captainhornblower | First Dispatch

[The penmanship is formal, letters close together but not connected. Each letter is made of strokes, an almost calligraphy style-- which translates into broken letters with a modern pen.]

Thursday, 10th January, 1805

[A hastily scrawled question mark appears above the date a moment later.]

My precise location is unknown. [A long pause before more words are written.] My general location is unknown. My ship and men are missing. ~~God help me, what has happened?~~

[Notes appear in the margins, wind direction and estimations of its speed. The word 'drift?' and the beginnings of a mathematical formula are etched into a margin.]

I do not know how I came to be where I am. [Another margin note: 'wings???'] I cannot expect this to even be found, but I will record my observations. It is all I can do, and I must do something.

Currently on board vessel. [Another note in the margins:
'unoccupied
single mast
no flags
enemy?
ally?
neutral party?
abandoned?']

~~May the Lord have mercy on me.~~

[The signature is larger, even more carefully penned.]

Hornblower

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[...Yeah. All that? Over his head. Completely.]

"Fine"?

I am far from home-- I presume--, my men and ship are missing. I have no way of contacting my superiors.

I am far from "fine."

[...Forgive the testy tone.]

She is not.

May?

May?!

[ this one's a babbler. when she gets going, the whole 'wait, remember reference point differences' gets lost in the shuffle. ]

...Okay, true. But you're also not dead and alert enough to be cranky, which goes in the plus column if you think about it?

[ it's expected for new people. ]

[The witchcraft book with words appearing wants him to go ashore.

That sounds like a wonderful idea.

But he has no other options, now does he?]

Fine.

When you can, while you're waiting, look through this journal to find something called the "Newcomer's Guide to Luceti." It will explain everything.

[The handwriting is getting jittery with excitement.]

I'll wait for you on shore. If I'm not there when you arrive, wait for me.

If I were--

Ha--h'm. [It's a strange sound, something like clearing his throat.]

So long as I am alive, that affords the possibility of escape, and make no mistake of it-- I intend to leave this place and get back to where I am needed.

I do not suppose my luck extends far enough that this "everything" covers how to leave?

More options on the revolving door wouldn't suck.

[ but dawn can't quite make herself want to leave, shifts and drafts and all. ]

If it helps at all, it kind of seems like when we come here time kind of... stops, for everyone. Like, okay. My sister is here, and she's been here for like two years. But I don't remember her being gone at all, and I've only been here since... oh, wow. January. [ six months is approaching faster than she realized. ] So whoever you need to get back to? They'll be okay until you do.

There is a war going on. I have to get back.

Damn it all!

How in God's name is this even possible?

[ dawn wants to say 'join the club' but being flip to her boyfriend's best friend is an awful idea, the end. ]

I don't actually know. No one does except the Malnosso, and they're not exactly lining up to explain things to us.

Malnosso? [It sounds like a group to him. "The Dons," "the Frogs," and such.] Are they the people native to this land? The governing body? Are we in French territory? Spanish? Italian, perhaps?

Our esteemed kidnappers. And... natives is kind of complicated. Has anyone shown you the guide yet? It explains more of the nuts and bolts. [ dawn can't help but laugh, but it's quiet and sympathetic. ] None of the above. We're... not quite on familiar ground. In the literal sense.

It was mentioned. I intend to look at it soon.

[The sound of pages quickly turning? Unmistakable.]

Damned witchcraft. Nothing else it could be. Witchcraft. How am I supposed to face witchcraft?

It might explain things more. And, you know. Make me seem less like a total crazy person.

[ she can broach the whole 'doing magic isn't evil by base definition' speech later. ]

It's not that bad, once you get through the adjustment period. The idea of it, I mean. [ jack died during the draft; it can be that bad, sometimes. ]

[The language he's muttering under his breath? Normally, he'd never speak that way where a lady could hear him.

But he can't quite mentally connect the voice coming from his book with someone else flesh and blood.]

I think it is and shall remain "that bad."

I have duties in England and at sea. Here, I am unable to do them.

I can think of nothing worse.

[ she's heard worse, thank you spike. ]

You could have a sucking chest wound and all that. [ beat. ] Just for perspective.

...I'm Dawn, by the way.

Look on the bunk, sir.

[Because that is where Jack's pirate flag is neatly folded. Like everything else in the room, it is pin-neat and all in order. There are half-finished navigational charts stacked up on the desk as well, and some food stowed if Horatio looks for it.]

May.

[ simple confirmation. ]

[There's no response just yet. Archie is currently shoving a shirt and shoes into a bag and sprinting out the door, you see.]

Captain Hornblower, of his Britannic Majesty's Royal Navy.

It cannot be May.

~~God damn it all!~~

[Any reply will be a long time coming... because the journal is left on deck while Horatio does so.

This is promptly followed by a long, colourful string of curses. Which, considering the circumstances so far, he's kind of glad no one's around to hear.]

[Getting to shore? Not too difficult. After all, it's Horatio Hornblower and a boat.

As soon as the boat is close enough to wade to shore, he's off it. He wants nothing to do with that folded flag in the cabin.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

He still does not trust the magic writing appearing in the book, but he's found the guide. Back and forth he goes, flipping between it and the page he was writing on. He copies passages from the guide, adding margin notes as he reads.

This is not possible, and he's sticking to that.]

[Archie pads softly up behind, staring for some time at that familiar head of curls and finding himself suddenly hesitant. Who knows what changes could have happened to his friend in the last three years? It's possible Horatio is as bitter toward him now as Archie had been after two years in prison. Not to mention...surely Kennedy's wishes hadn't brought him here, so Hornblower couldn't possibly blame him for that. But how many other things could go wrong in this moment?

Only one way to find out.]

H-Horatio?

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