The tip of Reya's polearm brushed the center of Gannet's chest. He stared up at her, and the sky behind her, dazed. He hadn't been knocked down in a fight in a long time, but her strength had won out over his nimbleness.
"Well fought," he said, as she pulled back her weapon and offered him a hand up. "I can see why Captain liked having you around."
To the side of their makeshift dueling ground, a gaggle of tabaxi and lizardfolk children cheered. "Go again!" shouted a fluffy tabaxi with a tabby coat.
Gannet laughed. "Haven't you all seen enough of Reya kicking the snot out of me?" they said. "Tell you what, go get us something to drink, and maybe we'll give you an encore."
The children ran off, and Gannet leaned back against the seka tree that marked the edge of their arena. "So," he said, "was this what you imagined when you took this job? Playing gladiator for a bunch of kids?"
“Not exactly.” Reya eyed her spear critically, even though it was gleaming in the sun. “But if it encourages them to pick up a weapon and use it properly I’m all for it.” She pauses. “I’m not big on political stuff, I just go where people tell me. But if…” She glances at the village. “If I can help them learn how to defend themselves, then I’ve done something good. They are just kids, but who knows what’s going to happen to them, and they need to be ready.”
"You're tellin' me." Gannet tilted their head back, watching the sun filter through the canopy. It was hot here despite the shade, and Gannet could feel the humidity stretching out in the air around them, nearly as strong as when they went swimming. "They're too little to be kicked out from their home like this. Whatever fucked-up shit is going on in Bosaadak, someone's gonna pay for putting those kids in danger." He gave Reya a sideways look without turning his head. "Though I have to ask, if you don't do politics, what're you doin' with the Harpies? I'm sure Captain wouldn't mind you stickin' around."
“Oh she absolutely wanted me to stay. And being on the sea was nice and quiet. You do your job, and do it well, get paid. And that’s the end of it. But I get the sense you are angling to get my sad story. Everyone has one.”
"I'll drink to that," Gannet said, pulling some water from the air and swirling it like a glass of wine before letting it disperse again.
“Let’s just say I made a mistake once, and the harpies were where I landed. But I’m searching for something to make it right. And maybe these people are it. I’m not sure yet, but if they are not I’m going to keep looking.” She glanced at Gannet, wondering if she should say more, about the sounds of battle and people dying. The many battles she fought. But none of that compared to the single scream, in a crowded market, the only one she couldn’t forget. She shook her head to clear it away. “Not the most thrilling of stories. I’m sure you’ve heard much better."
"Hey, a story's a story. Are you hoping that helping these people out will make you feel better? Or are you still trying to fix your mistakes?"
“That’s a mistake that I can’t fix.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn’t expect to be saying all of this out loud to someone she barely knew. But something about this place, made it seem okay. “All we can do is help the people who need us. Whatever form that takes. And in this case it’s teaching these kids to protect themselves. Because from the looks of it, they are going to need to step up. It sucks, but it’s the truth of things.
“Anyway, turnabout is fair play. How did you end up here?"
Gannet finally let his head tilt back down, fixing Reya with a grin. "Oh, I go where the currents take me," he said. "I grew up in Port Bova. Real nasty town. Got out of there on the first ship I could… Kind of a dumbass move in hindsight." Reya, he thought, looked very little like the elves he'd known growing up. Ember in particular had been slight and pale, occasionally malnourished, and usually in varying states of sleep deprivation. Gannet wondered if she would've turned out more like Reya, under better circumstances. "Spent a few years chasing a paycheck, didn't care who was offering it. Marauded a bit. Is that a word? Marauded?" He bit his lip thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Anyway. I can't say I'm proud of everything I did, but I do my best to live without regrets. Took some shore leave to visit my mom and ended up meeting Captain. She told me about this harebrained do-gooder scheme. I figured it was time for a change of pace."
“If only we were all so lucky. To live without regrets. But if nothing else, it’s been enjoyable sparring with you. You make a good opponent."
"Many thanks. That's a high compliment," said Gannet, making Reya an elaborate bow. As he stood up, Usil walked by, waving to them on their way back from a visit to Thorn Gannet watched as they continued past Farrival, who was regaling a lizardfolk elder with stories of his exploits, and Mari, who was braiding Grummen's hair.
"Y'know, you and me are the newcomers here," he said. "Everyone else are friends already. We oughta watch out for each other, yeah?"
“Of course, I’d like that very much.” A rare smile crossed her face. “It was nice talking to you.”
"Same to you," said Gannet, pushing himself off the seka trunk as the gaggle of children came running back, carrying a pitcher of guayaba juice. "Though it looks like we're about to become opponents again."