Nothing but Trouble

[Guest]

"Agreed," Thea said. "We should be cautious though. If we have to deal with a murdering crew you could probably understand my being apprehensive." Thea was quivering in her boots. Her hand drifted unconsciously to the knife at her belt. Anticipation was always more painful than a surprise to Thea. "I guess we head to the cargo crates, and find Ashven?"

[Khei]

Khei nodded. She hoped that they wouldn't have to deal with any of those sorts. She hoped that the men that had murdered the merchant were long since gone and not still hanging about.

This is sure proving to be a dangerous world.

She thought to herself as she headed toward the crates the man had indicated.

[Ashven]

The two wouldn't have to go very far to spot him.

Ashven had remained perched atop the box he had assaulted. He lay, stretched out on his back, staring at the sky. Blood still dripped from his right hand as he let it hang over the side with the hole punched into it. His left hung over to opposite side. His legs he let dangle, from the knees down, over the side facing the ocean. He lay motionless save for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed slow, deliberate breaths.

He looked almost peaceful though, by the looks of his mangled hand, he was anything but.

[Guest]

Thea walked at Khei's side. The crates were looming towards them. She was about to say something to Khei but the words caught in her throat when she saw a figure at the crates. She was too far away to identify him for certain.

"Khei...I think that's Ash," she murmered.

[Khei]

Khei stopped mid-stride to follow Thea's gaze. She cocks her head at the figure and shrugs.

"Can't tell from here. Could be him. I guess we should go see?"

She worried that it might be a member of the crew that had killed the other man they had heard about.

[Guest]

Thea quickened her pace to get a closer view. She saw a young man with dark hair laying on a crate. Another quick expection and she came to the conclusion it was a familiar face. And he didn't look like he was okay. Quite the opposite actually.

"Khei," she said, "it's him!"

[Khei]

Khei sped up as well to keep pace with Thea as they neared the crate. She nodded in agreement with Thea's conclusion. It was, in fact, Ash.

She leaned close to Thea, her voice barely a whisper.

"What do you think happened?"

[Ashven]

With a sharp inhale, Ash spoke though he made no other attempt to move or otherwise acknowledge the two women.

"My hearing is not as dull as you might think. I am sitting right here."

He sighed again.

"Perhaps you'd like to ask me rather than speculate between yourselves."

[Guest]

Thea jumped when Ashven first spoke.

"What happen to you?" she asked, eyes wide upon seeing him.

[Ashven]

Even after The addressed him directly, Ash made no discernible movement as he remained staring into the vast expanse of sky. He seemed cold and distant, his arrogance from before seemingly stripped away.

"I've failed.. I've been a fool and I have failed."

He inhaled more deeply than should have been necessary though he gave no other answer to Thea's question.

[Guest]

She took a step ad looked up at Ash on the crate. He was the same...yet different. Something was clearly wrong and she didn't know what to do. Thea expected to come here, get the money and be on her way. She never expected her self to feel empathetic for Ash, but he just seemed so defeated. This stone must be very precious to him.

"Failed? What do you mean failed?" She took a breath. "Ash, are you okay?" she asked, and upon stating the question she saw blood.

[Ashven]

Ash grunted and pulled himself into a sitting position. He still slumped over and rubbed his face with his left hand before answering.

"The man that was killed... He was the one who took my stone. The description they gave matched him perfectly."

He motioned almost limply toward the men on the docks.

"I had been a fool. I made the assumption he'd rid himself of his spoils rather than trying to leave town with it."

He sighed and shook his head, shutting his eyes tightly. He felt like he was going to be sick. He tried to choose his words carefully. He wasn't interested in telling them too much unnecessarily.

"Clearly I was wrong. Had he not been killed, I would at least know who I was looking for. Now.. Now there's no reason to continue looking here.. It's gone. Somewhere out there.."

He motioned at the ocean.

"It's only a matter of time before someone takes a fancy to have it cut for jewelry.."

He hung his head again, rubbing at the scar on his forehead.

[Guest]

Thea looked where Ash had indicated and she kept her eyes locked on the ocean. "My God..." she murmered to herself.

Ash's most valuable object was gone and here he was and couldn't do anything about it. Unless there was a way he could go after them, which seemed impossible.

"Ash," she said sympathetically, "I'm sorry about the stone." She folded her arms across her chest. There was nothing she could do to make this situation any better. Thea's eyes kept on wondering back to the ocean for some reason. She caught herself and kept her voice low so only Khei could hear, "I don't know what we can do for him."

[Khei]

Khei shrugged and shook her head to Thea. She tried to keep her own voice low as well.

"I don't either.. It was difficult enough when I was trying to get here. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for him to go off after it. He doesn't even know where to go."

[Guest]

Thea mulled it over in her head. She raised her voice and said to Ash, "It's just a stone, Ash" Sure, a gem is valuable, but it couldn't it be worth all the effort Ash was willing to put in in his quest to find it. "The stone is gone. If it's fate, you might see it again but there is nothing you can do." Best not to get his hopes up, she thought solemnly. She shoved her deep into her pockets.