can see. Thunder rumbles like the roar of an angry God.

Smock jolts awake, sitting upright and gasping for breath. There's tears rolling down his cheek and he swiftly realises he'd been crying in his sleep. For a while he sits there, waiting to hear another boom of thunder, but it never comes, simply a product of the dream.

Eventually he manages to tuck himself back under the covers. For a while he lays there, unable to shake the terror holding him in a tight grip, until he's unable to keep his eyes open any longer, and drifts back to sleep.

In the morning, Smock is awoken by the sound of a knock at his doorframe. Abbey's voice calls to him. "There's breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen."

Smock rolls over in the bed, pulling the blanket closer to his body, though he knows he must get up. "Thanks, I'll be down."

He stays there for a while, not wanting to leave the comfort of his bed. After a while he finally sits up, takes off the covers, and gets dressed for the day, unsure quite what he wants to do. He heads downstairs into the common room and is greeted by all but Darla, though Dawn is unable to do so verbally. He goes through into the kitchen to get his food.

The kitchen is a nice size, with plenty of space for multiple people to cook together. There are lots of plain surfaces to work on, a large stove, and plenty of storage, with some herbs hanging down from above. There's a door to the side that he quickly peeks into, and it seems to be a pantry of sorts, holding all sorts of different foods and some bottled drinks.

Next to the stove is his breakfast: bread, a little bacon, an egg, and beans. It's modest, just the perfect size to be of satisfaction, though being a pirate his appetite will always be unsatiated, especially when it comes to beer. Alas, there is no beer in sight, and most people would not consider the morning a good time to start drinking.

When he returns to the common room he's spoiled for options on where to sit. There's space just about everywhere, but he chooses to join Klaus and Dawn where they sit on the floor together, mindful not to sit next to Dawn with her mother's eyes pinning him down.

"Good morning," Klaus says simply. He's almost done with his food by now; everyone else must have been up for a while.

Smock is able to start eating right away. "Mornin'."

"Me and Dawn are gonna go out to the village today on the horses. Wanna come with us?" Klaus offers. "I'm eighteen but dad doesn't like me going out without another adult."

"Huh," Smock frowns, his eyes trailing momentarily to Blight, who must be his father, despite the title of 'Grandfather' the others give him. Parents in this place sure are weird. "Sure. I guess it'd be nice to get out."

"Heh, knew you'd be up for it. I like you, Smock," Klaus chuckles lightheartedly.

It suddenly strikes him how excluded Klaus and especially Dawn must feel from everyone else. They're much younger than the others, and everyone else seems to have this... lack of youth in them, or at least a professional unwillingness to show it, which he finds quite bizarre for what's supposed to be some kind of family. He naturally leans towards being more friendly and fun, like most pirates, and very much unlike the others.

Dawn is silent the whole time, seemingly upholding her mother's advice to speak to nobody, at least while they share a presence.

He pays no mind to it as he eats, mentally recounting the events of the last two days, astounded that he's somehow managed to get from the Pirate's Coast to Miria thanks to running from guards. It's not something that happens every day, and whilst he used to have quite an exciting life, this is starting to reach a new level. He can't help but dread whatever the rest of this journey holds for him, and he hopes more than anything that Axel isn't much further away.

Of course, he could be on the other side of the world in Treokyrin, but when he thinks about it he doubts Axel would hole himself up in that freezing place. There's then Athorea, the middle of Aldelis, the Bountiful Isles. It's a peaceful land, and there's no doubt he could get away with living there unchecked, but it doesn't seem his style. Gore, the Vulture's Crown, where both the King and Emperor live, seems a lot more likely. Why would he not want to be close to them, watching their operations and plotting his revenge? There are plenty of places to hide out there, in the shelter of caves and cliffs and mountains, and the notorious blood forests seem just his style. He rules out Riloris from the numerous times Axel said he would never live there, leaving only Miria remaining.

Covered in forests and ruled by the kind Lord Canis Sanguis, the Wolf's Woods are an excellent place for people to hide. It's unfriendly to people that can't hold their own but extremely rewarding to those that manage to survive, and he supposes it wouldn't be the most shocking place to find Axel, hidden away amongst the trees.

He wonders what kind of place he'll be in. Maybe he'll be running from tavern to tavern, or maybe he's set up somewhere really fancy befitting of a Prince. The latter seems like too risky a decision for him though - surely he'd need to be low-profile if there are wanted posters for him everywhere.

Smock struggles to get into the man's mind. Axel told him many things back when they were at sea, but nothing too revealing, nothing that let Smock inside of his head. His actions were erratic and impulsive yet he never gave anything anyway. It feels almost expertly calculated, but that's one thing he feels that it certainly cannot be.

When he thinks back to the times they sparred, he recalls how Axel fought like a ferocious wild animal, with speed and brutality unmatched by any trained man he'd ever met. He wielded his fists with more competence than he wielded any weapon, yet he was formidable with a blade, striking like a coiled snake, just a heartbeat and you're dazed or pinned or defeated. Smock is more than capable of fighting back, though it took an ungodly amount of stamina.

Axel's downfall was impulsivity. Every move, though fierce, is on a whim, and whilst this makes him formidably unpredictable a trained sword is able to find some sort of flaw or opening that gives way to attack. On multiple occasions Smock had gotten in staggering blows, but he refused to relent even when he was thoroughly beaten, as though fighting for his life with every ticking second, like something beats inside of him that refuses to give up or give in.

Every time Smock lost. Axel would be panting but would help him up with his smug grin, returning from his vicious onslaught to his usual charismatic self, like a switch has been flipped in his head. Under the starlight they would repeat this every now and then, even though the captain would always lose, and Smock thinks it is the closest he has ever seen into this man who fights and claws and moves like it's the only thing he's known his entire life.

Smock finishes his food and takes it back into the kitchen. When he comes back Klaus and Dawn are waiting for him.

"Do take care," Blight calls from behind them, and Klaus waves him off before leading the two outside.

It's a warm, bright summer day. Birds chirp all around and light shines down on the wooden structure, making it seem at least the slightest bit less intimidating. Down the hill, the rows of trees provide respite from the heat, covering the forest in shade, though spots of sunlight speckle the floor. Smock looks out to the north-west and sees the heights of Wolf's Reach, Miria's mountain range, tall and covered in forests. Out across the vast land there must be thousands of people, all going about their day like him, perhaps even looking out in his direction and wondering what the tall, triangular structure in the distance is.

Klaus single-handedly leads out two horses. Smock recognises them as the ones that had pulled the cart. Both are stallions, one full black and the other a gorgeous brown with white socks. Dawn stays with them whilst Smock and Klaus fetch the riding gear.

"You done this before?" Klaus asks upon their return as he begins to settle the gear onto the brown horse, starting with the blanket beneath the saddle. It takes it with minimal resistance.

In the sky, Smock sees a raven fly over. The dream flashes in his mind. He doesn't linger on it, adjusting his own saddle gently over the back of the black stallion. "Yeah. I've travelled in every way imaginable."

"Even flight?" Klaus teases.

Smock just smiles.

Soon enough they're both set up. Klaus is able to lift himself up onto the horse easily, but Dawn isn't so tall, so he pulls her up and she settles behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Smock hauls himself up onto the saddle too. It's been a long time since he's been on horseback, but slowly it flows back to him - running from guards you're forced to acclimate to high-speed chases, and being a pirate he's had plenty on horseback, but they were all many years ago.

He doesn't get the chance to think too hard on it as Klaus takes the lead and starts heading down the hill into the trees. Under the shade of the trees, the air is light and cool, quite pleasant for their journey. On the cart the trip from the village to God's Lake had been about an hour. They might be able to trim ten or twenty minutes off, assuming they have periods of galloping.

For the time being they keep an even pace, horses side-by-side.

Dawn, who had been quiet so far, suddenly pipes up, though her voice comes out small. "I'm sorry for my mama, Smock..."

"Huh?" he looks at her, raising a brow. "No need to be sorry, yer mama's just looking out for you. Don't gotta be sorry about that."

"Oh," she frowns, hugging Klaus tighter. He lifts one hand to pat hers before returning it to the reigns. "I thought you wouldn't like me, 'cos I have to be quiet and stuff when I'm with mama."

"Don't be silly," Smock assures her. They join the cobble path and he notices how the horses' shoes click rhythmically against it, relaxing into the sound. "Yer fine Dawn, I promise."

"Okay..." she murmurs, looking at him with her wide eyes, like a kicked puppy. He offers a kind smile which seems to ease her nerves just the slightest.

"What's got you both wanting to head to the village?" Smock asks, trying to shift the mood.

"We go often with Abbey," Klaus responds, "and then we sneak off into the forest and try to climb the trees. Dawn sucks at it, she can only get up to the first branch before she gets scared."

"Hey!" she protests, lightly punching his back, earning a laugh from him. "You're no good either! Last time I thought you broke your leg, you fall like a ragdoll."

Smock laughs heartily, "I'm surprised either of you even get off the ground."

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?" Klaus challenges him with a smirk.

"Say no, he's a cheater," Dawn warns, sounding a lot more upbeat than she did just a moment ago.

"It's on, Klaus," Smock agrees. "The man who makes it the highest wins."

"Deal," he laughs, turning to cast a side-glance at Dawn. "And, if you're so concerned, you can be the judge."

She's silent for a few moments, as if thoroughly thinking through her answer, before sighing and groaning. "Fine."

"You're gonna get so beat, I can climb so high," Klaus boasts, his tone nothing but playful.

"I bet I can climb higher, you learn a lot when yer constantly on the run," Smock returns, looking up to the trees around them. If the trees they climb are around this height, he's got no doubt he can scale them with ease, and without fear. A crow's nest is much taller and much more daunting, yet he's come to stand upon them with confidence and a rush of life flowing through him.

"We'll see about that," Klaus says with a boyish sense of competition, as though this is a sport he is intent on coming out on top at.

Dawn lets out a light giggle, "Klaus, I feel like you're gonna push him off or something."

"I haven't decided yet, depends if he's beating me," the boy shrugs, his eyes glimmering.

"Who's to say I won't push you first?" Smock challenges. Klaus urges his horse into a trot which he quickly matches.

"Fair point," Klaus laughs before kicking up into a full gallop, Dawn yelping in surprise as they speed off along the path.

Surprised, Smock hesitates, but his stallion doesn't, catching up to its companion and matching its pace. He hangs on for dear life, readjusting himself to keep up, leaning forwards. Klaus is laughing, probably at him, and so he makes it his mission to outrun him. He squeezes his calves around his mount's sides, leans forwards, and pats the side of its neck, telling it 'faster', and it understands, bolting forth, outrunning the other two.

Dawn is screaming and laughing wildly as they race each other, the horses putting their all into it, as though they themselves are aware of the competition, trying to claim the spot as the champion. Wind batters Smock's face and the wind runs through his hair and his coat. He's beyond thankful that his satchel is well-sealed, though just about everything in his outer pockets is definitely not there anymore. He doesn't need them, and the knight definitely won't be seeing them again, so it matters little.

Smock feels alive. He belongs outside, travelling free to wherever he sees fit, the wind blowing against him and the summer sun warming his back. He belongs with good company, singing and drinking and telling tales. He belongs with his wife, in her arms, hands entwined. Yet, when he thinks of it all, he can't seem to picture his ship, nor the vast ocean he's supposed to love and cherish, nor the scent of sea salt waking him up in a morning.

"Alright, alright, you win-" Klaus calls after him suddenly, jolting him out of his trance. He sees the boy slow and fall behind him, and Smock pushes his horse to do the same, pulling his body back upright and falling into pace with him. He focuses on the others, desperate to stay in reality.

"I always win," Smock smiles lightly.

As they enter the village, Smock notices that it's still as quiet and empty as the day before. Very few people are out and about, with only a resident or two going about their business or sitting on their balcony and vendors tending to their stalls. Klaus takes the lead and guides him down the residential side street, where there's a good spot to tie the horses to a post for the time being. They settle easily into their new spot, like they're been here a million times before, and Smock dismounts, patting his steed on the side appreciatively.

He helps Dawn down onto the ground, then Klaus gets off too, and the three group in the middle of the road.

"I'm gonna drop by the market and the blacksmith's for a minute," Klaus announces.

"I need to check on something too," Dawn says quietly, rubbing her arm. "I won't be long, though, so I can come meet you at the blacksmith's."

"Yeah, sure," Klaus shrugs. "Sorry Smock, you're on babysitting duty."

"I'm not a baby!" Dawn huffs as the older teen takes his leave, heading up the road and towards the market. She crosses her arms and pouts for a second before getting over it and returning to her usual cheery self. "Well, I've got to get something for my mama, but I don't need help so you can do whatever you want."

"I'd rather come with you; I've got nothing else to do here," Smock replies. He wouldn't know where to even start if left to his own devices here - he's not exactly sure where the tavern is and that's usually his safest bet.

"Alright, come on then," she commands assertively, clearly trying to make a point that she really doesn't have to prove to him, then turns and makes her way to the door of one of the houses.

On either side of the door there are rose bushes lining the outside of the house, and overall it appears to have quite a natural feel to it, with moss hanging from the roof and a few small weeds poking up from the ground, allowed their space in life as underwhelming as they are compared to flowers or trees. Dawn knocks on the door in a singsong manner, then stands very politely, her energy fading away into a calmness.

An old lady answers the door. She smiles at Dawn and pats her on the head sweetly. "Hello dear. Are you here for your mother's medicine, or is there anything you need help with?"

"Just mama's medicine, please," Dawn replies meekly.

"Of course. How is your mother faring?" the lady asks as she turns into the house, seemingly rummaging through something for a few moments before handing a small flask to the girl.

He can't make out Dawn's expression from where he stands, but he can just about see her look down to the ground. "She's not very well. She's saying she feels sick, and I think she needs a doctor, but I can't take her 'cos then they'll find out, and I don't know what to do."

Sick? Smock wants to interject, but he keeps his distance and remains silent, allowing them to talk, despite his curiosity and especially his concern.

The old lady purses her lips in thought for a while, then taps her finger on her chin, and finally she frowns. "You have to leave with your mother, Dawn. It's the only way she'll survive - it's clearly not safe for her there."

"I wish it was so easy," Dawn sounds like she's tearing up.

The lady leans down to hold her in a tight hug. "You'll get there dear, for your mother and yourself."

"Yeah," she nods, gripping onto the lady for a minute. She holds onto her so tight, like this is the most important hug she has ever received, and Smock can't help but wonder just what this girl has been through to make her react in such a way.

When she lets her go, the old lady's light eyes land on Smock. He stands awkwardly, unsure whether he should greet her or not, but eventually she speaks.

"Who is this," she pauses, looking him over, as though confused, "gentleman that you're with?"

"This is Smock," Dawn turns to look at him, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "He's staying with my family 'cos we're having a big event tomorrow."

"I see," she nods, offering him a smile, "Please, take care of this poor dear and her mother, will you?"

He lifts his eyes for just a moment, struggling to keep up the eye contact but knowing it will show how genuine he's being, and says, "Of course. I won't let any harm come her way."

"Very good," the lady rubs Dawn's shoulder reassuringly, before retreating into her doorway. "Now go along, I'm here if you ever need anything."

"Thank you," Dawn nods, running to Smock, holding the flask as the old woman closes her door. She looks up at him with wide eyes, but there's something more happening beneath them, some sort of conflict.

Smock sighs and pulls her in for a hug. She stands at four feet and five inches, so she's notably shorter than him, her head coming to rest against his chest. She holds just as tight as she held the lady, squeezing him in her arms, and he rubs her back soothingly, hoping to be of some comfort.

"My mama," she says quietly, "she's been really sick. She came to the lady for help and found out there was something wrong a couple of months ago, and ever since I've been bringing her medicine and keeping it a secret from the others but she's getting worse, she's in bed all day and when she holds my hand she's weak and shaking," she too shakes, sobbing into his chest, and he hugs her tighter, "I'm scared, but I'm trying to stay strong - I don't want to make her sad seeing me cry when she's sick."

All Smock can think to do is make some sort of reason up for them to travel to the nearest city with Darla to get her some help. How to make that happen he's not so sure. Maybe I can ask for her to drop me to the city for my travels? That's a reasonable request... "I'll get your mama some help when I head out of here, okay? I'm sure she's gonna be just fine."

Dawn nods wordlessly, pulling back out of the hug and looking at the medicine. "I need to put this away."

"Here," Smock says, opening his coat to show her the inside pockets. She slides the flask into one with a thankful smile. "Now c'mon, let's go find Klaus."

After Dawn pulls herself together, she takes a deep breath and walks just slightly in front of Smock, leading him back out onto the main street and to the left. The blacksmith's forge is outside, attached to the side of their house with some steps leading up to it, only as high as the foundation of the home. It's not too spacious, with everything put as close together as safely possible, yet Klaus is packed in there with a woman who is working away.

He looks like a child beside her. She has a muscular build and wears her hair tied up, where he's tiny and has his messy mop wild and free. Not only that but she stands at least five inches taller than him - extremely tall for a human considering he's about six feet tall. Smock waits outside and Dawn gets up onto the foundation and leans on the railing, watching.

"Hey Klaus, hey blacksmith," Dawn greets them both with a smile, clearly cheered up by watching the woman work away, her eyes sparkling as she does.

Klaus turns to look at her, offering a very slight smile. "Oh hey Dawn. I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon."

"Yeah, my stuff didn't take long," she responds quietly, but quickly changes the subject, "What are you getting made?"

"A sick dagger," he chuckles brightly. For a moment Smock is unsure what an eighteen year old could possibly need a dagger for in this pleasant part of Miria, but considering there's a deer population he figures it's plausible to want a dagger in case of an animal attack.

"Great, now I'm scared you're gonna stab me in my sleep," Dawn laughs, earning a playful smirk from Klaus. "See? I can't believe you, you're so mean to me."

"You're fine," he rolls his eyes, looking back to the blacksmith.

Smock joins Dawn in looking over the railing, admittedly also intrigued by the whole process. He tends to buy weapons that are already made than get them personally forged, so it's not something he's witnessed. Whilst he does have to look away when the metal is heated until it's glowing orange, he finds himself transfixed like a child.

When the weapon is complete, Klaus pays for the hard work and thanks the blacksmith, who seems to be happy with the outcome and waves them off.

Klaus turns over the dagger. The blade is slightly curved upwards and there's notable feather details on the cross-guard and pommel, though the grip is simple wood. It's an interesting choice for a casual weapon, but Smock doesn't pay much mind to it, appreciating its beauty.

He puts it in his belt, and points towards the trees behind the buildings. "C'mon, let's go climb."

Klaus guides them both between the blacksmith's house and the building beside it and into the forest. They don't go too far, settling for a tiny clearing where the sun manages to shine a circle down onto the grass, and Klaus starts to analyse the trees thoughtfully.

"I want to make sure it's fair," he states with a hum. "Not because I think you'd win anyway, but y'know, I'm no cheater."

Dawn huffs in disagreement, crossing her arms.

Smock looks around too, until he notices a pair of trees with somewhat even branches and a similar height. They look reasonably climbable for two people their height. "Here, these two look fine."

Klaus comes to observe them, standing next to him and nodding. "Sure. What do you think, judge?"

With a small laugh, Dawn comes over and looks the trees up and down intensely. "Hmm... I approve. Those are some good trees."

"Alright, let's go then," Klaus smirks, looking to Smock, who is taking off his coat and placing it next to Dawn to keep it and its contents safe. Klaus' eyes have a strange glint to them, one that he can't quite unpack as they head to the bases of the trees. "Count us down, Dawn."

"Three..." she says slowly. Smock takes a deep breath, planning his route. "Two... One... Go!"

Both of them start the climb. Smock easily reaches up to the first branch, getting a good hold on it and pulling himself up. His upper body is strong and muscled from his many years sailing, pulling ropes and manning the wheel during almost every waking hour. With that he can get up easily, and he jumps confidently from branch to branch, his competition not doing so bad at it either. They're climbing at a somewhat similar pace, though Smock has an edge over him with his strength.

Smock goes up and up and up until his head breaches the leaves above, where he can see all of the tree tops around him, and the mountains in the distance. Klaus breaches the tree next to him a few moments later, panting and looking around in bewilderment.

"I've never gone this high before," Klaus laughs giddily, "I'm always too worried about Dawn falling off her branches to go too far."

"Heh, it's nice of you to care so much about her," Smock smiles, "seems like she needs someone to."

"Yeah, she's like a little sister to me," Klaus' expression settles into something softer as he looks down at the leaves all around. "And family means more to me than anything."

"That's noble. I completely feel the same," he looks to the sky. It's so blue, like an ocean above them, as though they are all just fish fumbling around, pretending to know anything about the world around them.

"I'm glad you get it," Klaus sighs a gentle sigh. "What's your family like?"

Smock isn't quite sure what to say, or which family to talk about. His siblings... well, he has quite the mixed feelings about them. His fathers are pirate lords, and that's not exactly something you can just tell someone. "Well... I haven't seen my dads in seven years, and my siblings even longer. They're... a lot."

"Not really in the picture then, I guess," Klaus hums. Smock looks down and sees his face, the conflicted yet gentle expression a complete enigma. He's never been good at reading people's expressions, and this is beyond confusing to him. When Klaus next speaks, there's a weird tone to his voice. "Smock, uhm... Would you like to join my family? You know, dad, Sister Abbey, Sister Dawn, Mother Darla..."

"What do you mean?" he asks nervously, the odd tone putting him off massively.

"You know, come join us, live at God's Lake and everything," Klaus grasps at the nearest branch, flexing his fingers like he too is anxious.

"I'm sorry Klaus, I can't stay with you," Smock feels sick. "I have to find someone because of something very serious that happened to me, so I can't stay forever. But I can always come stop by, if you'd like?"

"Oh," he frowns, suddenly looking a lot more upset than he would've expected. "I... I understand, I guess. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your business, especially if it's serious."

Smock swears he's about to throw up. "I'm really sorry, Klaus."

"It's alright," he says with a voice completely numb. For a few moments they stay there, completely silent, until he pipes up with his usual light-hearted spirit. "Alright, we better get down before Dawn starts thinking the trees ate us."

"Yeah," Smock agrees. Klaus disappears beneath the leaves, but he stays there for a few moments, taking a deep breath and waiting for his stomach to settle. Once it does, he carefully finds his way down the tree, where he sees Klaus on the ground and Dawn looking up at him.

"You won!" she smiles brightly at him, excited and perhaps even proud, no clue what just happened. "Congrats! I knew you'd beat him."

Smock isn't sure quite what to say. It feels almost wrong to act like nothing just happened, but the last thing he wants is to trouble Dawn with it. "Thankfully he didn't push me off. Really thought he was gonna assassinate me up there."

Klaus smiles a dull smile. "I was tempted."

"See! He's so mean," Dawn insists. "But he acts like an angel to the others!"

Smock dons his coat as he listens to them converse. Klaus lets out a strained laugh. "You're just fun to bully."

"Only when we're alone," Dawn rolls her eyes.

"It'd be no fun if the others were telling me off all the time," he argues, leaning against the tree. "Ugh, which they're gonna do if I don't run this errand- Blight wanted me to grab something for tomorrow. Come on, we better get to it."

Smock is relieved that they finally have something to do. He can't stand the thought of just standing there in the clearing aimlessly and talking.

They follow Klaus back into the village and to the post office. The clerk welcomes them back warmly and Smock smiles to her, somehow comforted by her mere presence. Klaus heads to the back and picks up a wheel of rope. He looks over it critically, runs his fingers over it, and then checks the price with a frown.

"Uhh... hey, I'm really sorry Smock, but could you help me pay for this? I'll pay you back later, but I'm short right now from the dagger," they don't meet eyes, but Smock sees his awkward stance.

"Of course I can, and don't worry about it," he says as he digs into his money, retrieving the sum on the shelf and handing it to Klaus, who smiles in thanks.

Dawn comes to Smock as they watch the boy go to the desk and buy the rope. She frowns, confused. "They keep going on about tomorrow, but nobody will tell me anything about it."

"Must be a big surprise," Smock shrugs. Rope is good for decorations of all kinds, and with how much everyone has been talking about it he figures it will be a very grand event, a religious one no doubt.

"Yeah, I think so... I wonder what it's going to be! I hope they have good food," she muses, smiling brightly. Klaus joins them again and they head back out and to the horses, drawing their visit to the village to a comfortable close.

On the way back it's quite silent. They only exchange a couple of words here and there, and Dawn ends up drifting off to sleep soon enough. Klaus keeps the pace steady, which draws their journey out the full hour of the way. It's an uncomfortable hour, but he much prefers the silence to possibly having to discuss things with Klaus. All he can hope now is that this won't be a permanent stick in the somewhat-friendship they've formed. Smock feels slightly more parental, or perhaps like an older brother, to Klaus, despite the brief time they've known one another, and as far as he could see they seemed to be getting along until that moment in the trees, so why does everything feel different?

Smock tries not to linger on it during the sleepy journey home, though he can't help when it plagues his mind. They arrive back at the church and Klaus shakes Dawn awake.

She waits for Klaus to enter the building, then approaches Smock, her voice a whisper even though they definitely can't be heard from the inside, "Can I have the medicine? I need to take it to my mama."

"Yeah," Smock smiles, reaching into his coat pocket and retrieving it for her. "Your mama's gonna be A-okay, I promise."

"Thank you Smock," she gives him a brief but strong hug before heading into the building herself.

Smock takes a very deep breath and works up the courage to follow.

Inside there is only Abbey in the living room reading some sort of book. He can see from where he stands that Blight is in the church standing in front of the altar, and he assumes that the others must be with him too, as he spots Klaus in one of the front pews.

He sits down awkwardly, and with nothing to do, his mind wanders back to Axel. He studies the man's face, lingering on the deep scar running over his eye. He's never seen anything quite like it. It's as though his body was once viciously torn apart by some beast, yet if it had been the scar wouldn't be so full of colour. It erupts into dull purples, pinks, and blues, with even a touch of green and red splattered across it, speckles dotting the areas around the injury like dark purple stars in a vast galaxy.

Soon, he promises, but he finds himself unsure of who he's making the promise to.

The day proceeds slowly. Smock barely converses with the others. He simply observes or overhears whatever is happening around him until dinnertime, when he joins them in the church for yet another amazing meal. This time he finds himself wiping out the leftovers, leaving the platters completely empty.

Nobody directs conversation his way this time, instead sharing a chat about their excitement for the following day. From what Smock gathers, it sounds as though the event itself is to take place about two hours before midnight, with the light of a blood moon shining orange down through the stained glass. He can't help but wonder exactly what they're celebrating. There's no doubt he'll be finding out soon enough, though.

Whilst the others seem intent on staying up quite late, Smock joins Darla and Dawn upstairs, more than ready to call it an early night after the tiresome day, his mind near enough shutting down from the painfully slow pace of it all. He undresses to his shirt and trousers, and curls up under his sheets, but he just can't seem to fall asleep.

For some time he tosses and turns, unable to get comfortable, and eventually the dream he had the night before creeps back into his mind, only making him more restless. No matter what he does, Smock just can't drift off.

Eventually he tires of just laying there in discomfort and reluctantly gets out of his sheets. There's stored water in the kitchen and he figures it might help him to settle down if he's well-hydrated. Quietly he makes his way to the top of the stairs, hearing conversation from below.

"I believe Vampiris has sent him to us," he hears Blight saying, "it would be wrong for us to ignore that."

"Surely that doesn't have to be for tomorrow only - can we not find someone else?" Klaus' voice is desperate. Smock doesn't have to wonder who he's talking about for much longer as he continues. "He said he can drop by and visit, once he's finished with all of his business he can just... come join us instead! What if that's what Vampiris wanted?"

Smock steps back a little, assuring he's definitely out of sight. Abbey pipes up next. "He's got a point... There's no way we can be so sure of Vampiris' intent."

Blight huffs, "Well who do you suppose we use? We can't take someone from the village, and there's no guarantee we'll be able to find someone in time otherwise."

There's a few moments of silence before an unfamiliar voice joins in, which must belong to Telfan. "I think it's better that we just use him. We can't even be sure he'll come back, or when he'll come back. We've got no reason to trust his word."

"I can go out to the capital and find someone!" Klaus insists, "I'll tell them we need some help, and then we can use them instead."

"Klaus, your attachment to Smock is damaging your trust in your family," Blight's voice is stern, perhaps even the slightest bit angry. "I have made my choice. Smock will be our sacrifice."

Smock very suddenly feels sick to his stomach. He backs away from the stairs, not bothering to listen in to the rest of their conversation, having heard more than enough. Half of him wants to run, to head outside and grab the black stallion and flee as far as he can, but he knows he can't. No, there's something getting in the way of it, something very important to him.

As quietly as he can manage in his panic, he goes back and finds Darla and Dawn's room. He doesn't knock, simply slipping behind the curtain. The room is pretty and decorated in a soft, homely brown, with wooden furniture all around. Darla's bed is against one wall and Dawn's parallel to that. They're both clearly in a deep sleep.

Smock approaches Darla and very gently shakes her awake. She lets out an incoherent murmur, then her black eyes flicker open and come to rest on him. They narrow immediately and she sits up a little too fast, her hands shaking as she removes her bonnet and messes with her hair. When she speaks, her voice is a quiet hiss. "What are you doing?"

"I need your help," he says, mindful not to wake up Dawn. "I overheard the others talking: they're going to sacrifice me."

Darla's expression changes immediately. She goes from glaring daggers to frowning deeply. "You should run. After everyone goes to sleep, take one of the horses and head for Wolf's Rest - you're a high elf, so the capital shouldn't be too unkind to you."

Smock takes a deep breath. "I want to help you. Dawn told me about your health, and I'm not leaving unless I know you're going to be fine."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm going to be okay," she says sharply, looking to her daughter for a while. "Such a silly girl, telling you all of that. You don't need to worry about me, you need to worry about yourself."

"I want to help," Smock hears as a rasp of a cough rises in her throat, but she fights it down. He can see bags under her eyes. "I care about Dawn, and I don't want her to have to go through the grief of losing someone," Ellamia flashes behind his eyes, but he can't linger on her now. "I need to know everything that you can tell me because I'm going to get you both out of here alive, I promise."

Darla lets out a sigh. She looks at Dawn with the strong love of a mother, something unshakeable. Then she turns to Smock. She looks at him like she's trying to dissect him with her eyes, tearing him apart, testing whatever's inside of his heart. After some time, she speaks. "Let's go to your room so we can speak a little more freely. I don't want to wake Dawn. I'll put on my night clothes and join you."

"Fine by me," Smock nods, taking his leave from her room and heading back to his own. By the sounds of it, everyone is still talking downstairs, a little louder now, subject changed. When he listens in to the voices, he can't seem to hear Klaus, but it doesn't seem like he's come upstairs either.

Smock makes his bed and clears up the room quickly, sitting atop his sheets and running his hands through his hair. He feels stupid for not seeing this coming - of course they were just keeping him around as a sacrifice. Nobody would be so kind as to keep someone around just out of the good of their heart. It suddenly makes sense why Darla doesn't want Dawn talking to the others. Why would you want your child speaking to people that are making sacrifices of innocent people for their God?

What bothers him most, however, is why Vampiris would want this. Their body holds the wounds of those in pain and those who have lost their lives, so why would they want to accumulate more?

Has Vampiris really changed that much since I saw them?

Smock can't seem to work it out. He's soon distracted by Darla's company, however, drawing him out of his own mind. He crosses his legs, sitting atop the pillows, making plenty space for Darla, who sits on the bed with him.

She begins. "I care about Dawn, so if I find out you have lied to me I will spare you not a single mercy."

With his life on the line, he's pretty certain he won't be lying any time soon. "I understand and I assure you I'm on your side."

"Good," Darla rests her hands politely in her lap. "If we're going to get out of here, we're going to need to choose the right time of day. We're going to need to gather supplies before we leave, else we may not survive the journey, so we should head out in the morning on the horses to the village and get as much as we can. Then we'll wait until everyone is preparing the church, and we will take the carriage and leave."

"Sounds a good enough plan to me," Smock nods, thinking hard. "The supplies - we won't be able to bring them in, we should put them in the cart."

"Yes, there's storage beneath all of the seats that we can use," she agrees, speaking as though she's planned the whole thing through over and over. "We'll have to quickly attach the horses before we go back inside, then they'll be ready once the others enter the church."

"Why can't we just get on the cart as soon as we get back and leave?" Smock asks.

"They'll hear, and they'll catch us on the way down the hill - we'll have no time to flee, and Blight has this... terrible magic that he will use against us," Darla explains.

"What kind of magic?" he hums, knowing many magics considered to people as 'terrible'.

"Blood magic," she answers solemnly, and all of a sudden he realises the weight of his threat.

Smock has seen very little blood magic in his lifetime. It's extremely rare, usually taken on as a last resort by people with nothing to lose, self-taught and detached from most of the magic network. It's volatile and dangerous, causing sometimes severe harm to the user as well as the victim.

Axel had used it once or twice in his company during fights with the Sanguis navy. Each time he'd taken a blade to his wrist, and with the blood that dripped down onto his palm he was able to do unthinkable things, use it to strangle or impale or immobilise people.

Engraved in Smock's mind is one of the worst things he's ever seen Axel do. In the midst of a fight, covered in his enemy's blood, he'd cut himself to allow his own to entwine with the other's, and suddenly the navyman had started letting out shrieks of pure agony. His eyes filled with blood and he began to choke it out, blood flowing from his nose and then his ears, and eventually vessels began to burst under his skin, and finally lesions opened all over him, covering his entire body in vicious injuries and scarlet liquid.

Axel was damaged alongside him, but nowhere near as much, only at the stage of coughing it up and bleeding from his facial orifices. Smock has never heard a man scream and cry and plead with such desperation. It was over within a mere minute, the man having collapsed into a puddle of his own vitality, and Axel had already moved to his next victim, though he'd soon after passed out and had to be rescued.

Even just the risk of being subjected to such a ruthless magic, or even worse seeing Darla or Dawn subjected to it, is enough to bring bile to his throat.

"Right," Smock agrees, fidgeting with his sleeve. "Alright, that's the plan then. I've got plenty of money to my name, so I'll be able to help with buying everything just fine."

"Wonderful," Darla says, her face straight. "Is there anything else you need to know?"

He thinks for a moment, but is unable to find anything that draws his concern. "No, that should be it. I can ask all of my other questions in the cart. You should probably get back to bed, we'll both be needing the rest with the long day ahead of us."

"Yes, we will," she stands, but she doesn't leave like he anticipates. Instead, she paces over to him, and with a confusing expression grabs his hands tight in her own. "Smock, if that really is your name, will you promise me to take care of Dawn if anything happens to me?"

Smock doesn't hesitate. "Yes, of course. But really, I promise I'm going to get you both out just fine."

For the first time, Darla smiles. It's solemn but kind, and he wishes he could understand what is going through her head. "Thank you. My daughter is finally going to get the chance to live."

"I'm glad to give her that chance," he says sincerely, squeezing Darla's hands gently before she removes them and, with a last glance in his direction, leaves back to her own room.

Smock lays back down in bed, and he stays there for a while. It's not that he's unable to sleep now - no, he finds himself to be quite tired now - but his mind is racing and his stomach is twisting. He wants to help Dawn and Darla more than anything, and he doesn't regret his choice whatsoever, but something inside of him is telling him this is an awful idea.

When he closes his eyes all he can see is the man bleeding from his face, his body tearing itself apart from the inside just because blood magic willed it to. What is Blight truly capable of? Would he be ready to turn his magic on people he calls family?

Something deep down tells Smock that he would.

When Smock finally dreams, he sees the raven again.

It still flies above the sea, against the storm, heading onwards into the dark sky. But this time there is something in the distance. Out there, on the waves, is fire, something huge set alight upon the water. No matter how hard the rain batters down on it, the flames flicker impossibly higher. As it approaches so does the punishing heat of the fire, growing gradually more and more painful the closer it comes. Still, the raven continues onwards, flying over the burning mass. The vague shape of a mast stands out, flames not yet claiming the crow's nest but hungrily reaching for it from below.

From the dark sky comes a flash of light and a rumbling thunder. He doesn't wake up this time, trapped as the loud noise booms all around, a powerful and dangerous sound. The waves below lash with an animalistic ferocity, clawing at the ship and at themselves, crashing loudly, allowing not even one moment of silence.

The raven circles around the boat. After some time it releases a caw, followed by another, as though calling out for survivors, for anyone to make themselves known, to come through the fire and show that there's hope, but nothing comes.

Slowly the flames climb to the crow's nest, and the raven tips its wings just slightly too near. A burning strikes its small body as an orange glow consumes the tip of its wing. Panicked, it flaps its wings harder, circling wider, but nothing is able to divert it as it mercilessly destroys the raven's wings, turning shimmering black feathers to mere dust, eating it whole. It shrieks as its blood boils, body feeling as though it's ripping apart from the inside, and unable to take it any longer the bird falters, then plummets down into the burning ship, hitting a wood floor with a loud crack.

It has no other choice to lay there as the inferno consumes it, consumes everything.