Wakil senses for evil in the little girl, but doesn't find any. Wakil then moves over to the captain, who is just coming down off the poop deck. Wakil still senses no evil in the area.
As Colmarr speaks, the waiflette slowly raises her head and looks up at him. Her features are small and petite, like the rest of her, but she has the most brilliant green-blue eyes. At the moment, they are filled with fright, and her lip quivers, on the point of tears. She shies away from Malachi's touch, casts one longing glance at the pitcher in Magyar's hands, then clings more closely to the gnome who first revived her. At the mention of going below, she pushes herself quickly to her feet.
"No, no, I'm all right." Standing, she comes to just under Colmarr's chin. She looks up at him with imploring eyes. "Please, sir, I don't want to go below." Her voice is very high and thin, but it is a pure sound, with very little tremor. She wavers on her feet a bit, as if her legs are still a bit weak. Perhaps it is merely the natural pitch and roll of the ship upon the water, slight though it is.
Back at the port railing, Braer turns to Grondar. "Well, my good shipmate, it seems those poor sods below have lost something valuable and can't seem to find it. Pretty careless, if you ask me. Either that, or they are in pursuit of some deadly quarry. You know, I can't help wondering what sort of dire man or beast would be so fearsome and fell as to draw after it five fully grown men and one fat, sweaty toad. It must be a savage beast indeed!"
Throughout Braer's comments the merchant's face had been growing redder and redder. Now he fairly explodes. "Do you have any idea who I am? Why, I--"
"That's enough!" The captain's heavy hand comes down on Braer's shoulder as he stands behind the smaller man. "I don't know who ye are, Merchant, but as ye can see I have a fully laden ship here that's blockin' the harbor. I mean ta bring her inna Pier 3. If ye have a mind ta say somethin' to me, you'll be doin' it there." Turning his back on the merchant, who appears to be hyperventilating, Captain Ben addresses himself to the crew. "Noonchuck, the anchor if you please. Denther, same aft. Let's haul canvas and get ourselves inta berth, lads." Braer gestures Troth and Grondar toward the sails as he heads aft to the helm. Wakil, who had been standing dripping near the captain at the port rail the entire time, is quite sure that at least one of the men in the rowboat below has a heart for evil, but he cannot be certain which.
Captain Ben walks across the deck to where Colmarr, Magyar, and Malachi are gathered around their newest shipmate. "Now, what have we here?" he says in his best "kindly father" voice.
As Colmarr speaks, the waiflette slowly raises her head and looks up at him. Her features are small and petite, like the rest of her, but she has the most brilliant green-blue eyes. At the moment, they are filled with fright, and her lip quivers, on the point of tears. She shies away from Malachi's touch, casts one longing glance at the pitcher in Magyar's hands, then clings more closely to the gnome who first revived her. At the mention of going below, she pushes herself quickly to her feet.
"No, no, I'm all right." Standing, she comes to just under Colmarr's chin. She looks up at him with imploring eyes. "Please, sir, I don't want to go below." Her voice is very high and thin, but it is a pure sound, with very little tremor. She wavers on her feet a bit, as if her legs are still a bit weak. Perhaps it is merely the natural pitch and roll of the ship upon the water, slight though it is.
Back at the port railing, Braer turns to Grondar. "Well, my good shipmate, it seems those poor sods below have lost something valuable and can't seem to find it. Pretty careless, if you ask me. Either that, or they are in pursuit of some deadly quarry. You know, I can't help wondering what sort of dire man or beast would be so fearsome and fell as to draw after it five fully grown men and one fat, sweaty toad. It must be a savage beast indeed!"
Throughout Braer's comments the merchant's face had been growing redder and redder. Now he fairly explodes. "Do you have any idea who I am? Why, I--"
"That's enough!" The captain's heavy hand comes down on Braer's shoulder as he stands behind the smaller man. "I don't know who ye are, Merchant, but as ye can see I have a fully laden ship here that's blockin' the harbor. I mean ta bring her inna Pier 3. If ye have a mind ta say somethin' to me, you'll be doin' it there." Turning his back on the merchant, who appears to be hyperventilating, Captain Ben addresses himself to the crew. "Noonchuck, the anchor if you please. Denther, same aft. Let's haul canvas and get ourselves inta berth, lads." Braer gestures Troth and Grondar toward the sails as he heads aft to the helm. Wakil, who had been standing dripping near the captain at the port rail the entire time, is quite sure that at least one of the men in the rowboat below has a heart for evil, but he cannot be certain which.
Captain Ben walks across the deck to where Colmarr, Magyar, and Malachi are gathered around their newest shipmate. "Now, what have we here?" he says in his best "kindly father" voice.
