"What do you think?" Morgan asked Markus. 

The Captain held the teliscope up to his eye, lingering on the image of sails in the distance. Even with the device, he couldn't tell hide nor hair of what it meant. The ship was just on the edge of vision, so the colors couldn't even be deciphered yet. Morgan's eyes weren't what they used to be, but Markus couldn't do much better. Which meant he had three choices; approach and risk it being a foreigner warship, flee and lose a potential catch, or act as if they had seen nothing and continue on their current course which could lead to either of the other two outcomes. 

He slid the telescope into its more portable form with a 'clack,' handing it to Morgan. He handed it to the quartermaster, who took it without question as Markus weighed his options. 

"We already have enough, lad." He reminded Markus, placing a hand on his shoulder. "These men have served you well. I say we head on back and act as if we saw nothing."

Markus shook his head, dissatisfied with that even if it went against better judgement. It could be another haul. The sloop wasn't large but they still had a few tons left on their capacity. "Morgan, we've just left the law. We're not even recognized as official pirates yet by the Pirate Lords, and we need that acknowledgement to get any good deals on our merchandise. We don't have the food to sail to the new world." No Captain or crew in history (as far as Markus knew) formed and caught two prizes in less than a fortnight. They would earn the respect of any would-be wretch that called themselves pirates if they pulled that off. 

"Well, we are a sloop I suppose." the elder said, scratching his black beard. "We run into trouble we can outmaneuver most anything. Either way, we got an hour before we really need to decide anything." 

The door that led to the deck burst open, and Brod stepped out on deck holding his hand. Markus turned and saw his shirt was stained and his eyes were blazing with fury. "Oi, Captain! I got a bone to pick with our new lady cook!" 
[hr]
[i]Five minutes later[/i].  

Markus had cleared the messhall and kept Morgan on deck with the lads to keep themselves busy and distracted. Capocuoco and Brod stood there along with Emmaline who he noticed did her best to look like the innocent party. Markus wasn't in the mood, but it was his job to parley in such circumstances. Still Brod clutched his hand, dunking it in cold water every now and then on the table. Morbidly curious, Markus looked between all of them. 

"So Brod, what did you say happened?" 

"That stinkin' trollop whacked me on the hand and I burned meself!" He said, in the most childish fashion Markus thought possible for a career sailor. "She should have stayed in the brig with the others! The food's been lackin' and she's given us nothing but lip since we got 'er." Capocuoco tried to speak, but Markus could only understand about three words he said, sprinkling in reikspeil as if that was the key to relaying what he thought. 

Markus crossed his arms and actually smiled, and to Brod's surprise he laughed. It was a cruel laugh, but a farcry from his usual threatening or grim demeanor. "No fault of your own there, I take it? Why are you bringing me in on this? Because she's a woman?" Markus snorted. He grabbed the bowl and yanked it away from Brod's hand, causing the man to jump. "If this was Eckard you'd have laughed about it after a good tussle." 

"You said we can't touch her!" 

"[i]You can't[/i]," Markus warned, all humor gone. "And if you were polite like I'm sure you weren't, she wouldn't have hit you. Get back up there and act like a man or I'll make you as manly as Eugene." The Captain advanced on Brod who scrambled out of the room, tripping over a chair and busting his lip on the floor. Impressively, he got up without missing a beat and launched himself through the doorway and up the stairs. 

"So..." Markus said to Emmaline. "At least you still got some spunk in you. Don't press your luck, though. Things can happen on a ship that even a Captain won't be privvy to."