14/03/6242
Jordan Richardson was a happy man. A Merchant of the Gallian free merchants Guild, he made regular trips across all of Halkeginia and a single trip each year to the lands of Rub al Khali to trade for the more exotic Trade goods that Halkeginians adored. Spices, silks, even exotic weapons, they all could be bought for little in Rub Al Khalil and Sold for much more in Halkeginia. It was a dangerous trade route, but worth the risk.
Before him was the Merchant guilds ship he was taking to cross the Great southern sea. A large ocean based Galleon called the Squall breaker. It was a good ship, as good as water bound ones could be. After all, while floating Wind stone powered ships could be much larger and safer, they could not carry as many goods, and were far more fragile when they encountered storms.
The Dockworkers and his own workers were almost done filling the hold with all the goods he was bringing to Rub Al Khali, and as soon as they were done they would board and set off on their two week long voyage.
"Um, excuse me sir, is your ship heading to Rub al Khali?" Came a young sounding woman's voice from behind Jordan.
Turing to the voice he found a young girl with pink hair standing before him. She was wearing a travel cloak, had a small suitcase with her, and was panting heavily with bags under her eyes. She clearly had been rushing from wherever she had been, but something seemed off. Even if it did though, Jordan was not about to be rude, he was not a noble himself but that did not mean he could not be noble! "Hello young lady, my ship is indeed heading to Rub Al Khali, but what might be able to do for you?"
The pink haired girl swallowed and took a moment to catch her breath. "May . . . . May I travel with you? I have money if that is needed!" She asked, looking slightly haggard and hopeful all at once.
Jordan looked at her and hummed for a moment before smiling a bit. "Let do this properly. I am Jordan Richardson, a free merchant of the Gallian Merchants guild, and you are?"
"Oh um, my apologies, um. Louise Francoise de . . . um, Louise Francoise, a traveller."
Having heard the De, Jordan knew what was up. Either this girl was a noble who was running from something, or had been a noble and was trying to start anew. Judging from how tired she looked it could be either. "I see. Let me guess, you were a noble until just recently right? something happened to your family, or to yourself and you lost your status. Am I right?"
The girl let out a groan. "How did you know?"
"Your posture for one. You also are glaring ever so slightly at me, like you're thinking ill of me, or expecting me to ask for favours. I've seen it before honestly, though I don't care about that as long as you learn to stop doing that. I'm a merchant preparing to head out on a long trip, and you are an ex-Noble who is wishing to join my travels."
" . . . C-can I? I have money?"
"Despite what you may think, and despite the fact I am a merchant, money does not mean everything," Jordan said with a smile as he leaned against a barrel beside him. " Everyone on a ship works or does something productive, and that even includes us merchants. If I am to accept and take you on, you must be able to contribute in some way."
"Oh, um, I can work; I'll do whatever I need to, like, um . . ."
"Calm down girl, I wasn't finished," Jordan said with a chuckle. "Your little arms and stature will not be able to do any manual labour. However two other merchants that were going to come with me have become unable to, but are still sending their goods along with me. How skilled with writing and arithmetic are you?"
"I - I can read, write and do basic to moderate arithmetic." Louise said immediately, a shine appearing in her tired eyes.
"Good. I need an assistant for the trip at the very least to help me calculate payments, average trade good worth's and to split worker payments. So if you're willing to be my assistant and do everything that it will require, then I am willing to take you on without charging you. But I won't be paying you. Sound like a deal?"
"Yes! Thank you sir, Richardson, or um-"
"Calm down girl, you look like your running yourself ragged!" Jordan said with another chuckle as a dockworker came over to him and passed him a sheet of paper and a quill. A Quick stoke and his name was signed. "The ships been loaded up, all it's waiting for is me, now us. So come on girl, follow me closely, alright?"
"Y-yes. Sorry."
"It's alright, this way." Jordan said as he turned and began walking toward the ship. It took a few minutes to avoid getting in the way of dockworkers and sailors, but soon enough he climbed up the plank and found the ship's captain standing before him on the deck with is hands on his belt.
"Ah, how good of you to join us!" The captain exclaimed as he looked behind Jordan and raised an eyebrow. "Who's the girl? Some sudden love of yours?"
"Hardly, she is my apprentice. I assume that is alright, captain?"
The captain looked at Louise for a moment before he suddenly shrugged "No skin off my back, especially since those other two are no shows. Head to your cabin, I don't want either of you in the way while we cast off, understood?"
"Perfectly. We'll speak later captain," Jordan said with a bow as he walked past and headed over to the large structure under the wheel and entered the door on its right side, almost invisible as it was shadowed by the stairs.
Following in after him Louise found the rom to be a decent size. A trio of small beds sat to one side with a pair of chests across from them, and at the back of the room was a small desk by the room's only window. The desk appeared to be nailed to the floor, as did the chests, and a series of oil lamps hung from wires to the ceiling.
"Close the door and put your bag by the chests." Jordan said as he walked up to the desk and placed a coin pouch on the desk beside almost two dozen others and a pile of parchment almost a foot high.
"Oh, right." Louise said as she reached out to the door and pulled it shut, finding it far heavier than any other door she had ever tried to close. As she turned back around she found Jordan taking a chair from one side and placing it in front of the desk, then he walked around and sat down, gesturing for her to sit in the newly opened seat before him.
Louise quickly placed her bag by the chest and sat down, suddenly feeling very nervous as Jordan looked at her with his hands on the desk. After a moment he let out a small sigh and leaned back in his chair, seeming to both relax and tense all at the same time. "I hate this part of these trips. The sailors are paid, the captain knows his job, and there is little to do except for anxiously wait for when we land or look over our goods."
Louise said nothing, unsure of what to say in response.
"Luckily, you being here will make things interesting, and I wasn't entirely lying about you being my apprentice. By the time we make it to Rub Al Khali, you will know everything we're bringing and what it's worth. understood?"
"Um, y-yes."
" Good. Now then, before that though, we'll need to set up some ground rules," Jordan said as he pushed the coin bags to the side. "First of all, you work for me. I don't care that you used to be a noble, you will show me respect at all times, understand?"
"Y-yes." Louise said nervously, unsure how well she would be able to follow that.
"Good. Judging from your reaction your only recently disowned or whatever, so I won't expect miracles from you, but I will expect you to try. You will also show respect to all the sailors, and especially the captain if you meet them. If there is a problem with one of the crew, you bring it to me, you do not try to solve it through your name."
"I don't . . . um, understood. Sorry."
"That's fine. Other than remembering that you're no longer a noble and to show respect, the other main thing is you will need to get used to hardship, fast. Life on a ship is not amazingly comfortable, and the best you can expect for a bed on this short notice is a bunch of blankets, or maybe a hammock. I'll see about procuring both so there is some options. Any questions?"
"N-no. Not yet. Thank you for this." Louise said as she stood up and bowed.
"Enough of that, I'm no noble, and neither are you. I'll have none of this bowing shit understand?"
"y-yes I , ugh. Yes." Louise said as she wobbled a bit and held her head.
" . . . . How long were you traveling to get to the dock? when's the last time you ate or slept?"
"Um . . . I travelled for about a week I think and I ate some dried meet yesterday, and slept about, um. . . three days ago."
"Oh by the founder!" Jordan groaned as he got up and walked around the desk to one of the chests. throwing it open he began sitting around before he pulled out a small wedge of cheese, a small string of dried sausage, as well as what looked like some dried fruits and crackers and brought them over, placing them on the desk. "Eat these; I will not have you falling over on me due to starvation or lack of rest!"
Louise looked at Jordan and then at the food and instantly began grabbing them and carefully eating them as fast as she could without hurting herself.
"Good, when you are done eating go lay on a bed and sleep!"
"B-but isn't that your-"
"No arguing, you need sleep to do arithmetic. So eat and then sleep. We'll start your work as my assistant and apprentice tomorrow." Jordan said as the ship suddenly shifted, clearly under way. "Because I'll be working you hard girl, you'll be earning your keep!""
"Y-yes, s-sir!"
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The first day of the voyage for Louise was spent sleeping better than she had in years.
The second day was terrible as she found out what motion sickness was while Jordan ran her through lists of the goods he carried and their varied worth's.
By the fourth day she was no longer getting sick by being on the deck and was down in the hold with Jordan counting some of the easier to count stock, going over them multiple times until he was sure that she knew she was doing.
After that her days went by almost the same each day. Taking stock of a product that Jordan wanted checked on, eating, helping count the funds and checkup on the crew at the captains requests. She even got a decent amount of time to herself during the day that she often used to study Jordan's books or hang on the deck while looking at the horizon.
The ship itself was hugging the coastline as it traveled, giving splendid views of the landscape, mountains and distant lands. Sometimes she could even see small barely noticeable spots of land across the sea, though only for a few seconds.
Then, almost a week and a half into the voyage, it happened.
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26/03/6242
"Now, where did those get put?" Louise muttered to herself as she climbed down into the Ships dark hold with a lantern in her one hand. Like most days she had to go and count up some of the goods in the hold to make sure nothing was being pilfered.
Unfortunately the item in question was Gallian Tobacco, something that Jordan warned could have already had some pilfered from it. It was high cost cargo, and well sought after as well, so this would be the third time in the voyage it was counted.
Stepping trough the dark hold, being careful not to slip up from the movements of the ship or from loose barrels, Louise made her way to the front most hold. She had gotten mostly use to the movements of the ship and to most of the crew. They even glared at her less as she got used to not automatically looking down on people, and that had probably been the most useful of all of Jordan's schooling that he had given her. Sure the strategies a merchant used were interesting, but learning how to not act like a noble when, admittedly she gave that up when she ran, was worth more than anything else she had been given by him. And she was extremely thankful for it.
It still felt strange not thinking of herself as a noble, but it was also enlightening. She had to clean her own clothing, keep her own stuff accounted for and kept in good shape. It was harder than she thought it would be, and gave her newfound respect for the maids back at the academy.
Suddenly, the sound of a wooden hatch ahead of her caught her attention, pulling her out of her thoughts. Partly covering the lamp to hide her approach Louise inched forward and looked around the last corner of boxes.
Hunched over a box was one of the sailors, a crazed look in his eyes and he pulled the lid off a crate and tossed it aside, pulling out rolls of Gallian tobacco with a mad grin.
So Louise did what she would always do, without thinking, and stepped out in clear view. "Hey, what do you think you are doing stealing from the trade crates?" She called out loudly, using her best commanding voice she could muster. Historically she only used that voice on some commoners, mostly maids, to ask them to do things for her. It was more an order than a requests and she had told herself she wouldn't use it again, mostly because it always made the maids look at her funny, but this seemed like an appropriate time.
Then the sailor stood up, and seemingly became twice her size in both height and width, his arms rippling with muscle and his shirt straining against his chest. "Huh, who're you?" The sailor said groggily as he put one hand with an empty bottle in it on the crates edge.
"J-Jordan's apprentice!" Louise stammered, suddenly very afraid for herself if the man became violent. She had of course gotten some basic combat training from her mother and father, but that was in the sword, not fists. Besides, even if she knew how to fight better, she didn't think she'd win against such a mountain of a man. "You're stealing from that box. Stop and come report to the captain . . Please?"
"EH? I don't think a little shrimp like you should be making demands right?" The man asked as he began walking toward her, stumbling heavily. "Maybe I should teach you your place. Little girls like you should become women after all!" he added with a smile as his eyes became sickening in their gaze.
Louise didn't need someone to explain to her what the sailor meant. She had never been stupid, and being on the boat had given her a far deeper understanding of just how blunt some men could be. Nobles danced around what they wanted to make people work for it and to give them excuses to punish them. Most other people simply said what they wanted when they wanted it. And Louise knew exactly what he meant and what it would entail.
So she stood still and looked straight at the man as he approached her, and as soon as he reached out for her, she kicked up her leg right between his legs.
The man crumpled to one knee as his hands went to his crotch with a groan, giving Louise the chance she needed to back away and run for the ladder back to the deck.
At least until the empty bottle flew through the air and connected with the back of her legs, sending her straight to the ground with a crash. Louise let out a yelp as she hit the hard wood, the lantern coming out of her hand and flickering out as it hit the ground.
She was now in nearly complete darkness with a man who wanted to rape her! She immediately tried to get up and winced as she felt a spike of pain on her ankle. She could move it, but she had sprained it slightly, something that would make her ability to get away far more unlikely.
"Where did you go girly? Don't hide; I'll make you feel good too!" The sailor chuckled drunkenly, likely not even aware of what he was saying as he trudged through the dark toward her. He could see him due to the other lantern far behind him, but all she could see was shadows, making it far more terrifying.
Dragging herself behind a crate Louise worked through the pain and got up. She could see a line of light further down the hold from where the stairs up to the deck were, but she could also hear the sailor getting closer, the boards beneath his feat creaking with each step. With her ankle sprained, she wouldn't make it if she was seen. She was hurt, and unarmed, while her accoster was more than twice her size and heavily inebriated. The odds were not looking good!
"Where are you girly?" The man said with a hiccup as Louise sidled along the box, further from the walking area. To her pleasure she found that the boxes were not pressed right against the outer walls, and pressed herself between them, slinking along the outer wall toward the middle of the ship where she knew the stairs were located.
She could hear the drunken sailor searching for her as he bumped against crates and pushed them aside. He was spitting slander and disgusting insults and intents but she ignored them as best she could. After a minute of silently slipping about she finally could see the stairs between some boxes and squeezed toward it. Only to stop at the last moment.
The man was by the stairs, worse yet he was sitting on them with the empty bottle in his hand like a makeshift club. His blurred eyes glanced around hopefully, and a sick grin covered his face.
Louise immodesty slunk backwards and slipped around the crate to the backside of the stairs where he couldn't see her. She needed to get by, but had to move him first. And she knew that there was no way she'd be winning a contest of strength. Glancing around she noticed a bottle of alcohol and smiled as she pick it up and lightly tossed it over a crate. It landed with a clatter of glass on glass, but without the sound of anything breaking.
The reaction was immediate as the man got up from the stairs to check on it, leaving the stairs completely open.
Louise went around and scampered up the stairs as fast as her legs could take her. And as soon as she climbed up she nearly collided with the ship's captain, who went wide eyed almost immediately.
"Goodness girl, what happened? You look terrible!" He exclaimed as he knelt down towards Louise who was on her hands and knees, small scrapes and splinters covering both.
"He, a sailor, big. . . He, he was-"
"Calm down girl, speak slowly, okay?" The captain said softly as a few sailors gathered nearby.
"Sorry. He . . .Jordan sent me to do a count on the Tobacco, and there was a sailor down there looking through it. He was drunk and when I asked what he was doing her tried to attack me. He tried to . . . ."
The captain nodded and looked to three nearby sailors, gesturing to the stairs as he gently pulled Louise up. "If it's who I think it is, we'll deal with it. He's been causing problem for the whole voyage."
"Good, because having one of your sailors harassing my assistant would be bad for both of us!" Jordan exclaimed as he walked over and crouched down beside Louise. "You alright girl?"
"M-Maybe. I'm a little scuffed up, but he didn't touch me."
"Good."
"Ah, let go of me, you can't do this to me! I have my rights to give her what's coming to her!" the big sailor argued as she drunkenly pulled against the other three who dragged him up onto the deck.
"So it was you." The captain sighed as the sailors held him up in front of him.
"Eh? Oh Cap'n, need somefing?"
"You have been causing me no end of trouble for this voyage and the last. So yes I do need something. You off my ship!"
"Huh, what's at mean?" The drunken sailor asked, many of those watching suddenly looking nervous, while others looked happy and even had grim smiles on their faces.
"It means I'm done with you. Get rid of him, permanently." The captain said as he turned and began heading back to his cabin. While two of the sailors grabbed the drunken one, pulled him to the edge of the deck, and pushed him over the railing off the ship with a shout of surprise.
"Oh my goodness!" Louise said in almost a whisper.
"Don't worry, no one will miss him." A nearby sailor said with a grim chuckle.
"Captain! We have a problem!" Came a sudden cry from up above in the crow's nest just as the captain opened the door to his own room.
He closed it and walked out back to the open deck and looked up. "What is it? Which way?"
"Due east, a large gathering of ships, might be a problem!" Came the reply from above.
The captain immediately pulled out his spyglass and leaned over the railing for a few moments. The crew was tensely silent, and when the captain leaned back he had a grim look on his face as he turned to Jordan. "Elven Frigates are fighting Nubian ones and are choking the sea way to Sha-Khali. We could go around them, but it would be dangerous as either of them could go after us, and it will add another four days to our journey. Other than that we can either wait, or dock in Altashia which is a day away across the sea to the south."
"I see. . . . Altashia is still Khalisean territory, yes?" Jordan asked unsurely.
"Yes. Neither Nubia or the elves have declared war on Khali, just each other."
"Good. If memory serves, Sha-Khali is a few days travel north east of Altshia, it should have a decent market as well. Yes, let's head to Altashia instead then."
"Alright, I can deal with that, thank you. You heard our patron, pull to starboard! We head for Altashia!" The captain Roared, setting off every sailor to work instantly.
"Come, let's get your scrapes cleaned and then work on organizing our stock to depart." Jordan said as he patted Louise's' shoulder lightly and gestured for her to follow him to their cabin.
"R-right. But where exactly are we going? I've never heard of Altashia before.
"A right. Altashia was once a Nubian City, but was taken by Khali in a war over two thousand years ago. It now stands as one of its largest cities. It was once the site of a great library, but now stands primarily as a fortified merchant city. And shall be our first sight of the lands of Rub al Khali!"