Frozen Creed
Up she Raise's
February 20
1770
Over the next weeks after killing the archbishop Anna had decided to learn how to sail in earnest. Aldric was a good teacher and she was a fast learner. Every time she went out she sailed farther and further until she was riding the open ocean, the cold wind in her face. She kept her hood down and let the cold and salt wash over her.
"You've got the sea in your blood lass" Aldric laughed and Anna laughed back and started to sing one of the songs that she had heard the men sing during her lessons.
"Weigh heigh and up she rises,
Weigh heigh and up she rises
Weight heigh and up she rises
Early in the morning" Anna sang in a high bright voice, the deeper voices of men on the boat joining in.
"What do we do with a drunken sailor, what do we do with a drunken sailor, what do we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning?"
"Shave his belly with a rusty razor, shave his belly with a rusty razor, shave his belly with a rusty razor early in the morning"
"Weigh heigh and up she raises, weigh heigh and up she raises, weigh heigh and up she raises early in the morning"
"Dunk him in an ice bath till he's sober" Anna sung and the crew picked up.
"Dunk him in an ice bath till he's sober, dunk him in an ice bath till he's sober early in the morning"
"Weigh heigh and up she raises weigh heigh and up she raises, weigh heigh and up she arises early in the morning"
"Alright lass, that's enough for today" Aldric said. Anna pouted slightly but knew he was right. She could never stay out for more than a day lest someone worry about her. They were heading back down the fjord when the captain nudged her.
"Captain" Aldric said handing her the spy glass. Anna looked through it and saw a small vessel approaching, a templar cross on its flag under the flag of Arendelle.
"Templar ship" Aldric said.
"What do you think it's carrying?" Anna asked.
"Most likely money and supplies robbed from the kingdom" The man growled.
"Do you think we can take it back?" Anna asked. The man looked at her, the certainty and bravery in her eyes, and came to a decision.
"I'm either a fool or a madman, but I'm one or the other" He sighed.
"Alright lads, get to your stations, we're taking that ship" He cried and the men cheered. Anna pulled her hood up and gripped the wheel, her heart racing in excitement.
"Cannons ready" She shouted.
"Cannons ready" the men shouted back. Anna steered the ship up beside the small one.
"Steady lass" Aldric cautioned as they drew up alongside.
"Now!" Aldric shouted and the cannons fired. Anna was almost deafened by the booming noise but kept the ship straight as the cannons hit the other ship.
"Their firing!" A voice shouted.
"Brace!" Aldric shouted and everyone crouched down. Anna did the same keeping the wheel straight. She felt cannonballs hit the ship and fly over head. She stood up to find the other ship wheeling around behind them.
"Drop oil" Aldric shouted and a sheet of oil dropped behind the ship. The other vessel ran into it and Anna saw it set on fire. Straining she pulled the wheel as far as it would go turning the ship around.
"Cannons" ready a voice called as the now flaming vessel came toward their keel.
"Fire" Anna shouted and the cannons fired. The world seemed to slow as the balls hit the front of the ship, the last blow it could take. The ship cracked and burned as it slowed in the water.
"She's crippled captain" Aldric said. Anna pulled the skidbladner up next to the crippled ship and it slowed.
"Pull em in lads" Aldric said as ropes were thrown.
"Man the guns lass" Aldric said nodding to the small bronze guns bolted to the railing. Anna ran over and took one in her hands. Raising it toward the sailor racing over the opposing ship. She took aim and shot at a man hacking at a line. The ammunition exploded knocking the man over board. Taking careful aim she shot at a powder barrel, blowing it up along with three other men.
"These men work for the templar's. They're stealing resources from the kingdom, from my people" she told herself as she fired again and again until she was out of ammo. By this time the crew had boarded the ship. Leaping across the gap on a rope she landed on a man, killing her with her hidden blades. Un-sheathing her sword she met a man dressed in the green of the Arendelle navy. He was twice her size, but the clumsy way he moved showed his lack of practice with his blade. Anna easily sidestepped his swing and plunged her sword into his chest. As the man fell she saw the rest of the crew members throw down their weapons. Her crew gathered up the men and knelt them on the deck.
"We were right captain" Aldric said as men came out of the hold.
"There are fruits, vegetables, textiles, and pounds of Skivens finest chocolate" he reported.
"What are you pirates going to do with us?" a man growled.
"Pirates? You call us pirates when you are robbing your own kingdom of its resources to ship them to the templar's?" Aldric demanded.
"I do not know what you are talking about" The man growled back.
"Who gave the order for this shipment, and where was it going?" Anna asked. The man just glared at her.
"She asked you a question dog!" Aldric shouted.
"It was going to Corona" Another man said.
"To merchants or the royal family?" Anna asked the man.
"No, and the royal treasury nor the merchants guild knows about the shipments" The man continued.
"Traitor!" The other man shouted, struggling to get to the other man.
"I'm not dying for a dead man" The second man said.
"Heinrich Jarl did this" Anna said.
"Yes, the economic minister set up a black market shipment of goods to Corona" The man said.
"Silence!" The man shouted and breaking the hold on him lunged at the other man. Before he reached him Anna had her blades out and through his chest. She looked back at the second man whose face had gone completely white.
"Jarl's dead. Where is the money going? To his estate?" Anna asked.
"I don't know. All I know is why we're shipping this. I'm a loyal king's man, but the king hasn't been seen in years, not since he locked himself up in his castle. What were we to do?" He asked.
"Worthless dog!" Aldric growled and lunged forward, Anna putting a restraining hand on his arm.
"Let them sail with us. You said the ship needed more grew and updating?" She asked.
"Ay" Aldric said
"Then we sell the chocolate and distribute the other supplies to those who need them, using the money to help the ship" Anna said. Aldric stroked his face in thought.
"A good plan captain, not unlike the pirates of not too long ago" He said.
"There are sure to be warehouses where more materials are stored" He said.
"You lot wouldn't happen to know where some of those warehouses would be?" He asked and they all muttered agreement.
"Then sail with us help undo the damage you've done to the kingdom" He said. When the Skidbladner pulled away from the wreck they had a number of new crew members and a full hold.
Okay, sea based action. Too mister cuddlesworth, Aldric is acting as Anna's seamanship mentor, and he basically ran that sea fight, with Anna using her assassin's skills during the boarding phase. You can't learn if you don't do. Now I'm going to add in sea missions, where Anna takes down black market ships and raids warehouses. To toothless lover 13, there will also be more sea shanties.
