From a Distant Shore[M]{DamoniquexLycoris}

[Damonique]

Rated M for strong language, drug/alcohol use, violence, sexual themes/situations, and love triangles.

Laeron stood silent on the prowl of the Windrunner, holding on to one of the mast ropes for support as the long carrack listed this way and that, careful to avoid rocks and reefs as it neared the beach.

Once they settled into the shoals, the boatswain shouted a command and a swarm of men piled off the deck into the shallows, driving stakes into the sands and securing the boat to them with ropes. Starboard, the sailors off the great cog Lady Aselei we're doing the same for that battered vessel.

Once they were securely docked, the discipline born of necessity that had gripped them all, soldiers and sailors alike, these last few days broke down. Some men walked ashore and kissed the sand, others broke down and wept, still more prayed to whatever gods they thought might be listening. Laeron did not join them, Hiding his own sorrow behind a composed mask. "A king must be strong" he could almost hear his father saying, and so strong he was.

He was distracted from his reverie by the Runner's first mate, now captain, an older, balding man who'd spent his entire life at sea, explaining what needs be done to get their wounded vessels truly seaworthy again. It would be a weeks labor at least on repairs, and before that, the men would need food, rest, and fresh water.

"No reason to beg my leave, you have the command, Captain. I'd only get in your way." The prince answered, somewhat more harshly than intended, and the captain bowed low and set to bellowing orders, leaving his prince the his brooding.

[Lycoris]

Today started off like a usual day for Layla. After waking up, she got moving going on her usual morning walk around the island. She enjoyed the feeling of the soft, white sand beneath her bare feet.

As the day went on, the young girl was scavenging for food as usual. Carrying a small basket she had weaved from some sticks and plants, Layla went to one of the bushes picking some small berries. As she had collected to fill her basket, some unfamiliar noises caught her off guard.

Looking around, voices could be heard coming from the area of the coast. Hesitantly, the girl approach slowly still staying hidden by the forest not too far away from the shoreline. Holding onto a trunk of a tree, Layla slowly peaked out from behind the tree seeing an unknown group of men arriving on the island.

Tilting her head, she found some of their reactions to coming onto an island quite odd. Their clothes were also very odd . Although probably to them hers would seem odd as well. Since she outgrew her clothes that she had wore when she arrived, she had used a bunch of fabric she had scavenged over the years such as old pieces of sails that she had sewn together in a form of a dress. She probably looked like a mess compared to how nicely they were dressed compared to her.

As she observed the men, one person stood out to her in particular. One man stood off from the rest, his face somewhat serious as he showed little to no emotions. His clothes also seemed much nicer than the rest. Something about him in particular drew Layla to him. Part of her wanted to approach the group, but another part of her told herself to be cautious as she had no idea of the men's intentions coming here.

The girl hesitantly took one step closer, but instantly froze as she stepped on a stick as it snapped loudly. She looked like a deer in the headlights as she quickly tried to decide whether to stay still or run away to somewhere safe.

[Damonique]

While the men finally recovered enough to be set to their duties, the prince simply watched from the background, trying to look as if he were not sulking. One group was sent with several empty barrels, to follow a narrow stream into the forests to the spring that had to be it's source, another took up spears, bows, and baskets to go off in search of food, while the rest began offloading and taking stock of their remaining supplies and provisions.

Above all, Laeron felt useless, a despised that feeling. While he was more than willing and eager to set his own hands to work, but the men seemed reluctant to allow him to share their labors, someone always stepping in to replace him before he really got the hang of anything. And even if he were to order one of them to show him how to do something, that would just be wasting the time of someone with actual skills who was needed elsewhere on their under-crewed vessels. He reached up to feel the rough, puckered scar on his face, and not for the first time thought it might have been better if he had fallen to the blades, rather than his uncle Aeric...or any of the three other men who had guarded his royal person at the cost of their own lives when the corsairs descending upon them.

Such thoughts were not becoming of Royalty, Laeron knew his father would say, but he couldn't keep them from coming to him nonetheless. Suddenly in a foul mood, he walked off from the ships and men, studying the tide-line, now and again stopping to study a crab or shell, and then watching the jungle....something moved in the corner of his eye, but was gone when he turned to look at it. Some animal, he thought. Hopefully that was a good sign, many of the men had gone lean and weak since much of their provisions had been lost, living on a diet of stale hardbread, salt mutton, and whatever they could fish from the sea as they made slow going. Fresh meat would be a godsend.

As he wandered closer to the edge of the jungle, he turned back towards the ships and crews, finding them too busy with the tasks at hand to notice that he was gone. His father or uncle would mislike that, even in the capitol, Laeron was rarely allowed to go anywhere without at least a few men-at-arms on guard. But one of them was halfway across the sea and the other dead, so he shrugged and stepped gingerly off into the underbrush. He still had his rapier and dagger on his belt, and wouldn't be going far. And the time alone would give him a chance to think.

He found himself in a small clearing around a low hill, where the trees parted to let in the wan light of the setting sun, and unfurled his cloak over the springy moss and sat, propped up on his elbow. Only now could the tears he had been holding back for the sake of appearances fall, though he refused to sob, letting the droplets fall silently as he stared up at the sky. Deep down, he couldn't help but feel as if it were all his fault...this voyage, the misadventure of it all had been his idea, not realizing that the seas were cruel and men crueler beyond the gilded cage that was the palace....what had once seemed a grand adventure had become a feast of woes instead.

[Lycoris]

Staying a good distance away, her eyes followed the one man as he moved around on the beach and approached the jungle. Moving quickly as he turned looking in her general direction, Layla could feel her heart starting to race as goosebumps began to raise on her fair skin. Why was she was she nervous all of a sudden?

Biting her lip, the young girl watched the stranger curiously as she wanted to see what his next moves would be. Looking like the outcast of the rest of the group, he seemed the most interesting out of the rest. For Layla, it had been very long since she had seen another person. No one ever came even close to the island. The first couple of days when she arrived at the island, she always hoped that someone would come looking for her. After spending countless days just staring out at the ocean's horizon, the girl quickly gave up any hope of anyone coming here.

If she were to be honest, Layla had lost count of the days she had been here. She used to have a running tally, but was forgotten long ago ruining her count. If she were to guess, she would have to say it had been at least 5 years since she had washed up here. After all this time of waiting, Layla would never imagined that someone would actually come here.

As the man moved through the jungle, Layla followed him very cautiously wondering where he was going. Following him to the clearly, she made sure to stay just out of sight for the time being. Looking closely upon his face, something reflected off the light as they looked like some sort of droplets. Tears. He was crying? The man that acted like the strongest out of the bunch was now crying alone.

Slowly, she moved closer slowly to the edge of the clearly. While he could possibly be dangerous, her curiosity got the best of her as she wanted to get a closer look. Taking another step, her foot got snagged on a tree root that came out of the ground the girl to fall with a loud thud into the clearing. She was there in plain sight with nowhere to hide. The berries that once were in her basket were now scattered all over the ground.

[Damonique]

Laeron was staring up at the sky, trying to reign in his emotions before he returned to the ships when a loud crash off to the side startled him from his reverie, just acting on instinct, by the time he turned towards the noise his slender blade was half out of it's sheath, and his dagger already out by time he could even assess the situation. He had been expecting some animal....tales abound of great cats prowling these southern jungles. Failing that, perhaps one of the men from the ships had seen him forge off on his own and come to ensure his safety.

What he didn't expect was another human being...at least not one that looked so much like himself. The peoples of these small island chains were supposed to be ebon-black, naked and fearless.....and this girl was none of those things, fair of skin and dark of hair, dressed in a short dress of roughly-sewn rags and tatters, and seeming much more afraid than threatening. The prince left his sword loose in the sheath but kept the dagger at the ready as he took a step towards her, keeping his eyes out for anyone else that might be creeping through the brush.

"Do you live here? Are there any more of you?" He asked, careful not to make any sudden movements as he regarded the young woman with impassive, grey-blue eyes, wondering what to make of her. All he got in answer was a blank, fearful stare and a slow shake of the head...which he realized could be an answer to her question, or just a sign that she didn't understand a thing he was saying. Kneeling down, to put them closer to eye level, he noticed the berries scattered along the forest floor beside her now-broken weaved basket, and nodded softly, picking up one of the small red berries and eyeing it suspiciously.

"The berries, are they safe? Food?" He inquired, pantomiming the act of eating and thrusting the berry out between them for her to take. If the wild-woman and whoever her people were knew how to survive here, they could prove invaluable. If there were many of them, any men, perhaps they could even trade a few of their gifts for their labor.

[Lycoris]

Rising to sit on her knees, Layla looked over seeing the man had seen her and now was approaching her. Her eyes followed the movements of his hands as he held a small object that looked to be sharp. Biting her lip, she decided if she looked scared and didn't make any sudden movements for him to attack her would be the best option in this situation.

Staring at him, her large ocean blue eyes looked fearful as she shook her head in response to his question. She had recognized the language he had spoken for it was the same one that she had spoken years ago. It had been years since she had ever needed it, thus she had lost a lot of the grammar and vocabulary. If she tried to speak it now, she would mostly sound like a child just learning how to speak for the first time.

As he knelt down in front of her, her body was trembling slightly as she did not know this man's intention as he got closer to her. Her eyes followed his gaze to her now broken, weaved basket with berries scattered all around them. By following his gestures, the girl nodded figuring out he was asking her if the berries were safe to eat. Food. A word that seemed so familiar and yet so foreign. How much could she had forgotten of a language she used to know before arriving here?

Cautiously, the girl reached out gently taking the berry from his outstretched hand. She kept her movements slow as to show that she non-threatening to him. Slowly the girl raised the berry to her lips before placing it inside her mouth as she chewed on it for a few minutes before slowly. This act was to ensure that the berries were safe to eat as he may not trust her just by nodding to him. Looking back down to the ground, the girl quietly picked up a couple of berries and cupped them in her hand before she reached out offering them to the man. "F-food." She said softly using the word he had just used with her.

[Damonique]

Laeron nodded when the girl took the offered berry and ate it slowly, and then offered more to him. The prince relaxed then, lowering his dagger and accepting the gift. He tentatively popped one of them into his mouth and began to chew. The berries had a tartness to them, but the juice inside was sweet to the taste, and he found himself devouring the whole handful greedily. It had been over a week since he'd had fresh fruit of any kind.

"Thank you....do you have a name?" He asked her, after licking the last of the red juice from his lips, recieving only the same blank stare he had gotten before. Now the prince finally had the opportunity to examine her more closely....she was young, of an age with himself, and her fair skin, only lightly tanned by her time in the sun, and sea-blue eyes would have marked her for a Celvitan herself, or perhaps one of the related peoples of the neighboring kingdoms in the west. She was also quite pretty, even in her unwashed state...and, with a blush, he noticed that her ratty, homemade dress left little to the imagination. Flustered, he stood and sheathed his dagger, eyes suddenly askance of her.

"Me. Laeron." He stated calmly, and then pointed towards her. "You...?" He asked, hoping those words and gesture's would be easy enough to understand as the question about food had been.

[Lycoris]

Seeing the man relax a bit as she offered him the berries, put her a little more at ease as they both seemed to calm down a bit realizing that the two of them meant no harm to one another. As he greedily ate the berries from her hand, she began to wonder where he had come from and when was the last time that he had something to eat. By the way he ate, it seemed like it had been a while since he last ate.

As he spoke once more, she blankly stared at him blinking a few times as it was quite clear she hadn't understood him. She tucked a strand of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. By the way he examined her made her feel a little self conscious. It felt as if she weren't truly human like he was. She hated that feeling, they were the same but yet so different. Would she always be seen this way? Would everyone on this island treat her as someone less than human? She certainly hoped not. Just because she was much different from the rest didn't mean that she isn't human like the rest of them.

Mimicking his movements, the girl slowly rose to her feet as she stood in front of him. She followed his gestures as she believed to have understood what he was trying to say to her. Gesturing to herself, the girl spoke. "Me. Layla." She said hoping she had understood correctly to what he was asking.

[Damonique]

Layla, she answered, and the prince muttered it a few times, committing the name to memory and wracking his brain. It was a familiar enough name, and definitely proved his suspicions. She hailed from the same lands as himself, be she Celvitan or of the neighboring kingdoms, perhaps Lanun, or Illvetan....so how had she come to be here, of all places. Laeron began working out a way to ask, but before he could, there was a ruckus in the bushes to the edge of the clearing, and two men appeared.

One was a common sailor, burly, bald, and square of jaw, who the Prince could not begin to guess at the name of, likely just a oarsman off the Aselei, the other one of the few of his uncles sworn men to survive the storms and pirates, bedecked in the same silver-and-blue of the Royal Household that Laeron wore, the longsword at his hip out in a flash when he saw his prince was not alone, lowering the tip only slightly upon realizing the stranger was only a woman. He moved quickly to place himself between them, giving his prince a questioning glance.

"Ser Davit, no need for all that...she's only a young woman, and frightened. And if you look, she seems a lost one of our own, or near enough as makes no matter. Her eyes are blue, so she's not eastern, and the islanders are not near as pale or comely as this, if tales are to believed." Laeron said in answer to the unspoken question, and stepped past him to the side of the terrified girl, moving slowly with both hands up to show he meant no harm. Both men took the chance to examine her themselves and see the truth of their princes words, and relaxed some.

"Comely, aye, she is that...now isn't that something." Said the sailor, taking a step nearer to take her in fully, and clearly noticing the threadbare state of her dress that Laeron had, but his immediate reaction was not embarrassment, as Laeron's had been...but something else. It had been a some time since he, or most of the other men had seen a woman, and Laeron misliked the clear hunger in his eyes. He was glad Layla herself seemed unable to comprehend what it meant....and that they were not alone in this moment. Prince he may be, but royal word and person could mean little and less to a common man with his blood up, and it could have come to blows. And skilled as Laer was, the man had twenty stone and years both on him. But Ser Davyt was there as well, and he and his Prince shared a look.

"Ser, my cloak, if you please..." Said the prince in the clear, authoritative tones he had been taught to command men in, gesturing to where the garment of blue silk and silver foxfur trim remained where he left it, and the knight moved quickly to hand it to him, and Laeron gently draped it over Layla's shoulders. It was more than just something to cover her provocative appearance, but an old rite. To wear the blue and silver was a privilege allowed to few, proof of either high blood or royal favor....and would assure her safety.

"She has a name, Layla. And I would appreciate if you would both step off for a moment, to allow Layla and I a moment to converse. Your steel frightens her." He stated in that same tone, and the sailor mumbled something under his breath that seemed unlikely to be kind before shuffling off, and Ser Davit moved to the edge of the clearing but didn't take his eyes off of the both of them for a second. Laeron smiled and stepped a respectful distance off from the wild girl.

"It's okay, these are my people. Friends." He stated gently, hoping she understood, and began to help her gather up the rest of her berries.

[Lycoris]

Hearing the rustle of the bushes, the girl was startled seeing two more men appear from the jungle. Before she had the chance to do anything, one of the men moved quickly between her and Laeron pointing a large sharp object at her. Scared, the girl took a step back as she wasn't sure what exactly was going on for him to be provoked to be defensive of the other person. Unfortunately for Layla, she wasn't able to follow their conversation so she just stood there very confused as she watched Laeron hoping he may give her some sort of sign of what was going on.

As the two new men inspected her, Layla stood their kind of awkwardly not understanding why she was getting so much attention from them both. She didn't liked that they kept coming closer, but did nothing as she wasn't sure what she should do. The girl was pretty clueless about how the sailor looked at her and what indecent thoughts he had of her. The girl hated feeling so lost like this. She never knew exactly what was happening or the reasons for how they looked at her. It was truly frustrating for her to try to figure everything out without knowing the language anymore.

Luckily for Layla, she saw Laeron as someone she could trust. While she may not know him that well, something about him gave her a nice feeling as if she would be safe if he was with her. Deciding to trust him, she would always look to him specifically as to figure out what was going on and what she should do. Layla watched him curiously as his knight retrieved the cloth on the ground that had been forgotten whenever she had fallen. The foreign cloth was then draped over her shoulders covering up herself leaving no sign of her dirty, tattered dress underneath. Looking down at herself, the girl gently felt the fabric of the cloak. It was much nicer than any fabric she had felt before. Although the only fabric she had felt was some canvas sails and some old rags. Most fabrics would feel better than the ones she was familiar with.

The two men backed off away from them for some unknown reason as Layla assumed Laeron did it in order to make her feel better. Seeing his smile made her feel a bit more at ease as she couldn't help but give a small smile in return. "Friends?" She asked softly tilting her head slightly. That word seemed familiar, but at the moment she didn't understand the meaning.

Seeing him picking up berries, she quickly moved to help him pick up the berries she had dropped.

[Damonique]

Laeron beamed a cheerful smile when she offered her friendship...or at least, that what what she thought she was doing when she repeated the word after him, nodding several times as he helped collect the last of Layla's berries, and he hoped she'd be able to show them where to find more of them. Fresh food would surely be welcome, and it would be a clear purpose for him to keep the wild girl close...for her own safety, to be sure.

The prince couldn't help but see this as some adventure, the sort he had been hoping for when they set out, rather than the grief and woe they had gotten instead. It still puzzled him how she may have come to be here, but at this point he had settled on shipwreck. There were tales of mariners washing ashore unharmed even after the worst calamity, delivered to land by the fickle tides, far from home. As for her lack of words, the sea addled ones wits, it was said.

"Leyla, do you live here?" He said softly, pointing at her, the ground, and then the jungles around them. "Home?" He asked of her.

[Lycoris]

The girl was confused by his sudden excitement as Layla repeated the word back to him, but decided not to dwell on it too much as it seemed to make him happy. The reasoning behind it didn't matter at the moment as the two collected all of the berries. The island did have a lot of resources that were useful. There was a river with freshwater that could be used to fish if someone knew how. There were also plenty of different fruits and berries that grew on the island that was a stable food source for Layla.

Watching his gestures, she was unsure whether to nod or not. Was home a place that she just a place where she lived, or was home the place where she belonged. Going with her gut and assuming he could tell that she wasn't originally from here, she gave a nod. "Yes, this home." She said replied. "You, home?" She asked hoping he would understood she was trying to ask where his home was, but obviously lacked the vocabulary to formally ask him.

[Damonique]

Laeron nodded, understanding her answer. While her speech was halting and she seemed to often find herself tongue-tied, the girl still had her wits, it would just be a matter of finding enough common ground to express themselves properly, and he was looking forward to the experience...but first he should answer her question, and there would be other matters to settle after that.

"My home is...." The prince started, wondering how best to explain this, and then he pointed towards where the sound of waves were coming from. "...The sea, you know the sea." He made a rippling motion with one arm, trying to pantomime the waves, and then pointed again, to the west, towards the setting sun, for a long time, then brought it back down. "Far away, on the other side. Celvitas. A kingdom....I'm the Crown Prince." He added, getting a bit ahead of himself, and shook his head, deciding to not even try to explain what he meant by that. Hopefully he had at least gotten across where he was from, in some fashion.

"Are you alone?" He asked, pointing at himself, and then at Ser Davyt waiting patiently off to the side, and then to her and then out towards the jungle, trying to ask if there were any other people like her that lived here. He couldn't imagine surviving in such a place alone for long. The forested wilderness of his homeland was one thing, but the jungle, with it's heat, scarcities, and surely dangerous wildlife was something totally alien to him.

[Lycoris]

Watching his gestures, Layla seemed to understand most of what he said. She assumed he lived across the ocean, but got to learn at least what direction it was in and the name of it assuming that Celvitas was what they called his home. She smiled a bit to him, showing him that she understood appreciating he was willing to work with her and explain everything with gestures in order for her to understand what he was saying.

While it had been years since Layla had needed to understand English, she seemed to be picking it up pretty quickly just from the small amount she had been exposed to. She was hoping that if she was consistently exposed to it, she would start picking it up more and begin to understand more of the grammar as well.

As he asked her another question, she started to be able to predict what he meant as he did the gestures for her. She nodded in response as she wondered how he would react to hearing she had been here for years by herself.

[Damonique]

It took a few more gestures and an exchange of clipped statements for Laer to be sure that he grasped what she meant, that there were no more people waiting in the woods...perhaps to ambush them, which was a relief, and also that the had somehow survived and carved out a life here all of her own. How difficult that must have been, he wondered...the girl didn't seem too formidable herself, but appearances sometimes lied. Regardless, she would be useful to their survival on this windswept rock they'd found themselves lost upon.

"These..." He said simply, taking up a handful of the berries and pointing towards the deeper jungle from which Layla seemed to have come. "Are there more of them, for my friends to eat?" He asked gently, making a show of picking up one berry, then several, and raising one of his mouth and pointing to Ser Davyt, and then from where he and the sailor had come from, where they could hear the occasional sound of voices and hammering where the men were working on throwing up crude shelters along the shoreline while there was still light.

"You go, I follow." He added, standing up and making a few more gestures to explain what he meant. If she could help procure a good stock of berries, and the men sent out to hunt and fish came up with anything at all, his people could all have something of a feast tonight. That would do much and more to calm hot tempers and morose depression, the two ways men dealt with tragedy, the pall they had been living under since fending off the corsairs.

[Lycoris]

The girl nodded in response as she watched his gestures about wanting to know where to find some berries. She turned and started walking. Taking a few steps, Layla looked back to make sure Laeron was following her before she kept walking. She led him through part of the jungle, walking in bare feet without any issue. A few minutes the later, Layla had brought him to the couple of bushes that had some berries growing.

Looking back to Laeron, she hoped this was what he had wanted her to do. She had no idea what state the men were in and how many there were exactly. While the island was sustainable for one person, she wasn't sure how much food they will add need. Berries obviously wouldn't be enough to sustain them all. She wondered just how long they intended to stay here.

[Damonique]

Laer followed after Layla easily. Unlike his own clunky, stumbling gait, and that of the soldier following dutifully behind them, her steps were sure and silent as she gracefully ducked and wove through the brush....again he wondered just how long she might have lived here, to have adapted so fully to island life, but he lacked the words to properly ask the question. Instead, he just gave her an encouraging look when she looked back and did his best to keep up with her pace.

Before long, they reached a stand of bushes bearing many more of the small berries she had given him, and seemed quite pleased with herself when showing them to him. The prince stepped up beside her and tried to find some way to express his gratitude, first giving a small bow, to which she responded with a seeming indifference, so he instead reached over and gently patted her head twice with the palm of his hand, surprised to find her long, wild brown hair softer to the touch than he expected.

"Thank you, Layla. Ser Davit, help me gather enough of these to bring back for the crew. We can send a party back tomorrow with barrels and baskets for more." He explained, and the Knight moved quickly to do as his prince bid, removing his iron-and-leather pot helm to collect the small red fruit in, stopping to pop one into his mouth experimentally and responding in much the same way as Laeron had, finding them quite tasteful and helping himself to a handful more.

"Well, she's a clever one, isn't she, m'liege? About time we had a bit of luck." The dark-haired man said, while Laeron swept up a fold of his cloak that Layla was now wearing and placed the hem in her hand, forming a makeshift bag for them to collect more berries in, until they had at least enough for every man to have a mouthful. The sun was beginning to set more, making the trees throw eerie shadows. The jungle felt somehow more...sinister outside of the light of the sun, and Laeron idly wondered where Leyla took shelter on these nights.

"Lucky....that she is. To have made it here in the first place, off whatever ship she was thrown off, and to have made it all this time...perhaps Aeliss has some fondness for her." He answered wistfully, finding him examining Layla again as he invoked the name of the of the Mother of Waves, a god both loved and feared by seafaring men in equal measure. Laeron remembered the offering he and his uncle had left before her statue on the wharves before setting out, three golden rings, a bottle of fine wine, and a silver mirror. The prince knew little of the whims of gods, but who was he to question it?

"Layla, come with us, meet my friends. We'll eat together, and talk." He said to the girl, gesturing from himself and then Ser Davit, and then towards where he knew their ships waited moored along the shore. It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement, or even an order. That was less intentional as a force of habit. The Crown Prince was not used to being around people who weren't beholden to his whims, and at the moment, his whim was to get to know the island girl better.

[Lycoris]

Once standing there, the girl looked confused to him bowing to her as that had no meaning to her. Her eyes looked at him curiously as he stepped closer to her only to pat her head a few times. She believed this was his way of showing gratitude for her showing him the bushes of berries. She smiled a bit glad that she was able to help him and be useful for him and his men.

While most people Layla to be very skilled to have survived here by herself for all this time, she wasn't as skilled as they would assumed her to be. She did know how to make fires with the items that she could find on the island. She also knew where to find food as well as weaving branches and plants together to make items such as a basket. When it came to skills like hunting, Layla was unable to do such things. When it came to her shelter for the night, if it was nice and clear, she would find a place to sleep under the stars. Usually the beach worked just fine. But if the island had bad weather, Layla knew of a small cave where she could take shelter for the night.

Overall, Layla seemed to be lucky. She had face minimal hardships and was fortunate to have landed on an island that had enough resources to have sustained her for this long. For those who tried to be put in the same situation and tried to survive like her may not fair so well. It seems that for Layla, there must be some higher power looking out for her. To have survived be thrown overboard on a ship, to being washed up on an island, to now having strangers coming to the island and possibly being rescued, there's no way that there wasn't someone who has been helping her out all this time.

Giving her the fold of his cloak, Layla was happy to help collect more berries for them with her one free hand in their now makeshift bag they had. The cloak seemed to be very useful as it provided warmth, but could also be used to create a bag or be used to keep dry from the rain. If only she had one when she had arrived to the island.

Once they have collected enough berries, she looked back to Laeron as he invited her to come with him to meet the others. While it took a minute for her to understand what he was saying through his gestures, there a little reluctance on her face as she wasn't sure if that would be a good idea or not. While she trusted Laeron enough to be comfortable around him, it would still take a while for her to trust everyone. It has also been a long time since she's been with a large group of people so she would probably get overwhelmed easily being around them all.

Part of her said not to go, but there was also another part of her that told her to go. This type of offer is rare and she may not get the chance again later. Another part of her felt drawn towards Laeron as well as something about him made her to want to get closer to him. Making a decision, she slowly gave a small nod of her head to him accepting his offer.

[Damonique]

The prince noticed the doubt appear in Layla's features as she held back, considering what he said, and for a moment he was afraid she might run away from him, unprepared for all the new experiences about to be thrust upon her. But after a moment, she showed some resolve, nodding slowly and moving closer to him. He placed a hand gently upon her shoulder and led the way.

It didn't take long for the trio to reach the beach, and the crews had been busy, erecting three large canvas barracks tents past the tide-line, and in the center of them, they'd arranged a circle of stones and started a large fire of driftwood and branches within it. A smell stuck them that made both Laeron and Ser Davit's mouths water...cooking meat. As the neared, they could make out two men turning a large pig lazily on a spit. As they were seen approaching, several men came over to catch a glimpse of the 'Feral Girl' for themselves, greeting the Prince variably, with bows, smiles, pats on the back, and lewd suggestions that made him blush beet red and thank the heavens that Layla girl beside him seemed unable to comprehend their meaning.

A few men remained back though, grumbling, including the sailor who had approached them with Ser Davit. Laeron would be careful to post a few guards to keep an eye on those ones, but otherwise the attitude was festive and optimistic. None of the searchers had come up empty. The men sent for water had filled three large casks fresh from a spring-fed pool far upstream, the hunters had found a flock of group of hairy, mid-sized boars deeper in the jungle and brought down the largest, and the gatherers had filled their sacks with a variety of fruits that they had tested and found more than edible. He thanked the for their good service, and stepped forward, adopting his most regal pose to address them all, cutting a striking figure with the setting sun behind him, turning his hands towards Layla.

"May I introduce the source of our good fortune. This is Layla....some lost Celvitan who's lived here longer than any living person, by some divine provenance. I believe this place was destined to be ours. A new territory, named after my Uncle in his memory. Aeric Island, an outpost from which to resupply sips and harry the pirates, so such no man must suffer such a crossing as we endured." He explained, to general cheers and applause. Many shouted Laeron's name, and still others cheered 'Layla' over and over. Laeron smiled...he'd be able to return to his father with more than just news of tragedy. An explorer and leader like his uncle before him, rather than just a frightened boy.

Layla, for her part, seemed to be getting quite anxious in the presence of so many, quite loud strangers, so after exchanging a few words of gratitude to his people, he led her off to the side of the group to where a collection of windswept boulders jutted out from the shallows, sitting down on one and patting the stone beside him to indicate she should sit with him while they awaited the food to be prepared. Once she sat, he studied her for a long time before saying anything, noticing the way the setting sun off the water turned her skin golden and hair copper, the way her eyes lit up.

"You, this place..." He gestured towards her, then around at the island, and then looked off into the distance wistfully. "...I think you may have been meant to be found, and I the one find you." He stated, reaching over to place a hand gently upon her shoulder. "Fate." He whispered softly. The gods would not be so capricious as to take a man such as his uncle had been without giving something back in return.

[Lycoris]

Following the two the beach, Layla was greeted with a large group of men approaching the men. She watched them quietly as many were looking at her closely, but none actually touched her or said anything to her directly. Watching Laeron's face, she tilted her head slightly noticing his blush, but didn't understand the meaning behind it. Growing up alone for so long, Layla was pretty oblivious when it came to certain things as she did not know what a lot of the lewd comments meant or implied. Being alone made her very innocent.

As Laeron introduced her to the group, she felt very out of place not used to having so many eyes looking at her. She shifted a bit uncomfortably as she stood their awkwardly while some people began to cheer her name along with Laeron. Luckily for her, Laeron seemed to have pick up that she was getting anxious being around so many people at once and decided to lead her away off to the side. Following him, he took to the grouping of boulders where he invited her to sit down next to him. Nodding, Layla moved over sitting down quietly beside him.

Her hair swayed slightly in the sea breeze as the setting sun shone perfectly on the water illuminating her skin and hair. The pretty water was reflected in her eyes as she looked over to him. Listening to him, she gave a smile to him nodding in agreement. "Fate." She repeated his words as the thought of their meeting was destined, it made her feel a spark of happiness inside. If this truly was fate, who knows what it had in store for the two of them in the future. How would their lives change since they have met?

[Damonique]

They sat there together for a goodly amount of time while the men continued working and cooking off to the side, not truly 'speaking' owing to the limited nature of their method of communication, but now and again Laeron would point to something and say the word for it, waiting until Layla did the same, or explaining the meaning of certain phrases with gestures.

Some concepts were simple, like 'me' and 'you' when referring to oneself or the one your were speaking to, 'that' indicating an object, and the words for things like 'ship', 'stone', and 'cloak' that she grasped them almost effortlessly, further lending credence to the Prince's suspicion that she had known their language in some time before being stranded, and had only forgotten much of it, and whenever she got something right he would give her a smile or an affectionate pat on the head.

It was very easy to mistake Layla for a child much younger than her true years under such circumstances. She was nearly a foot shorter than the tall, long-limbed prince, looking even smaller wrapped in his billowy cloak, and her manner of speech and shy, demure demeanor reminded him very much of his youngest sister, Alicent, who was only eight. Now and again the way she pronounced something would make him laugh. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed so often since the first storm had washed over the fleet. It was....nice.

Eventually, one of the men called over to them to announce that the pork was finished being cooked and seasoned, and Laer led Layla back towards the fire, it's heat a welcome addition. While the days here were more than warm enough, once the sun went down and the wind off the water picked up, it got quite chilly, and Layla was still engulfed by his long cloak.

The men said a handful of prayers to whichever of the many gods they honored, and owing to his status, gave the prince the first and largest haunch of meat off the spitted boar, a basket of fruit and berries, and a cup drawn from the second-to-last cask of sweet red wine that had been found in the holds of the Proudrunnder, the remnants of his uncles private stock. Layla was given similar, and Laeron beaconed for her to try the meat and wine, taking a bite and swig himself to and nodding with approval to show it was safe.

[Lycoris]

While they sat together, Layla enjoyed their time together. Even though their communication was very limited, they made it work. Laeron would help her teaching her new words having her repeat them back to him. The words he taught her were familiar, but her memories of the language were long forgotten. Perhaps overtime her memory of it will come, at least she hoped so. Hearing his laugh made Layla feel good inside knowing that she was making him happy, even if she wasn't exactly sure what she was doing that he found so amusing, but seeing him smile and be happy made her feel happier in response.

Her innocence made Layla seem almost like a child. With her lack of knowledge of suggestive topics as well as other things, she did seem like a child. It didn't help that she grew up most of her life with very little social interaction with others that would have helped her mature a bit more. She did have some traits such as being independent and self sufficient living on her own for so long, so she wasn't that far behind. It would only be a matter of time before she would catch up.

As the men called to them, Layla was a little disappointed that their time alone from the others was over for the time being, but she assumed that this wouldn't be the last time. The two of them seemed to have been bonding nicely ever since they have met. Following him back, Layla did feel nice being close to the fire along with Laeron's cloak. It was very nice way to wear instead of just wearing her tattered, ragged dress. She frequently became cold throughout the night while just wearing her dress.

As everyone was given food, Layla looked at the pork intrigued by it not remembering if she had ever had it before coming to the island. Glancing to Laeron, she smiled a bit as he gestured to her that it was safe to try just as she had done with the berries. Taking a small bite of the pork, her face lit up after realizing how good it had tasted. She eagerly began eating more as meat was much more filling than the usual fruits and berries she had been used to eating. She sipped on the wine as she had never had alcohol before so the taste was something very foreign to her that she would need to adapt to.

"Food good!" She said happily to him as she was very appreciative that they would be willing to share everything they had found on the island.

[Damonique]

Layla's outburst of excitement at the simplest of pleasures caused the gathered crewmen no end of mirth, her very presence seemed to lighten the mood considerably as they all ate and drank their fill together, and some started taking turns playing the 'pointing game' with her, giving her words like 'fire', 'tent', 'wine', many types of food and several of their names. Many of the men were more than passing intrigued in the girl for other reasons as well, but just as many had daughters, nieces, and cousins back home she fondly reminded them of.

When their meal was done with enough set aside for a light breakfast before the days labors tomorrow, many of the men wandered off to find their bunks on the ships or places in the barracks tents to rest, while the rest gathered closer to the fire in a circle, refilling their cups and swapping stories and jests, even the prince himself contributing a few anecdotes, about his uncle and the time they spent at foreign courts. They were the few good memories this adventure had had despite later tragedy. Laer was sure Layla couldn't recognize but one word in tend without context, but she laughed when they laughed and seemed more than contented with the warmth of the fire and food in her belly to mind them talking around her.

Half-hand Jan still had the woodharp he had brought with them from home, and the tough, sea-hardened sailor began to pluck it the strings with his remaining fingers, making music so light and beautiful that it stood at odds with the rough appearance of the man playing it, and Laeron watched intently to see how Layla would respond to something that was surely so unfamiliar.

[Lycoris]

Sitting around the fire with everyone seemed like a good way for Layla meeting everyone. A lot of them seemed kind and happy that she was here. They had fun helping her learning more words as well as teaching her all their names. The atmosphere was very light as any negative feelings were now gone after the success of gathering food for a big feast to feed everyone.

After the meal, some people went off leaving a smaller group to circle by the fire. Layla sat with Laeron around the fire as the rest told some stories. Even though she could barely understand what they were all saying, she was still interested seeing how they put a lot emotion in how they told the story. She laughed along with the rest as she was starting to feel more comfortable around the others as she would only feel better overtime.

Watching the one man curiously, she tilted her head as she eyed the man now holding a small wood object with strings. Listening to the sound, she was fascinated that such an object could produce such a pretty sound. As he played, the girl listened happily as the music. Her eyes never left him as he continued playing while she enjoyed the sound.

[Damonique]

"Best act fast, my prince. You may have some competition there." One of the men-at-arms commented with a chuckle, watching Layla watch Jan's harping with a look of utter delight, and the prince flushed a bright red, thankfully obscured by the warm light of the fire playing over his features. It wasn't so much the content of the statement, but just the suggestion that his own intentions towards the girl were any less than noble.

It wasn't that she was anything if not attractive, far from it. Layla was all soft curves, sun-kissed skin, and deep-blue eyes as frightful and innocent as a doe. It was those eyes that defied any wicked thoughts, made him want to protect her from the cruelties of a world she hardly understood. And it was more than that. When Layla had stepped into his life, Laeron had been at his lowest point....collapsed, crying, helpless. And then she had appeared, out of nowhere, and placed her trust in him...presenting a glimmer of hope against all that had befallen them. That was a debt Laer was unsure he could ever repay...but he would try.

Those were, of course, private thoughts that he could not give voice. Those of Laer, the young man who didn't truly see himself as a ruler or leader, but just a green boy out to experience the world, raised on tales of chivalry and the example of better men. The man he resolved to be on his return, the King-to-Be, Son of King Lorien, could not harbor such lusts for another, simpler reason. For all her charms and trappings of fate, Layla was no foreign princess or lady of the court, no fitting consort to ask his royal hand. It was harsh, but true...but also a bit sad.

Laeron listened for a while more, and then suddenly stood, stretching his back and letting out a long yawn, which the men took as a signal that merriment was at it's end. Jan ceased his playing and went off to find his bunk with a handful of other common men, while Ser Davit and two men-at-arms remained to compose his tail and guard for the night, sleeping in shifts.

[Lycoris]

As the music continued, Layla was filled with delight listening to the pretty harp. The atmosphere was very calm, everyone seemed to be having a good time as Layla could tell by the look on their faces as they all sat around listening and talking with one another laughing. Despite their joyous mood, Layla would never fully understand what an hardship they had gone through throughout their journey arriving here. She would never understand the full impact this island had on them as the island seemed to be a blessing given to them by some unknown power.

The poor girl would not be prepared for what was to come in the near future. She was so naive and unaware of the world she would experience. Given her gender and status, she would not be prepared for how society will treat her once she arrived. Layla has never experienced such difficulties so it would definitely be an eye opening experience coming ahead.

Despite her being naive, Layla was filled with innocence which was very intriguing to see. This causes her to see things in a different way which could be interesting for those around her. It allows her to view things without prior judgments thus her being pure at heart.

As the music abruptly ended, Layla looked around as the men starting leaving going off to wherever they were going to sleep for the night, she wasn't exactly sure what that place was. She stood up kind of feeling awkward out of place as she just stood there looking around for a bit waiting for some kind of sign. She was unsure whether Laeron had something in mind for where she was to sleep, or if she was just expected to go off to where she normally does.