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Why is the Rum Always Gone? [M]

Started by DragonSong, May 06, 2016, 10:54:42 AM

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DragonSong

[Tags to @DaGlobster]

Isabeau hadn't slept in nearly two days.

She was pouring over the maps in her chart room, brow furrowed as she bent low over a small table, squinting in the faint light of the lantern she'd brought with her. It was late- or early, she honestly didn't know- but she couldn't make herself go to bed.

The last time they'd sailed through the straights they were coming up on she'd lost two good men to a massive storm. There had to be a way around without going all the way back to the islands, there just ha to be...

With a soft, tired groan she slumped forward onto the table, her forehead thumping against the wood. The edges of the map curled up where she was no longer holding it and she sighed heavily.

Maybe she could use her magic? She was under no illusions that she was powerful enough to stop a storm in the middle of the ocean, but maybe if she could just coax it around them, or perhaps create a secondary eye as it were-

Wow. She was going to go crazy if she stayed in this room for a second longer. She needed sleep. The young captain groaned again and sat up, arching her back in a stretch. Joints stiff from hours spent in her hunched position, she rose creakily to her feet and grabbed the lantern, then made for the door.

Which was the moment the Poison Storm must have hit a particularly large swell, because the ship suddenly rolled under her feet. While Isabeau kept her footing with the ease of long practice, one of the weather charts, rolled up in a leather case, thunked off the table and rolled under her feet, sending her crashing onto her rear.

"Son of a-!" She didn't care what time it was, a torrent of cursing loud enough to wake the dead suddenly poured out of her. She was so done with today.

DaGlobster

"Anyways, so I told that dwarf that there was only two ways off his boat. In our brig, or off his deck."

The other pirates gathered around Gar exchanged looks. He was sitting in the Poison Storm's crew quarters, surrounded by a small crowd of his fellow crewmembers.

"Which one did he take?"

Gar laughed.

"I reckon I must've hucked him at least two ship lengths off the port bow."

The chamber exploded into racuous laughter, laughter suddenly broken by the sound of clattering from above, followed by a series of curses that would make a murderer blush. The room was dead quiet, and Gar slowly stood.

"I'll attend to it. The rest of you get back to your duties."

He ascended up to Isabeau's quarters, and she would no doubt be able to hear the ogre's thudding steps and the creak of wood as he made his way to the door.

Three loud knocks, the gentlest he could do.

"You alright, cap'n?"

DragonSong

It took a Isabeau a moment to right herself, and as she was managing that she heard the telltale steps of her first mate. No one else on her crew had such a heavy tread.

Great. She sighed and scrubbed a hand down her face. "I'm fine," she muttered with a scowl as she got to her feet. She crossed to the door and nudged it open. Normally she would have just left it at that, told whichever sailor who'd come to check on her to be about his business.

But this was Gar. The ogre had known her since she was barely more than a girl. She offered him a crooked smile and admitted, "I, ah, had a bit of a tussle with one of the charts. We both got some good blows in, I'm going to call it a draw."

Her tone was light, but her face was abnormally pale, dark circles under her eyes. She raised a hand to cover a yawn.

DaGlobster

Gar returned the smile, but it quickly faded once he saw her face.

"Gods, Isa. I've seen drowned men what look more lively 'n you," he said, letting himself in. He had the courtesy to close the door behind them.

"You've been in your quarters for two days, now. What's botherin' ya?"

DragonSong

She sighed and stood aside to let him in. Isa. Gar was one of two people in the world who could get away with calling her by that pet name, and the only one on this ship.

"We're heading right for these straights," Isabeau muttered, crossing back to the map and uncurling it onto the table. Her finger traced a path of currents that bordered the small peninsula jutting out away from the Moraki desert. "I'm just...worried, I guess. Last time that storm trapped us through here we lost two men, but I can't figure out a way to go around."

She rubbed at her temples and closed her eyes with a huff. "I could use my magic, but I'm not sure how much good it'll do." And she knew she had to think of something- it would take them at least three days to make it through the straights, and there was no way they'd get lucky enough to go that long without any bad weather, not in these waters.

DaGlobster

Gar nodded, and crossed his arms.

"Well, I know your magic won't do us any damn good if you're fallin' asleep on the bow," Gar said.

He moved over to the charts, and pointed to a small grouping of islands on their path to the straight.

"We can drop anchor here, long enough for you to get some rest. The winds've been with us and we're ahead of schedule, so we have more than enough provisions to make a stop."

DragonSong

"But-"

Isabeau started to open her mouth to argue, then clamped it shut. "You're right," she said with a sigh. "I know you're right, but I still don't like it." She gave him a crooked smile and a small nod.

"Why don't you grab some shuteye yourself? We can tell the crew about the change of plans in the morning." She lifted her hand to cover another yawn.

DaGlobster

"I'll tell the skipper," Gar said, and he put a hand on Isabeau's shoulder.

"It ain't that late yet," he said, and he turned to leave, stopped, and took his flask off of his belt. He set it down on her table.

"Some medicine, to lull ya to rest," he said with a grin, and he stepped out.

DragonSong

She laughed, shaking her head at him, and raised the flask in a toast as he left. She took a swig from it, grimaced a bit at the strength of the brew, then let out a sharp breath.

She really did need some rest. Moving more on muscle memory than anything else, Isabeau moved into her actual cabin and stripped down to her underthings before crawling into bed to sleep.

Unfortunately, even as exhausted as she was, it took longer than she would have liked for her to drift off. Her mind was still racing, planning, and refused to let her rest for a good long while.

DaGlobster

Gar glanced out to the horizons as he stepped out of Isabeau's quarters and into the sunlight. The day still had plenty of hours left in it, so Gar went up to the wheel and told the skipper about their new destination.

After he'd gotten that all squard away, he started making his rounds on the main deck, making sure that everything was running smoothly.

DragonSong

Isabeau slept longer than she'd intended, almost until sunset. When she woke and realized the time, she cursed to herself and bolted out of bed, dressing quickly and hurrying out onto the upper deck.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly. Not that she'd really expected otherwise, leaving Gar in charge, but she did tend to worry over her ship, a bit of a mother hen.

She moved to the bow and took the wheel, telling the man on duty to move belowdecks.

She loved it here, looking out over the ocean. Unfortunately a captain couldn't always sail her own ship, but Isabeau relished every chance she got to do so. She gave a small, happy little sigh and leaned into the wheel a bit, eyes flicking over the deck to take stock of her crew.

DaGlobster

The crew was nothing short of on point and alert. Gar had a penchant for drilling the men, and as his massive form patrolled up and down the decks, no man stepped out of line or made an error. As he'd done ever since he worked for Isabeau's father, Gar controlled the men on deck through their respect and fear for him.

While none of the crew members were terrified of him (save for a couple of new hands they'd picked up on their last stop), the fact that he stood more than four heads taller than the largest of them and swung a damned anchor as a weapon helped greatly when it came to getting otherwise unruly pirates to work like a well-oiled machine.

He looked up at Isabeau, and gave her a smile.

DragonSong

Seeing one of the greener recruits scurry out of Gar's way on his patrol, Isabeau smirked when she caught his smile and tossed him a wink. She didn't often admit it, but she knew she was lucky to have him; not many men would take orders from a woman not yet twenty- especially pirates.

"Cap'n!"

Isabeau glanced over at the man who'd climbed up onto the upper deck to flag her down. "What's up, Cooper?"

"Raven sees a ship, ma'am. Off to port."

Hm. "Details."

"Looks to be a merchant vessel, captain." He's started to grin.

Isabeau's lips curved up on one side. Perfect. "Tell the crew we're coming about."

DaGlobster

Iseabau's order was echoed throughout, and the vessel turned to come about. Once he made sure everyone was working correctly, Gar ascended to the wheel to stand by Isabeau.

"Raven spot a nice merchant?" Gar asked.

DragonSong

"Looks to be." She nodded and gestured out over the bow where the shape of a ship was now visible. "We keep turning and we can come up broadside. Run out the guns before they even know we're there."

DaGlobster

"We'll have to make sure that it's a merchant before we get into a scuffle," Gar said, stroking his chin.

"If we run into a frigate, we'll have to stop for repairs, and then we definitely won't make our stop early."

DragonSong

"I know, I know." She crinkled her nose at her first mate. "Raven's got good eyes- you worry too much."

But he was right and she knew it. "Here, take the wheel. I'll head up to the nest myself to check, be back in two shakes."

DaGlobster

"I worry just fine, thank you very much," Gar said with a grin as Isabeau left. He put a single massive hand on the wheel, able to turn it much easier than any human could.

DragonSong

The captain scurried up to the crow's nest, quick as a cat with the kind of ease only growing up on a ship could bring, and swung herself into the wooden bucket beside their lookout.

Raven was probably the youngest person on the crew besides herself and the cabin boy, and a quiet type. He glanced up at her with a murmured, "Cap'n," and resumed staring out over the water.

"Mind if I borrow this?" Isabeau joked as she snatched up the spyglass and took a look for herself.

Her lips tightened slightly and she muttered a soft curse. Raven just rumbled, "Yeah. Orders?"

"Standby." She swung herself back out of the nest and scurried back to the main deck, quickly climbing the stairs to stand alongside Gar again.

"Definitely a merchant ship," she muttered, "But they're flying two colors, Serendipity and Dawn Raiders." She tsked. "Since when do merchants hire mercenary guards?"

Another huff and she looked up at him. "Whatcha think? Worth the risk?"

DaGlobster

Upon hearing the news, Gar placed a hand on his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Dawn Raiders aren't that serious of an outfit, but mercenaries are still mercenaries. The crew's had worse, though," he said, and he grinned at her.

"Besides, we can take their weapons. It would be good to have some fresh steel."

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