“That wasn’t funny. I thought you were hurt.” she said, scowling at him.
“And I thought you was a pirate. Come now Tadpole, let’s eat.” He used his good arm to direct her back to the table. The three crew chiefs talked amongst themselves while Skree waited patiently for Priestess and Mills to arrive. He watched his crew, gauging their attitudes towards one another and was thankful that they all seemed to get along. It would have been a disaster if they all hated each other. The familiar sound of Priestess’ clawed feet marching down the stairs drew his attention.
“Good morning everyone, sorry for any delay I might have caused. Dealing with two dozen younglings is quite an ordeal.” she said, sliding into an open chair. The speed at which she was mastering their language amazed him.
“You‘re fine. Mills hasn’t arrived yet.” Skree said, glancing at the door. “He better be here soon, or I might have to kill him on his first day.”
“Tardiness is not a thing you should tolerate Captain.” Elaina said, pulling a pocket watch from her jacket and popped it open. “Still has two minutes.”
Moultry sat forward, both elbows on the table. “She‘s right captain. The Boom Crew knows if they're late, they can just stay home.” He pointed a finger in Skree‘s direction. “But it’s your ship. Your rules.”
Skree sighed. The last thing he needed today was for Mills to be late to their first meeting. Jury set another serving tray on the table.
“No worries Captain, Mills will be here. Despite his penchant for absurdity, he is punctual.”
“I do not have a penchant for absurdity, Jury. And sorry I was almost late. I was finishing an important piece of business this morning at the Harbormaster’s office.” He said, throwing himself into a chair, sliding a stack of flapjacks from the serving tray.
Skree sighed in relief. “Great, now that everyone’s here, let’s get to business.”
“But I haven’t had breakfast yet!” Mills said, pouring syrup over his pancakes.
“If you arrive on time Mister Jefferies, you would have plenty of time to eat.” Elaina said, shooting him a look that spoke volumes about her disappointment.
“I was on time.” He complained with a mouth full of sticky cakes.
“No lad, if you’re not early, you‘re late.” Moultry said, pushing his plate away. He looked to the captain, “What‘s on the agenda.”
Skree glanced at each member seated at the table. “First, I wanted to say welcome to the crew once again. You all know I am new at this, so having a crew as skilled and knowledgeable as you is a step in the right direction. So let me be clear, you can always speak openly. I will listen to any suggestions or complaints, but I request that if you have a problem with me, or my orders, that we speak privately. Understood?”
“Aye captain.”
“Second, I intend to leave Theseldora to establish a new settlement. As members of my crew, I would invite all of you to join my endeavour. You will receive preferential treatment regarding housing and taxes if you accept. If you do not wish to become residents of Carver’s Bay, you are more than welcome to remain in Theseldora when we depart in a few weeks or you can continue to work for me, but keep your citizenship here. I am sure we will travel frequently between here and Carver‘s Bay.” He searched their faces as they considered his offer.
Elaina spoke first. “Captain, I spoke with the crew I am bringing along and most of them would consider relocation dependent on the offer.” Skree nodded.
Old Greg smiled at his granddaughter. “Where she goes, I go.” She returned his smile, resting a hand on his leg affectionately.
Mills opened his mouth to speak, but choked on his food. He quickly chugged a glass of water and wheezed, “I’m in.”
Skree focused on Moultry. “Master Guns?”
“I dunno captain. Let‘s just play it by ear. No idea if this new crew will work or how well. But I’m up for a change of scenery. I’ll talk to the Boom Crew about it.”
“That is all I ask, thank you.” He looked to the cook who was leaning against the kitchen door. “What the hell, in for a copper, in for a gold.”
Skree smiled. “Excellent. After reading my ship details, it seems there are still several options I need your input on. From what I could tell, we need to decide on armor plating, outfit the ship with a ram, install a rudder, hang sails and install guns. Have you given it any consideration Mills?”
“I have, Captain. The Sawbones is a Galleon, a right beast of a ship. She already has impressive hull strength but is a lumbering monster. Any additional armor will reduce her speed to a dreadful degree. We should retrofit the ship with streamlined planks, maybe even spring for engravings that will increase her speed.” Mills looked between the crew, all nodding in agreement.
“Agreed. Get me some numbers for high tier options and some cheaper ones.” Skree said, gesturing for him to continue.
“As far as a ram goes, we should reallylean into it. The weight of the ship combined with some speed enhancements should make it a formidable weapon. Perhaps get something made at the Ironworks. Something special.”
Moultry held up a hand. “Pardon me captain, but you didn‘t hire the best gunners in the world just to smash your beautiful ship into a wall I assume.”
“Your suggestion?” Skree asked.
The dwarf tugged at his beard, and Skree forced himself not to smile. Moultry was everything he expected a dwarf to be, and him tugging at his beard was almost too much for him to take.
“We should remove the ram, further increasing the speed of the ship. That should allow a skilled Helmsman to out maneuver all, but the most nimble of ships.”
Mills scoffed. “I know that the Boom Crew could shoot the wings off a diving bird, but the Sawbones will never be fast enough to warrant not having a ram. They built her to be a brawler, not a skirmisher. We get in close, smash ‘em good with the ram and then you let loose with a full broadside. Figure most fights would end right there.”
Elaina held up a finger. “Both are good options Captain, but neither would be perfect.” She met Mills hard stare. “If we have a ram and cut too much from our top speed, we risk being kited around by a faster ships. They could take shots as we struggle for good firing arcs.”
“At least someone here understands naval combat.” Moultry said, a satisfied smile on his face. Elaina turned to him. “But, if we sail without one, we risk losing a powerful weapon, and do not take advantage of the Sawbones weight and hull strength.”
Mills leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. “See Moultry, she’s with me.”
Moultry waved a hand dismissively. “Bah, I been sailing longer than you‘ve been alive. We need speed.”
“We need a ram.” Mills barked back.
“Gentleman, that is enough.” Priestess said with a bark of command. All eyes turned to face her, and she almost withered, but Skree nodded at her and she continued. “Both are excellent options. Both have weaknesses. It is up to the captain to decide.”
Skree felt the weight of their stares. “For now, let‘s move on. I will consider our options and investigate what we can make at the Ironworks. If there is a way to get the best of both worlds that is what I will do. I still need to understand the wheel and rudder situation.”
Mills opened his mouth, but Old Greg interrupted. “Mind if I take this one?”
Mills leaned back in his chair. “By all means.”
“Captain, when it comes to rudders, you get few options. Each wheel provides benefits and drawbacks. Large rudders give us maneuverability but cut the top speed, while a smaller rudder means the ship is slow to turn, but you gain speed. If you want optimal broadsides in close range, you need a large rudder. If you want to sail narrow passages and deal with rapids, a smaller, faster rudder is your best bet.”
Skree crossed his arms, considering the differences. “I suppose it makes sense. Everything that adds weight to the ship slows it down, but going faster isn’t always the best option.” He tapped a finger on his l
ips. “I suppose the sails are a similar story?”
“Somewhat, Captain.” Mills said, sitting forward again. “If we use heavy square sails, we can gain significant top speed, but our mobility suffers. If we rig triangle sails, we won't travel as fast, but can make rapid adjustments in combat. Easier to catch the winds in a hurry.” He gestured at Moultry. “If you want to take full advantage of the cannons, triangle sails are best. If you want to ram a ship with the absolute maximum force, you want square sails.”
“Mills, tell me your ideal load-out.” Skree said.
“Heavy ram, large rudder, square sails. The sails should make up what we lose in top speed from the ram. The large rudder will make sure you hit the target when in close.”
“Moultry?”
“No ram, large rudder, triangle sails. Top speed will be slower than Mills’ suggestion, but a skilled Helmsman like Old Greg should be able to keep us in range and at the correct angles with little effort.”
Skree nodded his thanks. “Your thought’s Elaina?”
She glanced around the table. “Captain, my recommendation would be small rudder, triangle sails and a smaller ram. The sails and rigging would balance out our ability to position the Sawbones for ramming or ranged engagement. The smaller rudder and ram would minimize the loss of speed from the sails.”
“I like Elaina‘s idea.” Old Greg said, pounding the table. “A damn fine setup.”
“You have given me much to consider and I thank each of you for your opinions. I will have an answer for you soon. Now, Master Guns, what are we going to do for cannons?”
The chief gunner leaned back in his chair, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. “Don‘t you worry your prettylittle head about the guns Captain. The Boom Crew travels with our own guns, bought ‘em myself over the years..”
Skree nodded. “Excellent, one less thing to worry about.“He paced back and forth, hoping his next topic wouldn’t cause them to abandon ship. “For our first trip, we have to travel somewhere dangerous.”
Mills narrowed his eyes. “You can't be serious.”
Elaina raised an eyebrow. “Serious about what?” she asked Mills, before looking to the captain.
“I need to see the Great Rift.”
“For what?” Moultry nearly shouted. “There‘s nothing to see. It a great big wall of mercury that blots out the sky, surrounded by perpetual darkness. Mills is right, we got no business going anywhere near it.”
Elaina cleared her throat. “I too, wish to see it. Captain Delavega never sailed toward the Great Rift in all my years aboard the Rose.” She looked at her Grandfather. “I know you have history with the Rift, so I wouldn’t ask you to go.”
Old Greg ran his fingers through his long gray hair. “If my Tadpole wishes to see the Rift, then I will sail us there.”
“As long as you promise not to stick your other arm in it.” Mills said with a chuckle.
The old sailor burst into laughter, waving his missing appendage at the boatswain. “Learned me lesson the first time. Won’t do it again, you can be certain.” Everyone had a good laugh, and the tension drained away.
“I am with the Captain. This Great Rift sounds fascinating and I too want to see it.” Priestess said. She shot Mills a devious look. “You scared of a little wall?”
“Not scared, but that thing is unnerving. Makes my skin crawl. If I never saw it again as long as I lived, I wouldn‘t consider it a tragedy.” He said, folding his arms over his chest. “But I know you will not give this up and you‘re the Captain. I said I would sail with you and I meant it.”
Moultry shrugged. “I hope you know what your doing captain. Between here and there, it’s likely we will run into orc ships. Tough bastards to brawl with, but if you're looking for a fight, you’ll find none better.”
“Does that mean you’re in?” He asked, hoping to delay answering the question of why he needed to see the Rift. This was his crew, but not even he knew why, but his gut said it was the right move.
“Ah hell, let’s go have a look. Maybe we can even capture a smoker while we’re out.” Moultry said, excitement creeping into his voice.
Old Greg’s whistling laughed filled the room. “Yer some crazy bastards. I’m gonna like this ship.”
Chapter 37
Skree stood before the door of the Admiral’s manor. Every time he reached up to knock, he pulled his hand back. He didn‘t know what he would say.
“Come on Skree, you can do this.” he muttered. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to knock. He lowered his hand and waited. And waited. He was about to turn away when the sound of locks sliding froze him in his tracks.
“Ah Master Skree, welcome back. What may I do for you?” Al, the admirals butler asked with a polite and welcoming smile.
“Thank you Al, it is good to see you again. How have you been?”
“Fine, thank you.” he said with a slight nod. “Is there a purpose for your visit today or did you stop by just to exchange pleasantries?”
Skree smiled nervously. “Is Fenna in today? Hawkins told me I might find her here.”
“Ah. Yes. Captain Lis is in her room. Please, come in.” Al waved him inside and lead him to the waiting room with the calming enchantment much to Skree‘s delight. He could use its magical relaxation aura right now. She had been angrier than he had ever seen her when she left, and Hawkins had not made him any more excited about this conversation. Still, he owed it to her to apologize.
The Good Vibrations enchantment slowly eased the knots in his shoulders and the butterflies in his stomach. After nearly ten minutes in the room, he was considering a nice nap.
“You look relaxed.” Fenna said, leaning against the doorway. Her dark locks draped over her shoulders, cascading over her crossed arms.
“This room is incredible.” he said, stretching like he had just woken from a long nights’ sleep. He peeled himself out of the chair and walked closer to her. “Fenna, listen.” He said, stepping away when she took a threatening step toward him.
“No Skree, you listen.” She snapped. “You poached my crew. You should have denied them, or at the very least, spoken with me first. I saved your life, and you saved mine. I figured that made us even.”
“Twice.” Skree said and paled as her expression darkened.
“You think makes this okay?” She asked through clenched teeth.
“No.” He said flatly. “But I never intended to steal your crew. I never asked Mills or Jury to join me.”
“But you knew they would, didn‘t you? You knew you didn‘t have to ask, so you could use that as an excuse.”
Skree wanted to argue, to deny it, but he thought it was a possibility. “Honestly? I hoped they would. And yes, I wanted to keep that excuse. But you’re right. I had a good idea they might join my crew. Mills said as much when he was drunk, but I thought it might have just been the booze talking.”
“Nice. You had half a dozen chances to talk about it. I thought we were friends Skree?” she asked, genuine hurt stabbing a knife of regret into his chest. He liked Fenna. Hell, he might be in love with her and he had stabbed her in the back. Not maliciously, but the result was the same.
“I hope we still are.”
She stepped closer, driving a finger into his chest. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I am a coward. Plain and simple. I wanted them to join my crew, and I am still amazed they did. But I couldn’t march in here, after everything you’d done for me and tell you I was taking your crew, your family, from you.”
She shook her head in disappointment. “Crew members jump ship all the time, but as a friend and a fellow captain, I expected better from you. Pirates don’t have many redeeming traits, but loyalty is at the top of the list. Not only did I lose Mills and Jury, you got Old Greg too. Yesterday was a big loss for me.”
Skree nodded slowly. “I know.”
She marched over to one the chairs and plopped into it, slouching like a kid who was just grounded. She looked u
p at him, and the sadness in her eyes nearly toppled him. “Why do you think they wanted to leave?”
Skree sat in the chair beside her. “I don't think they wanted to leave. Aboard the Typhoon, Jury and Mills always talked about you like you were their hero. They admire you Fenna.”
“Then why?”
“Maybe they wanted to strike out on their own. Maybe they wanted to try something new. They want to move to Carvers Bay, to start fresh. I don’t know why, and I didn‘t ask for fear of talking them out of it.” He turned in his chair and leaned toward her, getting her full attention. “I need them more than you and yes, I know how selfish that sounds, but Priestess and I will be all alone out there and we need people we can trust watching our back.”
She sighed, and Skree could tell she understood his reasoning. He reached into his Nearly Bottomless Bag and withdrew a small brown parcel, wrapped in a colorful ribbon and handed it to her.
“What‘s this?” she asked, holding it delicately.
He grinned. “Open it.”
Fenna undid the ribbon and peeled back the paper, revealing an eclair pastry, decorated with tiny roses.
“You shouldn’t have.” she said, lifting the pastry to her nose and inhaling the sugary scents. “My, my. Jury must feel terrible if he used the goji fruit. He‘s been hoarding those for something special.”
“He does. Spent the whole morning telling me about your adventures together. He wanted deliver these himself, but I begged him to let me come in his stead.”
She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he fought you tooth and nail didn‘t he?”
Skree laughed too. “Nope. He folded immediately and asked me to apologize for him.”
“He always was a timid one. Never could look me in the eyes.”
“It's hard to do sometimes.”
She pursed her lips. “It’s hard to look me in the eyes?”
Skree looked her in the eyes, seeing her resolve, and feeling that spark he felt every time he looked at her. “You‘re an intimidating woman.”
“I hope that’s not your idea of a compliment.”
Raiya- Early Game Page 27
