Chapter 9 : Safe harbor
Over the following week days blended together and both Dunkin and klair soon began to better there roles aboard the ghostly maiden. Dunkin spent most of his shifts aloft or at the main halyard. He learned to anticipate the orders before they were called by watching the sea and the sails. And he thought he was beginning to understand how one maneuvers the vessels sails properly, and when it is most advantageous to tak back across the wind.
One day when he was aloft he looked out over the horizon. To the south in the far distance he saw a growing cloud of deep grey. A thick fog gathered over the sea as they approached the ominous gloom “storm on the south horizon!” He called down to the deck below. He heard his call repeated until it got to mr. Thorn. “Strike all topsails” the quartermaster ordered and Dunkin and his crew mates
Spring into action heading the order as they echo mr. Thorns order.
Rain started to fall lightly at first but soon grew to a heavy downpour. The sea pitched and roared, Waves splashed across the deck as the Pirates labored away hauling line as the ship rocked violently. While taking in the larboard main takline a stay cleat broke lose under the force of heavy winds. The wind ran with the sail and the main boom shifted rapidly without warning. The cleated line tore loose from their hands and whipped violently across the deck. The heavy boom tossed unfortunate kipper the halfling over the quarterdeck rail with a splash. The cleat gored itself into the neck of a half elf named Henrush. He collapsed to the deck spewing blood from his mouth as he grabbed at the embedded piece of hardware.
There was nothing to be done for poor kipper for the ship could not mount a search in the storm. toggle had the halforcs Brutus and maxis carry henrush bellow decks and spent most of the night trying to save him from his fate. By the morning he had passed and they tossed his body into the sea. The weather remained hostile for three days and three more crew mates were injured. But the ship stayed afloat and the growing sense of dread finally lifted from the minds of the pirates.
On the first Morning of calm seas the crew assembled for a service honoring their lost comrades. The rain drenched the gathered crew as mr. Thorn stepped up to the rail. Next to him dressed in a long black velvet jacket, a rich blue silk scarf tied around his head and shoulders stood the captain. His feathered hat keeping the rain from his Solum face.
“ we are all subject to the sea. Prosperous or destitute, thrive or die at the whim of the cruel unforgiving fates. Today we honor kipper and henrush valued crewmen and friends, returned to the sea. death rest them.”
Fishbones stepped forward and mournfully tossed kippers straw hat into the sea.
Henrush had three silver to his name and his friends Baxter sly and silf split them equally among them.
There was an extra ration of grog that night and there was a impromptu wake in the hold. klair sat among the half elves who fondly remembered Henrush.
“ e’ was a cad an’ a scallawag but he never cheated at twicedice an’ e’ were never short on smoke.” Said sly as he sat in his hammock
“ aye. He were a good fellah I’m sad to see em go. “ said Baxter then he paused and looked into his tankard.
“ I member one time he’ were so tilted that he fell asleep aloft while waiting for orders. He nearly fell right out of the rigging were it not for his foot getting caught in the yardline. He hung there like a snared rabbit. until silf could haul em back up right.”
Silf chuckled “yeah he was heavier than he looked. i used to joke and tease him. called em dead Weight. Seems ironic now, or maybe Just sad.” She said as she reclined on a cannon as the ship softly rocked. Klair didn’t know Henrush well but she saw him every night during her watch. He was responsible for the main deck.
She knew it would be strange to serve her watch with a new face serving alongside her.
Over The following days the rain steadily cleared until the skies were clear. It appeared as if the fateful storm had never even happened. The only sign it left was the injured and the dead. They somehow avoided serious damage to the ship, save the loose mainstay. Many of the crew counted their blessings and thanked their respective gods that they were not dashed to skuppers by the sea.
It wasn’t long before a man aloft called out that they could see the ships anchored at cliffs crest harbor.
Dunkin sat near the bow on a cannon. He looked over the water at the many ships with their sails neatly furled. They bobbed at anchor in the gentle waters. The city lay hidden behind a outcropping of rocky cliffs protected from the harsh ocean weather.
The town was built on the ruins of an old fortress that seemed to Dunkin to have been thousands of years old. A statue of a woman in a draping garb had fallen at some point through the centuries. Now it’s massive marble body formed a large natural bay that protected the harbored ships from potential barrages from the sea.
The ghostly maiden was met by two long boats that flew no flag. The people aboard seemed to be unarmed. And they had with them large floating seal skin bags presumably filled with air and corked up somehow. They rowed up to the maiden and one of them called over to her.
“ cliffs crest harbor patrol, here te fit ye fer a towing.” Said a halfling at the bow of the small vessel. He stood with a tailor fitted shirt tucked into his trousers and a thick leather belt pulled tight around his pot belly.
Strey dog leaned over rail.
“About What time would you have us in?”
He inquired of the harbor-man
“About four hour at best. It could take all night to honest we’ve been vary busy this week we’re about full up on dock space. But ye can send in ya jolly boats into town whenever ye fancy.”
Strey dog nodded and tossed a line to the long boat and the halfling fastened them to the sealskin bowies. After strey dog finished hoisting them aboard he handed them out to be put into place around the ships hull. Meanwhile the halfling and his longboats guided the maiden into place among the other vessels waiting in the harbor.
Source: reddit.com/r/Erotica/comments/rh1ctm/pirates_thieves_and_stowaways_part_9