Signe, Enzo, and Hjalmar are looking over the map, debating the details of a plan to intercept the Handmaid. Enzo proposes making port somewhere along the coast of Montaigne, and advancing overland to attack the ship on the river. Signe advocates bringing her uncle’s men and a couple of longboats instead, and sending them upriver to attack the ship. They discuss what to do with the gunpowder after taking it. Signe knows that Montaigne is currently in the throes of class warfare. They have no way of knowing if the buyer is a representative of the Montaigne government, or some potential revolutionaries. Signe eventually settles on offering her uncle the entire shipment, so long as she can have the ship itself.
Signe speaks with Ulfgar, and he agrees to her plan. He warns that the Raiders will want to do it their way, but says he will speak with them and advocate for taking the ship without loss of life. He also mentions the issue of taking the ship while deep in Montaigne, and warns that there will likely be repercussions.
That evening, they offload the barrels of the Mist of the Moor, and Christof, Eric, and Abul help deliver it to Simon’s warehouse. In return they are given a large chest full of Guilders. Abul counts it in moments using mathematics. They bring the chest back to the ship, and the crew celebrates. Signe and Abul discuss his future plans. He says he is looking to found his own university.
In the morning, Ulfgar shows up at the dock with 50 men. They have four longboats to load up on the ship, as well as additional supplies. Ulfgar tells Signe that he has spoken with them, and they will endeavor to take the Handmaid without unnecessary loss of life, and they will not execute any survivors afterward. The promise of the entire cargo has made them a bit more agreeable.
Signe confers with Eric to ensure that he will keep an eye on the crew to make sure they get along with the newcomers, as accommodations will be tight. It helps that a significant number of the raiders were part of Ulfgar’s hunting entourage, and they already get along well with Enzo, so Eric will enlist his help in this.
Abul is watching the goings on, and Signe notices, and strongly encourages him to get involved with the work. She asks Cyprian to take him on, but Cyprian won’t have him up in the rigging with no experience, so he puts Abul on deck swabbing detail instead. The ship gets underway, and they head west along the coast toward the Trade Sea.
A few days later, the ship crosses the Trade Sea, headed straight for Carleon. Along the way we learn a little more about the crew:
- Patrick has a wife and daughter back in Donega.
- Gaspar claims to have been married four times. His first wife was also his third wife, and he claims that his second wife was the Duchess of Arrent.
- Geirmund lost his parents in the War of the Cross.
- Verenzio has four brothers and three sisters.
- Hector lost his father to the Inquisitors. Abul speaks to him about it, and learns that Hector’s father’s arrest for heresy and blasphemy was politically motivated. They are in agreement that the Third Prophet and the Inquisition have led the Church astray.
A Captain’s Captain, Part 3
About a week in, the weather turns foul, and the crew’s mood shifts to match. The Raiders take up a lot of space on the ship, and there are occasional bruised egos. In one instance, Enzo happens on Ivar, one of the larger Raiders, tussling with Gaspar. Enzo breaks it up, but the Vesten won’t back off, and turns on him. Enzo stands his ground, and manages to confound the man with some quick wit. At a loss for a response, but recognizing that taking a swing at the bosun is a bad career move, Ivar turns and stomps off. In the following days, the tale of Enzo’s confrontation of Ivar spreads, and begins to take on mythic proportions. Clearly Enzo is not someone to be messed with.
Despite the horrible rain, the ship makes good time, and sails past Carleon very nearly exactly when expected, and they adjust their course to head south along the Montaigne coast. By Signe and Hjalmar’s calculations, they should be steadily gaining on the Handmaid. There is even a possibility that they may overtake the ship before they reach the river.
# NotPirates