Don't Swim Against the Current [Archive]

[DragonSong]

"Of course." She gave him an almost demure smile and gestured broadly. "Right this way, gentlemen."

Isabeau led them- taking her sweet time- to the stairs and paused for just a moment, meeting her first mate's eyes and nodding once.

"Anchors away! Heave to, lads!"

The Storm rocked into motion as the crew leaped to action. In a flurry, Alan and Bear came charging back into the deck, taking two of the guards by surprise. Crag jumped for another and Isabeau took the captain for herself as the deck dissolved into a mess of brawling and scurrying sailors.

Her cutlass flicked out to point at the man's heart, using the advantage of surprise. "Now you just stay nice and quiet while we sail ourselves out of your deplorable little port, savvy?" Her lips curved into a wicked grin. "There's a good lad."

[Cambie]

With one final ring of metal on metal, Fletcher set down his mallet and gave the heavy cannon a test push.  The reassembled cannon carriage groaned slightly under the immense weight of the iron barrel, but otherwise rotated quite nicely in its newly fashioned sockets. 

With a self-assured grin, Fletcher mumbled under his breath, "Sometimes, I impress even myself," before re-rigging the artillery piece with all the untangled ropes laying about.  The job finished, he stood up to inspect his handiwork -- and nearly toppled over in place. 

"What in Ansgar's name is happening up there? Are we MOVING?"

With an alarmed yelp, he scurried his way toward the stairs and up onto the main deck, only to be greeted by the sight of the four guards all standing in a row at sword point.  Immediately, he froze in place, wide-eyed and watching the port slowly shrink behind them.

[DragonSong]

Not realizing Fletcher had arrived on deck just behind her, Isabeau barked, "You know what we do with law-folk, lads."

Her crew laughed, the sound rather mean and frightening, and lunged forward. There were a few sharp cries and the sounds of a scuffle, then the guards were all gagged, hands bound behind them, and disarmed.

Isabeau nodded, smirking. "Plank. Now."

"Uh. Captain." Crag nodded behind her and she turned.

"Ah. Master Gunsmith." She felt her chest squeeze a bit, feeling suddenly guilty, then raised her blade and arched a pointed eyebrow. "If you don't cause a fuss about all this, we'll be having no problem, just drop you off when we next make port, savvy?"

[Cambie]

The shocked look on his face bordered on comical as he stared mutely at the unfolding scene.  Pirates, he thought.  Of course, how could he have been so dense?  Her attire should've given it away, but he'd been so caught up in talks of contracts and silver to recognize it.

The talk of a plank awoke something in him, and he took a bold step forward.  Maybe too bold.  "Are you mad? You're going to throw them overboard with their hands bounds?  For God's sake, think about what you're doing!"

[DragonSong]

Her cutlass flicked up to press against his throat, not hard enough to break skin but hard enough to show him how easy it would be for her to do so.

Isabeau's eyes actually flashed with guilt for a moment before she shoved it away. The Storm was almost out of the river now, gliding through the bay. Without taking her eyes of the gunsmith, she snapped, "Neil, Alan, Crag- hold our guests until we're in open water, then escort them out."

She was silent for a long moment, then added, "And loosen their bonds a bit. May as well give them a fighting chance. Might be fun to watch." She smirked, covering the sliver of mercy with dark humor.

"Aye, Cap'n."

Letting her blade drop just slightly, she nodded over her shoulder. "You come with me, gunsmith." She couldn't just leave him wandering around now, she'd have to lock him in her cabin or something.

[Cambie]

Fletcher's breath caught as the sword dug into his neck, and he could do nothing but remain still and glare at her.  At least he could see, out the corner of his eye, that the sailors were begrudgingly following the captain's orders and slackening the ropes holding the prisoners together.

When she ordered him to follow, he remained in place.  "What are you doing, kidnapping me?" he replied brusquely and with a challenging voice.  This had to be a cruel trick; he'd been so wary of kidnappers for so long, ever since the whole country had descended into war.  Of course it would be the one time he let his guard down and voluntarily stepped aboard this bloody ship that he'd be taken.

When he still didn't budge, he felt a hard shove from behind him as another sailor forced him toward Isabeau with no other alternatives.

[DragonSong]

The captain sidestepped slightly, catching his arm and twisting it behind his back as he stumbled forward. "Of course not," she said conversationally, staring to march him toward her cabin, sword still held at her side. "You'll be our guest, for the time being. I'll pay you for whatever work you managed to get done on the guns, then we'll send you ashore next chance we get."

Until then, though, he'd best mind himself. Now that they no longer had to pretend to be respectable, her crew was likely to take offense to the classy gunsmith's presence.

[Cambie]

Fletcher let out a little wince as his arm was torqued behind his back.  He could feel the pressure in his shoulder and really had no choice but to gingerly dance his way toward her cabin door, stumbling into her cabin about as gracelessly as one could manage.

"Next chance you get?!" he coughed.  "You're about to throw lawmen off your ship! They'll never let you... me back into port!'

[DragonSong]

She shrugged carelessly, knocking the door open and pushing him into the cabin. "That's sounds like your problem, lad," Isabeau said with a sharp, dangerous sort of smile.

She didn't really want to make his life miserable- he'd only been here to help her, after all- but at the moment she didn't really see that she had many other options.

"Just- stay here, alright?" She glowered, tapping her foot in a nervous habit that she could usually disguise as irritation. "Keep yourself to yourself and no harm will come to you on this ship, you have my word."

[Cambie]

He glared mightily at her at the mention of lad (after all, she looked too young to be a captain, he just had a shred of decency not bring it up!), but then his eyes fell to the sword at her side. "I suppose I don't have a choice now," he grumbled. "As the captain wishes."

At least she'd brought his lockboxes in here, where they would be close by.  Being out at sea... well that was another matter.

[DragonSong]

Isabeau nodded at him and turned to go, then paused. "I know it doesn't make much difference," she said quietly over her shoulder, "but I really wish things didn't have to be this way."

Sh swept out onto the deck, closing and locking the door behind her.

[Cambie]

Time passed extremely slowly in the captain's cabin.  Although it was well-furnished and decorated, it was still cramped quarters on a ship.  He tried to pass the time by double- and triple-checking the contents of his lockboxes, stashing one of the exquisitely made guns down the front of his trousers in case he needed it.

Instead, what he really needed to do was to lie down.  Fletcher had tried to look out the window but the rolling waves played odd tricks on his stomach and soon he was feeling dizzy.  He soon found himself laying on the captain's bed (with boots removed, of course; he wasn't a savage), hand over his head and groaning.

Even from outside the captain's quarters, his voice could be heard, muffled through the heavy wooden door.  "Captain, you need to let me out!"

[DragonSong]

It seemed most of the crew could hear their "guest's" complaints. By the time the forth person came up to Isabeau to say something she caved, rolling her eyes and grumbling to herself as she stalked toward her cabin.

She knocked the door open, slipped inside, and kicked it shut behind her. "What seems to be the problem, your Highness?" She snapped, arms folded over her chest and hip cocked to one side. She didn't have time for this, she had a ship to run!

[Cambie]

Fletcher was sitting on the edge by then, with clammy skin a shade paler than usual for him.  There was a glum expression on his face as he met her impatient gaze, before suddenly pulling his pistol out and leveling it at her.

"Captain, this pan is primed and the muzzle loaded with a perfectly sized lead ball," he said as he forced his wobbly legs to stand.  Where was he going to run?  They were in the middle of the damn sea by now... but he needed just a little bit of respite from this room.  "And believe me I can place one between your eyes before you can even blink.  I don't miss.  So hear me out."

He had to take another deep breath to steady himself at that moment, but luckily he didn't have much to say.  His eyes took on a pleading stare as he felt his stomach roil. "Look, just open the door and step aside.  For one damn minute.  You'll thank me later."

[DragonSong]

He actually managed to catch her off guard. If she hadn't been busy cursing herself, she might have been impressed.

"What do you plan to do?" she asked evenly, shutting down any emotion in her voice. "Even if you shot me, what would you do next? Where would you go? You wouldn't make it three feet before my crew killed you."

She didn't back down, but she didn't go for her pistol or her cutlass either. Whatever else could be said, she did believe that he was a decent shot.

[Cambie]

Though his breath was ragged and his skin unpleasantly damp, his gun hand remained steadily pointed at her even as he inched toward the door.

"Nobody needs to get shot.  Just..."

And as he reached the door he fumbled with the lock while still aiming at her.  As soon as he heard the hinges swing open though, he turned and bolted right out onto the main deck.  There were more than several sailors caught unawares by the gunsmith as he clumsily darted his way between crates, ropes, and men, barely hearing the outraged shouts behind him.

As soon as he reached the railing of the ship he leaned over the side of it and retched overboard before slumping to the damp wooden deck, a little relieved smile on his face.

[DragonSong]

Isabeau darted after him, drawing her blade and shouting for pirates to get out of her way.

Then, realizing why he'd so desperately wanted to get out of her cabin, she paused beside the rail. Sighing and rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Landlubbers," and sheathed her sword.

Kneeling next to Fletcher, she easily took the gun from his rather limp hand and grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face her. "Alright, better? Then up you get, lad. C'mon."

[Cambie]

Fletcher out only let out a little laugh as she turned him to face her.  By Ansgar, he'd never felt so satisfied in his life.  "You can thank me now," he muttered with a wry grin even as she helped him back onto his feet.  A small crowd of sailors had begun to form around them.  Just string 'im up with the sails an' be done wit' him! came a shout from the back of the throng.

His eyes lingered on the gun she'd taken from him.  A detailed stag had been meticulously carved into the stock, and the polished silver inlays gleamed in the sunlight.  For a wealthy Lord in Castavar.

"I suppose it'd be too much to ask to get that back.  Once... once you've dropped me off?"

[DragonSong]

She sighed, rubbing at her temple and slipping the gun into the sash around her waist that acted as a belt. "I suppose you can," she grumbled, pulling her own pistol and training it on his chest in a manner that was almost bored.

"Alright. It seems that leaving you cooped up with pose a problem..." She bit her lip, then tilted her head at him, ignoring the grumblings of her crew. "How comfortable are you with heights?"

[Cambie]

"Why, what are you planning?" he asked in return, though truthfully nowhere on this ship would do him much good.

After a moment he shook his head and added, "I'm fine with heights, it's this rocking that I can't handle."