Gannet woke up with his coin purse noticeably lighter than the night before; his head achingly heavier; and his heart… well, his heart wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be.
Judging from the bustling sounds of The Docks below him, he'd slept later than he intended. Judging by the sunlight streaming directly into his face through the east-and-down-facing window, he still had plenty of time before cast-off at noon.
The benefit of leaving on the same ship he'd come in on was that he didn't have much to pack. After pulling the water off the sea breeze to drench himself, and then letting it disperse to dry off, he only needed to try and get his mind into a decent state before he was ready to return to The Vagrant Albatross.
Breakfast seemed to be a quiet affair at The Dour Dram. Why anyone would name an inn the Dour Anything was beyond Gannet, but the tea was hot and the fish was smoked just to their liking, so really there wasn't much to complain about.
They took the same spot at the bar where they'd spoken to Charsi last night. Gannet couldn't remember how they'd become friends with her, but she always made the effort to seek them out when they were in the same port. He suspected her continued friendship was at least partially due to his willingness to pay for dinner and drinks, but she made decent company, so if Gannet had the coin to spare then why not? Gannet had never been one to hang onto money. If he was fed, rested, and had nice clothes, then he was already richer than he'd ever been. Other than send it home to their mother, what could they even do with more money? Buy a house that would gather dust? A ship that he could never leave? No, it was better to let coin come and go with the tide. Better to live in the moment and to take the little joys rather than pin all their hopes on some grand plan.
If only they'd known that a decade ago. Gannet had meant what he'd said to Reya back in Kas Selvess: he tried not to regret anything. And it was difficult to be mad at his past self for being a stupid kid. All the same, he wished he'd listened to Ember instead of believing Gentle Song would give him the sense of family he craved. Lured by a siren in the stupidest way possible, they thought ruefully, as they'd done many times since their parent abandoned them at the end of their quest.
And now he might be on the brink of seeing Ember again. Charsi had, after parting him from still more of his gold, pointed him to an old gnome across the bar. The old fucker couldn't even get Ember's name right - assuming the person he'd been talking about was Ember, and not some nearly identical woman named Amber - but as fate would have it, the last place he'd sent her was Bosaa in search of the very treasures that Gannet and the Harpies had so recently retrieved.
Gannet and the Harpies, he thought, would be a good name for a band. He'd have to find out if Farrival Marchant played any instruments.
Gannet sipped the strong, bitter tea, the edge of their hangover finally starting to recede. From what he could tell, Ember and her new boss didn't have anything to do with Chaliya, or care much about Koumazot politics, so it was unlikely she'd end up on the opposite side of the fight that was coming. Still, Gannet had to admit, the circumstances were less than ideal for a long-awaited reunion. Much as he hated to have an agenda, ever, Gannet did have one in Bosaadak. He'd made a promise to Korash, and he was going to keep it. And that meant getting in a fight that was only kind of his own. Even if he managed to catch Ember before she left the island, how could he be sure it wouldn't go horribly wrong? What if she thought he was being stupid again? What if she wanted nothing to do with him? What if Gannet got so worked up over the possibility of seeing her that he was totally useless to the rebellion?
(Getting a head start on that last one, he thought with a grimace.)
He hoped she'd at least talk to him. When he left, he has been so confused, so unable to put words to his feelings. It had taken a decade of work - and a lot of heartache along the way - to be able to have conversations like the one they'd had with Korash. To know themself enough that they could share themself with others.
He finished his tea, left another gold piece on the bar - more than his tab was worth, but it was always better to leave a good impression - and left the Dour Dram. He wandered up The Terraces to pick up the enchantments he'd ordered, wondering what Korash would think of his plan for them. Kan would certainly be excited.
The sun was just hitting its zenith when Gannet arrived aboard the Vagrant Albatross. It was a smooth cast-off, with a favorable wind and a little encouragement from Gannet to the current. Soon the cliffs of Evershoal were shrinking behind them, and the only thing separating Gannet from everything that awaited on Koumazot was the sea.