I don't know yet...

It's a story which will hopefully become a book. This is about a Captain named Thrand who works in a well known mercenary group and he is sent on a mission which will change the course of his life.

“Attel! You sure you don’t want to stick around? We’re going to party on the town tonight, and we’d love to have you!”

Attel ducked his head, momentarily hiding his face with the wide brim of his sun hat before giving an uneasy smile to the man leaning over the bulwark. “Thanks, but…I think I’d rather enjoy a good night’s sleep for once. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time regardless.” He shifted the bag he had slung over his shoulder, eager to continue on his way down the dock.

The sailor on the deck shrugged as if to indicate a lack of agreement but acceptance of Attel’s choice. “Alright, it’s your loss, though.”

“I’m sure,” Attel assured him, offering a short wave before turning to leave.

“Hey, Doc!”

He paused midstep. Oh, what now? He kept the frustration off his face and looked back. “Yeah?”

“Take care of yourself. We’ll have a toast for you once we hit the pubs tonight.” The sailor gave Attel a cheeky grin.

He nodded politely and continued on his way. “Thank you, I’m honored to be recognized as an excuse for the crew to intoxicate themselves. Really, I don’t know what to say,” he said to himself, grateful that the ocean winds and tide helped the bustle of the port drown out his reply; it was for his own ears.

`````

He had not been certain about taking the train. This rail had only been built a couple years ago, and trains were a new concept for the world as a whole. Still, he had only heard praises for the machines, and horseback would be too slow. The railway would be an adventure, at any rate, and no one would expect it of him. He would reach the port before they even realized he was gone, and he would hopefully be at sea before anyone could come after him.

Not that they could make him come back even if they caught up with him. He was through with the infuriatingly useless bickering. If jealousy over the inheritance of an antique table was all it took to tear family members apart, then it would be best to clear out quickly before the matter of the estate came up. A disagreement over the will’s semantics could result in a duel, for all anyone knew.

He closed his eyes and refused to open them until they stopped seeing the heated “discussions” that had plagued his home the past few weeks.

`````

Yes! It had not left yet. Hitching her skirt up, the young lady ran her luggage over to the porter and quickly stepped into the passenger car, breathing heavily. Unfortunately, she had to walk eight cars up the line to reach her seat, and once she got there, it had been taken. She cleared her throat, causing the man to snap his eyes open. “Excuse me, sir, but I think you’re in my seat.” She gestured to her ticket.

Quickly glancing about and realizing he was in the wrong place made him pop instantly out of the chair, stepping around her and into the aisle. “Oh, forgive me. I did not realize,” he apologized, offering his hand to guide her to the window seat. “I’m afraid this is my first time on a train, and I confess to being somewhat overwhelmed.”

How could she help but smile? He appeared to be about her age, with sincere green eyes, defined features, fine attire, and even finer manners. She felt a moment of unreasonable embarrassment at her simple blouse, skirt, and black sun hat. Taking his hand, she talked while getting settled. “Oh, it’s alright. I only found my way here because I’ve taken trains before. They are pretty confusing the first time.”

Sitting next to her �" in his correct seat, this time �" he laughed politely and ran a bewildered hand through his wavy, black hair. “Yes, well, I am pleased with myself for not ending up in the luggage car; I am quite adept at making a fool of myself like that,” he joked, checking his pocket watch as the train lurched into motion. He put it away quickly as a thought occurred to him. “Speaking of making a fool of myself, I don’t believe I introduced myself. Erstaso Talivanti, at your service.”

“Roletta Makes,” she replied, wondering how this gentleman managed to pull off a bow while sitting. “So, heading to Glettore port?”

`````

This was stupid. Surely someone needed an extra hand in this whole port? Why was he getting turned down everywhere? Even the ships looking for more help wouldn’t have him. He was a salty seadog sailor, not some kid. What did they think he was, an eight-year-old? He was an almost-ten-year-old, thank you very much, and he had seen a fair bit of sailing.

The boy halfheartedly kicked a broken piece of cobblestone in frustrating despair. Today would make this a whole two weeks in one port. How boring was that? If this went on much longer, he would have to resign himself to being a stowaway; there was no other option.

Too busy wallowing in self-pity, the lad did not notice the still figure standing in his path. The collision knocked him onto his seat, but the stranger had not so much as swayed, which was disappointing. “Hey! You should watch where you’re going!” he scolded the dark figure. Realizing how dark he was, the boy took in the all black clothing of the tall man and the sack bearing a foreign pattern. Dark brown eyes studied him back. “Is you a travelin’ preacher?” the boy asked abruptly.

A kind smile broke the analytical countenance. “No, nothing like that. What made you think I was?”

“Well, they always wear black, and they’re nice,” he answered. Wasn’t it obvious?

The not-preacher blinked with surprise. “You’re right, this is an awful lot of black, isn’t it? But who knows,” he shrugged bemusedly. “Maybe I’m not nice.”

The child gave it some serious thought and made sure to make it apparent with a concentrated, scrunched expression. “Naw, I’ll bet you’re nice,” he decided with a resolute nod. “You didn’t get upset when I ran into you.”

The eyes softened. “And I’d wager against you,” he whispered before quickly kneeling next to the still-seated youth, who wisely refrained from mentioning that he heard anything. “Well, it was partly my fault for standing in such a busy street. I’m lucky you found me before a carriage did. So, to make it up to you,” he held up a copper coin, which quickly became lost in an intricate dance between his hands. It ended with two upheld fists. The boy displayed the same careful consideration from before, and then pointed to the right. The upturned palm procured two silver coins, and the left was shown to be empty.

“Are you a magician?” the lad asked in wonder, clinging tightly to the money in hopes of their magical powers infusing into his fingers.

The man laughed happily, pulled the boy upright, and led him out of the crawling street. “I wish I was. ‘Amar the Magician’ has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

The boy was struck with an idea that only the deviousness and shamelessness of a child’s mind would allow. “But you made these coins appear,” he pointed out in what he hoped was a flattering tone. His falsely innocent look was met by the much more intelligent and more considerate gaze of his elder, who eventually sighed and altered the course of their walk.

“And I suppose, by the end of this conversation, you will have expressed a disbelief in my abilities unless I can make something more complex appear, such as food,” he answered, his tone indicating that these were facts he was quite well aware of.

It took two full seconds to set in. “Blimey!” the boy nearly shrieked, leaping out of the man’s reach. “You can read minds, too?!”

“No, no, not that,” the man laughed, giving such an honest, disarming smile and a pat on the boy’s head that the youth didn’t even realize they were continuing on their walk side-by-side. “I was your age once too, you know. I know how b…young men think. I don’t suppose you know of any good places for a bite, would you? This place is still a bit new to me. So are you, by the way. What was your name again?”

“I’m Tepp.”

“Well Tepp, it’s a pleasure.” The paused to formerly shake hands as grown-ups do before continuing along the street side.

`````

The sailor strode down the plank, refusing to let the first mate see the boiling rage he felt. Like heck he was going to compromise his position on this ship and lie to the captain! Unbeknownst to the first mate, he had already reported the incident directly to the captain and resigned his position. Staying onboard was not going to work out well; not with the whole crew thinking he was a backstabber. It was their fault, trying to cover up an ignored order like that. Oh well. The pay hadn’t been that great anyway.

The large, sun-beaten sailor made the planks under his feet vibrate with each step. He had another job to go find.

He sat down in his seat, the seat was rather a tight fit for him. it seemed to be that both seats were to himself. He put his jacket on top of the other chair. Falden closed his eyes and waited for the train to start moving. After a few moments of relief he felt a few taps on the shoulder, he opened his eyes and looked up to a man whose clothing was of a captain, he seemed to have a different style of clothing than the usual captain due to his use of black, and the odor of seawater gulfed the room.

"I believe this is the seat I’m assigned to sir," the strange man said.

"Oh, sorry," he said taking his coat and putting it behind his chair as the man sat down.

"Where are you heading?" the man asked.

"Oh, I am heading to a lot of places, the first is Glettore," he said.

"Really, so am I," he said, "Oh sorry, I have completely forgotten to introduce myself, I am Thrand Questern, Captain of the T.L.S Sall, he said, standing up, putting his hand out.

"I am Falden Gorge, I would have never guessed you were a captain," he said, sarcastically,  shaking his hand.

"Most people don't notice it at first," he said sitting back down in his chair.

"If you don't mind me questioning, but your peg leg doesn't look like a normal peg," he said looking down at it.

"Oh, that is an old battle wound so I had my own personal peg leg made," he said rubbing it.

"Fascinating, so, aren’t captains suppose to be on ships?" Falden asked humorously as he felt the train starting to move.

"It kinda disappeared," Thrand said crossing his arms, putting his head down, and crossing his arms.

"You mean you lost it?" he asked in consternation.

"No, it lost me, I was thrown overboard into a crevice when we were trying to escape when we abruptly hit a rock," he said.

"Well I hope you find it," he said giving him a pat of the back.

"It was probably destroyed, but mind as well hope," he said.

“This is the place. I get paid to clean in here sometimes, and the food is yummy. There’s lots of drink too, but they won’t let me try any.” Tepp’s abrupt gripe at the end of a string of praises made Amar smile slightly, but his eyes were on the snowstorm of pamphlets tacked to the pub’s wall all around the door.

“It’s a favorite of the sailor’s. You must meet a lot of interesting people and hear many tales of adventure in a place like this.”

Tepp nodded enthusiastically, too thrilled at showing off such a perfect place to wonder how Amar knew that. “Yeah, the lady that runs the place says that a lot of sailors come here when they don’t have work. Come on!” he demanded from the entryway, seeing that his new companion was still studying the pamphlets.

Tearing his eyes from the ads looking for willing seamen, Amar followed the boy into the extensive pub. There were a few individuals, a couple groups, and one man of rank - obviously on a recruiting mission �" talking to three obviously unemployed men in the corner over a pint.

He noted Tepp’s gaze, which had immediately fixated on the officer after seeing the absence of sugar cubes in the glass container on the bar. “Let’s grab a seat, shall we?” he said, pointedly guiding his reluctant, newfound charge to a table out of earshot of the recruiter. Tepp wouldn’t stand a chance with that guy, Amar knew.

Once seated, Amar decided to get to the point. “So, you want to head out to sea? Maybe get a job on a ship as a cabin boy?”

Tepp’s eyes widened with anger. “You’ve been following me?” he snapped, twisting in his chair in preparation to dart away.

Amar wanted to sigh with impatience, but settled for an indifferent shrug. “I just figured that, what with you knowing all about this place where sailors go when they’re out of work, you must be one too,” he explained, faking blindness to the accusation being glared at him.

The hostility immediately bled from the boy’s eyes. “Oh, right. You’re smart.” He relaxed enough to bang his heels against the chair legs. “Yeah, I wanna go back out on the sea, but I’ve been stuck here for two whole weeks now! It’s stupid!” he exclaimed, the heel banging becoming more agitated than bored.

“Well, not many ships need a cabin boy, and then they only need one,” Amar said gently. “You must be a hard worker to keep looking for two whole weeks, and if there’s anything a captain wants in his crew, it’s a hard worker. You’ll find something, I’m sure.”

Manipulating the simple minds of children was as easy as shaping putty for Amar. He watched his words stop the heel-kicking, remove the saddened scowl, and lit the eyes with hope and pride. “You think so?”

“Absolutely. If I were a captain, I’d take you onboard in a flash.”

Tepp abruptly sat ramrod straight. “Say, could you help me? Maybe if you told them how great I am, they would listen to you because you’re old.”

“Oh, well…” Amar rubbed his neck, hoping that the motion coupled with the pause for thought could convey his hesitation. “I’m afraid that may not be possible.”

“Are you busy?” Tepp asked, indicating understanding as much as disappointment.

Amar smiled kindly at the consideration. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Doing what?”

Oh boy. “Well, I’m looking for something.”

“What?”

The man did not let his smile waver. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Well, what if it’s really far away, and you need a boat to get there? You could come with me.” Tepp made it sound like a generous offer.

Okay, the smile felt real this time. “Probably not, but let’s stick together for a bit, at least until I get you home.” Tepp was going to correct him, but the waitress came over just then to see if they wanted food, and Tepp had his priorities right; he’d tell Amar later.

"So, what are you going to port Glettore for?" Thrand asked leaning against his seat.

"I haven't been able to find a job as a Shipwright," Falden said.

"Ah, well I bet you'll find a job there," Thrand said nodding his head.

"I hope so," he said rubbing his head "I've been looking for almost a week and there has been no sign of work. If you don't mind me asking, why are you going to this port to look for your ship?"

"If I am correct, this was the closest island with a port from where I came from, my right hand man and I always have always had a plan in case we were somehow separated, and since this is the closest populated island, I’m assuming he’d be here. " Thrand said crossing his arms.

"No break huh?" he said with a little laugh.

"If my ship was destroyed, then the only break that is gonna take place is gonna be the pirates faces," Thrand said angrily.

"I take you tend to have a hatred for scum," Falden said with a small laugh.

"Not one bit of good in them" he said as he jerked forward as the train slowed down dramatically.

"Mind if I hang with you for a bit, that is until you have to leave," Falden said getting up.

"No one's gonna stop you," Thrand said standing up and beginning to walk to the exit. The two men grabbed their luggage and left the station and into the main place of the port which seemed to be a giant marketplace.

“So, what business do you have in Glettore?” Roletta asked.

Realizing he had waited too long with his response, Erstaso smiled apologetically. “To be honest, I am not entirely sure. Looking to try the world of sailing, I suppose. I have been at sea before, but…I crave a more adventurous experience than a luxury trip,” he confessed, slightly ashamed at his lack of time spent in the world.

Fortunately, his new acquaintance was no more experienced than he. “I’ve only been on two trips, and those were up and down the coast.”

“Do you travel much?” Erstaso asked politely, eager to change topics.

“Well, I have lately,” she said, hesitating over whether or not to explain. Erstaso was ready to interrupt to insist she did not have to, but he saw her bracing for it and held himself back. “I’ve been looking for work, actually.”

“Oh? Of what profession?” he inquired.

“I’m a doctor,” she said, finding the scenery out the window very interesting all of a sudden.

The pause of heavy with weighted thought. “I have observed since a young age that my mother is significantly more tactful and intelligent than my father,” he said carefully. “I dare say you strike me as a greater intellectual than he or any number of my uncles or hunting companions, one of whom, in fact, a doctor.” His words were measured carefully.

Roletta reviewed the implicit meaning. “You are in favor of educating women?” she asked, trying to keep the hope out of her voice.

Again, the answer was contemplated extensively. “I have not met any convincing explanations for why they should not be, but I have neither met any educated women, present company excepted, of course. Forgive me if I seem skeptical,” he added quickly. “But I have been presented only one side of this particular argument for most of my life, and habits are nasty, clinging creatures. Although I have to compliment you for drawing my attention to this matter with but one conversation, going against years’ worth of conditioning in an extremely  man-oriented society.”

His sincerity and delicacy surprised and impressed Roletta. “I dare say that is the most honest opinion I have heard and the kindest reaction to my career.”

“Surely not; I know the cause is getting quite a gathering,” Erstaso protested.

“Yes, but upon discovering a female doctor, they get violently gleeful,” she replied with a smirk. “Their enthusiasm is responsible for what success I’ve had so far, but it is more of a victory cry than considerate support.”

“Personally, I think that any lady who can come as far as you have has proven herself more than capable, and I daresay the rewards would not be as satisfying if they were easy to obtain.” He smiled deviously, prompting a laugh from Roletta.

“In a way, I guess you’re right, now that I think about it. But I think it’s rewarding enough to help people, no matter how hard or easy it was. If I’m taping a sprained finger or setting broken bone, I’m happy either way.”

Erstaso shuddered theatrically. “Well, you have a stronger stomach than I. I could hardly stand seeing a friend of mine getting his dislocated arm set after taking a tumble from his horse.”

“It’s not for all of us,” she assured him, but she had to smile at his falsely traumatized expression.

“Is there good work in Glettore, then? Or perhaps you’re catching a ship?”

“I guess I’ll find out when I get there,” she answered with as much optimism as she could muster.

/////////

"So, wanna go grab a drink?" Falden asked patting him on the shoulder.

"Sure," Thrand said as he picked up his luggage and started walking over to the closet bar. As Thrand opened the door he was urgently greeted by a cloud of smoke.

"Can I help ya?" a waiter asked as they walked by.

"Yeah, how about a bear," Fladen said with no hesitation.

"And a rum," Thrand said. The two men sat down and waited for their drinks to arrive.

"Would you possibly join me on a small trip to, comendeer some vengeance with me?" Thrand asked, staring into Falden’s eyes intently.

"I could, but I would like to know more about the comendeering first,"Falden responded.

"Well,  I know that the rest of the mercenaries are gonna rendezvous at Fallen Islands, but I need a ship and a crew, and I want my share of the gold, but I don't know when my friend is going to arrive, and I hope he knows when they are going to rendezvous there," he said.

"So, you’re a mercenary?" Falden asked, before taking swig of beer.

"Yes I am, in the top of the rankings in fact. I am assuming my man is going to be at the docks, so we could take a stroll and find a cheap ship to take," Thrand said getting up.

"You mean, nothing like a warship?" Falden said getting up and following Thrand out the door.

"I don't have enough money for a warship, but like a small size schooner ship, I could do with, and also I can have you inspect it," Thrand said.

"Sounds good to me," Falden said.

That last stint had not been one of his favorites. Attel was disappointed that so much of his time on the Valctoria had been spent dealing with injuries resulting from mishaps that occurred in fevoured celebrations over a  prosperous haul. The fact that they took on a “not-a-doctor” to be their doctor was indication enough of the quality of their choices. Science as a study was what Attel really enjoyed, but he had picked up on some doctoring skills, which was adequate for the crew of low standards.

At least this time, he would know what he was getting into before the ship left port. He was going to find a small ship to board. This would allow him to analyze the entirety of the crew before making up his mind. It meant a long walk, since the deepest waters of the port were utilized for docking the larger vessels, but Attel was not going to waste money on a carriage. He had been surprised by the substantial provisions from this last job and was not enough of an optimist to consider finding as generous an employer for a long time. Ah, there were some small vessels docked over there. Not all that promising, however. A lot of them seemed to be for sale. Then again, some people looking for ships were looking for crews as well. Maybe he should wander the docks here for a bit.

Dredge had been walking by the same small ships which he had been for quite some time waiting for his captain to show up. As he went to turn around and walk back to the other side of the harbor he bumped into a man whose head was higher than his.

“I’m sorry sir,” Dredge said shaking his head.

Attel pulled back as if he had been burnt. “Sorry,” he mumbled back.

“Say, have you seen a man who is wearing all black, he looks like a captain, peg leg?” Dredge asked staring up at this god.

“No, sorry. Good luck finding him,” Attel answered, making to leave.

“If it’s not to much trouble, would you mind looking over this crowd, you are taller than everyone,” he asked.

“Sure, thanks for pointing that out,” Attel replied. Now I can feel self-conscience about how much attention I draw. Nevertheless, he knew that the best way to get people to leave him alone was to give them what they wanted. He tried to look attentive while lazily scanning the crowd. “I’ll bet that if you, I don’t know, stood on a box or something, you could find him...yourself.”

“Thanks for the help,” Dredge said as he turned around and continued walking.

“I don’t see him,” Attel said quickly before he could leave.

Dredge turned around and gave him a weird face “You don’t say!”

Attel pointedly glanced around once more. “Actually, yeah. He must not be here. Oh well. Maybe try further down the dock. Or who knows? Maybe he’s looking for you and will find you on his own. He’s smart enough to figure it out, I’m sure.”

“He will show up eventually, he won’t be looking for a large ship, we need a small one that is fast, and we need it fast,” he said.

Great, a potential employer. That means I have to at least ask. Attel hid a grimace. “So...you and he are looking for a ship? You must have a small crew.”

“Well, we use to have a big ship, until all of us died, except for me and the captain  , so we have quite a few openings,” Dredge said looking down at the ground raising his eyebrows and giving a half not so happy smile.

“Huh,” was all Attel had to say to that. “I don’t suppose you would be wanting a biologist? I can,” he winced. “Also serve as a doctor in some cases.”

“I would have to ask my Captain, but I’m sure he will say yes,” Dredge said rubbing his head.

Darn it, Attel thought to himself. Outloud, he said, “Great. You’re looking for him now? I can wait around here for him. Dressed in black with a peg-leg, right?”

“Yes, now if you wouldn’t mind using your godly tallness look for him,” he said with a pleasant smile on his face.

Attel responded with an icy glare and a strained barely-smile. “I’d be absolutely thrilled. I’ll be around here if you need me, Mr...?”

“Dredge will do,” he said.

“I’m Attel.”

“Thrilled to meet you,” he said, “You seem familiar.”

“You as well,” Attel answered, part of him wondering why this man seemed so familiar, the other part telling him that he was just confusing this guy with every other human being who annoyed him; that is, he seemed an awful lot like everyone else.

“Do you see him?” he asked pulling out his double barrel pistol and cleaning it a bit.

Sparing a glance away from the sea of people to the pistol in Dredge’s hands, Attel asked, “Is there a penalty if I don’t?”

“Well, you probably won’t get a job real soon,” he said putting his gun away and tried to find a box to stand on.  

“Oh horror of horrors,” Attel whispered.

***

“These ships are too big, we need to find smaller ones,” Thrand said, frustrated.

“I think they are down there,” Falden said, as he pointed farther down the harbor.

“Hey! Wait up, captain!” Tepp ran after them with Amar following close behind. “You said you was looking for a crew?” he asked excitedly.

“Huh,” Thrand said turning around, “uh, yes I was looking for some crew members.”

Before Amar could open his mouth, Tepp had pulled himself up to his full height and humbly informed Thrand that “I’m about the best cabin boy on the seas. I’m a hard worker, and I would make a great powder monkey, sir. Can I come?” The last part was something of a childish plea.

“What about your friend there?” he asked staring at the man.

Again, Tepp beat Amar to a reply. “Yeah, Amar! You should come! They said they’d be fighting pirates and stuff! Maybe they stole what you’re looking for.”

“It’s not nice to eavesdrop,” Amar tried to chastise, but it was a losing battle against someone who didn’t care.

“He has magicky powers,” Tepp told Thrand in a “hushed” whisper. “I bet he could toast all those pirates for you!”

“You seem quite the informer,” he said surprised “I won’t make you join but I will allow to become part of my crew.”

This had Tepp leaping with joy and Amar pausing to consider carefully. “I suppose,” he began. “It might be a good idea to get to know people before inviting them on your ship.”

“They don’t have one yet,” Tepp said, but Amar planted a heavy hand on his shoulder to stay further comment.

“Well I do now, so it’s us four, we will probably need a few more people, but in the meantime lets look for a ship,” Thrand said.

As they continued on their way, Amar sidled up to Thrand. “I want to thank you for taking the two of us on,” he said. “but I’d also like to get an idea of what we are getting into.”

“Well, we are gonna get a ship, the rest of our crew, and head out to an island where the rest of fleet that I work for at an island and go attack a pirate hideout, that is what you are getting into,” Thrand said.

Amar just hummed in acknowledgement. “As a very probable employee, then, what are we looking at for pay?”

“The reason why I am going is to get revenge, and the payment I get will all be split equally among us, but I will take the smaller portion,” he said.

“And your employers pay you well?” Amar prompted.

“Well I just lost my ship, my crew, and I’m going back, so they darn better give me good pay, and on top of that I am one of their top ranking Captains they ever had,” Thrand stammered.  

“Sounds reasonable enough,” Amar answered, following more willingly than he had before. “So what size of vessel are you looking for?”

“Falden says a schooner would do,” Tepp called back helpfully, not realizing how rude it was to display such knowledge of other people’s business.

Amar smiled apologetically at Thrand while answering. “Thank you, Tepp.”

“A small schooner actually,” Falden said sounding irritated from the kid knowing so much.

“I am thinking like a two mast ship with a few cannons on it,” Thrand said trying to look over the crowd at the ships farther down.

“Hm, looks like we’re in the right area, at least. I don’t suppose-”

“Excuse me, Captain, do you know someone by the name of Dredge?” Attel asked, materializing out of the crowd. “He said you were hiring.” Please say no. I need a job, but I don’t want this one. They have a kid with them. Great.

“You don’t happen to be talking about a man his wears a brown captain coat, white t-shirt, Brown pants, and has a lot of pistols?” Thrand said with some cheer.

Attel sighed wearily. “I’m afraid so.”

“Where is he?” he said with a smile on his face that almost went from ear to ear.

“Don’t know; he told me to look for you. He’ll be back, probably. So you are hiring?”

“Yes, you could say I am.” Thrand responded shocked on how three people asked if he was hiring in one day as he thought to himself why doesn’t this happen all the time.

“And would you be looking for a biologist? I can act as a doctor on occasion, though it isn’t my profession.”

“Welcome aboard, well kind of,” he said facetiously.

Well that’s that; stuck with them. “Yes, boatless. Hard to have a crew without one. I take it you haven’t found one yet, then?”

“We’re looking for a schooner!” Tepp exclaimed. “It’s gonna be really fast, because...well, I heard they’re one of the fastest things on the sea!”

Attel studied Tepp for a moment. “It’s true. I was on one, once.”

“Just once? How come? They gotta be lots of fun!”

“Yes, until everyone on board contracts the plague. There’s not much room for all the dying sailors, so it reeks of death.” Finally, that shut the kid’s trap.

“Tepp, this isn’t gonna become a habit is it? And another problem is money, I don’t have enough on my own.” Thrand said staring at the child.

“Oh, finances are an issue?” Attel perked up. “Well, maybe this wouldn’t work out...”

“But we need to find a ship so we can go on our way  and claim our bounty, that’s how I’m gonna pay you guys back.”

It took a moment for Attel to get this information sorted. “Oh,” he said with measured surprise. “I suppose that works. Although, I don’t think you’d have much need for a biologist onboard. Ah,” he glanced about. “You’re going to fight pirates with a schooner?”

“Well not alone, the organization I work for is meeting up on an island not far from here, and if I even show up, I get my share of the loot, which then I will give to you guys, that’s how it’s gonna go down, and by the way, where is Dredge?”

“Not here, apparently.”

“Well let’s go find him and I think this will at least be enough for the time being,” Thrand said trying to look over the crowd.

“Enough people?” Amar asked. “For one ship?”

“Boat,” Attel muttered quietly.

“With Dredge yeah, well we might need another sailor,” Thrand said crossing his arms.

“Another?” Attel wondered to himself. Tepp was enthused once more.

“Yeah! And then we set sail!”

“Excuse me, did you say you were hiring?” Attel ducked away from the voice that came over his shoulder. The young man who had snuck up on them smiled apologetically. “Erstaso Talivanti, at your service. Ah, and this Roletta Makes, a recent acquaintance of mine.” She curtsied awkwardly. “Forgive me for intruding, but I couldn’t help but overhear that you were looking for another hand onboard?”

Tepp stood on his tiptoes to whisper to Amar, “How come grown ups get away with eavesdropping?” but was promptly hushed.

“Yeah, that’s right, I could use a few more.” Thrand said wide eyed as now five people in less than a few minutes asked if he was hiring,if this kept up, he’ll be able to have 3 ships be the evening.

Erstaso faced Thrand. “Then sir, I would like to offer my services.”

“You wouldn’t be needing a doctor, would you?” Roletta added quickly, blushing when she realized how forward she was acting. “That is, I’m a doctor, and a position on a ship-”

“By all means,” Attel spoke up quickly, darting behind her.

“Er, are you their doctor?”

“Yes, but I’m not a doctor. I leave them in your capable hands, good day.” Attel turned to go, feeling relieved.

“Sir, don’t you need the captain’s permission to depart?” Erstaso asked hesitantly, stopping Attel in his tracks.

“Oh.”

“Well to be honest, I haven’t had that much experience with sailing; I’ve mostly worked landside,” Roletta explained. “If you’ve had experience with tending injuries and illness at sea, I’d appreciate having a mentor.”

Oh, heavens, no. “If the captain wants two doctors on the same ship,” he said carefully. “Then that’s his call.”

“I’ll keep both of you, I might need a biologist later, that’s if you’re thinking of staying on board after the mission,” Thrand said patting Attel on the back.

“Captain!” Dredge yelled running towards him.

“Dredge?” Thrand said looking through the crowd. He was almost knocked of his feet as he hugged by Dredge.

“Thank the inventor of booze that you’re alive,” Dredge yelled.

“You can get off me anytime you like,” Thrand said shrinking into himself.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot you don’t like hugs,” Dredge said letting go of his captain, “Did anyone else make it?”

“I was gonna ask you that question,” Thrand said.

“So, what’s the plan?” Dredge asked examining everyone around him.

“We’re getting a ship,” Tepp informed him.

“Thank you Tepp, but you’re mouth is moving, fix it,” Thrand snapped as he slightly hit him on the shoulder.

“I’m Falden, the shipwright, pleased to me you,” he said shaking his hand.

“I’m Dredge, Thrand’s right hand man,” Dredge said reaching for his hand and shaking it “So, who are the new recruits?”

“This is Tepp, my cabin-boy and informer, Attel, my not-so-doctor man and biologist whom you’ve met already, Roletta, my doctor, and Erstaso who is...?”

Smiling politely and bowing a bit in Dredge’s direction, Erstaso said, “An aspiring sailor. Also, if we’re going to be fighting pirates, I do have some experience with a rifle, revolver, and a sword. I’ve picked up a bit on navigating as well, though I haven’t much opportunity to practice.”

“Say Dredge, I don’t mean to be pushy but, how much money do you have?” Thrand asked rubbing his head.

“I have 28 gold coins and seven silver coins,” Dredge said grabbing his money pouch and tossing it to Thrand.

“I have 15 gold coins, so that makes about 44 gold coins,” Thrand said.

“We might have enough to buy a small schooner,” Falden said looking at the ships.

“Alright crew, lets go find ourselves a nice ship,” Thrand said excitedly as he started walking starring at all the ships.  

Sidling up alongside Attel as they went on their way, Roletta tried to strike up a conversation. “So, you’re a biologist?” Attel hummed in acknowledgement. “Did you go to a school? Or maybe it was an apprenticeship?”

“Yeah.”

Roletta waited. “To which one?”

“Apprenticeship.”

“I think that’s the best way to learn,” Roletta enthused. “It’s harder to learn in a group, and the real life application is like a second teacher.”

Grimacing a bit, Attel resigned himself to conversation. If confronted with a chatty individual, he resorted to his last line of defense: make them do the talking. “You had an apprenticeship?”

“Oh yes, from a Dr. Halssen. He was the greatest! I had trouble getting accepted into a school, but he...” Attel zoned out for the rest as they walked.

“Captain, I think I found two ships that you would like,” Fladen said pointing up ahead at a couple of small schooners ahead.

“Lets have a look,” Thrand said walking faster toward the two ships.

As they approached the two ships, there was a rather large man who was a bit shorter than Thrand with a bigger belly.

“Good afternoon,” The large man said cheerfully.

“Good afternoon, are these ships for sale?” Thrand asked crossing his arms and looking at the schooners.

“Yes sir they are,” he said as his eyes grew with a gleam.

“May my Shipwright inspect them?” he asked.

“Of course he can,” he said gesturing his hand toward the two small ships.

“Time for my hay-day,” Falden said running up to one of the ships.

“So how much do the ships cost?” Dredge asked.

“The one on your left costs 55 gold coins, and the one on your right costs 60 gold coins.” he said.

Thrand motioned Dredge to back away with him for a moment.

“Which one do you think is better from the look of it?” Thrand asked.

“The one that’s more expensive I like more but I really can’t tell you.” Dredge said glancing back and forth.

“Don’t know much about ships, do you? The one on this side is built better.”  

“And you are?” Dredge asked turning around to the voice behind them.

The burly, tanned bulk behind them looked to Dredge dispassionately. “Name’s Matthel. That one is older and more worn, but it’s still better than that newer, flimsier schooner. Just sayin’.” He shrugged indifferently. “But do what you want.”

Falden walked back over to Thrand after a while longer of inspecting, “The one on the left is better.”

“You seem to know a bit about ships Matthel, do you have a job?” Thrand asked looking at him in the eyes.

“Not right now.” Matthel didn’t elaborate. Amar saw Tepp opening his mouth, but quickly cupped a hand over it.

“Welcome aboard,” Thrand said shaking his hand, “Amar, how much money do you have on you?”

As Matthel recovered his typically stoic face after the initial surprise of an immediate job, Amar looked concerned. “Why, where do we stand financially right now?”

“We need 10 gold coins and three silver,” Dredge said.

Amar hummed and thought for a bit. “Who is the seller?”

“The big man over there,” Thrand gestured at the man standing on the dock where the two schooners were.”

“I see. How much is he asking for?”

“A total of 55 gold coins for the one on the left,” he said.

“Ah, alright. Excuse me a moment.” Amar turned and walked down the dock to the schooners’ owner. “Pardon me, sir, but that ship at the far end...I heard you were selling?”

“Yessir, the both of them are for sale,” he was assured. “That one is a real dependable craft, for her age, and-”

“Yes, I’m familiar with ships, sir, and she looks to serve my purpose. I’ll give you thirty for her.”

The man laughed that polite but slightly condescending laugh that had sharp eyes above a warm smile. “Well, I daresay she’s worth a fair bit more than that. Her make is-”

“Exemplar, but aged. I understand the positive implications, but it’s not the woodwork itself I’m worried about. If anything goes on an old ship, it’s bound to be the rudder, and I won’t pay a copper more for a questionable ship.” Amar held up a hand to stay the protest. “For all her good qualities, I dare not risk suffering for her bad with such a high price. If you won’t lower yours, I’m afraid I’ll have to look elsewhere. Good day.”

“Hold up a sec!” The man declared. “You’ve clearly done your piece of looking into these matters, and a well-informed customer is worth a discount. I’ll give her to you for forty, and you can use the savings to get a professional to give her a fixing, should she even need it.”

Amar hesitated, still turned as if to leave. “That does still seem a bit steep. I can’t go back to my employers, having spent their money and my efforts on such an old ship. It’s just not done. But it is one of the better offers I’ve found...” He pondered deeply, clearly strung between his two options.

The seller put a friendly arm around his shoulders, whispering as if ears could hear them over the waves. “Ah, I see. Buying for somebody else. That’s a tough spot. I’ll tell you what; suppose we make the deal for thirty-five, but it’s actually thirty-six. See?” He winked.

Thinking it over, Amar slowly nodded. “You know, I think I could arrange that. Thirty-six is a fair enough price. If you want to draw up the paperwork, I’m sure we could close the deal within the hour. Let me confer with my associates...about the thirty-six.” He winked back as he walked down the dock to Thrand. By paying thirty-six but actually signing the deal for thirty-five, the seller would get to hold that excess money for himself without it getting taxed.

Amar explained to Thrand, “He’s willing to sell for thirty-six, if that’s reasonable. I think it would be best if I signed the work for you, having bargained him down. ” He left out the part about the under-the-table deal.

“You are a magician, you know that?” Thrand said handing him the the two pouches.

Amar smiled thinly. “I’ve heard as much.”

Tepp went stampeding by at that moment, and Amar only had a chance to get his reply in first because the boy had to brake to a halt. “You see? I knew it! Even grown ups know you’re magic! What’d you do this time? Did you pull money out of their ears and make it grow in your hands?” He stood on tiptoe to get a better look at the money bags.

Tucking them into his belt, Amar gently pushed Tepp away. “Not really. We’re actually using this money to buy that ship there.”

“That’s the one you said you liked!” Tepp exclaimed to Falden. “And you liked it too!” to Matthel. “Can we go see it?” He tugged at Amar’s hand. “Please?”

“I need to buy it for the captain right now, but you can check it out as long as you don’t fall off,” Amar assured him, pulling his hand free so he could leave.

Deprived of his companion, Tepp turned on the next closest individual. “Mister, you wanna see the ship?” He now tugged at Matthel’s hand.

“Nah.” He also tried escaping Tepp’s grip, but he didn’t have Amar’s finesse. He ended up lifting Tepp into the air, who clung stubbornly.

“Puh-leeeze? Why not?” Matthel kept trying to shake him loose, but once free, Tepp would latch onto his leg or arm. Once he stopped shaking him off, the boy tried climbing him. Matthel ignored him and stood there.

“Pack your bags, load your guns, we are leaving this port,” Thrand said walking slowly toward the ship.

Author's Note

Please be a brutal critic but also keep in mind that is kind of a first draft. I have gone and fixed a few things before but this is definitely not a finished piece of writing.