The Seas of Blood - The Price of Fame (Chapter One)

[Hypersmurf]

Before the building is an extremely fat man that is shouting orders at sailors while listening to messengers at the same time, his multitasking skills allowing him to analyze what is happening on his docks at all time. Though he has no special uniform or marks upon him, it seems obvious who is running the port of Tavernport.

Lukda is careful not to look threatening - so as not to provoke any hostile response from the bowmen - as she looks about for someone who appears to be a fixture of the harbourfront and yet not quite so frantically busy as the fat man.

"How does one go about obtaining an ordinance" - she's rather proud of having found an opportunity to apply the phrase - "with the harbourmaster?" she asks. "He seems busy..."

 

[Ferrix]

There is a movement to the rear of the tavern, just outside the window leading into the alley. A tall thin man watching the conversation that was going on with Mr Smith, heavily cloaked against the sea wind and well hidden, had it not been for the eyes of an elf he may have gone unnoticed.

The man is very still, staring into the room for several seconds before the knocking of a hanging lantern nearby sheds light across his face for a flashing moment. His features are that of an elf, and not jsut any elf a'Shelys realizes, for he knows the people of Laerendhor all too well and how out of place even one of them in this city is...

"Bart, you seem to have this handled. I'm going to check on a relative who always keeps trying to see what I'm up to." With that, a'Shelys casually manuevers his way away from the table, keeping his eyes on the elf, he does his best to memorize the face and then weeds his way outside. Circling the tavern, he pulls his hood up and walks cowled towards the alley, keeping his eyes peeled for the figure in the window. From home, what is he doing here?

 

[Phoenix]

Lukda is careful not to look threatening - so as not to provoke any hostile response from the bowmen - as she looks about for someone who appears to be a fixture of the harbourfront and yet not quite so frantically busy as the fat man.

"How does one go about obtaining an ordinance" - she's rather proud of having found an opportunity to apply the phrase - "with the harbourmaster?" she asks. "He seems busy..."

One of the men stops for a moment to address Lukda, though his mannerisms betray that he has little time to deal with her. "You don't deal with him, you deal with us. Jesary is too busy to deal with all the captains personally, unless of course he is expecting you..."

 

[Phoenix]

"Bart, you seem to have this handled. I'm going to check on a relative who always keeps trying to see what I'm up to." With that, a'Shelys casually manuevers his way away from the table, keeping his eyes on the elf, he does his best to memorize the face and then weeds his way outside. Circling the tavern, he pulls his hood up and walks cowled towards the alley, keeping his eyes peeled for the figure in the window. From home, what is he doing here?

The noise from within the tavern lowers to a loud droning hum as a'Shelys walks into the alley. Apart from a handful of collapsed drunks though there seems to be no-one else present.

"Hello a'Shelys."

The voice of the elven man comes from the darkness of the shadows and it wasn't until a'Shelys eyes adjusted to the darkness that he saw the form of a Silver Mane. Kentarian, he was one of a'Shelys' friends back, well, back in Laerendhor.

"I have come a very long was to see you a'Shelys, I advise that you listen to me very closely. Caerios has been promoted to Wing Commander, he's in charge of the Silver Manes now. He has been pushing to see you recognized a traitor, and he has enough support that it is only a matter of time."

Kentarian pauses for a moment, his body shifting uncomfortably.

"You see, when you left..."

His eyes break contact and his nervousness begins to show a little more apparently.

"...Naeasha was pregnant."

 

[IcyCool]

"Bart, you seem to have this handled. I'm going to check on a relative who always keeps trying to see what I'm up to."

"Aye lad, I'll meet ye in front o' this place." Bart nods, then turns back to Mr. Smith. After a few more "pleasantries" Bart makes to stand and says. "Mr. Smith, ye be a fine and knowledgeable sailor. Wronged ye were by the crew o' the Waverunner. If only some sort o' retribution could be had on 'em, then the scales would be set straight again." At this Bart shakes his head mournfully, then raises his near empty glass in a toast to Mr. Smith. Keeping his voice reasonably low he says, "'ere's hoping that a 'orrible fate waits fer 'em."

At that, Bart finds his way to the door of the inn, and waits near it for a'Shelys.

 

[Ferrix]

The noise from within the tavern lowers to a loud droning hum as a'Shelys walks into the alley. Apart from a handful of collapsed drunks though there seems to be no-one else present.

"Hello a'Shelys."

The voice of the elven man comes from the darkness of the shadows and it wasn't until a'Shelys eyes adjusted to the darkness that he saw the form of a Silver Mane. Kentarian, he was one of a'Shelys' friends back, well, back in Laerendhor.

"I have come a very long was to see you a'Shelys, I advise that you listen to me very closely. Caerios has been promoted to Wing Commander, he's in charge of the Silver Manes now. He has been pushing to see you recognized a traitor, and he has enough support that it is only a matter of time."

Kentarian pauses for a moment, his body shifting uncomfortably.

"You see, when you left..."

His eyes break contact and his nervousness begins to show a little more apparently.

"...Naeasha was pregnant."

Startled to see Kentarian out here and even more so by the words he speaks, he gropes for his voice for a moment, "pregnant? She said nothing of it to me...." he trails off. Then realizing his location, he gestures for Kentarian to follow, "this is not the safest of neighborhoods, whe shouldn't lurk in alleys."

As he walks with his old friend back towards the docks, he gives Bart a nod of recognition and continues his conversation, "Caerios knew I left so that I would not break up the Silver Manes, why would he call me a traitor now? And Naeasha, did she give birth? How is the child? Is she alright?"

 

[Phoenix]

Startled to see Kentarian out here and even more so by the words he speaks, he gropes for his voice for a moment, "pregnant? She said nothing of it to me...." he trails off. Then realizing his location, he gestures for Kentarian to follow, "this is not the safest of neighborhoods, whe shouldn't lurk in alleys."

As he walks with his old friend back towards the docks, he gives Bart a nod of recognition and continues his conversation, "Caerios knew I left so that I would not break up the Silver Manes, why would he call me a traitor now? And Naeasha, did she give birth? How is the child? Is she alright?"

"You don't understand a'Shelys, when you left she was pregnant as well. She gave birth later in the year, the priests knew by her eyes that she wasn't Caerios' daughter, she was yours."

There is a movement in the shadows and Kentarian's hand drops to his sword hilt for a moment, his eyes searching the other alleys nearby for danger. Seconds pass and he lets the moment go, returning to his story.

"Caerios has been telling people that you didn't leave because of the Silver Manes, he has convinced many that you left because you knew that Naeasha was pregnant and wanted nothing of it."

"The child is fine, you have a wonderful daughter at home who is fit and healthy, the mother though is another matter. She took sick after the birth and has been bed ridden for the better part of your time away, she sent me to see you only now because she did not want you to worry about her."

"She's dying a'Sheyls. She sent me to tell you that your daughter is being raised by Caerios, but she fears that the child will grow to hate you, not love you."

 

[Bront]

Captain Swoops shouts out commands to his crew as they load up any supplies, and prep the ship for the journey. He takes the time to look over the ship while he's there, to make sure she's in fine shape.

 

[IcyCool]

Bart nods to a'Shelys as he passes by, and Bart falls into step several feet behind them whistling a quiet tune.

 

[Phoenix]

Captain Swoops shouts out commands to his crew as they load up any supplies, and prep the ship for the journey. He takes the time to look over the ship while he's there, to make sure she's in fine shape.

Rameses calls down from the crow's nest above to the Captain as he walks by. "Cap'n, the Silver Sovereign looks like she's gettin' ready to head out already."

As Swoops stares up into the nest above, the voice of Morgan assails him from afar. "Capin, seems as though our stores are low, we got no more than a week an' a 'arf of food and less of that of fresh water." The big man staggers a little, obviously still drunk but willing to take up his post at a moment's notice.