WHO: Yseult, Darras, Derrica & Flint WHAT: Gathering intel on the blockade failure and the state of Val Chevin's harbor defenses; an unexpected dinner party. WHEN: Early Wintermarch WHERE: Val Chevin, the Waking Sea NOTES: N/A, will add if necessary.
A storm - so typical for the Waking Sea in this season - catches them shortly following their retreat from the Orlesian coast. It's unpleasant, gnashing-wind weather that transforms the graceful sloop into a dunkard plowman - bashing bow first through and then being battered by waves in turns. It should be a relief when the storm finally blows itself out.
But there, revealed by clearing skies, sits a large ship. She is twice their size, has the wind behind her, and is flying a dark blue flag. In almost the same instant she's spotted, the ship alters course toward them.
"What do we do?" Derrica asks, grip tightening on her staff as she looks directly at Flint. Their options right now are not very good at all. Stand and fight, they'd be killed. Flee, and that hulking ship would give chase. Third option?? Perform a minor miracle?
From his place at the rail, Flint takes this moment to follow in the grand tradition of many sea captains both Northern and Southern: he ignores her in favor of calling for a glass. His assessment of the vessel through it is brief, the calculation of seconds rather than minutes.
(Amazing, how quickly a conclusion can be reached when there are so few options to hand.)
"There is an Orlesian flag below. Bring it up and see that it's hoisted upside down. Be quick about it." He lowers the glass, adding before she can get anywhere, "Alert the Scoutmaster as well. Have her and Rivain join me in the cabin, then come see me when you're done."
And then he's shearing off, moving off to speak refer to one of the ship's crew.
At which point Derrica scuttles off to do just that.
Or to delegate to whichever person she finds first to hoist the flag in the specified position before running to get Yseult's attention while not interrupting whatever she and Darras are talking about. That's probably an excruciating ordeal, but we'll skip describing it for sake of brevity.
For the sake of brevity, there is likewise no need to detail any of the long, fictional, and mostly pointless story that Darras had been telling Yseult. The true point of the story had been of course to make Yseult laugh. She has a very nice laugh, which would (if anyone asked Darras) be worth detailing.
Once their party has gathered in the cabin, there isn't a great deal of laughing. Yet.
"A Tevinter ship, heading back the way we've just come, turned around to say hello. And us with no chance of outrunning them. So we're..." Darras looks expectantly at Yseult. "I know what I'm going to say. D'you want to give your idea first, now that we each of us know what we're likely up against?"
Any laughing Yseult was doing was cut off immediately at Derrica's knock, it not being professional to seem capable of such things in front of subordinates. And it's true there's not much to laugh at on deck. (Yet.)
"Brazen it out," she proposes. "It's already too late to run, and we're badly outnumbered. But this is a Tevinter ship, and we have a Tevinter captain. We might get away with it briefly, depending what they want."
"Then we're of a similar mind. We'll make to windward of her as sedately as possible. If she allows us to pass without question, all the better. But I imagine, given how keen she is, she has questions and will comply us to heave to for the answers. In which case—"
He pauses, regarding the three of them in the watery grey light of the cabin. "We are fresh from Val Chevin, newly refit from breaking the blockade. That ship is flying House colors; I doubt ut would be so brazen if they weren't certain it was sailing into friendly water.
"Rivain, you're to be my second here at the quarterdeck. Derrica, I would have you ready in the tops acting as rigging crew and ready to do whatever you see fit should things begin to go wrong."
And to Yseult: "I assume you are comfortable with the operation of a crossbow. Post yourself near the stern ballista in some way which seems incidental."
Yseult's nod is brisk, and she waits only a moment to look between Darras and Derrica for any sign of disagreement before heading for the stern. There, she adopts a show of peering behind them through a glass as if searching for something and definitely not paying any attention to the ballista at her hip.
Following Yseult's lead, Derrica moves off to do as ordered. Her initial instinct to weave a barrier around the three of them is suppressed; if anyone is watching the deck, she'd give herself away immediately. Instead, she grimaces slightly before inclining her head and beginning her climb as the distance between the two ships rapidly closes.
She positions herself carefully, balancing and unhooking her staff while keeping her eyes on Flint and Darras. Maybe this gambit plays out no problem, or maybe she has to set fire to that ship. It's hard to say.
"None of their men on deck have weapons out," Derrica murmurs into the crystal. "None that I can see, anyway."
No disagreement from Darras, either, and he nods his agreement to the plan. He can take orders when he needs to, and this is a moment of need if there was one.
When they're out on the quarterdeck, he watches Yseult as she picks her path off toward the stern, keeps his eyes on her until she's out of sight. Then he turns his attention back to Flint, to wait for next orders.
Derrica's message is easily corroborated from their position as well, as the other ship closes the gap, near enough to make out small details and getting nearer all the while. "Good for us if it's true," Darras says, mostly to Flint. If he can see the lack of arms on their ship, they'll surely see him get out his sending crystal to make a reply. And what innocent little ship from Val Chevin would stock its crew with crystals? "Easy enough to play the lamb and leave the teeth to come out later."
And that ship is still getting closer. Darras scratches at his cheek, thoughtful. "I'm ready to lie," he offers, cheerfully.
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UNEXPECTED GUESTS;
But there, revealed by clearing skies, sits a large ship. She is twice their size, has the wind behind her, and is flying a dark blue flag. In almost the same instant she's spotted, the ship alters course toward them.
jumps the gun casually
no such thing
(Amazing, how quickly a conclusion can be reached when there are so few options to hand.)
"There is an Orlesian flag below. Bring it up and see that it's hoisted upside down. Be quick about it." He lowers the glass, adding before she can get anywhere, "Alert the Scoutmaster as well. Have her and Rivain join me in the cabin, then come see me when you're done."
And then he's shearing off, moving off to speak refer to one of the ship's crew.
no subject
Or to delegate to whichever person she finds first to hoist the flag in the specified position before running to get Yseult's attention while not interrupting whatever she and Darras are talking about. That's probably an excruciating ordeal, but we'll skip describing it for sake of brevity.
no subject
Once their party has gathered in the cabin, there isn't a great deal of laughing. Yet.
"A Tevinter ship, heading back the way we've just come, turned around to say hello. And us with no chance of outrunning them. So we're..." Darras looks expectantly at Yseult. "I know what I'm going to say. D'you want to give your idea first, now that we each of us know what we're likely up against?"
no subject
"Brazen it out," she proposes. "It's already too late to run, and we're badly outnumbered. But this is a Tevinter ship, and we have a Tevinter captain. We might get away with it briefly, depending what they want."
no subject
He pauses, regarding the three of them in the watery grey light of the cabin. "We are fresh from Val Chevin, newly refit from breaking the blockade. That ship is flying House colors; I doubt ut would be so brazen if they weren't certain it was sailing into friendly water.
"Rivain, you're to be my second here at the quarterdeck. Derrica, I would have you ready in the tops acting as rigging crew and ready to do whatever you see fit should things begin to go wrong."
And to Yseult: "I assume you are comfortable with the operation of a crossbow. Post yourself near the stern ballista in some way which seems incidental."
no subject
no subject
She positions herself carefully, balancing and unhooking her staff while keeping her eyes on Flint and Darras. Maybe this gambit plays out no problem, or maybe she has to set fire to that ship. It's hard to say.
"None of their men on deck have weapons out," Derrica murmurs into the crystal. "None that I can see, anyway."
no subject
When they're out on the quarterdeck, he watches Yseult as she picks her path off toward the stern, keeps his eyes on her until she's out of sight. Then he turns his attention back to Flint, to wait for next orders.
Derrica's message is easily corroborated from their position as well, as the other ship closes the gap, near enough to make out small details and getting nearer all the while. "Good for us if it's true," Darras says, mostly to Flint. If he can see the lack of arms on their ship, they'll surely see him get out his sending crystal to make a reply. And what innocent little ship from Val Chevin would stock its crew with crystals? "Easy enough to play the lamb and leave the teeth to come out later."
And that ship is still getting closer. Darras scratches at his cheek, thoughtful. "I'm ready to lie," he offers, cheerfully.