Fantastic Tales from the realm

Chapter XII

Waterwerx

The waves of the ocean thrummed gently against the keel of the commandeered vessel, the familiar rock and sway of the high sea a soothing balm to Faehana, its calming properties spreading out across the wizard's shoulders and down his back as he helmed the ship. The rest of the party stood amidship, the disgraced wizard Gerald at the heart of the party, his loud and wild antics infuriating to Faehana 'false teachers and fools make mutual company,' he mumbled to himself as he looked up to the skyline, consulted his compass, the ship's sextant and nautical charts. Faehana had been forced to sail out, away from the coastline to avoid the City Watch but he hadn't been a mariner for some twenty-three years past so while his skills as a navigator and a helmsmen were rusty his knowledge of safe and unsafe harbours was the greater loss.

'Oi! Get up 'ere!' Faehana bellowed from the wheel. The party turned towards the wizard in moderate surprise and made their way up to the ship's quarterdeck.

'Alright we've got to find a safe harbour we're forging ahead to make sure I don't sail us into nothing since the lot of youse are landsman's and I'm the only one with any seamanship skills. But I don't know any safe ports to strike sounding so youse going to need to find me a place,' Faehana said pausing as he inspected the horizon 'And youse'll have to make it quick because we can't do at a rate of knots and we're about to be knocked adrift on our current heading,' at this the party just stared at the well-kept wizard, perplexity dancing across their collective expressions as they listened, struggling to translate the wizard.

'Hold up, when did you speak anything besides proper common?' Kalwala asked, sincere confusion rolling around her words.

'I was a mariner before I was a philologist ya' landsman!' Faehana snapped 'Now find me a port!' he said as he poignantly slammed a nautical chart and topographical map into the centre of the party. As the map settled, Kalwala's deep orange eyes narrowed, their black pupils settling on a small name along the coast of Faerun.

'There. Burg hamst,' the rogue said with authority, her black nails striking the map as she did 'We may not be able to sell this thing there, but we will be able to lay low,' at this the sage whirled in furious protest.

'Sell this thing?! She's a gorgeous labour of love!'

'Who was owned by pirates that don't like being robbed,'

'Then they shouldn't've had this beauty of a ship,'

Kalwala frowned at this 'Since when did you have an appreciation of ships?'

'Since I was a lad! Besides the Jowanet this here's the second-best ship I've ever been on!' he proclaimed. The thump of a greatsword cut through the conversation as Ugaburk stood there, an implacable wall of steel and resolve.

'We can discuss the finer points of ownership once we make landfall. Until then get us to shore wizard,' a growl rumbling beneath his words.

'That was! You!-' Faehana began before smothering his protest with a sigh and reaching back for the helm 'If we're heading anywhere besides out I'm going to need a helmsman who can take commands unless one of you is a qualified navigator in disguise,'

Ugaburk simply sighed at the declaration 'I can do it. We're cross-trained enough in our nautical brothers and sisters in arms' trade to conduct limited work,' with that a flurry of nautical instructions poured from the wizard's mouth and the ship began to sail hard to port away from the open sea and inward toward the coast.

++++

'Drop anchor!' boomed Faehana followed by the clatter-splash of the ship's anchor, its velocity slipping away as the anchor connected with the seafloor below and the wizard locked the wheel in position. As the anchor finished its descent, Kalwala looked up towards the quarterdeck, a snarl of frustration and confusion dancing across her face.