AN: It took A BIT longer than we expected, but here it finally is - the sequel to A Crow, a Rat, and a Sparrow: Freedom's Shadow!
Thanks to Bloodsong 13T and Suilven for beta reading for us! You guys are awesome!
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Korlys woke up with a start and looked around, momentarily disoriented. He was in a cozy room with walls that were made of rough-hewn timbers from the ceiling to about waist height, and what looked like river stone from there to the floor. Mario was sleeping soundly by his side.
A grey, watery light was coming in through the window. He slipped out of bed and stretched, then dressed quickly, not wanting to wake Mario. Korlys sat on one of the chairs next to the fireplace to pull his boots on, thinking about what he needed to accomplish today. Pay off the old crew and release them, scout out the town to find out the scuttlebutt. I will send Dante and Anastasio to do some scouting as well, he thought as he belted on his daggers. Mario would work on getting more coin in the meantime.
Korlys grabbed his cloak – the light definitely did not look too warm – and walked out into the dining area. The room's walls were made of the same material as theirs was, but with a much larger fireplace. A roaring fire was burning merrily. There weren't many patrons here this early in the morning, but he was sure he could smell bread baking. The Antivan's mouth watered. He was already sick of the preserved food that was standard shipboard fare, and was determined to get all the fresh food he could while they were on land.
He found Claudio sitting at a table next to the fireplace, nursing a coffee. "Buongiorno," Korlys said as he poured himself some coffee, then took a seat next to the healer, making sure he chose one where his back was to the wall so that he could see the whole room, exits included. The fireplace gave off enough heat for him to feel it from where he was sitting.
"Buongiorno," the healer said, barely lifting his eyes from the newspaper. "Why so early? Troubles in paradise?"
"I have business to attend to – hiring the new crew, for one – and I would like to minimize the time we spend in Alamar." Korlys sipped his coffee. "What about you? What do you plan to do today?"
The healer arched his brow. "Originally, I intended to explore the many beauties of this island. But you might remember that you changed those plans, and decided I am to help Attrei with his business and organize the party."
Korlys snorted. "Mi dispiace, Claudio. If it were up to me, we would not be wasting money on such frivolity. But Attrei got the notion in his head for a birthday party, and nothing could dissuade him. You know how he can be."
A willowy blonde waitress, who was wearing an apron over a plain blue dress, strolled over to their table. From the appearance of the apron, it seemed she was also helping the cook make breakfast. "Can I help you?" she drawled, taking a pad of paper out of a pocket and getting her pencil ready. She looked like she was already bored with life, although she could not have been out of her thirties.
"Sí, do you have ciabatta?" Claudio asked. When she nodded, he continued, "Ciabatta with fried eggs and sausage – Antivan, if possible." He looked at Korlys.
"Excellent!" Korlys said approvingly. "Make it two. No, four – we have two more joining us soon. And another pot of coffee, please."
"Actually, we have four more joining us," Claudio corrected. "But they can order when they arrive."
The waitress wrote everything down blandly, then nodded and ambled off.
Korlys and Claudio busied themselves with their coffee, and twenty minutes later the waitress came back and put the food on the table. "Enjoy," she said unenthusiastically before strolling off again.
They were only a few minutes into their meal when Korlys noticed Mario enter the room. The thief looked around briefly before spotting them and coming over. "I hope there is a bit left for me, too."
"Mario, you got here just in time; the food just arrived. We ordered for you. I hope you do not mind," Korlys said.
"I never mind getting food," he said. "This smells good. What about the brats? Don't tell me they're still asleep."
"Perhaps they are still in their rooms?" A small frown creased Korlys' forehead. Sleeping late was not something Crow apprentices did. Not if they wanted to live to adulthood, anyway.
Mario snorted. "Well, I'm gonna wake them up. Baby at least should be up already. This whole party was his idea, so he can't sleep until noon. And I think you said you wanted the kids with you. Be right back."
To his surprise, the two brats were already up and ready; they just didn't think they could leave their room without being specifically ordered to. And the look on their faces when he told them they were supposed to be at breakfast right now – it'd be funny if it wasn't so pitiful.
Attrei, on the other hand, was still sound asleep, and didn't react until Mario pulled the blanket off him. He opened his mouth to argue, then noticed the brats standing at the door. That finally made him try to tumble out of his blankets.
Mario left Dante to help him, lest Baby decided to return to bed for 'five more minutes', while he and Anastasio headed for breakfast. He sat down on Korlys' right and waved the waitress over. "What do you normally get for breakfast?" he asked Anastasio, who was sitting on Claudio's left.
"Porridge," Anastasio replied, determined not to look at the ciabatta on the thief's plate, and trying to sound humble and not at all disappointed. Tasty as it smelled, it wasn't worth getting into more trouble. They already seemed to be in trouble for not coming here on their own. But, how could they have known they were allowed to walk around as they pleased without Master Korlys' approval or order?
"Maybe they could try something else today?" Claudio suggested, barely suppressing a laugh. "How about pancakes? If Korlys agrees, of course."
Anastasio didn't dare to look at Master Korlys, worried it might look like he was pleading. "No, it is fine; it is what we usually eat."
"Anastasio," Korlys started, and then sighed. "Anastasio, what did I say?"
The apprentice looked up. "You said to look you in the eye when you speak to me, Mas- Ser!" That last was said a little louder as Anastasio scrambled to correct himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, Korlys could see Dante enter the room, start approaching, and then freeze as he realized that Anastasio seemed to have incurred his wrath. He appeared to be stuck, unwilling to approach or to leave.
"Come here, Dante," Korlys called out.
Dante quickly moved around the table and stood to Master Korlys' right. "Good morning, ser. Attrei said he didn't need my help anymore. He will come in a moment."
"That is fine," Korlys said patiently. "I believe I have been a bit remiss in your training, since I see I have failed to set clear expectations. You are both allowed to leave your rooms without being told. However, do not leave the inn without one of us giving permission. Now please, have a seat and order."
"Yes… ser," Dante said, barely catching himself from saying Master. "Thank you, ser." He sat next to Anastasio and looked at him. "What are you having?"
"Pancakes?" Anastasio asked timidly. He was looking at the waitress, but probably addressing the question to Korlys.
The waitress nodded. "Pancakes it is. What about you, sweetie?" she asked Dante.
"The same," he replied eagerly. He never had any, that he could remember at least.
The waitress nodded. "And to drink?" she asked them both.
"Bring them milk," Korlys cut in. The boys had never had any of this, so asking them their preferences was just going to be fruitless, he realized. Doubtless Anastasio had said pancakes only because Claudio had mentioned them. "And another pot of coffee, and some sugar. They can have milk and coffee," he added, as the waitress headed off.
It wasn't long before the waitress came back. Two plates of what looked like stacks of golden brown, round flatbread with something poured on the top of them were balanced on one arm, and in her other hand she carried a pot. She set the pot down in the middle of the table, then one plate in front of each of the boys. "I'll be right back with the sugar and milk," she said, and when she returned, set the mugs, sugar and milk on the table. "Let me know if you need anything else, sweetie," she said, before ambling off.
Anastasio had never had pancakes before, and hadn't known what to expect... they smelled sweet. His mouth watered as he picked up his fork and took a bite. The apprentice's eyes grew wide. It tasted... well, he had nothing to compare it to, but it was better than anything he'd ever tasted before in his life. A bit like what he imagined very soft, sweet bread would taste like. He turned to look at Dante, unable to keep a grin off his face.
Dante grinned back. "Delicious," he sighed, after he swallowed. He looked at the two pots in front of him, one with steaming black stuff, and the other with white. They can have milk and coffee, Master Korlys had said. But which was which? And how did they drink this? Half and half? Hoping he wasn't making a fool of himself, he poured first the black liquid into his cup, then white stuff. After a moment of hesitation, he added one teaspoon of sugar into it, and stirred it. He tentatively took a sip. It was warm and good, and he eagerly drank more.
Both kids ate their breakfast as fast as good manners would allow. Master Korlys had said he wanted them to assist him with some task, and they couldn't be sure they'd eat before dinner, or that it would be this good.
They were almost done when Attrei wheeled in. Dante quickly jumped to move the chair next to Mario away and make him some room.
"Thanks," the mage yawned. "Ohh are those pancakes? Awesome! I'll have some, too!"
As Attrei ordered, Korlys turned to Mario. "I am taking the boys with me to do some scouting this morning, and Claudio and Attrei are going shopping. Will you be getting us more coin in the meantime? You mentioned that yesterday."
"Yeah, okay. How much do you think we will need for the new crew?" They were not without any money – the Crows they took the ship from had quite a bit of coin with them – but that didn't mean they should be spending it all recklessly. Mario was determined to steal as much as they would spend, and leave what they had as a reserve.
"Just get as much as you can," Korlys said. "Will you scout out the city today and work tonight, then?"
"I'll scout first, then do a little now, then do a lot more tonight," Mario said with an evil grin. "Okay, time to go. See you all at dinner. At six?" he looked at Attrei, who only nodded, still chewing his pancake.
oOo
"What sort of wine would you prefer?"
"I do not know… Pinot Noir?" That was the only wine Attrei knew by name, to be honest. Did it go well with roast? How in the world would he know? However, judging by the appreciative nod of the innkeeper's wife as she took the note, it seemed it was a good suggestion. Attrei sighed in relief. Finally, it was almost done! He would have never guessed that preparing a party was such a tedious affair.
The innkeeper's wife had hundreds of questions about every detail, from the wine to what sort of tablecloth and flowers they would want. It took two hours to sort it all out, and there were moments when he was certain she was only asking those questions to make fun of him, but at last, all that remained was the cake. That could not be a problem, right?
"The cake could be with chocolate," he suggested.
The innkeeper shook her head. "I am sorry, ser, but we do not make cakes in our inn. Scones at best. However, with all that you want, there will not be enough time to bake anything, anyway."
The little mage's shoulders slumped, but he did not give up. "But what sort of a birthday party is it without a birthday cake? Please – it is just one cake, I am sure it would not take so long…"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Yes, because you obviously have years of experience with baking cakes," she said in a Claudio-ish dry tone, and he knew there was no point in arguing with her. His throat tightened.
"I promised them," he said, staring at his lap. "It's their first birthday party… and I failed them…"
"You could go to a patisserie," the woman suggested. "There is one on Whitechapel Street – Patisserie Celene, it is called. One of the best in Alamar. If you can afford it, they have cakes of all sorts, shapes and sizes. I am sure you can find the cake you want there."
Attrei's eyes lit up. "You mean there truly is a place that specializes in cakes? Wow! The outside world is so full of wonders!"
Judging by the suspicious look she gave him, he probably should not have said that. "I will write down the address," she said. "It is not far – at the other end of the main market, if you go straight from here."
"Thank you!" Attrei beamed at her as he carefully folded the note and tucked it into his pocket.
"We can count on you, then?" Claudio spoke up for the first time in an hour and half. Attrei was sincerely surprised the healer was not asleep. "It will be ready at the scheduled dinner time, in the private lounge, and it will not exceed four gold coins?"
"Yes, yes. Everything will be ready by six, in the lounge," she confirmed. "Now please excuse me. I have a lot to do."
"Thank you," Attrei repeated. "We should go too, Claudio – first to the patisserie, then we need to buy presents. See you later, Madam."
He rolled out of the room, Claudio right behind him. "Did you think of what we should buy for Korlys?"
The healer shrugged. "I do not know."
Well, that was not very helpful. Maybe he should have asked Mario to do it; he was the one who knew Korlys the best, after all. But it was too late now. He'd have to do it himself, somehow… The cake first. Then we can buy a game for the kids and a book for Mario, and by then maybe we will have found inspiration. Maybe he would get an idea when he visited the shops. That was how Korlys had bought Mario's watch, after all.
oOo
Anastasio and Dante scouted the areas Master Korlys had pointed out, but didn't find anything of interest, so they decided to head to the docks and pass themselves off as deckhands looking for work. Anastasio hated walking around in bare feet and tatty clothes, but it was part of their disguise, so they stopped at the inn to change.
The Alamari docks were largely the same as any other; a long wooden building was set back from the water, with several large bays where goods were stored when they were loaded or unloaded. Wooden piers stretched out at intervals, like fingers. There were berths along these, but they were mostly empty at the moment.
Groups of men were clumped in threes and fours scattered along the docks. Others stood near the dockmaster's office situated a few yards from the warehouse area, shooting the breeze while they lounged around and smoked. Every once in a while one would casually scan the horizon, as if hoping to see a ship emerge, but it was obvious from their lackadaisical manner they expected to see no such thing. A very few men were loading some things onto a ship.
"Scusami, ser!" Dante said as he approached one of the men carrying a barrel to a ship. "Could you point us to where to go if we want to be hired?"
The man was broad-shouldered, with the wide legged stance of a long-time sailor. Although human, he was short and scrappy, with a mop of black hair, a long handlebar mustache, and a face that looked like it had not seen a razor in at least three days. A cheap cigar hung from the right corner of the man's mouth, and his right eye seemed to be in a perpetual squint. "Yeah," the man said, in a voice as rough as a rasp. "That all depends on what sort of work you two are lookin' for." He looked them both up and down skeptically. "Not day laborers, I take it."
"That depends on what sort of work can be found here," Dante said. "We are hard workers. But, we would prefer to get on a ship working as deckhands."
The sailor gave a rusty laugh. "You do realize that deckhands work hard, don't you?"
"Sí," Dante said, trying hard not to roll his eyes. "It is what we were before we came here. What I mean is that we would prefer a job on a ship, rather than being hired for a day."
The man set his barrel down, reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a rag that seemed to be dirtier than his hands. Nevertheless, he wiped them as he appeared to consider the two boys. "Well, if you really want to hire on as deckhands, there is a board over there by the dockmaster's office," the sailor said.
Brasca! They should have realized there was a dockmaster's office – deckhands would have. They needed to be more careful and focused from now on if they wanted to avoid trouble. With Master Korlys, most of all. This was the first serious task he had given them and they could not afford to screw up.
The pair headed to the dockmaster's office, where they found a board listing arrivals on the left-hand column and departures on the right, with dates and times next to them. Anastasio guessed they were supposed to determine who might be hiring from that information alone. The apprentice studied the board and, when he did not see 'Antiva' listed as any destination on either side of the board, let out a breath he had not known he was holding.
Anastasio turned to his friend. "Well, it looks like there are not many ships departing any time soon, but there are at least three that have arrived in the last couple of days. That means there will probably be more competition for jobs than usual." To a casual observer, it would have sounded just like what a boy looking for work as a deckhand would say. He knew Dante, however, would understand the greater significance for them. It meant there would be more sailors for Master Korlys to choose from when he started looking for a new crew. At least they would have some useful information to bring back! But it was hardly enough; apprentices of their caliber would be expected to bring back much more.
One of the things they had learned on the trip from Antiva was that sailors were the worst gossips. They sidled up to a group of men at random, appearing for all the world to be lost in conversation and not paying any particular attention to their surroundings.
"Did you hear about The Black Lie and its captain?" one of the loiterers was asking his mates. The man in question was tall, with ropy muscles and a fiery red shock of hair a darker shade than Ser Attrei's. The sailor was wearing calf length breeches of a nondescript color, and like most of them, was barefoot, as if he was all ready to set sail the moment he was hired. His shirt was loosely tied, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and appeared as if at one time in its life it may have been white, but that was pure speculation on Anastasio's part.
"Who didn't?" one of them replied, spitting on the ground. "Lost the ship with all the cargo and half the crew. Heard he's looking for a ship now – but I dunno about that. You'd have to be desperate to hire a guy like that."
The speaker was dressed in a similar manner as the first, except for a dark stain on his shirt caused by an unfortunate addiction to chewing tobacco. Gross. He glanced at Dante, and was amused to see his fellow apprentice felt the same, judging from the disgusted look on his face.
"Yeah. You know why, right? He owed a debt to the captain of the Flor de la Mar – Captain Billy, I think it is. That man is not one to cross, if you take my meaning. Holds a grudge, he does. Chased Jack right out of the harbor when Jack tried to run out on his obligations. Pure idiocy, of course, since Billy lost his contract when he showed up late at his next port." The red-headed sailor chuckled. "Of course, from what I hear, Billy's the sort of man who would have felt well compensated for the loss, knowing that Jack had lost it all. And besides, there's always plenty of work for a captain with a fast ship."
The other men nodded in general agreement at that – apparently it was an accepted fact amongst them all.
"I say it was all 'cause he didn't have a cat on board. That's bad luck, it is. Everyone knows that. I'd never board a ship what had no cat on it." Sailor number three delivered that bit of wisdom with all the gravity of a learned sage imparting priceless knowledge to his pupils. The man looked to be the oldest of the three and it was clear from the expressions on the other two's faces that they held him in high regard. He had dark hair salted with white here and there, and his skin was as dark as leather, and had a faint accent, as if he had come from a country other than Ferelden, and had been on the sea so long it had worn away almost all traces of his life on land.
The other two gave nods of agreement. "Damn foolish, if you ask me," the first agreed.
"He's still in Alamar, ain't he?" the second one asked.
"A lot of The Black Lie's crew are still in town. The ship foundered off the coast. I heard it was hugging the shore too closely in an attempt to shake Billy, and ran aground somewhere close to here."
So, there's an experienced but possibly imprudent captain in Alamar who is looking for work. And it sounds like he has at least half his crew with him, if they will still consent to work with him, of course, Anastasio thought.
Dante exchanged a look with Anastasio. This had turned out to be far more useful than they hoped for. They already had a lot to tell Master Korlys… but maybe they could do more? If they could find out where exactly this captain was… but how could they find out?
He gave a little wink to his friend, and sneaked a few yards away. Then he stepped out of the shadow and briskly walked up to the sailors, looking around as if he was looking for someone. "Excuse me, sers!" he called out when he was a couple of steps away, a bit breathlessly, as if he was in a hurry. "I am looking for Captain Jack – have you seen him around this morning?"
The elder sailor spoke up. "Well, let's see..." The man looked up at the sky, obviously judging time from the position of the sun. Anastasio knew from his experience on their previous voyage that sailors could tell time as precisely as a watch by observing the heavens. "At this time of day, it's likely he is nursing a hangover down at the boardin' house where he's staying."
The other men chuckled and nodded. Apparently, the captain was known for his benders.
Dante pressed his lips together. "Could you please tell me where the boarding house is? Our captain says he has unresolved business with the man and needs to talk to him as soon as possible."
The men roared with laughter at that. Red spoke up. "Sounds like 'ol Jack's luck continues to run bad."
The old sailor's bushy brows drew together, an indication that he was not quite so easily amused as his companions. "What do I look like, Jack's keeper? How would I know where the man is staying? There must be a half a dozen boarding houses in this town."
"I meant no offense, ser," Dante quickly said, putting a humble expression on his face. "It is just that you look like a man who knows all that goes on around here."
The man appeared mollified at that, and nodded. "Well, if I were you – or your captain – I would start at Molly's House. It is... well," he glanced at his companions in amusement. "It's a sort of disreputable boarding house, if you take my meaning." He winked at Dante and Anastasio as if they were men of the world, and would, of course, take his meaning.
"Ah." Dante nodded, a hint of smile on his lips, as if he knew exactly where the damned boarding house was. It was most likely a brothel, although he didn't know why they made such a big deal of it. He assumed it would not be far from the docks, and with the reputation like that, it should be easy to find. "Thank you very much for your help, ser! I better go tell my captain; he does not like to wait." He bowed his head, then ran away, with Anastasio following at his heels.
oOo
Molly's House looked a lot like an ordinary home. The wooden siding was old and worn, although it was hard to determine age; the wind and salt air of a coastal town had a way of weathering men and buildings. There was, however, the tell-tale sign of cathouses everywhere, it seemed – a red lantern.
He turned to Dante. "Well, this must be it."
"Sí. We know enough to go back to Master Korlys now – or we could go inside. We should show some initiative and make sure Captain Jack really is there," he said with a grin. "What do you think?"
The mischievousness of Anastasio's grin mirrored Dante's perfectly. "I think great minds think alike. Let us take a look around, find this captain, and get any other information that seems important first. Then we can report back. But first, we better go change back into our own clothes. Right now we look as if we do not have two coppers to our names."
The two boys hurried back to the inn to change into decent clothing and gear up for their next mission with great enthusiasm, not just because of their eventual destination, but also for the sheer pleasure of getting out of their raggedy disguise.
oOo
Hmmm... where are those two boys off to? And in such fine clothing, too. Anastasio and Dante were, for some reason, now in their best clothes, and hurrying from the direction of the inn. The ex-Crow made his way to the edge of the market before wrapping himself in shadows and following in the two boys' wake.
Their destination was an amusing surprise. More curious than ever, Korlys slipped inside behind the boys before the doors to the bordello shut behind them. The ex-Crow made his way to a shadowy corner, close enough to observe Dante and Anastasio. There couldn't be too many things the boys were planning on doing in such an establishment, and since he hadn't given them enough money to hire anyone, unless prices here were drastically lower than normal, one of those options seemed distinctly unlikely. But, boys were known to do stupid things from time to time when sufficiently motivated. And nothing motivated males more efficiently than the possibility – however remote – of fucking.
oOo
Anastasio looked around attentively while at the same time trying to appear jaded. It was not like he hadn't been inside a whorehouse before. As the time for him to become a senior apprentice had drawn closer, he had started to run menial errands for some of the lower ranking Crows. Nothing complicated or important, just the sort of tasks that even senior apprentices did not want to handle, lest they be seen as less important or trustworthy somehow, fit only for simple tasks. Some of those tasks had involved delivering messages to and from such establishments.
However, this was certainly the shabbiest brothel he'd ever seen. Faded wallpaper meant to look like red silk covered the walls, and here and there a corner had peeled back as the aging glue had lost its grip. The benches and chairs were upholstered in threadbare red fabric as faded as the walls, and the wooden tables were dented and scratched. A Crow wouldn't have been caught dead in such a place. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask how they would figure out which man was Captain Jack when two young women noticed them and strolled over. One scantily clad blonde put an arm around Anastasio, and the other put an arm around Dante.
The one closer to Dante leaned down and said in a seductive voice, "Hi sugar. What's your pleasure? I'm Candy, and this is my friend, Sandy. We're up for anything you are." The woman gave her friend and partner in crime a wink.
Dante swallowed; he had never been so close to a lady's tits before. And these looked as though they might fall out of the too tight dress at any second. It took a moment until his brain decided to cooperate again. He forced himself to look up, noticing how tall the lady was. And her voice was a bit too rough, as if she was coming down with a flu. "I… we…" he squeaked. Brasca! He was not a little brat! He was a Crow apprentice! He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice deeper. "We would love to, babe, but we are here on business."
The women laughed. "What a coincidence, honey," Sandy said. "So are we!" Their laughter was rough, as if they had been through too many nights of whiskey and cigars. Among other things, Anastasio thought, slightly repulsed. His brain, which had been stuck trying to come up with an answer to what his pleasure was, finally got unstuck with that unpleasant realization. These women had seemed sexy at first, but their laughter reminded him of how much they had been used. If they had been high class hookers, he probably never would have thought of it that way, but at least it helped the apprentice to come back to his mission and his senses. But what to say?
Suddenly, both girls removed their arms from around his and Dante's shoulders. Wondering what they could have done wrong, he glanced at his friend and caught a glimpse of someone standing behind them. Dante noticed as well, and together they both looked over their shoulders. When they realized who it was, they looked back at each other, eyes wide.
Anastasio calmly turned to face the women again – what else could he do? – and felt a hand rest on one of his shoulders. He did not dare to glance, but would bet any money that Dante was feeling a hand on his shoulder as well.
"I am sorry to disappoint you ladies", Korlys said, "but I am afraid my associates and I have other matters to attend to. Please excuse us."
The girls made fake shows of disappointment before strolling off. Anastasio turned around to face Master Korlys, but couldn't think of a single thing to say.
"Master Korlys," Dante breathed. "I am sorry – it is not how it looks."
"Tsk. Do not worry about it. I am sure you are here because of the mission I sent you on, yes?" the assassin said, giving them a very obvious out. "Now, what is it you were looking for?"
"There is a man here," Dante replied with an eager nod, "a captain of a ship that sank. We heard rumours about him. He seems to be somewhat… imprudent, and he apparently likes to drink, but he is looking for a job."
Korlys sat down at a nearby table, motioning for them to follow. He asked the apprentices for a full debriefing, and then listened attentively as they carefully recounted all the details of their scouting expedition. When Dante and Anastasio were done, the ex-Crow stared off to the side for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face, drumming his fingers on the table in front of him. Then, seeming to come to some conclusion, he returned his gaze to them. "Well done! It appears that you have given us an excellent lead on a possible captain, and one with at least a skeleton crew to boot."
The assassin's face took on a focused look. "Now, we might as well see if we can speak to him while we are here, sí? This should not take too long," Korlys said after a quick glance around.
Anastasio looked around as well. There were only three men visible, and one of them was passed out face down on the table in front of him. Another appeared to be starting the night off early – way early, considering it was not even lunchtime yet and he already had two whores draped over him, and a mug of ale in each hand. The last man was just coming down a staircase located toward the back of the large room they had found themselves in. He was tall, his face as weatherbeaten as old gnarled wood, deeply lined and suntanned almost to black, and he appeared to have not shaved in at least two days. The man's dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, showing off the many earrings that dangled from each earlobe, and he had a red kerchief tied around his neck that appeared to be a survivor of the wreck itself, judging by its appearance. If that was their man, of course.
"Follow me," Korlys said as he stood.
Dante hastily stood up as well. He still could not believe Master Korlys had not reprimanded them for their blunders or when he completely lost control and focus and called him Master. Instead, he had praised them, and even let them accompany him for the rest of the mission. They had gotten another chance to prove their worth, and Dante was determined not to miss it.
As the man arrived at the bottom of the staircase, the bartender looked up from his newspaper. "Oh! Up now, I see? And just in time for lunch." His voice held a hint of sarcasm.
The suspected captain scratched his chin as if the stubble on it bothered him. "Is it? I don't suppose you have some vittles here? A man needs to keep his strength up if he's going to find a job, you know... and a razor," he added thoughtfully.
"Hmph, you need to find a razor, that's for sure," the bartender replied, but he motioned a waitress over as the man took a seat at the bar. "Rustle up a bowl of stew for Jack, will you, Josie?" The lady nodded and walked off as the bartender continued, "Speaking of jobs, when do you plan to find one, Jack? I'm not runnin' a charity around here, you know!"
"Oh come on, Charlie," Jack replied. "It's not like people are lookin' for new captains every day, is it? And I've only been here barely a week now."
The waitress set a bowl of stew in front of Jack, who thanked her, then looked at his meal for a moment before continuing with an, "Aye, you don't suppose I could get a bit of ale with my lunch, do you Charlie?"
The bartender snorted, but grudgingly drew Jack an ale and passed it to him as Jack continued, "You know how much I appreciate you putting me up here while I get back on my feet, right? And I promise to repay you every copper too, as soon as I get a job!"
At that moment, Korlys, apprentices in tow, appeared at the man's right elbow. "Excuse me, ser," he said politely. "Pardon me for interrupting your meal, but did I overhear you say you're looking for work as a captain?"
"That's right," Jack said guardedly, putting the spoon loaded with stew, which had traveled only halfway to his mouth, back into his bowl.
"Well, it just so happens that my friends and I are in need of a captain – in fact, we are in need of a whole crew," the Antivan continued smoothly. "I am Korlys Ghilani, owner of the Freedom's Shadow." He stuck his hand out, and Anastasio was impressed to see that Master Korlys did not even show a hint of the distaste he must be feeling at the thought of shaking the grubby man's hand.
"Captain Jack," the man replied, wiping his hand on his trousers – which couldn't have been much of an improvement – before shaking Master Korlys' hand. Anastasio was amused to note that Master Korlys unobtrusively but carefully kept his hand from touching any other part of himself or his clothes, as if it was contaminated. Which it probably was. "Why are you looking for a whole crew, if you don't mind my askin'?"
"Why are you looking for a ship?" Korlys responded, unruffled.
"My ship foundered off the coast. I lost half my crew," Jack said.
"My captain was the most strident opponent when I took over ownership of the Freedom's Shadow, and was not amenable to continuing on as captain. Unfortunately, he had to be let go. Since the current crew seems to have had no qualms about working for slavers, I feel it is best to just start with a clean slate, if at all possible."
"Well, I can certainly see why you'd want new men, and the crew I do have are good ones, if you're interested. It would just be a skeleton crew. I still have my first and second mates, my bo'sun, and several good able-bodied seamen. I lost my deckhands," he added. Jack paused, then leaned back a little to get a better look at Dante and Anastasio. "But you appear to have yours, so that's okay."
Korlys nodded. "I will want to meet your crew to interview them, of course, but if they appear to be as capable as you say, that should not be a problem."
"Where are we headed, and what's the cargo? If you don't mind my askin','' Jack said.
"That is still up in the air," Korlys lied smoothly. "The ship needs some work, but I would rather take care of that in Amaranthine, I believe; I will get better prices on the labor."
Jack chuckled. "True enough. This city isn't known for its fair dealin', that's for sure. I tell you what, let me hunt up my crew and you can meet with them tonight, if you'd like."
"Ah, tonight I have a previous engagement, I am afraid. However, I will be happy to meet with the men first thing tomorrow morning. Shall we say seven?" Meeting them at that time would weed out the drunks too hungover to get up early, and those who were just too lazy to get up.
Captain Jack nodded with a satisfied air. "Seven it is, then," he agreed, sticking his hand out to shake on it. "Oh, I should mention that the men won't sail on no ship what doesn't have a cat on board – we didn't have one when the Black Lie went down, and now they're spooked."
"I know just where to find one. It will be on board before we set sail." The ex-Crow shook Captain Jack's hand and bid the man good day. It was not until the three of them were outside again that he turned to the apprentices. "Well, it appears we may have our captain and crew much sooner than I anticipated, thanks to you two." He clapped the two boys on their shoulders, unobtrusively wiping his hands on them in the process. "I am sure the others will be suitably impressed... well, the Fereldans anyway," he added with a chuckle. "For us Antivans, it will be as we expected."
Dante straightened his back, his chest swelling with pride; he did his best to keep it out of his voice, but didn't quite manage it. "Thank you, ser. We are happy we could be of assistance."
Korlys paused. "However, I believe the part of the story where the two of you visited a gay bar on your own initiative should be modified a bit."
Dante's eyes widened. "Gay bar? Those ladies… they were… not ladies?" So it was not the flu...
There was a hint of amusement in his voice as Korlys replied, "No, those were men in dresses. But, that will remain between the three of us, si? Now, go see what else you can discover."
"Sí! Grazie, ser!" The last thing Dante wanted was to let Ser Mario find out about it; the thief would tease them until the last day of their lives.