The Lore Wain and Her Nephew Pt. 6

After she changed Echo, she came out onto the main deck. There she met her crew of misfits. There were five in her crew, including Celeste herself. Zarabean the ridgerunner, Nibble the Fang, and two more that are to be mentioned. "Aye, where have ye been, Seabird?! I've been stuck swabbin' de poop deck ever' day since ye've been gone!" A loud woman asked with a polkadoted bandanna around her forehead. Celeste politely shushed the ex-pirate with a motion rather than trying explain to her she had a baby with her. Celeste also gestured to Echo, who was half awake in his sling. The woman picked up on what Celeste was trying to tell her and she lowered her voice, "Sorry, Seabird. I didn't see the little babe with ye." "It's fine, Alagatha." Celeste reassured the woman whose name was Alagatha. First up was an ex-pirate by the name of Alagatha the Earless. Her name wasn't on the account of not having ears but rather from years canons blowing up in her ears. This caused Alagatha to lose hearing in one ear, the one always nearest to explosions. As a result, her volume was a bit louder than others. She didn't mean nothin' by it, just couldn't hear herself talk! "A baby?!" A man's voice exclaimed from the ship sails. Sure enough, the source of this voice slid down the shrouds of the ship to meet Celeste and the crew. He hurried over to see the baby with his own eyes. "When did you get a baby?!" Alagatha shoved the man, "Stop yer yellin' the babe's asleepin'!" She exclaimed, much forgetting to be quiet herself. Echo started to fuss at all the yelling. Celeste quickly started to rock her nephew back at forth. She looked at the man with an annoyed expression, "Clef, relax. It's my nephew." Clef, the man who was just screaming in concern about a baby, was the one and only ex-strander in the crew. He had nothing wrong with him except for a lack of tact at times. Clef was also the only crew member to wear a mask around his eyes and play a Skreean flute. He was actually quite good at it. However, besides Celeste and the crew knowing Clef to be an ex-strander, he refused to talk about his past openly with them. Clef breathed a sigh of relief, "You had me worried a second. I thought you had stolen a child." Celeste raised an eyebrow at him, "Why would I steal a baby? You knew I was coming home for a purpose." "Sorry. Sorry. Just the first place my mind went." Clef gestured Celeste to calm down despite her not being upset with him. Echo whined more and started to cry. The poor child was still worked up about the shouting. Celeste turned her attention back to Echo shushed him while trying to calm him. The crew stared at Echo, all unsure of what to do in the situation. Alagatha seemed to get an idea as she turned to Clef, "Aye, why don'tcha play ye flute for the babe? That always helps Nibbles when he's missin' home." Nibble hissed at Clef, "That was supposed to be a secret!" Clef turned to Nibble to defend himself, "I promise, I didn't tell a soul!" Zarabean could be heard snickering from his vantage point on a nearby barrel. Clef and Nibble turned to the ridgerunner and glared at him. Zarabean's smile instantly vanished upon seeing the glares of his crew mates on him. "Ay! Less fightin', more playin', flute boy!" Alagatha lectured Clef with Echo's cries getting louder. Celeste was getting annoyed with the noise as well, "Would you all be quiet??" She kept herself from yelling as she kept hushing Echo. Clef sighed, "Alright, alright, I'll play a song for the babe- I mean baby." He quickly reached into his coat, pulled out his flute, and began to play a royal Annerian song. Sure enough, Echo's cries slowly died down as he enjoyed Clef's amazing flute playing. Echo wasn't the only one being calmed by Clef's playing. Nibble didn't look like he wanted to kill Zarabean anymore, Zarabean didn't look as wary as he always does, and Alagatha was actually quiet for a full four minutes. Last of all, Celeste had an emotional response to the music. Tears streamed down her face as she thought of her brother Aspen, who would play the same song with her in a whistleharp-lute duet on special occasions. Because of this memory, it was Celeste's favorite song and Clef knew that... He just forgot her brother had just died. Once the song was over, Echo was fully content and as was the rest of the crew. Well, all except Celeste, who was grieved deeply by the song. Clef was the first to notice Celeste's upset demeanor. He expression changed to match hers, realizing that not only was it her favorite song but he remembered why it was her favorite. "I'm... I'm sorry, Celeste. I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought you'd love to hear your favorite song..." Celeste shook her head as she wiped away the tears on her face. "It's fine... I'm just missing Aspen..." Alagatha came over to Celeste and gave her a hearty side hug, "It be al'ight, Seabird! I know it's lookin' hard now but it will get better." Celeste only nodded to Alagatha, wiping new tears away as they formed. The sad moment was interrupted by Echo, who started squealing and clapping his small hands, as if encoring Clef to continue his flute playing. Celeste smiled at her nephew and then looked back at Clef. "It looks like you have a new fan." Clef smiled a bit as he looked at Echo, "Who am I to resist him?" He looked at Celeste and asked, "How about a pirate shanty?" Alagatha nodded and exclaimed, "Aye! Play me favorite, the one about bomnubbles in the middle of the sea!" Clef glanced at Alagatha and then back at Celeste, "How about you get your lute and hand Echo to one of the others? You and I can do a duet in honor of Aspen." Celeste tucked some hair behind her ear, "I don't know, Clef..." "Come on, you know us. We're not going to hurt little Echo. This will be good for you." Clef reassured Celeste with a smile. "Well... Alright." Celeste said confirming. Zarabean skittered over to Celeste to hand her her lute. "I can hold the little one." Alagatha said before Celeste gently handed her Echo. Celeste thanked Zarabean for her lute and got ready to play.