Pieter lowered his pistol, tapping it against his thigh. He straightened up, head moving to take in the girl in all her beauty. He'd been for a brief moment aboard another ship, one that belonged to something completely different than what he knew. It hadn't been an altogether pleasant experience. But for the moment to pass and the sensation fade? It made him feel.... Weird. He was a priest, and most priests didn't live to Pieter's age by being careless. He liked the girl, he just needed to know what she was capable of.

Ambling towards the galley, he walked next to Wheel in silence. He knew the dislike the man had towards Hanabaptiste, and he was curious to know just what the berserker thought of the recent experience. "We're making good time, aren't we?" Pieter nodded, answering, "Aye. This time of year the trade winds can be a little testy, and we would have been lucky for them to start blowing so early. We wouldn't have been stranded, but it would have taken a time." Wheel was silent again, and Pieter wondered what he was thinking. Entering the galley, Pieter straddled the bench, watching as Uban prepared the scrambled eggs. Despite the strangeness of last night and Hana's magic, Pieter felt good. Uban had agreed to be Pieter's apprentice, Rohaan had fully recovered from his injury, and the Captain's decision to bring a mage aboard seemed to be paying off. The crew was thriving. 

The breakfast put Pieter in a good mood, daunting challenges weren't so bad after you had good food in your belly. Tucking in to the eggs, he briefly reflected on the other meals he'd eaten at sea. Biting into the cheese, Pieter decided that he didn't want his appetite ruined. 

After the meal, he went to Hana, who was trying- and failing- to keep the pleasure from her face. The Cap'n had a way of making people feel appreciated, and he doubted she'd had much use for stirring up winds on land. Ah hell, he'd bother her about magic later, let her stay happy for now. Leaving the galley to tend to his duties, he strained his eyes to look up at the sails. Another reminder of his old age- he struggled to make out the details of the rippling cloth. It was like the world had grown hazier. More likely, it was his eyes. [i]There's a reason why there aren't many old dogs like me[/i] he thought. The sea demanded everything, and he worried that he soon wouldn't be able to meet its demands. He still had it, and he'd have it for a while longer.

 Steering the ship towards the shore, Pieter tried to remember what he knew about the port. Not much to remember, truthfully. It was a sleepy fishing town and most of the merchants tended to pass it by. He'd spent a few leaves there, and the only remarkable thing about the place was the peacefulness that held sway. Even when he was young and as rowdy as Wheel, a part of him had known to respect the little port's calm. It wasn't an important place, but it was good and the people valued one another. Pieter wished there were more places like it.


As the sun rose and brought clarity, the haze that Pieter had thought he imagined grew real, until he saw the thick smoke rising from the shore. Uban, up in the ropes, saw it too. The man clambered down and sought him out, puzzlement and concern written clear on his unlined face. 
"Somethings going on in the harbor... there's smoke. A lot."

Berlin walked to stand next to his first mate, holding the spyglass he kept in his cabin away from Rohaan. Peering into it silently, he handed it to Pieter. Looking through it, Pieter saw the peaceful town had been torched, but the roiling columns of smoke that rose into the sky came from the fishing boats. Whoever had done this didn't want to be pursued. 

"We're far too late." Pieter managed, his throat tight as he handed Uban the glass. He hadn't been able to make out the details of the town, but smoke like that was accompanied by major destruction. 

"We can find out what happened. Everyone, to work."

A nervous silence settled over the crew as everyone withdrew, tending to their tasks. 

The [i]Borealis[/i] carefully navigated into the harbor, anchoring away from the still burning fishing boats. Gathering the crew, Berlin announced "We'll take the skiff to land, I don't want to risk the ship and I'd rather keep a low profile. Pieter will stay aboard- if you see anything unusual, load up the cannon and start firing. Everyone else will come."

Pieter lit his pipe and watched silently as Wheel and Uban heaved at the oars to bring the small boat to land. He stood next to the cannon, tapping a nervous beat with his hand. He didn't know what they'd find ashore.