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	Vindicta.
	"Captain! Sails! SAILS!" Siltar shrieked from the helm. Isar felt the second mate swing the rudder. "Damn!" Isar cursed as he stood to run to the deck. Oswyn followed. "Starboard side!" Getty yelled from somewhere above them. Oswyn had his spyglass out before anybody else, save Getty. "The ship has a yellow hull, that's odd, wait - Captain" It's someone from Jeilk!" Oswyn realised, horrified. Getty confirmed that. Isar didn't much care who was sailing the ship, not if it was Lord Hempt himself, he only knew that it would be stained red, not yellow, by the time he was finished with it. "About, Siltar! About! We'll have the starboard side facing her. Men, spill! We'll wait for them to approach!" Bellowed the Captain. "Oswyn," He added quietly, "Hide the charts, keep my quarters locked, let not one get below decks, either." With a nod, Oswyn strolled away, with a sailor's roll to his gait. "EVERYONE TO THE DECKS!" Kruk was roaring. "Swords and other blades out!" Isar nodded to himself as he joined Siltar at the stern. "I want the Captain and the first mate kept hostage, possibly another if he's good at fighting." He ordered. He knew that his crew were very good fighters, one who could match them was definitely worth talking to. Siltar repeated the order, loudly, to Kruk, who turned to the stern and raised his hand to show that he understood. Men scrambled to the futtock shrouds, swords and longbows in hands. "I had almost forgotten we had able archers…" Siltar reflected softly. The ship from Jailk had 'Vindicta' engraved on the bow. A man was stood beside the figurehead, looking quite proud of himself. The ship turned so port was facing The Remorseless's starboard side. The man faced them when the ships were in place. He looked strong, was fairly tall, and his shoulder length dark hair ruffled in the wind. "Do you yield?" He shouted. "What a silly question," Isar laughed, wondering if the man had any idea whom he addressed. "NAY!" Kruk yelled back, just as an arrow flew through the air, catching the man on 'Vindicta' on the shoulder. Isar raised an eyebrow, he hadn't ordered that, but the shot did have quite an impressive reaction. The man roared and retreated to the deck. Men swarmed to help him, which meant he was important. "If that was the Captain or first mate, and they had been horrible injured, I would not be very pleased." Isar let Siltar know, for what good it did. "PREPARE TO BOARD!" Isar bellowed. "Sir! Word from that ship, Captain Gossamer would like to talk with you, talk - that's all." Kruk informed him. "Siltar keep the wheel. Kruk," Isar went down to the deck. "Come with me. We'll take Getty, too. Morok!" A young man jogged over to him. "Aye Sir?" "Ready the gangplank." Getty jumped down the rope ladder. The riggers promised that they were watching, and that they were ready for bloodshed. Isar had chosen Getty because the man had two rapiers at his belt, rapiers he could use with fatal force. He wore a blue bandana, which he loved, and a loose shirt. "They're ready for us, Cap'n." Kruk exclaimed. Isar scanned 'The Remorseless'. Oswyn wasn't anywhere to be seen. The Captain sighed, and stepped up to the gangplank. The two ships were so close, it was almost comical. They seemed to trust the pirates. It was very clear that they didn't have a clue whom they addressed. "Your name, good Sir!" A broad shouldered, tall me with a red jacket and a stetson hat asked. "You have a reason for demanding this?" Isar replied coolly. "We noticed the name of your ship is 'The Remorseless'. You left Jeilk a while ago, on circumstances that puzzled the harbourmaster. At the same time, something very important happened to Lord Hempt, so we're off to aid him." Isar realised then that this was Captain Gossamer. He didn't know much about the man, and that's where Oswyn would have been handy. Oswyn knew almost everything Isar needed to know. "I am Captain Isar, a trader in these seas." Isar decided to declare. Kruk shuffled beside him, getting into a more comfortable position, should he need to suddenly start fighting. "A trader who can, perhaps, get hold of silk from Fur'lik?" Gossamer suggested, as if he were bargaining with Isar. Isar realised then that Gossamer was a trader, who was close to Lord Hempt. He had heard of this man before. Isar refused to let it show on his face, but he was startled at how much the man knew. "Very rarely Sir, see, there are pirates around those shores. You'd do well to avoid them." He was telling the truth, and smiled at how clever he felt himself. "Yes. Pirates. Awful, thieving brigands." Gossamer smiled. They both knew they weren't kidding anyone, it was almost like a game. "I'm a trader, myself, you see. I've encountered pirates a few times. Oh, you aren't recognised in Jeilk - where do you trade? You were headed east before you saw us approaching." Isar had had enough. "Here, there, and everywhere." He answered calmly, making gestures with his hand that he knew the crew would see. Isar glanced sideways at Getty - who kept a straight face - before looking at Kruk. The first mate knew what that look meant, but if he was a second too slow, if the crew were a second too slow, then Isar and the others would be killed as they were so far outnumbered. But these men were traders, Isar had to remind himself, not fighters. Surely Isar had the advantage? Gossamer had been watching Isar carefully. The men around him were watching the crew on the other ship impatiently. Gossamer's crew did not know the true meaning of their voyage. Getty's hand moved slowly to his belt. "Doesn't seem proffessional to me," Gossamer met Isar's calm gaze, then his eyes fell upon Kruk, who had one hand clenched, the other loose, near the broadsword he carried. A sea of arrows suddenly descended onto the trader's crew. Kruk jumped into a fight with the dark haired man from before, whilst Getty leapt into a flurry of action, his rapiers twisting and jabbing through the air at an insane speed. Men fell, wounded, before him, almost effortlessly. Getty did, however, receive a strike from one man who had seen this coming. Getty paused for a moment, scowled, and cut off several of the man's fingers. "Remember my orders, men!" Isar struggled to get his voice louder than the sudden clash of weapons and the cries of quickly dying men. Isar's crew rushed acorss several gangplanks, blades poised. Blood splashed over the deck, it soaked into the wood and drenched the men. "I want survivors!" Isar reminded his men harshly. A man with his guts pouring to the deck looked terrified at an enraged Getty. Blood was running wildly over his hands, he gasped and fell, defeated. Getty gave him one last look before parrying a blow from somebody else, presumably the dead man's friend. Gossamer shouted: "Fight back, men! We've survived pirates before!" But it didn't do very much. A couple of men roared and heartily tried to defend themselves, but Isar's crew was far more experienced with battle. More and more men fell. Isar, swelling with pride, went to Gossamer, who was furious. "Do you, sir, yield?" "To a pirate?" Gossamer even had the nerve to laugh. " Oh I think not, Isar." "Shame, I'll just haul you overboard when I'm done with you, then. That'll teach you to address a pirate so lowly!" Isar put his blade to Gossamer's throat. The man tensed. "You'll be going to my ship whether you like it or not, so walk, Gossamer." To Isar's surprise, he did. He was expecting some resistance from this proud man, but, no. Kruk came with them, dragging the first mate in a vice-like grip. "On you go, men." Isar gestured with a brief nod. "Kruk, we're taking this nice strong ship. If any of the crew refuse, kill them. Tell Getty to choose a worthy hostage. Then we'll hand control of the ship to Siltar." "Aye, Sir." When Gossamer and the first mate were tied to the mast on 'The Remorseless', Kruk went back to 'Vindicta' to issue Isar's orders. Isar went to the helm of his ship to let Siltar go to the other ship. Gossamer's crew were almost unbelievably easy to defeat. The mournful cries echoed on the thick air, Isar almost felt it a shame. Almost. Not long after, Kruk came bck to 'The Remorseless'. Blood trickled down his fore-head, he looked a bit dazed. "Blow to the head, Kruk?" Isar shook his head. "Aye," Kruk nodded slowly. "But it is done." "Good." Isar saw Getty dragging a kicking boy to the mast to be tied up with Captain Gossamer, who seemed unsure if he wanted to yell with rage or sigh with relief. "My crew, my ship…" He heard the man sigh. "Gone." "Pirates." The first mate was shaking his head. "Well at least the three of you are alive." Getty smiled sardonically. "Kruk, take the wheel a moment," Isar turned, then realised that Kruk couldn't concentrate. "No, wait, don't. Go and see Tiagri - who should be below decks, ah, locked there in fact. Explain to anyone else down there what has happened. Offer injured men help, Tiagri can do that, and, uh, Siltar should already be over on the other ship making sure that it's dealt with properly so off you go." Kruk trudged torpidly away. Isar wondered where Oswyn was, and realised he was probably in Isar's cabin with the precious charts still. "GRUNDAL!" Isar bellowed, wondering where the carpenter was. He was also the helmsman, for when Isar, Kruk and Siltar were busy. He knew 'The Remorseless' almost as well as Isar, being older than Isar. Grundal was covered in bruises. "You brawled with a man?" "He was tall, Sir, and not so slim about the waist." The man laughed. "I see. Take her whilst I go to visit our, ah, guests." "My pleasure. Cap'n." Grundal winked, his brown eyes shining. He was agile, and good with his hands despite his age. The man he had fought with probably only managed to bruise him because of his size. Isar smiled again.
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