Post by Chief Baliff Ealora on Sept 7, 2008 20:42:31 GMT -6
The Shadow Storm sat within the harbor, amazing that a ship could be only an item, a thing and have the look of a person, itching, wanting to get back to sea. Ealora perched herself on a crate upon the doctk and just watched the roll and sway of the ship back and forth, straining its tether then easing. Soon my pet, soon. She seemed to utter in her mind to the ship. She had only wait for the last of her men to return, having given the call an hour ago, she was more then sure they were ready to return to the sea. Ready for the task at hand.
A tap to her shoulder and she swiveled on the crate to see the smiling face of her first. That smile could only one thing and for the first time since arriving in Skye, she smiled in return. A true smile. Bouncing off the crate she lead the way towards the ship.
"All men accounted for?" Dumb question but she had to ask it.
"Accounted and awaiting orders Cap'n"Came the rough tone of her first.
"Supplies replenished?" She asked.
"All that needed so Cap'n"Came the reply.
Ealora smile only seemed to brighten at the words, as routine as they were, the light of the smile touched her eyes and made them blaze with fire as they fairly ran up the gangplank and onto the deck of the Shadowed Storm. The men were all ready at work, prepping the deck for the journey. At the arrival of the Captain, they all stopped and stared, waiting for the final word.
"Cast off all lines, bring her about and bring me that fresh salty air!"She gave out the call.
They cry went out and the men broke, each having their own task to do to bring the ship around and into open waters. Each would have the hell to pay for a job undone. The only two that remained was the first mate and the second who followed Ealora towards the captains quarters. She trusted the men to get the Shadow Storm under way, they had been with her since day one and yes, she had a temper when a bad job was done in the safety of a good launch. Shutting the door behind her and the men, she returned to a wide desk she had not visited in some time upon which sat a map and optical for charting. Sliding into the wide chair behind the desk, she turned celadon eyes to the two men who took residence in front of the desk. Both men had been with her since before the birth of the Shadowed Storm. One had followed her off the last ship and onto her pride and joy, the other had taken only a week longer but both had held her trust and friendship as no other had in her lifetime. Both men awaited her direction. Silently awaiting the storm the shadow would bring upon their quarry.
"Sam, What is the latest report?"She broke the silence while leaning forward and regarding the map upon her desk. She didn't need to watch him to know his report would be honest.
"Captain Daniel headed out of Skye's port early yesterday morning. Our informant relayed that he is headed towards the West Indies. "Came the gruff reply.
Ealora gave a nod of her head as she traced a finger over the water between the isles of skye out to the open sea towards the Indies"Very good, Taylor, do we have a list?"
"We do"Came a second reply, this voice was much smoother then the first and a piece of parchment was slid into Ealora view upon the table.
Grasping the paper, she leaned back and raised it to eye level. Her lips pulled into a tight frown. Folding the parchment up, she slid into a space between her shirt and vest. Celadon eyes moved to the gentleman in front of her desk.
"As you both know, this is the last lead till we go after Captain Brad." She spoke slowly, evenly letting no emotion control her voice. She could see the two men exchanging glances without moving their head. Her lips twitched as if she wanted to smile. All three of them had a past with the Captain. Ealora had been the deepest inflict. The scars upon her back where a constant reminder.
"If neither of you want to be apart of it, then I suggest, when we make port in Skye again, you leave this ship..."She spoke again, still evenly, darkly, letting a pause linger before continuing"and don't come back."
The two men exchanged looks again, this time each turned their heads to look at the other then in unison, returned their gaze back to their Captain. They silence might of worried another but Ealora knew the meaning of it. They were with her. Lifting up from her chair, she lead the way back on deck, her two best mates a step behind her.
"Taylor, relieve the helm. I trust you most in getting us to where we need to go and to evade our quarry until the right moment."She spoke without turning her head and felt the presence of one leaving her side. All ready the port was decreasing in size, she turned to watch it become a dot on the horizon. Celadon eyes shifted to watch Sam at her left before she turned and moved towards the front of the ship. Her first stayed at her side the entire time.
"You've something to say Sam?"She asked of her First Mate.
"Ealora, you saved my hide countless times in the past. Till I learned the ropes of this life. You've watched my back where others you would have stabbed in their weakness. But..I can not help but think your leading your men to ruin in chasing Captain Brad"Came the gruff reply of her first.
Reaching out, she grasped the railing of the Shadow and leaned upon it. She had no fear of death, she had fear of judgement from the Gods though. Would she had an eternity of pain as she had caused or would she have a eternity of blissful comfort with those she had loved and lost. She was silent for a long while, thinking on what she was doing and why she was doing it. Was she simply doing it for the greater good or was she doing it for revenge? She had been at the mercy of Captain Brad once before, thankfully her scars could be hidden. Poor Sam, he could not hide the rage inflicted on him, the scar that ran the length of his neck, the gruffness of his voice because of such an injury on such a young soul. He had followed her, blindly at times and had perhaps out of respect for her, taken every judgement she had made with pride.
"Sam, lives are ruined every day by his raging ways. Lives that were lived only in peace before meeting the darkness that is that man"Came her reply finally as she turned to regard her first.
"There is no rest for the wicked. There will be no redemption for my past. I.."she paused and reached out to her first, caressing the scar as if he were a lover of hers before pulling her hand away"I pray that you will survive this, move on and find the best that life has to offer. You have been a good friend but I will let no others suffer for what I should of done years ago but after this, I need change Sam. We have been like family, the three of us...and the men."
Sam was a young man in relatively simple standards, at a mere four years less then Ealora, he looked haggard, life had taken its toll on the Sailor. Dirty blonde hair was in a disarray, short at top and fanning out to his shoulders. A small beard had grown around his lips and chin but at the scar it stopped and went no further. He looked at Ealora as if she were a beast of the depths, something mystical he was not supposed to see. He saw the look her eye, there was a good chance the confrontation with Captain Brad would be the end of some of the men and perhaps even his Captain, the woman he had admired, respected and felt as if a brother. Reaching out he pulled her into a hug and held on tight. Ealora let out a champagne bubble like laugh as she patted his back then pushed him back.
"Get off me ye dolt else the men might think we've lost our minds"Ealora spoke then nodded her head towards the crew"Go help out the new fish afore they muck up my ship."
Sam took a step back then disappeared towards the lower decks at his Captains request. Ealora turned to watch the sea welcome the ship into her embrace. A mass of water on either side, as far as the eye could see, one large arm embracing one of her children in a welcome home. It was not fear of death that gripped her then. It was a fear that soon, with her mission complete..She would not know what to do next. She would be a useless dolt on land but the prospect of something new, did light a fire within her veins. She was a fighter, a survivor and she would fight and she would survive.
A tap to her shoulder and she swiveled on the crate to see the smiling face of her first. That smile could only one thing and for the first time since arriving in Skye, she smiled in return. A true smile. Bouncing off the crate she lead the way towards the ship.
"All men accounted for?" Dumb question but she had to ask it.
"Accounted and awaiting orders Cap'n"Came the rough tone of her first.
"Supplies replenished?" She asked.
"All that needed so Cap'n"Came the reply.
Ealora smile only seemed to brighten at the words, as routine as they were, the light of the smile touched her eyes and made them blaze with fire as they fairly ran up the gangplank and onto the deck of the Shadowed Storm. The men were all ready at work, prepping the deck for the journey. At the arrival of the Captain, they all stopped and stared, waiting for the final word.
"Cast off all lines, bring her about and bring me that fresh salty air!"She gave out the call.
They cry went out and the men broke, each having their own task to do to bring the ship around and into open waters. Each would have the hell to pay for a job undone. The only two that remained was the first mate and the second who followed Ealora towards the captains quarters. She trusted the men to get the Shadow Storm under way, they had been with her since day one and yes, she had a temper when a bad job was done in the safety of a good launch. Shutting the door behind her and the men, she returned to a wide desk she had not visited in some time upon which sat a map and optical for charting. Sliding into the wide chair behind the desk, she turned celadon eyes to the two men who took residence in front of the desk. Both men had been with her since before the birth of the Shadowed Storm. One had followed her off the last ship and onto her pride and joy, the other had taken only a week longer but both had held her trust and friendship as no other had in her lifetime. Both men awaited her direction. Silently awaiting the storm the shadow would bring upon their quarry.
"Sam, What is the latest report?"She broke the silence while leaning forward and regarding the map upon her desk. She didn't need to watch him to know his report would be honest.
"Captain Daniel headed out of Skye's port early yesterday morning. Our informant relayed that he is headed towards the West Indies. "Came the gruff reply.
Ealora gave a nod of her head as she traced a finger over the water between the isles of skye out to the open sea towards the Indies"Very good, Taylor, do we have a list?"
"We do"Came a second reply, this voice was much smoother then the first and a piece of parchment was slid into Ealora view upon the table.
Grasping the paper, she leaned back and raised it to eye level. Her lips pulled into a tight frown. Folding the parchment up, she slid into a space between her shirt and vest. Celadon eyes moved to the gentleman in front of her desk.
"As you both know, this is the last lead till we go after Captain Brad." She spoke slowly, evenly letting no emotion control her voice. She could see the two men exchanging glances without moving their head. Her lips twitched as if she wanted to smile. All three of them had a past with the Captain. Ealora had been the deepest inflict. The scars upon her back where a constant reminder.
"If neither of you want to be apart of it, then I suggest, when we make port in Skye again, you leave this ship..."She spoke again, still evenly, darkly, letting a pause linger before continuing"and don't come back."
The two men exchanged looks again, this time each turned their heads to look at the other then in unison, returned their gaze back to their Captain. They silence might of worried another but Ealora knew the meaning of it. They were with her. Lifting up from her chair, she lead the way back on deck, her two best mates a step behind her.
"Taylor, relieve the helm. I trust you most in getting us to where we need to go and to evade our quarry until the right moment."She spoke without turning her head and felt the presence of one leaving her side. All ready the port was decreasing in size, she turned to watch it become a dot on the horizon. Celadon eyes shifted to watch Sam at her left before she turned and moved towards the front of the ship. Her first stayed at her side the entire time.
"You've something to say Sam?"She asked of her First Mate.
"Ealora, you saved my hide countless times in the past. Till I learned the ropes of this life. You've watched my back where others you would have stabbed in their weakness. But..I can not help but think your leading your men to ruin in chasing Captain Brad"Came the gruff reply of her first.
Reaching out, she grasped the railing of the Shadow and leaned upon it. She had no fear of death, she had fear of judgement from the Gods though. Would she had an eternity of pain as she had caused or would she have a eternity of blissful comfort with those she had loved and lost. She was silent for a long while, thinking on what she was doing and why she was doing it. Was she simply doing it for the greater good or was she doing it for revenge? She had been at the mercy of Captain Brad once before, thankfully her scars could be hidden. Poor Sam, he could not hide the rage inflicted on him, the scar that ran the length of his neck, the gruffness of his voice because of such an injury on such a young soul. He had followed her, blindly at times and had perhaps out of respect for her, taken every judgement she had made with pride.
"Sam, lives are ruined every day by his raging ways. Lives that were lived only in peace before meeting the darkness that is that man"Came her reply finally as she turned to regard her first.
"There is no rest for the wicked. There will be no redemption for my past. I.."she paused and reached out to her first, caressing the scar as if he were a lover of hers before pulling her hand away"I pray that you will survive this, move on and find the best that life has to offer. You have been a good friend but I will let no others suffer for what I should of done years ago but after this, I need change Sam. We have been like family, the three of us...and the men."
Sam was a young man in relatively simple standards, at a mere four years less then Ealora, he looked haggard, life had taken its toll on the Sailor. Dirty blonde hair was in a disarray, short at top and fanning out to his shoulders. A small beard had grown around his lips and chin but at the scar it stopped and went no further. He looked at Ealora as if she were a beast of the depths, something mystical he was not supposed to see. He saw the look her eye, there was a good chance the confrontation with Captain Brad would be the end of some of the men and perhaps even his Captain, the woman he had admired, respected and felt as if a brother. Reaching out he pulled her into a hug and held on tight. Ealora let out a champagne bubble like laugh as she patted his back then pushed him back.
"Get off me ye dolt else the men might think we've lost our minds"Ealora spoke then nodded her head towards the crew"Go help out the new fish afore they muck up my ship."
Sam took a step back then disappeared towards the lower decks at his Captains request. Ealora turned to watch the sea welcome the ship into her embrace. A mass of water on either side, as far as the eye could see, one large arm embracing one of her children in a welcome home. It was not fear of death that gripped her then. It was a fear that soon, with her mission complete..She would not know what to do next. She would be a useless dolt on land but the prospect of something new, did light a fire within her veins. She was a fighter, a survivor and she would fight and she would survive.
