Ben's NaNoWriMo Log

Chapter 34 added Sep 23, 2005
Sailing a ship reminded Sarah of the Wolf Pack's precise marching. It took the coordinated efforts of a dozen men to manipulate the various ropes, wheels, and winches to position the great sails to catch the wind. She had never given much thought to how sailing ships worked; she thought that the wind just blew them along. As Mordial patiently explained to her the concepts of tacking, beating, reaches, and runs, Alec took his instruction from the crew themselves. There was a lot of information to absorb, but Sarah focused her mind and quickly grasped each new concept. Her dedication was a much a product of her desire to irk her teacher as of her looming deadline. By the end of two weeks of maneuvers in the waters near Blood Tide, even Captain Mordial had to admit that she had become a competent sailor. While Sarah was learning how to command a ship's crew, Alec was becoming one of them. His outgoing personality and offbeat sense of humor won him many friends among the seamen. There wasn't any real need for another crewman, but he professed a childhood dream of sailing the great ships he had seen in his youth. While this was true enough, he was also tasked with determining the true feelings of the crew toward their masters, both new and old. Opinions were divided, though not generally surprising. The sailors had little faith in Sarah's ability to command, and were suspicious of her intentions. She had not yet made it known what their mission would be, and the men under her command were uneasy with the mystery. Their opinions of Mordial were just as predictable: they were confident in his ability to command the ship, but they were unhappy with the small share they had in even the conservative targets that he preferred. Aside from a few grumbling Midlanders who had little desire to serve under a woman, most were reserving their final judgment until she made her true plans known. Molly and Lars were busy as well, though they had no desire or aptitude for actual sailing. They put themselves to work learning the techniques of boarding ships and fighting on the close, swaying quarters of a ship's deck. Molly gave as well as she got, instructing the crew on the finer points of swordplay. A few of her students sneered at her choice of weapons, to which she responded by trouncing them with any other sword they could find. Lars had little to say, let alone teach, but none doubted his potential value in a fight. The sun broke free from a pack of gray clouds as the Fortune's Favorite came back from its latest run along the rocky coast. Steam rose from the deck as the wet sailors began to dry out. They pulled the sails in tight, drifting slowly through the cliffs and back into the cove. Sarah ordered the anchor dropped out in the middle of the small harbor. She made her way to the poopdeck rail as the crew assembled once more on the deck below. This time Alec, Molly, and Lars were standing out in the midst of their new crewmates. Sarah put her hands on the rail as she looked out over the faces that had become so familiar over the past weeks. Captain Mordial stood behind her and off to one side, hands clasped behind his back. Finally, Sarah addressed the crew. "I've learned a lot over these past two weeks, and I appreciate your patience as I get my sea legs." The men below muttered. "This isn't why I've called this meeting, though. I can't expect you to follow me into the unknown; it's time for you to know what it is I plan for you and this ship." She took a deep breath, then continued, "The King of Jal Kufri is sending a shipment of weapons to Moril in six weeks. It will no doubt be aboard a heavily defended Royal navy frigate. With your help, I intend to steal it." Shouts went up from the assembled sailors. Most were expressing simple disbelief; many were questioning her sanity. A few seemed surprisingly supportive. "It's a great risk, I know, but the rewards are equally great. I will take no more than a quarter share of the profits from this venture; the rest shall be yours." Most captains took at least half. Mordial had taken even more to support his gambling habit. In truth, Sarah would have been happy to keep nothing for herself, but then they would truly think her mad. "I cannot force you to go with me. I can only ask you to follow me in this venture." The shouts had quieted to a constant rumble. The promise of riches was a strong lure, though not quite strong enough to overcome the reputation of the Kufriti Royal Navy on its own. After a moment, she spoke again. "I offer you a choice." She turned and gestured for Mordial to approach. "Captain Mordial, I am the owner of this ship, but I am not truly its master. You have been true to your word, and have instructed me well in the skills a good captain needs. I hereby release you from any obligation to me." She turned back to the crew. "It is up to you good men now. You can return to your old course, pilfering from hapless merchants as you have done for years. Or," she said, curling her fingers into a fist before her, "you can fulfill the dreams of every pirate on the seas. You can spit in the eye of a king, and steal his riches from under his nose. Defy the greatest navy in the world, and live to tell the tale." Her words hung in the salty air for a few heartbeats, and Sarah began to despair. Then the cheering began. Mordial turned to her and doffed his hat, offering it up to her. She placed it on her head with a smile. "Mr. Mordial, I value your advice still. Will you do me the pleasure of being my first mate for this venture?" "Aye," he replied. he leaned close to her and spoke in a low voice, "Honestly, I think I like the idea of being second in command. With all due respect, I'd rather everything be your fault than mine." Sarah nodded, her smile fading somewhat. She held these men's lives in her hands now, and it would take more than speeches to pull off what she intended. "Your point is well taken, Mr. Mordial." She looked out over the expectant crew, then back to her new first mate. "I promised you a secret weapon. I think it's time to unsheathe it."
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