[i]10 days later...[/i]  

"Or we'll make ye dance the hempin jig! Now get out of here afore we get the cat o' nine tales!" One of their new recruits, Harkspin, warned the representative. The flummoxed gentlemen climbed down jacob's ladder, and Markus was impressed the landlubber even made it back onto the longboat from the shaky rope ladder. The two sailors of Brangdenbar sat at the rowboat, beginning to row their oars before the delegate had fully gotten to his seat. Markus smirked at the fleeing men, chin atop his crossed arms, resting on the balustrade of the [i]Weather Witch[/i]. Calliope stood beside him, both looking darkly composed, and yet as devilishly fierce as the rumors of them had began to say. 

They sat perched at the mouth of Brangdenbar's Bay, all twelve of their eight pounders, along with four of their ballistae aimed toward the city and its docked ships. Too far off to hit anything, but close enough to cripple any ship that tried to move out of the docks before it could fully turn to engage them. The smoke not four hundred paces to the southwest was evidence of that. A foolhardy captain and his crew had attempted to sally forth and deal with the 'pirate scum' and was met with cannon fire and flaming bolts. Calliope had utterly engulfed the fledgling novice the boat had as its 'wizard' in no time. Markus had not even thought to call for swords, crossbows, or pistols. They had barely set sail before their doom had been thrust upon them. 

The crew of the [i]Weather Witch[/i] would do whatever it took to get their crew members back. The Captain admitted he felt personally responsible for their abduction. Jim, Sketti,, Halvar, and Jax had been taken after the four had bore witness to a particularly drunken night at shore whilst Markus and Calliope had delved into the Aradian ruins of the desert. As soon as the swordmage and the dark sorceress had returned to the ship with their booty, they had been informed of the arrest, and had followed the caravel [i]Quicksilver[/i] day and night past the city of Basilos, through the sea gates and into the central sea. Now they lay in a cove forty miles south of Gallowsgate, a large city famed for its 'pirate killers,' where hanging buccaneers was a pastime. Though Markus knew the ignominious city actually [i]loved[/i] pirates, as long as the freebooters gave a cut to the state and the nobles that called it home. Brangdenbar was a more conventional settlement, with a governor and a small communal navy. Large enough to pose a problem on the open sea but small enough to keep quarantined in the bay as long as the [i]Weather Witch[/i] kept the strong point. 

"Where are they going!?" Grimey asked, bouncing up to reach the two's ears. "You barely said two words to them captain! How the hell do you expect to get them back?" 

"We'll run out of food soon." Sron uttered gutturaly from behind them, smelling the air as if in search for any stowaways or unwary new crewmembers to feast on. He was single minded, even dimwitted at times. But when it came to food, he was like a second quartermaster, keeping accurate records. "Only another weeks worth of grub, and we can't safely make port that quickly, right?"

"I've calculated everything." Markus said fastidiously, confident in his plan. He pushed himself up, planting his hands on the thick oak railing and watched the town, keen eyes placed on it in search of any sort of movement. " I asked them for an outrageous sum of money along with our friends. They won't ever accept the terms, but it'll give us some time. Time enough for tonight at least." His words were filled with hidden meaning, and he felt the eyes of his first mate on him. "It seems we picked an auspicious night to arrive. Did you know it's the Founding Day of Brangdenbar? Even with a pirate threat like us, local gentry from around the countryside will be gathered in the governor's palace to celebrate and pledge their loyalty to him, as they do every year." 

"Which means the prison won't be guarded as heavily?" Grimey asked, the small lass perplexed as to what Markus meant. The Captain grinned, causing Grimey to shrink black and blush at the same time. 

"It means that my first mate and I will go in and say hello once the sun lowers and we make it to shore. Once we do, we find out where our mates are held, free them...and then we kidnap half the nobles this side of Basilos." One of the newer crewmates gasped, dropping a broom. Quickly he floundered and grabbed it up, beginning to sweep again. Markus didn't skip a beat. "Once we do, we'll repeat my terms. Give us an outrageous sum of money and provision, or we'll hang a noble every hour past sunrise tomorrow."