Oliver was fighting.

He was fighting his frustration at yet another uneventful patrol with no action on the western sea. No ships at sea this far out, no dangers, nothing for him to be doing.  Nothing other than fighting the storms that had lashed his ships and tossed his crew around for the last fortnight. There had been weeks when he forgot what it was to be dry, having a firm idea that if he expected his men to be out battling the storm, he would be out battling the storm with them.

Oliver was fighting the urge to find Irlen, land his ship and find out if they had even heeded the warnings. Or moreover,  if they were still alive for all the talk of an encroaching darkness and finally, find out if they had seen any  trace of wings on the horizon.  He was also  fighting the desire to ask Cavin to give him leave to spend the rest of the winter further south, sailing after his own prospects, forgetting the cold, wild bitch of the northern sea for another year. 

His ship had just turned south on its return trip back to the Capitol, the fourth so far since he had taken over the winter patrol when the ocean decided it liked his path, the storms had quickly faded into an endless rolling grey above and below. And the wind had become a gentle, loving friend, letting them grin as their speed picked up and launched them into the roiling waves.

Oliver had just given up the helm and was walking down towards his cabins when someone took up a call, announcing something oncoming. He moved along the deck, to get a clear view of the water around them and was straining his eyes to see whatever had been spotted when a familiar woman with brilliantly coloured wings landed easily on the deck beside him.

Oliver couldn't lay a finger on what had changed, but her movements in the air were more graceful, allowing her to land softly. Verana folded her wings most of the way, glancing around the deck of the ship before grinning to him and walking forward. Behind her, another woman landed, looking decidedly Vayan, complete the silent brooding glances and the addition of a scar across half her face to add to the dark expression.

"Verana." He grinned, offering her a firm handshake, giving her a once over before nodding behind her. "Who's your friend?"

"Oliver." She smiled and nodded to the woman, "This is Lypso."

She introduced his name to the woman in Oldspeak, who looked at him and offered a nod, but nothing further.

"I've just turned back towards the Capitol, how long are you with us?" He didn't want to count on the fact that the woman couldn't understand him, trying to keep his tone casual as he searched for a sign of any distress in his Feysha friend, any signal that she needed help.

Verana watched him for a long moment. "You look soaked to the bone. Go change. I have something to ask of you, and you need to understand what it is before you blindly agree to it." She said the last bit as he opened his mouth to do just that out of friendship and boredom. Verana narrowed her eyes at him until he grinned and gave her a deep bow.

"As the Princess commands." He laughed at her glare, turning and striding to his cabin, calling out orders to have the guests settled in his office with a meal big enough for the three of them.

Once he was in his cabin, he realized that Verana had not been wrong as he peeled his clothing off of himself and grinned at the grizzled sailor in the mirror. He washed the salt and grime off of him, hanging his clothing to dry over the bathtub and shaving his beard down to a respectable level. Then he dressed in practical, warm clothing and joined the two women across the deck of the ship in his office. The silent one was standing against a wall, bracing her feet wide and looking slightly ill, struggling with the movement of the sea.

"Tell her that if she watches the horizon out the window, it might be easier... I'm not going to try anything, she doesn't have to glare at me this entire time." He grinned with as much sincerity as he could to Lypso, waiting for Verana to translate before he sat down. But he was not surprised when the woman didn't move a muscle. "Are you the only Vayan who smiles?"

Verana gave him a hard look, before shaking her head, despite fighting a smile at the edges of her lips. "I'm here to ask a favour for Vayana. From you... and possibly Clairval, seeing as how you're... their admiral."

He paused only for a heart beat, before shrugging and started eating, motioning for Verana to do the same. "I'm listening."

"They want a neutral location to hold peace talks... with another Kingdom they've been fighting for nearly as long as Clairval has been in existence. Possibly longer. The histories make it seem like it has been forever." Verana murmured, watching him as he ate his meal and chewed on her words at the same time. "I thought this ship might work well."

Oliver laughed.

He couldn't help it, though he delayed long enough to put down his fork and take a drink of water to prevent himself from choking. But then he laughed and shook his head. "Who the hell is at war with a bunch of flying death dealers like the Vayans?"

Verana raised a brow, her expression thoughtful. "The Rulin people are very similar to the Vayans."

"Oh. More flying people." He shook his head for a moment, rubbing his temples as he tried to think it through. The implications of the undertaking could be disastrous or very beneficial to Clairval. "Neutral territory that is very hard to approach for a sneak attack. The size of a ship limits how many people are going to be there, I understand... but... I don't really want an all out melee on my ship."

"Both sides have agreed to give this a try. It'll be both Regents.." Verana offered, suddenly looking as if she had overestimated his willingness to help. He watched the realization of just what she was asking him to do, dawn over her features.

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to respond to that thoughtful expression immediately, even though he was pretty sure that she knew she could get him to do anything if she just locked her eyes on his.

"You know I hate pomp and circumstance. I only put up with Cavin because we're friends. And you want me to deal with two other Regents?" Oliver snorted, running a hand through his hair. Oliver drew out his answer as long as he could, watching her look less and less confident.

The Vayans were bad enough on their own, if there was another race who had been fighting against them in that long of a war, he wasn't sure he could put up with the leaders of the two countries. He had met the Prince, he could only imagine what the Queen would be like on top of whomever was representing these Rulin. 

"And Prince Vasha. And a couple more dignitaries from either side." She nodded, shaking her head. "It is asking a lot, I know it is. But I don't think it'll work anywhere else. The neutral lands between both nations are too easy to provide cover for an enemy, whether or not it's there. And it contains the danger of the Cassaei and an extensive history of war between them. I need this to happen... and fast... I need the Rulin to accommodate the rescue of the rest of the Feysha. Irlen has moved into their southern stronghold, deep in Rulin territory. This half ceasefire between Rulin and Vayana isn't going to withstand me bringing in an army of fighters to force the Humans to let me free the Feysha."  Verana murmured, looking away from him and out towards the window.

"No. That's not fair." He jumped to his feet and paced away from her as he tried to settle his mind on what the implications were. "You're not allowed to come in here, guilting me with that, Verana. You know I would never stand in the way of that. By the Gods, woman."

She remained silent and probably watched  his back as he stood and stared out the window and allowed the only answer he could give her to settle into his being.

He growled, turning back towards her,  offering her a slow smile. "You really know how to work a guy over. Of course I'll help. I mean, I should probably ask Cavin if he has a standpoint on the whole issue, but it's technically my ship as a private citizen, so yes, Verana... just... when it's all done, I get to help with this thing with the Irlen..."

Her expression was slightly bewildered though she nodded at his words and finally inclined her head. "Of course."

He grinned at her, nodding to the table. "Now. You're going to eat, and you're going to rest while we sail back to Clairval. Because it's definitely not going to be me that explains this all to Cavin and Amiya. And I would somehow be the one blamed if I tell them you were with me and didn't stay long enough to see them. And you look starved, you've been using your power far too much."

"He probably will know by the time we get there anyways." Verana held up two of those strange crystal rocks the Vayans had used to trace Verana to Clairval, before sliding them into her pocket. She did, however, sit down to eat. "Sencha has the ability to watch us... as does Queen Kerendiannandein, but yes. I will go with you."

"It wasn't a request Lady." He grinned sweetly to her, sitting back down to continue his meal.  "Now, tell me what you've been doing this whole time."

Verana paused, turning to say something to Lypso who finally scowled and sat down at the spare chair and joined them in their meal, still glaring at Oliver as Verana began to regal him with her adventures.