JUSTIN: * Shane shoves his hands behind him, arms folding tightly. "I'll let you do the talking this time... he certainly didn't seem impressed with my efforts before." He sighs lightly, hopping down the last step and looking between the docks and the stables. "I suppose we'll need to leave the birds behind..."

JENNA: * Jo nods. "It might be a deal breaker if we tried to bring them along.. 'sides, they might not fit on the boat." She steps quickly toward the docks, frowning as she considers what strategy they might use to persuade the man, short of money and brute force. "Well, we'll see what happens."

JUSTIN: "I suppose we will." Shane follows along after her, looking about boredly as they go. They reach the docks quickly enough, and it is then just a matter of finding the old man. "You don't suppose he'd leave without telling us..." Shane wonders out loud, thinking it would be highly inconvenient if it were the case.

JENNA: "He seems like the type who'd rather turn us down to our faces." Jo pauses, looking around and hoping he's not on his boat -- as she has no idea which it is. She isn't looking long, however, before the gruff, irritable voice calls out. "What the hell took you so long? I thought you changed your minds." He stumps out closer to them, scowling. "We'd better go now, while the winds are favorable."

JUSTIN: * Shane blinks, turning toward the voice and opening his mouth. He hesitates, then wrinkles his brow. "But we didn't even settle on a price yet. Aren't we supposed to haggle first?" He reaches a hand up to his hat, moving it aside to scratch at his head.

JENNA: "You want to haggle? Haggle with her." He gestures at Jo, who wipes her look of surprise away as quickly as she can. "I haven't got anything to do today." He turns back to his boat, stepping back aboard and waving for them to follow. "Hurry up, or I'll charge you." Jo's brows lift and she glances at Shane with a shrug, stepping after him.

JUSTIN: * Shane is almost momentarily disappointed at the lack of struggle, but he soon follows after, not sure he fully comprehends what just transpired. He's briefly tempted to press the matter, but is sure that Jo would hit him if he did so. Instead, he remains silent until they've boarded the boat. "About... how far out do you suppose we'll be going? How long will it take?"

JENNA: "Couple of hours.. make yourselves comfortable." The old man sets to work untying the boat and preparing to set out, and Jo shrugs again, settling to the floor near the center of the vehicle. "Rough passage?" she asks, and he grunts. "You could say that."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks about at the water, then joins Jo at the middle of the boat, easing down carefully. "And you'll wait for us? Or... will we have to wait for you to come back again?" He curls his legs under himself, looking around for anything to hold onto if the trip gets especially bumpy.

JENNA: "You think I want to make that passage more times than I have to?" he growls. "I'll wait." Jo leans comfortably against Shane, apparently intending to use him to hold herself upright. "How long?" she asks. "We don't know what's on that island." He frowns, looking back at her, then starts toward open water. "I can wait a day. But you better make it snappy."

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs lightly, slipping an arm almost sneakily around Jo's waist when she leans against him. "Well, we don't intend to make a honeymoon of it or anything." He steals a glance back at the dock as it starts to slip away, and begins to wonder if this was such a good idea. It would be dreadfully unlucky if the boat were to get wrecked, stranding them on an uncharted island.

JENNA: * Jo nestles against him, grinning. "I'd still take it over Jawaii." The old man, however, is ignoring them now, busy maneuvering the boat to deeper water. Instead of following other boats, the few of them still scattered on the water, he aims almost directly east, where even someone with no experience can see darker shadows and faster movement in the sea. "And of course.. there's getting there, first."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives Jo a gentle squeeze, and pointedly watches the water beside them instead of ahead. "One shipwreck is enough for a lifetime, and I'm not in the mood to break any records..." He pulls his eyes away from the waves and looks over at her instead. "Besides, we already got in our swimming this trip, right? Don't want to go spoiling ourselves."

JENNA: * Jo smiles briefly, her own gaze drifting out to the darker waters. "I guess we could cling to my pack if we had to, right?" She snorts faintly and shakes her head. "Well, I'm sure the old fart'll be fine." There's a heavy step behind them, and none other than the old fart looms behind them. "You're damn right, girl. I'll get you across -- provided I don't throw you overboard first." Then he stalks away again.

JUSTIN: * Shane cringes involuntarily, reaching over to press a finger to Jo's lips. "Don't take it personally, she's like that to everyone." He says with mock cheer, not doubting for a moment that the man really would chuck them overboard if he felt the need to. "I know first hand, really."

JENNA: "Stop that," Jo grumbles against his finger. "Or I'll bite it." She then shifts and glances at the old sailor, frowning. "It wasn't an insult," she grumbles, turning back to Shane. "He's been sailing a long time. I bet he's done it before. So of course ..." She falls silent, however, letting the old man go about his business.

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts her quietly, then pulls his hand away from her mouth, settling it in his lap. "Most people don't consider 'old fart' a compliment, Jocasta." He smirks slightly, prodding her side where his hand is around her waist. "I'd hate to hear what you'd consider an actual insult."

JENNA: * Jo looks thoughtful, then she shrugs. "If we ever run into teague again you can listen then." She smiles wearily, leaning heavily against him. "It's kind of relaxing being out on the water again." There's another sharp grunt from behind them. "Not for long. Better hold on tight to something as soon as we hit the dark patch."

JUSTIN: "Something like what? The edge of the boat?" Shane looks distinctly annoyed for a brief moment, but it passes soon enough -- after all, he doesn't want to get tossed overboard by an angry sailor anymore than by an angry wave. He settles for hunkering down a bit in preparation, hoping a low center of gravity will keep them in place when things get bumpy.

JENNA: * Jo grins, bracing herself for the rougher waters, and falls silent for the time being, listening to old Jay stump around. The choppy water comes soon enough, and then her concentration goes to holding on in order to keep from being thrown around. In spite of this, however, she's grinning, as if enjoying the turmoil as one more obstacle to overcome.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't nearly as thrilled by the rocking and bumping, and he grips Jo tightly around the waist as he sinks lower into the middle of the boat. He can't rightly imagine what she finds so amusing about it, but he doesn't bother to question her at the moment, either, simply staring hard into the boat's deck.

JENNA: * Jo glances at him and frees one arm to give him a slight squeeze, expression cooling slightly. "We're fine, see?" The old man, meanwhile, is doing his best to keep the boat upright and on course, though he does pause momentarily to shout at them. "Shouldn't be much longer -- just don't lose your lunch on my damn deck."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles weakly. "As long as the ship doesn't break." His lunch isn't going anywhere. Teleporting almost every day has given him a cast-iron gut, if nothing else. "Is it going to be this bad the entire rest of the trip?" That would make it half, if not more, of the journey -- which would explain why nobody else was keen on taking them.

JENNA: "I said it'd ease up soon," is the retort, and Jo prods Shane, grinning. "Don't forget, we've got the trip back, too. I'd say the shipwreck was much worse." She pauses, looking thoughtful. "What of it I remember."

JUSTIN: * Shane mumbles, scrunching away from the prod absently. "At least the shipwreck was sudden. Not much time to think about it, really." He rubs at his face, turning the old man a hard stare before facing forward again. "I remember it perfectly well. I guess I can concede that it was worse. But there's still time for our boat to capsize."

JENNA: * Fortunately, nothing of the kind happens, and they settle out of the rough waters in another ten minutes. Jo relaxes, grin returning. "Well, look at that." Just ahead of them, an island appears, as if the choppy waters formed an invisible barrier around it. The old sailor heaves a tired sigh. "Well. Just another hour and we'll be there."

JUSTIN: * Shane keeps to his spot for a moment, even after the rough jostling subsides, but Jo's words get him to sit up straight for a look of his own after a moment. "Well... I guess there's no doubting the book now, is there?" He leans up even more, giving the distant island a good, long look.

JENNA: * Jo sways slightly, lifting her arms skyward almost victoriously -- as if just knowing the island is real might make up for there being nothing on it. Then she glances at Shane. "Teach you not to listen to me." The sailor rolls his eyes at the exchange, steering for the shore. "Seems small, but it's probably bigger than it looks. Walk fast."

JUSTIN: "Well of course it looks small, we're still a ways out. Honestly, give us a little credit!" Shane sighs, giving Jo's hair a pet and turning his eyes up to watch her arms giving their victory wave. "Well it seemed smart not to listen to you at the time..."

JENNA: * She slouches against him again, dropping her arms, and turns to him, nose wrinkling. "Just think, we could be caravanning right now ... halfway from Juno to Alberta. Wouldn't that be so much more fun?" She turns to watch the island again, itching to start exploring it.

JUSTIN: * Shane loops an arm around her shoulder, staring at the island as well. "Well, nobody ever said smart was fun." He smiles a little, idly wondering what sort of things await them on the island -- if there ends up being anything there at all. After all, the journal stops shortly after Omar reaches the island, with no reason given. Best not to get pessimistic now, though.

JENNA: * The next hour passes without incident, and the boat settles in the shallow water, leaving Jo and Shane to wade the rest of the way in. Jo steps lightly, in spite of the water, pausing at the beach to give a long stretch and work out a few kinks. "Guess we better start moving."

JUSTIN: * Shane comes out of the water beside her, watching her stretch and wondering if he should do the same. "No point in standing still now that we're here, right?" He grins a bit, snagging her arm and helping to lead her up the rocky beach before he lets go. "We should probably keep on our toes. No telling what we'll find here."

JENNA: "Animals I can handle.. I just hope there aren't any lost tribes or hermits." She accepts his help, slowly becoming accustomed to his random insistences, and makes her way up to the rocky hill. Beyond that spreads a hilly -- and still rocky -- plain, stretching off into the distance, though the island is so narrow they can see both sides of it from where they stand.

JUSTIN: * Shane stops at the crest of the hill, giving the landscape a thorough inspection. "Well... at least there's only one way for us to go. That should make things a little easier." He gives her another gentle tug and starts down the far side of the hill, looking around for anything that could possibly be concealing age-old treasure.

JENNA: * At first the landscape consists only of rocks and grass, trees and scrubby bushes, but as they continue on, the ruins of a hut come into view, roof gone and interior demolished -- even the outer walls of the structure are beaten nearly to the ground. "Hermits indeed," mutters Jo, nudging at the foundations with her foot.

JUSTIN: * Shane hops one of the broken walls, giving a look around what would have been the interior of the small dwelling at one time. "Well, they aren't hermits anymore... Of course, I doubt they're anything anymore." He steps back around to join Jo, peering along the path ahead. "But ruins are a good sign. If people used to live here, then they're sure to have left something behind, right?"

JENNA: * Jo nods. Having seen nothing inside the house that warranted further inspection, she starts on down the hill it rests on, gazing ahead. The land seems to rise steadily from there, an oddly-shaped peak appearing, hazy, in the distance. "The birds would hate this, she remarks, ambling around a large boulder.

JUSTIN: "We probably need the exercise, anyway." Shane grins, aiming for the distant peak. "At least I do. You seem to be in plenty good shape." He moves as quickly as the terrain allows, finding the entire experience to be most exhilirating, knowing that they're the first people in at least a dozen generations to set foot on this earth.

JENNA: * Jo nods slowly, unwilling to admit she'll probably be feeling the strain of the walk by the end of the day. "I'm sure the excitement will keep you going." She doesn't speak much after, however, gaze fixed largely ahead, as if she's attempting to pierce the haze and see what lies beyond it.

JUSTIN: * Shane chuckles quietly, but he also doesn't say much beyond that point, concentrating on the area as it unfolds. Pretty soon, any new scenery is too shrouded in the mist to see, and so he can only pay attention to walking. "I hope this fog is only temporary, or this search is going to be more difficult than it already is."

JENNA: "Might lift once we're higher," Jo remarks, absently reaching a hand out to take hold of Shane -- in case visibility does get worse. "I think we're still rising, anyway ..." She stops suddenly, foot coming into contact with what feels like a flagstone, rather than the grass and dirt they've been walking on.

JUSTIN: * Shane slips his arm around hers, and continues to take a few steps after she pauses, before stopping and turning to look at her. "What's wrong?" He follows her eyes downward, and taps his boot against the stone beneath. "I guess we're getting somewhere, afterall." He gives her a quick tug, even more motivated to plow through the shrouding mist now. "Come on, quicker the better!"

JENNA: * Jo nods, grining faintly, and matches his pace, gaze sweeping the area as they rise higher. The fog does, in fact, begin to thin as they go higher, and ruined monuments become more evident as they go, shattered statues and pillars lying discarded around what looked to be a giant city -- or something.

JUSTIN: * Shane whistles quietly, eyeing the bits and pieces of ruin that sift into view as they walk. "Whoever was here, they sure didn't spare expenses on the stonework... A shame it's all fallen apart like this." The haze continues to clear, and it's not a few minutes before they pass free of it, and the true scope of the ruins comes into full view.

JENNA: * Jo, for a split second, looks almost ill. "Those statues.. who could carve ..." She falls silent instead of completing the thought, gaze fixed on a large limb lying nearby, each finger larger around than either she or her companion. "Still going up, though."

JUSTIN: "Then up we go." Shane doesn't seem disturbed by the style of the ruined sculpture, merely impressed by the size. He doesn't spend too long staring, however, as he puts his full effort into walking, practically jogging along as he follows the flagstones. "I can't believe this place is so unknown. I mean, just look at this! It's probably a thousand years old, maybe more, and it rivals anything I've ever seen on the mainland."

JENNA: "Well.." Jo keeps pace with him easily, though she falls silent a moment to think. "Consider, how often to people go to Hugel.. and how often to people in Hugel go beyond that patch of water? Especially since there doesn't seem to be anything beyond it ..." She shrugs. "Then again, maybe someone has been here." She looks ahead again as they crest another hill, then comes a complete halt, shoulders giving a violent jerk. The land beyond seems to drop away to cliffs an ocean, connected to the peak beyond by a long, stone bridge. Though it has sunken in places with time, it seems stable enough, but that is clearly no comfort to Jo.

JUSTIN: * Shane gets jerked to a stop by Jo's sudden halt, and he turns her an almost annoyed look. "Now what's wrong? You sure are stopping a lot, considering you're the one who's supposed to be excited." He gives her a light tug, and turns to walk again.

JENNA: * Jo lets him pull her along, feet clearly dragging as they near the winding structure, which she stares at, wild-eyed, until it fills her vision entirely. Her grip on him tightens in spasms as they move forward, until she finally has to halt again a few feet away from it, a sound like a strangled whimper escaping her throat.

JUSTIN: * Shane is vaguely aware of the way she's behaving, but it isn't until she stops again that it seems to register. He turns back toward her, staring with a mixture of confusion and impatience. It dawns on him slowly, and his eyes suddenly widen, looking about frantically at the bridge and the cliff it leads away from. "Oh, this can't be happening... Jo, snap out of it!" He steps around behind her, placing a hand on each arm and giving her a gently shake.

JENNA: * At this treatment she only lurches backward, panicking yet more at the thought of being pushed toward the bridge. She struggles against his grip, gaze still fixed on the chasm between them and their goal.

JUSTIN: * Shane almost falls backward at her panicked struggle, and it occurs to him that maybe his tactics aren't quite suited to the situation. He circles around her again, turning her away from the looming threat in front of them, and quickly leads her away from it. "All right, Jo, all right -- let's take a breather, okay?" For the moment, he needs to get her behind something where she can't see it, and then he can try to talk some sense into her.

JENNA: * When the chasm is out of sight, Jo seems to fold, sinking to her knees and lifting her hands up to cover her face. "I'm sorry," she says after several breaths, voice muffled. "I didn't. I wasn't. It's s-so high." She gives a convulsive shudder, squeezing her eyes shut as if to block the memory entirely.

JUSTIN: * Shane stops when she collapses, crouching down beside her immediately with a hand on her back. "It isn't so bad, Jo. You did the bridge at Juno just fine, remember? And the airship, too. This is nothing compared to the airship, right?" He doubts very much that this is the case, but he tries to sound reassuring anyway. "I'll be right there next to you. You know I wouldn't let you fall."

JENNA: * Jo makes an indistinct noise, lowering her hands and staring vaguely at the ground for several minutes as she tries to regulate her breathing. After a moment, she shakes her head, giving another shudder at these reminders. She does, however, get to her feet, shaking slightly as she looks over her shoulder toward the gap.

JUSTIN: * Shane positions himself quickly between her and the ominous bridge, not ready to let her take another look just yet. "Come on, Jo. I'm not letting you go until you promise you'll be okay." He sets his hands on her shoulders, giving her eyes a long, worried stare. "We can wait a little longer if you need it, all right?"

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head again, forcing a weak smile. "Just.. get it over with. It won't be as bad.. if I close my eyes." She glances beyond him, but her gaze flinches back.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs quietly, brushing some of her hair back from her face. "And you promise you aren't going to open your eyes halfway across and lose your nerve?" He slips his arm around hers, holding her close as he prepares for the walk. "I'm not going to have to drape my coat over your head, am I?" He grins warily, hoping the joke will make her feel better.

JENNA: * Jo sucks in a deep breath, turning a weak glare on him. "If I get halfway.. I might as well finish." As they approach the bridge, however, she falls back slightly, gripping his arm tightly and pressing against him. She closes her eyes automatically, forcing her breathing to steady in an effort not to think.

JUSTIN: * Shane almost feels nervous, himself, as Jo's phobia is rather contagious. It is an awfully old bridge, and it's already crumbling in spots -- but he can't think like that, at least /one/ of them has to be the confident, rational mind about all this. He grips her tight, placing a hand over her own and patting it reassuringly. "Glad to hear it. Just keep your feet moving, and we'll be across in no time." He guides her at a steady pace, not wanting to let her drag her feet too much. The slower they go, the longer they're on the bridge.

JENNA: * With her eyes closed, Jo almost doesn't notice when they actually make the bridge -- except that her feet are striking stone again. She attempts not to let this bother her -- after all, stone is solid stuff. She keeps pace gamely, resisting the temptation to bury her face against Shane, as this would only slow them down even more.

JUSTIN: * Unlike Jo, and in spite of her contagious phobia, Shane isn't bothered by the sight of a long drop. He spends half his concentration on the walk, and the other half taking in the scenery. All while trying to ignore Jo's paranoia and pretend that nothing is wrong. He keeps quiet, even though he severely wants to make conversation, as if the energy saved might somehow get them across that much sooner.

JENNA: "How far?" Jo asks suddenly, nearly stopping but forcing herself to stumble forward. Her eyes open for a split second at the loss of balance, but she closes them before she can see much besides the flagstones under her feet, shuddering again.

JUSTIN: "Not much farther. You're doing just fine, yes?" Shane gives her a slight squeeze, not wanting to startle her with anything more jolting. In reality, they aren't even halfway across the long bridge yet, but telling her that would only make her feel worse. She won't notice the difference if he doesn't tell her -- hopefully.

JENNA: "I'm fine.." She sighs and falls silent again, counting her footsteps and hoping it will help keep her steady. Even with her sense of time and space slurred by fear, she begins to wonder if Shane's definitely of 'not much' is anywhere remotely close to her own.

JUSTIN: * It's still a good amount of minutes before they finally reach the far end of the bridge, though the last leg of the trip is make tricky by a slight sideways pitch to their walking surface. Shane can only hope it's slight enough that Jo won't notice and panic. "Few more steps, Jo... and then we're back on safe ground."

JENNA: * Jo mutters something indistinct, not much enjoying the reminder that they're hanging over space. She continues to breathe steadily, however, and her death grip on Shane's arm lessens slightly.

JUSTIN: * Shane breathes out a slight sigh of relief, feeling the circulation in his arm returning to normal. "Aaand..." He takes a few quick steps, tugging her along, and they are officially off the bridge, even if they're still close to the cliff. "...there we are. You can open your eyes, now, if you'd like."

JENNA: * Jo does so, warily, relieved to see solid ground under her feet and ahead of her, though she does glance back over her shoulder to give a faint shudder at the obstacle she just crossed. She takes a deep, tired breath, releasing Shane entirely and stepping a few feet ahead to give a long stretch. "We'd better keep moving," she says, attempting to sound less shaky than she feels.

JUSTIN: "No argument here, but... sure you don't want to catch your breath first?" Shane walks up behind her, resting a hand on her shoulder and leaning to give her face a concerned look. He almost feels like he needs a breather after that, and he wasn't even the one with the problem. "Or maybe I should just carry you piggy-back the rest of the way?" He smiles slightly.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head sharply, then offers a dry smile. "I'll forget faster if I keep walking." She pauses, however, glancing at him with arched eyebrow. "If you need to stop, we can, though." She turns her gaze ahead before he can reply, however, judging the distance to whatever their goal might be. There appears to be a large-ish structure farther toward the peak, but it's hard to discern what it might be.

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts quietly, patting her on the shoulder before starting off again. "No time for lying about, when there's treasure to be had." He turns her a smirk over his shoulder. "Once we're rich and famous, we'll have all the time in the world for that." Not that she would ever do so without a fight, he reminds himself with a grin.

JENNA: * Jo rolls her eyes and follows him, torn between sharing his excitement and not wanting to put too much hope in what they'll find. "Retirement would be boring," she remarks, trying to get a better look at what they're heading toward and failing. "But not having to worry about money.. that would be nice."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives an exaggerated stretch, lacing his fingers behind his head afterward. "What sort of work would you do if money wasn't an issue?" He slides his eyes over to her again, face a little more serious -- he really is curious, afterall. "I know it's come up before, but... Well, it's fairly relevant, right?"

JENNA: * Jo gives him a puzzled look, clearly not sure why he's asking at all. She scratches her cheek, frowning, then gives a faint shrug. "Same stuff, I guess.. just less of it. I could pick and choose jobs.. stay at nicer inns.. eat better food." She shrugs again, grinning. "And go wherever I wanted."

JUSTIN: * Shane turns his attention forward again before he sighs, frowning a little at the thought. He'd rather hoped she wouldn't keep an interest in dangerous work when it was no longer a necessity. "You like the work that much?" He lets his hands fall back to his sides, sliding them absently into his coat pockets.

JENNA: "I like the travel more than the work," she replies with a shrug. "But it's all I've ever known.. staying in one place would be ..." She trails off, shaking her head, as she's unable to think of a word that would be anything short of insulting. "Not that it's an issue yet anyway -- shouldn't get our hopes too high, right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders, staring at the large structure still far in the distance. "Nothing to lose, really." He smiles faintly, turning her a look. "If all we find is a rusty spoon, life just goes on as usual. It could be worse. Has been worse." At least then he could continue to barely justify the work they do. It hasn't bothered him in a long time, but the possibility that he could leave it behind him has caused the discomfort to stir again.

JENNA: * Jo glances at him sideways, but she finds she has little to say. She doubts anything she can do will make him enjoy travel -- or their work -- but for now it's really the only option they have. She huffs a faint, discontented sigh and picks up her pace a little. "Well, let's find out what's in the damn place, either way."

JUSTIN: * Shane picks up the pace a little, taking Jo's comment as motivation. The distant structure is still a decent walk away, and he's more than a little amped to see what they'll uncover when they reach it. The building is even further than he first thought -- this due to the fact that the building itself is larger than he guessed, and as they approach, he's once again impressed with the grand architecture. This building in particular seems in better shape than the ruins they've passed, but even it has felt the blow of time, with whole sections of the roof collapsed, and the steps worn almost to nothing by the salty air.

JENNA: * Jo pauses briefly to appraise the structure, frowning as she considers its possible lack of integrity. Then she shrugs, starting forward to catch up with Shane. She is, at the very least, less worried about things falling on her than falling off of them herself. As they approach the steps, she opens her mouth to speak, but a sudden rush of wings interrupts her, followed by an amazon-like figure dropping from the sky to land in front of them, sword outstretched. "Mortals!" she says in ringing tones. "What brings you to trespass on the holy ground of the gods?"