Fleet Duty

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 27th October 2019
Series: The Hallmaster's New Wife

Characters: Thayde, Enamra, Jalodwyn
Description: Thayde has to leave for fleet duty, only the companion on his trip is an unexpected one.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 13, day 16 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Jylanya

Thayde

Enamra

Enamra frowned as she watched Thayde pack, hugging herself tightly.

"Why now? Isn't this something that only journeymen do?"

Thayde turned from his canvas bag and wrapped his arms around Enamra.
"I was given a little reprieve when we first married, but now I'm back
on the same schedule as everyone else. Fleet duty is one of those
things that I just have to do, sweetheart."

Resting her head against his shoulder, she sighed. "I don't have to
like it. What sort of things will you have to do? How long will you be
gone?"

"I'll be communicating between the sailors and dolphins, giving any
medical attention to dolphins that I need to, and there will be
another dolphineer coming in with the ship that will monitor currents
and weather." Thayde told her, trying to memorize the way her petite
frame felt tucked against his side. Even though he had spent as much
time with his wife as humanly possible in the past two sevendays, it
would still be difficult to be without her for a sevenday or more.

"Hmph. I still don't like it." The was a sulk to her tone. "How am I
supposed to sleep?" She tugged at his tunic, looking up at him with a
definite pout to her lower lip. "How long?"

"Between a sevenday and a fortnight," he said. "It just depends on how
the weather goes." Thayde traced her pouting lip with his thumb as he
looked down into her eyes. "At least you get to sleep here in our bed.
I'll be in a hammock around a bunch of smelly sailors," he wrinkled
his nose.

"That long? But...We've never been apart that long since we got
married. How am I supposed to sleep now? I don't like not having you
right next to me. Can't you ask them to just let you stay home a
little bit longer?" She kissed his thumb and tugged a bit at his
tunic. "Just a few more nights?"

Thayde had never been someone to shirk duty, he loved work, he loved
being studious, but Enamra made a very tempting case. "I can't," he
sighed and cupped her face between his hands to deliver a very
thorough kiss. "I love you, my wife."

She sighed against his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I
love you too, Thayde." She chewed on her lower lip, looked at the lit
candle that kept the time, and then back at him. "Do you have to
leave right now?"

The dolphineer glanced at the candle as well before looking down at
Enamra. "It's not like they can leave without me. I've got a few
minutes," he said.

A devious little smile grew on her lips as she slipped a hand between
them, caressing. "Just a few?"

Thayde's body responded to her touch immediately, like usual. "Mmm,
maybe more than a few," he grinned as he grabbed her up and set her on
the bed.

Pleased with her ploy, Enamra did her best to occupy her husband as
long as possible, but after a candlemark, heard a knocking on the
door. "Master Thayde? We have to leave before the tide ebbs. Master
Thayde?"

Wishing she could cover his ears, she gave a scowl in the direction of
the unwelcome knocker. Fully unclothed, she turned to Thayde with wide
eyes. "Leave tomorrow."

"On my way," he called to the door before pressing his lips to
Enamra's. "I'm sorry, love, I have to go." Thayde rolled from the bed
and began tugging his clothes on.

She curled up her knees under her and watched him dress, disliking the
thought of his absence more with every passing moment. "But you'll
come home as soon as possible, right?"

"I promise," he told her buttoning his shirt. Running his fingers
through his hair to somewhat tame it. "I'll be back before you know
it. I'm sure Jylanya will keep you plenty busy if you want."

"Yeah, I'll stay busy. But I'm really going to miss you." She
slipped off the bed, pulling on a robe and with a sigh, helped him
with the last button. "I'll have a good dinner planned for you when
you come home. "

"And I'll have dessert planned," he growled in her ear.

That finally brought a giggle. "You better. "

--

"Lookee' he finally made it!" A sailor guffawed as Thayde was
good-naturedly slapped on the back while he boarded the ship.
"Honeymoon still on, is it?"

Thayde laughed, having expected the ribbing since this was not his
first time working with the sailors aboard The Ocean's Lady. "It is,
but I can't expect you to understand, Portor, you've never convinced a
woman to settle down with that snaggle-toothed face of yours."

Portor tossed back his head in a laugh that revealed several missing teeth.

"Careful, Portor, Master Thayde sometimes exaggerates." Jalodwyn
leaned against the mast, watching with a smile that didn't quite reach
her eyes. "I'm sure that he's quite happy to be on the sea again."

An icy chill slithered down Thayde's spine as he turned and saw
Jalodwyn. She was the other dolphineer on this trip? **What are the
odds?** Thayde thought incredulously. The last person he wanted to see
and now he was trapped on a ship with her for a possible fortnight.
"Ah, journeywoman." He couldn't help it, his eyes automatically
flicked to her abdomen, remembering the way she had told him she hoped
she was pregnant with his child.

She noticed the flick of his eyes, arched a brow, patted her belly,
then pushed away from the mast, standing straight. "Surprised? I
wasn't on the roster, but when I saw who was scheduled, I switched
with Dregor. Couldn't resist spending time with an _old friend_."

"Excellent," Thayde said, although there was no disguising the sarcasm
in his voice. He would strangle Dregor when he got back to land.
"Well, I'm just going to go get settled in then," he said, moving to
step around Jalodwyn, his bag still hanging from his shoulder.

"We're bunking together. I took the starboard side bed in our room."
Her smile widened. "They've too many passengers to spare an extra
room. I'm afraid they were expecting Dregor until the last minute. I
told the good Captain that we could manage perfectly well and it
wasn't an issue for either of us."

Thayde's jaw clenched and his mind raced. If Enamra found out about
this.... There was no way she would believe him, not after what
happened the last time he was alone with Jalodwyn. "I'm sure I can
find a hammock below deck. It wouldn't be proper to share a room with
a single woman. We have your reputation to think about, after all."

Portor slapped him on the back again. "'Fraid not, Master. The lass is
right. Not a single spot open below deck, we're runnin' a full crew."

**Feck, feck, and double feck.** Thayde thought exhaling through his nose.

"The Captain and his crew are most understanding. Once I explained
that we'd known each other for _so_ long and as you're a Master and
I'm _just_ a journeywoman, he was certain that your behavior would be
above reproach and that you'd never do _anything_ that would harm
either of our reputations."

"Well, he's right about that." Thayde said stony-faced. "There will be
absolutely nothing happening, so I guess there's nothing to worry
about."

Jalodwyn walked past him, moving towards the ladders to the provided
bunk. A soft murmur was only for his ears, "We'll see."

Last updated on the October 14th 2019

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Fleet Duty