Chapter Text
By the time their salvaged ship pulls away from the shores of Rumblecusp, the sun is sinking low in the sky and everyone on board is exhausted. None of them want to spend another night on that gods forsaken beach. Their as of yet unnamed transportation floats in the midst of a ramshackle armada, as the survivors of Traveller Con and the former villagers all had their own reasons for wanting to leave the volcanic island.
The Nein have promised to see them safely back to more inhabited waters, and the weight of that promise presses down on Fjord’s shoulders as he finishes drawing up a crew rotation with Orly, finalizes their course for the evening and finally makes his way below deck to where the others are already asleep. He steps into the bubble and nearly trips on a softly snoring Jester, nudges Veth aside with his foot, and takes a moment to savor the tender feeling that rises up in his chest when he sees the spot that has clearly been saved for him, between Caduceus and Caleb at the center of the bubble. He lies down and sleep rises up to meet him.
Less than ten minutes later he chokes awake, gasping and gagging on salt water as the word PUNISH reverberates through his mind with painful clarity. He is sitting up and summoning the Star Razor before he manages to take a full breath in, waiting for the unfortunately familiar sensation of a blade sliding between his ribs.
The cabin is empty beyond the dome, silent but for the creaking of the ship and his own harsh breathing. The light from his sword scatters unevenly across the wooden walls and the faces of his friends, who begin to stir at the disturbance.
“Fjord?” It’s Jester, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did you see something?” Beside him, Caduceus raises his head and blinks blearily. Caleb doesn’t appear to move, but Frumpkin appears suddenly at his side.
“Are we killin’ something?” comes Beau’s voice from the far side of the bubble, thickened by sleep.
“It was just a dream,” he goes for a soothing tone, but the sea water in his throat leaves him sounding a little desperate. “I’m sorry I woke everyone, please go back to sleep.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” murmurs Beauregard, sinking back down. Frumpkin makes a tiny sound and goes to curl up under Caleb’s chin.
“Are you sure you’re alright, Fjord?” asks Jester, yawning widely.
“I’m sure, Jester. I just frightened myself is all.”
“Mm, kay.” She says, curling back into her bedroll. “Wake us up if… you need…” the sentence ends in another tiny snore.
Fjord remains sitting, trying to get his heart rate back under control. He’s tired, but the urge to sleep has deserted him. He waits until he’s certain that everyone has fallen back asleep before moving to stand.
“Fjord.” Caduceus’ voice out of the dark makes him freeze. He turns to see the cleric’s pink eyes shining at him through the darkness, finding his unerringly despite Caduceus’ lack of darkvision.
“I’m just… going to go up on the deck and get some air,” he excuses himself weakly, not sure why he feels like a child caught stealing sweets.
“Do you want company?” The island had been hard on all of them, but Caduceus in particular had taken several beatings. His voice, usually low and gravelly, creaks with exhaustion. The gentle question tears at Fjord’s heart in a way he doesn’t want to examine too closely right now.
“No.” he replies, and this time his voice is firm. “Go to sleep, Deucy. I don’t think tonight is going to be restful for me regardless, there’s no point in keeping you up as well.”
“If you’re sure.” Despite his words, Caduceus’s eyes are already closing.
“I’m sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”
***
When the Mighty Nein come on deck the next morning, Fjord is at the wheel. He seems tired, but cheerful at breakfast as they discuss what their next steps should be.
“We have to get these people back to Nicodronas,” Jester insists, waving her spoon for emphasis. “At least everyone that came here for Traveller Con. It’s the least I can do, as their new high priestess and everything.”
“No one is arguing that,” agrees Veth, climbing on the table to pilfer food from Yasha’s plate. “We will get your cult members back to where they need to go.” Yasha watches her with a raised eyebrow, but makes no effort to stop her.
“Yeah, but we need to get off the Ocean, soon,” replies Beau, interrupting Jester’s protests about it totally not being a cult, you guys. “Fjord’s not as sneaky as he thinks he is. We all know you didn’t sleep last night.”
Fjord’s attention snaps to her from where he’d been staring vaguely at his plate. He sniffs loudly and squares his shoulders, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh shit, I forgot about that!” exclaims Jester. “Are you alright Fjord? Did you have another,” she lowers her voice suggestively, “wet dream?”
“No,” he lies, meeting her eyes. He knows he is an unusually good liar. Jester looks unimpressed.
“I woke up with seawater on me,” observes Caleb mildly, glancing at Caduceus. “Unless our boat has sprung a leak, you are just speaking bullshit, Ja?”
“I mean, it’s an old boat –” Fjord tries to defend himself, but the battle is already lost.
“Ok so we need a better way to protect Fjord –“
“What if we set a watch –”
“Is there any port closer than –”
“Caduceus, do you have any spells that could –”
“All right everyone, that’s enough,” Fjord puts just enough of Vandren’s drawl into the command to draw their attention; less of the accent, more of the easy authority he used to try so hard to project. “There’s no need for us all to panic over one dream. It was probably just Uk’otoa—“
“Uk’otoa,” whispers Jester. Yasha echoes her uncertainly.
“—warning me that we’re back in his territory,” Fjord finishes with a sigh. “I can go one night without sleep. I’ve done it before.”
“But what about tonight?” questions Veth, popping the last of Yasha’s bacon in her mouth. “Or tomorrow night? You can’t just stop sleeping, Captain.”
Fjord raises his eyebrows. “Is that a challenge?” Veth grins, leaning forward.
“You really can’t,” interrupts Caduceus, placing a restraining hand on Fjord’s shoulder. “Not sleeping for more than a night or two will do some really horrible things to the body.”
“That is not a good plan, my friend,” Caleb offers softly. His eyes have the far-away look he usually reserves for talking about the horrors of his past. Fjord decides this isn’t a story he wants to hear right now.
“Look, I’m not going to stop sleeping,” he says. “It was just one dream. I would,” he spares another glance at Caleb, “like to keep sleeping in the dome for now. I’m not too keen on waking up with another sword in my chest.”
“Of course,” says Caleb. “That was always the plan, I thought.”
“Yeah, we won’t let anything happen to you, Fjord!” agrees Jester brightly. The others nod their agreement.
“So it’s settled then,” he says firmly. “We’ll keep on towards Nicodranas like we planned, and I’ll deal with Uk’otoa if he cares to take a swing at me.”
“We’re all behind you if he does,” Caduceus’s hand is still warm on his shoulder, his smile slow and comforting. “We won’t let him take you.”
“Thanks,” Fjord says, relaxing his shoulders just a little. He hopes they can all read the amount of gratitude he stuffed into that one word. From Caduceus’s answering smile, he’s pretty sure at least one of them can.