Relief Mission

[Gar]

Gar set down a cask of water on the deck of his ship. He turned to lean against it and catch his breath. The pirate had been preparing his vessel for a mission: provide resources to a ransacked village. This was his first time as the acting captain of a crew. Co-captain that is. He had agreed to purchase a ship along with another pirate, one with pink hair and a scarred face. Gar told himself he wouldn’t trust another woman he met in a tavern, but this time was different in a couple ways. The two seemed to share a certain moral fiber that was rare among pirates and thieves. They would purchase a vessel, find some sailors who were worth their salt and help deliver goods to people in need.

At least that was the plan. Gar had boarded the vessel early in the morning to make sure everything was in working order. He then began loading it with the provisions he and the crew had procured. While he had been around the docks all day, he had yet to lay eyes upon a certain pink haired pirate. Gar sighed. I know it isn’t the first time I’ve been swindled by a skirt in a bar but... Well there is still time. We aren’t set to leave until midday. Gar turned his face to the sky and judged that midday wasn’t too far from now. Shaking his head, he began to take inventory of the ship’s stores.

He noticed something concerning. “Ahh damn. We forgot to increase our store of hard bread. This won’t be enough.” Gar was angry with himself for his oversight. On the bright side I caught it before we set sail. However, I’ll have to be quick about the purchase. Gar tapped the bag on his hip. It was light after the purchase of the ship, but still had some funds left from his most recent treasure hunting venture.

Gar made his way toward the gangplank to exit the vessel.

[Valerie Aschdenne]

Valerie gave a huff as she worked at tying knots around the cargo: several crates of salted meat. Tying knots was easy enough for any sailor worth his/her salt, but tying numerous knots after moving countless crates of meat and bread was another matter. Valerie did have help, in the form of her co-captain and crew. She met the man in a tavern and was relieved to discover he wasn't the scoundrel he appeared to be. Not entirely, anyway. Not where it counted.

It certainly hadn't been Valerie's plan to purchase a ship so soon after selling her last one, but the payload for this mission was going to be massive. It was a goodwill mission, yes, but she still wasn't about to do it free of charge. The woman had plans for the future after all: owning a might galley with a damned good crew, taking out the real scum of the seas for money. One step at a time, though.

Valerie gave a satisfied sigh once she finished tying the final knot around the cargo. The meat was to be kept well below deck, in the storage, and Valerie had been there for what must have been a few hours by now. The rest of her crew, and hopefully her impromptu co-captain, should be topside. So Valerie patted her roughed up, calloused hands against her trousers before making her way aboard the deck. Once she was topside she was pleased to see that much of the other supplies had been secured on deck.

With a quick glance she spotted Gar, making his way towards the gangplank. Valerie walked briskly after him before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Good to see you've been hard at work, hm?" She said with a small grin. Something about being on the deck of a ship again brought out her younger, jollier self. And this was without the rum. "You seem in a hurry, though. Is something amiss?"

[Gar]

Gar turned as his shoulder was tapped. He saw the very woman he was worried about already aboard the ship. She appeared to be in a good mood, which was fortunate for the pirate. "Aye just trying to make sure our first voyage goes well. You seem to be pulling your weight already as well." Gar returned the grin she gave. Valarie then questioned what Gar was doing leaving in such a hurry. Gar rubbed the back of his neck and looked away in light embarrassment. "I uhh made a mistake with the hard bread stores. I gotta go pick up another crate before we depart." Gar didn't like admitting his mistakes but if he was going to be co-captain on this vessel he needed to take responsibility.

The pirate turned and trotted down the gangplank. He called back up to the deck from the docks. "I'll be back before you know it. You may as well rally the crew and get ready to depart." Gar jogged away from the ship and into the town. Stopping at the first store he saw he quickly found the supplies he needed. The prices were clearly higher than they needed to be, but that was the price the pirate had to pay for his oversight. The pirate placed the money on the clerks counter. He then lifted the crate and began to jog back to the ship. He returned short of breath and dropped the crate of hard bread on the deck. The pirate took a couple moments to catch his breath before bringing the crate below deck and storing it with the other supplies.

He emerged from below deck and shouted to his crew. "We're all set! You ready to set sail?"

[Morrigan Reid]

Morrigan sighed, carefully reading over the poorly kept piece of parchment in her hands. The words were easy enough to read: "Relief voyage to the Isles. Crew needed." The sorceress understood that perfectly. Problem was that the instructions regarding where to sign on as crew. Or which ship she'd have to find. It gave Morrigan a somewhat shady feeling about the whole thing, but she decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. If they truly wished to help the people of the Isles she couldn't pass up the opportunity to get involved: make a good impression for her Convent.

Carefully she walked along the docks, studying each ship she passed, the heels of her boots tapping along the hardwood. They all looked more or less the same, just of different sizes really, so that didn't help matters. She also had no idea who the mission leader or the ship captain was, or what they looked like. Were things always so disorganized on the mainland? From her limited experience they were usually rather strict and clear, yet sneaky and deceptive.

Again, she'd have to stay on guard until she could judge the captain herself. Of course, that'd require her to actually FIND them.

As she continued to walk the docks she saw a fairly burly man jogging from the town all the way to a ship, a rather large crate in his arms. It was an impressive feat of strength, but moreover he had the look of a true sailor. Perhaps he was part of the crew she was supposed to sign up for?

Morrigan followed the man curiously, watching as he jogged aboard a ship and dropped the crate. He called something out to the other crew members, something about setting sail? Ah, if she wanted to ask she'd have to do so quickly. Morrigan carefully tip-toed across the gangplank before clearing her throat.

"Ah, excuse me." She paused, allowing the crew members to take notice of her. "Would this be the ship headed to bring supplies to the isles?" Morrigan held up the recruit parchment before continuing. "If so I would like to sign on."

[Valerie Aschdenne]

Valerie watched, amused, as Gar ran off to mend his error. The man seemed so embarrassed by his mistake, even though it had been a fairly small one. Granted Valerie wasn't exactly the type to not mind making a mistake herself. Still, she didn't think much of it, and instead turned away to talk to some of the men instead. Was a speech in order? They were not sailing to battle, but their cause was perhaps all the nobler for it. Hmm...she'd go with something simple, just to ensure they were prepared.

"All right! In just a few minutes we ought to be ready to set sail! Everyone to their positions. If this voyage doesn't go smoothly hundreds will suffer for it."

Valerie watched with a smirk as the sailors scurried about across the deck. Nothing like a little pressure to help light a fire under their arses.

She didn't have to wait too long for Gar, who returned with one last crate in his hands. After setting it where it was supposed to be he came back on deck, roaring out if the sailors were ready. Thanks to Valerie they were, and they all gave a good shout in reply, eager and fired up for the voyage. Valerie was about to head to the wheel when she heard a voice behind her.

Stepping gingerly onto the ship was a raven haired woman, dressed...oddly. Exotically? She didn't seem like someone from the mainland, at least not like someone from the port. She held up a flyer and stated she intended on joining the crew. Didn't take a careful eye to determine that the woman wasn't exactly the typical sailor. Valerie had to wonder what she'd be offering.

"We can always use more aid." She replied evenly. "That said you surely know this is no vacation. If you're to come aboard with us you'll be expected to work hard, just like the rest of these men and women." Valerie wasn't usually the type to look to others for decision making, but she was only the co-captain of this vessel. So she turned to Gar with a quirked brow, curious as to what he'd say on the matter. Hopefully she could trust the man not to be too distracted by a pretty face.

[Gar]

Gar smiled as the exuberant crew replied with gusto. The ship was ready to embark on their mission and Gar was happy to lead it. Before they could set sail, however a newcomer stepped on deck. A black haired woman in black dress inquired to see if this was the ship delivering supplies. She held out a flyer that apparently lacked all the necessary information for recruitment. Gar scratched his head, trying to recall what exactly he put on the flyer. Hmm next time I make a recruitment letter I should probably include where the ship will be. Gar laughed at himself while Valarie explained the situation to the new woman.

Gar's co-captain then looked to him to see what he thought on the matter. Valarie didn't really need Gar's permission to make a call, but she was being polite in allowing Gar to weigh in. Gar turned his head toward the woman in black and gave her a look over. To Gar she appeared inappropriately dressed. Dresses weren't typical attire for voyages, nor were feather armbands. That said, the pirate did think she looked pretty stylish. He decided to open with a joke based on the woman's attire. "Sorry witches are bad luck. You won't be coming on any ship of mine." Gar crossed his arms over his chest and wore a stern face to drive the point home. After a moment of seeing how the woman reacted, he revealed the ruse. "I'm just kidding, you're just in time. Val here already said it as well as I could've. There'll be some heavy lifting but if you can handle that, Welcome aboard." Gar gave the woman a grin and turned to address the crew.

"Alright mateys! Unfurl the sails. Let's get these supplies to that village!" Gar was in a particularly good mood, now that he had rectified his earlier mistake. It seems doing some good in the world could have that effect on people.

[Morrigan Reid]

The pink haired woman seemed a bit skeptical about Morrigan's ability to work on a ship, though she did welcome her all the same. As did the male that seemed to be her second-in-command, or co-captain. He even made a joke regarding her apparel and profession, looking so serious as he did so that Morrigan briefly believed she wouldn't be allowed to join the voyage. She as able to breathe easy once he revealed it to be a ruse and welcomed her all the same.

Still, the fact that the sailor had her pegged so swiftly made her look herself over and mumbled. "Do I really look like such a witch...?" It certainly wasn't the first time Morrigan had been called a witch, and it likely wouldn't be the last. If she had to be described as such she preferred the term "sorceress". She'd even adapted some more typical mainland accessories and fashion into her outfit...

...Ah well. Morrigan looked up and gave the woman a nod, as the jovial man had already bounced off to address his crew.

"Thank you for having me. You have my word that I'll work just as hard as any other sailor on board." Morrigan meant it, as well. She never had to do TOO much work on the vessels she had taken, but she knew enough to not be a hindrance. If nothing else she could serve as a chef, make liberal use of some fire magic in order to cook food. Sailors ate plenty and ate well, almost as well as they drank.

Still, the sorceress felt as though introductions were needed. She approached the pink haired woman as, again, the man had already turned to his sailors. "My name is Morrigan Reid. I'm from the isles, myself, so...it feels good to have this opportunity to help them out. I can tie knots and work on deck, though honestly I'd probably be best off below deck, cooking, cleaning, or helping to maintain supplies."

[Valerie Aschdenne]

Gar seemed completely willing to accept the stranger, making a jest with her before turning to the sailors and pumping them up one more time. If her co-captain was accepting of this woman than really, Valerie had no reason not be. So she chuckled a bit before turning to this Morrigan woman once more.

"Well, you heard him. Welcome aboard." Valerie stated with a small smirk. Morrigan made a promise to work just as hard as any other sailor, which was good: Valerie had assumed just that in the first place. She went to explain that she came from the isles. Valerie supposed it only made sense, then to want to give her fellow islanders a hand when they so desperately needed it.

Valerie patted the woman's shoulder and nodded. "Good, you have motivation to back up your promise, then. Just let Gar or I know when you get settled and we'll put you to work below deck. No sense making you do something another sailor could do better." Efficiency and all that.

Valerie turned away from the woman and walked over to Gar, unable to stop herself from grinning. The voyage was about to begin and while yes, it was no vacation, to Valerie it was a treat nonetheless. She had long awaited the day she could get behind the wheel of a ship again. Still, she would show her co-captain courtesy and ask him if he wanted first shift behind the wheel.

"Want to take the wheel, or should I?"

[Gar]

With how widely Valarie was smiling, he could tell how badly she wanted to take the wheel. Gar hadn't had his heart set on steering the ship so much as running it so he opted out of first take at the wheel. "Go for it. I'm fine checking the on crew. To make sure they all actually know what they're doing." Although he declined, he still appreciated the offer. Gar made a few rounds on the deck. First he checked with the riggers to make sure they had appropriately freed the vessel from the dock. After that, he made a cursory check of the sail. Gar shimmied up the mast using ropes to guide him upward. He quickly inspected the knots and ties. Everything checked out, it was sure to be a safe departure from port.

The pirate descended from the mast with grace, as if he had done it a thousand times before. After he was secure on the deck he had a moment to think. It's a little strange being captain. I kinda don't have anything to do. The realization was an odd one. For as long as the pirate had been at sea, he almost always had some role to play in the sailing of the ship. This time was different however. Maybe it's because there are two of us acting captains. Gar smirked at himself as he stood. Or maybe it's because we're just great sailors. It was certainly nice to be sailing with people who knew what they were doing. Things were made smoother by the multiple checks that were run before departure.

Gar turned his head to the sky to get a read on the wind and weather. "Looks like smooth sailing for the most part. We should probably reach our destination in a day or so." The pirate spoke to no one in particular. Gar returned to his currect duty of checking on the other crew mates.

[Morrigan Reid]

That was it, then. Both "Val" and the other man had welcomed her aboard. The pinkette even went out of her way to give a warmer welcome, perhaps to make up for her sterner statement earlier. She told Morrigan that, as soon as she settled aboard, she could ask to be put to work. Well, at least she'd have time to settle in then! No sense carrying around all of her tomes when she'll likely be busy below deck.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to do just that." Morrigan replied, looking around at the ship before taking a few more steps on board. Once she figured out how to get below deck Morrigan quietly made her way down, not really wishing to disturb the other sailors nor particularly keen on engaging them in conversation. The woman just wanted to see if there were any decent quarters for herself, and once she found them she carefully set her satchel down on the wooden boards. Within the satchel she kept two basic tomes at the ready, her more advanced ones tied in a smaller bag within it.

It was not as though Morrigan felt she wouldn't need to use them. Had that been the case she'd have left these tomes back at her home. At the Convent, where her fellow mages could use them for study and practice and self-defense. No, Morrigan fully believed she'd need to use them. Sooner rather than later, too.

She just...she didn't want to. The Nether was as comfortable to her as it had ever been, if one could describe such a twisted relationship as "comfortable", yet it was...difficult for her to forget what happened to Raine. Reaching just a bit too far and she lost so much for it. Morrigan trusted herself not to make the same mistake, and she did not dwell on those painful memories, but it just reminded her to become ever more cautious. Power did not equal freedom, especially not with the Nether. With great power truly came the greatest need for caution.

So Morrigan set that small sack aside in this small, empty room. She stumbled just a bit on her way out, still adapting to being on a ship once again, but made it back atop deck just fine. She figured it was high time she asked her captains where she was needed.

Morrigan saw the male captain first, descending from the mast, and walked to him. "Excuse me. I've set my belongings aside, and, um...was just wondering what you would like me to do first?"

[Valerie Aschdenne]

Valerie couldn't hold back a grin as Gar relented the wheel to her. "Ahh, what a sweetheart you are!" She said with a boisterous laugh, giving the pirate a good hearted slap on the shoulder before sauntering off towards the wheel in question. The newcomer headed below deck whilst Gar climbed a mast, the rest of the sailors scrambling to prepare for the voyage proper.

"Hoist up that anchor! This ship's a sailing!" Valerie called out with a loud, commanding voice. She was in good form, in real chipper spirits. It'd been far too long since she'd been in command of a vessel, or even just been on a vessel. Her command over the Santa Aquila had only lasted a few weeks at best, while she attempted to find someone willing to purchase the poor thing. Yet even then, despite the tragedy that had come before, the taste of being a captain had been so sweet. So enticing. She had longed and yearned to have it again.

"Aye captain! Anchor's up!" A sailor called back to her. Valerie gripped the wheel firmly, watching Gar descend from the mast before giving her next order.

"All right! Sails down lads!" She began to turn the wheel. The ship's sails were in the process of being unfurled, but she wanted to catch the wind swiftly. The boat slowly turned to face the great blue before them, the wind inching nearer and nearer to their backs as Valerie continued to turn. Soon enough the crew went about to unfurling the sails, and almost immediately Valerie felt them catch the wind.

Just like that they were on their way, headed out to sea. Just like that Valerie was a sailor once more. She really couldn't keep the grin off her face. "A sailor's life is the only life for me..."

[Gar]

Gar stroked the hair on his chin as he scanned the woman. He was trying to figure out something for her to do when it crossed his mind that he hadn't introduced himself yet. He extended a hand in Morrigan's direction. "First things first, I'm Gar." The pirate waited for Morrigan's response then he continued to consider her potential work stations. Seeing how she was new to the ship, Gar briefly considered making her a scrub, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do so. Perhaps he was being more of a gentleman than he realized.

Gar gave the woman another look over and came up with a role for her to play. "You probably have a good head on your shoulders. I want you to be our navigator. I think Val has it handled for the most part, but just make sure we don't go off course too much. Oh and if a storm hits hopefully you can help us get out of it." Navigator was a good role for a sailor, it wasn't too physically demanding but was still satisfying work. Gar glanced up at the ship's wheel where Valarie stood. He indicated for Morrigan to follow him as he approached Valarie.

The pirate knelt down and opened a box. Inside the box were a few charts, rolled up and bound with string. He rose and spoke to Morrigan. "Here are some charts of the nearby seas, they should help with the navigation." Gar then spoke to Valarie at the wheel to get her opinion on the occupation.

"Our newest mate here will be assisting in our navigation. That okay with you?"

[Morrigan Reid]

It took Morrigan a moment to realize that the man, Gar, was expecting a handshake. However once she did she smiled and took his hand, doing her best to match whatever firmness his handshake had to it. She didn't want to appear weak and feeble! "And um, just for clarity, I'm Morrigan Reid. It's nice to meet you, Gar." Or was it Captain Gar? Well, she'd just let him correct her if that was the case.

Gar seemed to think that Morrigan was intelligent, or at least had some good sense. She was inclined to agree, but was still flattered that the man seemed to think so. "Ah...thank you, Gar. But a navigator? I..." No, there was no sense in turning this down. She'd been on ships before, enough to have some read of the sea. Morrigan could read a map just fine as well. "I'll do my best, then. Thank you."

Morrigan followed Gar over to the wheel, and to the pink haired Valerie who seemed quite content behind it. When Morrigan received the charts she carefully unrolled one such chart. She...hadn't anticipated that she'd need multiples for this trip. Ah well, she'd just defer to Valerie if she was ever truly stuck or confused. Navigation was important and Morrigan refused to let some pride or stubbornness botch up such a key role.

Rolling the chart back up and setting in with the others, Morrigan faced Valerie with anticipation, eager to hear whether she would agree to it or not.

[Valerie Aschdenne]

Steered towards the open ocean, Valerie had finally gotten their vessel to really start sailing. The wind was at their backs, caught in their sails, and she couldn't keep the grin off her face all the while. She hadn't even realized she missed sailing so much until now, when she was finally behind the wheel once more.

Valerie gazed down at the rest of the ship and noticed Gar bringing along that raven haired witch they'd let join. The man moved with a purpose, so he likely had something of some import to pass along. However he didn't speak to her right away, and instead popped open a chest nearby. It was full of sea charts and maps, things Valerie was fully aware of but didn't believe she needed. These seas were still quite familiar to her, and their trip was a rather simple one. They simply needed to round Nabata and they'd be en route straight to their destination.

However it seemed Gar had the idea that Valerie need not consult the charts at all, but Morrigan instead. He suggested she be navigator, but extended courtesy to ask Valerie what she thought of this. Immediately Valerie had to respond, her attention immediately turning to Morrigan. "Do you know how to read sea charts?" The trip was rather simple and, if Morrigan hadn't read them before, Valerie would be more than happy to teach her. Again: it was a simple voyage for the pinkette. Rather than rely on someone with no experience following their task, she would instead teach them how to perform their role.

[Gar]

Both Valarie and Morrigan were skeptical of Gar’s assignment for the newcomer. The black haired woman seemed hesitant at first but agreed to try her best. Valarie took to questioning the woman on her experience in the role. Gar shrugged if there were any issues he was sure the two would figure it out. It was a simple voyage after all. “ I’m sure that you’ll do just fi-.” A thud and a few shouts cut off Gar’s sentence. He turned his head to the commotion. He could see a deckhand lying on the wood while another man stood over him, shouting. The display had a potential to be troublesome for the new captains. Gar spoke to his co-captain. “I’ll handle it. Just find out what to do with Morrigan.”

Gar left the two women at the steering wheel and he approached the source of the commotion. He caught a sliver of what the two were arguing about. It was something along the lines of hurting the village more than they were helping it. Gar shrugged it off. It wasn’t too important right now. He stood tall and spoke boldly to regain order on the deck. “Oi. What the hell’s going on here?” Gar indicated to the scrub on the floor. “You get below deck and make yourself busy.” The boy scurried off at Gar’s order. Gar rose his head and spoke this time to the mate who was shouting earlier. “As for you…” Gar took another step to lean in closer to the man’s face. “If you want a fight, you come to me first. Got it?” The man narrowed his eyes and spoke under his breath with a noticeable hint of sarcasm. “Aye aye captain.” He turned away and returned to his duties.

Gar was infuriated by the insubordination but was forced to let it slide for now. He shook his head and scanned the rest of the crew who were now dispersing from the scene and returning to work. It was curious. Not an hour ago when they left everyone was in high spirits. Now they were fighting on the deck? What was the reason for this? Gar sighed. We are pirates after all. It’s probably nothing.