A Ship Prepared (Open)

[Alistair Theirin]

It was time, two days had now passed since the Gray Wardens had come to the palace of Denerim, requesting aid from the King to assist in the north, where a conflict between the Gray Wardens and the King of Anderfels had grown to the point of civil war. King Alistair had promised his Warden friends that he would accompany them and that he would see the matter solved, even he knew how dangerous it could be to go on such a journey. He had left Anora in charge of ruling Ferelden, until he returned, though he knew she would not miss him, knowing that she hated and disliked him, like so many nobles did.

It was morning and it was cold outside, the wind blew chills down Alistair`s spine as he went toward the docks at the harbor, where the ship that would take him and the Wardens north stood anchored. Followed by two guards, Alistair went passed the thick crowd who was as normal busy working in the morning. The smell of fish and sea was strong, the people laughed, some argued and some discussed business. The seagull`s flew in the air above them, screaming as they flew down to pick up easy accessible fish with their sharp claws. Alistair almost jumped when one of the birds almost flew right into him, but he quickly calmed and continued to walk. The people who noticed the King and who liked him bowed their head for him in respect, while those who were busy or who disliked him simply passed him in haste or looked in another direction.

The ship he now would travel on would belong to Captain Mariana, a Rivaini woman whom Alistair had met not long after he had spoken with the Gray Wardens and whom he had given the ship. It was a caravel, a ship after her own request and the crew that served upon it was all picked by her. As Alistair approached, he could from the top of the docking ramp see the ship in front of him, a great ship who was at the moment being loaded with supplies needed for the long travel north. Alistair was dressed in the golden armor that once had belonged to King Cailan, and he had his sword in the belt and the shield on his back, all prepared while his guards was also dressed in heavy Ferelden armor, his personal guards who would accompany him. Guards who had been requested to join Alistair, by Queen Anora herself.

[Elissa Vuronia]

The scent of adventure lingered heavily within Elissa's very being. It was like a flame, which burned deeply inside the furnace of her heart, with each passing day she would keep this flame burning but sometimes sadness would drown her confidence with a sea of memories. With each day that passed behind her, Elissa would begin to remember the good times with her family, from the training and teasing of her older brother, to the laughing and talking with her mother and father. She missed them dearly, and hoped one day she would return as a better and stronger person. Maybe she could teach her brother a thing or two in battle.

But now here she was travelling the world in order to find the answer to one of life’s greatest questions. What is life itself? And how can I truly live? For it was not power that Elissa seeked, no she simply wanted to know how she should live her life. However for the first time in her young life, Elissa decided to travel overseas to the Anderfels. It was a bold move as the Anderfels was a land that was unknown to her, still she believed in herself and her abilities.

Voices littered the docks, while birds sang happily within the sea breeze. The sea itself was a calm and gentle as a flower which had just began to bloom, a cold wind swept across the docks but took the smell of the sea with it. Just near the entrance to the docks was a white stallion as it slowly marched beside a young woman with long black hair.

Elissa slowly stood before a gorgeous view of the ocean that stood calmly before her. Her long black hair gently sat over her left shoulder, and stopped just above her bustline. She wore her travelling clothes while emerald velvet hooded cloak sat tightly around her shoulders while covering her body entirely as it reached the floor. She felt extremely nervous as her gaze turned towards a beautiful ship which quite stunning to look at. Elissa sighed and gently guided the reigns of her horse Amity down the steps and headed into the direction of this great ship.

As the sea breeze gently washed over her, Elissa used her remaining hand to pull her cloak tightly close to her. As a wave of nervousness began to slowly drown Elissa's confidence, she still pressed onwards. After all she made a deal with a young woman called Mariana, Elissa didn't really like the woman's attitude but every person in life was different. But she made a deal with Mariana that she would allow Elissa on her ship, in return however she would need payment.

She had an agreement with Mariana and Elissa intended to keep it. It remains to be seen if the captain would uphold her end of the bargain, but she hoped that it was money well spent. There was also a little extra in there to pay for Amity being safely taken care of in the ship and to not to be touched by anyone except for Elissa, slowly she breathed in for a few seconds and let it out as she tried to overcome her anxiety. Slowly she continued her path to the beautifully made ship, which was to be her key to getting to the Anderfels and hopefully back to Denerim.

As she walked towards it she noticed several well-armoured guards surrounding a figure who wore what looked like pure gold armour. And it looked like they too were heading for the ship. This sparked her curiousity, who was this figure? Was he too about to board the ship that Elissa was going to be on? Amity twitched his ears and gently nudged his head forewords.

The closer she got the more amazing the ship seemed to be. Turning towards Amity she smiled to ensure his friend that everything was ok, she then marched onwards towards the start of a path that was riddled with danger, intrigue and mystery.

[Mariana]

Mairana stood on the ship's rail, watching her crew's progress with satisfaction. It had been a mad rush to get everything ready - she'd never known a ship to be made ready for such a long journey in just two days - but apparently the king could get things done.

She'd managed to find a good crew, too, considering the amount of time she had to work with. There were a few she wasn't sure about, and her men had to be heavily supplemented by the navy, but in all they were a decent enough bunch. And if she had any problems, there was always Cinza to deal with them...

Damn, who was that kid trying to rig up the lateen foremast? "Oi! You there!" She leaped off the rail and strode over toward him, pinning the boy with a stern look. "Exactly what do you think you're doing, mate? Lateen mizzen and square fore. We're leaving port, not running into a headwind! And why are you working alone? Get some crewmen and get this done up proper!"

The boy looked well cowed as he scurried off for some help. Stupid bloody bastard... Just what did he think he was doing? She didn't remember hiring on anyone without experience... She eyed the boy warily as he disappeared. Not two days ago she'd been on the wrong end of an assassination attempt - she had no intention of losing her ship to another.

A flash of gold on the docks caught her eye and she turned. Alistair. The sudden lightness in her chest was only because his arrival meant they were leaving soon. And if her heart was starting to beat more rapidly, it was only excitement to be off and sailing again.

She walked down the gangplank to meet him, a teasing smile pulling at her lips. She offered a mocking bow to the guards and flicked her eyes over the pretty little noble girl who wanted passage for her horse. Elissa, if she remembered correctly - a bit prudish, and prissy, not to mention more than a little disdainful of anything Mariana did, but her coin was good. And if the little girl did a bit of growing up and stopped trying to see the world in absolutes, she might even be good company.

But Alistair was definitely good company, and right here, and coming with her across the ocean. "Well, you coming aboard or what?"

[Iggy]

Iggy was on a boat!!!

Oh wait, not, not a boat, a ship! That was important, calling it a ship, made it sound grander or something. Iggy didn't have a perfect grip on the terminology just yet, the lot of it seeming rather superfluous. Words were nice and all, but did you really need so many different ones for the same thing? Ships and boats instead of big boats and little boats, fore and aft instead of front and back, port and starboard instead of left and right, Iggy didn’t think sailors were supposed to put on airs, but when it came to lingo they were almost as nutty as nobles. Still, even with all of the odd new words, Iggy liked it here thus far. The floor was always alive, rocking back and forth so each step you made had to be a little dance. Everything was cold and wet, and Iggy was used to cold and dry, coming from the mountains, so at least he was ready for half the equation. The young Tevinter lad, hung upside down, swaying slightly, one foot tangled in the ships rigging, scratching his belly idly and watching the organized chaos of a ship and her crew hard at work. Iggy wasn’t lazy by nature, but all of this was so new, so untested, so he thought it best to watch a bit, and learn.

The watching paid off. Iggy saw another younger fellow get chewed out by the captain for doing something off, something that involved hanging a lantern. The words drifted up to Iggy on the wind, and he watched the other cabin boy seek out correction. There were the important bits, who the boy found (Iggy would rely on that one for aid, he was friendlier than most), where the lantern ought to go (if Iggy pulled that task, he wouldn’t muck it up.) The magister was right... watching for a moment really was useful. That wasn’t often the Sanguinem Caecus way, but it worked. Iggy saw this pattern more and more as the weeks went by, the old ways were fine for home, but they didn’t always work out here, in all of these strange new lands (though granted, screaming bloody murder and wading into your enemies, bringing death with every sword stroke, was a fine solution to more than a few problems.)

The lad unwound his foot and dropped to the deck in a nimble crouch. Watching was all well and good, but sometimes the old way was still best, you had to learn by doing. One of the older crewman loading the ship seemed to be slowing a bit, so Iggy took his place in the rotation, ferrying crates onto the ship with an unusual combination of strength and speed. The crates were heavy, dug into the shoulders and caused the body strain, but Iggy loved it. Beyond a few bar brawls and the occasional boxing match, there had been no cause for fighting recently, and Iggy was starting to fidget. He’d noticed a curious thing amongst the lowlanders, a term pinned to everyone who didn’t live amongst the cliffs, crags, and caves of the High Reaches. They moved slower than he did, grew tired more quickly. Iggy figured it had something to do with breathing. Mountain air was thin, lowland air was thick and heavy, and it worked on the body differently.

Iggy was more than a bit odd for a cabin boy, but then again, most cabin boys didn’t go around with Qunari greatswords strapped to their backs. He’d only been aboard the Bastard’s Kiss for a few weeks, ever since the Magister had tracked the Captain down in a tavern, and bade her take Iggy off his hands for a while. Iggy didn’t mind, he’d told the Magister he’d wanted to see as much of the world as possible, and so the Magister suggested sailing, even though being in the middle of so much water, with no land in sight, no possibility of truly unfettered movement, made Iggy more than a little nervous. Nevertheless, Captain Mariana said a ship was actually freedom, because it could take you many places. Iggy liked the thought of that, and the captain and her abundant bosom were nice, so Iggy figured he try thinking things her way for a while.

Beyond a bit of general apprehension, Iggy meshed with the crew remarkably well. He was a cheerful lad, easy-going, and never took himself too seriously, quick to grin and even quicker try to make someone else grin, as though he actually had some sort of personal interest at stake. Some taught him to dance jigs, some taught him to tie knots, and others told him what all the funny lingo meant. Plenty thought him an intolerably energetic runt, but for the most part, they found him useful enough, and good for a laugh if nothing else. He’d made it clear that he didn’t have a damn clue about sailing, and so set their expectations low enough. If nothing else, his hair was ruffled more often than his head was cuffed, so that meant, at least by Iggy’s standards, things were going okay.

The crew didn’t kick him or shove him, not like they did the other cabin boy from time to time. Something always caught their hand at the last moment, some deep animal impulse, the same instinct that told people it was stupid to kick a bear, or slap a wolf. Even with the boyish smiles and cheery demeanor, something about the odd lad with the hint of an off Tevinter accent, marked him as a predator. He was a small, lean little thing, but those muscles were wiry and hard, the flesh beneath the canvas tunic and trousers bearing odd scars and odder symbols. They’d only seen him in light-hearted scraps and scuffles, but even then, the lad fought men twice his size, without hesitation, and he gave as good as he got. When he walked, the blade on his back never got in his way, never impeded him, no more a bother to him than horns to a kossith. It would’ve been more unsettling, were the boy not such a natural goof. For the most part, the crew remained slightly off balance in Iggy’s presence, and Iggy was perfectly oblivious to it all, never one to scrutinize observation.

The real heavies on board were of course the captain, the quartermaster, and the first mate. Iggy liked the captain, she was nice, pretty, and never seemed to mind Iggy’s questions, of which their were many. The quartermaster, a giant of a kossith, scowled a bit more than he smiled, but seemed an okay sort. Most of the crew seemed a bit nervous around a horned giant with a whip, but Iggy liked him well enough, and had questions a plenty for him too. Besides, kossith got short real quick when you took their legs off at the thigh, and Iggy had no natural fear of a whip.

The train of boxes trickled off, and Iggy found himself out of one job and looking for another. He scampered up to the captain, queen of her ship, overlooking the loading bay and watching those who came aboard her kingdom. Iggy perched atop the railing to her left, nimble hands and feet finding purchase with surprising ease, body sinking into an almost feline position, Iggy cocking his head to side as the party grew larger. The man in the golden armor ate up every last bit of Iggy’s attention, though Iggy suspected drawing attention was half the point behind golden armor, it certainly wasn’t winning any points for subtly, or utility for that matter. Iggy chuckled and chirped at his captain, ”I’ve never seen anybody swim in heavy armor, but they seem like they wanna find out.... Doesn’t anybody like him? I thought Kings got parades and followers and crowds a people followin’ ‘em whenever they did anything important....”

Iggy offered his captain a sharp salute, “Crewman Iggy awaiting further instruction, Cap’n!”

[Tal Vashoth (Cinza)]

“Bring those supplies onboard now you lazy men or we will leave without you!” The Tal Vashoth shouted to the crew in a dark and a deep voice as the sound of his whip sourced through the air, twirling around him with a high sound as it hit the deck. It was his method to command others and his way for others to do their job faster, throughout his entire life living at the sea, he had learned how to deal with pirates and he knew very well that when they often were too lazy to get the job done, they would often be needed to be reminded of their duties. Standing centered upon the deck of Mariana`s ship, the Tal Vashoth`s gaze looked across the men who was working around him, who were about to hoist the sails and who were bringing the needed supplies onboard. Standing 6`9 feet tall with large muscles bigger than a man`s head he looked intimidating, standing there in his bare torso with his worn brown leather trousers. He neither felt cold or warmth there stood as the wind swept across the harbor and the ships that were docked, because he was used to it, and he was a Tal Vashoth, one who showed no feelings, only determination. His look could scare any man and he almost never smiled, looking angry most of the time.

Watching the men working upon the ship and on the harbor, the Tal Vashoth thought things went slow. As he tightened his grip further around the whip, he folded his arms as he placed his right foot upon the ship`s railing, staring down at the men who struggled to get the barrels up the ramp. It was annoying to see such men having trouble with so easy things, he sure could go and aid them, but that was not his job, his job was to maintain the crew and to watch the equipment that came onboard. To secure that everything onboard was there when they left, and to keep the men disciplined.

Looking down at the men, the Tal Vashoth noticed the Captain and the newly recruited young boy passed by and went to greet the King of Ferelden welcome, whom had arrived in his shiny golden armor with two guards. How pathetic the Tal Vashoth thought to himself as his focus turned to look in its direction, he would not need that armor or those guards on the open seas, if he fell overboard he would surely drown faster than anyone could save him, especially if they entered a storm during their journey north, which was most likely to happen. Now if the king where about to step upon the ship, the men would need to hurry up, especially if a royal goodbye would soon begin upon the harbor. Grabbing his whip ready again, the Tal Vashoth made ready to command the men some more.

[blakedawsland]

The very idea of sailing made Blake uneasy, he was never quite fond of ships and the sea, it’s why he kept his feet planted firmly on the ground rather than on a hunk of wood on water… but orders were orders. Blake marched behind one of the Lieutenants this time instead of in the middle; the Captain saw this as a reward, “As if the three pints and a lovely dark skinned woman at the Pearl wasn’t enough.” Blake thought to himself, recapping the events of the night before last. Everyone congratulated him on his swift move to protect the Captain, and now he was getting his reward, marching two people further up the line. At least he’d be one of the first people off the boat but he’d also be one of the first. As they walked further along the docks approaching their designated ship, a small boy ran around a corner being chased by steel armored guards bearing the crest of the guard, the boy was keeping ahead just barely and looked to have a purse in his hands. Finally one of the guards grabbed his foot, and as he pulled him up by his ankle his little face hit the wood of the dock hard. As the much taller man pulled the boy up his face was covered in blood from a broken nose. “Where do you think yer’ goin’ eh?”

“That’s right you little brat, we saw you take this nice little purse here from that old woman down the boulevard,” the other man said, holding up the purse, it wasn’t fancy but it looked heavy. “Tell me then, boy…” the man forced the kid to face him by twisting is hair, “You know the punishment for stealing?”

“I didn’t take the purse from old woman, that’s me mum’s! I swear!” He said, tears welling up in his bright blue eyes.

“Oh, then why were you running away when the woman yelled ‘My Purse? Where is it!’ which makes me think You’re Lying!” the same guard said again, yelling at him this time, and it was enough for the Captain to call a halt, this wasn’t their land, but it wasn’t right to treat a kid like this.

“What seems to be the problem guardsmen?” The Captain asked, flanked on both sides by his Lieutenants.

“None of yer business Warden, but this ‘ere kid stole that there purse.” The one holding up the kid said, it was obvious by the man’s accent and literacy that this was the only job he could get…

The Captain looked between then, and motioned for the guard to let the boy down, he did and the boy didn’t run, he just whipped the blood off his face with his sleeve and breathed heavily though his mouth. So he wouldn’t intimidate the poor lad, the Captain removed his helmet and looked him square in the eye, “Is this true? Did you steal that purse?” he said, sounding censer as he ever could.

Taking a deep breath, the boy said behind some crying, it was obvious this was stressing the poor thing out. “No, I was running that purse back to me mum, she’s a Docta', but she didn’t have any her tools with us cause this woman was starting to fuss cause she’s got a little baby in her belly and it won’t come out. So I ran back home and got me mum’s tools, then I took a short cut past Herald’s fish market, then though a few alleyways where me and ma friends play all the time, and though another market when the these two blokes start chasing me, so I ran fasta’ and fasta’.”

“Oh no, don’t you listen to him,” the second, more literate guard said, “He took this thing while that old woman wasn’t lookin’, and ran off.” Shaking the sack, when it ripped open from a sharp knife used to cut flesh in a very precise manor. Everything fell to the ground, all medical tools. “Oh… uh.”

The Captain stood and shook his head, “I hope you two are proud of yourselves…”

“But we, I mean it’s just that… Ah bugger.”

“Now then, I recommend you lads apologize to the boy and send him on his way.” The Captain said, placing his hands on his hips. Not wishing to defy the Wardens, the Guards did just that and the crowd that had gathered dispersed, and the Wardens marched onward to the ship. It’s crew hard at work and the Royal Guard already forming a perimeter, they would let the Wardens though no problem.

[Alistair Theirin]

(Seeing how slow this thread is moving, I say we finish it by saying that the ship left and is now heading north. For those who are on the ship, feel free to make threads and post in the sub board called: The Bastard Kiss, in the Sea Board.)