True Justice

Jinna watched Elle. The girl was silent for a long while and a tear slid down her cheek before she answered. "They were brown. Like his brother's." Jinna was surprised that Elle had actually answered her. She slowly nodded, regaining her composure.

"Brown eyes. My husband, John, has hazel eyes, which are almost brown. I remember once, when I was courting him, a girl teased me and said that her boux's eyes, which were blue, were prettier than John's eyes. You know what I told her? I told her that men didn't have 'pretty' eyes, and that I found hazel to be just as nice as blue or any other color." Jinna chuckled softly, lost in the memory. "I wasn't mean or anything, but I got the point across." She shifted her weight and smiled. "Grace's eyes are like mine, blue..."

True Justice

"Who will manage your shipyard while you're gone?" Shay asked. "If you decide to go." She sighed. "Seeing as you're the only one who offered me the job in the first place, I doubt whoever manages it while you're away will be as willing to let a woman work here as you are." She frowned, already wondering if she'd have to leave to find work somewhere else after all.

True Justice

Adrian blinked. "I'm not sure. I'll have to ask around the yard about departing ships. Someone should know." He thought a moment, but looked up again at Terence. "You'll come, then?"

True Justice

Aeryn let out a whimsical sigh. "My parents...they were wonderful." she smiled at him, a genuine smile. It always lifted her to remember the two wonderful people who had raised her. "My Father was Lord Armis. He was one of the best swordsman in all of Tierra. He was a wonderful father. He always had time for me...and my mother was Lady Vivina. She was the kindest most beautiful woman....I don't remember her as much as I'd like though. She died when I was 8 and my Father passed when I was 16." she bit her lip and cast her eyes down, suddenly over taken sadness when she recalled their deaths.

She was then aware, once again, of the darkness of her small room and heat of it, though the water splashed against the sides. She felt her blonde hair sticking to her slightly, and making her feel uncomfortable. She also thought of Adrian, and the more she did the more she felt the tears begin to sting her eyes. She was thankful for Jean, who promised to protected her, and was providing her with company. But her heart burned for Adrian....and she found herself silenced by her own pressing thoughts.

True Justice

"Walter was my one friend...and now he's gone." Elle looked down, trying to hide her tears. Her voice faltered as she added, "Because of me..."

~~~

"Maybe." Terence said, rubbing his jaw. "If what you say is true, then Aeryn is...who knows where!"

"This is a great sacrifice I am making for yours and her sake, Adrian. I want you to know that. Find out when the ship leaves and come tell me immediately. I need to settle some matters before I can go anywhere." Terence looked at Shay. "You're one of them. Come with me." He went through the door and was down five steps before he remembered about Shay's ankle. Terence ran back up the steps and said, "I forgot...your ankle."

Extending his hand toward her to help her up, he said, "Say goodbye to the loft. You won't be seeing it for some time, as it's off-limits to everyone when I am not here..."

True Justice

Shay sat there in stunned silence, watching the scene unfold between the two men in front of her. She didn't say anything - wasn't sure what to say. She watched Terence leave, stifling a giggle when he hurried back up again.

"I would have made my way down. My ankle hasn't stopped me before." She pointed to the broom and neatly swept floor. "Case in point."

She took his hand and stood up, then let go of it. "What kind of matters are you settling?" She limped to the edge of the stairs, then turned around. "Goodbye, loft."

True Justice

"Work and family matters." Terence said, picking up her shoe and sock. He handed them to her and then walked toward the stairs. "Do you need assistance, or can you handle it yourself?"

Before he descended the stairs, he called down below. "Kenneth! We need to talk."

True Justice

Shay took her shoe and sock from him, and sat down, putting them on. "I'm fine. Thank you." She tied her shoelace, thankful that her ankle wasn't too swollen to fit inside her shoe. That would be embarrassing, she thought.

Shay stood up with a minimal amount of pain and came up next to Terence, laughing. "Business and family matters? I'm not your family, and I have no plan of starting one." She frowned, wondering where Terence was going with all of this.

True Justice

Terence stared at her for a few seconds and then started laughing. "You would be a work matter, Miss O'Teale."

He stepped down two stairs and then turned to face her. "If you want to keep your job, I have to convince Kenneth to let you stay...but he's not fond of women...Ever since Elle came to stay at the shipyard, he's convinced that women are bad luck. Unfortunately, we've never been able to get Elle to leave, especially since I'm here almost all day, every day. Kenneth would be your new boss, while I'm away at least. I run this shipyard, but we all answer to a higher authority and I'm sure Kenneth would be quick to complain about you...and there's nothing I can do for you if I'm at sea or at the Capitol."

True Justice

Adrian grinned. Terence's agreement to travel with him was the one bright spot in this whole, wretched day. "She's in Negara," He told Terence, heading for the stairs. "I'll go find that ship."

He ran down the stairs and out the door, a man on a mission to find a ship and fares for him and Terence.
------

Jean listened to her tell of her parents and then, unexpectedly, he felt a wall go up between them. What happened? It couldn't have been just talking about her parents. If that was true, she wouldn't have mentioned them in the first place.

Maybe she'd remembered something else. He stood near the door from a moment and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I'll be going now. I'll check on you every once in a while. The captain'll probably try to keep me busy, but I won't let that stop me." With one last (hesitant) smile, Jean turned and made his way up to the top of the ship.

True Justice

"Are you trying to tell me I should quit my job? If he hates women that much, maybe I would be better off somewhere else." Shay rolled her eyes. "Maybe I should just come with you and Adrian to the Capitol and find work there," she stated sarcastically.

True Justice

"Don't be ridiculous. The Capitol is a horrible city. I've never been, but I've heard many a tale..." He descended the staircase completely and said, "Stay here...let me talk to him first about a few other things." Terence sauntered over to Kenneth, a large man, at least 4 inches taller than Terence, with a full beard.

True Justice

Jinna watched Elle cry, wondering about her last statement. So Walter's death had been caused by Elle? Jinna wondered if that were true, or if it was just the guilt innocent people laid upon themselves sometimes when a friend or family member died, thinking that something they had done had caused it, when it really had not. She wondered if Elle was doing that now; perhaps Walter had fallen in the water, and she had been too scared to run and get help, and he had ended up drowning. Jinna hated to think that the girl was burdening herself with something she might not even have helped. She gently placed a hand on Elle's arm and said, in her softest and tenderest tone "Please Elle, tell me what happened. How did Walter die? Why do you say it was your fault?" Jinna watched the girl, her face tender and concerned, and very patient.

True Justice

Elle shied away from Jinna's touch. She stood from the rock and splashed into the river. Her feet were bare already, so she didn't have to worry about her shoes. Turning to face Jinna, Elle said, "Terence had told us not to play in the shipyard after night fell, but I convinced Walter to come with me to explore the ship they were building. He slipped, hit his head and fell into the water. I tried to save him, but it was too late..."

She took a deep breath. "They said it was an accident, but it wasn't. If I hadn't forced him into coming with me, he would still be alive..."

True Justice

Jinna heart felt deeply for the poor girl, and she could only watch her for several moments. Her tongue seemed dry in her mouth and she could not speak. She cleared her throat and finally said "You did do wrong, Elle. You should not have disobeyed Terence." She took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to say what she needed to, how to tell Elle that life could still go on. "Elle, there can be something different for you. I am sure Terence has forgiven you. Who has not forgiven you? Tell me." Jinna studied the girl. "Are you a Christian, Elle? You know that God will forgive you." She took a step towards the girl, realization and compassion suddenly covering her face. She added knowingly "You cannot forgive yourself, can you? You are punishing yourself, aren't you?"