"I'm sure it's easy to learn on the fly, I am a genius you know. Did I ever tell you when I was the first one to translate the tablets of Xerrian. It only took me year." He says as he waits for his cards.
"Gosh yes, a piece of cake. She looks over at the guard, Not waiting for an answer, she turns back to Flag, "Really? A year to translate the tablets of Xerian? You'll have this game down in no time." Mishael begins shuffling the deck. The backs of the cards show fierce-looking monkeys dressed like pirates with comical parrots on their shoulder.
She looks over at the guard,
The guard looks over his should towards the Saltshacks then quickly over to Mishael and the "new" player. "If Gartold be t' be seein' me playin' a game while on duty he`d skin me hide!"
"Hmmmm. Welby..." Gartold gravely says to himself. "I will say that he be a bit o' pain in me side in th' past. But killin' swabbies? Nah, I dasn't b'lieve 't."
He stops and thinks a bit, rubbing his beard before saying "I`ll let ye be havin' a talk wi' th' lad. Yer shipmates can come in an' ask th' lad's questions also as long as they leave the'r weapons wi' us."
Gartold then begins to write something on a small piece of paper, then holds it up to Suny for her to take. "And these two men will escort ye. They know 'ere he lives."
Suny again gives Gartold her full, floppy version of a bow before stepping forwards and graciously taking said piece of paper from his hands,
"Thank'e kindly, sir. I shall carry t'out forth-with." So saying she spins in place before skipping off to recount her time to her friends.
The two guards flanking Gartold step forward and usher Suny out of the office, all the way to the gate where she is reunited with a few of her friends playing cards with some commoner wearing glasses.
Mishael glances up from the game of cards to see Suny coming back with two guards, "Hey Suny, how did it go? Did you meet Gartold?"
Mishael glances up from the game of cards to see Suny coming back with two guards, "Hey Suny, how did it go? Did you meet Gartold?"
Suny grins and waves to her friends, some scrap of paper seemingly forgotten as it flutters in her fist.
"Aye, indeed I did an'a right nice enough feller he seems t'be t'boot." She eagerly skips over and continues to waves said piece of paper.
"He give me this t' let us come an' be havin' a talk with..um..Webly...? Though they be askin' us t' be leavin' our pointy things in their care while be doin' so." She explains happily.
"Not a fan of that, but I can take care of myself without it if necessary." Mishael walks confidently up to the guard, draws her rapier, reverses it, and extends the grip to him. Her eyes flash witjh licks of fire. "Take good care of it or I'll be taking care of you. Suny, let's go talk to Welby."
Suny happily takes Mishael's offered arm and skips along up the walk way/Gang-plank with her friend.
The young scholar offers up his wrapped up longsword, and with a snooty voice "It weighs me down anyway, I don't know why you all insist on me carrying it. Let us proceed." He waits for the guard to escort him and his friends.
"I really don't like the idea of throwing away my means of defense. I'll be staying out where I can keep my swords, thanks."
After the party diappears into the saltshacks, Silas is going to wander around the long way, and is going to be taking a swim, trying to find the group.
Those who agree to leave their arms behind are escorted down into the Saltshacks by the two guards. As the group walks down a network of piers the size of the settlement floating on shore becomes more visible. It is an impressive collection of boats, large ships, and barges all interconnected and tied together. Some vessels are clearly unable to sail in the sea but offer a large amount of shelter. With women and young ones here it looks like the population of the Saltshacks is several hundred halflings.
Eventually the guards stop and one of them points to a poorly maintained fishing ship about 160 feet in length. Welby’s dilapidated hovel floats on a poorly weighted dock. Cobbled from driftwood planks, old crates, and other jetsam, the entire thing would be a fire-hazard if not for the blasts of salt spray from the ocean waves. Tied to the transom, a small rowboat bobs in the waves. Its nameplate reads “Adelaide”.
Mishael looks at the Adelaide as we approach, looking for any signs of trouble, unusual features, and escape routes from the ship.
She moves forward toward the ship at the gesture of the guards.
The young scholar figits as he apporaches the unique fishing boat, he looks towards Mishael "Your contacts always lead us to such nice places." He says with a sarcastic snort.
Mishael grins wickedly at Flag, "Hey, at least its a ship this time and not a brothel, seedy bar, or dilapidated tenement. I'm quite sure we can find worse in Freeport. Ever been to Bloodsalt?"
Silas begins picking his way toward the group on land still. He doesn't want to end up trapped in open water with no cover. He tries his best to be stealthy, desperately hoping they don't have too many guards.
Sunny looks at the small boat floating at the end of the dock,
"Uhm...well...it do kind o' look like all three whut you mentioned smushed int'a one..." Sunny says, uncertainty clear in her voice.
"So, we'll jus' skip on over then?" And she proceeds to do just that.
"Suny, you're light on your feet, perhaps you could just have a little peek in one of those potholes or windows, into the interior. Just to make sure it's safe, I'd hate to get my clothes wet or dirtied in this place."
Suny nods at Karsielle's suggestion/prompting...
"Okeys then!" (^_^) And proceeds to scamper across, arms outstretched as she balances upon her toes...
A few portholes are within a few feet from the dock where the pier follows the starboard side of the ship. Suny leans over to peer into one of them but they are just a little too far from reach to get a good view into the ship.
Suny sees another port window that she thinks she will be able to reach, but is unable to stretch far enough without fear of falling in the water and possibly scraping against the barnacle encrusted hull.
She is able to peer into the windows from a distance and isn't able to see too much beside a pile of fish, equipment, nets, and a lot of barrels.
"Ah well...." She sighs, pulling herself back onto the dock as she looks around for how people come and go to the groups current destination of interest.
Mishael looks at her companions, "Anyone see a reason not to announce ourselves before hopping on board?"
"No reason at all, but it might be prudent to cut off any means of disappearance around the back, before we make our entrance." says Karsielle, as she wipes dirt from her boots.
"I agree with Karsielle, we shouldn't be uncivil and barge in. But its a good idea to keep there manners in check as well." He gives the cleric a wink. The scholar starts mumbling to himself in ancient language and gives himself a mental kick when he just realized he should of done this earlier.
"Um..how are we t' keep an eye on'a 'back' o' this place...." Suny asks quietly.
"It be a ship an' we with but th' one way aboard her..." She looks left and right, taking in the measure of the ramshackle place they all stand before.
"I mean, ye cold perhaps lower me over th' side an' I could keep an ear out fer any one splashin' away?" She shrugs at her own idea.
There doesn't seem to be a way to see the other side of Welby's ship/home/fish processing barge without getting into the water. The only way to get into the water without swimming appears to be by getting into the rowboat tied to the transom.
There is a narrow wooden plank leading from the pier to the rear of the Adelaide.
"Well Suny, me and you seem to be the best swimmers." Mishael draws her deck of cards back out. "Draw for it? High card wins?"
"Okeys!" Sunny exclaims, even as she starts wriggling out of her pants. (^_^)
Karsielle just stops herself from laughing out loud as Suny gets herself ready, "Methinks that Suny's card will always be higher, if it means a swim." as she points to the narrow plank and start to make her way there.
Mishael shakes her head as Suny gets ready to dive in the water. "Ha, I think you're right about that Karsielle. Suny, you got this one or do you want company?"
Suny holds her shirt closed with one hand as she holds her card in the other.
She looks at her card.....looks at Mishael's card...
Then, kicking her discarded pants aside, she begins to 'help' Mishael start to get her clothes off as well, laughing at the hand fate has dealt them all the while. (^_^)
"Well done Suny!" laughes Mishael as she wriggles out of her loose clothes stripping down to a tight leather shirt and breeches. A moment later she dives in a graceful arc off the edge of the docks, entering the water with a soft, "Ploosh," and begins to swim around the back of the ship.
Suny laughs along with her friend as she quickly helps Mishael disrobes down to what the woman obviously considers 'The bare minimum' for herself. Then, with a quick flick of her own wrists, send her own shirt fluttering to the planking as she too dextrously slips into the waters below.
Suny then glides along far beneath the surface, keeping pace easily with Mishael's splashing strokes above on the surface. The sun browned Elf's skin of such a shade as to perchance help obfuscate her form within the dappled depths.
Now within her element, Suny watches for anything else which inhabits the waters along with her friend.
With two of their companions swimming into the harbor's water, Bloody and Karsielle look at each other.
"I guess its just you and me now." Karsielle says the the disguised man named Flag. "Would you like the honor or do we need to draw cards?" she asks Bloody as she holds her arm open toward the plank to board the ship.
Arriving at the far side of Welby's fishing ship, looking for entrances, exits or signs of activity.
"Very well." He procedes on the plank and knocks on the door.
"Sir, are you home?" He waits for an answer.
Mishael continues to tread water behind the ship with Suny, "Hey, you see anything Suny, or shall we head back around to Flag and Karsielle?"
Suny continues to drift along the bottom of the harbor beneath Welby's floating residence, Mishael's voice not carrying well between the air and the deeps...
Mishael treads water and drifts to the side of the ship that is opposite of the pier when she spots a halfling clinging to the outside wall of the cabin, apparently trying to hide for Bloody and Karsielle on the opposite side.
He looks as though he is holding something in his hand but it is very hard to see.
Karsielle watches as Flag knocks on the door, tapping her foot impatiently as thoughts of revenge cloud her mind.
Mishael calls out,
The short man looks at Mishael, startled and a with a look of panic over his face. He hesitates for a moment before diving into the water of the bay.
Across the way, Silas can see a short man that he hadn't noticed before jumping into the water.