"Aye, Reijo! I be comin' with ya!"
Vik calls out as she stands up from where she was sitting on the dock.
"Before I go, any of y'all need healin'? I do have some of me spells left for toda', and you look like you need it, ole' Bellamy."
Suny notes her bruising as she ambles about besides the skiff. Climbing back up onto the dock and shaking herself dry (At a good distance in deference to her mates) she skips over and accepts Viktorra's offer of magic. (^_^)
"Nae lassie, 'tis no even the wound. 'This this confounded itching! I wonder if that bush I hid behind were rashvine?" No-Eyes complained.
Reijo looks on Bellamy with disgust, taking a quick few steps back from him. "Oi! Ye best not have the pox! Don'tchye come near me, now!" Shaking his head, "Bloody old farts, prone ta feelin' ill an'all..."
To Vik, "Aye Queenie, the more fer drinkin', tha merrier."
Bellamy grinned and reached for Reijo.
"Help me Reijo boy! Yer me only hope!" He cackled.
Nhati grimaces, and takes a step or two away from No-Eyes.
"Come, let's get this masthead to the ship," she says.
Reijo's initial pace quickens as the allegedly poxed Bellamy reaches for him. He opts not to speak further, as saying something would enable the blind man from knowing where he is and trying to touch him again. He carries on to the nearest tavern with Vik and whomever else opts to do likewise, ignoring Nhati's more sensible course of action.
Along the way, in between squinty-eyed glances to and fro to find the tavern, he looks over his drinking-companion-to-be. He asks Vik, "So. Ever been cap'n o'yer own ship b'fore, Queenie? Or it jus'be wishful thinkin' on yer part?"
Viktorra silently thinks for several moments, before deciding Reijo has earned at least this.
"Aye, I did have me own ship, but that was around a year ago, it 'twas. Had the Chelish navy put a bounty on it, they did."
The story seems incomplete, as if Vik was intentionally leaving parts out.
Haggerd Han watches perplexedly as more than half of the group walks away and one of the two crew members leaps in the water to swim alongside it. He quickly glances at Iulia for some sign of reassurance, but she's already kicked up her legs and started refilling her tin cup from a bottle of unmarked liquor.
The launch isn't very big and certainly isn't very fast with the load it's carrying. It's slow getting out of the harbor and even slower heading north along Motaku Isle's shores. Nearly an hour and a half later, with a pair of exhausted arms on the poor rower, the launch pulls into a deep cove. A large sailing ship, its sails down and a number of ropes hanging down from both its rigging and its sides, sits anchored near the center.
Bringing the launch near, it immediately becomes apparent that only a skeleton crew remains aboard. The rest--captain included--appear to be off and about in Lilywhite taking care of whatever else needed doing. The few sailors remaining aboard halt their repairs for long enough to get the masthead onto the ship. Haggerd Han, now even more haggard than usual, switches places with another crew member as he practically collapses onto the waist deck.
Though not for long. "Get up and get back to work!" A built Osirian man stomps down from the poop deck to glare at Han until the weary sailor scampers off to work. His gaze then shifts to Suny and Nhati. "You must be the new blood. And that must be our new masthead." He circles it, surveying it. "Coulda done better, but it'll do. Now get it up. And where's the rest of you?"
Elsewhere (and an hour later) the launch returns to Lilywhite's docks...
Suny helps push or pull the skiff with a lowed rope should one be available.
Climbing aboard Suny takes a moment to shake herself a little drier before bouncing to attention at the man's call and question.
"Suny reportin' fer duties Mate!" She salutes and thence offers her usual bright smile. (^_^)
Looking at herself and Nhati, Suny shrugs,
"They's still about on'a docks. T'other things whut needs doin'." The tanned Elf offers by way of explanations.
The Osirian narrows his eyes at Suny's usual smile, his own lips halfway between a sneer and a snarl. Eventually he settles for a (slightly) more subdued "Hmmph."
With this, he seems to digest the tidbit of information in his mouth before spitting it (or perhaps a wad of phlegm) clear over Suny, the rail, and the launch just getting underway below. You can swear you can hear its impact into the waters of the cove below. "Whatever. Guess it'll just be you two getting that masthead mounted. Since that's what really needs doin'. Better hope they show soon enough to help you two ladies, or you'll really have your work cut out for you." He laughs, but it's not the friendly sort...
"And who exactly are you?" Nahti asks. "Is Captain Lanteri about? She's the one who hired us. I suppose you're some officer aboard her ship... but it may be that you're an intruder that the Captain would just as like to see us dispose of. She hired us to help her, not to trust everybody we happened to see standing on her ship. Who are you, and where is the captain?"
When the boat returns for the remaining group, Ol' Salty will board it right away. "Thank ye kind sir. How's the waves today?"
No-Eyes gets aboard also, having lost track of Reijo.
The Osirian turns on Nhati with a cold glare in his eyes. "The name's Horemheb, and I'm in charge while Cap'n Lanteri's out. She's out taking care of business that don't concern me or you. That gonna be a problem for you?"
In Lilywhite, the launch is more much receptive to passengers now that it's not loaded down with a barrel of salted fish and a hulking masthead. "Water's are fine," nods the sailor on dinghy-duty, this one a young man with a Varisian look about him. "We should get underway... it sounded like Horemheb was in one of his moods."
Iulia shakes her head with a quiet laugh as she watches you pile into the boat. "Best'a luck with ol' Horemheb, there. Makes me glad I'm on supply duty all the way over here!"
Ol Salty yells out as the boat is about to cast off "Any hints on how to get on their good side?" He laughs heartily
Nhati looks dubious. "Probably you're really in charge when Captain Lanteri's not around, but without here to confirm that, I will remain skeptical. I am pretty sure that she wouldn't want us to believe just anybody who asserted that they spoke for her!"
Despite the fact that she's brushing the man off, she's trying to do it as polite a way as possible...
...and that's about as nice as you can be while saying that. :)
Paying the man no further heed, she turns to Suny. "So. We were hired because regular run-of-the-mill crew weren't able to do what Captain Lanteri needed doing, but now we're performing the duties of regular run-of-the-mill crew. We should probably try to get this masthead up there. Do you think the two of us could do it together? Alas, I don't have powerful enough telekinetic magic to really assist us here; the best I have is a Levitate spell. I suppose I also do know a spell that would make us into natural climbers, although you may not need that yourself!"
Horemheb grumbles, but lets Nhati's comment slide without further incident. "Fine by me. Just get the job done." He stomps past Nhati, making sure to bump shoulders and nearly push her over in the process.
"Horemheb? Hah!" Iulia takes another swig from her cup. "The man hasn't an ounce of humor in his whole body. It's all business with the mate. And he hates new crewmen. Doesn't trust them as far as he can throw them." She sets her drink down, then reconsiders. "Actually, he could probably throw most folks pretty far. Point is, he hates people more than I do!"
Suny stands 'drip drying' as Nhati and Horemheb discuss things. When the fellow gives his leave for the pair to start work, Suny again bounces into a salute before taking Nhati by the hand and skipping merrily towards the prow.
The tanned, hyper Elf explaining to her friend how they should use the masts, spars, ropes and rigging as cranes and hoists to get the wooden carving placed where they want it to go.
Reijo grunts at Vik's short story, more interested in getting alcohol in his belly than in letting her in on his own history and plans. He later returns to the dock just in time to board with Ol Salty and the remaining others. He's careful to ensure that there are people between himself and Bellamy the whole trip, lest he get sick with the pox...
An hour after the two ladies began their hard work, the pirate-turned-pirate-once-more takes in his new ship from the dinghy as it approaches with a lit pipe in his mouth. After climbing aboard, he immediately spots and takes a dislike to the bossy man. Grumbling to himself, he maintains confrontational eye contact with Horemheb as he walks closer. "Lets me get one thing clear, Grumps. I don't like ye. I don't likes ye at'tall." Taking a moment to inhale with a sinister glare that doesn't let up, and then exhale smoke right in Horemheb's face, "But fer treshure, I be toleratin' yer ugly face a'righty... fer a lil'while, a'least."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Nhati will, before they get started, take out her spellbook and spend a minute quickly refreshing some arcane syllables in her mind.
Nhati's semanship skills are reasonable, but at the moment she seems to have no idea how to put wood together. Tai the parrot faceplams -- or, really, facewings.
Suny just smiles at Nhati's attempt to help before gently leaning over and giving her friend helpful pointers in return,
"Here, ye be doin' it like this..." *Slides tanned arms around Nhati's waist and attempts to give the other lass some proper 'Hands on' learning* (^_^)
The ship is a true multi-masted sailing vessel, not just a puddle jumping little skiff--probably holds a crew of 30 to 40, plus or minus the ship's officers. You recognize it to be of Chelish make, though you can't quite tell if it's a Chelish warship or a Chelish merchantman. There have obviously been some modifications to it in recent years, including the pair of ballistae you spot on the forecastle.
Horemheb breathes in the smoke from Reijo's pipe and holds it for a moment before spitting it right back in the sailor's face. "I don't give a rat's ass what you think of me. If the Cap'n thinks you're good enough for what we be needing you for, then that's good enough for me. You'll be off this ship soon as we're done and I'll be free of all of you. Now finish yer work, we've got a busy night ahead if we're to set sail anytime soon."
Though there is a decided lack of a talented carpenter among the group, there is plenty of seamanship to go around. Reijo's experience shipbuilding certainly helps, though he's never had to do such a large 'patch' job on a decorative piece. The work takes a bit longer than it might have with a proper carpenter to assist, but within a few hours you've added enough nails and wedged enough bits together than even when you jump up and down on the far end of the figurehead, it stays put. You lack a good hurricane to test it in but it's certainly not a bad job, if you do say so yourself.
Nhati wipes her brow and nods. "I think it'll hold. But, then, woodworking is really not my forte."
"So, what next?"
At one point during the new masthead installment (in between many a piratey expletive), Reijo stubs his finger on something. As he shakes off the pain in between sucking his bruised finger, he blurts out, "Bloody Chelish dungheap!"
To Nhati, Reijo eagerly agrees with her sentiment, "Aye, lass." Though she cannot be sure whether he's agreeing with the security of the new masthead or with her lack of carpentry skill. Perhaps, to both her satisfaction and her insult, he agrees with both.
"Now, we goes an' finds Tweety an' rings his bloody neck," he gratingly grumbles an answer to Nhati's last query under his breath. As he wipes the sweat off his brow, he gets ready to take leave of the ship once more... checking his weapons out as he goes.
Suny clambers around the rigging next to the mast-head surveying the work. With a shrug and a nod she seems happy with how things have turned out. Scampering back to the deck she stands and looks about as every one decides where their going next.
"Aye, lookin' fer tha' birdy an'a other lass seems right thing ta' be doin'. She concurs with Reijo. (^_^)
"And who might that be?" bellows Horemheb as he stomps onto the deck. Already you could tell the man was fuming, though you can't tell if it's directed at you or some of the other crew members. "You'll go exactly where I tell you to go. And I'm telling you to go nowhere. We'll be setting sail tomorrow when the Cap'n returns."
The mate heads to the fore of the ship and stares out over the prow, surveying your work. "Heh, not bad. I half expected you to put a hole in the ship. Then the Cap'n would've had no problems with my suggestion to keelhaul all new crew members just to see if they survive a go-around."
"Aye aye sir. Break of dawn is start time on deck I imagine like?" Says Ol' Salty from the railing. He seems to have been watching the sun set while the group hammered nails into the figure-piece. Lil' Fisher sits on the railing beside him, surprisingly calm and at peace.
When they are all dismissed, Ol' Salty will try to make an effort to at least introduce himself to other crew members. One person he would really like to meet and be on good terms with is the cook.
Horemheb nods at Ol' Salty, apparently approving of the older sailor's obedience. "It is. But not for you. You lots are on the night watch." He offers an almost perverse grin, knowing that you've already had a long day lugging a figurehead back and forth and even mounting the damned thing. "I've got to rally the crew that're still stretching their legs on the beach." He gestures towards the back of the cove, where a small campfire burns as the sun sets. "Gotta have those slackers ready for Cap'n Lanteri's return. I trust you'll keep the Magpie Princess out of trouble while the rest of us are gone. No funny business, or there really will be a keelhauling'."
As the last light of the sun dies down, Horemheb and the other crew still on the ship prepare to disembark. Ol' Salty does manage to catch the ship's cook in a bit of conversation before he leaves. Cobb, a Galtan man with a nasty spitting habit, is not the best conversationalist... but appears somewhat appreciative of Salty's interest in his craft. He makes frequent mention of how tired he is of seafood, bemoaning the fresh load of salted fish brought aboard and lamenting how much he wishes for a big, juicy steak.
Horemheb stands in the launch as the few crewmen look from him to the new hires standing alone on the ship. He halts their confusion with a single growl. "Enjoy your sleepless night," the mate laughs as he starts to lower it to the water. "Manage this and maybe we can give you a real job!" Landing with a splash, the launch starts its journey to the beach, the sole lamp held in Horemheb's hand fading as it grows more distant. Clouds roll across the sky, dimming the light of the moon to a pale shimmer instead of a white glow.
It was going to be a long night.
"Right then. Anybody fer chow?" He asked, rubbing his hands together.
Suny skips over and grins happily to Bellamy, "Aye!"
Suny is happy to go middle or last watch. (^_^)
Nhati heaves a heavy sigh. "If I don't get a good night's sleep, I'm borderline useless. My various arcane reserves don't get refreshed without sleep, and my psychic energy is drained."
Tai, her parrot familiar, flaps down and lands on her shoulder. The parrot says in Polyglot, "Oh, stop whining."
Nhati gives the parrot a light smack before contining. "It's just a simple fact. If the captain hired me because of what I can do, demanding that I stay up all night with no good reason undercuts that. I propose we deal with this like any other camping situation. Set watches, but allow all of us to get sleep."
She pauses before adding quietly so that only her companions can hear, "Or we could mutiny, keel-haul Horemheb, and tell Captain Lanteri tomorrow that we've cleaned up her ship...."
Ol' Salty, wanting to prove his worth to the sailors, offers to either take two shifts, or to take a shift and spend time healing one of the crew.
Horemheb receives naught but piercing blue dagger eyes in response to his demanding orders. His sour mood doesn't let up as his eyes comb over the ship, the docks, and his other surroundings, though he does crack a smirk at Nhati's last sentence. "Now ye be thinkin' like me, naughty Naughty."
"Bah," the pirate blurts out as the crew takes their leave. "I be goin' ashore. Grumps can eat dung an' dance th'hempen jig. Ye's can stays'ere likes a bunch o'wussies if ye likes, but I be goin' after Tweety meself t'night..." Considering his options, "Er maybe sneak up on our new 'mates' an' finds out thar secrets."
Continuing to look around the ship and the docks grumpily, "Grumps be another fine daftie fer leavin' blind ole' Blindey on lookout," he breaks a grin at his old mate. "But methinks he ain't be leavin' us strang'rs alone on his watch... if'n ye catch me drift."
With Bellamy's offer of food, "Meh. I be starvin', so mayas well gets me belly filled b'fore headin' out."
No-Eyes keeps it simple and makes either a clam or fish chowder, whatever they have available.
Reijo grumpily chows down without a thank you, giving the stringy meal a suspicious glare every so often.
"Om, nom, nom, nom, nom..." (^_^)
"Thank ye kindly, Bellamy. Ye know, I'd be happy to look at that arm for ya. A few 'erbs and a good wrap'll do ye wonders, else wise you'd be riskin infection."
"Same offer for Suny or Viktorra as well like."
Suny happily hugs Salty and accepts some soothing touches. (^_^)
"Weeell, aye, me arm be botherin' me some. Can ye tell me what it be at least?" Asked Bellamy to Ol'Salty.
"Oh there ain't much I can tell without some magic like, and sadly it ain't somethin Gozreh offered me teh prepare. For now, all I can do is help ye heal on yer own an 'opefully we take care of whatever be ailing ye. But I be sendin a message to Ol' Gozreh teh see if I can 'elp the crew better like."
The skeleton crew is even smaller now--aside from yourselves, only a pair of sailors remain. Neither seems particularly keen to be on board, and you suspect their presence may be more of a punishment than a means of keeping an eye on you. They hardly even acknowledge you as they go through the motions of their own night-watch duties--though they do stop long enough to partake of the communal meal--before disappearing belowdeck. Perhaps Horemheb really did entrust you with the ship for the night. A test, perhaps? Or maybe he just didn't think six people could get a sailing ship particularly far. And without a launch left for you, you'd be swimming to the shore if you wanted off the boat...
With little choice left, you've settled into your watches and the first unlucky sailors take their posts. Roughly two hours into the watch, with the moon high and hidden behind a bank of clouds, you hear a faint disturbance on the still waters. It comes from the ship's port side, which is currently pointed towards the beach encampment... but that remains dark and motionless in the distance.
However, I am sensing you don't want to split the party? Understandable, I just wanted to make sure.
Suny is happy/good to go on the later watches, even offering to take a 'double' along side Salt. (^_^)
I've got no problems splitting the party if you'd like to do that. Realistically, you probably have enough time to swim over, check it out for a bit, and swim back before the events of my previous post happen.
I figured that without a rowboat Reijo wouldn't bother to swim to shore... but clearly I've underestimated his dedication to paranoia!