Waking Sea, Thedas - Tuesday Afternoon FHT
"They're gaining on us, Captain!" The call came from the poop deck, the man pitching his voice to carry easily over to her, and Isabela swore as she glanced back.
The Siren's Call was a fast ship, but she was by far outclassed by the Qunari vessel. It was only a matter of time before they lost the race and once they were boarded... Her men were good, but staving off a warship full of Qunari. No.
"Balls! How did they even find out?" It didn't matter asking the question and she'd already forgotten about it the instant the words left her mouth. They needed a way out. No one was going to come to their aide here, the Tevinter Imperium was a long way off and the Qunari weren't going to negotiate.
The ship lurched and Isabela moved with it easily, making note of the slight change of course. Away from the black clouds brewing ahead of them.
She grinned and leaned forward, hands gripping the railing tightly. "Now that's more like it," she murmured to herself before pitching her voice and calling the order to change their course.
"That'd take us right into the storm, Captain!" her helmsman protested and she laughed at his expression that he clearly thought her mad.
"I can see that for myself. Do it," she barked and watched in glee as the ship headed towards the dark sky. Soon the Siren's Call was rolling on the waves and the first rain beat down on them. Thunder rumbled ahead and the sky and sea lit up as lightning forked through the thick storm clouds.
And still the Qunari were following. "Andraste's tits, they don't give up easy," she cursed, and maybe she should learn not to swear idle when she was in a storm as the wind suddenly back and changed ninety degrees. The topsail billowed and the ship lurched violently, its nose going right into the wind.
"Clew the topsail!" Isabela bellowed against the wind as she jumped back to attempt to help the helmsman get control of the wheel. Already men were moving up the rigging, but the first wave washed over the deck and there was no time to wonder who was left standing. The next wave was even taller and the bow cleaved through it. Somehow she managed to hold on, wind and water tugging at her and an awful cracking noise that made the ship shudder told her the foremast was gone.
Another wave like that and they would be gone. "Abandon ship!" she shouted, not that there was much hope for anyone hearing her and she turned, running towards the galley. She wasn't going down dammit, and she wasn't going to survive just to be turn into pieces by Castillon and the Qunari all wanted that stupid book.
She barely made it halfway down the quarter deck when the next wave hit and she slammed into the railing, pain shooting up her back. She twisted, the rigging only inches away and if she could just...
Water engulfed her and then there was no railing, only black coiling water and a strong current downwards.
[Establishy! NFB/NFI!]
The Siren's Call was a fast ship, but she was by far outclassed by the Qunari vessel. It was only a matter of time before they lost the race and once they were boarded... Her men were good, but staving off a warship full of Qunari. No.
"Balls! How did they even find out?" It didn't matter asking the question and she'd already forgotten about it the instant the words left her mouth. They needed a way out. No one was going to come to their aide here, the Tevinter Imperium was a long way off and the Qunari weren't going to negotiate.
The ship lurched and Isabela moved with it easily, making note of the slight change of course. Away from the black clouds brewing ahead of them.
She grinned and leaned forward, hands gripping the railing tightly. "Now that's more like it," she murmured to herself before pitching her voice and calling the order to change their course.
"That'd take us right into the storm, Captain!" her helmsman protested and she laughed at his expression that he clearly thought her mad.
"I can see that for myself. Do it," she barked and watched in glee as the ship headed towards the dark sky. Soon the Siren's Call was rolling on the waves and the first rain beat down on them. Thunder rumbled ahead and the sky and sea lit up as lightning forked through the thick storm clouds.
And still the Qunari were following. "Andraste's tits, they don't give up easy," she cursed, and maybe she should learn not to swear idle when she was in a storm as the wind suddenly back and changed ninety degrees. The topsail billowed and the ship lurched violently, its nose going right into the wind.
"Clew the topsail!" Isabela bellowed against the wind as she jumped back to attempt to help the helmsman get control of the wheel. Already men were moving up the rigging, but the first wave washed over the deck and there was no time to wonder who was left standing. The next wave was even taller and the bow cleaved through it. Somehow she managed to hold on, wind and water tugging at her and an awful cracking noise that made the ship shudder told her the foremast was gone.
Another wave like that and they would be gone. "Abandon ship!" she shouted, not that there was much hope for anyone hearing her and she turned, running towards the galley. She wasn't going down dammit, and she wasn't going to survive just to be turn into pieces by Castillon and the Qunari all wanted that stupid book.
She barely made it halfway down the quarter deck when the next wave hit and she slammed into the railing, pain shooting up her back. She twisted, the rigging only inches away and if she could just...
Water engulfed her and then there was no railing, only black coiling water and a strong current downwards.
[Establishy! NFB/NFI!]