Saph says, “I just wanna end this thing on a high note, but yeah… we oughtta head out.”
She says to the lizardfolk, <It’s not going to be an easy decision. How about you try leading as a council, until you’ve had time to properly decide on a leader?>
If Hedy permits, Saph will invite Kryxthis (plus any lizard-man or -woman she’d like to bring with her, if she doesn’t want to travel alone) to work out a means of trading with the villagers below. Her reason why, if Hedy asks: “If there’s any kinda peaceful arrangement, no worries about the lizardfolk damming the river again.
“Oh, and I can handle this bit… basically just me doing a lotta translating between villagers and lizardfolk.”
None of the lizardfolk seem interested in traveling to the human settlement, but they are also unwilling to disappoint or disobey their new leaders, so Kryxthis and two others are chosen and sent with the departing queen.
With the guidance of the lizardfolk, the trip back downriver goes more smoothly, and it’s hardly past lunchtime when the pirates arrive back at Rickety’s. Saph guides a fairly unenthusiastic conversation between the lizardfolk and the man running the general store in the settlement; it ends with a very loose agreement that if the lizardfolk show up with goods to trade they’ll be allowed to come into town to barter.
The townsfolk in the Commons are more enthusiastic as word spreads that fresh water is flowing again. Rickety himself comes in to grab his lunch and hand over the thousand gold reward, though he half jokingly offers, ”you still got a little time for add-ons, if you wanna give any of that back to me?” He instructs the barkeep that the heroes’ first round of drinks that day are on the house then more quietly reminds Hedy, ”I do still you to choose your colors though, by first-light tomorrow if you want the sails dyed, or tomorrow afternoon otherwise.”
Saph says a final goodbye to Kryxthis, wishes her well… and is actually relieved once they’re gone.
She sits down at the bar. “First drink’s on the house? Not really a day-drinker, but I am a cheapskate. So, what do ya got that tastes… refreshing?”
"Behold!!" Hedy exclaims as Murrlo dumps the tail end of the naga down She jumps up on a crate and swings her hand to display the corpse "Former QUEEN of the river and the source of all your water woes. Brought low and to the mud by the Talons. May she rest in peace and make us a fine leather couch for our asses to rest."
She jumps down with a smile, gladly accepting the gold and the free drink. "I'll have your answer on the sails within the hour, master Shipwright."
"Hell yes!" Paddy exclaims at both gold and booze. He eagerly leaps onto a bar stool and looks at what drinks are on offer.
"Refreshing?" the gaunt barkeep repeats. Then he nods and turns around, returning a moment later with a mug full of pineapple juice and rum, with a sliver of sugar cane as an edible stirring stick.
When Paddy inquires about what's available the barkeep chuckles and asks. "What are you looking for? We make palm wine and a little rum here, but mostly we have whatever folks sell off while they're here disposing of their plunder... so its a pretty odd assortment. I do have a bit of barrel aged dwarven vodka left... a handful of different wines... a couple whiskeys of varying strength and quality... casks of unidentified beers... what's your pleasure?"
Saph might just become a day-drinker, or even a full-time lush, if every drink could be this aromatic! She stirs her drink with the sugar cane, and finally takes that first sip… savoring the moment.
“Oh, I could wrestle in a tub of this!”
Feeling like a dork for blurting that, she hastily adds, “Or just… drink it.”
"Yer supposed to say that after you're drunk, lass." Paddy laughs. "Oi Rickity, how's about some of that whiskey. O, I drink whiskey when I can." He half sings a line from a familiar sea shanty.
Rickety left right away after presenting the reward money and offering a free round of drinks, but the barkeep nods to Paddy. "Alright," the skinny human answers, "it's free, so I'm assuming you'll want the good stuff... are you more interested in flavor or strength?"
"This time o day? Flavour." Paddy answers with a grin
Saph takes another slow sip of her pineapple rum. “Talk about flavor, this is like the best drink ever! Ya wanna sip?” Saph looks as if ready to slide her half-full glass down the bar, even though she could easily hand her drink to Paddy, were he interested. “If you're worried about germs, I’m never sick.”
"Germs? Psh, what do you take me for, an elf?" Paddy chuckles. He takes a sip of the rum. "Hey, this ain't bad. Bit more sugar'n I'm likin, but ain't bad. If I were sufferin from scurvy, this'd be exactly what I'd want."
The barkeep smiles and nods. He reaches down below the counter and pulls out a mostly empty bottle that looks like it may have had barnacles growing on it at one point, pours a little bit into a wooden cup, and returns the bottle to its hidden home. Then he sets the cup in front of the dwarf. The whiskey smells warm and smokey, and the flavor is full with hints of vanilla and caramel, with just a hint of sea salt.
The meaty workman who kept staring at Jordanna on her first evening in the commons steps up beside her and nervously asks, "Did, uh, you want something to drink? I mean, I know Rickety said it was on him, but, uh, I could go get it for you... and then, well, I would know what you're drinking... in case you want another one..." Looking him over, now that he's standing near her, she sees a man proportioned pretty similarly to a dwarf--with broad shoulders, a barrel chest, and thick forearms--save that he stands just over six feet tall. His hair and (relatively short) beard are dark brown and there's a kindness to his blue eyes that seems almost at odds with his otherwise gruff appearance.
Saph takes back the drink, once Paddy’s had his taste. Of the elf comment, she asks, “Should I not share the same cup with an elf then? Is that a manners thing?”
Realizing she’s avoided talking to Paddy, along with anyone else over the past few months, she says, “Sorry if I seemed kinda snobby the past couple weeks. I was just generally avoiding people. Carver’s test kinda forced me to… stop doing that.
“So, what were you doing before? Like, before you ended up here, or on the ship that got you here?”
Paddy savours the whiskey to the best of his ability, which is sometimes difficult as he isn't the most patient. To Saph's question, he responds. "Been sailin for nearly two score years now, as oft I can. Been on nearly e'ery ship I could muster. Afore this, I was fishin in some of them deeper waters. Rough work, fishin, but damn it pays good. Just didn't have the whole... adventure thing, you know?" He motions with his hands.
Hedy leans over the bar to breathe in deep at Paddy's drink. "Hmmm... that smells delicious." the raven-haired captain considers her drink order like it is a momentous decision (even though it is highly likely she will order one of each before the night is over). "But I think there are only a few times when you are offered the chance to delve where no man or woman has delved before." turning to the barkeep "One of the Unidentified Beers, please and thank ya, good sir."
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“You don’t look two score,” Saph says. “Lemme guess… dwarves age slower than humans?
“That’s the case for me, anyway, which kinda worked out. I still looked like a kid when I was pushing twenty, so I got to keep training and stick to the small ring—too experienced to fight the human teens, too youthful for the adult arena, so they’d bring the older girls to fight me—always, the final act for the night.”
Saph is probably reminiscing as she takes a sip… and she realizes her glass is almost empty, so the sip is minuscule.
"Well look at us then, a bunch of old farts that don't look it.' Hedy smiled as she waits for her unknown drink. "Undines are the same, young in body, old in mind... ... ..." then bitterly she adds "Didn't work out as well for me though." her face grows dark as the memories of the brothel dance by her eyes. Shaking her head she decides she doesn't want to wait on her drink. Jumping up a bit to lean completely over the bar, she grabs the first bottle of 'whatever she can reach', "Put it on my tab. I always pay my debts, one thing that can always be said about me."
Paddy makes a subtle glance as Hedy reaches for the bottle. To him, it looked like she did quite well.
"We got any youngins round here? I ain't used to be the youngest." Paddy replies. "I've just turned three score meself. In Dwarven lands I'd be considered a young adult."
Hedy stops cold, "Shit... I'm over twice your age." she decides that deserves a drink, uncorking the bottle she takes a long swig. Then offers the bottle to her drinking mates. "Most on the talon are a mix of something or another, but Murrilo there, his blood is 100 percent human. Unless true devotion to our pirate goddess changes your blood any." Hedy's brow furrows "Which it could I guess"
Saph genuinely feels for the captain, but doesn’t say anything of it.
As for age, “I don’t know my exact age. Early twenties, I guess? It’s not like slaves have birthday parties, though me and the other girls would color each other’s hair on Crystalhue. All but two of our group were human. Pin Cushion was a gnome.
“Is,” she adds as a self-correction. “We were wrestling, not killing each other.”
The barkeep, who is occupied with tapping an unopened cask, shoots Hedy an unamused look as she helps herself to a bottle but begrudgingly nods when she calls out to 'put it on her tab'. Her first long swig tells her that she's grabbed a bottle of brandy, and quite a nice one; likely a very expensive one if any of the 'gentlemen' who sought to impress her while availing themselves of her former services were truthful. The skinny barkeep cringes a little when he spots what bottle it is and carefully sets the bag of gold Rickety dropped off behind the counter for safe keeping while he sets he mug of stout on the bar in front of her.
"I know a thing or two bout booze if'n you want to know what yer about to drink."
He also takes a swig from the bottle of brandy. Now with all these different drinks in him, his cheeks are beginning to rosy up.
"Pin Cushion, well that's a name. Sounds like they weren't doing well in the pit. Well least someone's younger'n me. Bit refreshin that the youngest be in her twenties. Seen too many cabin boys.
"This is all real good stuff. I'm thinkin I'll miss this place once we're headin out. But hey, this be a great way to celebrate. So we got any plans lined up once she's ready to make sail?"
The golden liquid burns stunningly well. She listens with interest to what the dwarf has to say about the quality.
As to the question about what's next, "The treasure you lot got thrown out for wanting to get. We're going after it."
Saph has a nostalgic look as she speaks of Pin Cushion.
“She could double in size—kinda how I do my shape-changing, but she just got bigger—a six-anna-half-foot gnome with a huuuuge head! Oh, and she was soooo soft when she got like that!”
Saph finishes her drink. Her eyes perk up when Hedy mentions treasure.
“Oh! A treasure hunt? That sounds fun. Why’d wanting to do that get us kicked off?”
The captain took another long pull from the lovely bottle, "Somphing about it being too DanGerOus" the captain slurred a little in the front but corrected it by stressing each syllable at the end.
"One moment... I made a ProMise." she swayed over to the shipwright, skirts swishing as she did. "Stark White Sails, dear dear Mr. Rickety. One hour I had said, and this bottle here might make that a bit difficult if I wait longer than NOW. It is damned good." she gives the man a smile, then hoists the bottle to the room, and toasts her crew "To The Talons, Liberators of Water, and Killers of Big Fat Snakes!"
The confused older gentleman Hedy is talking at suddenly realizes what's going on and throws his hands up in frustration. "For f#ck sake," he barks, "Rickety left before any of you even started drinking..." Shaking his head and grumbling, he stands up and walks out of the Commons to deliver the drunken captain's answer to his employer.
The meaty workman who kept staring at Jordanna on her first evening in the commons steps up beside her and nervously asks, "Did, uh, you want something to drink? I mean, I know Rickety said it was on him, but, uh, I could go get it for you... and then, well, I would know what you're drinking... in case you want another one..." Looking him over, now that he's standing near her, she sees a man proportioned pretty similarly to a dwarf--with broad shoulders, a barrel chest, and thick forearms--save that he stands just over six feet tall. His hair and (relatively short) beard are dark brown and there's a kindness to his blue eyes that seems almost at odds with his otherwise gruff appearance.
Jordanna looks the burly man up and down. She grunts in acknowledgment. "Bring me rum, and lots of it."
Saph says to the old man, “And what exactly the f#!# is your problem with my captain? She led us to stand against that naga, and put herself in harm’s way instead of having one of us bear the risk. Do you realize how deadly those venomous fangs could have been, had she failed to sidestep the serpent queen’s bite?”
Saph doesn’t actually know if the fangs are venomous at all. But she certainly considered that when she charged the queen all by herself. If not for that bomb, maybe the crew would’ve lugged two bodies.
The large man smiles warmly and answers, ”Yes, ma’am,” before heading over to the bar. He returns a moment later with a full bottle of spiced rum and two glasses. ”I’m Tugg, by the way... do, uh, you want to sit down?” he asks gesturing towards a small table nearby with only two chairs.
”Whoa, no problem, no problem,” the old man replies, backing away from the angry wrestler. ”I just... I mean... it’s... I don’t even look like Rickety... we’re both humans on the older side, but c’mon...”
"Fine," Jordanna says. She sits down in one of the chairs and eyes Tugg as he sits across from her. "I'm Jordanna."
Tugg grins and joins the changeling at the table. "Jordanna," he repeats, "that's a pretty name." He uncorks the rum and fills both of their cups completely full. Sliding one across the table, he sits quietly drinking for an unusually long time before he awkwardly says, "So, uh... seems like your trip upriver went well?"
Saph says to the old man, “I just meant… the battle ended with me chasing the naga as she tried to swim away. I was wide open to her attack, but Cap’n Hedy managed to strike from afar faster than those poisonous fangs could get me.
“I don’t mean to come off like I’d do something rash to defend her honor, but… her ingenuity probably saved my life. So I’d appreciate her not being openly ridiculed over her apparent intolerance to alcohol.”
And given how easily Saph was set off by the comment, she decides her one drink is enough.
Jordanna drains her cup quickly, then finishes a second one while waiting for Tugg to speak. ”It was a waste of our time and talents. The naga queen barely put up a fight.”
Hedy had moved on already to cheer her crew, so didn't notice the old man's sudden and unexpected revelation of 'I'm not Rickety' or Saph defense of her sense outside of the bottle.
Instead, she drinks her brandy, expounds the great virtues of each of her mates, ends up in no less than three laps (by choice), and eventually makes it to her bed to snuggle into a long blissful slumber.
Saph watches the captain move from one lap, eventually to another… well before she gets to a third, Saph loses the urge to put a man’s face through a table.
Maybe she enjoyed that life? I liked the ring, so…
She makes sure the captain isn’t followed to her bed. Fortunately, she wasn’t so drunk to invite a guy.
She sits on deck, having nothing better to do. After some hours pass, Saph knocks lightly on Hedy’s door. If there’s no answer, she tries again an hour or so later…
"Yes?" the slightly more sobber captain pokes her head out of her room. Seeing who it is, she opens the door sliding her pistol back in its holster "How can I help you?" she says a little softly.
Saph replies, “I was hoping to tell you what slavery was like, for me. Not like it was as bad as it could’ve… almost…” She trails off, then redirects. “If you’d rather not, I’ll understand.
“I just didn’t think I’d ever meet another ex-slave, and the funny part is I always worried that, if I did, they’d be depressing. So it’s like, you get it and you… well, you’re fun.”
Saph knows damn well that isn’t the only reason.
“Oh… and, not that I think that murder I took part in will ever catch up to me way out here, but I would prefer you hear about that from me.”
Hedy gives the other woman a raised eyebrow at the mention of the topic, one that is not her favorite, but pushes the door open the rest of the way to let her in. Running her hand through her hair, "I am always up for a good story... sorry nothing to drink other than water, which is probably good. Sit, confess, feel better." she says with a smile.
Saph tells her story, first describing an odd life where she wrestled on mats, in cages, in pools of mud. Sometimes kids came to the matches. Wrestlers all had stage names like Violet Femme, Rosita Stone, Cookie Mama…
The opponent in the big arena was the Scarlet Femur, a redhead who specialized in leg locks.
“And when my master said ‘finish her,’ that was Scarlet’s cue to fake this moan, like being in that submission hold was as fun as the men in the crowd were led to believe.
“To think I’m this serious athlete, and then to be objectified like that—it was so humiliating!” She then gets to the part where she escapes—and ties her master to the bed, not knowing at that moment that he would be burned alive as a result.
“I woke up in the middle of the night with my head on Scarlet’s lap. She said she had to choke me out so people alerted to the screams wouldn’t hear me crying. It wasn’t over a Master Lam screaming though. It’s just that, if I hadn’t gotten in trouble that night, it would’ve turned out differently for me…”
It pains her to say, especially since Hedy was forced into prostitution just like Scarlet. And Ivy. And Pin Cushion…
“Well, Scarlet knew that life well, and her daughter Lily was fifteen, and almost ready for the big arena. She also had a five month old son, both kids fathered by clients, of course. And of course, she can’t narrow it down to less than a dozen men.
“So I asked her to go to them, and blame that crazy defiant blue-skinned girl for the murdered masters.” She concludes, “Been on the run since.
“Is it weird that I’m glad Master Lam died in agony, but I still kinda respect the part of him that taught me to fight?”
Hedy listens without interrupting, resting her chin on her hands with elbows on the table since the booze has made her head feel four times too large and all stuffed with curdled cheese
"Hmmm... hard to say what's weird and what's not but I say liking a man for one reason even though you hate him for so many others, is pretty normal." her mouth quirks up in thought "Scarlet had it rough. The place I was at when I flowered made us drink this potion that roasted up our insides good and crispy. Supposed to keep us from having kids. Worked for most... worked on me at least. Which is good, in a ways, since having a child born into that would have broke me good and hard." she shook her head, banishing the memories, and smiling"But it didn't and I am here, the former queen of the river lizards, and new captain of the Night Talon. And you Saph the budding new master of arms on said Talon."
Pulling herself up and leaning back in her chair she looks at the fighter, "Most important thing, dear Saph, is that we're still alive and the bastards who thought to own us are not." her eyebrow arched again "Don't you agree?"
Saph is horrified by the potion. She looks as if there’s a question teetering on the edge of her quivering lip. Of course it hurt! Don’t ask this.
As for the dead owners, Saph pours two glasses of water, offering one to Hedy. Raising her own glass, she says seven words in a very beautiful language.
“Η καλύτερη εκδίκηση είναι να ζεις καλά.”
She doesn’t translate, but seems to be satisfied by the words.
Hedy doesn't understand a lick of it, but that doesn't seem to bother her. She accepts the water, nods to the toast, and drinks the water.
Saph grins. “The best revenge is to live well.
“I think Captain does the trick, and Queen for a Day’s like an extra curb kick. And you say I’m Master at Arms. There’s a job title that’s poetically just.”
She finishes her water, then says, “If you prefer to swim alone, I’ll respect that. But if you want company, I’m definitely gonna swim tonight. I wanna see how fast I can move as an undine when there isn’t a naga queen in my way.”
"Well, uh, I'm sorry to hear that... I guess," Tugg answers trying to keep up with Jordanna's drinking. He waits too long to speak again--apparently no more skilled in conversation than the changeling herself-- and when he does it's to say, "if you're, uh, gonna be stuck here for, like, four or five more days still... I hope you can find something to do with your time that's, uh, more worthwhile..."
Hedy gives a slight grin "I never mind company for a swim. Used to swim with Esther, our first mate before the battle that bloodied us raw. She was an undine as well. Only other one I've ever known in fact." the other woman's face slides into a weary sadness for a moment.
"Anyway. Yes, I'll be out when the night starts to fall for a swim to wash the muck of the river off. And welcome you if you still wish to join. But now..." she rises up "... I'm going to nap off some more of that brandy. If you don't mind..." she gives a nod to the door.
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Jordanna finishes off her third glass of rum and lets out a belch. ”Yeah. So, you wanna f~$! me, or what?”
Paddy finishes his drink and joins up with the crew, doing any work that needs to be done. Though he's got a fair bit of alcohol in his system, he's a very hardy Dwarf, and is able to cope fairly easily. By night time, he urges the crew into song to keep things interesting.
He sings Whiskey Johnny about as well as a belching toad, but the trick is to get every drunkard singing, so they can all be terrible together.