"I think I see them," Emmaline said in a hushed voice. She could feel the tug of magic being worked outside. Weather magic if she was any judge, which she wasn't really. Against the far side of the cavern was a palisade wrought of some black metal, wrought into hooks and spikes. Several miserable looking crewmen huddled inside under the watchful eye of two more elves. Even as she said it four more members of the crew came up from beneath the Hammer's decks, hauling crates of provisions. The Dark Elves were forcing the crew to strip the ship before tearing her down to her timbers. Make work to break the spirits of their prisoners. Luckily it didn't seem like irreperable damage had yet been done to spars and rigging, though a significant pile of provisions stacked on the dock suggested the unloading was well advanced.

"Even if you can retake the ship," Idrin muttered, you cannot sail her from this place without wind. "This is a place ships come to die human. Once they pass into this cavern, they never return."

"Is it the nature of Elves to bitch and complain aboute every plan," Emmaline asked acidly, finding a safe channel for the fear that was gnawing at her stomach.

"I'll not hear such from a human slut!" Idrin snapped, his own fear finding the same pathway.

"Ay reckon it's just about time to be killin' elves," Morek growled, taking Emmaline's side against the elf as naturally as breathing. "And I for one am not to particular about the flavor."

"Shut up," snapped Markus with harsh intensity. They followed his eyes to where "I think I see them," Emmaline said in a hushed voice. She could feel the tug of magic being worked outside. Weather magic if she was any judge, which she wasn't really. Against the far side of the cavern was a palisade wrought of some black metal, wrought into hooks and spikes. Several miserable looking crewmen huddled inside under the watchful eye of two more elves. Even as she said it four more members of the crew came up from beneath the Hammer's decks, hauling crates of provisions. The Dark Elves were forcing the crew to strip the ship before tearing her down to her timbers. Make work to break the spirits of their prisoners. Luckily it didn't seem like irreperable damage had yet been done to spars and rigging, though a significant pile of provisions stacked on the dock suggested the unloading was well advanced.

"Even if you can retake the ship," Idrin muttered, you cannot sail her from this place without wind. "This is a place ships come to die human. Once they pass into this cavern, they never return."

"Is it the nature of Elves to bitch and complain aboute every plan," Emmaline asked acidly, finding a safe channel for the fear that was gnawing at her stomach.

"I'll not hear such from a human slut!" Idrin snapped, his own fear finding the same pathway.

"Ay reckon it's just about time to be killin' elves," Morek growled, taking Emmaline's side against the elf as naturally as breathing. "And I for one am not to particular about the flavor."

"Shut up," snapped Markus with harsh intensity. They followed his eyes to Rajad, the Indin crewman who had been teaching Emmaline to speak Indi. He stood on the other side of the barricade, gazing right at them. He made a guesture and then vanished out of sight returning a moment later with Sketti. The firstmate had a black eye and a nasty scalp wound but he brightened when Rajad spoke to him. He tried to look up towards Markus but Rajad blocked his movement to forestall him giving away their position.

"Damnned good eyes on that one," Morek muttered. The sailor and the first mate had a quick conversation and then Rajad flashed his hands several times.

"If that is a count, then the whole crew is here," Emmaline interpreted. There was a clanking of metal and a dozen dark elves with spears and shields, marched out of a side tunnel.

"They are comming for the slaves, probably to fight the fire," Idrin told them.