"Yes Murillo" she says simply. To Jordanna, when Murillo is out of the door, "Help him, he's too far in his cups, and I worry we might lose the man overboard." she used enough to giving orders, any officer is, but she has to stop the hesitation in giving this people them. She imagines it will feel odd for some time.
"Azadi, Lief, and Vadoma, we should gather the remaining crew and starting planning our repairs. Being as we are now, a stiff wind would be our end."
Jordanna nods to Hedy and moves to help Murillo with the chains.
Vadoma looks at her new Captain and smiles "Yes," she thinks to herself, "Hedy will do fine in her new role." Before she turns to leave Vadoma stands at attention and gives a sharp salute to their new leader.
"Aye, Ma'am. With your permission I would like to consult the cards, see what the next the next few days hold for us, get an idea on just how to keep morale up."
After being granted permission Vadoma goes to her cabin, blocks the outside light from entering, lights her candles, and then pulls out her favorite deck as she does both a simple read for the day and prepares her spells for the day.
Amidst the destruction of the previous day’s battle, finding bits of metal with which to carry the deceased to the depths proves easy work. The priest also notes that there is an abundance of loose wood available should they with to construct a floating pyre for the Chelaxian dead, or any of their own fallen crew.
The sun is still low in the morning sky when the officers and remaining eight crew members gather on the deck. Captain Raïs’ remains are laid out on the gang plank, which has been set atop several crates so it rests just above the ship’s rail. A line of other bodies stretches out beyond him. The groggy, hungover, wounded crew each make some kind of salute or sign of respect as they pass by and take their places on the deck. A somber silence falls as the last one takes her place and they wait for the committal to begin.
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Jordanna walks up to Captain Rais's body and stares at it. Anger is evident on her face, and she clenches her fists so that her nails dig bloody furrows in her palms. "Father..." she says.
The changeling pauses, then leans down and whispering in his ear. "I hate you. I hate you for dying and leaving me alone. May you burn in Hell for all eternity."
She whirls and stalks away.
Vadoma looks down at the body of Raïs, a man whom she considered not just her Captain but also a friend and sometime lover (although they kept that secret to themselves). She'd been with the Captain since she had become a Pirate and thought that they would find their fate together. However she also knew that the fates could be fickle and things can change quickly. "You were a fine man and a good Captain. You shall be missed. If you can I ask that you watch us, help us when able and maybe spend some of your reknown when necessary." Vadoma considers for a moment about leaning over and giving a farewell kiss but realizes it wouldn't be prudent. The Captain wanted that part of their life to be unknown by the crew and she would respect his final wishes in that regard.
You sit alone in the officer's quarters while the others gather supplies and people for the impending funeral, contemplatively laying out a reading for the day. No individual card is dire or alarming, but together they paint a picture of a difficult day. You do not expect anything disastrous, but between the emotional toll of bidding goodbye to the dead, and the physical toll of laboring to repair the Chelaxian ship, you suspect the cards are right about it being a challenging day.
Hedwig nods to both of the speakers, though she has no idea what Jordanna said, then steps up "Remember the bar fight on Peril, the ruddy Varisan that tried to feel up our Lady Blythe. Now we all know Esther could have frozen the fool solid, but Rais challenged the entire crew to a duel. Him against eight, not hearing about any of us helping, he danced this way and parried that way." she acts and moves as in a battle "He cut each one enough, just enough, never letting not a one of them cut back... and always with that GRIN of his..." she gave a wistful smile of remembrance. "That grin... it is what I'll remember the most. No matter the s!@$ we were in, he'd flash it, be it storm, sea monster, or harbormaster..." sighing, she'll rub a fleck of dirt from his forehead, and then nod to the remaining.
Hedwig will pay her respects to each of their fallen crew at the appropriate times, looking to their priest for guidance when.
For Ester "Our Laby Blythe... Sharp silk, best words I can think of for her. Gods, she was nice to look at, wasn't she. Even better to trade banter with, how she'd twist what you'd say Just right... a marvel." she sighs heavily, missing the hells out of that woman.
Once the others have had their say, Murillo shuffles bleary-eyed to the line of chain-wrapped corpses. Starting at the end farthest from Rai, he slowly walks their length, naming each as he passes. "Peter Nine-Toes, Handsome Sally, Ruby Green, Scurvy Legs, Keg-Killer Karagi, and Deborah... good crew all, who died free men and women, fighting to take what the world wouldn't give 'em.
"And Captain Rai. A fine captain and a true pirate: He never put reason before ambition, nor compassion before profit. We send them to the depths, we do, to await Besmara's call to plunder the seas of heavens and hells."
He grabs the end of the gangplank and gives a nod to Captain Bogg. On her leave, he and others tip the gangplank, sending the dead over the rail and down to the bottom of the sea.
Hedy looks down as the waves quickly take them to nothing. A moment, that's all before turning to her crew "That's it then, back to it. The quicker we get done patching our new girl up, the quicker we're back to the good work of pillage and plunder." the captain gets out of her 'leading' clothes to work alongside the others, taking any tasks involving underwater of course.
The ship's carpenter waits until the new captain is done speaking, then for a moment longer to make sure that none of the other officers want to say anything more before the work begins. Once he's satisfied that they're ready, he steps forward and announces, "alright, listen up. There's only fourteen of us, and we got a whole lotta work to get done before we're undersail again, and Captain Bogg's right, speed is gonna be important... not just so we can get back to pillaging and plundering, but 'cause right now we're sitting ducks if any other ships happen on us. I'm gonna work you hard, and it'll be all the harder 'cause we'll be tearing up the Icy Death as we go, but Captain Bogg's right about this too... the new ship is bigger and faster, with a thicker hull, and it'll let us grow bigger, hit harder, and carry more plunder. Plus this was Raïs’ ship, through and through, it's only right we let it die with him..."
Looking around he who's available, Azadi begins splitting up the officers and crew into two groups of six- one of which contains what he asses to be the six smartest people, aside from himself and the captain, and the other of which is made up of everyone else. "I'm gonna walk this ship with Captain Bogg and start showin' her what we need to take for the new ship. You six," he says pointing at the smart group, "split up and gather up all the hammers and building stuff you can find on both ships. Doma, you're in charge of that, and you'll oversee the rest of them helping me with the repairs."
Turning to the other group he instructs, "you six gather up all the saws and axes and anything else you can find for taking a ship apart, from both ships. Jordanna, you're in charge of that, and you'll make sure that the rest of them stay hard at work following Captain Bogg's orders for what to cut up next, and getting lumber to the new ship quick. Now everybody hop to!"
As everyone else scatters, the master gunner walks the new captain all through the old ship pointing out what things can be salvaged, and in what order they should be, to avoid sinking her too soon. Within a manner of minutes both ships are abuzz with the sounds of axes, saws, scrapers, and hammers as days of hot, sweaty, exhausting work commences.
Vadoma gathers those crewmen assigned to her and starts collecting the supplies requested by Azadi. Shoving aside her emotions He's right this ship was good in its time but it is part of the past., she strips down any part that looks useable for getting the new ship seaworthy, or at the very least for getting it to Rickety Squibs. The work is hard, long and laborious, the day is hot and soon they are all sweating under the midday sun. But that is what is needed to get the crew to stop thinking about what they lost and start thinking about their future.
Murillo spends the first day sweating rum and cursing the Chels for his misery, collapsing in utter exhaustion once night falls. I doubt I could feel any worse.
Hedy is bone-tired but sets to cooking something akin to hot food for a dinner. No other cook at the moment, so the captain cooks. Afterward, she sets watches and flops down for as much sleep as her aching body allows.
After four days of ceaseless, back-breaking work the officers gather on the deck of their new ship to bid a final farewell to the Icy Death. The ship that was their home is now little more than a tangle of driftwood. Yesterday after salvaging as much of the framing as possible, the hull cracked and she started taking on water. Overnight she collapsed inward under the pressure, then drifted open like a clam. This morning Captain Bogg worked underwater to harvest the last necessary pieces from the sinking wreck.
There's a bit of tension in the air as the hastily spliced together sails are raised, but Azadi's joinery proves solid and as the wind fills them the ship begins to move forward towards the Slithering Coast, and the hidden port of Rickety's Squibs.
Hedy emerges from the ocean floor to tell the others "She settled on a short cliff, facing out into the black." then she settles into silence.
Hedy isn't in truth much of a sailor but she is pretty good at not becoming lost. In all other things she delegates, knowing her limitations.
Murillo scowls and nods as the sails fill and begin to pull the ship. He may be a spineless dog, but the bastard knows his craft. Conferring briefly with Stoutspear, he begins working the ropes and directing crewmembers as needed to keep the boat underway.
Jordanna makes up for the captain’s lack of sailing skills, silently going about her duties to keep the ship on course.
So far so good Hedy tells herself, on deck in her captain's coat and skirts. Letting the wind rush over her with a smile. Watching her two best sailors get about, she marvels who utterly different the two are.
"We're veering a little to the east, two degrees I'd say." she tells the helmsman, before moving around to talk and help. She might be captain but with so little crew to speak of, every task is harder. So she helps, even though she is rubbish.
But she is no ashamed of the fact she is, and asks the proper way to do this or that, so in the end she doesn't do that bad. She tells herself she will learn.
"Aye, ma'am," Gentlemen Jim answers as he corrects the wheel.
Captain Bogg's sense of direction proves true and, thanks largely to the efforts of Bemsara's servant and the firstmate, the Slithering Coast comes into view in the early afternoon of the second day of smooth sailing. An hour later the ragged vessel has drawn close enough to see that there is no flag on the lonely watchtower that marks the port's entry.
Jordanna, and any other officers who were with Raïs a year or so ago when their former ship became the Icy Death, know that when a flag is raised on the watchtower that means there is a ship in dock and any other vessels must await their turn off the coast. No flag means that it's safe to enter, so the ship is maneuvered around the wooded peninsula that obscures the inlet and towards the dock beyond. A bell rings from the watchtower as the ship passes and as it pulls into the dock a short, stoop-backed old man with a leathery, weatherworn face, watery blue eyes, and a halo of frizzy white hair is approaching it. Those who have been here before recognize him as Rickety Hake, the eponymous proprietor of Rickety's Squibs.
"Welcome," he calls out flatly and unenthusiastically as the gang plank is dropped and the officers begin to disembark. "I see she needs repairs... and I'm guessing you brought her here 'cause you're looking to turn her into something other than a Chellish warship... so, what exactly can I do for you?"
Beyond the old man, a dry dock and a large workshop dominate the previously obscured shore. They are surrounded by worker's cottages, a large inn, and a trading post.
"Master Squibs!" Hedy greets the man warmly. Gesturing to the ship she'll say, voice grim "This lovely lady tried to kill us, succeeded in an unacceptable measure as well..." she pauses in remembrance "But now she will serve us. Come we'll work out the details over something bad for us. Carver, Freemon with me. The rest of you, get something warm and wet in or around you, and Please for all the is holy, get a bath. We'll gather later for the bit and bobs of the week."
"Just Rickety is fine," the aging man answers with a hint of annoyance.
"If you wanna talk the details over food, head to the inn and order yourself something. We're obviously gonna need to get this girl into the dry dock just to finish putting her back together, let alone refitting her." He looks over the new captain's shoulder at the handful of sailors heading for the gangplank. "Make sure all your crew are off before you go and once she's set up and my men are inspecting her I'll be in to talk."
”Yes, ma’am, Captain Bogg,” the carpenter calls out as he straightens his gun belt and falls in line behind the undine. Turning back towards the ship he shouts, ”you heard the captain- everybody ashore, get some grub and get yourselves cleaned up!”
Once the last of the officers and crew have disembarked, Lief reports, ”that’s everyone ma’am,” before heading up the dock towards land and the inn. The crew all follow him.
Rickety seems surprised, and maybe a tiny bit impressed, by how few hands had brought the ship in, but he wastes no time talking about it. Instead, he and a handful of his men head aboard and set straight to work getting the ship into the dry dock.
Jordanna slinks into the inn, seeking out a stiff drink and a warm bath.
As Rickety and his crew start attacking the ship, Hedy tells each of the officers before they slink off, "Keep an eye out for recruits. We'll need a bit more if any of us want to sleep here or there." then she dismisses them.
Following the path inland, Jordanna takes a meandering route past a few cottages and the trading post to arrive at 'The Commons', the large inn and tavern where sailors wait while their ships are worked on. The door opens into a large common room with a bar at one end, booths along both sides, and tables throughout. A handful of weathered workman look over from their booths then quickly return to their drinks. At a table off to her right, half a dozen people who look like sailors talk in hushed tones without acknowledging her entrance. The lanky man behind the bar smiles and calls out, "anywhere you like," before setting down a fresh drink in front of the wobbly Tien (or maybe Minkaian) man.
Murillo makes his way to "town," entering The Commons shortly after the first mate.
Recruits, eh? Squibs from the Squibs, most likely; people like Gentleman Jim trying to re-make themselves as pirates.
He takes in the scene as he strides up to the bar and slaps down a gold.
"I'll take the strongest drink this'll buy me."
The lanky man behind the bar smiles and calls out, "anywhere you like," before setting down a fresh drink in front of the wobbly Tien (or maybe Minkaian) man seated at the right end of the counter.
"One paint-scraper!" the bartender calls out as he retrieves the coin. A few of the local workman can be heard chuckling and the drunk down at the end of the bar straightens up, blearily turns his head towards the inquisitor and nods approvingly.
A moment later the lanky man returns with a wooden mug half full of a perfectly clear liquid. It has no discernible aroma but makes the nostrils of anyone nearby burn nonetheless. When Murillo gulps it down it feels like swallowing pure acid that's on fire.
Murillo lets out a satisfied "Ahhhhhh" before setting down the mug with a nod. "Well worth the price." He turns, leaning his elbow on the bar, and surveys the half-dozen sailors.
"What ship are you waiting on?" he asks them conversationally.
Hedy waits patiently with a glass of rum for their host. She dumps some of the nuts onto the table to let Cream peck at them with his beak. Then she'll lean back in her chair and hum a tune.
The drunk raises his glass in salute to Murillo, then tries to gulp down its contents, spilling a considerable amount on himself in the process. The quiet sailors look up and acknowledge the Besmaran's presence for the first time. Several of them chuckle at his antics and one--a lean man with tan skin and fiery red hair--even raises his own glass in salute.
When the new arrival asks about their ship, the hotheaded young man stops smiling and barks, "only one ship at a time at ole' Rickety's, them's the rules. Guess that leaves us out in the cold, don't it."
Meanwhile, an older Mwangi women with braided gray hair emerges from the back and heads for the table where Hedy and Azadi are seated waiting for Rickety's arrival. "What can I get yous?" she asks.
Jordanna picks a table in the corner so she can sit, nurse her drink, and brood effectively. She leaves the recruitment efforts for those who actually have people skills.
"Rum" Hedwig nods with a slight smile to the Mwangi woman "And fish if you've had a catch today." Hedwig enjoys seeing others cooking skills in action, and fish is her favorite. She's always wondered if it happens to be because of her mixed blood or just Because. Doesn't matter really.
”We get fresh fish everyday,” the server answers with a practiced smile, ”it’s mostly all anyone eats here. I got a few roasting now, or there’s some stew made up... Silka’s in back too; she’ll do ‘em up just about any way you want if you’re willing to wait...” She stops talking without actually asking a question but looks expectantly at Hedy for an answer anyways.
Jordanna keeps an eye out for trouble as she drinks.
While the ginger speaks with Murillo, his companions return to their hushed conversation. Quietly sipping her drink, Jordanna can’t make out the details of what they’re saying, but the word treasure is definitely used several times.
"I'll take whatever Silka's willing to make then. Eagerly." she answers the unasked question.
"Dock was clear when we came by. Rather than waiting for whatever boat left you to come back, there might be a place for you on ours - if you don't mind sailing under a black flag." Murillo tries to judge the sailors' reactions...
"One chef's choice," the older woman answers Hedy with a smile. "And, how about you?
The master gunner perks up and replies, "If she'll make it any way, I'd love a fish raw, sliced thin, and soaked in lime juice, or whatever citrus you got. And a rum."
"One sliced ceviche, and two rums. Yous sit tight; the drinks'll be by soon and I'll be back with the food just as soon as its ready." On her way to the bar, the matronly server stops at Jordanna's table and asks, "any food for you right now, missy?"
On the other side of the room, the fiery young man calls out, "ain't nobody waiting for the likes o' them here," slamming his mug on the table. He stands up and yells "and we know all too well that black flags can hide yellow hearts!" A murmur breaks out at their table and the two sailors next to him pull him down into his seat.
"Steak, if you have it. Rare and bloody," Jordanna tells the server. She continues to sit back, listen, and observe.
"Sorry, missy, we don't see much beef 'round here," the woman answers Jordanna warmly, "we got some leftover boar sausage, or some fresh goat... usually the goat gets cooked real long so as it's not tough, but if you want something bloody, and you're teeth is strong enough, that's the best I can do. Otherwise, I could bring you some raw tuna?"
"My teeth are strong. Give me the goat."
Azadi chuckles at the conversation between Jordanna and the server. "Careful, or she might show you how strong!" he calls out.
As the server nods to the changeling and heads for the kitchen, the carpenter more quietly tells Hedy, "you ought to be thinking about exactly what you want done to the Night Talon... when Rickety gets here he's gonna have questions about colors and the lines, and I been doin' some adding... as good as we patched her up already, I think we might have enough booty leftover after the refitting and repairs for an upgrade or two..."
As Hedwig waits on her food, she hears the hothead sneer about hearts "A yellow heart?!? In a pirate??" she laughs, loud and mockingly "A merchant goes about avoiding fights to get a profit, Pirates have to seek them for their coin. A pirate's many things, young man, but yellow ain't one of them." the dark haired woman leans forward in her chair, given him a grin "This pirate is looking for crew with brains, which can be seen as being yellow by those without, but since you don't seem the type to join, she'll settle for others on this fine day. Rums for that table, please and thank you, Matron."
The redhead looks as though he's about to shout something at Hedy as well, but the promise of rum is enough to silence him.
The server finishes calling orders back to Silka and quickly gathers a tray full of cups of rum. As she passes them out to Hedy and Azadi, and to the table of sailors, the Mwangi woman seated next to the redhead turns to the undine and more calmly and quietly explains, "go easy on him... we're pirates too... or were, I guess, until a week ago. We found something..." The redhead shakes his head and several others at the table nervously try to shush her. "oh, let it go- they got a ship and she said they need crew, it doesn't do any good keeping it a secret if we stay stuck here," she hisses at them in response before turning back to Hedy and continuing, "anyways, we got some information about some treasure, and we told our captain about it, thinking it was going to be a big score for us. Well, that yellow-hearted cur said it was too dangerous. Too dangerous, like we were a bunch of merchants scared a storm might sink our crates of frilly dresses! Well, Ethan here called him a coward to his face and that didn't sit right with the first mate... the two of them came to blows and in a minute just about the whole crew was brawling. By the time the dust settled, the first mate and captain had switched jobs and we were stuck here without any jobs at all. He's not wrong, though, there were more than one yellow-hearted pirate on that ship."