Ready for the Storm

Despite Sabreur’s fears, the Ark made the rest of the journey with no adventures, storms, or anything more exciting than the monthly explosion in the ‘mancy lab. While normal people appreciated the relative quiet, the twins were not normal people. They were Stormriders. By the time the ship rounded Pinnacle and came within sight of the twin’s home harbor Langley was about ready to accept the chaos her family brought for the sheer fact that it was chaos.

For coming in unannounced Langley’s family moved fast. From the time the Stormguard stationed at the Pinnacle caught sight of the skimmer to the time they actually docked Langley’s mother managed to turn out the entire Stormrider clan living in Pinnacle Harbor. A group of about ten brown-haired men and woman, the majority wearing the gold trim of captain’s rank, and all watching the Ark sail in. Langley, for all her complaining, was giddy at the sight of her family again. She ran back and forth between the prow and the helm, repeating orders simply because she forgot she had issued them. Finally Ajiin pulled her aside, told her to breath, and took over bringing the ship into port.

Langley’s immediate family consisted of their mother Neria, their father Timoto, and an older brother Deeah. The twin’s extended family was far too large to keep track of and so the twins operated on the same simple procedure that every other Stormrider did. If the individual was older than them, he or she was an uncle or aunt. If the person was the same age or younger, they were a cousin. Names did not come into play unless the person was seen on a regular basis.

“Grandma is here,” Sabreur muttered as the crew finished docking the ship.

Langley nodded. It was hard to miss her. She stood at the front of the crowd, arms crossed across her chest, a small figure of nothing but bone, wire, and disapproval.

“Right,” Langley said and then turned to the crew, which had gathered behind them, “You all have your orders! Enjoy your time onshore, don’t get into trouble, and wish us luck.”

And she spun on heel and with Sabreur by her side marched down the gangplank onto the dock.

They were immediately half-tackled by mother Stormrider. She flung both her arms around her children, pulled them close, and Langley’s hat was knocked off her head. A couple moments and some incoherent greetings and she let go. By that time father Stormrider had moved forwards and handed Langley back her hat. Then they hugged, briefly, and Timoto just gave his son a slap on the back.

“Where’s Deeah?” Langley asked, surveying the crowd of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

“Off doing something somewhere,” her mother replied, “He rarely writes. Just like some other children I know. Storm, wind, and waves, Langley. You could be stranded on some island about to be sacrificed to the dark elven gods for all I hear out of you.”

Langley muttered something about getting out of the way. The crew was starting to edge past and there were a handful of distinct snickers at Neria’s sarcastic reprimand.

“My coffee is probably cold by now.” Grandma Stormrider didn’t need to say much to get people moving. That simple phrase did it and the twins found themselves engulfed in a moving tide of chattering relatives, up through the roads of Pinnacle Harbor to the manor itself.

Pinnacle Harbor was a fairly large city, due to the partly sheltered port it had and its location along popular trade routes – both inland and ocean. The land surrounding it was fairly level, spreading out into a vast plain before meeting the Andraskin Forest that covered most of the northern part of Alannis. The city itself was a disorganized sprawl run by an elected council with the Stormriders pulling the strings in the background. To the west of the town lay Pinnacle, a peninsula that rose up into a sheer cliff out in the waters. The Stormrider manor was located where the land just started to slope upwards, surrounded by pasture that belonged to their family.

Three individual families lived in this manor, numbering to twelve people counting children, fourteen counting the twins. The group tromped in, shedding cloaks and jackets to the waiting servants. Langley found hers being taken as soon as she got it off and her hat seconds later.

“Good to have you home,” one of the servants murmured and the sentiment was quickly echoed by the others.

“Uh, right. My room still intact?”

The lady shook her head, curtsied, and held out a hand for Langley’s rapiers. She removed them from her belt and handed them over. Then, suitably attired for being in the house, she followed the rest of her family into one of the parlors.

Grandma Stormrider was in the big red velvet chair by the fireplace. Another servant was pouring her coffee. The family spread out, children scattering to their own rooms and toys as soon as the adults were looking elsewhere, aunts and uncles to the outlaying seats, and the twins and their parents in the center circle near Grandma Stormrider. This did not make the twins feel at ease.

As fierce and proud as the Stormrider family was, Grandma Stormrider made them all seem like crows next to the eagle. Stormriders had a tendency to die young and the fact that Grandma Stormrider had ridden out some of the worst storms to sweep up the coast and make it to her old age – while her husband did not – was a testament to her strength and will. Now, retired from the Stormguard duties, she spent her time in the manor terrorizing the children into behaving, putting forth her opinion even if it wasn’t wanted, and generally getting her way as the matriarch of this particular branch of the Stormrider family.

“About time you two came home,” she grumped, sipping at her coffee, “You brought that good-for-nothing mercenary with you?”

“Ajiin? Yes, he’s still our first mate.”

She sniffed in disgust. The twins knew better though – Grandma Stormrider enjoyed Ajiin’s company for some reason. This rarely boded well for the siblings.

“And what was that new girl you had with you? The one standing next to your daft skiridian pilot?”

“Ah, err,” Sabreur said, looking at his sister.

“Ah, well, we picked her up at one of the harbors. She’s, err, even more daft than Sparrow but she’s a sweetheart. Crew love her. We couldn’t leave her.”

“You’ve gone from rescuing stray kittens to stray riffraff. Brilliant.”

Langley’s mother shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“I suppose you’re home because of the decline in jobs for our family,” Neria said, “That right?”

“Yes. Heard some of our cousins got arrested for smuggling..?”

“They did,” Grandma Stormrider muttered, “Well, I can’t say I feel sorry for them – if they’re going to take on smuggling jobs you’d think they could at least not get caught and make the rest of the family suffer.”

“We have work, if that’s what you’re after.” Timoto was saying this. “Take a couple days to rest or so, get some supplies together and we’ll get you set.”

“Thank you.”

“Your rooms have been given over to the younger cousins but we have two guest rooms open that you can use, unless you prefer your ship of course.”

Langley and Sabreur exchanged glances.

“Maybe for tonight we’ll sleep here,” Langley said, “but after that it might be best if we stayed with the Ark.”

“Course, of course, have to watch over the ship.”

“I have a question,” Sabreur said, “The storms. Were those just rumors or are they really a problem?”

Everyone turned to look at Grandma Stormrider. She settled back in her seat and sipped the coffee.

“Both. Since you two are home I expect you to resume duty as Stormguard for the duration of your stay. We need some more experienced people out there on the night watches.”

“Ma…” Neria said weakly.

“It’s their duty,” Grandma Stormrider said firmly and the room fell silent. There was only the sound of the fire in the fireplace for a few tense moments.

“Family comes first,” Langley said, echoing what she’d been taught since birth, “and the Stormrider family has a duty to the people. Sabreur and I will watch for the storms.”

“Excellent. Now why don’t you two go get cleaned up for dinner?”

The twins recognized a dismissal when they saw one. The two stood and exited. Neria came after them, didn’t look at either of her children, just hurried off down the hall in the direction of the stairs to the bedrooms. Their father followed more slowly, stopping opposite them and looking at the ceiling.

“Moms not going to take you two being on the Stormguard well,” he said, “especially not with strange weather going on. Look, I don’t care what you’ve been getting up to out there – I know how it is at your age – but don’t tell your mother. She doesn’t need to know.”

And he walked off to go find his wife. Langley and Sabreur stood there, side by side, for a long moment.

“It’s so good to be home,” Langley finally said in a strangled voice.

Sabreur only nodded weakly and staggered off in the direction of the guest bedrooms. Behind them came the raised voices of their aunts and uncles, and the stern, cold voice of their grandmother.

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