Writing Prompts Archive/8/Adelena Duskthorne

*If she closed her eyes, she could see a myriad of places, multiple sights greeting her eyes, flitting as quickly as they pleased.  If she focused, she could recall specific features, and if she chose to ignore the outside world, she was fairly certain she could hear the ambient sounds of her surroundings, feel its sensations - such as the wind on her skin - and even smell each location’s distinct scents.*

*Such was the power of longing, in her opinion.  And yet, there was no going back to any of them, not for her.  Not yet.*

*Of the many places Adelena Duskwolfe had visited in her life, few held a place in her heart as special as the ship she’d spent six years upon.  Certainly, a life of piracy wasn’t something she was overly proud of… but at the same time, those six years had been among the happiest and most stable years of her life.*

*She’d only been eighteen when she asked the captain of the Mist Reavers to welcome her aboard.  The rest of the crew scoffed; the man that would become her love years later even said she was ‘useless’ and ‘dead weight’.  But the captain… the captain himself was in charge of accepting new members to the crew… and he’d taken a chance with her.  Against his crew’s wishes, he welcomed Adelena to the crew.*

*It was the closest thing to a home she’d ever had, at least after the Empire took control of Ala Mhigo and cast her out of her home; with her parents conscripted and sent to opposite ends of the world, the Garleans wouldn’t suffer a child to live alone in a house - not when there were ‘more deserving families’... so she’d been thrown out to the streets.*

*But the Mist Reavers’ ship, the Rivenheart… it was more than she’d expected.  It had taken some getting used to, for certain; the crew were distrustful of her, barring the captain.  No one wanted to talk to her at first, save to mock and jeer.  For want of company at first, Adelena would often find herself upon the deck, gazing out over the waves.  Water had always calmed her to just look at; to be surrounded by it on all sides was rather relaxing for her.  The smell of the sea, mingled with the faint scent of rum… the occasional creak of the ship punctuating the softly lapping waves against the ship’s hull - at least, when the crew weren’t being their usual rowdy selves… and the wind strong against her face, constantly blowing her hair this way and that…*

*Even now, as she focused on memories of arguably happier times, Adelena could practically envision herself upon the deck of the Rivenheart.  It was a cloudless, sunny day, warm but not unbearably so.  She could hear the wind whistle and whip past her ears, muffling laughter from behind her; had Temaru tricked Stalwart Heart into another game of dice?  Ahh, poor Stalwart… one of their strongest but also easiest to trick.  She even heard a pair of voices that were keenly familiar to her join in.  It was rare that Captain Duskthorne ever took part in such frivolity as games of chance, but not unheard of - and certainly not unwelcome.  Cyrric’s voice rang clearest to her now, though.  He was ‘just gonna officiate ‘n’ make sure none o’ ye cheat’, and that brought a smile to Adelena’s lips.  Cyrric… always the ‘gatekeeper’.  How he and Adelena had ever fallen in love, she’d never know for sure.*

*The clatter of bone dice upon the wooden deck was almost missed by Adelena, but the wind paused momentarily.  A moment’s silence, then a cacophony of cheers and curses.  She chuckled quietly; just another day on the sea, then.*

*So it went for several minutes, with Adelena just listening, gazing out over the waves.  In time, she heard Captain Duskthorne’s voice call out to her specifically.*

*“Lass, ye gonna keep standing alone?  Ye got friends ‘n’ family ‘ere, ye know.  ‘Sides, I believe ye owe some of ‘em.”*

*She bit her lower lip; she didn’t gamble.  By the time they’d first invited her to gamble, they all respected her and came to consider her the Mist Reavers’ ‘precious rose’, so she knew it was all in good fun and not to try and humiliate her… but she still declined.  They knew that, and the captain himself said not to pester her about it.  So why was he-*

*“I don’t mean us, lass.  Ye know who I mean.  Yer friends, yer ‘family’... the Valkyries, everyone at Her Embrace… ye owe them words, explanations.  Ye know ye do.  Ye can’t keep runnin’, lass.  That ain’t the Adelena I looked after, the Adelena I mentored.”*

*With those words, Adelena blinked - and the daydream was shattered in that instant.*

*Gone was the ship, the open sea, and all of its senses.  In its place were cold stone walls, a roughshod cot beneath her.  A heavy steel door with bars was all she had to offer her scenery now - and that view was neither warm nor welcoming.*

*She heaved a sigh and reached up to rub her temples gently.  Those days were long gone, yet she still fell into the trap of nostalgia, however temporarily.  Oh, Captain Duskthorne would have laughed at her for it.*

*Footsteps - metal boots clicking noisily upon the stone floor - greeted her ears now - and they were getting closer.  She looked up at the bars in time to see someone’s helm greeted her sight in place of a face.*

*“You have a visitor, Adelena Duskthorne.”*

*She sighed again and pushed herself up.*

*“My name is Adelena Duskwolfe now-”*

*“It doesn’t matter,” the guard cut her off.  Keys jingled as he found the one to her cell, and a moment later, the lock opened and her view of the hall beyond was clearer.  “You only have half a bell, starting now.  Make it count.”*

*She gave a nod and started toward him, offering her wrists to him.  This wasn’t unfamiliar - and she only ever had one visitor, so she knew who and what to expect.*

*As the guard secured her wrists in shackles and guided her along, she thought back to her daydream.  What was the significance of her late captain’s words?  He had died before she ever thought of coming to Eorzea, never mind met the Silver Valkyries.*

*Another glance back at her cell, and Adelena let out a faint sigh.  Would that cold, cramped cell also become a place of comfort to her…?  Would she live long enough to find out either way?  The crimes she was accused of committing were great enough that she suspected execution may be in store for her.*

*Her thoughts drifted back to the Rivenheart once again, and remained there for the remainder of the walk.*