41 Vhalar 716
Orm'del Sea
Orm'del Sea
Seabane. That's what the crew had taken to calling Nell, though it was mostly in jest. Few on board would actually insult her and hope to get away with it, but they had come up with it her first few trials. Nell hated sailing, and her seasickness did nothing to change her mind. The few first trials saw the mercenary green and vomiting, clutching at the rails on the side of the ship, trying hard not to fall into the water as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the currents. She had gained her sealegs somewhat since, but she still hated the rocking motion of the ship, and still felt some vertigo randomly.
Seabane. The name brought a small smile to the corners of her lips. Though she hated sailing, guard duty was her specialty. There was a certain emotion that was evoked when someone put his life into her hands, and she couldn't decide if it was pride or if it was smugness. Perhaps a bit of both. And when she took the call from the Merchant's Guild of Rharne, she knew that it was a lucrative job. Eighty-five gold nels to escort a ship from Rharne to Andaris and back. Sixty and some odd trials at sea. She needed the money, so she accepted. And she only regretted it most of the time.
A knock at the door roused her from her slumber, and she was immediately overwhelmed with a wave of nausea. She stifled the reflex to vomit, and instead rolled out of the scratchy hammock she'd been calling her bed. She was topless, mostly because she enjoyed the coolness on her bare skin, but she still wore loose fitting pants. She grabbed her dagger from the crate next to her hammock, and opened the door slowly and cautiously. As the cool night air filtered through the door, her nipples raised and stood erect. She took no notice.
The merchant sailor at the door did, however. His dark brown eyes snapped down to her breasts, but immediately returned to her face when he realized she was holding a dagger. Behind him, a Mer stood dripping droplets of water onto the deck. The Mer gave Nell a curt nod, which she returned. Since she'd joined the voyage, he was the only one Nell identified with. He preferred to be alone, swimming ahead of the vessel to scout the waters. His appearance meant that trouble was looming beyond the fog that swirled on the edge of the world.
"Sorry to wake you, Nell. Pirates spotted, six klicks up. We may be able to pass them by without them spotting us, but it's not a sure thing. We figured you'd want to be alerted." He seemed flustered, but Nell wasn't sure it was her nudity. She didn't consider herself pretty, but she knew that men often lusted after her. But this man, he seemed shaken rather than embarrassed. Crystal blue eyes landed back on the Mer and the look on his face. Without speaking to the sailor, she pushed past him.
"What is he not telling me?" Her voice was solid and emotionless, despite the chill she now felt and the exhaustion setting into her muscles. The Mer looked down at the deck, then back at her. With a shake of his head, he answered her softly.
"Bronze axes on a navy field. The Sunken Sorrow" Nell didn't understand what he meant, but the merchant sailor obviously did. Even in the darkness, Nell could see the color drain from his face. She looked between the two, inquisitive, but no information was forthcoming from the sailor. Instead, he huffed and shuffled off to the find the captain, but the Mer wasn't quite so shaken.
"Pirates on a ship called The Sunken Sorrow. They are not as active as they once were, but I am told they are ferocious. This vessel is not equipped to fight them off from afar. And they are notorious for boarding and slaughtering the crew. With axes." The Mer spoke with a cadence to his voice that suggested that he'd seen their handiwork, and Nell didn't press the issue. Instead, she nodded and returned to her cabin.
It took her a few bits to don her armor and weapons, but she had time. She retied her hair into the war braid, and stared at herself in the grubby mirror. She looked exhausted, and the bags under her eyes did nothing to make it better. She shook it off and joined the crew on the deck, looking out over the water toward where the danger waited. There were no signs of the Sorrow on the horizon. Not yet.
Seabane. The name brought a small smile to the corners of her lips. Though she hated sailing, guard duty was her specialty. There was a certain emotion that was evoked when someone put his life into her hands, and she couldn't decide if it was pride or if it was smugness. Perhaps a bit of both. And when she took the call from the Merchant's Guild of Rharne, she knew that it was a lucrative job. Eighty-five gold nels to escort a ship from Rharne to Andaris and back. Sixty and some odd trials at sea. She needed the money, so she accepted. And she only regretted it most of the time.
A knock at the door roused her from her slumber, and she was immediately overwhelmed with a wave of nausea. She stifled the reflex to vomit, and instead rolled out of the scratchy hammock she'd been calling her bed. She was topless, mostly because she enjoyed the coolness on her bare skin, but she still wore loose fitting pants. She grabbed her dagger from the crate next to her hammock, and opened the door slowly and cautiously. As the cool night air filtered through the door, her nipples raised and stood erect. She took no notice.
The merchant sailor at the door did, however. His dark brown eyes snapped down to her breasts, but immediately returned to her face when he realized she was holding a dagger. Behind him, a Mer stood dripping droplets of water onto the deck. The Mer gave Nell a curt nod, which she returned. Since she'd joined the voyage, he was the only one Nell identified with. He preferred to be alone, swimming ahead of the vessel to scout the waters. His appearance meant that trouble was looming beyond the fog that swirled on the edge of the world.
"Sorry to wake you, Nell. Pirates spotted, six klicks up. We may be able to pass them by without them spotting us, but it's not a sure thing. We figured you'd want to be alerted." He seemed flustered, but Nell wasn't sure it was her nudity. She didn't consider herself pretty, but she knew that men often lusted after her. But this man, he seemed shaken rather than embarrassed. Crystal blue eyes landed back on the Mer and the look on his face. Without speaking to the sailor, she pushed past him.
"What is he not telling me?" Her voice was solid and emotionless, despite the chill she now felt and the exhaustion setting into her muscles. The Mer looked down at the deck, then back at her. With a shake of his head, he answered her softly.
"Bronze axes on a navy field. The Sunken Sorrow" Nell didn't understand what he meant, but the merchant sailor obviously did. Even in the darkness, Nell could see the color drain from his face. She looked between the two, inquisitive, but no information was forthcoming from the sailor. Instead, he huffed and shuffled off to the find the captain, but the Mer wasn't quite so shaken.
"Pirates on a ship called The Sunken Sorrow. They are not as active as they once were, but I am told they are ferocious. This vessel is not equipped to fight them off from afar. And they are notorious for boarding and slaughtering the crew. With axes." The Mer spoke with a cadence to his voice that suggested that he'd seen their handiwork, and Nell didn't press the issue. Instead, she nodded and returned to her cabin.
It took her a few bits to don her armor and weapons, but she had time. She retied her hair into the war braid, and stared at herself in the grubby mirror. She looked exhausted, and the bags under her eyes did nothing to make it better. She shook it off and joined the crew on the deck, looking out over the water toward where the danger waited. There were no signs of the Sorrow on the horizon. Not yet.
