U
upscalerat
Guest
Original poster
Really, it had been serendipity. Avery had been at sea for months. She had docked her ship, her sweet lady love Calypso, and allowed her crew some time ashore. Even a pirate needed to barter for food and supplies, and there was always the matter of needing to sell some of their plunder for a safer sort of currency. The port town was closer to the crown than Avery perhaps would have liked, but the next port was far and food was low. So they docked, and her crew rejoiced. The sea may have been their first love, but everyone needs a break here and there from their lover's grip, if only to appreciate them all the more. Not that the land didn't have her own qualities- there weren't taverns on the Calypso, and only so much ale and so many girls to go around. They needed more people, at any rate.
"Mister Roscoe, I expect you to've replaced all we've lost in the crew," Avery had told her first mate before he'd left. Arundel, being mute, had saluted her, and took Ainsley Kellam with him as his tongue. Ainsley was an interesting one- never was overly fond of being a man, Ainsley had said. They got along best with Roscoe, who could never call Ainsley a "he", but the crew was rare to make that mistake, and quick to learn not to do it again. Ainsley was skilled at more than just being Arundel's tongue. They had also taken Myra and Zola as a sort of incentive. Zola was a beautiful woman from southern isles, and Myra from the kingdom itself. Both were regular crewmen, but months at sea made for want of company. The shipmates often spent time wooing each other while off duty. It had resulted in a surprisingly efficient community, though newcomers always had to learn to forget their jealousy.
Avery distributed other tasks to the rest of the crew: Keyon the navigator and Gytha the cook were to take two each, after the others had sold what they could, to buy what they needed; Delphine, Rhoda, Orson, and Faxon were to sell as much treasure for as good a price they could, then accompany Keyon and Gytha, and enjoy themselves after that. And so they had. Arundel, Ainsley, Myra, and Zola had brought Ryley Crain and Dulcie Layre to join the ship. The ten took shifts on and off the shift, teaching Ryley and Dulcie what they needed to know.
Avery came and went, overseeing as she had to, but spent most of her time exploring the town. The tavern had brought quite a few fair nights, but eventually, it was time to leave again. They all hated it. Avery, Arundel, and Ainsley had been taking one final walk on the shore when it happened. They saw, in all impossibility, a fine lady, and no guards- here! The trio stopped, and looked at each other. Avery nodded. Ainsley approached first; he was the least threatening of the three, with soft features, and a cleanliness from land. They had new, bright clothes, and no over weapons. "My lady!" Ainsley exclaimed. Avery and Arundel fled from the lady's sight, and approached her from behind. Luck couldn't have been more on their side- no one was around.
"Tell me, my lady, would you enjoy a voyage at sea?" Ainsley twittered cheerily. Before their could respond, though, Avery slapped the back of the woman's head with the flat of her sword. Short of a headache, no damage would be done to the lady's head. Ainsley giggled. "I suppose that is a yes! Oh, we'll have to do something to hide that she is so fine a woman, shan't we, Captain?"
Avery nodded, and looked about. She slid her sword back into her scabbard, then loosened the bodice of her dress. She wore a white shirt underneath, but pulled it over her head, and took the woman's jacket. She swatted some of the sand off of it, then slid it on and buttoned it. Avery did the bodice back up again over it and put her hat back on- it had fallen off after she'd taken her shirt off. Ainsley had figured out what Avery had planned, and slipped the white shirt onto Astra. It was crude, but a small change in clothing could make even a lady look like a mongrel. "Arundel, if you'd be kind enough to carry her...?" Avery asked.
The large, dark man nodded. He bent down and picked her up, and the trio- now quartet- wasted no time in returning to the ship. Ainsley parted from them to retrieve Orson, Myra, and Keyon, while Arundel took their prisoner to Avery's cabin, on the captain's instruction. Arundel left to help the crew set sail again, while Avery waited in the cabin for the woman to wake up. It was a small cabin; there was a small, sealed window over a bed. A child couldn't fit through it, even if it weren't for the two metal bars that crossed over the round window. The lady had been set on a bed, lush with pillows and covers, but only just large enough for two people. There were two chests across from the bed, and some maps pinned on the walls, and a lantern on a hook by the door. It was no grand room, but it did well as a jail for a rich daughter. Avery sat on one of the trunks, and waited for the woman to awaken.
"Mister Roscoe, I expect you to've replaced all we've lost in the crew," Avery had told her first mate before he'd left. Arundel, being mute, had saluted her, and took Ainsley Kellam with him as his tongue. Ainsley was an interesting one- never was overly fond of being a man, Ainsley had said. They got along best with Roscoe, who could never call Ainsley a "he", but the crew was rare to make that mistake, and quick to learn not to do it again. Ainsley was skilled at more than just being Arundel's tongue. They had also taken Myra and Zola as a sort of incentive. Zola was a beautiful woman from southern isles, and Myra from the kingdom itself. Both were regular crewmen, but months at sea made for want of company. The shipmates often spent time wooing each other while off duty. It had resulted in a surprisingly efficient community, though newcomers always had to learn to forget their jealousy.
Avery distributed other tasks to the rest of the crew: Keyon the navigator and Gytha the cook were to take two each, after the others had sold what they could, to buy what they needed; Delphine, Rhoda, Orson, and Faxon were to sell as much treasure for as good a price they could, then accompany Keyon and Gytha, and enjoy themselves after that. And so they had. Arundel, Ainsley, Myra, and Zola had brought Ryley Crain and Dulcie Layre to join the ship. The ten took shifts on and off the shift, teaching Ryley and Dulcie what they needed to know.
Avery came and went, overseeing as she had to, but spent most of her time exploring the town. The tavern had brought quite a few fair nights, but eventually, it was time to leave again. They all hated it. Avery, Arundel, and Ainsley had been taking one final walk on the shore when it happened. They saw, in all impossibility, a fine lady, and no guards- here! The trio stopped, and looked at each other. Avery nodded. Ainsley approached first; he was the least threatening of the three, with soft features, and a cleanliness from land. They had new, bright clothes, and no over weapons. "My lady!" Ainsley exclaimed. Avery and Arundel fled from the lady's sight, and approached her from behind. Luck couldn't have been more on their side- no one was around.
"Tell me, my lady, would you enjoy a voyage at sea?" Ainsley twittered cheerily. Before their could respond, though, Avery slapped the back of the woman's head with the flat of her sword. Short of a headache, no damage would be done to the lady's head. Ainsley giggled. "I suppose that is a yes! Oh, we'll have to do something to hide that she is so fine a woman, shan't we, Captain?"
Avery nodded, and looked about. She slid her sword back into her scabbard, then loosened the bodice of her dress. She wore a white shirt underneath, but pulled it over her head, and took the woman's jacket. She swatted some of the sand off of it, then slid it on and buttoned it. Avery did the bodice back up again over it and put her hat back on- it had fallen off after she'd taken her shirt off. Ainsley had figured out what Avery had planned, and slipped the white shirt onto Astra. It was crude, but a small change in clothing could make even a lady look like a mongrel. "Arundel, if you'd be kind enough to carry her...?" Avery asked.
The large, dark man nodded. He bent down and picked her up, and the trio- now quartet- wasted no time in returning to the ship. Ainsley parted from them to retrieve Orson, Myra, and Keyon, while Arundel took their prisoner to Avery's cabin, on the captain's instruction. Arundel left to help the crew set sail again, while Avery waited in the cabin for the woman to wake up. It was a small cabin; there was a small, sealed window over a bed. A child couldn't fit through it, even if it weren't for the two metal bars that crossed over the round window. The lady had been set on a bed, lush with pillows and covers, but only just large enough for two people. There were two chests across from the bed, and some maps pinned on the walls, and a lantern on a hook by the door. It was no grand room, but it did well as a jail for a rich daughter. Avery sat on one of the trunks, and waited for the woman to awaken.