Lost Anchorage - Shadows Lengthen
The First Dream
It was late in the day and while the afternoon sun was bright, here in the vine colored lee of the decayed cathedral there was plenty of opportunities for a stealthy halfling to pass unseen. If he was careful and skilled. And Ricmo, despite his reputation for risk taking, knew how to be careful and meticulous when it was called for. And he was consummately skilled.
He could hear the murmurs of conversation from inside the ruined church but couldn't make out the words. He was close to his goal though, a vine draped doorway, in the side of the cathedral, empty expect for some ancient wooden shards that had once been a door. Easy to watch and listen unseen, draped in the vines.
The plan was a simple one. Use the afternoon where the town was still in it's decayed state to bring the water and rum barrels to the docks and stage them for nightfall. Then as soon as the night fell and the inn and cistern were restored to their unruined state, fill the water barrels quickly, hopefully buy some more barrels of rum from the inn (since those Jack-Tar constructs seemed to run on the stuff). Then get the hell out of here. Good plan. Except they heard the voices from inside the church and someone had to check it out.
Draped in vines, he carefully eased his head around the corner, just enough to get a view of the interior. At the same time he slipped a pistol into each hand from that nifty bandolier he had found on the ship. Ricmo was starting to like these flintlock pistols.
Children. Playing some game on the stone floor of the abandoned church.
This was not Ricmo's first rodeo however, he'd been around enough blocks to not make assumptions. Sure they looked like perfectly ordinary children, but appearances could be deceiving. He studied them careful. He watched. They were playing marbles. Actually they were arguing about the rules for playing marbles.
"Just because your da's the Admiral doesn't mean you get to make up rules, Vangeline." the grubby looking boy complained. "Out is out".
Ricmo's ears picked up at the word "Admiral", that was someone they needed to talk to.
"I think Gregory's right, V, that looks out to me" said the blond girl.
The redheaded girl who's name was evidentially Evangeline pouted for a moment then conceded. The game continued.
Ricmo considered his options. They didn't seem dangerous and there might be information to be gained here. He fell back on his tried and true strategy of "lets go see what happens." He stood up, coughed politely and walked through the door.
Despite the hot afternoon sun the interior of the ruin was shadowed. And cold.
"Hi all, wacha doing"? He lit up a cigar and smiled brightly. The three kids turned to looked at him and considered his arrival for a moment.
"Playing marbles" the grubby boy announced the obvious.
"Fun!" Ricmo said. "Can I join?"
"You’re a grownup" said the blond girl uncertainly. "Even if you are small, halflings is grownups my ma says."
"Not really" said Ricmo. "I am a child at heart. Just ask my friends."
The three children considered his offer for a moment.
"Well it IS more fun with four" said the redhead. "And he isn't much bigger then us so it should be fair. Do you have any marbles to play with? This is keepsies"
"No" said Ricmo downcast. "That's ok I'll loan you some but you got to pay me back." the redhead offered. Ricmo nodded happily "Thank you Evangeline!"
"That's Vangeline. With a 'V'"
and the game was on.
Ricmo played to win of course. Not doing so was not really a thing that occurred to him. Still it became pretty clear early on that winning was not going to be much of challenge and he was here to gather, intel so he dragged things out a bit.
Information was easy to come by. He learned that Gregory's parents ran the inn, that the blond girl's name was Jane and that she was seven and her father was in the navy. And that Vangeline was in fact the Admirals daughter and that her mother was the prettiest. And that she was bad at marbles. He also extracted a few other nuggets of information about the island, that they were all suppose to leave for forever, any day now and there were mixed feelings about that.
"I hate being stuck on this miserable provincial rock" proclaimed Vangeline. "The sooner we all go back to the Home Islands the better!"
"What does 'provincial' mean?" asked Jane.
"You know, it means...smelly." said Vangeline knowledgably. "It always smells like fish here."
The children considered this. "That's true" said Jane judiciously. "And salt."
"When we get back to the Home Islands I am gonna join the Navy " announced Gregory. "Father says when I am eight I can be a midshipman and learn the Ways of the Sea." The children agreed this was a right and proper occupation for Annish children and and that perhaps they would all join the Navy.
After about half an hour Ricmo had all the marbles. The children looked at him glumly.
"You are really good at marbles." announced Gregory sadly. "How did you pull off that triple bank shot with the jump?"
Ricmo winked, divided the marbles evenly and handed them back.
"Never really believed in Keepsies, at least not when you are young. Time for that when you are older." The kids brightened. Vangeline smiled brilliantly and picked out an especially big blue marble. "You keep this, to remember us by" she requested. Ricmo bowed gravely and pocked the marble
"It's getting late" said Jane, noticing the sinking sun. "We need to get going or my mom will hide me." The kids waved and rushed out the other side of the Cathedral.
Ricmo's keen ears noticed that even though the ground outside was under at least six inches of water he heard no splashing or footsteps of any kind as the children rushed away.
They found the Admiral pacing the battlement of the short tower that dominated the center of the bastion courtyard. He was rotting. What remained of his flesh seemed to be clinging desperately to his bones as if aware that the fight was a loosing one. His clothes had been fine at one time before the centuries had gotten to them, and the great cloak that was wrapped around him had probably been white before it had yellowed with age. He smelled like jerky, seasalt and old leather. He was flanked by two skeletal guards, one on each side, silently standing at parade rest, halberds tips pointed at the sky.
"Foxsil tells me you are a friend to the Navy, and are seeking assistance?" said the Admiral. "Merchant are ye? From where do you hail?"
Whisperleaf had proven himself to be the historical expert over the course of the last few days, so he did a quick calculation in his head and spoke up. "Valoria sir, on the shores of the Golden Lake."
"Ahhh Valoria, I traveled there in my younger days. Edge of the world for sure but a pleasant clime and a beautiful town. Good friends to the Empire. To where do ye head?"
"To the Thousand Isles. The admiral looked disbelieving. "However a southeasterner has blown us off course" Whisperleaf quickly added.
"Quite off course" said the Admiral. "Off course indeed. Reaching the Isles from here will be something of a challenge. Still, always happy to assist his majesty's loyal merchantmen. We can certainly provide you with supplies, Star knows we have not much need of them since we intended to quit this place as soon as we are able."
"The Recall." remarked Dakhir.
"Aye" said the Admiral. "Nasty business. We are the last Imperial outpost in these waters, and should'a left already, were it not for pressing matters that delay us. But this be Navy business and not for the ears a' civilians such as ye".
The Admiral looked careful at Whisperleaf. "Ye appear to be a follower of the old religion, is that true?"
"Aye. I mean yes" said Whisperleaf.
"I have heard tales yer kind are skilled healers, do ye know the old ways of healing?"
"I have some skill in this matter" said Whisperleaf guardedly.
"Superb! " said the Admiral. "If I could ask ye a favor, my lady wife is with child, and is doing poorly, if you could perhaps ken her condition and offer aid, I would be humbly grateful."
"Absolutely" said Whsperleaf. "I will do what I can for her."
"Excellent, Excellent. While yer are here, visit the Navigator in the Harbormaster's Tower as well, could be he can provide ye with maps of coast and current that might prove useful in yer voyage to the Thousand Isles. Tricky seas those"
And with that, their interview was at an end. As the walked back across the sodden turf of the semi flooded parade ground, Ricmo sidled up to his new friend Foxsil.
"What were the 'pressing matters' the Admiral referred to?"
"His wife be late with child. Her first pregnancy and a trying one tis been. The doctor says she would surely die if forced into a long sea voyage. So the last of us tarry, waiting for the child to come and settle things one way or ta' other."
"First pregnancy by his new wife you mean?" said Ricmo. "I met the Admiral daughter Vangeline a few hours ago down on the quay."
"Ye be mistaken. The Admiral has no daughter, nor any children of any kind." said Foxsil flatly. "It is a great sadness to him, given his years. Some child was toshing ye. Though his mother's name was Vangeline"
A few hours later the heroes wait on the Lady Jezebel for night to fall. The fog had rolled in thick and early this day, and from where they were anchored well out in the harbor it was difficult even for Marius' keen eyes to see the town clearly. Even from her perch far up in the foremast she was still at the whims of the fog. Nonetheless as the last rays of the setting sun vanished over the horizon, Marius let out an uncharacteristic gasp.
"What do you see" asked Dakhir called up urgently. Is the Inn restored again?
"Not just the Inn" said Marius. "The entire waterfront. And there is a great ship in harbor"
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