Seasick

Ranulfe didn't know how to explain that he had been the sole survivor of the ship that never reached Norg. He didn't explain that he had been saved by a passenger who the entire ship had regarded as untouchable. He didn't mention any of the details pertaining to his arrival in the "capitol" of Norg. He instead did his best to remain out of the way and blend in. The bag of currency the strange man had given him went a long way towards finding food and a place to rest his head but now that Ranulfe was actually in Norg he didn't have the faintest idea of where to go.

He spent his days walking the length of the docks, offering help to anyone who looked like they needed it. Trouble with offering help to pirates is that when you're still a pup in their eyes, they're not obligated to accept anything. In retrospect, Ranulfe's plan of "going to Norg" seems as stupid as his sisters' plan to "Become adventurers." He remembered all the times he had yelled at them, telling them that it was a bad idea, that they wouldn't have the first clue as to what to do.

He worried about them. He wondered if they were eating well, if the house was upside down and on fire, if they were safe. His thoughts would often linger back home while he was falling asleep. He began to think this was a mistake.

It was during his second week there that he noticed on his usual walks that he was being followed. He might have a lot to learn about the world but he did have experience dodging the Musketeers from an early age; it was easy to tell when someone was following you. They never came closer than a hundred ilms but they were certainly keeping an eye on him. Two men, garbed in light black armor. Topknots. They carried no weapons visably but there was no such thing as an unarmed person in Norg. Ranulfe thought they might be eyeing him to rob him.

Nothing came of it, at least not at first. They faded into the crowd at some point and Ranulfe missed it. The important part of monitoring the people who are watching you is not to let on you know they're there. They eluded Ranulfe, which made him on edge for the rest of the day. It wasn't until he was safely (as safe as one can be in Norg) in his room at the inn that he felt he could breathe easy.

It went that way for a few more days. There was a sighting of one of these men watching him from afar, then nothing more as they vanished into the hustle and bustle of a working smuggler's dock. Ranulfe worried what was going on, but didn't feel specifically in danger. His nerves were still relaxed, the hair on his neck was still in place. There was nothing to make his pulse accelerate, nothing to kick in his fight-or-flight mechanic. Not yet.