She was eager; excited even. That was good. After their hard fought battles and lack of real rest the last few weeks, they needed some extra energy. If they pulled this off, it would get them something they never had since they started this crew... A means to launch a fleet against Calaverde. Calliope might be the one directly tied to the place, but Markus could smell the blood and smokepowder already, and the spoils that came after. 

"We sail with the morning tide." He told her. "Now get some sleep, that's an order." 

[hr] 

A day out at sea, and Markus could still see vultures in the distance flying overhead. Circling as ominously as fate. He wondered if they learned to follow the trail of the BloodAxe Corsairs, or if they simply smelled death in the air. He couldn't tell. At this moment the Weathered Witch had weighed anchor near one of the mountainous islands, using the vast rock formations as cover as they awaited nightfall. The destruction that the Weathered Witch had caused the fleet days ago had kept them from sparing any ships for patrols, likely as not. It was a gamble Markus took, and it had paid off, it seemed. 

Just as the sun was reaching the horizon line, Markus called for all hands to begin moving. Ropes were thrown and sheared and planks were hauled to the aft deck, Halvar giving a deep bass, hooting Norgardian cry as he and Sketti hauled the barrels and cannon balls, and hoisted the cannons onto the ingeniously designed pulleys Sketti had made not days ago, using Sron and his great strength to aid in that endeavor. 

Markus desperately wanted to be the one to scale the mountainside and reach the top. He could almost see the wind whipping through his hair as he unsheathed his sword and told his men where to place the cannons. But he had to oversee down here, at least until the first cannon was on its way up. Calliope had persuaded him of that, so Jax the Lookout had scaled the walls. He was strong and light, his bare back glistening in the setting sun as he crested the mountain, leaping from one precipice to another, as if he was doing a merry dance.   

Markus took his jacket off and gave both it and his hat to young Jim, who scurried off below decks, glancing at Calliope subtly as he ran. Above them, Jax had made it to the top, placing the rope he had been given around his arm, hooking it through a weighted grapple. Letting some of the rope swing out of his grasp to give better leverage, he spun the grapple in a whirl before sending it soaring onto the deck of the ship. Quickly it was hooked and aligned with the pulley.  

Markus turned to the beautiful Witch and gave her a nod, indicating Calli to use her magic to help the Cannon ascend to the closest cliff edge. Another grapple was tossed, and Markus grabbed it once it hit the ship, placing it on the railing and using it to climb himself up the length of the rope, making his way up the mountain. Calliope would be able to use it once the Cannons were in place at the top. 
[@Penny]