"I had guessed 'artifact', but is close enough to its meaning. Very well," Sounsyy said as she moved out from behind her desk and once again made her way to the door, "Gentlemen."
The Captain opened the large cabin door. The ornate wood swung inward with a groan. Sounsyy walked out onto the deck in time to catch a warm gust from the west. It blew her hair across her face and freed it from its tie. She closed her eyes and inhaled deep the salt and sea foam drifting in the air and relaxed her shoulders. Tonight was a beautiful gift from the Navigator.
Sounsyy slowly opened her eyes. Her eyelids flickering slightly against the intense winds. She waited for Sixteen and Seventy-seven to file out of her cabin with the artifact before pulling the cabin door closed behind the two. Afterwards she headed down onto the main deck, towards a second set of stairs leading down to the gundeck. Like the forward set Ryanti and P'welro had ascending from, these also were covered by a small cotton pavilion and descended through the base of a mast. Only these were beneath the main mast and descended in an aft direction, opposite those beneath the foremast.
Sounsyy took stock of her crew's progress as she walked. Making mental notes of the conditions of the stays and jute ropes which held the sails at full. She turned to the helm and called out to Marjanie, "Stand off, lass."
"Aye, Captain! With the Navigator's blessing we'll be well into the Straight by morning," she called back. Sounsyy then looked to P'welro, who was tying up the loose ends of the foremast with another crew member. "P'welro, get some rest when yer able!" The blond Miqo'te said nothing, but nodded towards her Captain to show she understood. Her task of keeping the ropes taut in the full wind required much of her energies. Even from across the main deck, her body seemed to glisten in the moonlight and her strong arm muscles were bulging from the strain.
Satisfied that above deck was in order, she descended down the aft stairs with her guests beneath the main mast. Like the fore stairs, these stairs descended to a half deck situated above a larger room. Unlike the fore-half, the aft-half deck was currently empty, but very well lit. To the wall-side of the stairs, a closed door led to a storage room. This room was filled with medical supplies, bandages, herbs, and instruments. To the other side, the Half overlooked what appeared to be an infirmary. Several medical cots were lined with their heads against the wall. Drawsheets hung from the ceiling to give each cot privacy when it was inhabited. The rear wall, much like Sounsyy's cabin, was lined with tall glass panes to allow sunlight into the room during the daylight hours. At the far aft, a small raised garden had been planted in between where the port and starboard rows of cots ended. This planter housed several small green buds and foliage of various herbs and medicinal plants. In the center of the room, a large, metal water-basin sat empty on a long, sturdy wooden table.
The Aft-Half wrapped around the back wall of the room, separating the glass-paned wall with large panes above and below the flooring. As the trio moved down to the infirmary's floor level, it became apparent that the room was in use. A Sea Wolf woman had her back turned to the group and was watering the garden at the rear of the room. She turned when she heard footsteps descend the last flight of steps and she gave Sounsyy a Storm salute. When she came to face the group, it would become apparent that this was the same Sea Wolf lancer who had searched Ryanti when he first boarded, though now she was without her spear. She was short for a Roegadyn and of only medium build. She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties. Her pale skin was the slightest shade of green, and she had long white hair that was combed over to one side while the other side was shaved close to her head.
"Captain, if I may?" She began. Sounsyy nodded and deviated away from the infirmary door towards the woman. On her way over, she began to undo the latches which secured her left gauntlet in place. The Sea Wolf pulled the gauntlet gently from Sounsyy's arm and placed it on the sturdy wooden table adjacent to the water-basin. Though somewhat difficult to make out details with Sounsyy's back to the group, her left hand was tightly bandaged. The woman began unwrapping the bandage to reveal massive bruising across Sounsyy's left hand and knuckles. Her ring finger was severed just proximal to the second knuckle. It did not look like a clean amputation, as if something had torn her finger off.
The Sea Wolf moved over to the garden, inspecting the various leaves before settling on one of the plants. She plucked one of smaller leaves and dropped it with a few droplets of water into a stone mortar and began to grind the leaf into paste with her pestle. She returned to her Captain and applied an amount of the paste to the end of the finger. Sounsyy flinched slightly, but made no noise to indicate she was in any pain. The Sea Wolf quickly re-wrapped the hand and nub in fresh bandages, but the poultice bled slightly through the gauze. Sounsyy returned her hand into her gauntlet and nodded her thanks to the woman. Within her gauntlet, the wound was more difficult to notice. The metal ring finger of the gauntlet had been removed, but the first plate over where the finger should have been remained, mostly obscuring the shortened nub.
"It's not infected, Captain, just you're a slow one to heal. The healing given at the time did not properly reset your metacarpal bones fully back in place. You're going to keep having these pains for a time until your hand can mend, I'm afraid."
"Thank you, Cwaenlona, as always."
The Sea Wolf medic, Cwaenlona Eifagohtawyn, nodded to Sounsyy and began pouring the remainder of the plant water into the middle basin, which she then dipped her hands into to wash them. She looked to Ryanti and Jonathan standing in wait near the door and motioned with her head towards the couple. "Short of making light at your expense Mirke, but do you need an extra pair of hands?"
Sounsyy snorted and began moving back over to the two. "There's little need. I'll be taking Sixteen back to the private quarters just down the hall."
"Understood."
The Sea Wolf went back about her work with the garden and Sounsyy motioned for the two to follow her through the infirmary door. This led into a short hallway that soon returned to the gangway, with the main mast base at its center - where the group had first entered the ship. Sounsyy moved around the wooden column and continued down the hall to the bunk bay, where P'welro had originally taken the group. At the far end of the room, Berasaem stood vigilant, resting her right hand on top of her bardiche like it was a cane. She gave a practiced salute when the group approached, but said nothing. She simply pulled out a key from her satchel belt and slid it into the room's lock.
Sounsyy stopped next to Berasaem and bowed her head to Jonathan. "A pleasure, Sixteen," she said quietly, so as not to wake anyone, "Rest well. Yer company will not be disturbed this first morn. Yeh all will need the sleep while yeh can get it."
With that said, she lent her attention to Ryanti, "Follow me, Seventy-seven, we'll make this quick so yeh can also rest with yer company."
Sounsyy moved through the door and into the armory as Ryanti had with P'welro. This time Berasaem made no comment as the Miqo'te passed. She simply sealed the room behind Jonathan. Sounsyy made quick strides across the armory floor, turning left this time towards a set of stairs descending deeper into the Roehmerl. The area behind the Armory counter was empty this time and Jada was nowhere to be seen.
The long staircase descended into a cavernous room. Standing almost twenty fulm from floor to ceiling, Sounsyy looked very small in this room. The room ran nearly the full length of the vessel. To Ryanti's left, a sealed door separated a room at the bow from the rest of the ship's belly. A full kitchen was adjacent to this room, separated by a long counter which ran ten yalms down midship. It wrapped off and back into the side of the vessel to provide additional seating at the end. Stools bolted into the floor had been situated every few fulm down the counter. This was the crew's galley and mess area. Across from the counter, several crates of varying sizes and weights had been placed against the opposite wall to be dragged out by the crew to use as tables if the bar counter didn't suit their needs.
The galley area behind the counter seemed deserted, the stove having long been cooled since the dinner hours. However, a soft snoring noise could be heard from somewhere in the kitchen. Sounsyy disregarded the noise and continued down the room, passed the bar counter. Her boots clacking against the smoothly polished wooden floors, the sound reverberating about the room. A few yalms passed the end of the counter, large mesh nets acted as dividing walls separating cargo from crew areas. These nets were bolted at floor, walls, and ceiling with steel hooks, which could be undone and adjusted to any place in the Hold as necessary.
The Cargo Hold was filled with crates of varying sizes, shapes, and purposes. The closest sectioned off area to the galley was devoted to large barrels. One side of the hull contained barrels of fresh water. The other was devoted entirely to wine, grog, and other alcoholic fluids that would not spoil after a few weeks of sea travel. The next divider contained crates of non-perishable foodstuffs. Salted meat and other perishable items were stored in the ice locker in the galley. Several other dividers and storerooms of supplies existed further beyond this, but Sounsyy turned off early before reaching the stern of the vessel.
She was making as if for the wall, but a large grouping of crates blocked her access. She climbed over the first of these and with some effort, shoved the crate to the side. Instead of moving to clear the next crate, she knelt down to the plain oak flooring where the first crate had been. With her gauntleted fingers, she pulled up a loose plank and set it on top of the displaced crate. She then placed the palms of her two hands against a section of flooring perpendicular to the removed plank and slid the larger section down into the empty space the removed plank had provided. From there, she was able to remove the large wooden hatch, revealing a hidden compartment below.
"There's a good bit of space between the flooring and the keel below," Sounsyy spoke finally after her long stent of silence since parting with Sixteen. "Brigands thought this were a good place to smuggle valuables, people, contraband. We still ain't sure we've found all this ship's ol' hiding places. Yeh can place the artifact in here and I'll seal 'er up."
Sounsyy stood to one side and watched as Ryanti did whatever it was he needed to do. Her arms were crossed against her chest and she leaned her butt against a nearby crate. Her tail flicked in an almost annoyed manner, as if there was something on her mind she wanted to say but hadn't yet. When Ryanti was done placing the artifact inside the hull, she replaced the final plank and slid the crate back over the area, rendering the loose boards all but invisible. She watched Ryanti intently as she worked. She didn't trust any of the black label group, least of all the male Miqo'te.
"Our duel," she said finally as they began moving back across the cargo hold in the direction of the stairs. She knew it was now or never to ask. This would likely be their only time alone together. She had half a mind to grab him by the throat and crush the male against the hull until he choked out the answers she wanted, but she restrained the impulse. This was as much a diplomatic mission as it was anything else. Still, her fingers clenched some in her gauntlets as she led Ryanti back to the private quarters to sleep with the rest of his company, "Was it a test - fer this assignment? Do not tell meh yeh were ignorant."
The Captain opened the large cabin door. The ornate wood swung inward with a groan. Sounsyy walked out onto the deck in time to catch a warm gust from the west. It blew her hair across her face and freed it from its tie. She closed her eyes and inhaled deep the salt and sea foam drifting in the air and relaxed her shoulders. Tonight was a beautiful gift from the Navigator.
Sounsyy slowly opened her eyes. Her eyelids flickering slightly against the intense winds. She waited for Sixteen and Seventy-seven to file out of her cabin with the artifact before pulling the cabin door closed behind the two. Afterwards she headed down onto the main deck, towards a second set of stairs leading down to the gundeck. Like the forward set Ryanti and P'welro had ascending from, these also were covered by a small cotton pavilion and descended through the base of a mast. Only these were beneath the main mast and descended in an aft direction, opposite those beneath the foremast.
Sounsyy took stock of her crew's progress as she walked. Making mental notes of the conditions of the stays and jute ropes which held the sails at full. She turned to the helm and called out to Marjanie, "Stand off, lass."
"Aye, Captain! With the Navigator's blessing we'll be well into the Straight by morning," she called back. Sounsyy then looked to P'welro, who was tying up the loose ends of the foremast with another crew member. "P'welro, get some rest when yer able!" The blond Miqo'te said nothing, but nodded towards her Captain to show she understood. Her task of keeping the ropes taut in the full wind required much of her energies. Even from across the main deck, her body seemed to glisten in the moonlight and her strong arm muscles were bulging from the strain.
Satisfied that above deck was in order, she descended down the aft stairs with her guests beneath the main mast. Like the fore stairs, these stairs descended to a half deck situated above a larger room. Unlike the fore-half, the aft-half deck was currently empty, but very well lit. To the wall-side of the stairs, a closed door led to a storage room. This room was filled with medical supplies, bandages, herbs, and instruments. To the other side, the Half overlooked what appeared to be an infirmary. Several medical cots were lined with their heads against the wall. Drawsheets hung from the ceiling to give each cot privacy when it was inhabited. The rear wall, much like Sounsyy's cabin, was lined with tall glass panes to allow sunlight into the room during the daylight hours. At the far aft, a small raised garden had been planted in between where the port and starboard rows of cots ended. This planter housed several small green buds and foliage of various herbs and medicinal plants. In the center of the room, a large, metal water-basin sat empty on a long, sturdy wooden table.
The Aft-Half wrapped around the back wall of the room, separating the glass-paned wall with large panes above and below the flooring. As the trio moved down to the infirmary's floor level, it became apparent that the room was in use. A Sea Wolf woman had her back turned to the group and was watering the garden at the rear of the room. She turned when she heard footsteps descend the last flight of steps and she gave Sounsyy a Storm salute. When she came to face the group, it would become apparent that this was the same Sea Wolf lancer who had searched Ryanti when he first boarded, though now she was without her spear. She was short for a Roegadyn and of only medium build. She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties. Her pale skin was the slightest shade of green, and she had long white hair that was combed over to one side while the other side was shaved close to her head.
"Captain, if I may?" She began. Sounsyy nodded and deviated away from the infirmary door towards the woman. On her way over, she began to undo the latches which secured her left gauntlet in place. The Sea Wolf pulled the gauntlet gently from Sounsyy's arm and placed it on the sturdy wooden table adjacent to the water-basin. Though somewhat difficult to make out details with Sounsyy's back to the group, her left hand was tightly bandaged. The woman began unwrapping the bandage to reveal massive bruising across Sounsyy's left hand and knuckles. Her ring finger was severed just proximal to the second knuckle. It did not look like a clean amputation, as if something had torn her finger off.
The Sea Wolf moved over to the garden, inspecting the various leaves before settling on one of the plants. She plucked one of smaller leaves and dropped it with a few droplets of water into a stone mortar and began to grind the leaf into paste with her pestle. She returned to her Captain and applied an amount of the paste to the end of the finger. Sounsyy flinched slightly, but made no noise to indicate she was in any pain. The Sea Wolf quickly re-wrapped the hand and nub in fresh bandages, but the poultice bled slightly through the gauze. Sounsyy returned her hand into her gauntlet and nodded her thanks to the woman. Within her gauntlet, the wound was more difficult to notice. The metal ring finger of the gauntlet had been removed, but the first plate over where the finger should have been remained, mostly obscuring the shortened nub.
"It's not infected, Captain, just you're a slow one to heal. The healing given at the time did not properly reset your metacarpal bones fully back in place. You're going to keep having these pains for a time until your hand can mend, I'm afraid."
"Thank you, Cwaenlona, as always."
The Sea Wolf medic, Cwaenlona Eifagohtawyn, nodded to Sounsyy and began pouring the remainder of the plant water into the middle basin, which she then dipped her hands into to wash them. She looked to Ryanti and Jonathan standing in wait near the door and motioned with her head towards the couple. "Short of making light at your expense Mirke, but do you need an extra pair of hands?"
Sounsyy snorted and began moving back over to the two. "There's little need. I'll be taking Sixteen back to the private quarters just down the hall."
"Understood."
The Sea Wolf went back about her work with the garden and Sounsyy motioned for the two to follow her through the infirmary door. This led into a short hallway that soon returned to the gangway, with the main mast base at its center - where the group had first entered the ship. Sounsyy moved around the wooden column and continued down the hall to the bunk bay, where P'welro had originally taken the group. At the far end of the room, Berasaem stood vigilant, resting her right hand on top of her bardiche like it was a cane. She gave a practiced salute when the group approached, but said nothing. She simply pulled out a key from her satchel belt and slid it into the room's lock.
Sounsyy stopped next to Berasaem and bowed her head to Jonathan. "A pleasure, Sixteen," she said quietly, so as not to wake anyone, "Rest well. Yer company will not be disturbed this first morn. Yeh all will need the sleep while yeh can get it."
With that said, she lent her attention to Ryanti, "Follow me, Seventy-seven, we'll make this quick so yeh can also rest with yer company."
Sounsyy moved through the door and into the armory as Ryanti had with P'welro. This time Berasaem made no comment as the Miqo'te passed. She simply sealed the room behind Jonathan. Sounsyy made quick strides across the armory floor, turning left this time towards a set of stairs descending deeper into the Roehmerl. The area behind the Armory counter was empty this time and Jada was nowhere to be seen.
The long staircase descended into a cavernous room. Standing almost twenty fulm from floor to ceiling, Sounsyy looked very small in this room. The room ran nearly the full length of the vessel. To Ryanti's left, a sealed door separated a room at the bow from the rest of the ship's belly. A full kitchen was adjacent to this room, separated by a long counter which ran ten yalms down midship. It wrapped off and back into the side of the vessel to provide additional seating at the end. Stools bolted into the floor had been situated every few fulm down the counter. This was the crew's galley and mess area. Across from the counter, several crates of varying sizes and weights had been placed against the opposite wall to be dragged out by the crew to use as tables if the bar counter didn't suit their needs.
The galley area behind the counter seemed deserted, the stove having long been cooled since the dinner hours. However, a soft snoring noise could be heard from somewhere in the kitchen. Sounsyy disregarded the noise and continued down the room, passed the bar counter. Her boots clacking against the smoothly polished wooden floors, the sound reverberating about the room. A few yalms passed the end of the counter, large mesh nets acted as dividing walls separating cargo from crew areas. These nets were bolted at floor, walls, and ceiling with steel hooks, which could be undone and adjusted to any place in the Hold as necessary.
The Cargo Hold was filled with crates of varying sizes, shapes, and purposes. The closest sectioned off area to the galley was devoted to large barrels. One side of the hull contained barrels of fresh water. The other was devoted entirely to wine, grog, and other alcoholic fluids that would not spoil after a few weeks of sea travel. The next divider contained crates of non-perishable foodstuffs. Salted meat and other perishable items were stored in the ice locker in the galley. Several other dividers and storerooms of supplies existed further beyond this, but Sounsyy turned off early before reaching the stern of the vessel.
She was making as if for the wall, but a large grouping of crates blocked her access. She climbed over the first of these and with some effort, shoved the crate to the side. Instead of moving to clear the next crate, she knelt down to the plain oak flooring where the first crate had been. With her gauntleted fingers, she pulled up a loose plank and set it on top of the displaced crate. She then placed the palms of her two hands against a section of flooring perpendicular to the removed plank and slid the larger section down into the empty space the removed plank had provided. From there, she was able to remove the large wooden hatch, revealing a hidden compartment below.
"There's a good bit of space between the flooring and the keel below," Sounsyy spoke finally after her long stent of silence since parting with Sixteen. "Brigands thought this were a good place to smuggle valuables, people, contraband. We still ain't sure we've found all this ship's ol' hiding places. Yeh can place the artifact in here and I'll seal 'er up."
Sounsyy stood to one side and watched as Ryanti did whatever it was he needed to do. Her arms were crossed against her chest and she leaned her butt against a nearby crate. Her tail flicked in an almost annoyed manner, as if there was something on her mind she wanted to say but hadn't yet. When Ryanti was done placing the artifact inside the hull, she replaced the final plank and slid the crate back over the area, rendering the loose boards all but invisible. She watched Ryanti intently as she worked. She didn't trust any of the black label group, least of all the male Miqo'te.
"Our duel," she said finally as they began moving back across the cargo hold in the direction of the stairs. She knew it was now or never to ask. This would likely be their only time alone together. She had half a mind to grab him by the throat and crush the male against the hull until he choked out the answers she wanted, but she restrained the impulse. This was as much a diplomatic mission as it was anything else. Still, her fingers clenched some in her gauntlets as she led Ryanti back to the private quarters to sleep with the rest of his company, "Was it a test - fer this assignment? Do not tell meh yeh were ignorant."