A barrel-chest sailor who has all the looks of a pirate, with a bushy black beard, a patch over one eye, a bandanna constraining a mane of wavy black hair, and a gold loop in his ear turns at the name. His skin has been bronzed by countless days at sea, although judging by his features and the amount of dark hair on his chest and arms, you suspect he hails from Setenbor and must have been at least as dark as the Golden Drakes.
In a surprisingly clear accent compared to the gypsies now impersonating you, he answers, "AWAITING YOUR ORDERS, CAP'N!"
A grin splits Kovack's face. "Let's give the fops somethin' ta gawk at! FULL SAIL THRU THE SEA CHANNEL!"
An althletic half-elven woman with short, dark hair, tanned skin, and fierce blue eyes casts a gaze at the rigging and then snarls, "Blue blazes," when she hears the first mate repeat the order to the crew.
In spite of her surly demeanor, she is a woman a rare beauty, dressed in tightly-fitted black leather armor with a steel gorget. As sailors around the ship hop to, she pauses only briefly to shout to 'Gerrold' before scurrying up the rigging, "Old man! Get your girl off the railing or she'll get throw overboard!"
Breaking his eyes away from the healthy young wench, Felmor turns to see that 'Ellie' is already leaning over the railing, no doubt in anticipation of sea-sickness.
Further towards the bow on the starboard size, a short man, a gnome, dressed in fine blue raiment shakes his head at the exchange. After appraising the well made yet reserved garb of a no doubt successful merchant, the tiny fellow says in a high, nasal voice, chin held high to show off his neatly groomed goatee, "Honestly, you would think that the staff should show a bit of manners to their paying cust–"
'Gerrold' gazes briefly at the athletic form as she shimmies up the rigging, and feels a couple of heated glares, from his 'wife' and her 'nurse' burning into the back of his head. Ach, I dinnae think I be stayin' warm tonight if'n this keeps up.
He hurries to the railing, and takes his 'daughter's arm, and gently guides her away from the railing, shrugging off her protests. He scans the deck and quickly spies what he is looking for: an old wooden bucket.
He picks up the bucket and sets it in front of 'Ellie', ignoring her glare. This is something he has seen many times, and will no doubt continue to see as long as he is a sailor.
He gives an inward chuckle at the niavete of the gnome noble, as he sees the passengers as what they truly are, necessary for earning the wages, but useless in all other respects.
"Rook awt, shore-tea!" A ruggedly-built older sailor whose yellowish complexion and slanted eyes suggest that he hails from a far off culture, nearly trips over the gnome as he rushes to the rails to begin hauling a line. His greying hair is pulled back into a ponytail and his beard is the exact opposite of the gnomes, long and scruffy.
While his clothing and lamellar armor appear to be well-kept and clean, they are obviously of poor quality. Only the elegantly curved, long-hilted sword he keeps on his back seems to have any real value.
The startled gnome looks aghast that the old man touched him, clucking like an agitated chicken. All the while, the short-statured sailor tends to his duties until he nearly runs over the gnome again when he dashes to belay another line on the opposite rail, this time dodging nimbly past 'Andre' who has already started pacing the deck with his trained 'hunting dog' looking for possible threats to his charge's security.
It is not long before the White Pearl enters the shadow of the sea cliff, at which point Captain Kovack shouts, "Ladies, Gents, an' erry one o' tha rest o' ya. Hold yer hats or kiss 'em good-bye!"
No sooner does the captain shout his warning than do the sails give a loud crack, the wind in the sea cleft snapping them open. Instantly, the White Pearl lurches forward, it's narrow hull clipping across the choppy water in the channel rather than plowing thru it like a galleon.
'Ellie' gives a cry of panick as her feet go out from her. Only Alis' quick reflexes keep her from kissing the deck or worse. Further forward, the smartly dressed gnome and Mal both stagger. The wall of the aft cabin catching the big man, while Felmor rushes forward to steady the stumbling gnome. Priyya manages to hold her own, although whether or not she managed to keep from chuckling at the others would later be a matter of debate.
As the sleek, albeit dingy-looking clipper practically rocketed from Malatesta's harbor, a look of exhilaration was clear on Gerrold and Lisa's faces. The White Pearl didn't look like much, but she had it where it counts.
"AAAaaahhhh!!! That's the stuff!" The captain takes a swig from a pewter flask and gives Gerrold a nod of approval noting his steady footing and keen gaze. "She put a whallop on a new seaman at the last port o' call. Feller wound up with a damn broke jaw 'e did! Least it looks like you 'n yer lady got yer sea legs along with the Loxphari there. You three sailed much?"
Sense Motive DC 14:
...and imagines he feels a couple of heated glares, from... her 'nurse' burning into the back of his head.
Felmor returns the nod of Captain Kovack, and takes his warning seriously. He resolved to watch her closely when not being observed though, as she reminded him of Chivane a little too much. He briefly remembers other captains he has crewed under. If he had not crossed paths with the Kirmoon sisters, the chances are good he would be contented serving under the Captain for many years.
"Aye, Captain, I be a prolific sailor, in me younger days, afer I found an anchor I couldna break away from." He playfully grabs his 'wifes' rear in affection. 'N Silenya has blessed me wit' a lovely daughter, ehh unfortunately she dinnae enjoy th' sea as much as we do."
Gazing back at the gnome, and also checking on 'Ellie' to make sure she is ok, he adds, "Well, I guess the sea not be fer everyone. If so, then the waves be too crowded fer me blood!"
'Lisa' jumps at the ass-grab and turns away from her 'daughter' with a bemused look on her face. "Oh, you scamp!"
She reaches up as if to stroke the side of Gerrold's face but instead pinches his earlobe and pulls him down to her level, "Anchor? How's that for an anchor, love?"
"As for poor Ellie," she puts an arm around her shakey 'daughter', "if you were born in a leaky launch in the middle of a summer squall, you wouldn't care much for the sea either! Come on, dear girl, let's get you down to the cabin. Momma's got some medicine for you."
Lisa softly sings an old mariner's rhyme while they walk, soothing Ellie's quaking innards with each verse.
Sense Motive Checks:
'Ellie' holds down her breakfast with an effort of will, wondering why she is so seasick all the time. It wasn't like she was afraid of heights or anything like that. She loved to glide with her wings. The only explanation she could think of is there were no large bodies of water in the plane where she was raised.
"Momma, I don't know how I will EVER make it all the way on this leaky tub!" Ellie cries, as she clutches the bucket close to her chest. She looks around, and asks plaintively, "Where is that worthless man of mine?"
For several hours, the White Pearl races westward along the Bay of Colotti, its sleek design overtaking several other vessels. By mid-afternoon, you find yourselves sitting still in the water outside the small costal city of Colottina. Numerous orchards blanket the hilly island and in the distance you can see a few low-lying mountains.
Mal's keen, elvish eyes can just barely manage to make out the presence of a few large villas. Easier to see is a small ferry approaching your port side. On it are a several large baskets of brightly colored fruit, and some hay-filled crates — wine judging or liqueur judging by their labeling.
What Felmor first notices, however, are neither mansions, nor fruit, but a fox. Before any other cargo is hoisted aboard, a tall, athletic woman with tousled red hair and mischievous green eyes hops onto the deck, aided by First Mate Devers.
"My, such a gentleman you are! I hear that we get to skirt the Maelstrom on our way to Light's End, is this ship really that fast?"
The woman gives a carefree, almost manic laugh before flashing 'Andre' a predatory smile as if she were a lioness who had just found a new plaything. Running the fingers of her right hand thru Alton's chest hair, which elicits the sudden clearing of his throat, she winks at the large soldier and declares, " You can call me anytime. The rest of you can call me Sasha!"
As she walks by Mal, she reaches towards him, then deftly spins, just eluding contact as she whispers something.
Mal smiles, dumbstruck, as the beauty flirts her way by him, then shakes his head. Oh yah, the disguise.
With a sigh, he looks back at the hold where Talvyra is being kept on a tight leash… literally. While he's been enjoying the trip despite the constant fight to keep his stomach under control, he's constantly on edge, checking in on Little Sister every chance he gets.
It's not right to keep her tied up like that… no matter how nervous she makes the sailors. I mean, it's not her fault. I'll have to make another plea to the captain and Alis to get her released.
‘Ellie’ takes a deep breath as she enjoys the salty tang of the sea air. Whatever ‘Lisa’ did to her seems to have alleviated the seasickness, at least for now.
She notices the arrival of the flamboyant woman calling herself Sasha, and she feels stirring of an unusual nature. It takes her a moment to realize it was jealousy.
She walks over to where ‘Andre’ and Sasha were talking, and takes her ‘husband’s arm while nodding coolly to him, ”Andre, did you have a nice chat? Weren’t you going to introduce me?”
Mal is caught off-guard by Lureene's odd behavior before he remembers, Oh yah… the cover identity. Why do they look to me to lie? I'm horrible at it. He does a double-take on Lureene's expression and tone. Is she… jealous?!
He grins at both women, "Honey, this is Sasha. Sasha, this is Ellie." As Lureene turns back to greet the woman, Mal sneaks in a wink for the woman. "oh yah, and I'm Andre."
The startled gnome looks aghast that the old man touched him, clucking like an agitated chicken. All the while, the short-statured sailor tends to his duties until he nearly runs over the gnome again when he dashes to belay another line on the opposite rail, this time dodging nimbly past 'Andre' who has already started pacing the deck with his trained 'hunting dog' looking for possible threats to his charge's security.
"Honey, this is Sasha. Sasha, this is Ellie. ... oh yah, and I'm Andre."
"Hmmph you sure?" She puts her fists on her hips and rocks them from side to side, eying Ellie from her toes to her wavy black tresses. Now that she's closer and sashaying about the deck, you can see that's she's rather tall, probably about 5'10". She notes the bucket that Lureene is carrying and suddenly dips down and forward, clasping her hands together as she swings past the curvy woman's midriff.
"Oh wow, my mother never let me forget how she had morning sickness even into the afternoon when she was pregnant with me!"
She rocks from one foot to the other and back, scoping out Ellie's tummy and bust as if sizing her up. "I'd say... about two months, maybe three, am I close?"
As she continues to flit around the couple, like an oversized pixie, you start to wonder if this woman ever stands still or stops talking.
Sense Motive Checks:
Lureene is flummoxed by this woman's behavior and briefly wonders if she is drunk. Then her meaning becomes clear and her face pales several shades of white. She reflexives grabs 'Andre's' hand and squeezes it tightly, but says nothing. As Andre looks into her eyes, there is a thinly disguised look of terror in them.
Felmor nods at 'Lisa' and watches the scene unfold. He knows Sasha will be close by for many weeks, and it would be best for Lureene to get used to her. He then notices 'Ellie's' reaction, very unusual for her. He glances at Alis, and shrugs.
Alis walks up next to Lureene and gently lays a hand on her shoulder. "Sasha was it? So nice to meet you, I'm Ellie's mother, Lisa, that's my dear husband, Gerrold, and my nurse, Sara–."
She squints at the girl and covers her mouth with one hand. "Oh my, oh my, oh my, what did you do to your hand child? Are those bandages clean? Sarah, be a dear and come have a look at this poor sweet girl's hand, I'm afraid she might have an infection!"
'Lisa' turns to 'Ellie' and winks. "You better go down to our cabin, dear. Bad enough the sea makes you sick, you don't need to go seeing puss and maggots at a time like this! CAPTAIN? Our new passenger here is injured, we might need to put into port to ensure she's alright!"
Sense Motive Checks:
This time, it is the newly appeared red-head who turns a new shade of pale. She snatches her hand away from Lisa's reach, holding it behind her back. "Lisa you said? O– oh, so very nice to make your acquaintance! You have a beautiful family, and Andre is a lucky man to know that his wife will still be so lovely when she's an expectant grandmother!"
When Lisa leans her head around to the side, motioning for Sarah to have a look at the her hand, Sasha retreats giving a smile so big that you can no longer see her eyes. "Oh this? It's nothing, nothing at all! Just a little mishap while harvesting lemons, why it's practically healed, I just keep the bandages on so I'm careful not to hit it on anything. Changed them just this morning actually, all good here!"
Putting one foot behind the other, she picks up a small knapsack she set down after she boarded and waves with her good hand. "Well it's been a looong day have to get up early to work the orchard, you know. I'll just be heading to my bunk now to get some rest. Alone. Without anybody else. Just me. Bye now!"
In a flash of red hair, the woman skips off disappearing down the stairs of the foreward cabin before anyone can say another word. Meanwhile Lureene, Mal, and the Captain are left scratching their heads wondering what the hell just happened. All the while, the yellow-skinned sailor and the First Mate sigh and go about working a swing-armed boom to hoist additional cargo aboard.
Mal is about to respond to the odd girl when Alis intervenes, and the strange girl retreats. Both unexpectedly and both inexplicably.
oh well… what'r'ya gonna do?
Mal disengages his arm from Lureene's, whispering, "Ya know, I think you could have taken her anyway." Then he walks away, scratching his guard dog's head and watching the men work the lift.
Felmor watches her go, for once not admiring her curvaceous form. There is a troubled look in his eyes, as he snuggles 'Lisa' close and whispers into her ear,
Lisa leans up on her tippy toes to give Gerrold a kiss on the cheek.
Perception Checks
Mal finds his way over to his fake mother and father-in-law. He leans down, rubbing a spot on his left shoe to cover his whispered response.
Without another word, Alis smiles warmly and takes Lureene below deck motioning for Priyya to follow. As she passes him, she gives Mal and pat on the arm.
Not long after the three women reach the aft cabin Alis rented, there is a shout from Captain Kovack and the White Pearl is once against underway, bound for the Titan Isles. Once you are settled in, Alis opens the large trunk she brought along and retrieves a broad, stretchy hammock which she quickly strings between the bulkheads. She hops in with a contented sigh, points to a porthole, and says, "Open says me!"
As a fresh breeze whisks thru the cabin, the princess inhales deeply, eyes closed. For about two minutes she enjoys the gentle motion of the hammock and the sound of the sea.
At length, she rolls onto her side to face you and asks, "Ellllll... What's the matter?"
Lureene sits down on one of the bunks provided in the cabin, and tries to put the strange red-haired woman out of her mind. Still, her words kept haunting her mind. She gives thanks that Mal completely misunderstood why she was frightened. She had no doubt she could have handled her with her spells. Mal was rather clueless when it came to those kind of interactions. What Sasha said to her could not be laughed away or ignored.
She touches her belly, and runs her hand up and down over it, trying to feel if there was any sign of swelling. She could find none. Maybe Sasha was joking? But she seemed so earnest and serious. Dimly she recalls what her Mother had told her about...that condition. 'Don't worrk about that, Lureene. You will never be afflicted with that, no matter how hard you try to, my love..."
When she hears Alis's question, tears start forming in her eyes and she feels a sense of...dread?...happiness?...she was not sure. She turns her watery gaze to look at her closest friends.
Her voice is a whisper, "'Lis...Sara...do you think I could be...pregnant?"
Alis sits up with such a start that she hits her head on the ceiling and knocks her hair pin out, shifting back to her normal form. With a grunt of pain, she drops down to the floor, hand held to her forehead and retrieves the errant object.
Replacing it in her hair and speaking the command word, she returns to the form of Lisa. "What the hell, El? Where did that come from?"
Sensing that Lureene is actually worried, she lowers her voice and asks, "Wait are you serious? How long has it been since your last cycle?"
She then pauses a moment.
Wait, she's only half human, and the other half's not elven.
Alis repeats, "How long has it been and how long is it usually?"
She pauses, trying to understand what Alis was referring to. She recalls a time with Rath-hun back in Caen Carrinac, when she had thought of being a mother. Then she realizes what Alis was talking about.
She whispers in reply, "That is the problem, 'Lis. I...I have never had the blood flow."
"Hmm," Alis frowns and leans on a desk in the room. "Well, I know for human girls it usually starts around when they are around twelve give or take a couple years. I was 15 myself."
"The thing is, I don't really know much about how things work for... well, for your mother's side. I know that for elves and some half-elves, like 'Sis actually, they don't have a cycle like that either, their bodies reabsorb everything. It's the same for lots of animals too. In some, they actually have to engage in mating before the cycle starts, for others it's seasonal."
"Of course, that's not to say that there wouldn't be any other indicators. Do you ever get any cramping, or feel your emotions more strongly, or just really want to–"
Alis suddenly turns red.
Ugh, stupid! Lureene is always up for it, and her emotions are always high-strung!
She waves her hand and says, "Nevermind all that, but do you ever feel like there's any changes going on or anything? No? Nothing at all?"
The princess looks over to Priyya who raises her hands and shrugs. Evidently a Surya-ka-Vahaak's knowledge of beings from the lower planes is concerned more with the termination of their lives as opposed to their genesis.
"Look," she gets down on the floor in front of her distraught friend and holds her hands. She gives Priyya a rare, almost bashful look and lowers her voice.
She pats Lureene on the leg and says, "That woman was just messing with yours and Mal's heads. She came on pretty strong and probably felt like an idiot when she realized 'Andre' already had a hot wife — one with more curves than she could ever hope for."
"Besides," she taps the ring on Lureene's finger. "Rath is a careful and considerate man and he cares about you. He's not the sort of guy who would be so careless as to just get you knocked up without making sure he could be there for you and a baby."
Lureene nods quietly, blinking the tears out of her eyes. Of course Rath-hun would never do that to me, he LOVES me! And I LOVE him! She gives her 'mother' a long hug, quietly sobbing, whether in relief or disappointment, she is not quite sure.
"Oh, thanks sooo much for letting me know, 'Lis. I guess that Sasha was just being jealous." She brushes her tears away and the Princess is relieved to see Lureene recovering emotionally.
She chuckles quietly, "Yes, she certainly came on to Ma-lll...Andre quickly. Could you believe I was actually jealous of her? Well, for a minute, anyway."
Alis returns Lureene's hug, stroking her dark tresses until her eyes have dried. Upon her admission of jealousy, Alis holds her at arms length by the shoulders.
"Did you say you were jealous?" Alis' eyes, the one part of her appearance not altered by Laithoron's magic, light up with a mischievous twinkle, "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie! You're really getting into this, aren't you? So, were you planning to consummate your new role? Gerrold has been hoping for a grandson!"
With no warning, Alis pounces tickling Lureene and knocking their hair loose again. Ellie gives a scream to Alis' wicked laughter trying in vain to free herself.
"You know– it would– haha– probably improve his mood if you did!"
Suddenly there's a hurried knock on the door which the two rampaging blondes fail to notice, making painful, high-pitched noises as Lureene finally gets free. Alis tries to catch her again, but the two fall to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. A moment later, the door slams opens and Andre rushes in, Gerrold watching the hall behind him.
Looking down, he find's Lureene flat on her back, Alis atop her — hands in a very enviable position. His mind, having trouble registering what he's seeing for a sudden drop in blood pressure, is unprepared for Alis' explanation.
"Oh! Uh..." she looks down and jerks her hands away, "Andre! This isn't what it looks like! We were just talking about if El could get pregnant or not and then you came up in conversation!"
She smiles nervously, hair disheveled looking to the stoic form of Priyya for support and finding only a steady, incalculable gaze in return.
Damn, I hate it when she does that!
Eyes shifting around nervously for something to break the awkward silence, her eyes latch onto a basket of fruit on the desk. Moving faster than she can think, she grabs a lemon and holds it up to Mal with a hopeful smile, "Fruit?"
Grapple
Mal takes in the scene, the lack of anyone not in the group, the lack of the scent of any attackers, shakes his head, and turns and walks out, leaving the door open.
Fruit, indeed.
Alis gives a sigh of relief, helps Lureene back to her feet, and spends several minutes tearing the room apart until they have located and replaced their hair pins.
Well that went better than I could have expected!
Thru your first night the White Pearl continued westward steering south sometime before dawn. By sunset on Daegsday you had passed the island, Captain Kovack preferring to cut across open waters towards the Titan Isles rather than following the coastline.
Although there were always at least a few crew members tending the sails with someone always at the helm, the Captain preferred not to sail full-out during the night when reduced visibility meant less time for a swift clipper to react.
As the days passed, you found that the dark-haired sailor woman Aerys had quite a severe drinking problem. Each night she would get smashed out of her mind, and each morning she chased away the hangover from the night before with another drink. Even when she was in the crows nest, you're sure you spotted her doing more than merely sipping from a flask.
The red-headed woman, Sasha swiftly alienated most of the crew with her strange antics and incessant chattering, never staying in one emotion for more than a few minutes. On one occasion, when the gnome, Gelik, had snapped at her, she went off in a huff only to return no more than 10 minutes later in high spirits about how she thought she just saw a mermaid.
For his part, Gelik seemed to enjoy talking with Lisa, nodding approvingly at her fashion sensibilities. It seemed the little fellow was quite the collector of antiquities and had actually made them his stock and trade. Although, he admitted with a nervous laugh, that trade could be better.
At such times, he would glance nervously at the itinerant yellow-skinned sailor, Ishirou, frowning at the ever-present, exotic blade he carried. When he would notice Gelik's stare, the older man would simply turn his palms up and shrug his shoulders as if to ask, "Whaaat?" before turning back to his work.
Not content to merely stand around and be bored, Felmor instead opted to help work the lines happily joking with Alizandru, the captain, or helping Alton, the first mate, with the lines and sails.
It wasn't long after Aerys staggered out of the foreward cabin and up to the crows nest that you heard her rough, voice call out, "Ahoy, Captain! Land ho!"
Thus began your fourth day at sea, with the Titan Isles in view and the point of departure for those heading to Mallos instead of Light's End swiftly drawing near.
Felmor sees the approach of the Titan Isles and feels a sense of sadness. He knew his path would carry him away from those he called his friends for many months. He wished he could stay with the crew longer, but alas, his duty called him elsewhere. The Princess Alexis needed support, and also to be warned of recent events here as well.
He quietly approaches his 'wife' and says, "Aye, this be it. Did ye have any further...requests fer me?"
Having spent the last three months together, Alis gives Felmor a melancholy smile and a big hug. After a time, she looks up at him and says, "Well, certainly be sure to give 'Sis a hug like that for me. Tell her I love her and that we all miss her, Lureene almost as much as me!"
She brushes the hair out of Felmor's face and straightens his jacket like the doting wife she is supposed to be. She then slips a sealed envelope into his pocket. "Be sure to give this to her. I've written it in code using a rare language and a different alphabet, so she's probably the only one who will be able to 'get it'. Nothing too terribly important, but it just wouldn't be the same if she and I couldn't mess with each other, you know?"
Turning to look at the port into which the White Pearl is preparing to dock she says, "I have no idea how long I'll have to stay down here in Dafar. Larathiel said it wouldn't be permanent, but elves see things on a bit different of a scale than everyone else. It could be years. Let her know that I'm still working on my divination abilities and hopefully before long we'll at least be able to see one another via our dreams if nothing else..."
As Ishirou and the other sailors work on getting the ship moored and the gang plank lowered, Alis leans up on her tippy toes and gives him a goodbye kiss. "Take care of yourself Knight-Captain. You'll find your wife someday. When you do, be sure to visit Silverwake and introduce your children at court. Don't be a stranger, understand?"
Felmor takes the letter and secrets it in a sealed pouch inside his jacket. He returns Alis' kiss, and also her hug, which lasts for a while. Trying not to let his tears show, he responds, "Aye, aye Cap'n. I will be seein' ye again, I promise ye that."
He then picks up his pack, along with the rest of his gear and waits for the gangplank to be lowered. As he prepares to disembark, he spares a final glance at his friends and the woman he will always love. He says nothing, but does look up at the sky, pausing for a moment, his lips mouthing a few words.
He then turns to Captain Kovack, and gives him a smart salute, "Captain, permission ta disembark?" When the captain nods in response, he hoists his gear and walks onto the gangplank, leaving the White Pearl, and jumps onto the waiting dock. He moves away from the ship at a brisk pace, and does not look back.
Mal stops tossing the hard bread over the side of the ship tiny bit by tiny ripped bit to watch Traker make his way down the gangway. May your hunt find you open fields and blue skies, Traker. I can think of worse people to share the trail with.
He spares a moment to reach down and scratch Little Sister along the jaw before feeding more bread bits to the ocean before his green eyes make another sweep of the boat's occupants. Taking in his new traveling companions as well as the old he thinks, Probably gonna regret not having your blades with some of these... people around.
Lureene watches the Knight-Captain leave, a feeling of envy in her heart. He was going to see Rath-hun, and she was not going to be with him. She resists an urge to rush after him, and instead turns her attention to her fellow passengers, partially to fight her boredom, and also to distract her from her seasickness. Since she believed she was not pregnant, her nausea must come from a deep seated aversion to sea travel.
The two women she would have cheerfully tossed overboard (if she could have gotten away with it) were Sasha and Aerys, both for different reasons. Sasha was apparently under the influence of some drugs, while Aerys was insistent on consuming all of the liquor onboard at once. She found such behaviors appalling. With Mal on the prowl looking for spies and other threats to the Princess, and Priyya strangely withdrawn, (maybe not that strange since the departure of Felmor), she decided to see what she could learn about Sasha. She knew they would be stuck together for a while, and at least she could make it a little more bearable.
Once the White Pearl has gotten underway again, she notices Aerys is currently on duty, so she looks around for Sasha. When she has tracked down the enigmatic woman, she softly waves to her, and asks, "How are you doing this fine morning?"
Priyya watches Felmor leave, not trusting herself to say anything that won't ruin her cover story. She waves to him only once, trying to appear casual. Goddess go with you, Fel.
For about four hours, the White Pearl remains port. During this time, some of the fruit and wine you took on in Colottina along with cargo from prior ports is unloaded while fresh provisions are brought on board. While you wouldn't go so far as to say that it is hot, you certainly have no need for long sleeves or multiple layers of clothing.
While here, Aerys takes about two hours of leave returning to the ship only with the assistance of First Mate Devers. "Constable found her making a racket outside Whiskey Will's Cap'n but they don't open afore noon. She seems bad sick without a drink in 'er don't know what we're gonna do if'n she keeps this up."
Noticing the shiner that Alton now has on his cheek, Captain Kovack shakes his head. "That girl... ain't sightly for a lass to be a drunk. Lock 'er in 'er cabin an' make sure there ain't no more booze stashed in thar! We only gotta deal with 'er so far as Port El'."
He then scowls and mutters under his breath.
Perception Checks
Some time later, the port's constable approaches the ship. Following not far behind him are a pair of guards detaining an older-looking man with deep brown skin and white hair.
"Alizandru," he calls out, "Captain Kovack, if you have a moment please."
Perception Checks
"Oy, Constable Isshin, what kin tha White Pearl an 'er crew do ya for?"
The middle-aged constable gives a deep belly laugh. "Well, seeing as how you've offered..."
He waves for his men to bring the prisoner forward. The man is a middle-aged, plain looking Dafari man with watery eyes and hair that has prematurely turned white. His complexion a good bit darker than the chocolate shade of 'Sarah's' Loxphari heritage. He is dressed only in ragged clothes, it appears that they were quite fine originally. His wrists are bound behind his back with manacles.
"In exchange for not holding anyone her culpable for that tussle over at Whiskey Will's earlier, how about returning this man to Port Eldarion for trial?"
Mal finds a time to relay the conversation he overheard about Aerys, thinking maybe there's some leverage to be had either for the girl, the group, or the ship's captain.
Captain Kovack's face wrinkles into a scowl. "Isshin, ol' pal, I ain't got me a brig, this here's a clipper ship, not a warship!"
When the constable runs a finger along the back of his teeth and then starts to reach for a citation book, Kovack sighs. "Look, aleas' gimme 'is story first."
He motions to Gelik and Lisa who happen to be standing nearby listening to the exchange. "I gots upstandin' passengers on this ship, if'n the feller's dang'rus I needs ta know!"