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Snippet #2823298

located in The Three Realms, a part of Leave of the King, one of the many universes on RPG.

The Three Realms

The three realms of the Kingdoms of the Elves, Humans, and the Dwarves.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Phaedra Raephen Character Portrait: Vonmyr Dalgaard Character Portrait: Aramis Devereux Character Portrait: Laou Tsai-zhan Character Portrait: Melarue Syllar Character Portrait: Megina Sigbyrn Character Portrait: Rosalyn Laurence Character Portrait: Rendrik Hezenkrald Character Portrait: Bayard Volstrƶm
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.aramis
devereux

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
captainx|xswashbuckler
#9f8c7dx|xattire
.rosalyn
laurence

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
midwifex|xhealer
#c89600x|xattire
bayard
volstrƶm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
king's guardx|xknight
#8ba3a6x|xattire
.phaedra
raephen

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prisonerx|xassassin
#b1aecbx|xattire
.vonmyr
dalgaard

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prisonerx|xbandit bard
.#1e7772x|xattire

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Bayard didn't say anything nor follow after the red headed mage after Aramis's interjection. After all, his charge was Melarue. If Rosalyn went to the ship or didn't, that wasn't his fault. That would rest on the captain's shoulders and not his. So rather than argue further he focused his attention back to the task at hand. The dark haired mage shook her head not desiring anything from the smith, which was probably for the better. The woman was already a walking weapon, arming her with blades might put the others more on edge than they already were. Plus, he imagined that if Melarue really wanted a dagger she'd have no trouble taking one from the others.

A hearty pat on his back brought Bayard back out of his thoughts. His gaze followed the arm to the person it reached out from, Rendrik. "I wouldnā€™t trouble yourself over the lady." He looked over in the general direction that Rosalyn retreated towards before turning his attention back towards the man. "No one could possibly say anything right in this case. Not even this guy," Rendrik raised his arm causing the talkative dwarf to mimic his movements due to the shackles.

"I'm not," Bayard replied coldly. "My charge is Melarue," he said as he held his arm back out for Mel to hold onto for support. "But if that mage, or anyone else, compromises this mission... I'll handle it."

Vonmyr's brows furrowed as he watched the pair walk away. "Well isn't he a ray of sunshine." The dwarf scoffed as his short legs worked a little harder to keep him walking at the same speed as Rendrik. "You don't think he'd threaten Red, do you?" Perhaps Von had grown a soft spot for Rosalyn, but so far she is the only person who's been genuinely nice to him. She might not be a solider like the rest of them, but she understood the stakes. She just had more to lose than some of them. No one wanted to be there, but he wasn't go to be dragged around kicking and screaming like Megina.

Aramis was the last to gather his items and while he looked busy fastening his holster around his waist, he still heard the conversation being shared by Rendrik and Bayard. They hadn't even started on their journey, yet each passing moment caused a larger pit to grow in his stomach. He always knew the King's Guard to be a loyal man but he hardly thought threats were necessary this early on. Some of them had family they might never see again... That called for some sympathy.

He gave his shackle a gentle tug, nudging Megina in the direction of the docks. "Let's go."

When they reached The Siren at least a dozen guards waited on the docks to assure they all board the ship and set off without an issue from the prisoners. Aramis slowed down to face the men, one of which held out the keys to the shackles. As he took them his gaze flitting over to the ship for a brief moment, just long enough to see a tuft of red curls blowing in the wind. Thank the Gods. He couldn't imagine Bayard's anger if she wasn't there.

"Donā€™t worry, I wonā€™t let the big bad dwarf get ya," Rendrik teased.

On cue, Vonmyr took a quick step forward and snapped his teeth at one of the younger guards. The lad gasped and stubbled backwards, tripping over a barrel and would have nearly fallen off the dock if it weren't for the man beside him grabbing ahold of his breastplate to steady him. "For fuck's sake, Lambert," the older man grumbled.

The dwarf half doubled over as he broke out in a loud, belly aching laughter. It was too easy. He thought maybe one of them would pull away, but the fact the boy nearly went into the water was brilliant. For a brief moment it subsided until he looked over his shoulder and saw the flustered young man. Vonmyr let out a bellowing laugh as he gave Rendrik a hearty slap to the back before heading up the ramp to the ship. "You're not so bad, old man."

While Rendrik worked to free the dwarf, Aramis looked down at Megina. To say he didn't trust her was an understatement. Most of them seemed to accept their sentence, but she appeared to be the type to try and run away the first chance she got. It didn't leave him much of a choice. So, he took her up near the helm. But rather than freeing her, he removed the shackle from his wrist, wrapped the chain around the ship's railing, then fastened the cuff to her free wrist. "Sorry," he said with a shrug of his shoulder before standing upright. "We both know you'd try to escape."

Rose watched as the others boarded the ship, but couldn't fight her lingering gaze that drifted back toward the town. She didn't have a prisoner shackled to herself so didn't bother getting all mixed up in removing shackles. Distracted, she hardly noticed Rendrik approaching until he sat on the crate beside her. "I canā€™t promise that youā€™ll get to see your family again, but..." he paused and sighed. "I can promise to protect you long enough for you to try."

She smiled sweetly, but her gaze fell to her hands that rested in her lap. "I'm here to keep you all alive. I'd fail my task if I let you die for my own well being." Rose shrugged her shoulders. She closed her eyes briefly as the sea air tousled her hair. "I'm not scared of death," she concluded with a confident smile. It was the truth. Death didn't frighten her. What did? The King... And more specifically, what he'd do to the Queen and her family while she was away.

"Also, you can stave off some seasickness closer to the center of the ship. You should rest. Itā€™s been a long evening, and thereā€™s not much that you can do here. It will be a long trip."

"Thank you." Rosalyn stood up, running her hands along her apron to flatten it out. "But I don't plan on being a useless wallflower while I'm here." She was just as capable as any man. Hell, a majority of the prisoners were women. So, who was to say she wasn't capable of holding her own as they were?

It wasn't Phaedra's first time on a ship, so once onboard she planned to do her share and go wherever the captain directed. It was a small crew and it'd take every able-bodied hand to get set off. But as she headed for the starboard side of the ship, Secarius stepped in front of her. It was so abrupt that she couldn't help but bump into him. "You know I canā€™t let you out of sight." He dangled the key in her face tauntingly. "I havenā€™t gotten what I want out of you just yet." Then he smirked. That same knowing smirk she had seen from so many men in her days.

Phaedra scoffed and rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. The cat and mouse game was fun in the beginning, but now it was wearing on her nerves. He wanted to bed her... obviously. But power play lost its charm when she was an unwilling captive. "Funny. You keep the King killer shackled but let the dwarf who gave her the job walk free." Her expression was blank but there was a fiery frustration in her eyes.

"Aye!" Vonmyr exclaimed, offended. "I'm just a fence! I don't give a bleedin' ass about the human King, or any King for that matter," he grunted as he turned back to the task at hand. He rolled up his sleeves and continued tugging and tying ropes to lower sails and fasten them.

Just as Phaedra was about to drag Secarius behind her to take up a post opposite Vonmyr, Rose walked in front of them carrying a small barrel of some kind of food contents. Phae's gaze fell to the woman's skirts. "Rosalyn... Is it?"

"Hmm?..." Rose glanced over her shoulder, caught off guard. "Oh, yes." She gave a small smile.

Phaedra moved towards the red headed woman, keeping the distance between herself and her captor as large as possible with her shackled arm extended fully between them. "Are you wearing bloomers?" she asked in a hushed tone. This was women's business. Rose seemed innocent and didn't need the lingering predatorial gaze of Secarius. "You should tuck the hem of your skirts into your belt," she said as she crouched down taking a small handful of Rose's skirts on her left side and tucked them under her belt. Then she did the same with a bundle of fabric from the girl's right side. Her modesty was still properly preserved with the fabric slightly bunched at either hip raising the hem just enough that the ruffled ends of her bloomers were visible when the wind blew.

"I've seen my fair share of maidens fall overboard from tripping over their skirts," Phaedra commented as she stood upright. "Tides can be rough, you don't need anything else trying to send you into the ocean."

"Thank you... uh?" Rosalyn struggled to think of the woman's name, not sure if she was ever told it.

"Phaedra," she replied with a nod before Secarius dragged her away to whatever part of the ship they would be of use.

Bayard lead Mel to one of the staircases that lead up to the helm. He helped her sit and reworked the shackles so that she was fastened to the railing while he was free to help with any heavy lifting or crew work. "Sorry," he said apologetically before leaving her to get to work.

As Rosalyn went to set her barrel beside the door that led below deck, she looked over and caught a glimpse of Melarue on the stairs. Once free of the item, she made her way toward the woman while wiping her hands off on her apron. "How are you feeling?" Rose knew the woman wasn't capable of speaking, but a shared glance could hold an entire conversation.

Rose knelt down in front of Mel and held out her hand. "May I?" She didn't want to touch the woman without her permission. So, she waited until she got a nod, then took up her hands in her own. Rose slowly rotated the mage's hands to examine the shackle sores. She dug around in her apothecary pouch that was fastened to her belt and pulled out a small salve. With a gentle touch, the tip of her finger put the ointment on the wounds under the harsh metal. "Once we're out at sea and you're freed, I'll properly wrap these and brew you a tea that'll help restore some of your strength." Then with a friendly smile the red head was on her feet and back to work.

It took some work and a lot of direction from Aramis, but within an hour the ship had pulled away from the dock and was sailing through the Luna Bay towards the canal. Once past the Naval checkpoint there would be nothing to protect them but each other.

With the work done, for the time being, Secarius wasted no time in heading below deck with Phaedra in tow. The struggled down the narrow stairwells with their hands still shackled to one another. Once in the crew quarters he pulled her close. Was this it then? He was a handsome man, but it took more than a suggestive tongue and threats to slip between her thighs. And Phaedra was not the type of woman to suffer in silence if he forced himself upon her. And he was smart enough to know that wasn't an option... Not with her.

But then, to Phaedra's surprise, he pulled out the key and removed her shackles. But even free, he still held her wrist firmly in his grasp. "Remember that I didnā€™t kill you when I should have, Phaedra."

Her brows furrowed when he released her and found his way to a hammock. "Yes, you should have," she agreed as she made her way to the hammock beside his. Did she want to sleep beside him? No. But if he was so determined that she was going to murder everyone in their sleep it'd be easier for him to watch her there and maybe, after some time, he'd get off her back.

"My sister was poisoned instead of the Queen. I didnā€™t kill you because I was bitter. I hesitated because part of me wanted it. I didnā€™t let you go because you were caught." Phaedra found herself slowly sitting down the hammock beside him as he spoke. His tone had shifted. There wasn't the dominant patronizing captor, but a human. "My loyalty died with my sisterā€™s death."

Secarius held her gaze for a long moment before he fell back into the swinging bed. "I have no qualms with you, but do not touch the others. I ask for that one favor in return for sparing your life. These are not bad people." Phaedra didn't know if she should be insulted by his comment or surprised that he asked for her to spare the others. He acted like she was a serial, like they both were cut from the same cloth. Would he have attacked the others if their roles were reversed? Or was he simply a hypocrite?

He then laughed and sidetracked the conversation in a completely different direction. "Ah, the king ruined my night. I had so many beautiful ladies. Now I am just stuck with the one woman in the Three Kingdoms that would bite my dick off."

"Poor Secarius. No prostitutes for you to throw your coin and dick at." He wasn't wrong though. If he tried treating her like the whores he's used to, she'd have his scrotum nailed to the mast. She shook her head as she moved to her feet.

"Stay down here for now. Unless youā€™d rather be shackled to a railing."

Phaedra scoffed and started disarming. "I don't kill innocent people," she hissed in annoyance as she tossed all her weapons onto the hammock. "I've been in a cell for days. I don't want to be held up in here, I want fresh air." She wasn't asking. Secarius was welcome to follow after her whining and try to put the shackles back on her, but she was her own person. And she was over doing whatever he wanted.

She walked past the hammocks towards the stairwell. When she stopped in the doorway, Phaedra froze for a moment, tapping her finger against the wood. "My father favored me over my brother." She broke the silence, glancing over her shoulder toward him briefly. "So out of jealousy, my brother killed him and put the blame on me. I had to make my own way in the world... to survive. I may be a killer, but I'm not a murderer." There was a difference. An assassin knew that.

With nothing else to say, Phaedra ascended the stairs and made her way back up onto the deck. Bayard sat beside Melarue on one of the staircases, Rosalyn was near the bow, leaning against the railing, and the rest were up near the helm where Aramis steered the ship toward the canal.

Aramis was in his element when he was behind the wheel of The Siren. Once they had set off, things felt normal. It might not be his crew, but this is what he knew. On his ship there were no Kings, no prisoners, just him and theā€”

"So, you and the redhead?" Megina asked, knocking Aramis out of whatever daze he had been in. Was he looking at Rosalyn? He was now. His cheeks flushed as he looked away from the red head just as she glanced back over her shoulder to look toward him... or maybe someone else up near the helm. It was difficult to tell.

Before Aramis could defend himself, Rendrik showed up and had to add his own two cents, as well as a little jab. "Sheā€™s a pretty lass! I think they would look great together." Rendrik and Megina both laughed thinking that they were both hilarious, while Aramis rolled his eyes and tried to focus on directing the ship.

"Laou moved below deck with his prisoner, but he did help me out a bit," Rendrik added as he leaned against the railing.

Phaedra cleared her throat as she reached the top of the steps, joining the others around the helm. "I'm not 'his' prisoner. And I have a name... Phaedra," she spoke up while crossing her arms over her chest. She was a prisoner, yes, but she was going to be anyone's possession. She had a name that the King felt incline to blurt out, so the least they could do was use it. She was a person too.

Vonmyr held up a finger and parted his lips, about to make some smug sarcastic remark. "No. I did not kill him," Phae interrupted him before he could make a wise comment.

"When we get the sailinā€™, maybe we should unshackle everyone, have a good drink, and enjoy the calm sea while we have it? We donā€™t know what will happen. Might as well asā€¦ make the best of it, get to know each other."

With a chuckle, Vonmyr clapped his hands together in feigned excitement. "Are we going to braid each other's hair and share our deepest secrets?"

"I'm not going anywhere near that rat's nest you call hair." Phaedra jested.

The dwarf scoffed and waved her off. "I bet Red has the softest hair," he says while smirking towards Aramis.

The captain sighed, letting his head fall slightly. "She's a beautiful girl. That's it. Like Phaedra," he added, motioning his hand toward the Raven haired assassin to try to change the subject.

"Flattered."

"Maybe Sunshine will let us braid his hair."

"No one is touching my hair," Bayard interjected from down the stairs, sounding less than amused.

The group continued to poke fun at one another about whatever little they knew about each other as it seemed to be the best way to pass the time. After an hour or so the ship started to near the Naval Checkpoint at the mouth of the canal. Phaedra took a step forward to look over at Aramis. "Do we having a shipping manifest or a writ from the King to get past that?" she asked while pointing at the heavily manned water lock.

It hadn't even crossed Aramis's mind. Every other time he's sailed he flew the King's colors, wore the crest and had a ship stocked with other men dressed to match. Now they manned a ship with not a single flag or any paper or property that would tie them to the King. Not even a good lie to fall back on. And while Aramis traveled through this canal hundreds of times, the men manning it always change. They can't be expected to remember his face no more than he remembers theirs.

Aramis looked over toward Rendrik for answers, but knew his friend would have nothing more than he did. And if he did, there was a good chance he would have shared it already. "Volstrƶm," he called down to the King's guard. Bayard stood up where he sat and took a step up the staircase so that he could meet Aramis's gaze. "Did the King give you anything to get us past the checkpoint?"

Bayard shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I thought you were the captain?" He replied with a confused expression. That wasn't his job to figure out how they would get past the guards. He had never left Luna Isle, let alone been outside the bay.

As they got closer to the canal, Rosalyn could hear the squabbling and came hurrying towards the back of the ship. She made it halfway up the stairs and looked up at Aramis. "What's going on?"

The captain couldn't hide the concern on his face. The canal was there for a reason, to protect the island and the residents of Ilyos. They don't even just let people through and those who are caught in a lie are often laid to waste in that waterway and never to be heard of again. He's heard of the ship graveyard that lies far below the waters there. It's so full that every couple of years it must be cleared out so it doesn't dam the waterway. "Iā€”"

"It's ok, Curly," Vonmyr spoke up, cutting him off with a pat to the back. "I got this."

Phaedra scoffed. "And what are you going to do?"

"What I do best... Talk." He grinned.

"We're all going to die," she said with a sigh as she started back down the stairs.

Vonmyr stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry while shooing her away. "Just trust me," he says meeting the gaze of those around him. "Go with whatever I say. Don't speak unless spoken too and if you have to talk, the more truth there is in a lie, the more believable it is." As he began to think up the extravagant lie, he paced back and forth while stroking his beard. After a moment or two he stopped to look down at Megina. "We need to gag her." He smiled down at her sympathetically, but she was the loud mouth out of the group. If anyone was going mess this up in the first two seconds... It'd be her.

They were closing in on the water lock quickly. Bayard didn't like this plan in the slightest, but it didn't seem like they had much else of a choice. Aramis wasn't offering up any other suggestions and he'd be damned if he died at the hands of the people he was fighting to protect. He made his way over to Megina without a word and ripped off a strip of cloth from her chemise. He used it as a makeshift gag. It was the best he could come up with in such a short amount of time. "Make a sound and lose your tongue," he said in a hushed tone as he tied the knot of the gag behind her head. He then left her there shackled to the railing and went back down to tightening ropes or doing whatever he could to make himself look busy.

"Look busy," Vonmyr ordered under his breath towards the others just before the ship was stopped in the canal.

A plank was lowered on the port side allowing a few guards to board. Just as the man got within ear shot Vonmyr kicked Rendrik in the calf, since he couldn't smack the back of his head, then pointed to a rope fastened to the side of the ship. "Oy! How many times have I told you to fix these knots, Old man! One good gust of wind 'n we'll be fish food! If I have to tell you one more time you're getting sold at market when we get back." The dwarf scoffed before turning around. He feigned surprise at the arrival of the guard. "Evening gents,"

One man didn't bother looking up from his writing board as he stared down at the parchment through small spectacles. "Who is in charge of this vessel?"

"I am," Vonmyr responded as he rested his hands along the collar of his jacket.

"Name?"

"Bjorn Stormbringer."

"And your crew?"

"Well there's myself," he motionsed to himself with a cock of his head and a charming grin. "My wife Sigrun," Vonmyr put his arm around Rosalyn's waist, pulling her closer. "Five slaves and two prisoners."

The man stopped scribbling to look over the frame of his glasses. It was evident he was expecting to face a man and it took him a moment to adjust and tilt his head down to face Vonmyr. "You run this ship with five men?"

"Well technically it's four men and a woman. But she's quite useless. More of a glorified servant rather than a deck hand."

The man looked around at the sorry excuse for a crew, his expression becoming more curious at each face he sees. "Your crew is human, yet you are a dwarf?"

"You're an observant one." Vonmyr laughed, wagging his index finger at the man. "You'll find all races in Xalterra. The surface is a lawless land where all dregs of society prosper. Even humans." He made his way over to Aramis, who was still at the helm, and gave him a pat on the back. "I find, no matter where I go, they're always the best sailors. Plus," he adds as he makes his way back over to the guard. "They can reach the top shelf." He smirked.

The guard hardly seemed amused. He pointed the feather of his quill toward Rosalyn. "And how do you explain a human bride?"

"Well, now I'm just offended. I am a handsome man. You think I couldn't get a woman of such beauty on my own accord?"

The man said nothing, nor did his facial expression shift in the slightest.

"Alright, fine," Vonmyr concedes, tossing his hands up in surrender. "Her father owed me a debt and couldn't pay. So, he gave me his daughter as payment. I must not be too awful, we just found out we're expecting our first wee one." He smiled, taking Rose's hand and placing a loving kiss on it. And Rosalyn, trying her best to play along, smiled coyly while playing with one of the dwarf's braids.

"Hmm," the man grunted as his gaze fell to his paper to write something down. "I'd hate to see what half-breed monster you'd spawn," he commented rudely.

Rosalyn found herself offended for a fictitious life she didn't have. And before she could stop herself she spoke up in defense for her false husband and child. "Well thankfully he'll be our little monster, not yours. He'll be loved and want for nothing." Her voice did not waiver and her stature somehow became more confident in the lie as if she was silently threatening the man to insult her nonexistent child again.

Vonmyr quirked a brow, surprised at Red's, not only capability to lie, but how believable she came off. He turned his smug expression toward the snobby twat waiting for his response.

The man cleared his throat while tugging at his collar as if it had suddenly grown too tight. "Iā€”I... I beg your forgiveness Madame. Iā€”I wasn't thinking."

The guard was quickly back pedaling but Rose wasn't backing down now. She was committed in the lie. It was almost too easy for her to play the role. Perhaps a small part of it stemmed from her own inability to have children and how frequently she was looked down upon by other men. She tilted her head to the side slightly, observing the absence of a wedding band upon his finger. "I see you're unmarried sir. Seeing how you treat others, I can't imagine a woman who would desire to see your shriveled up monster and what spawn it would create."

"Easy, my love," Vonmyr interjected as he gently held her back, while simultaneously trying not to laugh in the man's face. "I'm sure the man regrets his poor choice of words." Rose struggled against his hold, looking as though she wanted to smack the guard across his panicking face.

"Iā€”I do. I humbly apologize for the offense, My Lady." He was sweating, looking toward the guard that was with him for help but he had already retreated out of the ship.

"I wonder what the King would say if he saw how you treated the importer of his prized Avalonian Ale. If we're going to be treated this way... Why return?" To those that knew the King, it was no secret that he regularly imported the most expensive alcohol from Xalterra and Avalon. It was a hushed secret, of course. Couldn't have it being public knowledge, but Rose's friendship with the Queen had her keen on such knowledge. It was a bit of a scandal, not to mention the fact that the King was a bit of an alcoholic and had imports come quite frequently.

"Oh no, please." The man fumbled as he quickly tried to remove his glasses and wipe the sweat from his brow. "Sir," he pleads toward Vonmyr.

"She may be my wife, but I can't control her. She's a fiery one." The dwarf looked up at her briefly. "Hell hath no fury," he jested with an apologetic smile.

The man back stepped onto the plank, nearly tripping and falling over the edge into the water. If it wasn't for the other guard steading him, he might have gone over. "Iā€”I am so sorry. Pā€”Pā€”Please go ahead." He motioned for the men on the other side of the water lock to release the ship and open the gates to let them pass.

Vonmyr nodded toward Aramis, signaling him to guide them out. It was only when they were at the end of the canal where they could no longer be stopped that the dwarf spit toward the spectacle wearing man. "Fuckin' racist prick."

Even though they were all free of the canal, it wasn't until Luna Isle disappeared over the horizon that everyone could breathe and finally drop the act. Vonmyr clapped while letting out a hearty chuckle. "That was far better than what I had planned." He gave a lavish bow and placed a kiss on Rose's hand. "I didn't know you had that in you, Red."

Phaedra was impressed. Not by Vonmyr, that annoying dwarf had a mouth that never seemed to stop moving, but by Rose. The girl didn't look like much at first glance. A pretty little thing. But she didn't seem to have much of a purpose beyond a healer. Phae just assumed she was sent on this mission so that the King could be rid of without dirtying his hands. But the mage is proving to be a bit of a spit fire. She respects that.

Even Aramis found himself smiling and laughing at the passing events. He didn't know what was going to happen and worried about letting the dwarf take charge. He knew how the guards could be in the water lock. There was more than one occasion where he was threatened while trying to pass because he forgot the King's seal or to fly his colors. "For a moment there I found myself falling for it." His smile grew ever so slightly as he looked over toward Rose. "Good job."

Bayard didn't hang around near the helm to pat backs over their first 'victory'. It was hardly something to gloat about. Plus, now that they were out at sea and he had a promise to keep. He knelt down before Melarue, slowly reached up and began removing her gag. Once it was off, he took the key out of his pocket and unshackled her. "A promise is a promise," he finally said as he offered her a hand up.

To be honest, just about everyone up at the helm forgot that Megina existed, let alone that she sat there chained to the railing. But eventually Aramis managed to look her way and realized he forgot to release her. "Oh shit," he cursed under his breath as he quickly took a looped rope and slipped it around one of the handles on the helm which kept the ship on the right course. Then he moved over to the dwarf and quickly removed her shackles. "You're free to try and escape now... But I don't imagine you'd get very far."