15. The Dance

Angelica thudded inelegantly into the ship's gunwale, utterly spent from the dance. Others had crashed out before, some quite literally, although no-one had fallen overboard. Yet.

"Hello?" a small voice said timidly from beside her.

"Oh! I'm sorry" Angelica replied hurriedly, focusing her awareness of exactly where she was, on the port bow, one of the windiest, wettest parts of the deck. Antaryon was looking on as if he was going to expire from fright. "I didn't hurt anyone did I?"

Gentle laughter met her words, followed by speech warmed with the accent of the lower city "Nah, y' missed, M'Lady!".

Angelica turned to look properly at the speaker, a young woman who was surprisingly close and holding her young child as if she had plucked her out of the way of the crashing noble ... Angelica blushed furiously in pure embarrassment, eliciting a roar of laughter from everyone nearby who wasn't Antaryon.

"We've not met M'Lady" the woman continued smoothly, making amiable conversation to cover the awkwardness of the moment. "My name be Jenn, and this ball of energy be Sydney." she looked to her right "And the other will get her name if she shows her face". The small head hidden beneath the blanket shook her head furiously.

After a long breath, Angelica thanked Jenn with her eyes, and replied in kind "delighted to make your acquaintance. What do you do, Sydney?"

"I" the girl said with great care on the pronunciation of each word, trying for all to use the accent of the upper city "I have the pleasure to help care for the animals below." Her mother beamed, and raised an eyebrow as the girl looked to her for feedback. "Oh!" the girl in her turn blushed slightly, now her mistake was obvious in the pause "M'Lady!"

"Then I truly am delighted to meet you." Angelica smiled with a genuine warmth that would melt firehornet honey crystals. "Do you look after the big animals or just the little ones?"

"Just the little ones for now, Mama looks after the big ones." Sydney replied.

"Mama has help, too." Jenn replied kindly, running her hand over her daughter's hair, settling a stray braid back into place. "There are a lot of animals down there, and lots of folk up here help too, we could not do it all on our own."

"Do you have a favourite?" Angelica enquired.

"The Leffit" Sydney replied without hesitation "they are really strange at first, but really fun once you get to know them."

"Nice" replied Angelica, although her face did not quite match her enthusiasm "although those really don't like me one bit. When I go to see Caterham they make an awful racket."

"Oh I know" the little girl replied innocently, much to her mother's aghast. "Lady Liva comes down after you've visited to settle everyone else to rights."

"She's full of surprises, that one" the noble replied absently.

"Have you heard her singing to the animals?"

"Yes, little one, I have. But don't tell her that, I should not wish to have her stop on my account."

Sydney nodded gravely "she sings to you sometimes, when you have bad dreams."

Angelica nodded slowly, a careful smile fixed upon her face as she chose her reply "I wish everyone had such a loyal and brave friend, to watch over them so."

Much of the colour had slowly drained out of Jenn's face, the fear in her eyes all but screaming to the dancers swirling beyond the little bubble of quiet. "Haven't you been forgetting something?" she said quietly with a slight hint of reproach.

"Oh!" Sydney replied, pressing her hands to her lips. "Ma'am! I um, M'Lady!" she stammered.

Angelica laughed with a rich, deep laugh that rolled across the deck like a fresh summer breeze. "Have no concern, your gifts with animals are beyond value. You may both say anything you wish to me now and forever, because words are only air given sound. There will never be a shortage of those who wish to fill my ears with delightful nonsense. The animals you work with are frank and unashamed, you ought never be afraid to be the same" she smiled. "That said, perhaps better to not mention Liva's activities to others?"

Jenn replied "Thank you M'Lady" then turning to Sydney asked "Where is Tarvald's pug Bruiser? Why don't you go and see he's fine despite this" she waved at the dance "and check on Spike too."

"Yes Ma'ma" Sydney replied, hopping up and darting off along the deck without another thought for the adults, instead calling out brightly for Spike.

"Just one thing please" Angelica said quietly.

Jenn's eyes locked in attention.

"When we next reach land, do not set foot off this ship. No matter what. None of you, and none of those below other than Caterham."

"Yah, M'Lady" Jenn replied sombrely, her tone mirroring Angelica's.

"And thank you, a timely reminder of how badly I've been failing my friend." Angelica looked around, eyes searching.

"M'Lady?"

But Angelica was gone, like an eagle catching a thermal slipping into the dance that had spun on without them, carefree yet meticulous in avoiding intruding upon the conversation not for them.

--// @->---- //--

"It's still not a good idea" Antaryon chided gently "M'Lady."

"What was it Zalori said?" Angelica replied "One hand for yourself, one for the ship?"

"Quite so M'Lady, yet th' ship is well served s' both hands for your Ladyship if you please" a young sailor called from above. "That's it, hands on th' shrouds, that's th' ones go'n up, feet on th' slats."

"Thank you ?" Angelica called back, with an obvious pause at the end.

"Thorstein Hammerhart, owner of th' Oak and Anvil, M'Lady, serving drinks for hearty folk so strong y' dream of mermaids" the sailor called back with glee "that's it, move one hand or foot at a time M'Lady, three points on, one movin'."

"Ummm" Angelica called, faced with a maddening tangle of ropes above her, where some jutted out sharply then vanished over the lip of a wooden platform above her head.

"Just change to holding to the ones that come back to you M'Lady, lean back a little and up and over." Thorstein replied, taking care with his words to guard against mishap.

"Ummm" she replied slightly less confused.

"You're good, it would be silly to let go now, so you won't right?" the sailor popped his head out over the platform with a broad grin behind his beard "Yah that's it, you've it right. Up and over now!"

Angelica clambered over, making what looked effortless from the deck look cumbersome and dangerous. "Thank you" she replied with a smile "so why are you at sea again if you own a tavern?"

"Oh, thaa'" Thorstein laughed "well, I erm ..." he looked down, but there was nowhere to go on the tiny platform. "The best drinks didn't have import duties" he grinned "or taxes".

"Ah" she smiled "and it's a long way from the Sheriff at sea, eh?"

Throstein smiled as broadly as any troubadour, and nodded with gusto "Captain's law on the ship, Sheriff used t' sit on th' dock tryin' to bribe others to chuck me over. Still 'ere." he grinned.

Angelica just laughed, until Thorstein pointed upwards, to where the shrouds grew closer and closer together.

"Up you go M'Lady, three points, yell if you need me to smuggle you down" he leant against a stay as if it was a brick wall, and was still beaming as she began to carefully pick her way higher aloft.

--// @->---- //--

Lady Violet was still wearing a beautiful dress, swinging her feet rhythmically back and forward, oblivious the void below her.

Angelica watched in awe as Violet calmly twirled a small strip of fabric in front of her with one hand, and a ginger cat gaily flashed its paws at the fabric, the cat held safe by Violet's other hand.

The ship rose gently on the swell, and the mast and rigging Angelica clung to swayed to one side, then as the ship rode over, paused for a moment as if breathing, then swayed back to the other, slowed by the wind in the sails beneath. The ship surged forward gently, a fine white spray on the lee side marking their progress. If any doubted Lady Violet a captain, her total ease with here precarious eyrie on the top yard and movement of the ship had certainly banished that.

"May I join you?" Angelica asked calmly, not wishing to surprise or startle.

"Certainly" Lady Violet replied brightly "although you may find it convenient to stand on the footropes and hold the yard. Might be a tad unsettling to sit on top just yet."

"My thanks!" Angelica replied, not bothering to hide the relief in her voice. "You know, it's ironic that I feel afraid of this height."

Lady Violet laughed, eliciting a look of ire from Spike who wanted the game to continue uninterrupted. "Makes sense though. A reminder to hold on."

Angelica clambered across to the yard arm, all too aware of the distance down.

"You must admit though" Violet continued "it is hard to beat the view."

The air felt fresh, clean, a promise of rain fleeted past. Angelica allowed herself to go with the ship, to feel it's majesty and purpose. The little fishing ships were quicker, and two of them looked as if they were playing tag, chasing each other to windward, others from this angle could be seen fishing, a line of floats playing out behind one, a net running from one ship to a second on another pair who were slowly falling back under the weight.

"Indeed, if only the reasons for being here were other than they are."

"Quite." Violet replied "Out with it."

"What happened with Dragor?"

"He was evil, he had to die." Violet spoke plainly yet softly, her words safe in the sky beyond just the two of them. "I expect that you did not catch his reaction, injured as you were. He recognized you; saw right through you, and his design was set on using you and consuming every last one of your people for his own ends."

"And yet you had him on your ship?" Angelica queried cautiously, but not accusingly.

"This web was far more intricate than I ever expected." Violet replied "When a King sets out to do harm upon my friends, who better to offer up a ship?"

Angelica nodded, accepting the simple elegance of giving your enemy passage so you knew where they were and might learn their intent.

"But why now? Why us?"

"Because they knew. I have no idea if they are behind this, or if they simply have good augurs. Perhaps they were planning to act anyway."

"Wait, this is all to stop them?" Angelica looked to the horizon, the world on fire.

"Perhaps. That feel off though. It is vastly excessive, there would have been better ways."

"Once perhaps, but now? Even I have no idea what is myth, and what is real."

"We are myth" Violet laughed "you and I both. The hazard of hiding in plain sight; with enough years, the children see only the tapestry woven for them, not what is behind."

"'Even if the clouds cloak the sky, the stars watch over you." Angelica said quietly "And if you are worthy, one day you will return to your place amongst them."

"Oh, nice." Violet replied gently.

"Just something Mother said a long time ago. You are right though; even I have no idea what is real and what is not, so many stories. So much I was meant to learn only when I was older." Angelica let out a sad breath, then with quiet steel in her voice continued "What was he up to?".

"He wanted to use your friends to manipulate you into serving him, to build his power, glory, legacy, all the usual nonsense."

"Hah!" Angelica scoffed "as if that was going to work." she paused, something catching at her thoughts. "And yet he knew precisely what I wanted to hear."

"Ah" Violet replied "that. You head the first and only time he mentioned a star falling."

"Did he say a name, or have anything with him from the star?"

Violet shrugged in reply, both hands lifted in frustration, eliciting a long angry "meeeoowoooowwwwl" from Spike as the cat simultaneously tried to catch the feeling ribbon but also clung desperately onto Violet for dear life.

"Stupid, stupid!" Violet suddenly yelled, adding a string of curses only a sailor could knot so neatly together. She deposited Spike on her shoulder, and turned to Angelica "I'm sorry." she said earnestly, tears rolling down her face.

"I don't understand" Angelica replied, concern mingling with her confusion.

"He used me" Violet was obviously furious with herself. "Here I was thinking I had to kill him to protect you, but that was his plan all along. You won't stop until you know the truth about the falling star, real or not. It's too important to who you are. So you will go to him, even if it rains clean, even if you have enough food and fodder." Violet hung her head "I missed it, now I've doomed you all."

"But Dragor is dead." Angelica replied, confused.

"Precisely. So he will wait forever for you to come to him."

"Check" Angelica replied grimly "he knows there is nowhere else for me to go now, he has forever but we do not."

"Come on cat" Violet began to climb down, dejected, ignoring the fine red lines appearing on her shoulder from Spike's terrified claws.

"Wait" Angelica offered suddenly. "He thinks he has already won. But the game is far from done; it is check but not mate. What did he call me?"

Violet looked up with a forced half smile "he referred to you as being your 'Father's child'."

"Typical!" Angelica grinned impishly "come on now, you were the one who taught me this so long ago! You must see it."

Lady Violet quieted the cat with one hand, and smiled back at Angelica, nodding gently. "Quite so. I had thought you an inattentive student that winter; clearly not. Never underestimate your opponent."

"And the next move is ours." Angelica smiled broadly, as she whispered conspiratorially. "Just one other thing ..." she looked down with very immediate confusion playing over her face as her hands gripped the ropes so tightly they were losing their colour.

"How do I get down from here please?"