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[color=1E90FF][b]Time[/b]: Around noon[/color]
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As the sun slowly climbed to its zenith amidst the field of azure, so too did the heat with which it baked the [i]Sada Kurau[/i] rise. In a vexing way, it puzzled Sjan-dehk. Here they were, so far away from and so far north of the Viserjantan islands, and yet it seemed as if the tropical sun had sneakily followed them. True, the air here was drier and it scorched rather than boiled, but the cooking of his back and the endless dripping of sweat from his brow felt all too familiar. 

“That doesn’t look tight enough, captain.”

Sjan-dehk grumbled and untied the ropes he had been handling. Thin and tightly-wound, it – along with thousands like it – secured the [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s large, triangular sails to her willowy yards. Too loose, and a strong gust would be all it took to render her dead in the water. Still, he couldn’t help but stare daggers over his shoulder at Sahm-tehn. [color=1E90FF]“You know, most people would find it strange that a master-of-sail can stand around doing fuck all while his captain works. Unethical, even.”[/color]

The weak rebuke simply washed over Sahm-tehn, and he looked unperturbed as he angled his pinned-up right sleeve to his captain. “As you say, captain. I’ll tie the sails securely with this then, shall I?” There was a bite to his words, and for a moment both men held their gazes, Sahm-tehn’s deadpan and cold against Sjan-dehk’s narrowed and piercing. 

It was the latter who broke away first, sighing as he returned to his task. Much as it gnawed at him, he had to admit it; Sahm-tehn was justified in his displeasure. De-rigging, inspecting, then re-rigging an entire ship was a huge task that called for plenty of time and plenty of hands. They had neither. With Sohn-dahn and his boys, along with half of the gundeck sent across to aid Hai-shuun, part of the rigging crew had to be sent to cover their duties. All the same, the king’s men were due to arrive in practically no time at all, and they would surely be expecting a ship in prime condition. 

[color=1E90FF]“You’ve got a working pair of legs, haven’t you?”[/color] Much as Sjan-dehk was happy to let his crew openly air their discontent, they’d be fools if they believed he’d let them have the last word without a fight. He had to hold on to some of his captain’s honour and authority, after all. [color=1E90FF]“Maybe I should’ve sent you to go shopping with master Avek instead.”[/color]

“Master Mursi is a skilled man, captain, but I wouldn’t trust him to inspect rigging.” Sahm-tehn spoke with a strange sort of mirthless levity. It sounded almost unnatural, as if he were fighting his nature to lighten their dire situation despite feeling all of the pressure on his shoulders.

Sjan-dehk replied with a similar chuckle. [color=1E90FF]“No, I wouldn’t either.”[/color] He gave the rope one final tug, then stood up with a grunt and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Sahm-tehn leaned over and inspected the knot with scrutinising eyes. Sjan-dehk didn’t envy the man, to be honest. Every rope knotted and lashed, every tackle rigged, and every sail mended had to be personally checked and cleared by Sahm-tehn. It spoke volumes of his vast experience that he could do so with just his eyes, but even then it was tedious work. Under a sun that seemed to replace strength with lethargy in a man, no less. Sjan-dehk had long since taken off his shirt to cool himself, but Sahm-tehn insisted on remaining fully dressed. Dark hair wet and glistening with sweat, glued to his forehead, and slightly heaving shoulders, however, gave away his fatigue. 

“It’ll do, captain,” the master-of-sail said at last with a shrug. “For now, at least. We may have to bring them all down again afterwards to make sure everything’s done properly.”

[color=1E90FF]“We can only do what we can, master Sahm-tehn,”[/color] Sjan-dehk replied with a grimace as he squatted by the next length of rope to be tied. It wasn’t a question of ‘if’; he was certain that they would have to bring the yards down again once the king’s men were done with their business. He didn’t like it one bit – they risked damaging the yards every time they raised or lowered it – but it couldn’t be helped. Even a well-trained and experienced crew like his wouldn’t be able to do all that was needed to do with what little time they currently had. 

He worked in silence for a while. Only the rustle of ropes, creaking of wood, and chatter of men broke the monotony. Sea birds gliding about aimlessly overhead cawed, their wings flapping languidly in the brisk seaward breeze. Eventually, however, Sahm-tehn cleared his throat and spoke. “Apologies, captain.” He paused for a moment and dipped his head in a bow. “I was rude earlier. It will not happen again.”

Sjan-dehk waved off the apology. [color=1E90FF]“I deserve it, master Sahm-tehn. It’s mainly my own damn fault we’re in such a fucking rush.”[/color] He tightened the knot and beckoned for his master-of-sail over to inspect it. Once his work was given Sahm-tehn’s approval, he side-stepped over to the next segment of yard. [color=1E90FF]“I think I told all of you this before, but I’d rather you be open with whatever’s pissing you off than keep it inside and, I don’t know, fucking explode some day. Just don’t go starting fights.”[/color] With one hand, he smoothed out the ruffles and wrinkles in the crimson sailcloth before starting to bind it to the yard. [color=1E90FF]“So this had better happen again at some point, alright?”[/color]

“Yes, captain.”

Once again, Sjan-dehk worked in relative silence, only sharing the occasional word with Sahm-tehn when the latter checked his work. His fingers grew more dexterous and deft with each successive segment and before he knew it, he was almost at the end of the yard. Only a handful of ropes remained untied, but he took care to avoid the temptation to rush. He focused his mind entirely on the task at hand, muttering the steps beneath his breath and counting them out in his head until he achieved a steady rhythm. 

And once again, it was Sahm-tehn who first spoke up. “So,” he began, and left the ending noticeable by its absence. 

[color=1E90FF]“So,”[/color] Sjan-dehk echoed.

“You met the king then, captain?”

[color=1E90FF]“I did, yes.”[/color]

A pause. “What’s he like, captain?”

Sjan-dehk stopped what he was doing and looked up at Sahm-tehn with a quizzical look on his face. [color=1E90FF]“Why do you ask, master Sahm-tehn?”[/color]

The master-of-sail didn’t meet his captain’s gaze. Instead, his eyes were turned towards the Sorian coast running eastwards, just beyond the starboard gunwale. “Just making conversation, captain,” he said and coughed into his fist. 

Nodding slowly, Sjan-dehk returned to his work. [color=1E90FF]“I see.”[/color] As he wove the rope into the sail, he considered his response. It was a tricky question, to say the least; even he wasn’t quite sure what he thought of King Edin. On the one hand, the king had shown him considerable courtesy. Yet on the other, his outbursts spoke of a rash and foul-tempered man. Truly a complex character, and one not so easily described after a single, rushed encounter. And so, Sjan-dehk decided to answer with what was typically best in situations like these. [color=1E90FF]“Well,”[/color] he began with a vague shrug. [color=1E90FF]“I showed up in his hall fully armed, interrupted his sons’ matchmaking session, but he was calm and polite enough. Then a girl tripped, dropped an onion, one of his sons ate the onion raw, and he fucking exploded. Called the guards to throw out the girl, and after that I wasn’t too keen on staying so I left as soon as I could. Tried to help the girl, failed, and got shown the door by the guards as well. That’s about it.”[/color]

Sahm-tehn’s face was blank, and he blinked once. There were so many questions swimming in his mind after his captain’s strange little tale that he couldn’t even choose one to ask first. “So this girl, she brought an onion to court the princes?” He asked hesitantly. Sjan-dehk nodded. “And this prince she spoke to, he picked it off the ground and ate it just like that?”

[color=1E90FF]“Just like that,”[/color] the captain confirmed. [color=1E90FF]“Peeled and ate the damn thing like its fruit.”[/color]

“Bloody madman,” Sahm-tehn replied with a shake of his head. “And just for that, this king sent his men to throw the girl out? Sounds like an overreaction to me, captain.”

[color=1E90FF]“You don’t have to tell me that,”[/color] Sjan-dehk said with a frown. Just thinking about it irked him. King or not, there were just some things that weren’t right. If sending armed guards after an unarmed woman who had done nothing wrong didn’t fit that category, then he didn’t know what would. 

“And he didn’t worry when you, an armed man, showed up in his court, but he rages at an onion?”

With a final tug, Sjan-dehk secured the sail to its yard. One done, and two more to go. Picking up the shirt that was more filthy rag than clothing beside him, he stood up and faced Sahm-tehn. [color=1E90FF]“You could put it that way, yes,”[/color] he said as he wiped the sweat and grime from his body with it. To say that it was of little help would be an understatement. If anything, it seemed to do the exact opposite of what he wanted. [color=1E90FF]“The king has strange priorities.”[/color]

“Doesn’t sound like that makes for a good king, captain, if I may say so.”

Sjan-dehk shrugged and draped the ruined shirt over his shoulder. [color=1E90FF]“I agree, master Sahm-tehn, but it’s not our place to judge. As much as he reminds me of some of the bastards we fought, this king here is a real, actual king. Not some self-proclaimed turd with too much time on their hands. Besides, this isn’t anything for you to worry about. I’m the one who’ll likely have to be in his presence.”[/color] He folded his arms across his bare chest and tilted his chin towards his master-of-sail. [color=1E90FF]“So, are you going to tell me the reason you’re asking all these questions?”[/color]

Just as before, Sahm-tehn averted his gaze. “Like I said, captain. Just making conversation.”

An impish smirk crept across Sjan-dehk’s face. [color=1E90FF]“Come now, master Sahm-tehn. How long have we known each other?”[/color] He leaned his weight back and looked at Sahm-tehn with cheeky smugness. [color=1E90FF]“Everyone here knows you’re never one for small talk. We’ve to pry every sentence from you most of the time, so forgive me, master Sahm-tehn, if I don’t believe that you’re simply making conversation.”[/color]

The two men stared at each other in silence for a moment, but eventually Sahm-tehn sighed. “Apologies, captain, I believed I was being subtle.”

Sjan-dehk’s smile widened. [color=1E90FF]“We know each other far too well for it to work, master Sahm-tehn. You should have known that.”[/color] He stepped forward, the mischief in his face gradually fading until it was replaced by friendly concern as he patted Sahm-tehn’s shoulder. [color=1E90FF]“What is it?”[/color]

It took a few moments before Sahm-tehn said anything. That alone was worrying; he was usually the one who had no problems telling things to Sjan-dehk straight with little tact. “The other officers and I have been discussing certain things, captain,” he began at last, and Sjan-dehk felt a pit of unease begin to open in his gut. Granted, it couldn’t be anything too serious; were that the case, they would have confronted him much sooner. Discontent amongst senior crewmembers, however, was never a good thing. Many a ship had fallen to mutiny and many a captain had met their end for that very reason.

Sahm-tehn continued. “As far as we know, we will be in harbour for a long time, and you will be assuming Lady Adiyan’s duties until she recovers, captain.” He paused, and Sjan-dehk nodded in agreement and gestured for him to continue. “You would have to spend more time on shore, correct?” Another nod. “So we were wondering if we could suggest a change in how we manage [i]Sada Kurau[/i], captain.”

The pit closed as quickly as it opened. It was just an administrative matter, and those were typically easy to resolve. Still, Sjan-dehk didn’t feel entirely comfortable. The crux of the matter eluded him. [color=1E90FF]“You might have to elaborate, master Sahm-tehn. I don’t see a need for us to change anything. Azwan will take over my duties when I’m away, and the rest of you will simply carry on as per normal. What’s the problem?”[/color]

“It’s not a problem for now, captain, but what happens when you’re away for more than an hour or two, or even entire days?” Sahm-tehn kept his voice even and level, but the slight hesitation in his voice and how he averted his eyes every now and then gave away his trepidation. “You know as well as we do how these courtly affairs can drag on and on. With all respect, captain, you can’t foresee how long you’ll be away if you have to attend such things.”

That made sense. Sjan-dehk had yet to meet a punctual noble, or one who couldn’t find some silly excuse to make a party or meeting go on for far longer than they had any right to. [color=1E90FF]“First of all,”[/color] Sjan-dehk began and patted Sahm-tehn on the shoulder again. [color=1E90FF]“Relax. I’ve said it before, I’ve never gotten angry at any of you for speaking your mind before, and I don’t plan on starting now. Secondly, while you speak sense, the scenarios you speak of aren’t anything new to us. We’ve dealt with them before, we can do it again."[/color]

“True as that may be, captain, but we were in Viserjanta back then.” Sjan-dehk’s words must have worked on Sahm-tehn, as he now spoke in a far smoother and steadier manner. “We knew how things worked and more importantly, we knew the language. If we had an emergency, we could simply go to whatever hall you were in and ask for you. You should know how many times we’ve done that, captain. Here? We barely know how to communicate with these people.”

Sjan-dehk pinched the bridge of his nose and drew in a deep breath. Now he was finally beginning to see what Sahm-tehn was hinting at. In Viserjanta, he was always more-or-less available to his crew wherever he may be, which was exactly how he wanted it to be. True, excusing himself from a court full of nobles in favour of his crew and ship never earned him any favours, but it was at least openly acknowledged as an acceptable thing to do in Viserjanta. Perhaps that was also the case here in Caesonia, but they had no way of knowing. And even if was, his crew was unlikely to know enough of the language to negotiate their way through the castle gates. 

[color=1E90FF]“So,”[/color] he said and chewed on his lip. [color=1E90FF]“If I’m correct, your concerns are that there might be times when I will be not only away, but completely cut off from Sada Kurau for long periods.”[/color] 

“In so few words, yes, captain.”

For a man known to be taciturn and straightforward, the master-of-sail certainly chose an overly verbose and roundabout way to present his case. Sjan-dehk sighed. [color=1E90FF]“You should’ve just said that. Alright, I can see your point. What do you suggest?”[/color]

“At least until the rest of us have learned enough of the language, and until we know enough of the local customs, we would like it if you could allow us more freedom to act at our own discretion.” Sahm-tehn said and pointed downwards. “You allow Avek to purchase provisions without your final approval, and so we would like to have that same freedom, especially for master Hai-shuun and master Mursi. We would also suggest that you give first officer Azwan the power to mete out punishments in your absence, captain.”

Sjan-dehk nodded slowly as he rubbed his chin. If he had to be honest, he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the notion of removing his hands entirely from the purchase of material and supplies. Provisions were one thing; Avek was the cook, and so it was only natural that he be allowed the freedom to choose his own ingredients. Wood, metal, and whatnot? Those were vital to keeping his [i]Sada Kurau[/i] afloat; of course he’d want to have the final say as to what they were going to use to fix her. Neither did he relish the idea of handing over responsibility for his crew’s discipline. He was captain; if a man had to be punished, the least he could do was to do the sentencing himself. 

Ultimately, however, Sahm-tehn had a point. Besides, if he couldn’t trust his officers, then why did he even give them their ranks and positions in the first place? Perhaps there was even some good in this; this could prove to be an excellent chance to let them prove their mettle. 

[color=1E90FF]“Alright, you have my agreement. While we’re docked and when I’m away, I’ll allow you all to act according to your own judgments. However, if it has to do with killing, setting sail, adding anything to Sada Kurau, or accepting visitors, it will still need my approval and supervision.”[/color] Sjan-dehk extended a hand and looked at Sahm-tehn with a raised brow. [color=1E90FF]“Would that be acceptable?”[/color]

Sahm-tehn took his hand and gave it a firm shake. “We won’t let you down, captain.”

[color=1E90FF]“You’d better not, otherwise we’re all bloody fucked,”[/color] Sjan-dehk said with a quiet laugh. [color=1E90FF]“I’ll let the others know about this after we’re done dealing with the king’s people. Thank you, master Sahm-tehn.”[/color]

Sahm-tehn snapped to a salute. “Thank you, captain.”

[color=1E90FF]“One question, though.”[/color] Sjan-dehk turned to look down the deck of his ship. Handing over so much control of his ship wasn’t something he particularly relished. It was like giving away his child, but a good captain always listened to their crew and judged their words fairly and without personal misgivings. [color=1E90FF]“If, as you say, none of you are good at the language, how are you going to bloody buy anything without getting cheated to fuck and back?”[/color]

“The tutor has taught us well, captain,” Sahm-tehn replied. “We know enough about the currency here and how to do a bit of haggling. Enough to get by, but nothing more than that, captain.”

Sjan-dehk placed his hands on his hips and pursed his lips. [color=1E90FF]“Wish the old bastard would’ve taught me that instead of courtly bullshit. I imagine it’d be a whole lot more useful.”[/color] He let out a long sigh. Well, maybe that was the case, but not anymore. He imagined his future was going to involve a lot more courts and royals and all the theatrics that came with it. 

But for now, he could put all of that aside. [color=1E90FF]“Well, master Sahm-tehn,”[/color] he said and tilted his chin towards the bow. [color=1E90FF]“There’s still two more sails to sort out. Shall we?”[/color]

[hr]
Just a short walk away from the docks where the [i]Sada Kurau[/i] was moored – and along the very road Sjan-dehk had walked on his way to the castle, in fact – laid a tightly-packed cluster of rickety shacks and huts hugging the coast. Thin roofs fluttered dangerously in the wind, but by either luck or some stroke of engineering genius, none took flight. Old boats, their hulls mottled and tinged green by ocean growth, laid upon the sandy shores where they had been pulled up. Their larger, sail-rigged cousins sat comfortable in the shallows beside makeshift jetties of mismatched wood, whose pillars shivered against the surf. 

A quaint fishing village within a city, Sjan-dehk would’ve called it.

Or at least, that was what he hoped it was. It would be quite the wasted trip if it proved to be otherwise. 

Rigging his [i]Sada Kurau[/i] had been arduous work, and had left his body aching. Sjan-dehk would have liked nothing more than to have a quick rest before the king’s people were due to arrive, but there was still something he needed to do. Something he knew he would forget if he were to put it off any longer. And so, after he had wiped himself clean of sweat and grime, he had thrown on clean tunics from his dwindling supply and made tracks for this little shanty town.

As it had been in the slums earlier, the people here looked at him with curious gazes as he passed. As it [i]hadn’t[/i] been in the slums, few – if any – had worry or fear in their eyes. Sjan-dehk had learned his lessons well, and had come unarmed and unarmoured. Largely so, and by [i]his[/i] standards, at least. Twin scabbards swished against leather tassets hanging by his legs as he walked. His pistols, snug and secure in their holsters, barely made a sound. They were hardly noticeable, so dulled and worn by age were they that even the metalwork of their locks failed to catch the bright, afternoon sun.

The familiar scent of fresh fish and spilled entrails was heavy in the air, and it only grew more pungent the further he ventured along the labyrinthine streets. Seawater and blood turned dirt paths into mires that squelched against his boots with each step. None of it bothered Sjan-dehk much; it wasn’t anything he wasn’t already used to. Most of Jafi had the same scent, and when it came to the harbour where he had spent much of his time ashore, it was almost identical in every way. 

And besides, the smell told him that he had the right idea, if not on the right track.

Eventually, the winding path he followed deposited him on the beach. Dry sand replaced moist dirt, and the briny whiff of the sea overpowered all other scents. Gulls circled above and stood on boats, beady eyes leering at men and women hauling frayed nets laden with fish. The air was buzzing with murmurs of trade and commerce. This had to be the place. Sjan-dehk looked around for anyone who might be in charge. Not too far away stood a young woman surrounded by a small, clamouring crowd. That was as good a place as any to start. 

[i]“...just as fecked as ta’ rest o’ youse. I wan’ tae help, but I can no give what I ‘aven’t, ‘tis so ‘tis so.”[/i] As he approached, he caught the tail end of her impassioned speech. Fretful and dispirited faces looked away from her. Gradually, the crowd dispersed and she caught sight of Sjan-dehk. The drab shirt and trousers she wore had more discoloured patches than material, and she had her straw-like hair pulled into a messy tail and tucked beneath a cap. [i]“‘Aven’t seen you before–”[/i] she began, but the friendliness in her voice and on her face quickly disappeared once she saw the weapons by Sjan-dehk’s sides. [i]“We want no trouble here, ‘tis so. Who you be, and what ‘tis brings you ‘ere?”[/i]

Sjan-dehk blinked. Regular Caesonian was already hard enough for him to parse, but this woman’s accent made it practically undecipherable. For a few awkward moments, he stared blankly at her, and the look on her face slowly turned to one of annoyance. Before she could say anything, Sjan-dehk decided to simply introduce himself normally. [i][color=1E90FF]“Wasun Sjan-dehk.”[/color][/i] He placed a hand on his chest and bowed. [i][color=1E90FF]“Captain of Sada Kurau. You are ah…The leader here?”[/color][/i]

The woman arched her brows. [i]“A cap’n, so you are?”[/i] She looked almost impressed, but said nothing else on the matter. Instead, she turned her head, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted, [i]“Pa!”[/i] A man shouted back from somewhere further up the beach. [i]“I ‘ave someone ‘ere lookin’ fer you!”[/i] She then looked back at Sjan-dehk and jerked her head towards the sea. [i]“So, that large boat out o’er yonder, ‘tis yours, is it?”[/i]

He didn’t need to look to know what she was referring to. [color=1E90FF][i]“No. That is [/i]Sudah[i].”[/i][/color] Specialised shipyards had to be built for her construction, and so erring on the side of caution, her captain had decided to anchor her off-shore rather than bringing her into dock. 

Sjan-dehk shifted his stance slightly and pointed to his ship, her stern just visible around the bend at the end of the beach and her mast tops peeking over the lower buildings. [color=1E90FF][i]“That is mine. [/i]Sada Kurau[i].”[/i][/color]

The woman folded her arms and let out a low whistle. [i]“Think I may ‘ave seen it comin’ in. She be lookin’ a fine ship, ‘tis so ‘tis so. Very fancy like. All yours, is she?”[/i]

Once again, Sjan-dehk looked at her in confusion. It seemed like a silly question to him, or a tricky one; he wasn’t quite sure which it was. Who else did a ship belong to if not her captain? [i][color=1E90FF]“Yes, she is,”[/color][/i] he replied slowly and carefully. Could this be a local nautical convention which he wasn’t aware of? He would have to find out. [i][color=1E90FF]“I am her captain, yes? Who else can she ah…Belong to?”[/color][/i]

The woman shrugged. [i]“Some folks ‘round ‘ere sail fer ‘ighborn folk. Not all o’ us ‘ave ta’ coin tae ‘ave our own boats, cap’n, so they work fer folks wi’ ta’ coin but no ta’ gall fer sailin’.”[/i]

Sjan-dehk furrowed his brow. Owning a ship but letting someone else sail her was a strange concept to him. Would those same people similarly marry their partners but have another be their spouse? Whether bought, given, or captured, a captain had to own their ship in her entirety. Otherwise, what reason would they have for caring about her as much as they should? 

Whatever words he had in mind would have to wait, as a man ran up to them. Very much on the thinner side, the clothes hanging off his frame looked to be almost as old as him. What little hair he had clung to his chin and scalp in foggy grey wisps. [i]“Ah, we ‘ave a visitor, ‘ave we?”[/i] He managed to gasp out between heaving pants. Sjan-dehk almost reached out to support him when he doubled over and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. 

His daughter, however, didn’t look concerned in the least. [i]“‘Tis so. Pa, this is..A cap’n. Cap’n, me pa.”[/i]

The old man drew in a few deep breaths and stood up. His movements were stiff and deliberate, as if his joints had only just awoken from a long rest. [i]“Welcome, welcome! What can we ‘umble fisherfolk do fer you, cap’n?”[/i]

Sjan-dehk offered a quick bow to the man before speaking. [i][color=1E90FF]“My ship, we need ah…Provisions.”[/color][/i]

[i]“Ah, if ‘tis buyin’ you be after, cap’n,’tis better you find yer way tae ta’ market.”[/i] The man said and wringed his hands together. [i]“‘At’s where most o’ today’s catch’s goin’. We ‘aven’t been ‘avin’ much luck lately, I’m afraid we ‘ave no tae sell tae you, cap’n. Not ‘ere.”[/i]

[i][color=1E90FF]“No, not here to buy,”[/color][/i] Sjan-dehk replied with a shake of his head. [i][color=1E90FF]“Just want to ask. Next time you set sail to go fish, can we follow? We fish too.”[/color][/i]

The man said nothing and wringed his hands even harder, were that possible. Nervousness was written all across his face. He looked at the ground, then at his daughter who glowered at Sjan-dehk. The two were certainly related by blood; this man was confusing Sjan-dehk with his actions as much as his daughter had with her words. [i]“W-well, tis’ like so, w-we can’t–”[/i] the man’s hesitant and stuttering words were swiftly cut off by his daughter.

[i]“What pa is tryin’ tae say is no,”[/i] she said and crossed her arms. [i]“‘Tis trouble enough tae bring in ta’ catch we need fer sellin’ and feedin’ our own. Another boat’s just given’ us more shite tae deal wi’. An’ yer boat’s large like, ‘ow much you be plannin’ on fishin’?”[/i]

[i]“Aislin!”[/i] Her father’s protests fell on deaf ears.

Sjan-dehk held up his hands in front of him in an attempt to calm her. [i][color=1E90FF]“Only what we need. No more.”[/color][/i]

[i]“Aye, ‘tis may be so, but ‘ow much is that?”[/i] Her piercing gaze was withering, and had Sjan-dehk been of a weaker constitution, he would have surely squirmed beneath it. [i]“Boat that large, surely you be plannin’ on trawlin’, and we folk ‘ere already know ‘ow that ends fer us. You’ll be goin’ ‘ome fat an’ ‘appy while we ‘ave tae starve and ‘ope nobody feckin’ kicks it.”[/i]

[i][color=1E90FF]“We have no nets on Sada Kurau. Only lines. Not ah…Trawling.”[/color][/i]

[i]“Well–”[/i] Aislin began, but this time it was her father’s turn to interrupt. He stepped in front of her, a clearly forced smile on his face and sweat beading on his forehead. HIs cheeks were largely devoid of colour and he looked as if he was one good shock away from passing out entirely. 

[i]“A-apologies fer me daughter, cap’n.”[/i] He bowed deeply, and Sjan-dehk found himself having to gently lift him by the shoulders to convince him to straighten himself. [i]“S-she’s rough ‘round the edges but she do be meanin’ well, she does. We ‘ave been ‘avin’ p-problems wi’ our catches lately. Too many boats be comin’ intae our waters, you see. Most o’ what we catch, we ‘ave tae sell to keep things runnin’ what wi’ rent and repairs and such, ‘tis so ‘tis so.”[/i]

Sjan-dehk nodded slowly. [i][color=1E90FF]“There are ah…No other places? For you to fish?”[/color][/i]

[i]“We…We can go farther out, but ‘tis dangerous, cap’n.”[/i]

[i][color=1E90FF]“Pirates?”[/color][/i]

The man scratched his chin and thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. [i]“Can no call ‘em that, tae be honest. They don’t really attack us, they just–”[/i]

[i]“Those feckers fleece us fer our coin an’ catch, ‘at’s what they do.”[/i] Aislin cut in with barely hidden anger in her words and on her face. [i]“Our boats are no armed, an’ even if we were, we can no do much against a robbin’ boat wi’ their cannons and such. We be more like ‘an not tae lose more ‘an we can gain by sailin’ out that far.”[/i]

That was something Sjan-dehk was familiar with. Even in Viserjantan waters, there was no shortage of bandits fitting small cannons onto small skiffs and cutters to extort money from the largely unarmed and unescorted fishing fleets. Pirates in the loosest sense of the word as far as he was concerned, and easily dealt with. [i][color=1E90FF]“We can protect you,”[/color][/i] he said, and that immediately got the attention of Aislin and her father. [i][color=1E90FF]“If you want to go out to fish. Sada Kurau can protect your boats.”[/color][/i]

Aislin narrowed her eyes. [i]“An’ what do you get out o’ this?”[/i]

[i][color=1E90FF]“Fish to eat.”[/color][/i] Hadn’t she been listening this whole time? That was all Sjan-dehk wanted.

[i]“You're no gonna be wantin’ payment?”[/i]

[i][color=1E90FF]“We have enough.”[/color][/i] Sjan-dehk glanced over at their run-down boats, then at their homes, then back at her with a sympathetic look in his eyes. [i][color=1E90FF]“And you need the ah…Money more than we do, yes?”[/color][/i]

[i]“Save your pity!”[/i] Aislin snapped, then drew in a deep breath. [i]“I'm no convinced, ‘tis so. Ne’er ‘ave I met a cap’n who’d ‘elp us folk wi’ out askin’ fer coin or somethin’ shiny like in return. What’s tae stop you from stabbin’ us in ta’ back if you change yer mind out there? You could sink us all wi’ out even battin’ a feckin’ eye if you change yer mind fer whatever reason while we be out there.”[/i]

Sjan-dehk was beginning to feel rather annoyed. Just who did she think he was? Did he really seem like the sort who would do something like that? There was caution, then there was paranoia. To him, Aislin jumped between the two like a hare. [i][color=1E90FF]“We just left one war. We do not want to ah…Start another.”[/color][/i]

[i]“But you ‘ave no issue fightin’ pirates an’ such?”[/i]

[i][color=1E90FF]“That is different. That is duty.”[/color][/i]

Aislin’s father finally spoke up after his prolonged absence. [i]“If we can go out ‘at far…”[/i] He began in a quiet murmur, but it was enough to silence Aislin. [i]“One good catch an’ we’d be good fer eatin’ and payin’ what needs payin’ fer a week at least.”[/i] He fell silent for a few moments more, then swallowed hard and looked at Sjan-dehk with as determined a look as he could muster. [i]“We’re puttin’ a lot o’ trust in you, cap’n, but if ‘tis as you say and you’re good on yer word, then ‘tis a risk worth takin’.”[/i]

Sjan-dehk placed a hand on his chest, and bowed. [i][color=1E90FF]“On my honour. We will do as ah...As said.”[/color][/i]

A snort from Aislin showed how much faith she had in him. [i]“Honour and talk’s cheap, cap’n.”[/i] She sighed and wiped both hands on her trousers. [i]“I still think that ‘tis a bad idea, ‘tis so ‘tis so, but if pa’s willin’ to put ‘is faith in you, well, ‘e’s me pa and ‘e’s ne’er been wrong yet, so ‘e ‘aven’t. I’m no arguin’.”[/i]

Her father beamed at her, and looked markedly more relaxed when he turned back to Sjan-dehk. [i]“‘Tis all agreed, then! ‘Tis too late tae go out ‘at far, but we can set off bright an’ early tomorrow if that suits you?”[/i]

[i][color=1E90FF]“Yes, that will be fine.”[/color][/i]

[i]“I’ll be knockin’ on yer door ‘fore the sun’s up,”[/i] Aislin piped up. [i]“I’m goin’ tae be feckin’ pissed if yer feckin’ oversleep, aye?”[/i]

Sjan-dehk did his best to suppress his grin as he looked at her. He didn’t want to make a competition out of something so silly, but if she thought she could catch him asleep, then he’d be more than happy to show her the error of her ways. [i][color=1E90FF]“We will be ready,”[/color][/i] he replied simply with a curt nod. That was another objective complete, and one less thing he had to worry about. Tomorrow was shaping out to be quite the interesting day, to say the least.