The Land Below our Feet II (Unleashed) COMPLETE

SHORES

Teranha watched eagerly how the outline of Ragthaer Cove's Bay slowly appeared in the distance as the ship finally arrived at its shores after a long and bumpy journey.

Having been born under the scorching sun of the Sand Valley, the Uplander warrior had never been that close to a body of water in her entire life, much less ridden the waves of the sea. So, when Captain Greghan had announced that she was joining the expedition, she had heavily gulped a lump down her throat and simply prepared for the worst.

Thankfully, that short Lowlander named Jogru had also been assigned to make the trip back with her, and he'd been quite helpful so far... Conveniently showing her how to endure those rough first days onboard that goddamn invention of hell they called a boat.

-You'll get used to it – He'd told her the first miserable afternoon, gently patting her shoulder and helping her stand up when he found her crouched overboard after she'd spent the last ten minutes or so barfing her guts out with her hands desperately clutching the rails of the deck – Don't be ashamed, we call it seasickness and it's completely normal… I assure you we've all had it.

-Why is this happening to me? – She'd asked in bewilderment, blinking a few involuntary tears away and slowly recovering her composure as she held shakily to his forearm – Am I ill then?

-Not really – Jogru had explained, getting a strand of loose hair off her face – It's not an actual disease, but a very annoying secondary effect of traveling like this.

-So, I'm not sick at all? – Teranha had inquired, looking doubtfully at him. Her sight lingering on his affable features and progressively calming considerably while she straightened herself up.

-No, it just feels that way - He'd said, sketching a gentle smile, his finger delicately touching her earlobe then migrating to the skin below her eye and tapping it lightly – Right now, your senses are in conflict. You see, while one detects motion, the other doesn't, and this is driving your brain crazy… It will all pass if you give it a few days… Trust me.

-But why aren't you affected by it at all? – She demanded to know, her voice revealing a hint of jealousy as she looked around discreetly – Or the other members of your crew?

-Because we've all spent our fair share of time on one of these vessels by now – Jogru had responded, a lighthearted chuckle agitating his firm chest – But you should have seen me back when my brothers and I first started trying to figure these things out… My face was the greenest of them all!

-What about my troops? – The woman had observed, stealing a furtive glance towards the crowd of sturdy males congregated on the opposite side of the craft - I don't think any of them had ever been on a ship either, and they seem to be doing just fine!

-Oh, trust me, they aren't – The bulky man had scoffed indifferently. Leaning towards her and whispering into her ear – I've seen more than a few breakfasts thrown over-side since we set sail… They're just trying to put up a strong front before you, Lieutenant… So, don't let those fake stoical masks fool you for one second.

-Are you telling me that they are all feeling as bad as I am? – She'd muttered with surprise, a playful smile creeping up her lips as she looked their way more attentively.

-Worse even… - He'd assured her, offering her his arm – Don't worry, you'll be fine. Now come here, let's get some water and some food into your system. You'll gonna need both.

-I'm not sure that I can keep anything down, Jogru – Teranha had mumbled hesitantly – My stomach feels so upset right now that I doubt I am capable.

-Well, it's only gonna get worse if you end up dehydrating – He'd shrugged off, carelessly escorting her along the deck – Why don't we start with some soup and see how it goes from there? Sounds good?

That night they had sat on the wooden deck. Jogru chattering animatedly about some incredible sailing maneuvers and this fantastic flying aircraft while she cautiously slurped the contents of her bowl. The steamy food and the fresh, salty air gradually making her feel slightly better with each spoonful she drove to her mouth.

Naturally, she'd appreciated the useful help… But she'd been most grateful for the discreetness with which he had offered it, and the casual respect that he showed towards her position.

The Cahenean was painfully aware that Greghan´s decision of handing the power to her had not sat particularly well with a lot of the more seasoned members of the crew, who surely believed that they deserved it better than some foreign, rookie girl.

So, now she had to deal with the professional jealousy this brought upon her shoulders on top of being the newcomer female, and that was a very challenging task.

Teranha was used to dealing with the constant deprecating comments from her peers. Being a woman trying to make a name for herself in a man's world, she was no stranger to such behaviors, nor was she intimidated by them.

Life had taught her a long time ago how to stay on her toes and be ever ready for any situation that might present itself, and this made her an unmatched leader, regardless of what her subordinates might think.

Normally, she would always end up gaining recognition after delivering some punches and kicks, then mostly be left to work. With time, she would even aspire to a certain grade of camaraderie among her soldier peers.

But being treated with such deference and equality since the very beginning… That was a completely different thing and an entirely odd occurrence. So, it threw her out of balance just as much as it intrigued her.

-Did you get to know the Queen before the war? – She'd asked with curiosity, interrupting Jogru´s previous dissertation about wind drafts and aerodynamics, making him stumble briefly on his words.

-N-Not really – He'd responded, rapidly picking up his jovial previous tone – I mean, I guess I must have seen her around, but I used to travel so much back then that I was rarely home anyway… It wasn't until we came back after Lowland's gate fall that I met her sister, Sehira. My brothers and I joined her rebellion plan to free the city, and we've all been around ever since.

-So… You're no trained soldier? – Teranha had exclaimed with visible surprise – I thought you were a Marshall or something of the sort!

-No ma´am – The man had chuckled loudly, winking playfully at her – I simply consider myself a humble adventurer, and this is the most challenging gig that a man like me can aspire to in times like these, so here I am.

-But you're the one in charge, nevertheless! – She'd remarked in awe, remembering Greghan´s orders and connecting the dots – They're letting you lead!

-Well, I've earned my spot, just the way you are earning yours right now – He'd simply said, shrugging off and bumping her elbow slightly – You will soon see that Ussiariah doesn't care about bullshit formalities as much as he cares about true grit.

-… And you've served under a woman's command before – Teranha realized, wondering if that was the reason for his unusual behavior – Is that why you're being so nice to me?

-Nice? – He'd scoffed, rolling his eyes at her – You ain't seen nice from me yet, Lieutenat… And I'm guessing that you haven't heard about Sehira then. I would follow that girl's orders any day… She's brilliant! Can't wait for you to meet her, you'll see it for yourself once we get there.

With that, he'd patted her back and jumped on his feet, walking away just as fast as he'd appeared hours before, and leaving her there with a thousand questions twirling inside her head.

The rest of the trip had transpired without further incidents.

Just as he had promised her, the awful sickness had thankfully lasted just a day, and once she knew which signs to look for, she proudly noticed that a lot of her troop members had taken much longer to recover from it than her.

The men under her charge had miraculously behaved, the ships carrying the large Lowlander army had sailed safely to their destination, and now they were ready to start spreading their forces along every strategic point that their Captain had deemed crucial for their defense.

She sighed, seeing the impressive docks slowly coming into view behind the residual morning mist.

Her time was here, and she was more than ready for it.