Parley

[Finn Roberts]

EN ROUTE TO DOMRHASK/LONG WAY AROUND
MIDDAY/CLOUDY




Pickings were slim these days. It was either Cirice making Finn's life miserable or the companies had upped their game in avoiding raids. He had a stinking inkling that it might have something to do with the new hunters that were prowling the waters.
Cirice had gotten her ass kicked by one and it had taken some expert sailing and fire power to subdue her enough to board. It had been hell. The Phantom Queen's crew was lazing around in Cetnisadel Bay - either drinking the horse piss they called liquor or letting off some steam in the brothel. Once again Finn and Derrick were on the veranda in front of the tavern, pulling faces at the whiskey they had ordered.
"Didn't the Harpy say she was going to get better booze last time?" Derrick, his quartermaster, asked as he peered into the tankard.
"She did, but since when does she ever keep her word?" Finn replied, his feet propped up on the table and eyes closed. Just then, an errand boy came running from the docks with a parchment in his hand.
"Watch....here comes news." Derrick said, putting down his tankard.
Finn cracked an eye as the boy came running up the stairs, bringing him the parchment. Taking the piece of paper, Finn shooed the boy away. He threw a quick scan over the parchment before handing it to Derrick.
"Time to go hunting." Finn said, dropping his feet and sitting up straight.
"Indeed. Although, we'll have to work quickly. Or we'll miss that prize. I'll assemble the men, then." Derrick said, getting up.
An hour later, they were ready to set sail. Hopefully this prize would yield some good shares. Higher up against the coast, it had started to get cloudy and windy. Finn had taken his turn at the helm while Derrick was at the rail next to him, his peg leg riding the bucking Queen with practiced skill.
"Furl mizzens! I don't want this bitch to lose her mast when this wind decides to pick up!" Finn ordered. His me were clambering to execute his order when the call came from the Nest.
"Sails! Larboard!" Logan, the lookout, called.
Finn's head snapped upwards "Colours?" he called.
"Merchant, Cap'n! From Fahron's fleet!" Logan replied.
"Hands to stations! I want that bitch caught yesterday!" Finn ordered and all the men scrambled to get to their respective posts.
Derrick moved to take over the wheel from Finn so that his Captain had his hands free to direct the men.
We'll be on her within the hour." Derrick told his best friend.
"Good. We need this haul." Finn replied as thunder rumbled in the distance.

@Selene Fahron

[Selene Fahron]

This was by no means ideal. When did it become alright to ship your only child off with some stranger on a trip that not only lasted overnight, but went out over the seas as well? Honestly, was it is that problematic that Selene had yet to find herself married? It wasn't as if she was suffering any; there was no hole in her life, no ache that she could not quell. Her life was quite on track, full, and busy to boot. Having a full time job tended to do that, after all.

And it's not as if she didn't have a social life! Sel had friends, people to spend time with when not working in the evenings. This was all just pure lunacy. Yet she had not been given a choice. She had been tasked to travel with this stranger (to her at least, her parents seemed quite familiar with him) on a supply run for the shop. New fabrics, threads, attire, and trinkets of fine caliber. All worth a hefty price and would sell well once they were fetched and returned home.

A fact which made Selene sigh for what felt like the hundredth time as she gazed out over the waters. There was a storm coming, she had felt it in her bones before she had watched the clouds gather and darken. Occasionally she would catch the stranger - Patrik - staring at her, and it took everything she had not to grimace in reaction. The man was polite enough, well groomed for a business man who spent a fair amount of time on the sea, and there was a rugged quality about him too that Selene was sure most found appealing. But the very fact that this was a set up made her turn her nose up at him figuratively.

"Sails approaching!" that drew Selene from her reverie and she straightened as everyone around her looked up towards the crow's nest.

"Colors?" the call came from Patrik, but the brewing storm was gaining momentum, and the reply was lost to the noise. This caused explicits to slide through Pat's teeth like the sailor he was, and he didn't even apologize about them to Selene - a fact which actually impressed her. But all at once the crew was moving. No longer were they leisurely taking this trip; now it was hustle, an urgency to catch the wind and increase their movement.

Selene made her way across the deck, headed to the stern in an attempt to catch sight of what this fuss was about. Their ship was quick, and if they managed to get the sails turned to the wind they would damn near be uncatchable. But there was a sinking sensation in the redhead's gut that told her their advantage just wasn't going to be enough to get them out of this.

[Finn Roberts]

"She spotted us, Cap'n!" Logan hollered from the Nest.
Finn frowned before turning to the main deck.
"Frank! What's our speed?" he called to his second mate.
Frank was hanging over the starboard rail while the bosun, Quinn was measuring the knots from the side with the common log.
"Currently at two knots, Cap'n! Inching three!" Frank called back.
Finn chewed the inside of his lip while glancing at the wind flags.
"You want to unfurl the mizzens again?" Derrick asked, his hands still on the wheel.
"It's risky. The wind is picking up. It will definitely put a strain on the masts." Finn said.
"If we gain speed now, we'll be on them before the storm hits. The mizzens will give us another knot and a half in this wind." his best friend said.
Finn nodded. The wind was not strong enough yet to hurt the masts. They could, in theory, gain on the merchant ship in time.

Fuck it.

"Unfurl mizzens! We need speed, ladies! Get to it! And raise the Black!" he ordered. The men groaned. They had just gotten down from furling the canvas. They clambered up the rigging once more with much grumbling.
Derrick laughed. "You're going to have to owe them extra for that." he joked.
"Aye. But only if we catch that bitch." Finn said. The Phantom Queen had picked up speed and was ploughing through the water at an alarming rate. Before long, the merchant ship was in range.
Derrick handed over to Finn and hobbled over to the bow with his peg leg, pulling out his spyglass as he went.
Finn righted their course so that they would eventually end up alongside the merchant ship.
As they approached, Finn kept his eyes trained on his Quartermaster, as Derrick was directing his movements to get to the perfect position for fire.
"Hands to stations! Be ready to fire!" Finn ordered. The gun crews scrambled to their places at the gun ports and started readying the perfectly measured alchemical bombs for easy loading. "Keep the hull intact. Incapacitate only. I want the goods undamaged." he told them as the Queen passed the stern.

The Queen finally entered a position so that she could give the merchant ship a full broadside. There was a lull in movement and storm as everyone waited with baited breath for the order.
"Fire!"
The 15 cannons boomed out the bombs in unison. The shells raked across the merchant main deck, splintering rail and masts alike and taking out a few of their crew to boot.
Derrick hobbled back to the helm while the barrage continued and came to a stop next to Finn.
With the merchant ship finally incapacitated, they had their chance.
"Grapples away!" Finn called.
The prongs flew through the air and grabbed hold of their target, pulling the Queen closer to it. Finn walked down to the port side rail as the boarding plank was readied.

When the hulls kissed, Finn drew his swords and made a run for the rail, launching himself over to the enemy ship and embedding his swords into the chest of the first victim, all before the boarding plank touched down. Pulling his swords, he blocked the next hit with one before gutting the fool with the other. Getting up, he looked for the main man as his men filed over, swarming the merchant crew with vehemence.
His blue eyes finally located the man at the helm. He calmly made his way over, blocking another hit and slicing the idiot's throat here and gutting another there as he went.

When he crested the stairs, he caught the fire-red hair of a woman. Surprise made him freeze momentarily as his eyes locked with hers. He did not have long, however, as the captain's sword came swinging at him.

@Selene Fahron

[Selene Fahron]

The speed of the merchant ship was based on two factors; the ship itself was no bigger than a Brig, and the cannons were three in number on each side - topside to boot. It was big enough to carry cargo and crew of course, but when it came to having to fend off other ships? Not it's forte at all. So while at first the entirety of the crew had figured they would lose their tail due to speed alone, that did not remain the case.

Dread colored the crew as their advantage slipped away, and there was more than one cry of "It's the Phantom Queen!" railed out among the crew who were now scrambling along the ship as if there were any means of escape.

There was not.

Selene had watched the entire approach of the other ship - pirates. Of all the scenarios she had pictured, everything that she would have thought could go right or wrong on this journey that she had been sent on...Pirates had not been a part of that list.

"Selene!" Patrik's voice bellowed loudly for her, and not a moment later she had been grabbed and her body shielded by his. The ship rocked violently, the deafening sounds of the canonfire and exploding hull caused the redheaded woman to scream and attempt to shield her ears, but even that wasn't enough to keep them from ringing shrilly afterwards.

There was shouting from around her, but Selene couldn't place where it was coming from in that moment. Too much movement, too much going on around her, and she hadn't even noticed that she was being guided behind Patrik until it was already being done. It didn't take her long to figure out why; her ears may have been ringing, but her eyes were just fine, and they locked squarely with an approaching pirate who was clearly on a mission. Instinctively her fingers curled into the fabric at the back of Pat's tunic, and the man was at least smart enough to keep an arm out, keeping her barred from this pirate.

"You've wasted your time," Pat's tone was firm, and while he had one arm out to keep Selene as protected as he could, his other hand was brandishing his blade now. "We haven't even reached port to load any bountiful cargo." Granted, there were of course things with trade value aboard, but the materials they were after that would fetch a pretty price? Well, seems that the Queen's crew jumped the gun.

-----------

@Finn Roberts

[Finn Roberts]

Finn deftly blocked the sword, but the captain didn't move. He stood in front of the red-haired woman, spewing disdain at Finn. A smirk spread on Finn's lips, his blue eyes flashing with malice.
"You fool. You just told me that your only leverage you had, is not in your hold. So I don't see a reason to keep you alive." Finn laughed. This man had moxy, he had to hand it to him. Most merchant captains usually surrender at the sight of his iconic figurehead alone, not to mention the Black. Few of them stand and fight. Clearly this man was trying to prove something for the woman behind him. Bravado will only get this man killed faster. Few stood a chance against his two blades.

The man's blade came swinging at his head once more. The fool. Finn crossed his blades in a block. lodging the idiot's sword in place. With a strong movement, he pulled back, ripping the sword from the man's grasp. He immediately followed up with his left, driving his sword straight through the brave man's throat.
"I told you you were a fool." Finn said before pulling his sword and stepping sideways to avoid most of the blood spewing out of the gash as the man fell forward.
Finn calmly sheathed his swords. With the fall of this man, his crew promptly surrendered. Finn's men looked almost disappointed at the quick battle.
He then turned to the woman still standing against the stern rail, his hand holding his chin between his forefinger and thumb as he weighed up the action he was to take.
Frank!" Finn called, still looking at the woman.
"Cap'n?" Frank called, running up the steps to hear his Captain better.
"Sweep the ship. Load up everything that's not bolted down. We can get a nice price for the furniture in Verdant." Finn told him.
"Aye, Cap'n. And what of those that surrendered?" Frank asked.
"See who has exceptional skills, like night sailing - Molly needs another good hand at night. And Mosh needs another hand in the kitchen. Leave those that don't make the cut here. Just leave them some food and water. The ship can be repaired and they can limp on home." Finn answered after some thought.
"Aye, Cap'n." Frank said before taking off again.

Thunder rumbled loudly overhead. Rain wasn't far from breaking out. He wanted to be underway before then. He turned back to the woman. She was pretty, her fiery hair whipping in the rising wind.
"Now what am I supposed to do with you, hm?" he said. Yes, he was a pirate and he had shed his fair share of blood on this sea. He was, after all, the most feared corsair on the Res'Lora Azure. But killing women, or worse, was not part of his immoral mathematics. Not that he had had to deal with a lot of women on ships. The only one he had dealt with recently was almost as feared as he was. Captain Cirice Vaisha was no lady, that much was certain.
He sighed. "Let's go. And don't try anything foolish." he told her, motioning with his head for her to start walking.

@Selene Fahron

[Selene Fahron]

The biggest part of Patrik's downfall wasn't so much his opponent, but moreso due to the fact that his head was not in the correct place. He wanted to keep Selene safe, protected, and he did not by any means desire to put distance between himself and her so that these pirates could get near her. So the potential of his sword skills were greatly lessened - still insanely outmatched, but perhaps he would have lasted longer had he been more engaged.

As it were, his body dropped when he was run through, and it left Selene behind, unguarded and with wide eyes focused on the corpse in front of her. Some part of her was aware that this murderer still on his feet was speaking, but admittedly Sel was not focused on his words or the mercy being shown to those remaining aboard the ship. She had never honestly seen a dead body, much less been this close to one that had been run through.

It wasn't until there was movement that her gaze shot up, and had she been able to take a step backwards she would have done so. Unfortunately, the rail was already digging into the small of her back and keeping her firmly planted in place. However, the moment a step was taken towards her? Selene's gaze hardened and one of her hands came out from behind herself, clutching a pistol that clearly had belonged to the now dead man between herself and this pirate.

"Clearly our opinions of foolish greatly differ." despite the situation at hand, there was no waver in her tone nor quiver in her lower lip. Her arm was steady, and her free hand still clutched the rail behind her, braced for recoil if she had to squeeze the trigger. "You're releasing the crew," ah, she had heard him after all. "I'm just as fit to limp home on this ship as they are." Seems the fire this woman had wasn't just in the color of her hair.

[Finn Roberts]

Finn calmly looked at her and her defiance, a smirk spreading on his mouth.
"I wasn't asking, Sweetheart. Either you come with me, or I let my men bring you. I assure you, they won't be as cordial as I am." he said in his gravelly voice. He was not in the mood for playing games with a woman. The wind started pulling hard against the topsails. The men were offloading like mad. It was time to go.
He motioned with his head with a bit more aggression. "Let's go. Now." he insisted, his blue eyes flashing. He'd be damned if a woman wasted his time.
"Oi! Get your arses onboard!" Derrick hollered from the Queen over the rising wind.
Finn frowned. "Right. That's it." he said to himself. He turned and walked towards the red-head, bent to grab her around her legs and threw her over his shoulder like a bag of flour. He then took off downstairs, ignoring any tantrum she might be throwing over his shoulder.
"Let's go, lads!" he ordered as he got onto the boarding plank and walked across as if he held no weight on top of his own.
"What the hell did you get us into now?!" Derrick called from the helm.
"Fool's errand according to this one. Get us underway once the men are onboard" Finn answered him before walking into his cabin.

Once inside, he dumped her on the floor before moving to his desk.
"There's whiskey in that cabinet. Help yourself." he said as he sat down before picking up his quill and pulling his log closer.
"Now, who the hell are you and what were you doing on that ship? Sea's no place for a woman." he asked as he updated the log, not looking at her.
There was a knock on the door.
"What?!" Finn called.
Frank opened the door. "Cap'n, the list of goods we salvaged." he said, coming in and holding out the piece of parchment.
"You leave some consumables behind? Finn asked, taking the parchment.
"Aye. It should last them to Verdant if they fix that lady quickly and turn her arse around." Frank answered.
"Good man. Go tell Mosh we have a guest. I want one of the chickens properly made for dinner." Finn told him, picking up his quill once more.
Frank neither moved nor made any confirmation. He was looking between Finn and the woman.
Finn lifted his eyes without lifting his head. "Yes?" he asked in a tone that did not allow for nonsense.
Frank looked uncomfortable, fidgeting with the hem of his vest. "Cap'n....the men are asking questions." he finally said, looking at the woman.
Finn threw down his quill and folded his fingers beneath his chin as he leaned back while regarding Frank. "Spit it out, Frank." he said, dangerously calm.
"It's just.....Cap'n....I don't think it's wise to let her stay in the guest cabin." Frank said bashfully.
"You think me stupid, Frank?" Fin asked him.
"N-no, Cap'n. I'm just sayin'." Frank said, still fidgeting.
"Then shut your piehole and get the fuck out." Finn told him, dropping his hands and leaning forward, eyes flashing.
Frank almost bowed before ducking out of the cabin.
Finn looked back at the woman. "Have a seat. Tell me who the hell I need to protect from those animals out there?" he asked, more calmly, while motioning to one of the armchairs on the other side of the desk.

@Selene Fahron

[Selene Fahron]

"Cordial?" the word escaped past Selene's lips in a scoff, and she made a gesture towards Patrik's body, though didn't take her eyes off of the pirate. "Is that what you call cordial?" To be fair, Sel herself was still in one piece, and no one had yet to come near her save for this man stood across from her. But at the moment her mind wasn't dealing in logics and fairness. Her mind was flooded panicked and unsavory thoughts, and her heart was beating so quick and hard she could hear it in her ears. She may have managed to keep a cool mask on the outside, but inside? She was a complete mess. "I'm not going anywhere," she continued to argue. "You have no need of me, you have what you want, now leave us be."

There was a bolt of lightning in the not too far distance that caught Sel's attention and made her gasp. A stupid move, considering when she refocused on the pirate, it was just in time to see him bend so that he could grab hold of her and hoist her up over his shoulder. "Wha- Put. Me. Down!" she bellowed, and she by no means planned to make it easy to carry her - though her attempts seemed to do her no good. She was a squirely thing, but his grip prevailed and all she could do was writhe, struggle, and fuss - loudly.

And when she was dropped unceremoniously onto her backside, the cool mask she had worn so easily aboard her own ship had vanished, and it was replaced by quite the scowl and a mix of both angry and mortified tears on her face. To add insult to injury, she were treated as if this was completely normal. That she hadn't just been taken hostage by a pirate for whatever heinous reason. Though the fact that he had offered her a drink made her look to where he suggested, look back to him, then scramble to her feet so that she could go to where it was indicated. A glass was pulled, but not the alcohol, and once it was just her and this one pirate again she lobbed the glass at him.

There was no dainty toss either, there was force behind the throw for sure, and a second glass followed suit. Luckily for him - or perhaps for her - she didn't have particularly good aim, so there was no hitting him in the head or face like she had clearly wished to do. And when she reached for a third glass? Nothing, and the fact earned a noise that was somewhere between frustrated and panicked before she moved away in an attempt to find something else to throw at him. A tankard, a couple of books, a pillow of some kind and then another that she took up as a weapon.

What good a pillow would do her, hell even Sel didn't even really know. But in that moment she wasn't thinking clearly any longer, what-so-ever. She had just watched the man she was supposed to be set up with be murdered, she had been kidnapped, and she was now dealing with pirates instead of going home. By no means was she even remotely close to logical thinking - far, far from it, in fact.

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@Finn Roberts

[Finn Roberts]

In answer, a crystal whiskey glass came soaring through the air at him. Sighing, he held out his hand, catching it.
"Are you -" His sentence was cut short as another glass came soaring at him. Catching it in his other hand, he put them both down.
"You done? Got it off your chest?" he asked her. He did not appreciate his crystal glasses being lobbed around. In answer, a few more things were thrown around. He sighed and got up to walk towards her, picking up the stuff she had been throwing around.
When her last barrier between him and her was a pillow, Finn stopped, eyebrows raised.
"Lady, really?" he asked her, although it was clear that her canary has flown.
He rolled his eyes, grabbed hold of the pillow and yanked it out of her hands. With the other hand, he gripped both her wrists and moved her back to pin her to the wall, her hands above her head.
"That's enough. Either you pull it together, or I throw you in the brig and let the animals guard you." he told her, his face inches from hers, his blue eyes locking with her brown ones. Not that he would really do that, but she didn't have to know that.

Just then, another knock came from the door. Finn sighed and closed his eyes for a second.
"What?!" he called before he opened his eyes again. He did not let go of her hands, however.
Derrick walked into the room.
"The fuck are you doing?" he asked, almost shocked.
"Saving my furniture. The fuck do you want? Shouldn't you be at the wheel?" Finn asked him, only glancing at Derrick over his shoulder.
"Frank's got it. Now, when you done, we need to talk about this." Derrick said, dropping into a chair.
Finn looked back at the red-head. "You settle down, or I'll let Derrick deal with you." he told her.
"Woah! Don't punish me like this! I haven't done nothing." Derrick cried over from the chair.
Finn held up his free hand in surrender before releasing her hands. He then stepped back and walked over to his desk.
"What?" he asked Derrick.
"You're being daft again. You know who this is?" Derrick asked, throwing his thumb over his shoulder at the woman.
"Should I?" Finn asked him.
"She's Fahron's daughter." Derrick stated.
"Get out." Finn said in disbelief.
"Think, Finnigan! We hit a Fahron ship. You think he's employing women now?" Derrick told him.
Finn looked over at the woman. "I ask again....who are you?" he asked her.

@Selene Fahron

[Selene Fahron]

Did he just-- He did! The glasses she had lobbed, and this infuriating pirate caught them! Both of them! Which only served to irritate Selene even more than she already had been. Honestly, this man has the nerve to pillage her ship, kill the man who was to be courting her, kidnap her, and then be able to stop her from causing damage too? This was most certainly just not her day.

But that didn't keep her from trying to keep distance between them, especially once he had gotten up and started not only picking up the things she had thrown at him, but moved towards her as well. Once he was close enough, the pillow in her grasp had been swung, more than one time. Contact was only briefly satisfying, considering it was a pillow, and her assault was just as short lived. The pillow being wrenched from her grasp earned a protesting and indignant sound from Sel, however that was short lived too.

The grabbing of her wrists had immediately earned struggling from Selene, "Let go of me, pirate!" she demanded, though his grip was certainly much stronger than her twisting and pulling, though the moment she felt her back meet the wall, the redhead hitched a gasp and her struggles ceased. Her eyes widened and a color that rivaled that of her hair colored her skin from the bridge of her nose all the way down to her chest. The compromising position was not fought against, though she did attempt to sink back into the wall, hoping that perhaps it would open up and swallow her to help her escape from this predicament she had just gotten herself into.

There were no words, nothing she could get herself to say in response to his threat. Perhaps the brig would be safer, considering...No, that wasn't at all true. If it was at all possible for hue of scarlet on her skin to darken, it would have done exactly that when she and this pirate were no longer alone. The fact that someone else had come into the cabin to see them like this? She was going to combust...And yet...when she heard the response about this Derrick having to deal with her? Sel scoffed and nearly scowled despite the color on her face.

And she kept the expression, even when her wrists were released and she was stepped away from. Personally she opted to remain against the wall, rubbing her wrists now despite the fact that the man hadn't hurt her. The conversation however tipped back to her, and when she was addressed again, her frown deepened. "I'm Selene," she answered. "Only daughter to Marius and Gabrielle Fahron." And she was daddy's little girl by every means of the expression. Despite her family's displeasure for her not being married, Selene was Marius' pride and joy, and she had him wound about her fingers from day one.

Which meant this could go very badly for the pirates if not handled properly.

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@Finn Roberts