Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

Benzerik the Eelman was having a fairly good day preforming tricks down at the Fair. He had been perfectly his magic for the last three days and now had quite a solid show if he did say so himself.

With an ostentatious fluffing of his red jacket, the magician gestured to his volunteer on the stage. With a wave of his cape, he used his illusion magic to make her turn invisible and he handed her his top hat to prove she was still there. "Behold! I have made this woman disappear before your very eyes. Magic of the rarest and best of forms!" A small applause form the audience had shown that his magic was sufficiently impressive.

Half optical illusion, half actual magic, the show had gone quite well so far today. That is, except for one minor problem...

"You're 'iding 'er behind your ear!" Came a Cockney accent from the crowd.

"N... no. This is actual magic. She's right here, see?" Replied the magician, gently setting a hand against the volunteer's arm. "Miss, can you say something?"

"Um... hello?" Replied the bewildered invisible audience member.

"Everyone knows all stage magicians can't do real magic, or else you'd go get a real job. You're just a mime and ventriloquist," Replied Juliana Highland from the audience. If Alistair was a fake, that meant everyone had to be.

A young girl with blazing red hair was watching this display from the sidelines through eyes of emerald. Sarah had origionally just been setting out to try and round up Erik before he got to 'fighting drunk' level, but was side tracked by the show. She knew from some of her books how to spot real magic vs fake, but was enjoying the amount of style the eelman was putting into his work regardless. Then, the heckling started, and Sarah found herself unwilling to be polite, "Oy, ya big bully," she belted out in a surprisingly strong voice for her frame, "Ya kinnae hide a whole wooman behind yer ear, let tha man eern 'is bread in peace!"

"Yes you can, with mirrors an' smoke an' lyin'," Ana replied to the young girl, before the thought hit her that she was arguing with a kid. Not just a teenager, but a kid kid. Carefully weaving herself through the crown, Juliana manages to stand before the girl in front of her, standing only a foot above her. Her black hair was pulled back with a bandana, a look almost always associated with the lower class. What made her stand out a bit more was the brown men's aviator jacket she wore that seamed to be six sizes too big for her. Once she was closer, her face turned from righteous annoyance at the magician to a bit of worry. "Didn't mean to ruin your show, just tired of people pretending they got magic when they got none."

If Ana could be called 'lower class' the young girls dress borderd on ragamoffyn. Her clothes bore the tell tell signs of a clumsy hand attempting to save a meager income by repairing rather than replacing, and her wild, unkempt hair and smudges of dust on her face spoke of baths bieng a bit of a luxury from time to time. Still, she was a pretty one, which showed quite nicely as she smiled up at the bigger girl with a mouth full of oddly white teeth, "Taint a thing tae be wooried aboot miss, loin's a bad thing for anybody tae do, boot ya gots tae ern yer meals wit tha talents thae good Lard gave ya, eh?" She then coverd her mouth like someone who just said something inappropriate, and cast a quick glance around as if looking for some one. She then started, as if remembering something and turned her gaze back on the oddly dressed woman, "Ah'm Sarah, boi tha weigh, an' 'oo moit yae be, loi 'ater?"

"Name's Juliana Highland, cap'n of the ship known as the 'Eat. Leas' everyone else call me captain, I just own the vessel and 'ire people to 'elp me fly it," Ana rambled on, looking to the sky to think more. "Also got a special place of 'ate in my 'eart for liars. Stealing an' mugging are something you can stop, but lying is something that people always so, no matter 'ow their circumstance changes. Once a liar, always a liar."

The little girls face brightens like a bulb, almost as if Ana had said "tomorrow is christmas". She starts hopping slightly, clapping her hands with excitement, "Ooh, do yae need ah metal werker boi any chance? Eriks roight good wit' metal, and loikes tae have us moove erry sa ooften. Werkin on ah shep ought tae do 'im qoit noicely, an' Ah'd loik havin faces git familiar!"

"Sounds great to me," Ana replied with a smile. "Always looking for more people to join the crew, an' could always use a mechanic to make sure the ol' girl doesn't break down on us. Well, actually she's not that ol', but we are putting 'er though a lot an' that means she's no' going to las' as long."

Sarah unleashed a small squeal of excitement, overjoyed at the idea of maybe, just maybe having a long term home. "'Ats fantastic!" the small girl exclaimed. She threw and enthusiastic wave at the stage magician, and started skipping of, leading the lady towards the Three Fools Tavern. "Ahm on mah way to pick oop Erik now. Ah'd loik tha company, an the 'elp. 'Es got a taste fer the lickr and ought be arfway tru 'is first foigt by now." She suddenly stopped with a mortified look of someone who mightve just said too much. Sheepishly, she looked up at Ana, and, in a soft voice asked, "Izzat gonna be a prolem?"

Juliana moved to follow after the girl, offering a small smile. "No problem at all. Lets mee' your mechanic an' see if 'e knows where your stuff is so we can get it to the ship."

The small girls cheery disposition returns quick as a wink, and shes again skipping off to the Three Fools. "Carse 'e knoos where mah stoof is, ya great silly. Its all at tha 'ittle shack we rented while 'e works. Boot don ye feer, m'lady, Erik knows 'is stuf, jes you wait an' see."

Sarah and Ana arrive within sight of the Three Fools after a few minuets of back and forth, barely english ramblings. As soon as they see the bar though, Sarah stops and gets a confused look on her face, "Wot in tha bloo skie?" she mutters, "Ahl tha winders are still intact, taint noo sound a' foiten, aint no tinners in soight..." The small girls gaze turns worried, "Either Erik aint 'ere, or sommat 'appened to 'im."

A nervous smile appeared on Ana's face as she tried to reassure herself and Sarah at the same time. Knowing the luck of her crew, there was likely some hostage situation going on. "Or 'e might have found someone t' 'ave a polite conversation with. Can't ignore that."

With that Ana peeked into the doorway and examined it for any signs of Caelins or Naughtsians, the two most likely offenders of starting bar fights for the hell of it.

As Ana starts looking about inside the bar, Sarah mutters under her breath, "Aye, an' meeby the Lard and the Devil will sit doon an' 'ave a chat aboot reconcilin thar diffrences."
Suddenly, Sarah starts tugging on Ana's sleeve excitedly, "Thar 'e is Miss!" Ana follows the extied childs pointing finger to see a massive Caelic man, with hair as red, and eyes as green as Sarahs, wearing clothing marking him as a day laborer of some sort walking towards them. The man seem distracted by something, constantly looking over his shoulder as though expecting to see someone. So intent is he in whatever may be behind him, that he dosent notice Sarah running up until she drives her small right fist square into his gut. The man, who could only be the 'Erik' Sarahs been speaking of, whips his head around with a loud cry of "WOT THA 'ELL?!"
Upon seeing who it was who struck him Eriks face shifts from one ready for a fight, to one of confusion, "Wot the 'ell do ye think yer doin out 'ere like this Sarah?"
Sarah looks up at the bear of a man and in a voice that betrays none of the worry she so recently displayed said, "Wot am Ah dooin? Wot are ye doin, ye great brute? Ah'm on me way oot 'ere tae make soore ye aint gotten yerself drug oof by tha tinners again, and ye don e'en ave tha decensy tae be in tha roit pub? This 'ere ladies tryin tae 'ire 'erslef a metal worker, and ye gots tae make tha two of ahs woory aboot ye? Yer a roit mannerless brute, ye are Erik."
At the mention of work, Erik shifts his attention to Ana, "Ye need a mechanic thar lassie? Ah moight be able tae 'elp, if we kin agrae on reasonable fare, o'carse." His eyes do posses a glazed look, and his breath does smeel of alcohol, but he dosent seem quite as drunk as Sarah led Ana to believe he might be.

Juliana's mouth dropped open when she saw Sarah flat out punch the man she was vouching for earlier and who she had said was dangerous when he was drunk. To her mind, such an action seamed both a bit rude and just asking for trouble at the same time. Though to her immediate relief, the large man did not react by throwing the girl across the room.

Upon seeing Sarah return with her friend, she offered a slightly fake smiled laced with a nervous air, extending a hand for a handshake. "Pleasure to meet ya! Name's Juliana Highland, though everyone jus' calls me Ana. Lot easier to remember that way. Definitely need someone who knows 'ow to take care of airships, 'specially after going through that storm. Think you're up to the task?"

Eriks face split into a massive grin as he enveloped the offered hand in one of his own, "Ach lassie, weather or na Ah'm oop tae tha task depen's largely ahn tha task tae be doon. Tell ya wot thou, yae gimme a chance, an Ah'll do mah best fer ya, wot'er tha task may be."
Sarah was positively beaming from her spot by Eriks side, "So than," she asked in a voice laden with glee, "shall Ah be off tae gater oor stof than?" Eriks expressions shifts to a bemused one as he looks down and says, "Hoos aboot ye wait abit a'fore assumin the ladies gonna 'ire me lass?" Sarah developes a bit of a pout, crosses her arms over her chest, and stamps her left foot on the ground, but it just seems to be hiding her hopeful expression, "Foin than, Erik."
With that, Erik turns back to Ana, "Well than lass, which'd ye rather? Ah've naught else ta do wit' mah evenin, so if ye'd like, Ah cood faller ye back tae yer ship now, see wot I can see, ye see? Or, if ye've business in town, Ah could meetcha at wot'er dock ye'd like in tha mornin."

"Well, consider yourself 'ired if you think you can 'andle it," Ana replied brightly. "Can meet at dock four in the morning, or now if you don't got much t' carry."

Behind Erik, Sarah was almost dancing with giddyness. Erik looks thought full for a moment then says, "A'right than Captian, ye've got an engineer. Sarah an Ah'll go 'ome tae git wots ours an' be atcher ship quick as ah weenk."
Sarah gets a somewhat perturbed look on her face, "Erik" she says, "'ows aboot Ah go wit' tha Cap'in and foind us a 'ide 'ole on tha ship? Ah'll tha 'evy stoofs yers anyways, so Ah'll jus' get in tha way."
"Izzat roit, Sarah?" Erik says with a put apon expression, "An' wot aboot ahll those books ye insist on luggin aboot?"
Sarahs looking peeved now, "C'mon Erik, all a' those books fit roit in yer tool box, and wont it be better if at least ONE of oos knows whar tha kitchen is? Yer already missin on yer booze, ya wan' tae go tae bed sober AN' 'ungry?"
Eriks expression is now torn between annoyed at the back talk, and accepting that he's not going to win this, "'Aright, 'arigth, ye stubborn 'ittle rabbit." He looks back at Ana, "I 'ope i's nae imposin tae ask ye ta take 'er wit ye back tae the ship Cap'in, shes a thick 'eaded 'ittle tyke, but shae won' be any trooble," he looks back to Sarah, and with a serious expression says, "ROIT LASS?"
Sarah looks almost cherubic at the moment, aiming large, doe like eyes at the great brute glaring at her, "Woi Erik, when ahm Ah EVER any less than a joi tae be aboot?" She giggles at the sigh Erik releases at the question, then looks back to Ana, "Lead tha way than, m'lady, Ah'd loik tae get soom lookin don afore this great oaf starts makin 'is noises, iffin 'ats a'right wit ye a'carse."

A small frown appeared on Ana's face as a memory of having to lug Syme's books on the ship hit her. While it wasn't a particularly terrible experience, especially since she never had to pick up the books herself, the thought of anyone dying just bothered her.

Forcing a smile to cover her discomfort, she said in her usual cheerful manner, "Sounds good t' me! Need to work out a place for you t' stay after all, kind of getting full as far as rooms are concerned... But don't worry, we can figure something out."

With the the young captain began to lead the way to the shipyard, offering a small wave over her shoulder. "Good luck with the moving!"

Erik gave a noncomittal grunt and started off to the little shack he and Sarah had been sharing since they arrived. "Itll bae good tae leave this waterlogged rock," he thought to himself, "and Ahve already got me next job." He shook his head slightly at the memory of Sarah, so excited at this idea. "Ah woonder 'ow big tha vessal is," he mused, "If tha damage is bad, we could still be 'ere by tha full moon, but if we'll be on tha vessal long..." He immediately dropped that line of thought, choosing instead to focus on the here and now. Truth told, Sarahs didnt have too many books, he just wished she'd stop reading all the time and learn something useful. His heaviest burden was going to be the muzzle. He sighed loudly as he walked, fully expecting to need to make two trips.

Sarah, for her part was happily skipping alongside Ana. "Ah new 'ome," she thought, "an' oon that'll nead Erik for a streatch. Ah moit finally be able tae make a few friends!" She happily looks up at the elder girl walking next to her, and begins unleashing a barrage of questions, and observations, in the manner of a young child.