"Ye." Grizzle nods. "When we be throwin' tha basterd overboard?"
Shikyo follows the conversation, he nods and speaks slowly with his thick accent.
I. Will. Kill the Man. Scourge.
he then lapses into his own tongue for a time. Probably cursing and promising bloody death.
"Mutiny is the last thing I'd ever consider normally," Sandara says quietly. "But I'm starting to think we don't have a choice. Cap'n Harrigan was rougher than he needed to be, but he treated his crew fairer than this."
"And I'm not sure if any of you noticed, but we're off course."
"Yes," Badger says, having evidently snuck up on the Pressganged. "And I think I know where we're going--Rickety's Squibs. It's an isolated dry dock on the Slithering Coast west of Bloodcove. For a price they refit ships into squibs--changing the ship lines and silhouettes, making them unrecognizable by even their former owners. And that tells me that Plugg is going rogue."
Shikyo doesn't follow the talk of "squibs" but he understands the meaning.
The man. Scourge. He no longer is protected. he says slowly, meaning that the pirate is no longer affiliated with Harrigan.
Treggor peers at his companions with cold murder in his eyes, taking a moment to make eye contact with each. He speaks low, with purpose and determination. "Aye, Harrigan be a harsh captain, but no harsher than others I've served. Plugg be of a different breed altogether, a man carved by hatred an driven by greed. He kin abide not but a bootlicker n a slave, an I mean ta be neither. If we be headed fer the Squibs, we be on some side of a mutiny already. We kin stand fer Plugg, we kin stand fer Harrigan, er we kin stand fer us. N I know who I mean ta stand for."
The old pirate stands straight, his broad shoulders and scarred chest highlighted by lamplight. He takes of his hat and holds it out to the others. "Throw in yer lot with me, an I'll see us be free sailors on the high seas. T'won't be a man on the water as kin see are flag an keep is courage. We'll be the most feared sails in the near seas, an our ship will sail low in the water fer all the bounty within are stores. With Jack as me first mate, we'll hunt the seas for gold and glory. What be yer answer? Be ya ready fer a new captain?"
Chuckling Jack replied simply, "It be time fer Vengeance." To look into his eyes was disturbing, he was relishing the prospect!
Aye! Ya can count on me and my bow, Treggor.
"If et meens revenge, than ah'm down fer et." Grizzle grins. "Never could spend mooch taim an a single boat anaway."
Jack Scrimshaw looks nauseous. "First Mate? Me? But I'm a swab. I don't know the first think about navigating a ship. What about, Badger?"
"Mad Jack, were me thinkin'." Treggor nods to Mad Jack. "T'wouldn't be in good taste ta have a first mate as was sound a judgment!" He adds, slapping Scrimshaw's back roughly.
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Jack chuckles at Scrimshaw's discomfort, before adding lightheartedly, "Sound Judgement ain't one meh strong points! I be mad enough ta think we can do dis... But we nae wanna fight em all, just Plugg and Scourge gods willing, tha rest's crew. Gotta wait, dey'll go too far, Jack knows dis fer a fact."
"We can't kill everyone anyway. We're a skeleton crew as it is. We need these people to move this boat. I'm not saying we won't have to put a few down, but we must avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Or else we're all swimming home," Badger adds.
We are discussing a mutiny, friend. That does not involve replacing thd entire crew, just the Captain and those in his inner circle. Let us sow the seeds of discontent amongst those NOT loyal to him.
"Fertile ground fer sure, we'll need da others too mind." replied Jack eagerly.
"I don't recommend it. Plugg and Scourge have already dug in there talons with the rest of the crew. Anyone else we tell might simply rat us out to curry favor. No. We just have to strike so quick it won't matter," Sandara says.
Treggor returns the hat to his head and smiles conspiratorially. "Aye, we'll learn the habits o' the devil and 'is right hand, and we'll create a diversion ta create confusion. When it be least suspected, I'll dangle that cursed Scourge from the deck by 'is own whip. The rest of ye can do as ye would with Plugg. That barnacle isn't worth tha knife fer 'is back."
"So when are we going to do this? What's the plan?" asks Jack Scrimshaw.
Treggor holds up his hand and paces for a moment thoughtfully. "We make are move on the next dusk. I'll have a plan afore first light."
The crew of the Man's Promise awaken to a gale of winds and rain. The wind blows with incredible force, driving the Man’s Promise and the ship is tossed about on the high seas. All hands are called on deck to work, including the cook’s mate. All of the crew is required in
the rigging.
The winds are strong and visibility is almost zero.
Mad Jack and Shikyomaru are ordered to repair the rigging.
Alfonso is sent to do upper rigging work.
Grizzle is doing rope work.
And despite the poor visibility Dieredon is sent to the crow's nest.
Treggor is handling mainsail duty.
Treggor works the sail with all the aptitude of a seasoned sailor and all the strength of a hardened brawler. Yet even while he works, he keeps an eye open for an opportune moment to lose a man or two overboard: Plugg and Scourge.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Dieredon works diligently in climbing to the crow's nest.
Dietedon is nearly at the top of his climb when his foothold slips.
Shikyo notices the storm and works diligently to finish his task.
Is anyone that is closely allied to Plugg/Scourge on deck?
<--
<--
<--
Torn and damaged rigging was no joke, so Jack worked hard with the taciturn Tian man to repair it. Jack had one wobble getting up as some frayed rope disintegrated in his hand, but fortunately he was able to arrest his fall before any damage was done.
Grizzle works diligently, coiling and stowing ropes. He also ties his beard hair to them in his spare moments, for luck.
***
Dieredon falls from 30 feet while climbing to the crow's nest. He tumbles badly, bad manages to land in some ropes that mostly break his fall. His shoulder hurts like misery, but it could have easily been much worse. He climbs right back up and gets to work; although with the wind and rain, it seems a fool's errand. He could be right next to an island and not see anything.
***
The Pressganged manage to stay steady on their feet throughout most of the day. But the storm rages on, and everyone has to pull double shifts working into the night.
Alfonso and Treggor are assigned to repair the rigging.
Dieredon is ordered to do line work.
Grizzle is sent to do upper rigging work.
Mad Jack is given the pointless task of being lookout.
And Shikyomaru is handling the mainsail.
***
Dieredon will work diligently on the lines. After his spill yesterday, he is glad to not be climbing to the crow's nest, again.
Shikyo continues through the night, feeling tired but his anger and thoughts of revenge keep him motivated.
Jack can scarcely believe it, being given the job of Lookout in a raging storm, utter madness. The way the ship was pitching about made the crows nest dance crazily with rigging whipping this way and that. Laughing deeply he tells the others, "Dey be tryin ta get meh killed fer sure."
Jack tried his darnedest to get up there, but he ends up falling repeatedly as the ship bucks underneath him.
Grizzle diligently works on the rigging.
Treggor, finding himself overly tired from working too long, sets to his task more diligently to ensure his own safety as well as that of the crew.
Mad Jack falls once, but is lucky enough to barely jar his shoulder. He then makes it up to the crow's nest.
Grizzle takes a harder spill, but manages to keep at it.
And the rest manage quite ably despite their exhaustion.
***
Mad Jack is on lookout when suddenly he spots a sharp piece of reef that she ship is on collision for. He is aware enough to call out a warning so that everyone on deck can brace themselves.
<--
He is nearly thrown down from the crow's nest, but manages to catch himself just in time.
The rest of the crew are thrown about but no one suffers any serious injury thanks to Mad Jack.
The ship is taking on water, and soon a group is send to the bilges to bail out as much water as they can. If the crew can survive for a few more hours, then they can start to make repairs.
It is tiring exhausting work that lasts for hours. But eventually the storm lets up. The immediate danger has passed and the Pressganged get a chance to rest in their hammocks--if they so choose.
Shikyo flops into the hammock, annoyed that nature took his opportunity for revenge away for the day.
Treggor stews over the untimely storm and near loss of the ship, but eventually exhaustion overcomes him and he falls fast asleep.
Dieredon heads to his bunk to enter a deep trancelike state to refuel his mind and body.
Looking shattered emotionally as well as physically, Jack totters down the rigging with a curiously satisfied, yet not, really grin. He then goes off in search of somewhere safe to flop.
Grizzle takes a long rest.
After a very satisfying but all too brief respite, the Pressganged is woken up by the young Jack Scrimshaw. He shakes you all awake and there is very clear panic in his voice.
"Get up! Get Up! Badger and Sandara are missing!"
A wild look crosses Jack's face but incongruously his voice was calm but urgent as he grabbed Scrimshaw by the arms to steady him and asked, "What jobs did dey 'ave today? Been taken nae doubt, but where..." Looking at the others with a certain wildness in his eye, he adds "Today be a fine day fer a rescue or mayhap a mutiny..."
Scrimshaw tries to calm himself.
"They were working the rigging like almost everyone else. But I haven't seen them since before we hit the reef. I went looking for them just now and--no one's seen either one of them."