Midsummer's End

So, we woke up this morning on the ship, and Pizzy was a little less uncomfortable eating in the dining hall with all the other sailors. I kept Wynni dosed with the dreamless sleep potion; I figured when we got to Valgarde, she could wake up and eat totally ravenously. We totally had some time to kill after breakfast, like 4 hours worth or something. Pizzy had brought some business reports to study, but I was totally dumb and didn't think to bring anything to entertain myself on the ship, so I mostly just wrote in my diary here. I did manage to get a little cozy with him, even if he still wasn't up for lovemaking with Wynni there.

Finally, not long before midday, we heard the telltale screeches of the wind outside that meant we had entered the fjord. Wynni kept sleeping like a rock, of course, but Pizzy and I just kind of huddled together on the bed - not like we could concentrate on much else with that racket going on. After 15 minutes or so, there was a huge bang and the ship rocked hugely and I'm like, oh crap, we totally hit an iceberg, didn't we? We could hear all kinds of movement going on above us.

I poked my head out and asked what had happened, and apparently we'd been hit with a giant spear thingee. Fortunately, it just splintered the deck and rocked the ship, but not done any MAJOR damage. Pizzy went up top so he could blast away any more incoming missles. I wanted to help, but I couldn't leave Wynni there by herself, sleeping or not. I couldn't tell what was happening over the winds, but another 20 or so minutes later Pizzy came back to our cabin, grim faced, and reported he had destroyed another 3 spears that had been launched our way. Another couple had hit the sails. Now, though, we were in Daggercap Bay, far enough away from the cliffs that they couldn't target us anymore. It sounded like the ship was going to need some major repairs before it headed back south.

We finally got the all clear to disembark, and Noodler AND Britta were both waiting there on the docks for us. Poor Britta looked like a freaking ZEPPELIN. It's GOT to be any day now. I introduced them to Pizmo (and I made Pizmo hold the still-sleeping Wynni so he would have something to do with his hands besides wring them incessantly). Britta's face turned white when she heard about the Vrykul attack on the ship. I guess they've been a growing problem as of late, and Noodler said it's lucky we were on such a big ship cause they had successfully sunk a bunch of the smaller ones. Eeep.

It took them like an hour or something to get us our trunks - I guess maybe the door to the cargo hold was damaged?n Fortunately, our luggage was none the worse for the wear. Noodler told us we'd be staying in the inn a couple nights before heading up to Westgarde, and I'm all, what, you totally promised me a cabin, and he's like, yeah, but we have dinner once a week here in Valgarde with Britta's fam, and it wouldn't make sense to ride up there when we just have to come back, amirite? He DID get us some dockside tickets for the Midsummer's End firework show over the bay, so I guess that sort of makes up for it.

Wynni FINALLY woke up, so we had some lunch there at the inn, over which Noodler asked Pizzy a bunch of questions about the kind of work he does and stuff. It was, like, normal stuff and all, but Pizzy was totally sweating it. I held his hand to try to calm him some, but he was still pretty stammer-licious. Good thing his fiscal accomplishments totally outweigh his mode of delivery, huh? As soon as I could, I started yapping with Britta about pregnancy so he could catch a bit of a break. Noodler kicked me under the table, but hello, it's not like we're going ANYWHERE for the next THREE WEEKS so he can have PLENTY more opportunities to rake poor Pizzy over the coals.

We pretty much spent the afternoon chasing Wynni ALL over Valgarde (that's the downside to the dreamless sleep potions - she doesn't have the seasickness going on but when she wakes up, MAN, is she a ball of fire). Wynni's favorite game was running towards Pizmo, and then he'd blink to where she had just been, keeping her running back and forth and screaming with laughter. He really is very good with her, much better than I would have expected from a man who's so squeamish about the idea of parenthood. Anyway, Noodler and Britta took Wynni so we could nap - evidently the fireworks show wasn't starting til eleven! Not dark enough til then, Noodler said. And then he said that supposedly during the Midsummer festival, there were parts of Icecrown Glacier that the sun never set. I'll take his word for it.
That night, we sat down on the docks for the show (Noodler and Britta had seats further up on the hill so they could actually have chairs). And, man. So, Booty Bay and Stormwind have some pretty good fireworks shows, but this was crazy. Besides just normal fireworks and everything, there was this ribbon of light streaking across the sky that looked like the Twisting Nether (Noodler called it the Aurora Borealis). And, more creepy-like, there were these flaming Vrykul ships or something hanging over the cliffs of the fjord. Let me tell you, nothing fills a gnome's heart like a good fireworks show. As we sat there, Pizmo's arms around me, the sky exploding with colors, everything just felt so RIGHT.

This is going to be a good vacation.