Chapter 85
Most sea charts that were available had the entire quadrant marked as a hazard zone. The deep waters unstable currents caused a mess to any size ship. Shipping and cargo vessels were instructed to stay away from the foul waters and the dead calm seas. None had been able to chart it to tell just how far the Crescent reached. The “Vharcan” was the first vessel that had accurately navigated and marked the entire region. The information they found would be useful for a long time to come, and not only to the Crimson Dagger Pirates.
Why a ship from the Emperor would be passing in these waters was far beyond any common logic. Whatever the cause the bounty of foolish sailors who obviously belong on dry land would be most welcome aboard the Pirate ship. Haul after haul was brought aboard until they were almost too heavy to sail.
Just before dusk the last of the cargo from the sunken ship was pulled onto the deck. By light of torches and lamps the crew began to sift through the mound of treasure pulled from The Crescent of the Dead Moon. Elation poured over the crew like a spilled keg of rum as they discovered riches beyond belief. It was discovered that the vessel was from the Royal Mint and Depository. Chests and containers full of gems, gold, silver, jewelry and fine handcrafted cloths were stowed in the hold. The other useless items were returned to their watery graves.
Each man was given a share of the bounty in a chest they marked with their own signet. As Greyy and supervised a low murmur buzzed among the crew. They enjoyed the bounty but were unwilling to share with the others of Crimson Dagger. It was their necks on the line and their work that had found and mapped the location. That should be sufficient to give to Redgrave.
“Attention, Gentlemen! I hear you and I agree. We will find our own secret location for the safe keeping of our honest day’s labor. We will make a copy close in image of the one we charted for Kerrs and then none will ever speak of this again. Tis clear?” She stated with a nod and a sly smile knowing the crew would be more than happy to comply.
Chapter 86
With the treasure stored in the hold the crew began to make ready to find another hide away. They were beginning to gain a level of comfort in their find when a low growl shook the water beneath the ship. At first the crew thought maybe it was another beast from the depths but the rumbling growl continued to grow and intensify.
Peering through the long glass off the port side Greyylene found an outcropping that looked to be a perfect hideaway for the recently acquired bounty. The Crescent of the Dead Moon was a fair distance from the rocky coast belonging to Minerva’s Cradle. It was far enough in the distance to not be seen as a common stop over for ships, yet not so far as to be caught overloaded with treasures and no way to defend it. They would sail to the far southern end to scout for quiet nooks where they could stash their bounty.
“I am thinking we should put a bit of urgency into our direction, lads.” Greyy said as she gave the new heading. Glancing back not really wanting to know what made the hungry growls from the ocean depths, yet mildly curious as to what the danger they had barely missed might have been.
Greyy marked their map with the coordinates of the entrance then dropped overboard the chest full of rub age tied to a floating line just off the coast to act as a marker and a decoy in case another felt the need to hunt their booty. The float was just under the surface of the water so as not to be seen unless directly over top of it.
After making several trips into a sunken cave mouth to deposit their marked chests it was time to leave the rest on board and turn towards the Port. The rising tide gave a perfect cover to the cave entrance acting as a deterrent to any who would wander seeking treasures.
“Fly away Home my boys! We have what we came for!” was the last call before they turned the “Vharcan” north retracing their path to Port Bistrot.
Chapter 87
Port Bistrot, an appropriate name given because of many small restaurants and taverns, was highly used as a port of commerce and most notably for its fairly large saloon. It had once been a quiet country village but had grown to a size that was more befitting a city. Along with commerce and fine dining, the town had become a hot spot for underworld activity despite the Military presence. Criminal activity ran as thick as the ale, mostly to spite the Empire.
Most of the guards, both in the Navy and the Royal Command, found this den of mayhem a place to be seen and toss around perceived weight and power. Up and coming officers would come to the Port town, roust a few rowdies and return to their headquarters proud of the “accomplishments”. None of the locals regarded any of those in uniform with any esteem or respect; however, this would be the perfect place to find a careless officer ripe to be bought for the simple price of a mug of Ale or two.
The crew from “Vharcan” had been given a shore leave. The taverns, pubs, and bath houses were ripe for fresh privateer blood to be introduced. Still heady from the recent plunder the Pirates were eager to sport their “spare change” and fancy jewels to any female who gave a second glance.
Chapter 88
The Dark Elf disembarked along with the rest of the crew and made his way through the shadows to a large home at the upper end of town. Careful to not be followed he split from the crew making his way to the back servant’s entrance. After a light rap at the door he disappeared into the darkness of the home.
Once inside the spacious dwelling he was led to an upstairs parlor where several other men were seated around a roaring fire. When the door closed behind him the others stood to greet the spy. Captain Jack Bishop, Horatio Washburn and the Captain of another Navy Vessel “Charming Charlie” Charlie Blaque turned to greet the newcomer and eager to hear what news he carried.
Several hours later the party broke. Each man left separately to carry out a small unsanctioned operation that would garner them recognition and praise from the Crown. The goal was to capture the Pirate vessel “Vharcan” and with that hopefully discover the home port of the unruly cutthroats putting their chaos and mayhem to an end.
After the majority of the crew of “Vharcan” had vanished into the mist of mayhem and foolishness Captain Greyy and Donny Porter whispered low over the wheel devising a plan to keep the young sailor part of the crew yet remain ashore. She wanted to leave him there as much to counter his fear of water as she needed a spy in the town to assure their plans was successful. When the “Vharcan” was away she would need a reliable crewman in which to pass information.
With orders firmly in place Donny was sent ashore with a satchel full of special items, one of which was a pigeon to be used as a carrier of notes. A trick Greyy and her sister had used ages past was to find a pair of nesting birds, the mates would always find each other no matter the distance. The girls would send coded notes and stories to each other as a game of wits in an attempt to prove how clever they were. This knowledge was adopted and now used in much the same way, yet with a more sinister goal.
Securing a corner room in a small back alley boarding house, Donny Porter began to unpack his few belongings and establish his base of operations for the Captain. She had given him a task that he looked forward to completing. Donning the costume of a less than capable noble, the young sailor gazed into the mirror and laughed at the reflection. So complete was the transformation he barely recognized himself. Confident that the disguise would allow him access to the seedy parts of town, as well as lure the desired riff raff he sauntered out to carry out his Captain’s plan.
Chapter 89
Taking no time or effort, he found where a young Officer was perched on the edge of a stool trying desperately to look important and fearsome. A mug of ale perched precariously at his elbow and several frighteningly gruesome females vying for his attention, the poor thing was trying to find any excuse to vacate his current post.
Being his first real opportunity to prove his value he tried desperately to get land legs back under himself. The short time at sea had given him the strong desire to ride the waves rather than the ridiculous mount tha
t was offered when he arrived to town.
The opportunity opened and eager for the chase, Porter stepped into the street and began to scream like a little girl. This raised enough of a ruckus that the Officer was forced to investigate.
Quick as turtle and with as much grace as a beached whale the Officer leapt on his horse to pursue the trouble makers. His horse, bred for show and not speed, was a most elegant creature yet not sure of foot. Military training demanded action be taken swiftly and he spurred the horse to no avail, his charger gingerly crept through the streets as if not wishing to get its hooves dirty. Lightly stepping over debris and other items on the ground the show pony tip toed through the streets.
Becoming annoyed with the beast, Roland White began to kick harder and then use a whip in attempt to motivate the horse into moving faster. While the horse was being finicky about where it did and didn’t want to run, the chase was getting away as was Roland’s hope of recognition or promotion. He was finally able to get some motivation to the lack luster mount and once again followed the diminishing echoes of trouble.
Running through the streets flailing arms and legs, screaming like he was on fire Porter lead the chase towards the ship. Looking back several times he found that he had lost his tail and was forced to wait while the Naval Officer caught up with him. Half way to the ship a couple thugs tried to rob Porter. Whispering for the robbers to continue to pursue as he passed, they followed a bit befuddled but more than happy to oblige. Finally within sight of the “Vharcan” the sailor ducked into a hideaway the two hoodlums crouched with him waiting to see what the Officer would do and completely distracted by the potential of embarrassing one of the local constabulary.
Chapter 90
Sure as the sun rises when Roland saw the ship bobbing in the harbor all alone his curiosity was piqued as to forget the grand chase he had been on originally. White stopped mid stride and gazed at the “Vharcan” with wide eyed wonder. He figured it was up to something less than legal considering it was harbored alone and had the gang plank lowered, not to mention its menacing color choice. No crew was visible so he figured a trip up to investigate would be note worthy. Tying the worthless mount at the bottom of the gangplank he slowly made way up to the deck.
Desperate to hide a chuckle Porter covered his mouth with both hands. After regaining control he let out a low whistle and retreated back into the shadows. Pulling the other two thugs back with him, they sat and watched as the scene unfolded.
A blazing sunset silhouetted the ship’s masts and sails in an almost elegant image of a sturdy sailing ship. The clear blue still visible peeking from behind the painted clouds gave a perfect background for the figure that stepped up to the plank and looked down to the docks. The Captain, tapping into her female charms, had dressed for the occasion. A long skirt hiked by a silk ribbon at her waist revealed a long shapely leg adorned by a low sandal tied half way up her calf. The black corset secured by red cording hugged her curves and supported her bosoms enhancing the female curves covered by the dark blue blouse. Her hair was fashioned in a long braid that flowed over her shoulder teasing her breast and showing off the pierced elf ears in such an adoring fashion few were able to look away from their graceful curve. Her hands resting on her hips she greeted the unsuspecting Navy Officer who was already more than half way up the plank. Stepping aside she welcomed him aboard a wicked smile curling at her lips as she made one last glance over the rails to her spy on the docks.
“Welcome aboard the “Vharcan”, Officer. You are an Officer, yes? I am Captain of this vessel.” she said in a voice smooth as brandy.
He was barely able to clear the rails when she nuzzled in close to him leading him to a quiet corner of the deck where a table was already set as if she was prepared for a visitor. A tall burning candle and an elegant bottle adorned the middle of the covered surface. The light dinner she had prepared rested on a sideboard awaiting the moment to inspire and amaze. Circling close around him, Greyy lead him to a seat and dished a plate which she served with elegant flair and lavish attention to showing off her own female beauty. Then without explanation or prompting she poured a tall goblet of Savage Ale, knowing full well the effects would be rather dramatic from one holding secrets of an entire Military establishment.
Chapter 91
The evening waned and the Ale flowed free, but Roland was far too drunk to notice that his host was not intoxicated in the least. After the meal and several more goblets of Ale he became rather giddy and flirtatious. Finding her moment to strike, she led him to more comfortable quarters. Passing the rails she gave the signal to her look out on the docks before proceeding to a chamber where the good Officer would be more apt to speak freely.
On a low fainting couch with soft pillows and luxurious tapestries the Captain stroked the young Crewman’s face as she lulled him into a drunken stupor. Her low tones and quiet charms relaxed him into such a state as to tell all of the military secrets and outposts, patrol routs and convoy shipments that he knew. The information gathered that night was priceless!
When Roland White was completely unconscious help was summoned to assist him back to the bar where he was originally found. Quickly scribing the information she unearthed, Greyylene sent word back to Kerrs Redgrave that same night so as not to forget any detail.
Pleased with her deception she retired to her quarters only to discover a small vial left over from White’s stay. It was a potion that sent a shiver down her spine wondering if the information she had just sent was accurate.
The news of her Savage Ale had traveled before her and it seemed as though Roland had been prepared. Closer examination of the contents she found he had not actually taken much of the potion, so perhaps some of what he had said was indeed real. She sent another message to Kerrs asking for a private meeting before any decisions were to be made.
Chapter 92
Leaving Porter in the town as a spy for the “Vharcan”, Greyylene set out to rendezvous with Kerrs. As they traveled she studied the bottle of potion she had discovered. Almost certain that it was not some kind of explosive she decided to look more closely at the contents. Not wishing to ‘test’ the potion on anyone she was forced to use a rat from the hold as a subject. Feeding the rodent enough hard liquor to knock most of her crew over the rails she then dropped a bit of the potion into the rat’s mouth and watched.
She half expected the vermin to convulse and explode into a puff of fur and smoke, but what she witnessed was nothing short of amazing! The rat, who had before been stumbling about barely able to walk, suddenly began to run circles around the small cage, climbing the walls and seeking with diligence a way to escape. Those of the crew who knew of the experiment were amazed at the outcome of the rodent. This was certainly a new avenue in the road to drunken stupors and alcohol induced interrogations.
Returning to her quarters she carefully hid the new potion in a small chest with the Savage Ale. She made a small note of its contents and tied the parchment around the neck of the bottle before slipping it carefully in between two pieces of wood to keep it secure. Closing the chest and setting the lock she hid her treasure back in its hole under her bunk.
The chest itself was rather rugged looking and quite easily over looked, but its technology was a bit more complicated. There were key holes on the front of the box, but they were only as deep as the metal from whence they were forged, and designed to deceive. The top of the box had an intricate inlaid design of metal strapping and carved wood patterns. Most of the rosettes were of different faces and each held a key hole. The correct key hole cleverly hidden behind one of the inlaid panels melted into the rest of the design on the top. When the hole was revealed by lifting up the box to insert the key into a post underneath, it then released the locking mechanism allowing the key to turn multiple tumblers simultaneously and loose the catch.
With the Ale and the ‘remedy’ safely tucked back in the hiding place the Captain was better able to fo
cus her attentions on things at hand, like the information she was given and the consequences of it. She knew that Kerrs would want to plan an immediate attack, given the intelligence she was given, but she wasn’t completely convinced it was accurate. The discovery of the remedy gave her serious concerns.
Chapter 93
Heading North by North West the “Vharcan” and “Terror of the Seas” made their way to the village of New Hope. Originally settled by a cult group of humans as a way station for trade, it became more popular to outlaws, thugs and wild beasts. The people were constantly being invaded or attacked by some unruly band of cutthroats giving the settlement the dubious nick name of No Hope.
It was here that the Naval Officer had stated that the Navy would be collecting a shipment of valuable jewels, textiles and tax revenues to transport back to the Royal Coffers. This information was far too juicy to ignore!
Chapter 94
Returning to his post Roland White was feeling a bit less than his normal self. His head was swimming with images of beautiful women and ferocious beasts. He vaguely remembered seeing himself drooling over the woman captain but not really minding at all that he was making a complete mess of his uniform. The memories of an amazing meal fit for a king along with a drink so fine and smooth it could not be compared with anything he’d ever tasted rushed him like a tidal wave.
Enjoying the fond memories of the evening as they played back in his mind gave his step a little lilt. Over and over in his mind’s eye he savored the vision of the female beauty that showered him with attention and charm. Then the recollection of what he had done stopped him dead in his tracks. He was horrified at himself for being so easily taken by a pretty girl. His face drained of all color and his steps came to a halt. He stood in the middle of the street as he realized what he had to do.
With a heavy sigh he altered his direction and reported to the headquarters building on the outskirts of town. He had not been summoned to report but waiting would mean bigger trouble than what he knew he was in already.
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