Though she was loath to admit it, Reya had been ignoring Grummen. She believed in the idea that a person's current actions speak louder than past ones. And on the whole Grummen seems like a nice guy. A bit scary in battle, and not just because of the songs. But it’s not like he is going around killing innocent people, in fact, he truly seems to care in his own way.
So maybe the songs were just a leftover tradition from his childhood. Or maybe he only showed up, for like high holy days. Do cults even have high holy days? It doesn’t really matter, she told herself, as long as we are on the same side and have the same enemies it’s fine.
It was not fine the second they set foot back on the ship. Instead of the normal rush of adrenaline at being on the open water, she felt trapped and she could swear Grummen was looking at her strangely.
She excused herself and went directly to her bunk. Her sleep was fitful, as she was plagued by the sound of many voices singing as bodies were cut down around her.
She woke up around midday, feeling very stiff and grumpy. She grabbed her polearm, hoping that some drills would loosen up her tight muscles. But when she got to the deck there was an orcish figure sitting where she normally practiced with a fishing rod in his hand.
Without thinking Reya stormed over and slammed the butt of her polearm loudly on the deck next to him.
“The songs you sing in battle. I know them, and what they mean.How long have you been in the cult? Is that why you enjoy killing so much huh?” Her voice was loud and acuistory.
Everyone on deck who could find something to do below, did. Everyone who couldn’t suddenly became very interested in their work.
Grummen looked up from his fishing pole, the expression could have been agitation, amusement, or gas.
"I asked you a question.” Then switching to draconic, “I know you can understand me. You’re not dumb.”
Grummen snorted and went back to fishing. Perhaps the elf would simply leave and find someone else to bother. If she knew what the songs meant she would not be asking the question in the first place. A self proclaimed warrior with no scars making demands for explanations of things she claimed to already understand was more absurdity than Grummen could manage on an empty stomach. Particularly if she was going to keep trying to bark at him about not being dumb with an accent that made her sound like an upside down drunk.
The only sound was the waves against the hull and the occasional swish of a fishing line being cast. As the silence dragged on Reya pondered her options. She could just walk away and have this unease continue to grow or she could just be honest.Then she remembered it was going to be a four week voyage and knowing that made the decision easier.
“The past few days I’ve been having nightmares, of things I wanted to forget.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I want to forget my friends, who were slaughtered by people who sing those songs.I just can’t and…I’m not trying to say that you are like them or that you had any part in it. And if you did, nothing can change the past. I was just hoping, that if I understood what you believe in then I could put this behind me. Because we are working together, and I don’t want to jeopardize that. But you don’t owe me an explanation or anything really.” She stood up wearily.
“Not looking back is good way to be ambushed” Grummen said as if to no one in particular.
Reya pondered this for a moment, letting it sink in. “Huh, I hadn’t thought about it like that. I will keep that in mind.”