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Post by katuko on Feb 7, 2006 23:26:47 GMT -5
The girl smiled faintly as Sho's voice echoed from below. There was little he anyone could do to save her, but his words were assuring. Like a dependable friend, the late sun greeted her as she climbed from the hull, bathing her face in infinite warmth and comfort. She drifted silently to the rail and watched as the ocean churned below, hungry yet mesmerizingly beautiful.
For once she sat still, appreciating life all around. The hawks called from the sky, taunting the small fishes and their prey. The clouds glided overhead, sliding across each other without colliding. Even the smooth wood below her cried its origin; trees. Enitsua slid her face against the floor and wiggled her way out of the rail where she dangled from the ship. The ocean was calling for her, it was lapping softly at her toes. Slowly, she pried her fingers from the rail and dropped silently into the waters.
It was her instinct.
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Post by zuko on Apr 4, 2006 16:28:48 GMT -5
Walking down the corridor, the prince exited the boiler room hatch and made it back on deck. Some of the crew members and soilders glanced at Zuko, wondering what had happend down in the boiler room and if the stowaway had been captured; Zuko read their faces easily. The prince alerted everyone that the stowaway had been captured and put away in the cell hold. After that had been reasurred, everything seemed to settle down on the ship. It felt good to be out of the choking steam of the boiler room. The ocean was calm, but there was not much of a breeze, due to the fact that the ship was not moving along the waves. He remembered that the soilder, "Sho" whom Zuko recalled, would take care of the engines.
As Zuko headed back to his room to put his armor on, (he was still in his robe) he could hear shouts from the cook. He was saying something about a missing girl or servant...
"Where is that damn Enitsua? She's supposed to be cleaning this ship!" Zuko recongized the cooks voice. The prince remembered the girl from before, but he paid no attention to the matter.
Opening the door to his room, Zuko headed over to his bed, picked up his armor, and began to get dressed for the eventful day.
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Post by sho on Apr 15, 2006 21:07:38 GMT -5
Sho scurried off to find the helmsman once he exited from the cells. The young man found him in the navigation room, engaged in a high-depth coversation with one of the crew. Their faces were grim and serious, and Sho hesitated as he approached them, listening.
"... Doesn't know where she ran off to..."
"She can't run off! It's a ship for goodness sakes!"
"Lot's of places to hide..."
"Excuse me, sirs." Sho said firmly, taking a step forward. His light, amber eyes made contact with the helmsman's, seriousness firm within his gaze. He nodded his head as attention turned to him. "The stowaway damaged the engines... well... messed with them a bit anyway; they're not running. It's a simple fix by the look of things, but it is probably best if I may have your assitance and approval."
The helmsman nodded and turned from the crew member, following Sho on the deck as they made their way to the engines. Sho couldn't help wondering what the men had been talking about previously.
"Sir..." He started, clasping his hands behind his back. "If I may ask, what were you talking about before I inturrupted you?"
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Post by zuko on Apr 29, 2006 20:53:38 GMT -5
The helmsmen sighed and didn't seem to want to make eye contact with Sho.
"Well, it appears that one of the servants on the ship is missing..." The helmsman sounded worried slightly; either from the fact that Prince Zuko would have a fit if he knew another crew member was lost or that it was just shear concern out of the lost servant.
The helmsman approached the engines while making his way down the hatch and immediately began to inspect the first broken engine that he saw.
"Most of the crew thinks the servant girl is just hiding; not very many places to hide, you know? She was probably worked up this morning with all the sudden commotion." At least that was what the helmsman hoped for. The mind of a child is careless; anything could have happened to her.
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Post by sho on Apr 30, 2006 12:34:17 GMT -5
Sho nodded and sighed, not adding and building onto the topic. She... well there was no question on who that was. To Sho's knowledge, only one girl was on the entire ship. But just what was Enitsua up to now?
Silently and quickly, Sho assisted the helmsman. No major damage had been done to any of the engines... nothing to effect their working order anyway. For that, Sho was thankful, and together he and the helmsman were able to repair the major switch which had been damaged and get the reassuring thuds and clicks echoing about the room once again. New steam also began to fill the space around the two.
Sho, satisfied but sweating, ran the back of his hand against his brow. The helmsman motioned for him to go back up on deck. Obediently, Sho made his way up the steps and up to the deck, sighing with pleasure as a cool, salty breeze grazed across his skin.
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Post by zuko on May 20, 2006 13:15:28 GMT -5
As Zuko left his room and headed for top deck to speak with the Capitan, a sudden surge of the ship caused him to stumble slightly. Zuko paused for a brief second, then continued on his way. Hearing the low hum of the engines, he realized the ship had been fixed and it seemed to lift his spirits just an inch more.
"Thats one problem out of the way..." he mumbled to himself. Zuko entered top deck and searched for the Capitan; he needed to speak with him about finding a port to stop at for further repairs on the galley and lost food items. The prince didn't notice how good the fresh air felt against his skin; his mind was occupied thinking about getting repairs done as quickly as possible, then getting back to searching for the Avatar. He didn't have very many options on where the Avatar might be, if not any. But the prince would search and capture the Avatar, even if in the back of his mind it seemed impossible.
Zuko quickly shook his troubling thoughts away. Whenever he was in front of his crew members, he kept his painful and frustrating thoughts in the back of his mind. He didn't want his crew thinking he was too incapable of doing anything with troubled thoughts lurking in his head; most of his crew members already doubted him just because of his age.
Finally, Zuko spotted the captain and strided over toward him, until a shout from one of the crew members stopped him in his tracks.
"There! Over there! Someone is in the water!!" hollered the solider as he pointed off the ship and to the ocean.
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Post by sho on May 20, 2006 18:12:05 GMT -5
Sho jerked as he heard the ringing tones of one of the crew, and spun on his heel to face the soldier that had cried. Someone in the water? Oh no.. Not good, not good... It couldn't be. Oh please let it not be...
Swiftly, Sho ran over to the edge of the railing, leting his auburn eyes quickly scan over the water. His rough fingers gripped tightly at the railing as he spotted a figure, a body. Sho's eyes widened in horror before they shut tight. His heart was beating ferociously inside him -- he could feel the pit of pressure thump up against his chest. The veins in his hands almost pumped noticeably to the same rhythm as they tensed.
Breathe, Sho, breathe. He thought soothingly. Had to gain control of his emotion, his fear... Surely he had not seen correctly. How could she of..? What could have happened?
Breathing deeply and evenly, Sho stood gripping the railing, his brow deeply creased as he observed the body with wide, sorrowful eyes.
"Oh Enitsua.."
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Post by zuko on May 30, 2006 22:26:54 GMT -5
'Not again....' Zuko thought worriedly as he rushed across the ship toward the railing. When he peered down into the ocean, he wasn't prepared to see the small girl from the following morning.
Zuko's eyes narrowed. He then glanced at Sho who looked devastated as he placed eyes upon the girl's body in the ocean. Zuko figured he must have been close to the servant; Sho seemed like he was going to lose it.
"Still believe in fate?" Zuko asked Sho; remembering the question that Sho had asked Zuko when one of the crew members had drowned the other day. However, fate seems different when it affects someone you care about. Zuko knew this.
Whatever it was, maybe there was still time to change it...
"Stop the ship!" Zuko bellowed towards the helmsman, who quickly ran below the ship and turned off the engines. Zuko had to do something quickly. Hopefully the girl was still alive. The quickest way to save her would be to jump...but Zuko had his armor on. If he jumped, he would easily get tired and sink from the weight of his armor. And there was not enough time to take it off. Zuko didn't want to be held responsible for another death.
Should he try to save this girl he barely knew and possibly drown himself in the process? Or should he just let 'fate' step in for him? There had to be a better way.
The ship finally came to a slow stop...
'Make a decision!' he mentally shouted to himself.
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Post by sho on May 31, 2006 12:17:29 GMT -5
Sho glanced at the prince, his eyes slightly narrowed as he tried to decipher whether the comment had been thoughtful or mocking. Soon, however, Sho stopped pondering and let a deep sigh pass through his lips. Whatever the case, Zuko had a point.
"Sure, I still believe in fate. Things... happen. For whatever reason." Sho said quietly before turning his head down toward the water once more. Sho still wondered what had caused this. He anxiously began to drum his fingers along the railing, wondering what to do. The prince had stopped the boat, but for what reason? Did he mean to retrive the girl? "I don't think Enitsua - the girl - is alive, sir. If she is, only barely. I... don't see how there's much hope. But if you wish to bring the body in... it would be a kind gesture. Alive or no."
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Post by zuko on Jun 5, 2006 23:30:35 GMT -5
Zuko shook his head. Sho was probably right...Zuko was getting carried away again. The girl had to no longer be alive. He didn't know how long she had been in the water; he didn't know if fate was something he trusted. Fate..was fate the reason why he was here on this god-for-saken ship?
Coming back to reality, Zuko sighed and turned to some gaurds that were standing nearby. Having a good excuse, he told two gaurds to go and retrieve the body of the girl. The gaurds nodded and headed off to one of the stored boats that were kept on the ship. Zuko then turned toward Sho.
"You can go with them if you want," Zuko said spotting the girl's body in the distance. Zuko knew that Sho must have known the girl. He obviously knew her name. Zuko only hoped that if Sho did decide to go, that he would be prepared for what he might see. Sho must have been friends with the servant; why else would Sho get so worked up? Out of pity? Probably not.
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Post by sho on Jun 6, 2006 12:10:31 GMT -5
Sho simply shrugged. He was unsure whether he wished to retrieve Enitsua or not. Hesitantly, he stole another glance of the floating body, but he quickly shifted his gaze to the empty waters. His amber eyes softened as he replayed the past days events, as he remembered the careless, chipper, young girl that Enitsua was. Sho wanted to remember her like that… not as a dead body, floating in the waters. Sho left out a deep sigh; it was so sick that she had died. She was so young and innocent, just dragged into do the work that she wasn’t ready for. This event only proved it.
“I think I’ll just stay here.” Sho replied, leaning on the railing. “Still a bit baffled.” Quickly, Sho quieted and let the soft wind ruffle his dark hair a bit. He enjoyed the breeze and the small moment of peace… and remembrance. Sho had not known the small girl that well, but it was still depressing to know that someone so small and happy was now dead. No one deserved that.
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Post by zuko on Jun 6, 2006 22:15:16 GMT -5
Zuko nodded to Sho and headed farther down the rail to watch the guards exit the ship with one of the spare boats. As the guard finally exited the ship, Zuko became lost in his thoughts again. The only thing the prince regretted was having a crew member, a little girl no less, having to die on his ship of all places. This wasn't a place for a little girl. And having her die here was something that shouldn't have happened.
'I'm not going to blame myself...' he thought. He didn't want to blame himself, but he didn't want to take up fate as an excuse either.
Zuko tiredly rubbed his forehead. Every day seemed to be turning on him.
'What else is new?' he said mentally. Zuko looked back up and noticed that the guards were coming back with the girl's body.
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Post by sho on Jun 7, 2006 14:37:49 GMT -5
Sho instantly tensed at he spotted the soldiers off to the side. The two had been successful in fetching the girl and were marching gravely back onto the boat with the small body in tow. Unable to fully tame his curiosity, Sho hesitantly turned around to face the soldiers and the girl. The young man spaced his feet shoulder length apart and clasped his hands firmly behind his back as the soldiers approached, his stare soft.
The small group quickly came up near to him, close enough that Sho could take a good look at Enitsua’s body. His gaze lifted, but then he remembered he didn’t wish to see the girl dead. Water splattered against the deck, dripping from the body. Sho quickly bowed his head solemnly as the soldiers and body passed. His eyes did not drift from the deck until the two crewmembers had fully passed, so Sho could only stare at the backs of their armor. The two approached the prince and stopped, awaiting further instruction.
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Post by zuko on Jun 8, 2006 18:44:15 GMT -5
Zuko's posture became more upright and superior as the two soldiers approached him with the girl's body. He wanted to show that he could handle this easily, even though a body has never been brought upon his ship before. Zuko took a glance at Sho as the soldiers neared. The prince could tell that the boy was trying his best not to look at the girl.
"Sir..." said one of the soldiers who was helping carry the girl in. They waited patiently for his instruction. Truth to be told, Zuko didn't know exactly what to do. He has never been responsible for this sort of thing, and plus, he only stopped the ship because his impulsive thoughts took over for that moment; he only ordered the girl to be retrieved as an excuse for his actions.
Zuko looked upon the girl's lifeless body. Water trickled down her arm and was slowly dripping onto the deck. She was so pale it almost seemed impossible to realize that she was once alive. The prince looked up and met eyes with the Capitan.
"Capitan. How far are we from the next port?" Zuko asked.
"Hmm...I'm estimating about two days sir..." replied the Capitan.
Zuko thought for a moment then spoke to the two soldiers in a slightly quieter tone. "We will be stopping at the next port as quickly as possible. Care for the servant's body until then."
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Post by sho on Jun 8, 2006 20:46:55 GMT -5
Sho listened intently, absorbing every word that was spoken. They were going to stop on land in two days. The prince hadn’t specifically said what they were doing, but it was very obvious that they were going to give the girl a proper burial. Sho’s whole body seemed to relax just a little bit and his amber eyes closed for moment. For some reason the knowledge that Enitsua was going to be respected so well cheered him up tremendously.
Looking back up at the prince, Sho saw the two guards disappear below with Enitsua. Sho observed the prince for a quick moment, with one eyebrow peaked slightly as he tried to read his expression. When this attempt proved rather futile, Sho heaved another large sigh and began to slowly make his way over to the prince. Sho kept his head down as he approached, but quickly made eye contact with the prince when he came within close distance to him. Distractedly, he ran his fingers through his shaggy mess of hair.
“Thank you… for getting her body… I… she deserves it.”
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