The Weeping Wench
It is a typical dock-side tavern, The Weeping Wench. It is a two story tavern, small tables spread out everywhere and a long bar that extends from one wall to the other. Behind the bar is the owner, serving drinks to anyone who asks and two maidens walking from table to table taking drink orders. There is a lively three man band playing in one corner; violin, accordion and flute. In the other corner there is a respectable looking man sitting behind a table with papers on it. The bar is full of sailors drinking, a few promiscuous women walking around and the tavern is full of the aroma of liquor.
You enter into The Weeping Wench, unemployed, and little do you know you are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
"And I said to him, yeah, I went there, I said to this dumbass that hey, I could kick his ass so he'd better stop talking to me like that, gotta show some respect to the people loading your ship," Lyell said to the owner with emphatic pointing and a cocky grin. He had already a few, just enough to make him loud and slightly repetitive. The owner murmured something non-committal as he polished a glass. "And, I mean," Lyell continued, "for sure I had to punch him first but then I swear to the sun I planted my foot so far up his ass he'll be coughing my toenails for a week, I swear on my father's grave. I swear. No paycheck but it was worth it." With the conclusion of such a dramatic tale, Lyell knocked back his current drink and signaled for another.
The bar owner hid a chuckle and turned it into a cough; he had heard these stories every night since he bought the bar. As he looked up from polishing the glass he replied to Lyell, "So if you didn't get the paycheck, where's the money coming from to pay for these drinks?"
A not too tall girl, dressed in tight, black pants, a pair of black boots, a black, tight top and a black jacket entered the tavern. She looked around before heading over to the bar. "I'll have some rum.." She said low. Her dark, seablue eyes looked at the bar owner, and gave him a charming smile.
The bar owner looked to the new girl and replied, "Sure darling, that will be one piece of eight." Pouring out some rum, he waited for the money before giving it away.
The girl nodded and opened a pouch she had hanging in her belt, next to the pistol. "I'll pay for 3 right away, sir.." She gave him three pieces and looked at the man sitting next to her. She had heard him talking about kicking someones ass. She just shook her head, grinning. Drunk men were always funny to listen to.
Seril took up the empty seat next to the girl and smiled. "I'd like a rum as well, please." She looked away from the girl and watched the men, playing with the curls in her red hair passively.
Marco has been sitting at a small table by himself near the bar. He's heard a bit of the conversation between the owner and the drunk guy, but it hasn't been as interesting as flirting with one of the barmaids. That is, until the girl in the tight black clothes comes in and sits near the drunk man. Marco can't help but openly gawk at her.
Wow, I've never seen a prostitute this close before, he thinks.
The bartender slid some rum over to the girl dressed in black and while doing so happened to notice Marco's gawking. As he filled another glass for Seril, he leaned in closer to the two girls. "I don't know which one of you that guy at the table is looking at, but it would seem one of you will have a free drink soon."
After finishing his current drink, Lyell looked over at the girl sitting next to him and vaguely wondered how she was able to move in clothes that tight. Or breathe. Nice view, though. But he had more pressing matters. "No no no no no, man, that's cool, I got some saved away," Lyell said. "Should be goin' towards like... my place to stay but I figure..." He finally caught the comment about Marco and looked over his shoulder, assessing the guy. "Pssssshhhhh, he couldn't get into my pants with a crowbar," Lyell snorted. He pulled out a coin, and then hesitated. "Prolly shouldn't be looking for new work tomorrow with a hangover anyway," Lyell said, a little gloomily, as he fiddled with the coin, still considering.
Seril glanced at Lyell and stiffled a laugh, looking over her shoulder at the man supposedly gawking. She was still curling red curls around her finger. "It shouldn't be me, I mean.. I'm not dressed like some wench." She wasn't, indeed. Although her pants were tight, they weren't too tight. She was definitely able to move swiftly in them with no matter, and they were a gray color, tucked into black animal skin leather. A cotton shirt covered her upper half well, although a corset cinched it tight, but her crushed blue velvet coat hid the curves the corset was hinting to. Seril glanced at the girl next to her, and turned back to her drink, and glanced at Lyell again. "Ah, jobs. I should be looking for one myself.." She pushed a hand into her pocket to feel her coins and smiled.
The bartender overheard Lyell's dilemma about when to look for work and made a suggestion of his own. "You know, the man sitting at the table in the corner who who is dressed like he should be dining with a governor is a captain. Rumors have it that he is looking for new additions to his crew, maybe you would have some luck with him. Word on the street says that he's leaving t'morrow."
Seril made a passive glance over at the table, even though the words weren't directed at her. She bit at the inside of her lips. Ships were where she belonged, no matter what anyone said. "Tomorrow, you say?" She twisted a coin between her fingers, looking back at the Bartender.
Lyell looked over his shoulder at blatantly sized-up the guy. "Looks too fancy for me," he said, pulling on a worn cotton shirt to emphasize his point. His pants had holes in them and they were all lucky he was wearing shoes that night. "Doubt he'd hire some old sailor who just punched out the last guy he worked for." In his drunken state, however, Lyell couldn't quite hide the wistful look in his eyes. He'd been taking a lot of loading jobs lately... It was safer and although it didn't pay better, it paid consistently. But he was missing the open sea.
"Oh shush, you barnacle." Seril said, joking in Lyell's direction. "If you were born for the sea, you were born for the sea. No matter how old you are or how worn your cloths are can change the fact that you
belong on a ship." She rose her eyebrows at him and smiled, looking back over at the man. She looked away quickly. "You're just tipped a bit, is all."
"Dun change nothin' if you can't get hired for the sea," Lyell said. "Not like I got my own boat or nothin'." This argument left a bitter taste in his mouth, so he slid the coin he was still fiddling with over to the bartender. "Same," he said.
Seril smiled at him. "That's why that man over there has one," There was an obvious sparkle in her eye, "Because we don't." She clapped him on the shoulder around the other woman and released, stuffing her hand back into her pocket. "You might be a good sailor," She said to him. "Who knows?" She smiled.
Marco waves as the people at the bar glance at him. Too friendly of a gesture? He wasn't sure, but they didn't seem to be taking offense or noticing him anyways. They all seem more preoccupied with the fancy-looking man in the corner. Why would such an obviously rich man be dining at a dump like this? Marco waved down the barmaid he'd been flirting with, and nodded toward the gentleman in the corner. "Not a regular here, I take it?"
The barmaid smiled at his flirtation; she was used to it every night. Setting her tray down and leaning again the table Marco was at she replied to his question. "Well actually, I wouldn't call him a regular but he's here whenever his ship is in port. His name is Captain Page, probably looking for people to join his crew here." With that she picked up her tray and started off but then turned around and slightly flirted with Marco, "Another round sweetie?" It's not that she had a huge crush on Marco; she just found that simple flirting usually brings in more customers.
"'
Might be' a '
good sailor'?" Lyell asked incredulously. "Listen up, lady. I'm an
excellent sailor." He huffed, almost pouting, rubbing his hand along his slightly scratchy jaw, which of course annoyed him into more huffing.
"It's Seril, not lady." Seril put simply. "And," She waved her hand, sipping her rum. "I meant no harm by it. I don't even know you, so should I assume right off that you're an excellent sailor? I should think not." She grinned behind her words. "Fact of the matter is: There's a ship that needs us. We could be on a ship
tomorrow." She smiled directly at him. "And, by the looks of you, you're not an old man."
Marco smiles at the barmaid. "Are you trying to get me drunk or something?" he says coyly. He waves at her, indicating that he's done for now, and leaves his table, approaching the table in the corner. "Word's going around that you're lookin for a crew," he says to the fancy man. "Name's Marco, and I'm recently retired from work at a shipyard." He extends his hand in introduction.
Lyell looked at Seril, assessing her as he had done Marco. "No, I got a few years left in me... Name's Lyell," he stated after a few moments. He was completely missing the current exchange going on between Marco and the fancy-looking guy over in the corner, instead looking at the owner. "Hey, can I get my drink yet?" he asked, holding up the coin that the bartender had yet to take.
Seril had a flat look on her face. "Nice to meet you, Lyell." She said, and snatched a glance back at the man in the corner. She looked away and studied her cup, she didn't want to seem like she was gawking at him.
Clova entered the tavern, keeping a wary eye on the raucous crowd. She moved quietly, looking for an empty seat and a job opportunity. The snazzily-dress
ed man seemed like the best bet, so she picked a nearby table in hopes of overhearing some good information and waited to be waited on.
Kitty drank her rum and got up. She didn't say much to those two people talking, or the guy who'd been staring at them. She just made her way to the gentleman in the fancy clothes. She didnt really notice Marco next to her. "Hey, heard you're looking for a crew..?" She stood in front of the gentleman, with her hands on her hips, smiling to him.
Seril watched the girl sitting next to her walk over to the man. She frowned and looked over at Lyell. "Well, common then." She nudged his arm and motioned toward the man. "Let's get a job, shall we?"
"We can try, that's for sure," Lyell said, standing up and shoving his hands into his pockets, striding over to the growing gathering of people. He was confident in his abilities but rich, snobby people usually weren't, and he had had enough of that sort of rejection to last a lifetime. He looked over the heads of those already gathered and just stood there quietly, letting his presence speak.
Seril spared a laugh and took the last drink of her drink, standing and moving to the table. She stood next to Lyell, in the opening to the left of the man. She waited for him to speak. She hooked her thumbs in the belt that held her sword, and waited.
Bel'rus swaggered in to the bar. He said someting mildly insulting to a barmaid and then ordered a drink. The guy standing next to him was ugly and said something mean about Bel'rus's parrot: "Yarrgh, what kind of seaman carries a bird around on his shoulder?" Even though Bel'rus is normally very friendly, he didn't liek that kind of talk. Bel'rus pulled out his blade and challenged the man. "You wanna say that again?" The man also drew his sword and slashed out, wounding Bel'rus in the chest. Blood spurted out and dripped onto his shiny boots. Bel'rus fell in a crumpled heap. His last words to his parrot Feathers were "... avenge... me..."
Seril looked over at the commotion and was taken aback by it. She had expected a fight out of the two men, but never a death.
Lyell also glanced over at the damage and looked sympathetically at the owner. Deaths were gross to clean up, and rare in taverns. But it wasn't that important.
Kitty looked at the two men as well. She sighed and shook her head. "Poor bar-man.. And poor birdie.." She said before turning back to the gentleman. She wondered why such a fancy dressed man looked for a crew in this place, only drunk men and barmaids. She yawned and waited for an answer.
The well dressed man extended his hand to greet Marco and then continued to look all around at the group assembling before his table. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you Marco, my name is Captain Christopher Page. You guys are correct in saying that I'm looking for new crew members." He was about to say more but then the fight to the death just occurred, and of course that drew his attention away for a second, but then quickly dismissed it. Turning back to the group, the Captain continued. "Now you guys are probably wondering where my venture will lead. I plan to first sail to Isle de Moulin to retrieve a treasure map that will lead us to a king's treasure in gold, on the Abandoned Island." The captain paused to pick up a feather and ink the tip. "If you can brave those waters, give me your name and what you can offer on my ship." During his little speech, Captain Page wasn't bored with the group but prompt, gazing deep into the eyes of those who were standing before him.
All throughout this time, barely even noticeable, there was a sandy-haired lad who had his back turned to the table where the captain was. Before Captain Page had begun speaking the lad was rocking in his chair but when the he told the group where his venture be the lad stopped doing anything.
"Seril Lockhette." Seril said, spelling out her name for him. "I used to run the sails for my father, before he died, and from then on, I have run the sails on all the ships I have been on." She grinned.
"I'm Kitty." Kitty smiled to the Captain. "I've been on a ship all my life, and I can do whatever job you need me to do." She said and glanced at the others around the table. "But, what I'm best at is fight and stitch together wounded lads.." She grinned. Her previous captain had always let her help the doc on the ship, and she knew exactly what to do with all kinds of injuries.
"Lyell," Lyell gruffly said. "Got experience with sailing ships, most types. Been on one boat or another most my life." He didn't say it, but he looked like he had been in his fair share of fist fights. After the tussle with his previous boss, however, he felt cautious about bringing that up. He rubbed his jaw. "Treasure hunt, huh," he mused aloud. Wasn't solid, but... It beat these stupid loading jobs.
Marco has already given the captain his name and former occupation, so he sizes up the others around the table. The drunk guy seems a decent fellow, and the older woman doesn't look like one he'd like to cross. He's still pretty sure the younger woman is a prostitute, and he finds it interesting that she's experienced sailing and doctoring wounds. I guess you never know what you're going to encounter in that profession, he thinks.
Standing in the shadows closest to the captain stood a man easily a head taller then everyone in the room, not to mention weather worn and it was obvious he was a veteran sailor. Just like Marco, Tepinoc was paying great attention to each member with his gaze hidden behind his bangs. Tapping once with his foot, then two more times, the man sent a signal to his captain and shifted his weight in the direction of the lad that was listening in on the table's conversation.
Seril listened to everyone's explanation of who they were, and what they did. She grinned and placed her hands on her hips, making sure not to set her hand on her sword.
The captain looked pleased with the group, nodding his head in approval with each member of the party. He momentarily looked to his present crew member Tepinoc, but waved a hand to show he wasn't too concerned. "Well, I find that all of you can be useful in this venture. Welcome to the crew of the Lyre, my ship. We leave tomorrow at sun rise." At this time the sandy-haired lad quietly got up and left the tavern. The captain then got up and looked at everyone in the eyes, "Well, you guys are free to do anything until tomorrow, where we shall load up the Lyre and set sail with the tide."
Tepinoc shifted his weight again and kept his eyes on the people closest to his captain, wary of everyone.
Seril smiled up at Lyell. "And you thought you were too old." She laughed to herself and walked away from him, back to the bar for another drink, only lighter.
"Thank you, captain." Kitty looked very happy. "It's been a month since I last had my foot on a ship, it'll be great to sail once again." She gave the captain and Tepinoc a light bow. She tried not to swear, that wouldn't be a good thing right now. She smiled to them and went over to her two remaining drinks.
In a barely visible action, he nodded back to her. A split occuring in his hair revealed one of his eyes, black in the dim light as a slight frown watched her go.
Lyell just grunted, nodding at the captain. He eyed Tepinoc, seeing that he was with the captain, then went to go sit back down at his stool. He took back his coin, as he was never served his drink. Best to stop drinking while he was ahead, especially if they were leaving that early tomorrow.
Seril sipped her drink slowely, but didn't taste it. She was thinking of the things she would need to father before the leave in the morning. She traced random designs in the water on the bar, and stared at the wood grain.
Kitty sat next to Seril and reached her hand out. "Hi, Kitty.. You?" She smiled friendly. "I guess we should get to know each other, since we're gonna be on the same ship."
Two men walked right behind Lyell and both tapped him to not soft on Lyell's shoulder. "What the hell do you think you're doing in my seat," said a rough voice from one of the men, who was wearing a red bandana with a wolf shadow painted over it.
“Oh buddy, bad decision to take this guy’s seat,” said the other guy, plopping himself down on the stool right next to Lyell’s.
Lyell cocked an eyebrow at them, not impressed. He swiveled around on the stool so that his back was to the bar and rested his elbows on the wood, flexing his arms. He had his front to both of them, this way, but he didn't stand up. He wasn't in the mood for this kind of shit. "This is a mighty fine stool you've guys have claimed," he drawled, visibly sizing them up. "Too bad you guys didn't carve your name into it. From where I'm sitting, it's public property."
"Seril." Seril replied, taking the other womans hand. "I guess we should." She smiled, whole heartedly and looked at the drunken men. "Oh good, another bar fight." She teased.
"Let's hope the drunk men manages to actually hit each other and not just the air.." Kitty grinned and looked at them too. "So, where are you from?" She asked Seril while watching the drunk men.
As the bar employees cleaned up the dead sailor, Clova muttered a few words under her breath, and secretly dropped a handful of something from a pouch onto the floor. She left her table, heading quietly over to where the captain and his newfound, ragtag crew were wrapping things up. She had paid close attention to the conversation. It seemed like the kind of venture she was looking for. She approached what was left of the group quietly and addressed the man with a voice like dark molasses. "Cap'n Page. My name is Clova. I think you will have need of my skills on your journey."
Marco walks over to where the two men are giving Lyell trouble. He pats one of them on the back, a lot harder than was necessary. "Gentlemen, is there a problem you wish to address with my friend here?" His voice is thick with an underlying threat.
Captain Page looked at Clova and was intrigue; never before had someone like Clova proclaimed that their abilities will come of some value on his ship. "Well Clova, what skills do you have to offer the Lyre?" Captain Page wasn't put off by her but was very interested in what she was about to say.
The guy Marco had patted was the one with the red bandana, and after Marco's action had quickly spun around to face him with no more than several inches between their faces. The guy's friend who was sitting down on the stool next to Lyell started to feel less confident of the situation. Marco's gruff demeanor made the guy next to Lyell start to squirm in his seat. "Hey, maybe we'll let this guy take his seat," the unsure man said to his friend. His friend, red bandana, doesn't lose any confidence, just continued to look with anger towards Marco. After ten seconds however he turned around and grabbed his friend by the collar, and basically dragged him outside. But before he left, he turned to both Marco and Lyell, "Piss off. This won't be the last you see of me."
Immediately after the two had gone, a promiscuous girl had rushed over to where Marco and Lyell were and started to flirt with them, especially Marco. "Not many men can make Rynos run out of the tavern like that; you boys must be very brave indeed."
Tepinoc made a face at the girl and turned to take a look at the new arrival. Carefully, he lifted each leg in turn and scratched at them... and shifted his weight once more. "Interesting..." He uttered in a seemingly higher voice then imagined from one so tall and he kept his ears open to their conversation.
Lyell leered at the girl. "Right, legs," he said, still leaning on the bar. "Rynos seemed the twat. By the way, that shirt brings out your... eyes." He then began to eye Marco. "Nice display of heroism, er... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
Clova's dark eyes sparkled. She placed a small linen doll on the table for the captain to see. "I can speak to the darker forces of this world, and other worlds. If you think you'll runnin' into anything... spooky... you'll be wantin' me around."
Marco smiles at the girl, and turns to answer Lyell. "Oh, thanks. I'm Marco," he extends his hand in greeting. "Lyell, right?"
Lyell grunts the affirmative, grabbing Marco's hand in a firm grip. "Nice t'meet ya," he said. Marco seemed alright.
Seril waved her hand. "Around. I've never really stayed in one place." She smiled at Kitty. "And you?"
"I should go rest up for tomorrow," Lyell suddenly said to Marco. "Don't have any loose ends to tie up, but..." Lyell shrugged. "Maybe I'll be less hungover if I leave now."
"Always been on a ship, really." Kitty answered. She liked this girl, maybe they would become friends one day. She smiled and drank her rum.
"Same. Most of my days have been spent on a ship, tending to masts and raising them. I've lived an amazing life, I must say." Seril smiled and raised her glass in a toasting gesture, and sipped. "I am quite excited to be joining such a crowd."
"Where you staying?" Marco asks suddenly. The question is primarily to keep Lyell from leaving, so he'll have someone to talk to, but he wouldn't mind getting an offer to bunk with the guy for the night, seeing as they've got the same destination in the morning.
"Er," Lyell started. "I'm renting out a room in... Well, not too far from here. Kinda the bad part of town. Why?" Quite frankly, the question was kind of creepy. If Marco had been a hot girl, Lyell would be much less disturbed at this point, and possibly flexing. But Marco wasn't and Lyell was just raising an eyebrow at him.
Captain Page sat back and put his fingers to his goatee in a very philosophical manner. After a moment of weighing the possibilities of running into anything spooky the captain responded. "Well, we are going to a lost island, so having someone with your abilities might come in handy." Along with the rest of the new crew, the captain extended his hand to welcome about the newest and most mysterious of the Lyre's crew. "We leave tomorrow morning, bright and early; meeting here."
The promiscuous looking woman that was drooling over Marco started to not put so much attention to him since he wasn't showing any attention to her. "You know what," she told the two, "I'll just leave you boys alone for another time." With that she left the duo in search of other men that would pay her attention...and money of course.
"I just got in this morning and haven't found a place to stay yet," Marco explains, returning the look with his own raised eyebrow. It's not like he'd asked the guy to strip off all his clothes and jog a lap around the town. "The rooms decent? I'm not concerned with the view. Cheap?"
Lyell held up a finger. "One bed. Tiny. You can crash on the floor if you need a place for tonight. Hell, I'll be nice and even give you my pillow."
"Thanks, man," Marco says, relieved that he doesn't have to find a bench to camp on tonight. "Let me just pay my tab real quick." He nods his head at the bartender, indicating that he's ready to pay.
Lyell leaned back, hands behind head, looking at the already retreated girl. He hadn't been looking for a lay that night, especially not a prostitute. But he would have enjoyed the view, so he was a little sorry she had walked away.
"Thank ye, sir. Ya won't be sorry." Clova briefly clasped his hand with both of hers, nodded, and departed from the table. She headed toward the bar to find dinner and a room.
"I s'pose I should be heading up to gather my things for the morning." Seril muttered, stretching.
"Yeah..See ya around." Kitty smiled and nodded to the bartender to get her another rum.
Lyell let Marco pay his tab, then without another word, began strolling from the bar. He cocked his head, cracking his neck, already sobering up a little.
One by one, the new crew members either left the tavern or went to their rooms. the very next day they would awake to the adventure budding right in front of their eyes. The game continues at Sailing Off
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