Captain, O' Captain | Private

“Bring her in gently.” Balthier couldn’t help but remind his first mate as the younger stallion steered The Rancor towards the beach. Pitch, the first mate in question, gave a snort of amusement, sure he was still learning but he knew how to bring the ship in by now. He also knew how protective his Captain was of his beloved vessel.

Bathier felt the moment the keel of his ship slid onto the sand. “Drop anchor!” He thundered in a voice that carried the length of the ship. Two crewmembers scurried to their post; there came a heavy clink of metal then a splash. The Captain glanced upwards, measuring the height of the sun against the black canvas sails.
“Captain-” A crewmember spoke up catching Balthier’s attention. “There’s a horse out on the beach.”

A look of interest followed by annoyance passed across the brown stallion’s face as he strode across the deck to the beach facing side of the ship. Indeed there was someone there, a horse with both a dark and light coat. His orange eyes narrowed. It looked like they were alone down there but the forest beyond could easily conceal others. Without turning away from the stranger on the beach he ordered his crewmen to lower the gangway. He’d find out what this stranger wanted, then if trouble arose it would be a simple matter to raise the anchor and take to the sea again.

The gangway was lowered and Balthier descended, keeping a wary eye on the stranger and the trees beyond. He stepped down onto the sand; feelin it compact under his hooves. They had been at sea for several weeks now and stepping on solid ground felt wrong. It ought to be rolling with the motion of the waves. A reflective flash of metal caught his eye at the stranger’s side. I ought to have gone to fetch my own blade, oh well too late for that. He thought as he closed the distance between the two of them.

The rogue came to a halt several meters from the other horse, close enough to talk but far enough to say out of range of the blade that was poised beside her. For it was a she, a mare with long slender legs and who appeared to be eyeing him just as warily as he was her.
“I mean you no harm, me and my crew just need to stop here to refresh our water supply and make repairs. But first I need to know that you are alone and don’t have a couple cutthroats waiting in ambush.” He gave her a slow smile, somehow making it a warning, devoid of humor. “Because that really won’t end well.” His crew weren't just sailors, they were rogues and nothing got them quite as excited as violence.

The Captain chuckled softly at her threat, “I don’t doubt it.” He watched her as she circled him but he refused to move as well, the blade at her side did not worry him and he wanted the mare to know it. Unarmed he might be but it was not the first time nor would it be the last, he had plenty of tricks should the mare prove foolish enough to attack.

“I am called Balthier… Captain Balthier of The Rancor” He said putting a bit of emphasis on his title. He met her pale green eyes, looking for any sign of recognition, he was pretty far north of where he usually operated but one never knew how far one’s infamy could spread. The rogue just loved it when the black sails of his ship were recognized and its name was spoken by frightened voices.

As the mare walked he couldn’t help but recognize her cool self-confident composure. Now, this was someone who was accustomed to danger. It would be unwise to underestimate her. Another detail, a compass tattoo on her left shoulder. At least this hostile mare had a good taste in tattoos. “And what might I call you?” He asked his voice neutral and unperturbed as if he hadn’t just had a sword pointed at him.

The stallion’s eyes narrowed slightly at her tone. Mocking? Unafraid? Didn’t matter, either way he didn’t like it. Being called “sea dog” didn’t sit too well with him either. Coming from another rogue in a bar somewhere on the Isles of the Dead was one thing, it coming from a scrappy wandering mare in the North was another. “Watch yourself, stray.” He muttered before answering her question.

“Just my business.” An irritatingly vague answer that was accompanied with a smile of false innocence. Sure, rogues traded everyday supplies, fruits and materials, but when payday came they always seemed to end up with an extra bit of coin. Turns out smuggling illicit things paid off very well. ‘Business’ for a rogue was synonymous with illegal activity, whether it be smuggling or looting.

“And you? What is a drifter like yourself doing out here? I’m told the Onea wilderness is no place to traverse alone.” Balthier queried in return. He noticed that Jinxx’s attention had shifted slightly to the stunning scenery about them. The fresh breeze, the crash of the surf, the sound of canvas sails, these were all part of him. He could learn to respect those who truly admired the sea.

The offer was a fair one. Without someone to guide them to fresh water his crew would waste precious hours searching the woods. Hours that could be used beating the next tide out of here. He’d already made up his mind but took a couple moments to appear to mull it over.

“Fine, I accept the trade.” He turned to face his ship and in a booming voice shouted, “Raise the sails!” The line of rogues watching from the deck quickly broke into efficient action. In moments the sails were furled and several crew members descended the gangway bearing large barrels. They were quite excited at the prospect of something other than stale water and also the fact that they were in the presence of a beautiful mare. One let out a low whistle.

Their captain gave them a stern glare before turning to Jinxx. He made a gesture towards the trees, “Care to show us the way?” He asked in a tone that was noticeably more friendly now that a bargain had been struck.

As the comforting sound of the sea faded Bathier became a bit more mistrustful of his surroundings. Every shadow was suspect, he had no desire to meet a bear. Even the crunch of leaves and sticks under his hooves took a little getting used to. His ears felt empty a silence devoid of the sounds of the sea. Jinxx however seemed right at home, never faltering on the path before her. “How long have you called this land your home?” He asked curious to know a bit more about the mare.

The four crew members who accompanied them spoke quietly among themselves. Taking into account the many glances they stole at the mare ahead of them, Balthier had a fairly good idea what they were discussing. He’d have to keep an eye on them, stallions confined at sea tended to become a bit impulsive when around mares.

He glanced over at the mare beside him, time and age had made him far more self-controlled than he had been in his youth. Still, it was hard to deny the fact that Jinxx had many alluring qualities.

He’d heard of Vagabonds who chose the occupation of mercenary, even faced off against a few of them before. Their morals ranged across a wide spectrum, from hired protectors to backstabbing assassins. Balthier wondered if the mare beside him was one of the ones who killed. Not that it really mattered. He was a pirate after all, plenty of blood on his hooves… some of it innocent blood too.

“So we are both travelers.” It was something he had already guessed at from her tattoo. He smiled at Jinxx. “Perhaps someday you will travel to the beaches of Aquore. They are quite magnificent. Though personally, I prefer the Isles of the Dead, never have to look far for a drink.” A hearty whoop of agreement came from the crew members behind them and Balthier couldn’t agree more, the Isles were a rogue’s paradise.

A small drab bird flitted overhead. The stallion was again reminded how different this forest was from the more tropical vegetation of Aquore. If they had been in the southern jungles the bird would have been brightly colored, a flashing jewel among the lush greenery.

The question brooked a chuckle from the captain, it never ceased to amuse him how exotic coconuts where to the rest of Hireath. “They are everywhere.” He affirmed. Now that he thought about it there might still be a crate of unspoiled fruits and coconuts in the ship's hold, such things were considered delicacies in places like Skeldr. As Balthier mulled this over Jinxx took off at a canter and he quickly followed suit, feeling his muscles flex at the sudden movement.

He cantered downhill after her, then suddenly just like that the trees drew back revealing an azure lake with silver waterfalls spilling over into it. It was breathtaking. Balthier paused for a moment at the water’s edge taking in the scenery and the way Jinxx slipped into the water so effortlessly. The other rogues moved a little down the shore and began refilling the water barrels and occasionally splashing each other.

“I must admit I never expected Onea to be home to such beauty.” The stallion conceded as he splashed into the water. Lowering his head he took a long drink then with a carefree toss of his dreadlocked mane he moved out past the mare until his hooves no longer touched the bottom. It felt so nice to rid some of the salt from his coat. He swam out towards the middle of the lake then turned to Jinxx a grin on his face that wasn’t seen by many outside his crew. “Let’s just hope you don’t have any sort of lake monsters here that might consider me an irresistible snack.” He joked.

Balthier treaded water in place, content to let the mare swim around him. It was intriguing to see her loosen up a bit and enjoy the water. “On the contrary, a pirate like me doesn’t live this long without a healthy fear and respect for the sea. I doubt Cascade herself knows all the things that lurk in the deeps or hunt in the open water.” He met the mare’s pale green eyes, his tone more serious than before. “Trust me, when you’ve seen some of the things the ocean holds you learn to have a reverent fear of it.” The captain was tempted to launch into some haunting sailor’s tale but stopped himself, those were stories more for dim taverns than sunny lakes.

Glancing down past the reflective surface of the water the stallion spied slim silver fish darting about below, they were mesmerizing to watch. He’d always been jealous of hippocampi, like fish they swam freely underwater never worried about coming up to the surface world for air.

A mixture of laughter and cursing came from his men at the shore. Their presence reminded him of something he had been meaning to ask the mare. “Jinxx, on the beach you said you were alone and I know the life of a mercenary is a solitary one. Are you always alone?” It was an odd question but one that Balthier found very intriguing. He was almost always in the company of his crew, they were a part of him just as his ship was. Traveling somewhere without them was unthinkable.

It didn’t take the rogue long to realize he had misspoken. The mare’s expression changed, he opened his mouth to apologize when she splashed him, then turning away she swam off to disappear behind one of the many waterfalls. Spitting out a mouthful of water, Balthier made a move to go follow her, but stopped. Harmless though he had assumed his question was it clearly had upset the mare. He’d figured that she was alone because she chose to be, obviously that was not the case.

“Way to go you old sea devil.” He muttered in annoyance at himself. With a shrug, he turned away and swam back to the shore. Odds were the last thing Jinxx wanted was a rogue climbing up to her hideout in an attempt to coax her down. His hooves touched solid ground and he exited the tranquil lake near his crew. One of them gave him a questioning look. “She... uh, needs some time to herself. Return to the beach. We’ll make camp there for the night and be ready to leave on the morning tide.” After a few teasing comments about their captain “losing his touch with the ladies,” the other rogues moved off heading back the way they had come.

Balthier watched them go before turning his attention back to the cascade water that the mare had disappeared behind. He contemplated waiting at the edge of the lake for her to emerge but a bit of him was still irritated she had gone off at such a harmless question. The damp pebbles below his hooves crunched as he swiveled about and walked into the woods. Odds were that Jinxx would show up before they disembarked tomorrow, after all, he had yet to fulfill his side of the bargain.

By the time Balthier had returned to the beach he had found his crew had already begun constructing simple tents for the night. As the sun sank a fire was started and the cook doled out a stew made of freshly caught fish. Balthier had been generous and decided to break out a keg of rum. Enough to go around but not enough to completely intoxicate the them. Then after a establishing a guard for both the camp and the ship he turned in.

Now he rested quietly on his bed roll, scratching in an entry into his captain’s log, most of it described Jinxx and the lake she had led them to. Later on, he would add the lake’s location to his maps. The cool sea breeze blew through the untied flaps of the end. Outside his crew seemed to be settling down as well, aside from a few giggles and somewhere one of them was softly singing a haunting sea shanty. The captain listened to the notes mixed with the crash of the surf. Soft footfalls in the sand, approached his tent and his name was whispered. He recognized who it was immediately.

“Come in, Jinxx.” He called softly and drew back the tent flaps, tying them so they would remain open. In the pale moonlight he saw the form of the mare and a four legged animal at her side, it looked like some kind of dog. “Who is your friend?” He asked, always eager to meet a dog. The thought reminded him of the mangy cat aboard his ship, he wondered if anyone had remembered to feed it, then again knowing the thieving feline; it had probably stolen some food from the ship’s scullery.

Bathier raised an eyebrow as Mathia marched into his tent and curled up on his bedroll as if she owned the place. It was really quite endearing so he didn’t mind. His attention returned to Jinxx as she muttered out something that he sensed was as close to an apology as he was going to get. “No harm done, I shouldn’t have asked such a prying question of someone I’d just met.” He replied, as close to an apology as he was willing to utter as well.

A moment of silence passed, broken only by the whisper of the night breeze and the distant crash of the waves which had receded with the tide. The captain wasn’t quite sure what to say. Then he realized why Jinxx had returned. With a flick of his teke and a flutter of pages, he shut the log book he had been writing in. “I assume you’ve come here for my part of our bargain.” His eyes slid past the mare to the dark silhouette of his ship, framed by the tent’s entrance. He gestured towards it.

“If you’d like to accompany me aboard I’m sure we can find something to your liking.” The stallion offered. As the pirates were heading enroute to a large trading market the hold of the Rancor was jam packed with items to be traded and sold in Onea. Fruits, jewelry, semi precious stones and many other items lay in crates in the belly of the ship. Surely one of these things was bound to catch the mare’s fancy?

The tide had gone way out, leaving the Rancor perched upon the sand. At least we won’t get our hooves wet, Balthier thought as he strode across the damp sand. He greeted the crewmember on guard with a silent nod. The other rogue stepped aside allowing Balthier to lead the way up the gangway and onto the deck. It was a little disconcerting not to feel his ship swaying with the gentle rocking of the sea, but that would be rectified soon, in a few hours the tide would come in and the pirates would depart with it.

He glanced over at Jinxx who had a wary look about her. A realization struck him. “First time on a ship?” He asked with a grin as he made short work of lighting a lantern. The very idea of never being on a ship was foreign to him, like most in Talori (especially rogues) he’d gotten his sea legs almost before he’d mastered walking.

Thunk...
Thunk...

Balthier’s hooves sounded loud on the wooden deck as he stood over the entrance to the cargo hold. With some concentration, he lifted the wooden hatch and descended into the pitch blackness with the lantern to light the way. “Anything you are looking for in particular? Weapons? Fabrics?”He called back over his shoulder. “We’ve got a bit of everything on this trip thanks to The Flight and the ruin of Inaria.” He said with obvious relish. Not that he gave a fig about the Flight’s ideals or whatever had led to their attack; the only thing that mattered what that they left much of the city ripe for the plundering.

The prospect of showing off some of the items he had stowed away down here was not at all unattractive. A light touch on his shoulder. He didn’t move away, the stacked crates allowed for little extra room, at least that was what he told himself. In reality the warm glow of the lantern coated Jinxx in soft light and the last thing the rogue wanted was to move away.

He cast his gaze about the packed cargo hold. A chest overstuffed with iridescent fabrics caught his attention, but he moved on, Jinxx didn’t seem like one to make use of such bright and gaudy material. With a thought, he lifted several objects from a crate of shavings. They glinted dully, the light reflecting off both metal and gems. Statues, idols, of the gods; most were of Cascade but all of them were represented in some way or another. “Religious or no, one of these would make an eye catching centerpiece in a home. Or if you are more practical like me, you could always melt it down as most of these are made of precious metals and stones.” He suggested, his mind always leaning towards material gain.

“If that doesn’t interest you I think we might have a crate or two of frozen fruit we could hunt down.” He offered quickly not wanting to let on that he had no idea what the mare wanted. She, after all, was all but a stranger and not someone he was likely to ever run into again. That realization was distracting enough for Balthier to lose his grip on one of the idols which fell back into the box with a clang. “Ops, I think that was Argus, I’m sure he’s fine.” He joked softly.