Rain swallows and then carefully and quietly proceeds to explain point by point all the moments Flynn has referenced to her "ire".
"I simply would like to consider things before you launch into what you think is right for me or any other on this ship."
"Let us take the dance, first. Rather than presume an elf raised on a small island would know a courtly, social dance, it would have been nice to have been asked beforehand so I do not look like a fool stumbling about. Because if I did look like a ungraceful fool, it would not have forwarded our agenda with Captain Pegsworthy (according to you, we wanted to impress him) nor would I enjoy the embarrassment. So I believe any ire I may have felt in and after the moment was not unjust given the circumstance. Due consideration would have been profitable in this scenario."
"Now regarding your mechanical golem idea, I spoke to you and Piper of my misgivings and my inexperience with such creations. I was berated by your hireling and then by you for upsetting your hireling. Now, I am an officer of this ship and a hireling has no sway one way or another on me. I attempted to be civil and she, in her usual manner, sulked and carried on. Again, any ire I felt from the incident was wholly appropriate given the position I was put in by Piper first and then you for not supporting your mechanical golem."
"Lastly, you relieving Sandara as pilot after the first officers' meeting. There are set duties aboard this vessel. We expect the crew to undertake their assigned duties before attempting to aid elsewhere when we are shorthanded. I had given Sandara order to take the helm until Jiro were to take over. Jiro was on his way to the wheel when you had given Sandara leave and taken the duty on yourself. Now, one, you overturned an order I had given and, two, you had supplanted Jiro as pilot when that is his secondary, allotted position on the Lady. You showed two officers disrespect even if you did not mean to, it was done. I believe once more any ire I felt was well justified."
"This is the problem as I see it, you act before thinking things through, it is contentious issue between us. This is a problem for me as I do prefer structure and respect. Had you asked Jiro if it was acceptable to take the helm in his stead, and he had given his approval, then you and I would not have had that much of an issue. But when I came out of my meeting with Variel and saw Jiro's sullen face and the dirty looks he was issuing your way, I was not inclined to easily forgive your earnest transgression in overturning my order. If you want my respect, you must first earn it and show me respect in turn. No one can do as they please on a vessel because it would seem there is no law or order and the crew will think they too can flaunt order. Officers lead by example. Am I making myself clear in what I am saying to you, Flynn?"
Horatio looks at her for a moment, as if digesting this information.
”Well – mostly clear, I guess.”
”What I hear from you is before I assume things with you – I need to ask. That’s fair enough.”
”But it leaves me in a ticklish situation in most cases. For example – when I dive over the side of a ship to help a mate; I didn’t have time to plan, nor ask anyone."
"Afterwards it looked like it upset you. Well, that wasn't something I planned on doing - how would doing something in the heat of the moment without knowing your thoughts work?”
”I mean – in other words; I had a long conversation with Nightstorm on what would upset him – and not – because I knew there would problems with him if I didn’t know exactly where he stands on certain issues beforehand. With you, I kind of assumed I didn’t need to know details like that beforehand.”
”Now I’m not so sure.”
”I mean – again; something like asking if you know how to dance – yeah; that’s fair. But no one else gives me dark looks when I help a mate – except for you. So like I said, I was a bit confused on what’s up with stuff like that. If there’s certain things that vex you – let me know. I don’t pretend to know everything, even if I act like it sometimes – but I honestly don’t know about stuff like that.”
”I mean, hey – I’m not trying to be rude; but I just don’t get it. I don’t what I’m going to do that is upsetting, or not… if you got particular things, let me know. If not, well… I’ll do the best I can, but it’s tricky to guess.”
He pauses a moment.
”Now – about this thing with Seijrio on the wheel? I don’t know if you knew this – as you were still inside with Nightstorm – but he stuck around so the three of you could chat. There was no one coming right out after me. I went up and relieved Sandy – that was it. He stuck around to have private words with Nightstorm and came out later – how the hell was I supposed to know he wanted to go up there?”
Horatio’s face is a bit frustrated at this.
”Put yourself in my shoes for a moment, okay? You come out and see that several people in the “officers meeting” are still inside having a private meeting, even after the meeting was dismissed. Meantime, you’ve been suspicious of the new lads on the Rhahadoum ship for a while; enough that you’ve been personally keeping an eye them. You come out and notice that Sandy’s on the helm and think – That can’t be good for morale, what if the Rhahadoum folk have issues with that – so, wanting to help out, you go on up to do your part and take the helm.”
”So far – that’s all that happened, and all I knew about. No more, no less.”
”All of a sudden Seijrio comes out. Now – does he walk up to you and say - Begging your pardon, but I have the con and than relieve you? No, he does not. Instead, he avoids you and you don’t know why. Hell, for all you know, not only did he leave the wheel under Sandy’s hands, but when he came out, instead of stepping up to do his job, he walked off.”
”Now look – this isn’t trying to be nasty, I’m just telling you what I saw, and heard. That’s all. I’m not a psion – I can’t read a mind. I saw him giving dirty looks; but for all I know that was a result of what happened in Nightstorm’s quarters and had nothing to do with me.”
"He had private words - he might have said he don't want to be a pilot no more; or he may have said he's afraid of so much responsibility - or a hundred other things; I don't know. I only know he looked pissed, avoided me - and didn't go to his post as ordered - which, by the way, is disobeying an order... but never mind..."
”Anyhow, you come out and start telling me what’s what – and I said to you that he could have told me himself. And you defended him – you said I should have known what was going on by guessing his mind or going up to him and asking, or something – I don’t remember exactly… but the point is; he didn’t talk to me, and I didn’t know what was going on – but it was my fault for not leaving the wheel and walking over and asking him why he wasn’t talking to me?”
He looks hurt and confused.
”Come on – that’s not fair. I mean – a person can have the most brilliant thoughts in the worlds; but unless they speak to you, unless they talk to you; unless they have a conversation with you – you do not know what they are thinking. You can’t – at least, I can’t. I don’t know what someone is thinking – I can guess; but if they won’t talk to me, my guesses… they’re not likely to be right.”
”And anyhow – why should I have to guess? Whenever I guess what someone is thinking, instead of talking to them – or they talk to me, that causes nothing but problems – you said so yourself about assuming, right? Well, as I see it we’re trying to do a lot of things; but I think it’s fair to say that if people refuse to talk to each other; we have no real reason to be on the ship and that the whole thing descends into nothing good.”
”So – that’s a request I’ll make – from me to you, and anyone else,” he adds, trying to be reasonable, and not rude and hoping he comes off as decent and not condescending ”people need to talk to each other on this ship, because if people don’t talk, than there’s no real reason to keep on going.”
”If they don’t do that – than we have no reason to sail. I’ll talk to anyone – and I’ll answer anyone but even though I can guess what they’re thinking – if they don’t tell me, I don’t know.”
”I think it’s fair to say you’re like me in this; you want to see things play out fair and decent, and like me – you know that without conversation – open and up-front conversation; than what are we doing here? We don’t communicate, we don’t advance. It’s just that simple, as far as I see it.”
”What do you say to that, eh? That point about talking or interacting with each other is fair enough, right?”
In his mind the entire ship’s success or failure rides specifically on the crew’s interaction with each other. If they don’t talk to each other – even if their thoughts are wise and prolific, in the end such thoughts wouldn’t matter if the crew refused to have conversation with each other.
"The only dark looks that I have supposedly given you have been a result of dangerous actions taken by you. You may want to save one of your mates and jump overboard, but where does that then leave the rest of us? With two men overboard, that's where. You do not think that you endanger your own life and in turn endanger your other mates who come after you to ensure you are not drowned or killed by some dark or hungry ocean creature. Valeros jumped in after you when you went after Reevah and the Sahuagin. This is what I mean. You think you are undertaking an altruistic, heroic act. I see it as a selfish deed as you put more pressure on us having to look out for you as well as come to the rescue of the other, when the attention should be wholly on them. I cannot see how taking a moment to tell someone want you plan on doing is going to affect your altruistic effort. The rest of us are then better prepared and can manage the rescue effort as a team." Rain is attempting to be patient but it was hard with Flynn. He never saw the other side of the argument, never acknowledged the merit of a differing perspective. For a supposed learned man, with intelligence more than the average man, he seemed more passionate than logical, more wild then controlled.
"And others do give you dark looks or they keep their distance and I am sure you have noticed even though you have not admitted to it thus far."
"In regard to my meeting with Variel, there was no occasion where Jiro, myself and Variel all spoke together. Jiro asked for a moment with Variel with I respected, then I met with him alone and then Jiro returned and finished his conversation. But we go back to the point I made earlier, I gave Sandara orders to take the wheel and hold it until either Jiro or I returned. You took it upon yourself to overturn my order for your own reasons without notifying the established pilots and putting Sandara in a tricky position. I was not aware of your talent as a pilot, having never heard you mention the skill before. If I had known it, then I would assign you a turn at the wheel rather than impose on Sandara and her skills could be better used elsewhere. As I mentioned before, you need to be more thoughtful and vocal about your plans and the reasons behind them."
Rain could feel the pulse at her temple and the base of her neck leap and begin to throb and she attempted to breathe deeper to calm herself. Flynn was not a bad man - he was simply oblivious to arrangements, conventions, social norms and alike. He does not have the social experience, the inner part of her mind acknowledged. Then he needs to acknowledge, understand and begin learning.
"You are right that the officers should speak more openly with each other regarding concerns, issues, dislikes, arrangements. I do not mean the personal, private business of each officer, but when it comes to the running of the ship, it must be done and in a professional manner."
"The only dark looks that I have supposedly given you have been a result of dangerous actions taken by you. You may want to save one of your mates and jump overboard, but where does that then leave the rest of us? With two men overboard, that's where. You do not think that you endanger your own life and in turn endanger your other mates who come after you to ensure you are not drowned or killed by some dark or hungry ocean creature. Valeros jumped in after you when you went after Reevah and the Sahuagin. This is what I mean. You think you are undertaking an altruistic, heroic act. I see it as a selfish deed as you put more pressure on us having to look out for you as well as come to the rescue of the other, when the attention should be wholly on them. I cannot see how taking a moment to tell someone want you plan on doing is going to affect your altruistic effort. The rest of us are then better prepared and can manage the rescue effort as a team." Rain is attempting to be patient but it was hard with Flynn. He never saw the other side of the argument, never acknowledged the merit of a differing perspective. For a supposed learned man, with intelligence more than the average man, he seemed more passionate than logical, more wild then controlled.
"And others do give you dark looks or they keep their distance and I am sure you have noticed even though you have not admitted to it thus far."
"In regard to my meeting with Variel, there was no occasion where Jiro, myself and Variel all spoke together. Jiro asked for a moment with Variel with I respected, then I met with him alone and then Jiro returned and finished his conversation. But we go back to the point I made earlier, I gave Sandara orders to take the wheel and hold it until either Jiro or I returned. You took it upon yourself to overturn my order for your own reasons without notifying the established pilots and putting Sandara in a tricky position. I was not aware of your talent as a pilot, having never heard you mention...
Horatio sighs a bit.
"Look, I don’t want to go into all that stuff. My plan was to talk about what we can do to fix things in the future. That’s what I want to do. What do you recommend? I don’t want to go over old specifics like the thing about Sandy, though. I want to see what’s wrong, and where, and fix it. I don’t know where to go, what ideas do you have specifically?” he asks, curious to know what plans she has for moving forward on the matter.
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An apology would be a good start, she thinks to herself but knows it will not happen. It seemed the man was never taught to atone for his mistakes. Then again, he had an absent mother who was more concerned with her religious crusade than guiding her son. And then she died and it made him more suspicious of religious or spiritual folk. The wind caught a strand of her hair and it flew about her face, the light tendril in contrast to her heavy thoughts.
Rain did not know how much time had lapsed after Flynn had asked her how she would see them remedy their injured friendship.
When she spoke again, her voice was soft and it barely detracted from the sound of the lapping water around them. "To understand me, first you must allow yourself to get to know me without your biases and conjectures. If you do not understand my answers, tell me that you do not and I shall attempt to clarify. I do not interfere with your duties or orders aboard this vessel and so I ask the same of you. If I give an order and there is no issue with it, do not override it. If your girl Piper is impertinent in my presence or to me and I call her out on it, I will not accept rebuke from you. I in turn will not interfere in your work with her. You may be more book learned than I but I have a deeper wisdom than you, an insight and intuition that you do not possess. I ask you to attempt to respect that as I respect your intelligence. I do not enjoy repetition, so if you tell me something once you may be assured I have heard you. If I have questions, I will ask you to explain further. I do not speak for lengths like you, so I prefer more succinct communication. If you disagree with an action I undertake or an order I give, then I would ask you come to me and speak to me about it rather than believe you may correct me at whim. You are not my teacher or superior but a comrade and possible friend."
All this talking was taxing. She rarely talked in length and Flynn seemed to enjoy it immensely. It was a mystery to her, for one could learn more from observing and listening than talking at great length. They were so different. That in itself was a huge obstacle.
"And Flynn, accept that you and I are very different beings and that is tolerable. My beliefs do not resemble your departed mother's. Please refrain from comparing her and I and finding me just as lacking or zealous."
"Hey! Gimme a snack! Captain's home safe, Elf, so ya don't need ta worry and we talked to people so we can sell stuff. I think that's everything..."
"Right! Flynn, there's this guy we ran into, Skylord said he knew ya from sargava. We told him about you a little but were pretending to be somepeople else and not us so we told him about havinf met you". Jack nodds proudly at properly delivering the message.
An apology would be a good start, she thinks to herself but knows it will not happen. It seemed the man was never taught to atone for his mistakes. Then again, he had an absent mother who was more concerned with her religious crusade than guiding her son. And then she died and it made him more suspicious of religious or spiritual folk. The wind caught a strand of her hair and it flew about her face, the light tendril in contrast to her heavy thoughts.
Rain did not know how much time had lapsed after Flynn had asked her how she would see them remedy their injured friendship.
When she spoke again, her voice was soft and it barely detracted from the sound of the lapping water around them. "To understand me, first you must allow yourself to get to know me without your biases and conjectures. If you do not understand my answers, tell me that you do not and I shall attempt to clarify. I do not interfere with your duties or orders aboard this vessel and so I ask the same of you. If I give an order and there is no issue with it, do not override it. If your girl Piper is impertinent in my presence or to me and I call her out on it, I will not accept rebuke from you. I in turn will not interfere in your work with her. You may be more book learned than I but I have a deeper wisdom than you, an insight and intuition that you do not possess. I ask you to attempt to respect that as I respect your intelligence. I do not enjoy repetition, so if you tell me something once you may be assured I have heard you. If I have questions, I will ask you to explain further. I do not speak for lengths like you, so I prefer more succinct communication. If you disagree with an action I undertake or an order I give, then I would ask you come to me and speak to me about it rather than believe you may correct me at whim. You are not my teacher or superior but a comrade and possible friend."
All this talking was taxing. She rarely talked in length and Flynn seemed to enjoy it immensely. It was a mystery to her, for one...
Horatio nods.
”Okay – thanks for information, Rain. I’ll do what I can to make it happen,” he says firmly.
”Don’t worry – I won’t forget what you said, and I hope that whatever happens in the future won’t be an issue,” he adds pleasantly.
"Hey! Gimme a snack! Captain's home safe, Elf, so ya don't need ta worry and we talked to people so we can sell stuff. I think that's everything..."
"Right! Flynn, there's this guy we ran into, Skylord said he knew ya from sargava. We told him about you a little but were pretending to be somepeople else and not us so we told him about havinf met you". Jack nodds proudly at properly delivering the message.
”Skylord? From Sargava? Blessed Mother and all the angels – gods damn, that’s good news,” he responds eagerly.
”Well – in that case, I reckon I need to go meet him,” he says with a smile.
"Hey! Gimme a snack! Captain's home safe, Elf, so ya don't need ta worry and we talked to people so we can sell stuff. I think that's everything..."
"Right! Flynn, there's this guy we ran into, Skylord said he knew ya from Sargava. We told him about you a little but were pretending to be some people else and not us so we told him about havin met you". Jack nods proudly at properly delivering the message.
Rain turns about suddenly not having heard Jack fly back in. Damn but the bird was quiet! Or your thoughts are otherwise occupied, she muses privately.
"Thank you for the message, Jack", not quite sure what kind of snack the thrush was interested in. Rain was relieved Variel and the others were safe and had discovered the information they were after. Blessed be the gods.
A Skylord acquaintance of Flynn's? Now that was interesting and fortuitous.
Hearing the eagerness in Flynn's voice at Jack's pronouncement, Rain becomes more curious as to the association of Flynn and this Skylord.
Rain goes to the galley to see if she can scrounge some kind of snack for Jack. Flynn's words to her about remembering what she's asked of him lingers in her mind as she walks.
Riding alongside Horatio, Camm reflects on Sargarva a bit. "Do you remember the time the Bekyar tribesman were so up in arms about the damned cow or whatever it was. I still to this day do not seem grasp that particular people's reasoning for many of the things they hold so dear."
Riding alongside Horatio, Camm reflects on Sargarva a bit. "Do you remember the time the Bekyar tribesman were so up in arms about the damned cow or whatever it was. I still to this day do not seem grasp that particular people's reasoning for many of the things they hold so dear."
”Piss on the Bekyar,” Horatio mutters with a scowl.
”You remember what they did to my mother? How she fought against those basterd slavers and they killed her?”
His spits to the side.
”I would rather see those whore’s buried up to their bloody necks on the beach below tideline… but anyhow…” he says, dismissing his anger after a moment.
He rubs his chin a moment.
”Still – you touch on something worth thinking on… What I asked you about before? The little side action? It’d be fun, and risky – and high rewards. But chances are that we’d end up pissing off folks we shouldn’t; on account of the fact that they got too much muscle to hit back hard.”
”But the Bekyar now… they got a presence here; not nearly as much muscle as the other lads do – and we’re stuck in this town for at least two more days. We could hit them, aye – bleed them easy, and than disappear quiet-like on the seas.”
His eyes glitter malevolently .
”We maybe get a few Banuwat lads to lend a hand – Ijo tribe if we’re lucky; I know a few of their folk from back home, as you may remember. Good lads, as I recall, and not too friendly with the Bekyar folk. They might be willing,” he adds with a shrug.
”We could go in and knock over a slaver – free some lads; stick a knife in the belly of those whores – and, just for fun, pick up a little loot.”
He glances out of the corner of his eye toward Camm.
”That maybe what you’re talking about?” he adds casually.
”Looks like you got some Mwangi gear on you now,” he adds, his eyes darting over the kukri.
”You ever give thought to something a little more direct? Maybe a decent musket?”
”After you sign on with us; give it some thought. You get me the parts for it, I’ll craft it myself,” he adds.
”You get a double barreled beauty like that; you’re up high – you swoop down low over a ship and take aim than – blam! Suddenly you plunk some hot lead into the skull of the helmsman. If that don’t drop him – you pop out another shot – bank hard and swing up high and reload. If your shot went true and the basterd is dead than we come cruising in hard to back you. If not – you reload and make another pass; nice and easy,” he says with a grin.
He thinks reflectively.
”Hell – you get a shot or two like that off against the poxing captain of a ship – they’re finished before we even need to close with the scumbags,” he says laughing, slapping his hand against his thigh.
”Well – what do you think? Is that worth it to you? If so, I’ll do what I can to learn you,” he adds with a grin.
Scratching his chin a bit he says, "Forgot about that bit of nastiness with his mother... "Well! That does sound like good sport, but how would that get us anything? I mean, why stick your neck out for some fools who could not run or fight hard enough? I don't know about those firearms, I am still a bit partial to my bow...But, I may take you up one of these days."
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Rain and Jiro, other later if they want to join in:
What do you think of the story that Ms Fenn told. It sounds promising yet difficult. Dhaavan might be able to grant us entrance with his silvered, forked, and honeyed tongue; but what do we do if refuses to go along with our plans. Namely we have rights to Tidewater Rock in exchange for eventually overthrowing Harrigan. Of course we can't let others know the details of our agreement and that we are working directly against Harrigan or we will be overwhelmed immediate by by his followers and even himself once he hears about us.
"I think it's definitely worth trying for... if we can't convince her to relinquish the Rock, perhaps she will be willing to share it, allowing us base there, and claim the harbor in exchange for her having the right to retain residence there. Or, if it is poorly enough defended, perhaps we can just take it outright and displace her."
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The question is though, are we strong enough and have the resources to take the Rock by force now. It would seem that we should be able to handle a widow and her retainers, but without knowledge of their abilities how are we to know until it is too late. It would seem that if we wish to undertake this endeavor, we must trust in ourselves to judge at the time if we are overwhelmed and need to retreat or push on. I have a feeling though that with some of us along, retreat wont be an option. Too much pride and arrogance involved. Granted I have my fair share of that myself sometimes, but I have you and Rain to temper me hopefully.
Scratching his chin a bit he says, "Forgot about that bit of nastiness with his mother... "Well! That does sound like good sport, but how would that get us anything? I mean, why stick your neck out for some fools who could not run or fight hard enough? I don't know about those firearms, I am still a bit partial to my bow...But, I may take you up one of these days."
Horatio nods at Camm’s response, understanding his reservations.
”Well, I understand your thoughts about folks who knuckle under; so I’ll try a bit more pragmatic approach…”
Looking at Camm, he gives him a bit of a grin before continuing.
”But, ah – first I ought to warn you – you remember me from when I was on semester break from the academy during the summer when we did those little “fishing trips” near some Cheliax raiders? Well, so you know, those long-winded tales were me jawing about trivia and fun; but they don’t hold a candle to when I talk about something I think is important. So, uh - that said – get comfortable – I got a few things to say,” he adds with a bit of an embarrassed grin.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts – he proceeds:
”Right, so… just the facts, and as pragmatic and practical as possible…” he says slowly and mainly to himself.
”First: The Bekyar folk are slavers from Mwangi – they traffic in sentient species for sale as workers – pleasure slaves, miners, galley slaves – that sort.”
”The cost of said slaves for resale purposes affords us no specific value, as none of us want to sell slaves. But a slave often has untapped potential. They may be a skilled crafter who is cosigned as a house slave to produce artwork for a dignitary, as such – they may now how to craft fancy things for people; or they may be a tribal watchief who is being sold for contract work in gladiatorial matches and bloodsports, a good fighter is handy for our crew; or they be a skilled sailor who was caught by pirates and being pawned off for nothing but a galley slave.”
He takes a puff from his cheroot, than continues.
”Let assume we attacked a slave pen and freed these folk. Now, a freed slave may in fact want to return home – aye. But how so? Unless they are locals, they will have no means of returning as this port is surrounded by heavy jungle and the sea, and in fact – as they are slaves – especially if they are branded as such, a slave brand not being uncommon – they will not be able to simply merge back in the local society here; even if no one recognizes them because they are likely marked as slaves and anyone can take them as property.”
”Their former masters are dead, and if they don’t want to be retaken by new masters, they will need to get out of town quickly. Luckily for them, as soon as they are saved their very saviors can provide them a means of escape in the form of a ship that is ready to depart… that would be our ship, of course.”
”Even as we have just freed them, and they need to leave quickly, and we can provide them with a ship to get out of town – in that interim we may have just picked ourselves up a few good fighters that could have been gladiators; though I’m not overly hopeful, given your earlier concerns – but we may also discover some fishermen that know how to handle themselves on a ship – we may also discover some villagers who are skilled at nothing but things like basic carpentry; but that’s handy if we need to have men who know how to fix siege engines or damaged decks after an attack – hell, we may find lads who are naught but weavers; yet again – they can learn the ways of a ship, and in the meantime they can at least help in fixing the rigging and sails, if we need them.”
”If we’re very lucky we may even rescue a modest farming patron in the form of a druid – which is helpful on a ship; or possibly a local town priest or healer; in the form of a shaman, holy man, cleric, or some mystic oracle.”
”Not likely; aye – but that is a possibility and likely a welcome one for our ship – and good for our crew.”
He pauses a bit, taking a breath, letting Camm consider that for now.
”Next point – we’re currently looking for crew at this point; we spent an entire day looking, and all we came up with was six decent sorts. Not bad – but for a whole day’s work, and three people on the job? I had hoped we could have done better.”
”Meanwhile, a constant worry for many of us… well, to be fair, I should only speak for myself – but a worry that I have had is – are the new recruits trustworthy? Will they rebel against us; or attempt to rob or kill us?”
”In point of fact, I don’t know. But my gut tells me that if I was a slave and a person rescued me and said – You need to get out of town fast, you’re a known slave – I can help you if you get on my ship – I’m not so optimistic as others; I might say – What’s the catch? Or are you asking me to simply exchange one master for another?.”
He sighs and shakes his head at his own pigheaded cynicism and chuckles a bit; wondering if that is actually how the others see him – a negative and brooding lad who would turn down liberation with a nasty response.
Letting out a little sigh, he resolves to work on that attitude – but continues.
”I would say to any who asked me about “exchanging masters” – No; we don’t like slavers. No man should be a slave – we’re scoundrels and we may rob and pirate ships; but we don’t truck with slavers. If you want to stay; stay – if you want us to take you to the next free port and part company – we’ll do that for you for free – with the only condition that while you’re on the ship; you help and obey orders. But if you don’t like our company – as I said; at the next free port we’ll drop you off, no harm done, and you can do whatever you want to do. You’re not our slaves; we’re just letting you go – do what you want to do.”
He takes a breath and continues.
”This will do two things at once, I hope – it will mean that the folk who join us, no matter what skills they bring, will be less likely to cut our throats or attack us or mutiny, or whatever. We’ve helped them and risked our own neck to do it; we’ve asked for nothing in return except that when we sail they help out and listen to orders, and we promised them to drop them off at the next port if they don’t like us.”
”That should mean the new recruits will likely be folk who are not going to be a threat to us.”
”The other thing is that is possible not all the former slaves will wish to come with us. Some may be barbaric folk who wish to enact vengeance on their former masters, or head east into the jungles for safety – or whatever.”
”But for us; that is also an advantage. Even as we’re slipping away fast to sail out of town; those who stay are likely looting, pillaging and causing havoc and chaos – in short; they’re not only living free, but covering our escape by creating a diversion, whether they intend to or not.”
He gives Camm a knowing look.
”I know – that’s all well and good for how it helps us and the folk on our ship – but what about you specifically, eh? Well; don’t worry – I was saving that for last,” he adds with a grin.
”I know enough about the market to know that a good slave is worth good coin; though I hate the practice. If they have slaves for auction – they’ll have to have coin for dealing. That means hitting a slave pen will not only – hopefully – liberate a bunch of folk who may enlarge our crew with lads that are likely trustworthy – but it will also liberate the coin collected for said slaves to enlarge our pockets – which is also handy for our purposes.”
Sensing Camm’s potential skepticism in going through so much trouble to simply free people who don’t have the gumption to free themselves, and guessing that raw coin will not tempt this man’s fierce sense of pride, Horatio plays his final Ace.
”I’ll let you in on a strange detail about our crew; seeing as you’re coming with us,” he adds with a complete confidence, even before the matter was formally decided ”I should let you know something about our folk – and yes; it ties into what I’ve been saying so far…”
”Despite the fact that we wish to pirate vessels; we got a “code” among us. We don’t like killing folk in cold blood, you know – who surrendered, even if they deserve it. We don’t torture, though it sure makes things handy; we don’t take slaves or pressed men, though it sure saves on coin; we don’t attack helpless villagers, nor rape or murder simple folk – only attacking other piraty folk or cutthroats like ourselves,” he adds the last with a dry smile.
”I like that code; it was mainly my idea to have one so that all aboard would know what we’re about – but also, I reckoned that as our reputation grew – folks would know us for being better than scum like Harrigan. We’d be scoundrels, aye – but not bloodthirsty whores who butcher for amusement.”
His eyes glitter as he adds the final embellishment to his plan.
”You know I hate slavers and would kill them for that alone. But that’s not enough for some folk; but now you know the rest, and now you know what it would be good for anyone who sails with us, no matter what they think of slavers personally…”
”Killing slavers means we can get a large crew of potentially trustworthy folk eager to follow us quickly – without wasting an entire day or so and only rustling up a few decent lads… Rain did good work there, and even though me and Nightstorm helped, we barely got a half-dozen likely lads. A whole day for that? Not bad – but I think we could have done better faster.”
”It also means that we’d have not only got potential new crewmates, who have no where to go anywhere if they need to skip town fast except with us; but as we saved them, chances are they’ll be trusty.”
”It means that we also just picked up the coin the slavers had – and we need coin to get things done; that’s for sure.”
”But it also means that we’ve just made a name for ourselves; folk will know our quality – The Dread Lady will be, uh… ah! The “Scourge of the seas, and lover of all free men.”
”Now, that may not mean much to everyone; but I reckon folk with a good heart – a heart that is good and loves justice and decency; oh hell – even a neutral heart that simply appreciates the chance to live without a master… well, I think that such folk will respect our reputation more than if we just pirated ships.”
”Aye, and I think it will attract the love of the common folk who see us as more than just another bunch of scalawags looking for naught but quick loot, they may see something more than that when they see us. Our Flag has wings; we’re here to set the bloody captives free! Sounds pretty grand, eh?”
”And if you keep sailing with us and we do more jobs like that, maybe our reputation will make us local hero’s of the common people? Hell, we may end up being the “Darling of the Land” for our actions. And – again; just the cold facts here – when and if we need some help from those local people – they’ll likely want to help us. But that help won’t come from fear – but because they like our swag, they like our, uh… Rogue with a Heart of Gold reputation.”
”I mean, gods – you know that folk are more likely to help people they love and respect than the folks that they simply fear, right?”
He pauses a bit, and gives Camm a sidelong glance.
”Now maybe that still don’t grab your attention… Well, I understand.”
”Of course, I don’t know about you… but, uh, I think that having a reputation like that would be pretty fine.”
He glances at Camm a bit, taking another draw from his cheroot.
”I mean, I’m just saying that I think walking into a tavern when the ladies know you’re the, uh Bane of Evil or maybe the “Hero of the Common Man” – or whatever; I figure that when a lovely lass knows you’re the person who everyone says Fights for the freedom of all; so that all men may be free to live life to the fullest, or something like that,” he adds with a grin ”well… I think such ladies would be happy to treat such a man with a very warm reception.”
”Given all that – what do you think of the idea now?” he adds easily.
"Well my friend,I am sure that I will be able to get something out of this even if it is to best you in kills, hahaha. So. Where are these tall men of fierce disposition and midnight skin holding their unwilling parcels and how long till we leave?"
The question is though, are we strong enough and have the resources to take the Rock by force now. It would seem that we should be able to handle a widow and her retainers, but without knowledge of their abilities how are we to know until it is too late. It would seem that if we wish to undertake this endeavor, we must trust in ourselves to judge at the time if we are overwhelmed and need to retreat or push on. I have a feeling though that with some of us along, retreat won't be an option. Too much pride and arrogance involved. Granted I have my fair share of that myself sometimes, but I have you and Rain to temper me hopefully.
Pondering what Malika Fenn had told them of other attempts at the Rock and Variel's recounting of pride and arrogance among their lot, Rain turns to Variel, "Harrigan presumed that the Widow Smythee would fall 'neath his attempts and he failed. Perhaps the stronghold has more to offer than we imagined. At this moment, we have a ship with an assortment of crew. We added an additional six this day. I would say we learn what it is like to work as a united group before attempting to take the Rock, one way or another. I must admit I hold a certain level of respect for the widow and her prowess at keeping the Rock from any arrogant free captain who aims to take it from her. It means she is not entirely defenceless or inept. We cannot underestimate her or her people. I agree with you, Var, in the moment we determine to push onward or retreat. There is no shame in the latter."
"Well my friend,I am sure that I will be able to get something out of this even if it is to best you in kills, hahaha. So. Where are these tall men of fierce disposition and midnight skin holding their unwilling parcels and how long till we leave?"
Horatio scratches his chin a moment, considering things.
”Hmm… well, from what I understand, we’re stuck in this berg for three days at least; maybe more…”
”This being the second day, we’re likely leaving tomorrow.”
”First thing’s for it – let’s get your gear stowed back on the ship, eh?” he add easily.
Turning in the streets, the scarlet colors of the silk cloth flowing over his shoulders, he moves through the crowd and leads Camm to their ship.
Striding forth to the gangplank, he points out their flag at the masthead and grins, turning a bit to show off the matching heraldry on the back of his silk.
”She’ll do – aye!"
"Hey, come on aboard – we can stow your stuff beneath down where I sleep; it’s a bit snug – but it’ll be safe enough there, I reckon,” he adds, leading Camm aboard and taking him down below to the small area that he bunks in with Piper.
Pushing some gear off a small wooden table he helps Camm get as comfortable as possible.
”Hey!” a shrill voice calls out; and from behind them a youngish Halfling appears.
Dark locks with a touch of red in tight braids, a stiff leather apron, multiple belts and pouches around her shoulders and waist, and thick goggle to protect her eyes from alchemical solutions give her the air of a crafter.
”Ah – that one – her name’s Piper – she works for me and helps out on the ship with crafting projects and so on,” he adds casually.
”She may not look like much; but she’s got it where it counts,” he adds, even as the Halfling rolls her eyes at Horatio, but smiles appreciatively at Camm.
As they lounge in the ship a moment, Horatio lays out his thoughts on what to do next.
”Well – for now all we’ve done is had a few drinks. I reckon we can go into town and ask around, see what we can find out about these Bekyar folk, and where they do business and other particulars.”
”Once we know more on that count; we make the hit – nice and easy,” he adds.
Opening up a chest he lifts up a small bottle.
”Brandy – from back home. Want a swig?” he asks, offering it to Camm.
"Well my friend,I am sure that I will be able to get something out of this even if it is to best you in kills, hahaha. So. Where are these tall men of fierce disposition and midnight skin holding their unwilling parcels and how long till we leave?"
Piper pushes the goggles up over her forward a bit to see the man in front of her better. Her eyes widen as they roam over him for a bit, and she whistles tonelessly.
Older than Horatio, he seemed rather cocky and somewhat arrogant.
Cocky and arrogant? Hmm… not too shabby… she thinks with a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she appraises him.
Noticing that Horatio has done a rather poor job at introducing her, she takes a moment to speak her piece formally.
”Bramblewine’s the name; Piper Bramblewine,” she adds, than suddenly realized that Horatio had already mentioned her first name.
”Oh yeah; well… anyway… the thing is; I make stuff. Lots of stuff – fun stuff, helpful stuff, you know… but anyhow, it’s pretty good… stuff,” she ends a bit lamely.
Oh – did you say “stuff” enough? Smooth Piper, real smooth! Way to impress a guy!
She reaches into her pouch and removes a small scrap of paper and rolls up a crude cigarette, lighting it on the wick of a nearby candle, and takes a long draw from it, hoping that the smoke will cover her awkwardness a bit and waits for a response.
Bowing a deep bow and addressing the halfling,Camm says,"My dear, I am sure that your creations are of the utmost quality. It is readily obvious a great deal of care is taken in your work."
Turning back to Horatio he says, "I traveled fairly light as usual. I will acquire what I need as we go. My arms,armor, Cyclone's needs are all I really came with."
Bowing a deep bow and addressing the halfling,Camm says,"My dear, I am sure that your creations are of the utmost quality. It is readily obvious a great deal of care is taken in your work."
Turning back to Horatio he says, "I traveled fairly light as usual. I will acquire what I need as we go. My arms,armor, Cyclone's needs are all I really came with."
Hearing Camm’s compliment, Piper beams.
Hearing that he has only the gear on his back, her eyes go wide.
”Why, that’s terrible,” she says in surprise.
”You’ll need a proper kit to get things done, that’s for sure… but hey; don’t worry – we got some gear you can borrow.”
Rummaging around she pulls out a large pack which and holds it up to show him.
”It’s not much, but you can have it when you’re with us on board and you need to walk off and go stomping around, er – if you need something, that is,” she says with a little smile.
”You probably won’t need to haul it around – but I’m surprised you don’t have something like that on you now. Well; anyhow – it’s here now. If you’d like, I’ll stitch your name on it, or something like that. Um, it’s no bother, really… so… how do you spell it? I mean, your name, that is...” she asks, curiously.
She looks quizzically at Horatio for a moment
”So... who is Cyclone?” she asks, her eyes darting between Horatio and Camm.
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Pondering what Malika Fenn had told them of other attempts at the Rock and Variel's recounting of pride and arrogance among their lot, Rain turns to Variel, "Harrigan presumed that the Widow Smythee would fall 'neath his attempts and he failed. Perhaps the stronghold has more to offer than we imagined. At this moment, we have a ship with an assortment of crew. We added an additional six this day. I would say we learn what it is like to work as a united group before attempting to take the Rock, one way or another. I must admit I hold a certain level of respect for the widow and her prowess at keeping the Rock from any arrogant free captain who aims to take it from her. It means she is not entirely defenceless or inept. We cannot underestimate her or her people. I agree with you, Var, in the moment we determine to push onward or retreat. There is no shame in the latter."
Perhaps the best course of action then is to continue as we have been doing. Once we leave here, we sit in the shipping lanes for a couple of weeks. Hopefully we can pick off another ship or two. Once done with that we then sail to Tidewater Rock and try our hand there. If the timing works out right we should be sailing together for a month. By then I would hope that we all have learned how to work together. It helps that we got that extra six crew yesterday. It should make the night watch and rotations easier for us. We can focus on being the officers and not performing crew duties.
"I am in favour of that plan, Var."
Then more discreetly, she asks Variel in Elven, "Have you truly agreed to Flynn's Sky Lord friend joining us?" There is a note of concern in her voice. Camm did not make a good first impression on her -- Cyclone, his hippogriff did, but not the human. To have another brusque character onboard the Lady was surely unwise.
Seeing Camm’s disinterest in the proffered drink, Horatio shrugs good naturedly and stuffs the bottle back in the chest, closing the lid carefully.
”Alright – you got arms, armor and what you need to survive,” he says with a friendly nod.
”Good enough.”
”We wait for nightfall and make our move – cut some slaver throats, let loose the poor basterds who are trapped; grab some quick coin if we can – get the slaves free and back to our ship if they want; if they don’t want we make a dash for it in the chaos which ensues as they tear the place down.”
”As soon as our feet reach the deck we slip away nice and easy. Or – if we’re still tied up in this berg – we stow them safe and sound aboard and direct the authorities eastward toward the jungles.”
He grins, his eyes glittering eerily in the dim lighting of the small cabin, as his fingers reach down to grip the hilt of his mother’s dagger.
”Now that’s action I can get behind,” he says softly, rolling up onto the balls of his feet.
Piper looks at Horatio for a moment.
”Sounds pretty risky… and the rewards may be slim to nil – is it worth it? I mean,” she adds hastily ”why would you do so much for those who are slaves? You don’t know them, you don’t have any reason to care about them – why risk yourself?” she adds, clearly more worried about his safety than some unknown slaves.
He turns at Piper and shrugs.
”Free coin, spreading our reputation as Rogues with a heart of gold and getting a few more lads on this ship seems good enough for me. But yeah; there are other reasons. But I reckon you know them quite well by now…” he responds easily.
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Variel responds to Rain using common so Jiro can understand. I have not actually agreed to him joining us as of yet. Tere are a couple concerns I have and some questions I want answered before I feel comfortable in having him join us.
Variel walks a little ways before continuing. I have not thought it all through yet so I apologize if this seems a bit jumbled. I hope I do not ramble on, but if I do, perhaps something I say will strike a chord and resonate with one of you. That way we can find a path of wisdom and follow its course.
When I first saw him with Jiro two nights ago I thought he was a loner. He had no one sitting with him and he made no effort to meet anyone or welcome anyone to his table. That concerns me a bit to be honest. If we are to have someone join us, it needs to be someone who knows how to follow orders and work as part of a team. We have had too many times where someone has not followed the plan and it puts everyone in jeopardy. We can't have one person more important then the rest of us. That includes me as acting captain.
Before he continues on with his rambling about Camm he stops to look both of them directly in the eye. You two I can trust to say this to. If something should happen to me, I do not expect you to sacrifice anyone for my sake let alone the safety of the entire ship. I trust you two to make sure this happens.
Returning to the topic that he was on, Thus, I do not know if I can trust him if he does not respond to my questions. I asked him how he knew Flynn and what he could bring to The Dread Lady. Neither question was answered. Instead he went off with Flynn and I have not seen them much lately.
The other problem that we may have is what are we suppose to do with a flying behemoth on our ship. Where will it stay and how much of our resources is it going to take in food. We hardly have enough crew to man the ship in the daytime with a watch at night. We have no one to spa right now to take care of it and clean the hold everyday. Not only that but how are the crew going to handle themselves knowing we have such a creature free in the ship.it could be bad for morale and unsafe for us all if it panics inside.
The only thing i can think of so far si to take him on as a normal crewman and see how he behaives. Once he has proven himself and his ability to listen, follow orders, and work as a team, then he may be ready for a promotion to an officer. Of course that will be decided by all the officers when the time comes. It is these issues and possibly more that I need answered and relieved before I can say yes to joining us. How am I to get the answers though if he does not acknowledge me or treat us fair.
Horatio stretches his legs in front of him, gripping the stem of a pipe in his teeth as he slides out his mother’s dagger from its sheath.
He spits once on the blade and takes out a whetstone and begins to sharpen it deftly.
”But enough jibber-jabber," he says with a glance at Piper.
"Now, as I see it, we make the hit on those basterds during the last night in port,” he says, his words sounding tight and clipped as he focus on giving a keen edge to the blade.
”When we’re ready to slip our moorings than we make our move; if we do it sooner we run the risk of the lads being pinched.”
He holds up the blade to the candlelight and looks at its gleam.
”We need to hustle them back to the ship as quick as can be; so she needs to be ready to go and also to pick up extra lads,” he adds, thinking about the nuances.
”That means she needs to be ready to launch hard and fast. I reckon I’ll tell Dhaavan before things go down so he can get it all square and proper.”
”You got anything you want to add here,” he says, glancing up at Camm; curious to know what his mate might say.
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After spending most of the day with Rain and variel away from the ship, you have noticed a few times where Variel's eyes have met Rain's with an unspoken understanding between the two of them. Sometimes there was an almost unperceptable little nod or a strange gesture that accompanied the eye contact.
Although they are not including you in what is going on, you can tell that there is nothing malicious about it. Nor does it seem that it is you specifically that they do this around or even because of just you. Now that you have noticed it, it seems they are like this around anyone when away from the ship.
Rain looked Variel in the eye perhaps a moment or two longer than customary (between a pilot and captain).
She did not like it when he talked of something untoward happening to him. May the gods keep him safe.
"I noticed the Sky Lord did not answer your questions. His reunion with the good doctor was all encompassing. I think it is wise for you to wait to hear his answers. He cannot expect to be accepted based purely on his friendship with Flynn. He was blatantly rude to all of us, well except for Flynn and Dhaavan."
"In regard to his mount, Cyclone, the creature is indeed large and will be demanding out at sea. His upkeep will be the responsibility of Camm and none other onboard the Lady, that is how I see it. The Sky Lord will pay for his mount's food. I suppose Cyclone could easily go hunting the seas for fish and larger sea creatures to feed his appetite. Flynn already occupies the middle deck and armory. I suppose the hold could be large enough to house the hippogriff as we sail. His presence top deck would prove disastrous with the rigging, sails and alike. But again, Camm did brag quite enthusiastically how he knew his way around a ship and been on them longer than I, so who knows."
Rain is thoughtful for a moment or two and then continues, "He did not leave me with a favourable first impression. If he desires to be an officer, he will have to prove he can fit in before I will give my approval. He is full of bravado and as brusque as Flynn." There is an annoyed look in Rain's bright eyes but she shakes it off. She did not want to judge the Sky Lord unfairly but he did not make it easy on himself with his attitude.
Seijiro notices the interplay between Rain and Variel but says nothing about it, just smiles to himself a little.
As to the other subject, he nods in agreement to Variel and Rain while speaking to them privately. "I have to agree, he seems far too self-absorbed and uninterested in being part of a company of equals. He and Flynn are two of a kind, in my opinion and while they may get along famously, they are not team players, either of them. I thought at first that Camm might be a good addition to the crew, but that was before I knew about his beast. Like you say, we've already given up our secure storage in toto to Flynn for his crafting and personal quarters, and now we need to give up the hold space for this creature? Where will keep food secure and out of its reach? If we put the beast in the armory, will the crew feel comfortable, since their quarters abut the armory and there are no real walls between them and the beast. That leaves only the deck, where the creature will be in the way of the crew as they go about their daily duties. I have a bad feeling about this, that I do."
Seijiro takes a deep breath and sighs, shaking his head slowly.
During their walk back from Malika Fenn's society headquarters, Rain thought about the bathhouse and finding some private time. When Jiro was a short distance from her and Variel, Rain took advantage of the small window of opportunity to whisper something in Elven into Variel's ear.
Seijiro walks with/near Rain and Variel, but a little further away than he usually does, affording them time to speak privately along the way, though he is close enough that if they wish to include him in conversation, they can easily move closer or get his attention. Occasionally he whistles quietly to himself while they walk, and allows himself to be easily distracted by sights and sounds and shops along the way, further distancing himself from them from time to time.
After Variel answers ...
Hearing Jiro whistle ahead of her and Variel, Rain feels rueful. I do not mean to exclude him, for he is my friend. They had been talking about being a closer knit group and here she was being self-indulgent. Rain sighs softly, her two sides warring.
Rain looks up at Variel and smiles, noting the colour of his steel-grey eyes in this light. She almost got lost in their hue and intensity.
She turns her attention to the red-haired kitsune who was being thoughtful of their need for space and privacy.
Rain speaks up, "Jiro, that is a pretty little tune", referencing his whistling. "I'm headed to the bathhouse as soon as we get back into town. I know you mentioned you were interested in having a nice, long bath?" Rain knew they would be in separate bathhouses being they were different genders but Jiro had become like a younger brother to her and she was making an effort to include him because it was the right and courteous thing to do.
"Hai, I'd like a bath too. Do you mind if I go with you?" He blushes slightly, as it might sound a bit suggestive to a westerner. But he knew in the west that men and women don't bathe together and they would merely be walking to the bathhouse in concert. If Variel goes to the bathhouse as well, he still gives them a little space to walk together and talk... if not, he walks alongside Rain and chats with her about the day's events a little, especially asking her about this Pathfinder woman, not knowing much about the Society.
"Do you remember how I dropped into the midst of that Chelish galley? Cyclone came in high and slipped in from above. By the time they finished wondering what the screech was I was already cutting them down from within. Cyclone then came crashing in followed the the other two riders. What a one sided battle! I am pretty sure we can do the same thing here."
"Hai, I'd like a bath too. Do you mind if I go with you?" He blushes slightly, as it might sound a bit suggestive to a westerner. But he knew in the west that men and women don't bathe together and they would merely be walking to the bathhouse in concert.
"I would like company on the walk to the bathhouse. Thank you, Jiro." She smiles at the kitsune lad having noted the slight blush and hoping to allay his uneasiness.
Looking up at Variel she asks, "Will you be joining us, Var?"
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Aye a long bath sounds like a good idea. After that though I think I may return to the ship for some quiet reflection and study. Even though we are in port and the crew is on leave, that does not mean I should be so lax and not take the time to study the maps and charts. Perhaps it is even more important that I look at them now while I have the peace and time to do so. If you two wish to remain in town and enjoy the night life be my guest. In fact I would almost insist upon it. Jiro you especially if you can get to know the locals and find out what you can of the town and local life. I will pay for the cost of a room at the inn even so you may enjoy the time off. None of us has had much of a break lately and it should only be right that you take one.
Variel will head to the bath house and lounge for a little while. However, part of him is chastising himself for wasting the precious time in such a luxurious fashion. It could be well used for something else more constructive or more important.
"Do you remember how I dropped into the midst of that Chelish galley? Cyclone came in high and slipped in from above. By the time they finished wondering what the screech was I was already cutting them down from within. Cyclone then came crashing in followed the the other two riders. What a one sided battle! I am pretty sure we can do the same thing here."
”Aye, I recall it clearly,” Horatio adds with a grin.
”So where does that leave me? Or am I riding her, too?” he asks, curious to know more specifics of Camm's plan.
While he waits for those details, he leans forward and begins to move scraps of wood on a low table - mapping out what he had seen earlier.
”Right - so you got a compound with a ten foot wall; it stretches from here, to here, to here and on back here,” he says indicting with the scraps of wood.
”From the main gate to the rooms we got just enough space to drop in Cyc - unless you want to drop on the roof. We could do it, but it may be tricky as I don’t know how sturdy those rooms are.”
”Between here,” he says indicating on the crude map ”there’s a ten foot alley or so; probably a buffer area, or simply the space for more folk can be moved in on a cart or something..."
"Now, I don’t know how good your moves are for riding; but you could drop Cyc here, we could hop off and move in forward fast; knife the guards, even as we bust open the gates on the slave pens."
”Meantime - when the backup comes running from the their stockade to the left; we hit them hard and fast as they charge out. By then we should have popped open some slaves and they may be in the fracas as well; handy enough to help out.”
”The outer gate may have a lock; that’s in our advantage - we pop the lock and it opens... maybe. But as long as it’s bolted, we got some time. Once it’s open - its every man for themselves and we stab hard for the ship.”
He leans back, considering the plans.
”When we get to the ship we’ll likely have a bunch of the lads with us; which is good. They’ll be ready to hop on. We’ll also likely have lads following us - which is bad; they’ll need getting chopped sooner than later.”
”The ship needs to be ready to take them on and repel boarders, if needed; and a fast get-away wouldn’t hurt.”
He glances up at Camm.
”What I need to know from you is: where do you want to land - and what do you want to do when we get there specifically so I know how to back you - if needed. Oh yeah - we also need to make sure to knock over some of the spots for coin....”
He pauses considering things a bit.
”Right now that could put a lot of heat on the ship - and I don’t fancy my mates suffering heat. It doesn’t sit right with me if some of the folk on here got pinched - but I may have a way around that, too.”
He pauses, considering things.
”The authorities around here are under the provisional charge of the local militia under the commander of the city.”
”We bribe that basterd with a cut of the loot, or one of the local block wardens, or whatever; no worries. But bribes can be ticklish business. For something like that I’d want Dhaavan with us, as he’s got enough swag to swing bribing an official nice as pie."
"Of course, a bribe may mean - depending on what the block warden says - that our actions would be known. But so what! That’s all part of the plan, eh? Being known as the folks who did this deed just means our reputation against fighting for good causes and not just stuffing our purses. Like I said, I reckon that will be worth it in the long run.”
”Now, Dhaavan’s still busy today and tomorrow.”
”I’ll speak to him tonight. Tomorrow is the last day of his “spreading the news” as it were.”
”He can make the arrangements with the ship as needed. Having extra hands on board won’t hurt things, neither. I’ll leave those details to him.”
”So - Camm; that’s the plan. You’ve heard what I think - any suggestions or ideas? Once I know more from you - we’ll make our move.”
Aye a long bath sounds like a good idea. After that though I think I may return to the ship for some quiet reflection and study. Even though we are in port and the crew is on leave, that does not mean I should be so lax and not take the time to study the maps and charts. Perhaps it is even more important that I look at them now while I have the peace and time to do so. If you two wish to remain in town and enjoy the night life be my guest. In fact I would almost insist upon it.
Rain hears Variel insist she stay the night in town after they finish their business at the bath house. He had said the same to Jiro. She did not understand the insistence after what she had said to him earlier and did not know how to respond. Rain could not trust herself to speak so remained mute as she walked between Jiro and Variel. She could hear her heartbeat booming in her ears and her graceful fingers clenched and unclenched by her sides. She would not feel comfortable moving about a strange town at night, unaccompanied if Jiro was to be occupied with learning more about the local inhabitants. It seemed like it would only be asking for trouble and wondered if the moment came she could fend it off alone.
There was so much more going through her mind and she worked hard at not allowing it to show through her eyes and on her face. She found taking a breath harder than usual and maintaining her composure.
It had been a taxing week and a full day. She lowered her eyes to the ground lest she give herself away. She looked dejected and wished she could plaster a smile on her face like Dhaavan and make light and merry of any situation. She opened her mouth to speak to Jiro but she closed it again just as soon. She hoped neither had seen her do that. It was best she just kept walking toward the bath house. To have some time in the female section, alone. Right now it would be nice not to surrounded by males.
Seijiro notices Rain seems uneasy and frowns slightly, glancing first at Variel to see if he notices... then he sighs softly. He hangs back a moment after VAriel enters the bathhouse and touches Rain gently on the arm just before she enters and speaks to her quietly. "Is everything alright, Rain-san? You seem troubled this evening."
In lowered voice and with eyes half cast down, Rain attempts to speak so she may answer Jiro's enquiry. He seemed to notice her emotions and moods more readily than the others. Part of her was grateful for his perceptiveness and the other more sensitive, vulnerable part felt exposed and she did not know how to deal with it appropriately.
"I forgot my place for a moment."
She was being deliberately cryptic and felt bad for it. This is what happens when one withholds information from others; it is like a whetstone around one's neck.
Remembering she was unintentionally being inconsiderate, she lifts her eyes a little higher but not quite all the way up and adds, "I thank you for your concern, Jiro. You are a good friend. I am simply overtaxed and hope the bath will wash away the grime and soothe the aches."
Seijiro flashes Rain a smile, but his sense of concern for her still shows in his troubled eyes. "Hai, perhaps a bath will help relieve the stress and trouble of the day. You know... " he pauses, trailing off for a moment. "Well... if you ever want to talk, I will listen and keep your counsel." He shrugs slightly, showing her there is no response necessary, simply the offer made. He bows to her... and heads for the men's baths. He whispers, "Such a strange custom... bathing separately... what a waste of hot water." He chuckles softly and shakes his head slowly.
What an odd culture. They often put such stock in dressing provocatively and in debauchery like Dhaavan and his dalliances, but they are too modest to bathe together innocently? I don't think I'll ever truly understand them.
"I know you would, my friend." And Rain did believe Jiro would keep her counsel if she asked him to. "Yet to speak is to place added burden on you. For now, knowing you are watching out for me, means a considerable deal." She bows her head toward the kitsune for his kindness and loyalty.
"Can you imagine if males and females bathed together in this place? I believe the extra hot water is a fair price to keep peace and security. The people of this land have not the wisdom to bathe together purely." Rain's voice is still soft and faraway sounding. She longed for space and quiet ... not because she did not enjoy Jiro's company. She had emotions to sort through in privacy, away from her comrades' eyes. She hoped the hot water would melt her concerns far away.
"Enjoy your bath, Jiro," she added before disappearing into the female baths.
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Variel could see that his words had an effect on Rain. He knew that he needed to clarify what he said but could not with Jiro present. He tried to make it sound that it would be okay if they went to town for the night. The insistence was upon Jiro though not Rain. He had hoped she would have picked up that he stressed Jiro and not her. However by her words and actions she did not catch his implication. He walked in silence as Rin and Jiro talk a bit not adding anything so as to not complicate the issue more.
Rain I apologize for earlier. I did not intend for you to take it that I wanted you to go to town. I was trying to make it seem plausible that Jiro stay in town. This would free us up to return to the ship or go elsewhere as we please without worry about people noticing. Believe me when I say that I wish to be with you as well.
Do not think that what I said earlier was to hurt you or that I was refusing you. Please never think that. Instead realize that I am not as sly as others and have a hard time using double talk to get a point across. If you do not wish to spend any more time together today I understand but am saddened by it
Coming out of the bathhouse, her midnight blue hair still damp, long tendrils lifting and blowing in the slight breeze, she sees Variel standing there and when he sees her, approaches.
The hot water and scented soap had revived her body but her heart and spirit were still in disarray. She drew to the side as he motioned, knowing he was seeking as private an audience as possible. She acquiesced.
She listened to Variel, watched him closely with eyes voluminous and starkly turquoise. She was taking his measure, silently, stoically in a manner. She had misunderstood his meaning, what he had attempted to convey through cryptic message. Her straight posture relaxed a little and her hands stopped their restless clenching. When she responded, her voice was soft, and slightly husky.
"I was uncertain of your meaning for it seemed you were dismissing me as well as Jiro when you mentioned returning to the ship to work on your charts. I thought I had spoken out of turn when I whispered my desires. I am sorry I misunderstood your intent. Variel, I do wish to spend time with you for as long as we can manage it. I just wish we did not have to hide in the shadows." If they had been alone, Rain would have leaned in closer, placing her head on his shoulder or chest. She realised that her attachment to Variel had grown and her feelings were deepening the more time she spent in his company. Rain had never before been in this kind of situation and found it difficult to maneuvre the course. Being in the shadows like this was taking a toll yet logically she understood the necessity of protecting them both. She did not enjoy lying and pretending. Her relationship with Variel was not shameful nor deserved to be concealed from the others.