675-11-21 - Rescue Mission 1: Heading for the Island
| Rescue Mission 1: Heading for the Island | |||||||
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| Summary: Two ships are heading towards an island, and trouble is ahead! | |||||||
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One ship had set sail on the early morning of the 21st of November. It was one of the swifter ones, built to cut through the waves with speed, which made it a hard target for pirates as well as a possible threat to them. The sails billowed in the morning breeze when the ship left the harbour of Deavel, the carved mermaid at the front clearly giving away its name. The /Mermaid/ was the ship of Prince Zephan Onimus, his pride and joy, each time he was allowed to travel the oceans with her would alway raise his spirits.
Such as is the case today. altough the mirth dancing in his pale blue eyes is clearly tempered with the expression of determination on his features. He stands at the railing, his blonde hair is blown about the gust of wind, as is the warm woollen cloak of dark blue he wears above it.
Someone who had joined the crew quite unexpedtedly shortly before the ship left the harbor of the Isles was Sir Moshe Machuri, a man loyal to Duchess Lisabette Zorich who had approached the Prince in the very early hours of the day and expressed his wish to accompany him. With the queen's state still far from being better, the council had given the permission for a rescue mission, even though only few details were known.
A second ship followed in the Mermaid's wake, it bore the banner of the Golden Lion, the /Amahlara/, a ship under the command of Prince Zahir Nuru, brother to Princess Zuhur. Both had been currently on a visit to the Isles when the devastating news of at least one kidnapped Royal reached the court of the Isles. Zuhur had been quick to offer their assistance, as she was acquainted with Prince Nathan, whose finger had been presented before the queen.
So much had happened...
And now the two ships are heading northeast, searching for a pirates, and more importantly, the place where they are keeping Prince Nathan - and maybe Princess Madalyn as well.
Moshe had heard of the events that transpired on the kidnappings of both the royals. Though to some, it was the news of Madalyn that made him stir a bit, more upset than anything. It had taken him a bit to calm enough to think on what he was t odo and he decided to help and rescue the Princess Madalyn is a priority. So as he boards the ship, he has what little belongs to him, his clothes, his armor and weapons. There is a stern look to him now, not once has he smiles, not once has he even looked like he was pleased, there is a cloud over his head. As people walk about him, he tends not to look in their direction, his focus is ahead, to where they may spot the ones that have taken Mdalyn.
It is not that he cares not for Nathan, after all he is the Royal Prince but he has not spoken to the Prince before that he could recall or at least memorable. As for Madalyn, he had spoken and maybe twice she had made him smile. He had taken it to himself to protect her when possible and in this situation he intended to get her back. Now as he looks ahead, he wonders who dare try this and succeed but they will regret they even tried, no mercy will be shown, judgement will be given at the time of the rescue, death to all that oppose him in this.
Compared to that fervor of the Machuri bastard, Prince Zephan's demeanour is almost cool, despite the cold fire burning in those steel blue eyes of his. This is another prince Sir Moshe probably has not exchanged more than just a few words with upto now, probably due to the fact that the older Onimus twin is either absent from court, due to a sea voyage, or too drunk when he is actually there. However, Moshe will know of the bad reputation of the prince, this being the /worst/ of the children of the queen, prone to temptations, and indeed he has taken the female slave with him - that as well a topic of the gossip at the castle most probably.
For now Zephan stares at the horizan, his arms crossed before him, his posture haughty and worthy of a prince, as a grin spreads slowly over his face. The waves are stirred by the wind, and the people on board can feel it, as the ship is following the game of the waters. When he shoots Moshe a glance, the knight may notice a sparkle in the Onimus' eyes, as Zephan gives the knight an assessing look.
"Sir Moshe," the prince says in a calm voice that is a slight contrast to the wild spark in his gaze. "Given that look in your eyes we are fortunate to have you join this mission. I was not aware you were that loyal to my brother Prince Nathan, but your enthusiasm to rescue him exceeds even mine own." The tone is polite, the gaze slightly curious if a touch bored.
Moshe had been staring to the horizon, the shake of the ship and even the waves hitting do not seem to bother him or he simply angers it away. It is the Sir Moshe that actualy gets him out of the daze or the scene that is playing in his mind on what he intends to do to the ones who have doen this. He turns his head slowly to look at the Prince and then he nods his head, then remembering it is a Prince he bows his head towards him in respect of status. " My Prince. My intentions are to rescue the Princess Madalyn. Prince Nathan so happens to be also taken, which may be fortunate for him." yes, he clearly said he is helping the Princess and Nathan is a after thought. He squares off then and looks to the Prince with a slight tilt of his head. " I know your sister, I do not know your brother but heard enough about him. She has become a friend and she needs my help, I intend to help rescue her and punish who ever did this, one way or another, no one will stops me." his voice firm, deep and with a resolve that is obvious had come from years of anger and pehaps training.
Then as he straightens some more. " You came to rescue your brother, what of your sister, you failed to mention her."
Zephan has listened to Moshe's words with an expression close to that of cold indifference. "My brother is the favourite of the queen," he says with a hint of mockery in his tone. "She could not stand to have any harm come to him, even if he has disgraced himself. So... the finger presented to her has certainly put her into that sorry state she is in now. For my sister", and her his gaze hardens, "we have merely the the word of that boastful pirate emissary. He was questioned but did not manage to give more information than to where Nathan is kept. He died before he could speak of my dearest sister. Madalyn."
His expression softens indeed when he speaks of her. "Mother may be disappointed, by Madalyn's character and actions of the past. To me she is the dearest and only sister I have. So while I failed to mention her, she is in fact the main reason for going on this mission. Ironic as it is. Nathan, the outcast. Madalyn the princess that is unfit to rule. Seems a scandalous brother and a Machuri bastard are the perfect combination to come to their rescue. Oh, and I forgot," the Onimus Prince adds dryly, glancing over towards the Nuru ship. "Some heathen foreigners of the Golden Lion as well. You should think about the reason for us being sent - instead of the Armada of the Isles, Sir Moshe."
Moshe listens to the Prince, pretty much has to since they are in the same ship and can't really not speak to him through the voyage, they must work together. So as he listens, he starts to get the Prince or thinks he does but in the end, not everyone shows their true emotions out for all to see, secrets, to many secrets that may kill eventually. "The finger is unfortunate but at least he may think upon his own actions as well. The Queen may not be doing well but she has always been strong, though as of late, a little different." he says not to much else of what he thinks of the Queen, that is his own little world.
At the mention of his sister, the Prince is looked at a little differently, as if the man actually cares. Moshe nods to the man and frowns a bit more as he looks back towards the other ship. " I have not thought of it my Prince, my only and prime reason to be here is the Princess, your sister. If they tend to get in my way, they will also die or they will kill me and I would take a few down with me." Though now that the Prince mentioned it, he does start to think on it, why only them? War...perhaps closer and nearer than he expected and with all that has been coming down on the Isles as of late. Finaly he looks back to the Prince. " Priority are the Prince and Princess, what ever comes next I will deal with it one way or another."
"Fine," Zephan inclines his head with a faint smile, when Moshe speaks about his reason for being there on the ship. "I am sure you will be able to prove your loyalty to my sister before the day is over. That fool of a foppish pirate messenger made a mistake." The faint smile turns into a feral grin. "One finger. For each day that passes. They must be pretty close by, or they will not be able to... Provide the next finger in time if mother delays her reply.", the prince remarks coldly. "Northeast. That is the direction we're heading."
A call from the lookout distracts Zephan momentarily, his gaze darts upwards then shifts to the direction indicated. "There," he says towards Moshe, his eyes narrowing as they stay fixed on the horizon. "There's an Island ahead. Seems we are luckier than I thought."
Moshe looks at the Prince and then chuckles but it's a chuckle that shows resolve, not a happy resolve but one that will turn into fire and death soon. " Your sister already know my loyalty to her. I have shown her more than use of a sword. Been there when she needed someone to listen to her, been there when she needed company from someone she could trust." he pauses and looks to the yell and then back to the Prince. " If she trusted others, this may not have happened." still looking at the Prince.
At the mention of how lucky they are he nods but there is a slight glaze going over his face and eyes. "Prince, what ever happens, do not worry about me, save the Princess, save the Prince, save yourself. I am nothing compared to you all." he says this with a firmness of a man with a destiny of death, this man knows nothing much else, loyalty and determination and to prove his worth.
As the two ships draw closer to the unknown island, another ship is spotted approaching from another direction, along with two others coming into view shortly after. The three ships do not bear the sigil of any House or nation, yet they are small, fast, and maneuverable. Likely pirate ships as they favor such designs, though no ship can match the ships of the Isles in those fields. They are away off and headed for the island as well, if they know of the two ships approaching there are no obvious signs.
Another curious glance is shot Moshe's way when he admits to have 'listened' to the princess, and cold blue eyes assess the knight once again. "Is that so? That may explain your... enthusiasm to come to her aid, Sir. Which is not a thing I would object to, given the current situation." A mirthless chuckle leaves Zephan's lips at the last remark of the knight, though. "Save myself?", he shakes his head in wry amusement. "I don't believe, anyone can."
Whatever he may have wished to add, it is drowned in another cry from the lookout, and a wild gesture towards the island, and more impoortantly, the three sails in the distance. The knight is forgotten about for a moment, when the prince stares briefly to towards those, and his mouth twists into a determined grin. "Seems like we found the right place," he mutters, before he issues an order to take in some sails, to slow the ship down. "Time to change tactics, I suppose." Apparently the Nuru ship follows the Mermaid's example.
The Prince obviously does not intend to attack those three ships right away. Or maybe he just remembers the advice of Lady Adara Zorich to not rush anything.
When the ship does finally slow down, another member of the rescuing party is finally able to make his way above decks. Vandrik's skin is slick with sweat and he has an unhealthy pallor about his face; obviously, travelling at speed over such choppy waters has been unkind to the man. With his relative inexperience with seafaring, it's no surprise that he's not used to motion of the ocean. However, since the vessel has slowed, he knows it means that the time for business is close at hand. So, he's forced himself up from below decks, at the same time forcing his meals to not do likewise and resurface.
Steadying himself once he's on the deck of the ship, Vandrik appears to sober up somewhat, perhaps beginning to get his sea legs under him. The young Lord may still cut a dashing figure as he moves towards the bow of the ship, ostensibly in the same direction as Zephan and Moshe. He runs a hand through the wavy locks of hair that flutter in the sea breeze, tucking them back out of his face, other hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he approaches.
"I'm sorry if I've missed anything, being stuck below. But have we come up with a plan of attack yet?" he asks as he approaches, the Two Rivers accent still thick in his common.
The ships will be just ships. Nothing too impressive, compared to the view of the island itself. The shore of that beauty is not smooth and reminds of the shape of a sandy snake, weaving across the cool top of the refreshing water of the ocean. At the beach on the side from which the bravest sailors and knights come to rescue the royals, it is possible to see nesting sea turtles resting in the sand, wading in the shallow water. It's also possible to spot a white-tipped reef shark patrolling the area that is close to the shore.
Some seagulls fly up into the sky and then suddenly dive into the waters of the ocean, and then they fly up again. The sound they let out of their tiny throats reminds of a laugh, a tease for these who are trying to sail closer to the island.
The beach is cut off with a line of huge dark trees. Obviously, the middle of the island has been taken over by the darkness cast by these trees of a forest. Various other birds are wallowing in the greenness.
Moshe looks towards the Prince and raises a brow at the words from him, obviously the Prince is trying to read into something or maybe not but Moshe ain't to pleased. Though as the ships are spotted he turns to look in the direction of the island and the ships. Hearing the Prince say there will be a change of tactics he nods slowly and looks towards the entrance to the cabins below. He see's Vandrik and he nods to the man, bowing in respect, remembering the man. He notes the look of his face but says not a word, not many can adjust to the ship if they had not lived on the Isles.
"There is nothing to be sorry about Lord Vandrik, your body needs to adjust and it is best it adjusts before the battle begins." Moshe states boldly, most assured by the way he speaks. Though his confidence is slowly rising, even more now that he knows he can count on another man that he has been tested against before, a worthy warrior. Though he looks to the Prince now, he is in charge, though his last showing, was not the greatest but that may have been a bad day. " We were about to discuss the plans right away, since we are nearing our destination. Three heads are better than one but I will follow and do as told, only if it makes sense in my mind." once again boldly, at this point the Prince should know who Moshe is going to save first, or at least try.
Prince Zephan stands at the railing, the expression in his eyes vivid despite the haughty look in his eyes, in fact, of all of his posture, every inch a prince of the Isles.
When Vandrik appears he will earn a fleeting glance at first, but that slightly bored curious look will soon turn into a slightly amused expression, tempered with a touch of sympathy. "Sir Vandrik Aidyl," Prince Zephan greets with detached courtesy. "It is a known fact that sea sickness gets worse when below deck. I am sure you and us will have other matters to worry about in a bit."
His pale blue eyes drift towards where he can glimpse of the island, studying the area attentively. "As for plans of attack, I would suggest to wait for a moment to gauge the reaction of those ships. If they ignore us, fine. Then we'll take a turn about the isle and make landfall from the other side." A dark smirk appears when the prince adds: "If they choose to attack, we will face them. But perhaps they surprise us. Who knows? Maybe they will send someone to parley with us. After all," and here he shoots both Moshe and Vandrik an ominous glance, "we can't be sure if this decision to take one of our princes captive is an action sanctioned by all pirates - or just a bold act of a minority."
The three ships continue on towards the island, either they haven't spotted the two ships that left the Isles, or they don't care. Wherever they are bound, its towards the island and away from the two ships foreign to these waters.
Vandrik grimaces at Zephan's words about it being worse below decks, unconsciously wiping at his mouth. "Well, that would have been good to know /before/ I lost the last few meals I had," he says with a wry smirk. "I'll defer to your experience with naval assaults, Your Highness. As we get closer to land and the ship settles, so settles my stomach. Will we be attempting to sneak into camp? Or will this be a straight assault?"
Moshe goes silent, he too watches the three smaller ships continue on their way to the Island. Listening to the Princes words and nodding on occasion he continues to either think or mentally prepare himself for what is to come. The sickness of Vandrik is forgotten, best forget and think on what is to come. At the mention of sneaking in he does look at Vandrik and Moshe shakes his head. " I will sneak if have to but I am not one to have learned to be silent or even try to be silent. If it will make it easier on the rest, I can act as bait or a commotion." he is giving them options, his life is lower than most present.
The prince's gaze lingers on those ships as well. "That depends, on how they will react. Maybe a bit of both," he replies to Vandrik's question, with a thoughtful hint of a smile. "Hmm." He considers Moshe's suggestion, obviously. "We are not aware of what awaits us there. But the Mistress of Whispers was so kind to send some... scouts with us. They will need to explore the terrain first."
A few orders are issued to the crew of the Mermaid next, as Zephan appears to follow his own reasoning, to take a turn about the island and look for a place to make landfall on the other side. More sails are set, and the ship's speed picks up a little, leaving enough distance to the island as it goes on a elliptical course, with the other ship of the Golden Lion following along.
It will take some time for Zephan's ships to sail till the needed turn. But they will be able to enjoy a wonderful horizon after all. Though, if they have a really good lookout, he or she will notice huge flags waving on three other ships, just behind the turn to circle the island. They still won't be able to see the flags clearly, but they are definitely black.
However, the closer to the island they sail, the more clear view will be seen. One of the ship's sheets is decorated with a huge skull with snake weaving around it.
Vandrik nods to Zephan's words, though Moshe simply gains a quirked eyebrow. "Well ... I wouldn't be so quick to throw my life away, friend. You'll help us much more being alive than getting yourself killed as a commotion," Vandrik says. But, other than that, all Vandrik can do is stand by and wait while the ships travel.
The prince's pale blue eyes take on a steely expression, when they spot the three ships moored at the back of the island; maybe these ships do look a little different fom those they had spotted before; or maybe it is the fact that the others were sailing towards the island and and these are already anchoring there. A command is given towards the helmsman, before the course is changed once again, drifting away from these ships as a turn is performed, which will bring the /Mermaid/ back and closer to the island once they are out of sight of those vessels.
"We will make landfall here," Zephan explains in a casual tone, as he studies the sandy beach of the coast most attentively. "Four boats, two dozen men. That will have to do, I'd say..." Not that he would have much more under his command. The first mate is left on board, along with a minimum of crew required to take care of the ship. Before Zephan climbs down the rope ladder, he shares a brief glance with Pureal who appears on deck just in time to see him leave. The prince smiles, it is a rare smile indeed, when his usully so cold eyes sparkle with anticipation. But then he is already gone.
Four boats will pull towards the beach, carrying the prince, the bastard, the foreigner and a number of scouts and fighters.
(to be continued here)
