Snippet #1873722

Instinctually Shaafir did his best to avoid the woman who was pulled almost directly into his chest by her thoughtless husband. The dock was tightly cluttered with bodies, and despite his efforts both he and Edgar bumped roughly into their true navigator. A putrid stench left in John’s wake caused the Elgoysian’s nose to rumple in disgust. Though he had long since dismissed any notion of a benevolent god, he silently prayed for the woman’s sake that the alcoholic fraud had not cursed her with any children yet.

Keen peripheral vision caught him as he turned to board. A parting kiss from one captain to another? This thickened the plot. Though it was of little surprise, Finch had a nose for reading people, his suspicions now confirmed as Gareth watched her disappear onto The Jade Moon. Chaos and trauma had a funny way of driving people together, and if The Hangman and her crew were involved in the two captains shared past it was undoubtedly involved both in droves. His prying eyes back towards the ship as the captain turned, not wanting to seem overly inquisitive on private matters; quickly following Gareth on board.

The gentle lull of the ship felt good under Finch’s feet. He stood still, allowing the river of sailors and crewmen to pour around him, squinting up at the crow‘s nest and slowly running his eyes up and down the entire structure on which it was perched. Even through the harsh flare of the sun hiding just behind the furled sail his trained eyes could make out the hearty reinforcement. Much of the wood in the New World was denser, heavier, less prone to splitting and snapping. It appeared who ever drafted the plans for this vessel was more than aware. Using a clever triangular base to double both as an initial ladder and sturdy support for the towering mast. It was likely that even a direct blast from a heavy cannon wouldn’t collapse the beam, a fact Shaafir was more than grateful for.

He smiled approvingly, turning and running his fingers across the smooth surface of the banister. He had the benefit of not having much to do initially besides get a feel for the ship. Mercifully no one had been shot yet, which was more than he could say for some of the crew he had the misfortune of being assigned to. Even “her majesty’s” royal navy was caulk full of ignorant and violent men. Finch had already picked up on the eyes and whispered words between some of the marines and sailors he walked amongst, even others from Ergolyse were occasionally bigoted towards his people, Berghul, Sand-Walkers. Truthfully it was of little concern, they’d not last very long without his talents and even the most hateful man knew the value of a doctor on board. In his childhood a woman had been saved herself from being ravished by the entire crew aboard The Skyward Star with her medical knowledge. It was a lesson he often repeated to himself when his stomach started to turn.

As the crew assembled on the main deck just out of port the Captain addressed the crew, making clear his intentions and rules while aboard the vessel. There was a discernable hardness to his voice, like a scary mask put on to frighten children, to emphasis his point. Yes, there was no doubt. Gareth wouldn’t stop until he caught up with his past or it destroyed him. His eyes had gone cold and dark, revealing an internal fire that burned like a frozen ocean wind on bare flesh.

Finch shuddered slightly. There was little qualm he had with violence in the face of self preservation; but a vendetta like Gareth’s could drive a man to do horrible, deceitful things in the name of the greater good. It was a dangerous line they would be walking, Shaafir promised himself to be vigilant, especially once they found themselves hot on the trail of their pirate prey.

As the crew dispersed to their work, Shaafir briefly busied himself admiring more of the ship’s construction before the call of his pseudonym drew his attention to their captain. In a handful of long strides he had made his way to their leaders side, who seemed to be discussing something with the smallest member of their crew.

Only his eyes smiled with pride for only a passing moment at Gareth’s remark of his skill, attention too quickly focused on the words which came next. His face hardened, muscles in his jaw puffing out as teeth clamped together. The fact Gareth seemed to be on top of the situation did little to comfort Shaafir in the knowledge John was not to be dealt with promptly.

“Ni’ghatta! Dezoleh hauk-” Finch growled in uncharacteristic protest. Catching himself, his face contorted in frustration. “Yes, Captain. This one will see your task done.”

His eyes turned downward to meet Kaitsu, their tiny boatswain, who seemed to be sizing him up considerably as she moved ropes that seemed to outweigh her by a great deal. The pair paused a moment, the intentions of both unclear but the goal the same. Shaafir wordlessly steered to the door which housed the drunken abuser and his wife, awaiting his much smaller companion to follow suit.