JENNA: * Not only is Jo gone, but her belongings are gone, too, and the window is wide open, letting in a cool, morning breeze. It isn't long, however, before someone pounds on the door of the room -- none other than the innkeeper herself. "You lot up? Best clear out your belongings, you've only been paid through one night."

JUSTIN: * Shane rushes over to the window, clamping his hands on the sill and peering down at the street below, as if he'll possibly see her simply sitting on the curb, enjoying the morning air. When she is not, he reverses direction and rushes the door, whipping it open and greeting the innkeeper with a desperate, "Where is she?!"

JENNA: * The innkeeper, taken completely by surprise, shuffles back a step. "Begging your pardon, sir, I wouldn't know. Might ask the boys downstairs if they seen her." She regards him warily, as one might a dangerous animal.

JUSTIN: * Shane's head casts to the side as he tries to consider this among his other frantic thoughts, then he darts back into the room to collect his things. Pausing only to remember his manners and give a polite -- if hurried -- bow, Shane makes for the stairs as though his life depended on it.

JENNA: * The woman stares after him for a moment, alarmed, but she doesn't say anything, watching him disappear down the stairs. The activity in the dining area is much more frantic this morning, as the trainees are having a boisterous breakfast -- and irritating the regulars. One of them is recognizable as Avery, from the night before, seated toward the edge of the hum and cheering on what appears to be an arm-wrestling contest.

JUSTIN: * Shane's flight down the stairs comes to a screeching halt at the sight of the crowd, and he grits his teeth as he settles his hat on his head. Slinging his coat over one arm and trying not to look panicky, he weaves his way over to the one person he recognizes. His hopes crash when he remembers this is the same one who let Jo slip by unscathed the night before. He's unable to mask the despair on his face when he taps the man on the shoulder and waits for him to turn around.

JENNA: * After a moment, as the match has just come to a dramatic conclusion, Avery turns to see who hailed him and looks completely surprised to see it's Shane. "Hey, man! What, did you sleep in? Jo left for Izlude hours ago." His expression is politely puzzled, as if he can't imagine why she'd do that to a traveling companion.

JUSTIN: * Shane blanks as he tries to remember where Izlude is in relation to Prontera, running over the maps in his head. Izlude. Harbor. "Harbor!" Shane blurts out, turning and smacking his forehead in frustration. "Damnit, I should have just stayed awake."

JENNA: * Avery laughs, completely oblivious to Shane's frustration. "Well, if she tried to roust you and you didn't wake up, I can see her gettin' a little impatient -- she can be kinda cold that way." He stands after a moment, waving off the trainees, some of whom are watching curiously. "I can take you there if you want -- headed that direction m'self."

JUSTIN: * Shane's eyebrows perk up, and he turns around to face the man. "If you can get me there before she departs, I might just forgive you." He doesn't elaborate on what he'll forgive the man for -- as far as he's concerned (and as far as he knows), it's perfectly obvious what he's talking about. "The sooner the better."

JENNA: * Avery appears nonplussed at the offer of forgiveness, but he shrugs it off, having encountered stranger things in his life. "Well, can you ride a peco? That's the fastest way to get there -- it's a good twenty minutes of walkin'."

JUSTIN: "I ride them on a regular basis, as a matter of fact." Shane is already heading toward the front door, not stopping to look if Avery is following. He throws his coat on as he shoulders his way through the door, grappling with his belt to tie his sword and gun to his waist.

JENNA: * Avery follows him, shrugging away his puzzlement, and takes the lead after a moment to make his way to where the large birds are stabled, waving a cheery hello and his partner from the night before, who appears to flinch at the sight of him and slink away. Not noticing, Avery turns his attention to the inside of the stables. "Hey, Jim! Gotta take a couple birds out, all right? I'll bring 'em back this afternoon." A noncommittal grunt comes from somewhere in the building's depths. "Mind you take it easy on the cobbles," comes after another moment.

JUSTIN: * Shane waits by the entrance to the stable, shifting impatiently while he waits for Avery to bring the birds around. "I hope she hasn't already booked passage on a ship. She's difficult enough to keep track of when she's right in front of me..." He begins to panic again, imagining her sailing off to parts unknown, leaving him without a trail to pick up.

JENNA: * Avery laughs again, trotting from the back and offering him the reins of one of the birds. "She's got no patience for stragglers,' he agrees at once. "Always off to the next big thing, whatever that was." He swings himself onto the back of his mount, clucking at it when it sidles a bit.

JUSTIN: "She is a highly disagreeable person." Shane's panic seems to slip to the back of his mind again as he accept his mount, and sets about getting into the saddle. "And equally rude."

JENNA: "Eh, we all were." Avery pushes his mount into a trot and sets off up the street, calling back over his shoulder. "She's got her moments, though -- and you can't deny she's a looker." He wolf-whistles, laughing as the bird picks up speed.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't amused, though he suddenly has the urge to look away and hide his face. He gives his bird's sides a sharp nudge with his heels, closing the distance between them as they make their way through the morning market crowd. "I am sure she frequently puts it to use, for whatever nefarious ends."

JENNA: "Whatever gets you by in life," Avery says agreeably, waving once in a while at people he recognizes. "If you can get milk cheaper with a pretty smile and some cleavage -- why not?" He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Doesn't seem quite fair, really."

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, giving the guard an disapproving look. "I suppose dropping your pants in the Sunday market wouldn't have the desired effect?"

JENNA: * Avery laughs again -- he appears to laugh easily -- and glances over at Shane with a grin. "Prolly not, no. An' I doubt Matilda would rightly approve." He clucks again, pushing the peco for more speed as they approach the main gate.

JUSTIN: * Shane simply shakes his head, giving the street a disinterested glare as he urges his mount onward. He's beginning to wish he hadn't mentioned the mere possibility of forgiveness in his haste, because it is doubtful he'll find any mercy within himself at this rate.

JENNA: * When they finally pass through the city gates, Avery urges his mount into a full gallop, whooping as he starts across the fields between Prontera and Izlude. "C'mon, man!" he calls. "We can make it under ten if we try!"

JUSTIN: * This news brightens Shane's spirits at least a degree, and he spurs his peco after Avery's. "The sooner the better." He says, but he doubts that it's loud enough to be heard over the whistle of passing air and galloping feet.

JENNA: * True to his word, they reach Izlude in less than ten minutes, Avery bringing his peco to a nearly screeching halt from its full-out run. The guards at the first bridge look alarmed, but seeing it's just Avery they calm down, and he starts over the stonework at a more leisurely pace.

JUSTIN: * Shane reins in his ride at a slightly more controlled rate, trotting up the rest of the way to the bridge. He follows his guide with a stern look of determination on his face, casting a look abroad to see if he can spot ships in the harbor.

JENNA: * There are ships in the harbor, all right, and Avery makes straight for a large merchanting vessel that looks as if it's getting ready to cast off. "That's probably it -- only one headed for Alberta."

JUSTIN: "Probably?" A pinch of nervousness vies for dominance with agitation. "I surely hope it is more definite that that, I cannot afford to get on the wrong ship." Shane steers his peco around side Avery, hopping down to the street and tossing the Prontera guard the reins. "I'll ask one of the dockworkers if they saw her board." He jogs over to the loading ramp, looking for anyone he can flag down who might possibly have been paying attention.

JENNA: * Avery catches the reins, looking puzzled again, then he shrugs. "Well, she's going back to Morroc, ain't she?" he calls after, not really expecting a response, then shrugs and turns away. One of the dockworkers looks at him warily as he approaches. "Sir, we're about to leave --"

JUSTIN: * Shane attempts to compose himself for the sake of politeness, but the desperation still stains his tone of voice. "I need to know if a woman booked passage on this ship -- dark tan, pale hair, a Morrocan woman."

JENNA: "I don't know," the man says uneasily. "Just came up from below, right?" He turns away and hails a fellow sailor. "Griff! You seen a Morrocan girl hereabouts?" Griff pauses, scratching his chin, and shouts back "Short, was she? Nice curves? Sharp tongue?" The first sailor turns to Shane questioningly.

JUSTIN: "Yes, yes -- that's her!" Though it pains him to have to agree with a description the likes of "nice curves", but "sharp tongue" balances it out well enough. "She's on this ship?"

JENNA: * In the meantime, Griff has ambled over, and he nods, looking at Shane curiously. "She your woman? Seemed to be in a hurry to book passage." He chuckles, addressing his companion more than Shane this time. "Got one of our last rooms, she did. Threatened to disembowel Marcus if he offered 'is special discount one more time." The other man snorts. "He'd rightly deserve it." Then he glances at Shane. "Dunno that we have space left, but if you're with her, I guess we can manage."

JUSTIN: * A look of absolute relief washes over Shane, who grabs the man's hand and shakes it vigorously. "I'll sleep in the cargo hold if I have to, but I assure you, you have no idea how grateful I am."

JENNA: "Ah, well --" He looks uncomfortable with this, but he manages a smile before continuing. "Thing is we can't waive the fee, even if it is just one room -- prices are per passenger ..." Griff, seeing the two are well in hand, ambles back to his work.

JUSTIN: "Fee?" Some of that relief puffs away. "Fee! Uh, of course." Shane starts digging into every pocket and pouch his uniform provides, mining for any zeny he can find. "I won't be a moment -- ah." He pulls out a small purse, and eagerly produces the contents, pouring the coins into the man's hand. "I -- er, how much is the fare?"

JENNA: "Eighty's fine, sir," the man says uneasily, fumbling with the coins as they tumble into his hands. He pauses hurriedly to count, handing Shane back a couple of coins and scratching his head. "Well, if that's all ... we'll be casting off shortly." He sidles hurriedly away from Shane, not even offering to help him find his room. He has the distinct impression he shouldn't have let him on the ship at all.

JUSTIN: "C-certainly..." Shane looks lost for a moment, fumbling with his returned change as he hurries his way onto the ship. Finally giving up and dropping the purse to the ground and stuffing the remaining loose coins into his pocket, he immediately turns his attention to finding his target.

JENNA: * She is certainly not on deck, among the milling sailors. There are few passengers about, and they are being herded toward a door leading below decks by a harassed-looking man in uniform. "Boarders /this/ way, please!" he calls sharply. "This way to the cabins --"

JUSTIN: * Shane hurries to join the passengers being led below deck, for the moment not even stopping to wonder how he'll find her particular cabin once he gets there. If he's lucky, she'll be out in plain view.

JENNA: * Unfortunately, as he files below decks (the uniformed man doesn't so much as look at him), it's hard to say whether she's amongst the milling crowd. Between couples searching for their cabin and children running unattended, it's hard enough to keep track of your own self and belongings. The narrow hall does eventually open to a wide area that appears to be used for dining -- at least -- and two halls branch away from it -- one clearly meant for the higher-class customers.

JUSTIN: * Shane removes his hat before he can lose it in the bustle, clutching it tightly between his hands as he jostles his way through the crowd. He looks about, chewing at his lip in anticipation of being reunited with his prisoner. However, when he doesn't immediately see her, he's left with the same problem as before -- needing to find someone who might know where he can find her.

JENNA: * None of the other passengers seem likely, but there's a young man who appears to be trying to hide behind a counter toward the back of the room, and he's wearing the same uniform as the man above. Every once in a while, he directs someone in one direction or another.

JUSTIN: * This looks as good a choice as any, so Shane makes his way through the crowd and approaches the man behind the counter. Attempting a short bow, and trying not to look as anxious as he feels, he places his hands against the counter and leans over to be heard above the noise. "Sir? I'm looking for a room--" He hesitates as he silently apologizes for the horrible, horrible lie he's about to say in the interests of avoiding a commotion. "M-my wife came down earlier... Pale hair, dark skin... Feisty."

JENNA: * The young man looks pained, leaning over closer to make himself heard. "I dunno -- I just came on shift. Where are you boarded? What class?" He waves off a young woman who appears to be offering him his lunch, peering at Shane. Shrugging, the girl sets it down and walks away.

JUSTIN: * This causes Shane to stop again, a trickle of sweat at the back of his neck as he's forced to think on his feet. "Wh-what class? Ah, I'm not sure... you see..." He swallows, fiddling with his hat. "She booked the last available room, it was very last minute..."

JENNA: * He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if he has an absolutely pounding headache -- and he probably does. "How much did you pay for the room?" he asks wearily, shifting to pull over what looks like a registry, flipping it open and glancing at Shane again. "And what's her name, if that's what you're booked under?"

JUSTIN: "Jocasta." Shane blurts out, hoping beyond hope that she didn't use an alias or some family name he doesn't know. "I -- uh, eighty. Eighty zeny?" He also prays that she paid the same fare he did.

JENNA: * The man doesn't respond immediately, flipping to another section of the book when he hears the fare. He reads idly down the list, reaching over for his food and taking a bite out of the roll provided for him. Mouth still slightly full, he taps a name in the registry. "There's a Jocasta in 41B," he says, pausing to swallow. "Says it's just for one, but I guess they mighta got it wrong."

JUSTIN: * Shane runs a hand through his hair, suppressing a nervously relieved sigh. "Ahaha, yes..." He clutches his hat to his chest again, hoping the man is convinced. "We, uh, booked a smaller room, to save money. Perhaps they made the assumption it was a single passenger."

JENNA: * The man shrugs. Not his business. "Well, whatever. You probably better get to your room, though. I wouldn't wanna be out here when things start movin'." From the expression on his face, however, it's clear that he /will/ be out here.

JUSTIN: * Shane offers a quick bow, muttering a thank you before heading off in the direction of the room listed by Jo's name. He follows the numbers of the doors until he finds the one that should be hers, and finds himself at a loss for what he intends to say or do when she opens the door. After a slightly panicky moment, he forces himself to knock, figuring he is better off thinking on his feet -- it's worked out for him so far.

JENNA: * For a long moment, there's no movement from inside the room, then a sound of very soft footsteps approaches, and Jo's voice inquires "What is it?" She sounds very close to the door, almost as if she's prepared an ambush.

JUSTIN: * Shane rolls his eyes, rubbing at his face nervously as he tries to think of something to get the door open. He clears his throat, and then tries to mask his voice as he speaks. "Room service...?"

JENNA: * There's another long silence, then the door whips suddenly open, slamming so hard into the opposite wall it almost seems to have popped off its hinges. Standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and a look of rage and disbelief on her face, is Jocasta herself, glaring up at Shane and apparently so beside herself she can't think of a word to say. "/You/ --" she splutters finally, looking for all the world as if she wants to hit him, really hard. "You -- /UNBELIEVABLE/ --"

JUSTIN: * Shane just about flies out of his boots at the sudden appearance of the woman, and her blazing look of rage makes him feel suddenly very small. It's all he can do to remember his purpose, and not drop to her feet groveling for forgiveness. After a moment weak, silent staring, he finally opens his mouth to respond. "You ran away again!" Is all he can manage, and his voice nearly cracks.

JENNA: * She sucks in a deep breath and lets it out again, attempting to calm herself. And after another long moment draws in yet another, as the first apparently didn't work. Finally, unable to think of anything to say, she lashes out one arm and grabs him by the front of his jacket, hauling him bodily into the room and shoving him sharply at the far wall. "You unmitigated ASS," she bellows finally, kicking the door closed, even though it's unlikely to block much of her voice from the hallway. "As if it wasn't idiotic enough following me to Prontera, now you've booked passage even further south?! I don't know what delusion you're laboring under, but my bounty is loose change compared to people you COULD be hunting. Now what in the name of ALL THE GODS do you think you're DOING?!"

JUSTIN: * Shane lets out a startled yelp, stumbling toward the far end of the room and flailing to keep his balance. His hands connect with the wood of the cabin wall, safely restoring his balance, and he immediately spins to face the scathing words being flung his way. "What do I think I'm doing?" His voice is halfway between fear and anger, and for a brief moment it almost looks like he's ready to cry -- but that quickly passes as he stomps his foot down and clenches his fists at his sides. "What am I doing?! Who do you think you are to ask such a thing, when you're the criminal?!"

JENNA: * Jo's expression, almost softening at his distress, goes icy again so quickly it's hard to say whether the previous was a trick of the light. "The fact that I am a criminal," she snarls, "does not make me less of a human being than you -- NOR does it give you and your over-inflated sense of righteousness cause to follow me across three countries waiting for me to commit a crime you can arrest me for!" She brings one foot down with a slam, leaning forward in a manner that manages to be threatening, even though she's looking up at him. "If you're THAT lonely, GET A DOG."

JUSTIN: * Shane jerks back at the sudden threat, but his surprise is quickly replaced with more thorough anger. He takes one step closer and raises a fist to point a finger at her accusingly. "Face it, Jocasta, what this is really about is something far more relevant than feelings of loneliness -- and I'm not lonely." He straightens his jacket with a harsh twist, stepping back and turning away from her with rigid frustration. "I don't need to find a reason to arrest you, I've already got plenty. You're a criminal on the run, and you just can't accept that you haven't managed to shake me yet. Admit it!"

JENNA: "SHAKE you!?" Jo's voice rises an octave, and she leans back, biting down on a laugh that would probably come out more like a scream. "I could KILL you! If I was following my guild's code, I already /would have/." She takes another, useless breath, slowly mastering herself, and steps away, leaning against the opposite wall. "Besides which, if you were at all competent, I'd likely already be in prison. As it is, I can only assume you're following me because you have nothing better to do."

JUSTIN: "Competent!" Shane turns back around to face her, his finger raising again threateningly. "Listen, you... you wretched woman! You want to speak of competence?! If you were a competent thief -- assassin, murderer, whatever it is you are, I wouldn't be here! I never would have known you were in my city, never mind tracked you all the way to cabin 41B on this gods... forsaken... ship. You thought you'd give me the slip back in the forest, but you couldn't, could you? You thought you'd give me the slip at the inn, but you couldn't! Could you?! INCOMPETANCE." He's practically fuming at this point." Incompetence is why you aren't sitting in a cell in Prontera this moment, what for that bumbling fool Avery! No, I am possessed of competence of a degree that lesser men don't dream of!"

JENNA: * She gives a sudden, hissing exhalation. "I could have left you lying in a pool of your own drunken vomit, but I didn't -- if THIS is my reward, I won't be doing anyone else any favors --" She cuts off sharply, his last words suddenly registering. "/Avery/. HE brought you here, didn't he?!" She brings one fist smashing into the wall, which stings distinctly, but she gives no sign, redirecting her rage at Shane. "If there's only one person more incompetent than you in the world, it's HIM, but it would be a close race."

JUSTIN: "Don't even dare speak of me in the same utterance as him!" Shane marches up to her face, eyes narrowed with sudden scrutinization. "And if you think I should be grateful to you for any supposed acts of kindness that I don't recall, I am fairly certain that robbing from my house -- robbing personal items from my house -- cancels any due gratitude."

JENNA: * A sudden, chill calm seems to wash over her, and she smiles -- though the expression is somehow not the least bit pleasant. "You know? You're right. At least AVERY --" Here she lunges suddenly forward bringing her knee up to strike him solidly in the gut. "-- has a sense of PROPORTION." Which she follows with a blow to his jaw that leaves her fist stinging.

JUSTIN: * Shane stumbles back from the force of the punch to his jaw, eyes wide with surprise more than pain, and he keels over in belated reaction to the blow to his gut. A quiet groan escapes as he falters backwards to fall against the bed, rubbing at his jaw to ease the sting. "Wha... what was that for?! That was completely unnecessary!" He looks up to her with a look of confusion, anger, and shock.

JENNA: "Ass," Jocasta snarls again, though much of her anger dissipated with the twin blows. "You just keep following me if you think you want to. But I will /never/ surrender to your custody. You will /never/ see me in prison." With this, she straightens sharply, walking over to him and staring down at him coolly. "Just so we understand each other."

JUSTIN: "I am afraid..." Shane tests his lip for bleeding before climbing back to his feet and meeting Jo's gaze with a cool glare. "That we won't understand each other. As you clearly don't understand the consequences of your own choices." He hobbles over to a rickety wooden chair and drops into it, waiting for the throbbing in his gut and face to fade.

JENNA: "Nor do you, clearly," she responds, voice more tart than angry, and turns to sink against the bed -- more of a cot, really -- with an expression of resignation on her face. She doesn't elaborate, however, choosing to ignore the stinging of her fist in favor of displaying any sign of weakness.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't speak for a while, waiting with his eyes closed for the pain to seep out of his jaw before he even considers it. After many long minutes, he finally reopens his eyes, giving her an unfriendly look from his seat. "I don't know why you insist on running. Whether it was me, or a different guard in every town you loot along the way. You only make the inevitable consequence that much worse for yourself."

JENNA: "If running gives me a chance to continue living, I'll take it," she says shortly, not looking up from her inspection of the floor. "Things aren't always as simple as right and wrong." She pauses, expecting this statement to fall on willfully deaf ears, then straightens and reaches for her belongings, looking for something to keep her hands busy.

JUSTIN: "It most certainly is." Shane doesn't disappoint her assumptions. "People overcomplicate for themselves, blur the lines to suit their own selfish wants." His arms cross over his chest, and he slumps in his chair despite himself. "Even desperation is no excuse for willfully breaking the law."

JENNA: "Then you just try being desperate sometime," Jo snaps, giving her pack a savage wrench. She doesn't say anything more, wishing largely that he would shut his mouth for once. After a moment, she finds what she's looking for -- a skein of string. This she unravels, revealing it to be several strands tied to a hoop. Then she glances around the room, looking for somewhere to hook it.

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, turning his head to watch something more interesting. Like the wall. Or the floor. "If you think that just because I live in Juno that I've got everything on a silver platter, then perhaps you're the narrow-minded one."

JENNA: * Jo finally gives up, seeing nothing convenient, and stands, though she sits again almost immediately as the boat lurches, finally leaving the dock. Once its movements have steadied -- as much as they will, in any case -- she stands again, unsheathing one of her daggers and stabbing it sharply into the wooden frame of the cot. Then she shifts to the floor, hooking the loop over the dagger's hilt, and silently begins to weave.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up sharply at the sound of the dagger entering the wood, turning toward the noise curiously. Upon seeing what she's done, he rolls his eyes and pulls his hat down over his face, slumping into his chair again. "Do you have any consideration for other people's property?"

JENNA: "Worse things have happened to this cot, I imagine," she replies, fingers deftly twisting the multi-colored strands around each other to form a pattern of her own devising. "You realize this voyage is going to take several days, right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs, folding his arms over his chest in defiance. "Are you trying to intimidate me? If I can spend two weeks in the woods with you, I am sure I'll survive this."

JENNA: "At least I won't have to feed you here," she agrees, holding the cords steady for a moment before she continues weaving. "I hope you brought something to do. Ships can become very close quarters."

JUSTIN: "I'll find a way to amuse myself." Shane says dryly, and tightens his arms over his chest, legs stretching out in front of him. "And I'll start by napping. At least here I don't have to worry about you jumping out windows if I fall asleep."

JENNA: * At this, Jo rolls her eyes, tempted to take her gear with her and go up on deck once he's out, just to see what his reaction would be. She decides against it, however, continuing to weave. "Wouldn't dream of it."

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't dignify the comment with a response, instead settling into his chair and eventually managing to slip into a light sleep.