GCXI - "Oh what luck!" Bignette - Category SecrecyStory:
It was turning out to be a picture perfect afternoon as the Harp's Accord sailed through the calm seas north of Loreos. As a gentle breeze powered her sails forward, the crew busied themselves making the ship clean from the small storm they had recently encountered earlier in the day. It almost seemed odd to have the calm waters and beautiful sunshine when a few hours earlier the waters churned black and the sky sent bolts streaming like a dark spiders web across the inky sky. Of course Nicolas wasn't afraid, and like his well trained crew they had sailed many times the waters off the coast of Lenfald trading between his ancestral home isle to the mainland, or just patrolling the waters for pirates who stocked less able prey. However with the tides changing and the talks back home about another war, Nicolas like many on the council felt it would be best to act first, and of course worry about the consequences later. This is why he embarked on this small mission with his crew in a different fashion. They hid their traditional sails and masked their frigate to appear like one of the Southern Pirates who had been rumoured to plague the many seas near Loreos. This way if they attacked a Port in secret, no one would ever believe it was Lenfel's who had conducted the action. Atleast that is what Nicolas had planned...what he never planned was to meet an old School of Toberg friend Mattius at the Port. How he had recognized him after all these years...well he still didn't know.
'I just don't get it' sterning pondered Nicolas as he paced for foredeck of the Harp's Accord. 'How of all times and places would Mattius be there?' he questioned himself as he gurgled back a smooth draft of his favourite cider.
"Sir..." reported the first mate.
"Jasper my friend, what is wrong?" questioned Nicolas as he looked at his friend and wondered what the troubled look meant.
"Sir, the attack on the port...well what if some of the sailors we knocked out didn't make it off that burning ship?" asked Jasper with a frown.
"Oh...Jasper my friend, I'm sure they made it off. We played our hand and although we did what we must for our homeland, I'm sure no harm came to those brave but foolish fellows." soothingly replied Nicolas as he patted his friend on the shoulder and passed him the bottle of cider.
"I know...but somehow what we did felt wrong." tersely replied Jasper.
"You know you shouldn't feel this way my friend, although I understand your sentiments and the heartfelt pain of our actions, the reality is my friend we may be facing another war and the Loreesi well they haven't been so...caring about our people. In fact they were cruel to us in that war...well maybe not our people in Standfast...but those in other parts can attest to the cruelty of the Loreesi war of aggression." spat Nicolas as he tried to hold back a little rage he felt.
"But...Sir...some would say that Lenfald wasn't innocent either. After all...the Loreesi had claimed false the claims against them and we as a people called them liars foresaking alliances and pacts we had made with them in one fell swoop. If anything that was a shame against our people and stain against our honour" sighed Jasper.
"I keep forgetting you are half Morastian my friend and that your allegiance is mixed. After all your parents were, well few in Lenfald choose to remember, but as you know I wasn't educated in Lenfald...so I guess I see your point and well I will think of a way for us to make things right" smiled Nicolas in return to his friend.
"Aye...thank you Nicolas." said Jasper as he walked to the side to look out over the beautiful water.
"Sir..." said Jasper.
"Yes, my friend?" replied Nicolas.
"Is that something out in the water?" Craned Jasper as he held to the railing to get a better view.
"DEAR LORDS OF THE OAK! THERE IS A MAN IN THE WATER!" Yelled Jasper.
"HELMSMAN! HARD TO STERN!" Ordered Nicolas as he took command.
"MAN THE RIGGINGS! GET A LINE! WE NEED TO HELP THIS FELLOW!" Barked Nicolas.
"Good eye my friend...we may just make someone else's day better and maybe that will make up for the Port...eh" said Nicolas as he slapped his friend on the shoulder.
"Aye sir! Tis a good feeling already" Snapped Jasper as he fetched the line as the figure grew closer.
"HERE!" Yelled the man from the water as he splashed grasping up and down trying to stay afloat clearly exhausted from his struggle.
"HERE! HELP! HERE!" He gasped.
"Here catch the line!" Roared Jasper as he and other hands passed the line to the helpless man. Who with limited strength grasped hoping to make it up. With a heave and a tug, the men pulled hard back on the line and almost in no time at all had the soaked and half drowned man on the deck.
"Thank the heavens!" gasped the man.
"I thought I was a goner." as he laid on the deck trying to catch his breath.
"What happened friend?" replied Nicolas as he reached down to help the fellow up.
"The Storm...it hit my ship extremely hard. I was on a small corvette class ship relaying a message from the Council...we didn't expect the swells and well it knocked us off course and me off the ship in general" sneezed the soaked man.
"Ah...tis a shame friend. I've seen such things before...but alas what is your name?" Asked Jasper with intrigue.
"I...I'm...Arthur of Mistyvale." replied Arturius as he scratched into his beard.
"Welcome Arthur" smiled Nicolas. "We are heading to Standfast, but you are welcome to come with us. Where you can be my guest and tell me more about your mission" smiled Nicolas as he mused believing he had just caught himself a new pigeon.
"I would be much obliged" replied Arturius as he grinned and smiled deeply knowing this fellow was in for a fun adventure.
And so begins the next chapter in this little GC adventure.