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=               [Dragon] 1.14 - To the Boat - Pas du Mer                =
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"Let's get the hell out of here," Thanin grumbled and hoisted his pack
over his shoulder.  The dwarf did not look back to see if his
companions were following - he'd had enough of Pas du Mer and wouldn't
feel at ease until they were aboard their ship.

Brianna looked around the table at her companions, shrugged and
polished off her mug of beer in one gulp.  She stood up, grabbed her
stuff, paused, then grabbed the sack Pryztouth had left and started
out the door.

Adain nodded, finished his glass of wine and, taking his cloak from
the chair, he stood up calmly. The rest followed as well.

As the evening sunlight fell over his shoulders and dark brown hair,
the dwarf took a deep, calming breath.  "You guys still with me?"
Brianna answered, "I am coming, but I need to fetch the horses first."

"I am always with you, my friend, let's start the trip whenever you
want," added Adain as he smiled to the dwarf. "C'mon, Brianna, I'll
help you with the horses."

They went in to get the horses, and Brianna had a small problem
convincing Shadowmist that everything was o.k.  Once the horse started
to settle, Brianna mounted her horse and lead Shadowmist outside.
Just as the rest of the party was emerging from the stables,
Shadowmist whinnied and took off.  Brianna spun her horse around
towards the group and said "Damn!  That fiery tart of a horse of his
just ran off.  I've got to go chase her.  Someone please help me..."
and took off after Shadowmist.

Thwuck was the first to react. As he switched to a long-paced run, he
yanked the straps of his backpack tight to keep it from bumping. He
couldn't keep up with the running horses, but didn't lag behind much.

Thanin was nearly thrown from his mount, and fumbled with the reigns
before regaining control.  "C'mon mule, let's ..."  The dwarf's words
were lost in his throat as his mule took off after Brianna and Thwuck.

Brianna chased the horse into the woods and eventually found her in a
clearing, stopped dead in her tracks, facing what appears to be an
unconscious wolf.  Brianna dismounted a few meters behind Shadowmist, took
out her sword, and slowly approached the skittish horse, never turning her
back on the wolf.  She talked softly to the skittish horseq, calming her.
She then put away her sword and slowly paced off the few meters to the
wolf.

Brianna knelt down to closer examine the wolf.  To say the wolf was in bad
shape would be an understatement.  It's breathing was labored and sporadic;
it's tongue hung limply from it's mouth.  Blood trickled from what seemed
to be old and new wounds.  It was a large animal, perhaps chest height if
it were to stand on all fours, and it's blonde and grey fur was spotted
with blood.  The skin around one of it's eyes bled slowly.

Thwuck slowed down when he saw Brianna down on the ground. He knit his
brows, as if unable to believe the scene. A horse running _towards_ a wolf?
Or was it just coincidence that Shadowmist had run to this place?  He
walked past Brianna's horse, which seemed solidly calm, to Shadowmist,
taking her bridle to steady her.  "Brianna? What's happening?"

The others followed closely on Thwuck's heels.  Thanin dismounted and
glared at his mule, but he managed to keep his harsh words to himself.

Brianna looked up at the group and said "I can not leave an animal in
this condition."  She then bent back over the wolf to make sure it
could travel without the journey doing any further damage.

The dwarf rolled his eyes and muttered to himself about bringing every
stray thing with them on this journey.  "It's going to bleed all over
your clothes woman," he grumbled.  Then, more gently as he approached.
"Let's clean the poor thing up."

After they had cleaned away some of the blood and dirt, Thanin removed
one of the healing salves he'd purchased earlier and applied it to the
wolf's injuries.  "This stuff is damned expensive so I hope the bloody
wolf appreciates this."  Though the gruffness had returned to the
dwarf's voice, he could not help but feel compassion for the animal.

Shadowmist was trying to move closer to Brianna, pushing against Thwuck's
hold. He loosened his grip on the reigns and slowly allowed the grey mare
to take her own lead. Brianna noticed their approach and tried to lift the
wolf onto Shadowmist's back.

"Here, take her bridle, then I'll pick up the wolf," Thwuck said in a
gentle voice. The muscles on his broad back rippled with strain as he
slowly lifted the huge beast. Shadowmist seemed only slightly
skitterish about having the wolf on her back.  Brianna turned back to
the group and said, "I think we have wasted enough of our time here,
lets get to that boat and get the hell out of here!"

There was no one who disagreed with her. Though the air was thick with
unasked questions, everybody realised that these could wait. Thwuck fell in
next to Thanin, as they plodded through the streets towards the
harbor. Having seen the wolf up close, they both had noticed the familiar
silver bracelet around its paw. The friends didn't need to talk about what
was on their minds. They only wanted to get going.

                        *       *       *

There was less than two hours of sunlight left when they reached the
harbor. Fishermen were inspecting their nets just before they would
set off for the nightly catch, but otherwise the area was relatively
deserted. The shambling bars, heavily affected by the salty sea air,
were filling up with sailors planning on spending their money on cheap
grog and beer.

The company first stopped in front of an unimposing ship, which had
the name Izobekovic painted on its side in dull grey letters, just
like Tawas had told them. Apparently it had only come in around noon;
its crew was still busy tending the ropes, sail and deck. A
broadshouldered man wearing a triangular hat was smoking a pipe at the
stern. He looked down at the group with ill-concealed contempt.

"Yee must be them fellas as would be lookin' for a ride to Dragon's
Island," he said. "I see Tawas is not with ya, but yee can come on up
an' help cleanin' my Lady." He cackled wickedly.

Thwuck turned to Adain and whispered: "I think it would be wiser to
take the other boat. The one you told us about this morning. I don't
trust this captain. Tawas's friends make me as uneasy as the drow did
himself."

Adain nodded and said softly to Thwuck "Yes, Thwuck, I think you're
right. I don't like the looks of the captain nor the crew. The
fisherman that offered me his boat is old, but his boat is not."

As the two companions spoke privately with one another, Thanin let the
captain know his perspective of the situation.  "You're boat's no
better than driftwood, I'll bet.  And none of us'll do the work of
your crew!"  Turning back to his friends he added, "I knew I never
liked that drow.  With friends like this you don't need enemies."

"By the six bloody Gods of the sea, take back them impudent words or
I'll stuff a fornicating whale up thy nose, yee red faced hunchbacked
excuse for a dwarf! My Lady be the pride of the sea! Grog and whores!
Now get yee up here!"

The dwarf's beard bristled and his face went beet-red as he started to
draw his weapon, but a hand laid gently on his shoulder stayed him.
"Get me out of here before I rip his face off," he whispered between
clenched teeth.

The captain continued to curse as the company moved on. They ignored
his remarks, although they were prepared for a more direct
assault. However, no one left the ship to attack them, and they were
soon out of sight.

"Adain, I sure hope to hell you've found a less seedier bunch..."
Thanin continued to grumble, though he was really glad to be out in
the open again.

Adain laughed. Putting a hand over the dwarf's shoulders, he said
jovially: "Don't worry o furious one. I think that the boat will be
just right for the trip. This friend of me, F'norless, is an able
seaman and I learned from him, long ago, the differences between a
good and a bad ship!"
        
Adain led them to a part of the harbor that was mostly filled with
pleasure boats. On the decks parties were under way, each trying to
outdo the others with respect to food, drink, music and entertainment.

In a corner of the docks a medium ship was anchored, which balanced
rythmically with the sea's movement. It had no pavillion but in the
front there was a sculpted white unicorn. A little wooden stair lead
to the ship. There was no one in sight.

Adain walked to the stairs and shouted "IS ANYBODY ON BOARD?".

Nearly immediately a deep voice answered to his shout. "YES, COME ON,
GET ABOARD". Adain turned to his friends and said "The name of the
captain is Valjean, and he's a curious man, you'll see.."

Thwuck looked from Adain to the boat and back. "Yes, this one seems
more adequate for a sea journey. But are you sure it's a fishing boat?
It looks a bit luxurious to me."

The dwarf, who had no idea of the difference between a merchant ship
and a canoe - they both floated on water didn't they? - started up the
gangplank without a thought to the ship's design.  He stopped, his
mouth agape, when the captain made his appearance.

He was a wirey old human who carried a surprisingly large presense
despite his unusually short stature. His silvery grey hair was pulled
back into a tight braid bound in leather, and his equally grey beard
was cropped short.  He wore a pair of old brown trowsers, folded
precisely to fit in his calf-high boots.  His white shirt billowed in
the wind, giving him a dwarfish appearance.  Bright blue eyes examined
the group shrewdly, but at the same time showed a warm twinkle that
promised of adventure.  At his right side hung a used looking
broadsword, on which his left hand now rested.

Although the captain radiated intelligence and trustworthiness, it was
not his appearance that astonished Thanin. It was the creature
standing right behind him. A tall, muscular male, with perfectly black
skin, his eyes glowing like bright white lights in his face. And then,
of course, there was the matter of the third arm that grew from his
body, giving him two right hands.

The captain looked at the group standing below and said, in a soft
voice: "Well, elf, I thought you were drowning yourself in ale, as
late as you are."

Adain crossed his arms in front of his chest and replied: "Yes,
captain Valjean, and it's good to see you in a good mood this
evening. These are the people I told you about. We can cast off
whenever you like!".

Valjean offered him a half smile and waved a hand to all of them "OK,
you incompetent lot, get your dry bodies inside this boat; the breeze
is fresh and it blows with enough force to get us where you want to
go!"

The black man descended from the ship, jumping the last two meters to the
shore, as Thanin was still blocking the gangplank. Without a word he took
hold of the bridles of Brianna's horse, and Shadowmist's, and the reigns of
Thanin's mule. When he reached the dwarf, he handed the reigns to him,
motioning that he should lead the beast up the plank.

When all the others were on board, Adain took his backpack and,
walking carefully in order not to fall into the sea, entered the ship,
while his cloack waved into the nightly gusts of winds.

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=  [DI] Volume 01  Scene 14                  Copyright (c) 1 Nov, 1996  =
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=  Adain	     --  The Cheshire Cat       --  cat@adi.uam.es            =
=  Thanin	     --  Darren Robinson        --  drobin02@uoguelph.ca      =
=  Brianna	--  Ann Straut-Esden       --  Tammarion@aol.com         =
=  Thwuck 	--  Mark Vanhommerig       --  mvan@oce.nl               =
=  Melmar	     --  Andrew of Scarborough  --  AStoner@MAIL.WESLEYAN.EDU =
=  Prytzouth	--  Chad C. Walstrom       --  cwalstro@d.umn.edu        =
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