Gold.
Official Moomin Friend
{Erik Rosenberg ~ Of the Lonely Winter}
Erik helped two of the crew members lower a tender down into the waiting water below, tossing a rope ladder over the side of the ship so his guild mates could climb down into it more easily. There was a moment where he spoke to the sailors in a low voice, the lot of them reaffirming that the ship would wait for them as agreed upon in the original contract and payment. Erik noted the sailors didn't seem crestfallen by having to hang out. One or two of them were already reigning up rope hammocks between the masts, and another group was settling down onto the deck with a stack of cards and some dice. Why was Erik the group liaison? The sailors probably thought he was the safest pick for now. Thanking them again (and wishing he was the one getting to take a nice deck nap), Erik threw one leg over the ship's railing, signaled to any of his guild mates who hadn't realized they were heading ashore, and swiftly climbed down into the tender below. Then he got comfortable for the ride to shore, waiting for all of his companions to get situated and descend as well.
He ended up doing the rowing again. Why was that? He was always the one rowing on these tropical excursions. Erik sighed, glancing around at the familiar faces of the group as he heaved the oars against the water. There was Lorcan, who was mercifully quiet for once but at the expense of possibly puking any second now. Aelestra, with her white hair shining silver in the sunlight, the marbled beauty of a statue if Erik didn't know how she was probably fuming inside. Harper, who seemed to share Erik's own love of a good lounge day and who always knew the right thing to say. Calliope, with her jewelry and her keys and her always friendly disposition. Gwenith, who was polite and charming as could be, though she had a bright laugh and what seemed to be a kind heart. And then Tal, the hometown gambler extraordinaire. This was a good group. Everyone here was skilled in their own right, and with so many personal connections on the line, Erik hoped this mission would go off without a hitch. He closed his eyes a moment, faces filling his mind's eye. Atlas, Jasper, Aurora... Tamsin's fanged smile. "We're coming to get you guys," Erik promised to himself. "Just hang tight."
This wasn't his first go 'round on an island job so Erik beached the tender, jabbing the oars into he shallow water and using his strength to push the little boat up onto shore. It was only the water lapping at the beach here but Erik had learned from past experiences and was taking no chances. He raised a hand outwards, blue mist and sparks swirled around his fingers, and a sheet of ice froze the spot where the seawater met the shore. He placed a foot on it; there was the usual second of, is he gonna slip and go flying? But no. Erik was an experienced ice mage, and the slicks and sheets of it were as home to him as solid ground was. Treading over the ice, and came to a stop on dry sand, waiting for his guild mates to disembark the boat too. They were, of course, welcome to use the ice he'd created. After all, no wet boots which meant no wet socks and Erik would say the mission was off to a pretty good start. Folding his arms loosely over his chest, he turned his attention to where the tree line began, staring into the jungle's depths. It struck him then that something about this area seemed... odd. Not malicious, exactly, but... odd. What was it then?
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