Favorable wind assured a timely arrival at Hildburg despite delays in gathering the crew, and the barque’s sails were proudly displaying the blue crest of a royal princess of Equestria on all three masts. A useful, if temporary, spell.
“Haywood!” she yelled loudly enough for the whole crew to hear. The old stallion was trotting about mid-deck, looking around the ship with interest while attempting to stay clear of the working crew members. Upon hearing the Royal Canterlot Voice, however, he nearly leaped out of his suit.
“No need to shout,” Haywood said after walking back to the aft section.
“We are one hour from gryphon territorial waters,” she said, eyeing Captain Keen standing behind the rudder next to her. He was a well-built earth pony with a bushy red beard and a compass cutie mark, and his blue sailor's coat bore the emblem of the West Pony Trading Company.
“Any signs of gryphon ships?” Haywood asked.
“None so far, but I want you to stay close by my side from now on.” She looked him up and down. “You seemed to be handling the waves well.”
Haywood craned his head to look back at his skateboard cutie mark. “My younger days prepared me well.” He then turned to look around the deck, searching for someone among the thirty-eight pony sailors and four of Leonard’s gryphon employees tending to the riggings or swabbing the deck.
From what she could tell, they were all experienced sailors, though there were some who were a bit wobbly from drinking too much cider at the tavern. Not that she could blame them when setting sail so unexpectedly.
“Shouldn’t Leonard be with us?”
No doubt the merchant was down in the hold overseeing his crates and barrels.
“I am certain he will join us soon.”
She looked up when a sudden motion caught her attention and watched as Sergeant Blaze veered away from the formation. The three mercenaries had maintained the escort since leaving port, only stopping to take short water breaks when necessary.
The sergeant flew along the main sails and touched down next to her, patches of sweat from staying in the sun for hours visible on his face and coat. “Incoming gryphon carrack off the port side. Intercept course.”
Captain Keen muttered to himself and turned the ship’s wheel halfway to starboard. The rumors of a WPTC ship getting hit by cannon fire had already spread through half of Manehattan before they left the harbor, though Private Fair Weather had managed to confirm that no one was harmed in the incident.
“At least we’re in international waters,” Haywood said.
Which still left them with a military vessel chasing their tail as they neared the blockade, and by Sergeant Blaze’s expression, he understood the implication.
“When they get closer, we can turn and threaten them with our port side guns,” Sergeant Blaze said, and pointed northward at the ship still far off on the horizon. “Our ship is tougher than theirs, and our bluff might make them break off the pursuit.”
Not an unexpected suggestion, coming from a flamboyant adventurer.
“We are not here to provoke an international incident, Sergeant Blaze,” she said, firmly. “They’ll no doubt wish to speak with us first. When the ship gets closer, I want you to fly over and meet the gryphon messenger half-way. Tell them that the ship is escorting a princess on an important diplomatic mission to Hildburg.”
“Just putting all our options out there, Luna,” Sergeant Blaze said, stretching and flexing his grayish legs and wings out in front of her. “I’ll relay your message.”
He was even bold enough to give her a wink before taking off to return to his formation. She already regretted permitting him to call her on a first name basis.
“Can we outrun them?” she asked Captain Keen.
“Only if we dump our cargo overboard, Princess,” he replied with a gruff voice. “But company policy forbids cutting lose the client's hold unless we’re in great peril.”
As if those words were a summons from the merchant gods, Leonard bumbled out of the ship’s hold and scurried over to the helm. Despite spending most of the voyage below deck, the slightly overweight gryphon was continually wiping away sweat with his handkerchief.
“Are we there yet?” Leonard asked, barely able to hold his balance on deck.
“We are less than two hours from port,” Haywood said and pointed a hoof at the incoming ship. “But we have company.”
Leonard only chuckled when he saw the vessel. “Well, that’s my taxes put to good use.”
"Permission to rile up the crew," Captain Keen asked, and took a deep breath after she nodded. "Clear for action! All hooves on deck!"
The petty officer standing slightly below the helm blew a whistle in case any missed the first signal. A flurry of activity followed among the crew as the flag of the approaching ship became discernible from the deck. The sailors all kept a level head, however, and worked extra hard with the rigging to make sure the sails caught as much wind as possible. Some of the pegasi even used their wings to help with the propulsion, though it seemed to change little.
“I’m still surprised you decided to join us,” she said, addressing the merchant.
“I couldn’t let my dear employees and hired crew head into danger without risking my own feathers.”
There was a sudden cry of alarm from Private Fair Weather above them. “Flyers incoming!”
Leonard opened his beak to say something, but no words came out for quite some time. “I believe my presence is required in the cargo hold.”
“That may be best,” she said and turned her attention to the sky as the merchant excused himself.
As ordered, Sergeant Blaze veered off to meet with two approaching gryphons, and she didn’t need one of those brass telescopes to know that the talks were off to a bad start.
“Seems to me like it would easier if we met on deck,” Haywood said.
Captain Keen cleared his throat. “We sailors consider it very rude to land on another boat without permission. Unless there has been an accident, of course.”
“What do we do if they won’t listen?” Haywood continued.
She let the question remain unanswered. There were a few options left if the gryphons decided to be stubborn, though how far she would go to solve this mystery was still in question.
The aerial meeting only lasted about ten minutes, then both Sergeant Blaze and the gryphons returned to their respective ships. The sergeant's frown told her all she needed to know.
“It didn’t work, Luna,” Sergeant Blaze said as soon as he touched down. “Their orders were to divert all vessels regardless of purpose, and they threatened to fire on us if we approached Hildburg.”
The question remained if they were bluffing. Instituting an illegal blockade and using it to deter unaffiliated merchants was one thing, but an outright attack on an official vessel of the Equestrian crown quite another. The result would always be a fight they couldn’t hope to win, though, by Sergeant Blaze’s awkward expression, it was clear there was something important he wasn't telling them.
“Was that all they said? I would be most displeased if you withheld information.”
Sergeant Blaze grinned guiltily. “They argued that your level of authority was insufficient to allow you free passage.”
There was a sharp pang as the planks below her cracked and splintered, and muscles in her face twitched involuntarily; everyone around her took a long step backward.
“Did they, now?” she said, to no one in particular. “How amusing.”
Haywood was about to speak up before changing his mind when the air around her calmed notably.
”We will have to correct them,” she said, and took off hard into the air, reaching beyond the top of the masts before anyone on deck could react.
Once higher up in the air, she swung westward toward the carrack tailing them and accelerated towards it at a downward angle. Gryphon guards flying in escort formation around the vessel were the first to spot her, and some flew to intercept while others went to alert the rest of the crew.
She effortlessly zoomed past the airborne guards before they had a chance to block her path, and landed hard enough on the ship’s mid-deck to send gryphon sailors scurrying for the railings. Without a second to lose, she walked confidently and without any sudden movements toward the captain’s quarters.
The gryphon sailors were too dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of an Equestrian monarch, who acted as if this was a perfectly regular occurrence, and she made an effort to make an impression that stopping her would be a considerable faux pas. The armed guard near the captain’s quarters wasn't so easily cowed, and she needed to give him her best ‘Oh, really?’ expression and a light push when he attempted to block the door.
In the room sat two gryphon officers charting courses on a map. Both rose up on their talons when she used her magic to slam the door in the guard’s beak behind her.
“What is the meaning of this?” The gryphon on the short side exclaimed as she walked up to stand on the opposite side of the table. Judging by his young age and emblems on a gray uniform covering his front half, he was a midshipman.
“I’ve come to have a few words with your captain,” she said and placed a forehoof up on the table.
The captain, an elderly fellow with sizeable bushy side whiskers and bicorne hat too big for his head, seemed composed at first, then his face turned red with rage.
“Princess Luna,” he began with his blood pressure notably up. “This is highly inappropriate! Why are you onboard my ship?”
She responded by leaning forward, both hooves pressing down hard on the oak table. “Do not speak to me of improprieties, Captain! Have you any idea of the political implications of your threats and actions?”
“Implications?” he asked in frustration. “You expect us to believe that you’re on a diplomatic mission with a ship of merchant rabble?”
She stretched her neck out to closer stare into his eyes. ”Which should have confirmed the urgency of my mission, Captain.”
“I have my orders…”
“Does your orders say to start an all-out conflict with Equestria by attacking one of its sovereign rulers?”
“Certainly not,” he said, hesitantly. “To prevent ships–”
“You believe your council will accept that excuse when they found out?”
“It’s my duty as a captain of the Gryphon Nav–”
”To make decisions in your nation’s best interest.”
The captain, still simmering with rage, finally backed down into his seat.
”To make up for your indiscretions,” she continued, seeing her chance. ”I have a suggestion to make.”
Surprisingly, it was the midshipman who responded. ”What do you propose?”
She turned her attention to the younger gryphon. ”I want you to escort us past the Hildburg blockade.”
“You ask us to go against our orders.”
“Your orders are flawed and do not account for unforeseen circumstances,” she said, pointing a hoof at herself. “Gryphons pride themselves on their individual decision-making abilities, do they not?”
The midshipman was deep in thought considering what was said, while the captain still struggled to stay composed. That was when she heard a ruckus on deck, as though the sailors were about to barge through the door at any moment.
“What she says is true,” the midshipman finally said to the captain. “I suggest we accept and escort them to Hildburg.”
The captain, face now notably less red, still seemed like he desired to rip apart something with his claws. “Fine, but the council will hear of this.” He turned to look up at her. “You better have a good reason for what you're doing.”
Casting doubt on her intentions earned the captain a questioning glare, one menacing enough to make him retreat further back into his chair.
“We will provide an escort back to your ship,” the midshipman said and moved to open the deck door for her.
“That won’t be necessary,” she said while following him to the exit.
The scuffle outside was becoming louder, and when the midshipman opened the door, they found Sergeant Blaze standing center of mid-deck with his wings flared threateningly, holding his ground against a whole crew of gryphon sailors who seemed ready to dogpile him.
The midshipman's reaction was slow to the unexpected disturbance, so she took the initiative and stepped through the row of distracted sailors to address Blaze directly.
“The meeting was successful,” she said in a bored manner as if their presence was planned all along, then looked about the gryphon crew like they were inappropriately overreacting to the situation, and it didn’t take long before uncertainty spread among them.
“Get back to your stations!” the midshipman finally bellowed, sending a surprised crew away from their encirclement of the ponies.
“Luna?” Sergeant Blaze asked. “Is everything in order?”
“Of course it is, Sergeant Blaze,” she said, turning her attention to him. “You believed otherwise?”
He responded with a snicker, then noted the suspicion coming from the sailors around them.
“It is time for us to leave,” she continued. “If you would follow me.”
“I’ll be at your side, Luna,” he said, letting out a chuckle.
She flared her wings and took off in between the sails of the ship. “If you can keep up,” she called down, before speeding toward Leonard’s hired ship. Sergeant Blaze only managed to catch up halfway after she slowed down for him.
“You are too reckless, Sergeant Blaze,” she said as they flew side by side over the waves.
“The pot calling the kettle black,” he said with a chuckle.
She blinked and examined the smug grin plastered on his face. “This pot has been through strife beyond your understanding. Be wary if you wish to follow it.”
As if to emphasize her point, she accelerated through the air, quickly leaving him behind. The two other mercenaries, Private Contrail and Private Fair Weather, flew to intercept, but she ignored them and headed directly for the helm. There was a flurry of activity on deck, and by Captain Keen’s steering, they were altering course for the gryphon carrack.
She landed next to the captain and Haywood, who were too busy arguing with each over to notice her until she was on well on deck.
“Princess Luna!” Haywood said, rushing up to her. “Thank goodness you are safe. Captain Keen here was about to board the gryphon ship to get you back.”
She looked over to the captain. “There will be no need for such rash actions, Captain Keen.”
“Sorry, Princess,” he said. “Privately employed or not, the crew wouldn't sit idly by if those mangy gryphons took you as their prisoner.”
“Your concerns are admirable. Now, reduce speed and allow the carrack to overtake us.”
“Princess?” Captain Keen asked.
“They will be our guide through the blockade.”
Captain Keen's sour expression brightened up considerably at that. "I would love to hear how you convinced them."
Sergeant Blaze came landing next. “Bullied them into it, if the shouting from the captain’s quarter was any indication.”
“You’re out of line, Sergeant Blaze,” she said and nodded toward his colleagues in the sky. “Return to your duties. No doubt we’ll come across more patrols before long, and be sure to inform any messenger of the situation.”
“As you command, Luna,” he said and gave her a jovial salute before taking to the air again.
Captain Keen guffawed loudly at his antics. “That young rascal will get himself into real trouble one of these days.”
“Mind your own orders, Captain Keen,” she said. “We are still moving too quickly.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” he said, and took a deep breath before bellowing out. “All hooves! Take in the topsail and ease the sheets!”
She and Haywood moved to the deck railings to stay out of the way as the captain continued barking orders at his crew. It didn’t take long after that for the carrack to pass them close by on starboard.
The gryphon crew and sailors were also hard at work, but she couldn’t find their captain among them, only the midshipman who stood rooted at the helm. No doubt the old captain‘s pride wouldn’t allow him to leave his quarters after her… persuasion efforts.
“I can’t believe you flew over to the gryphon ship without saying anything,” Haywood said with both hooves up on the railings.
“Indeed, I was rash, and for that, I apologize,” she said and placed a wing on his shoulder.
They sailed for nearly an hour without encountering any more ships, and the gryphon carrack maintained its lead position. It wasn’t until they could see cliffs on the horizon that the rest of the Gryphon Navy made themselves known.
“Captain, another carrack coming in from the north,” shouted Private Fair Weather from above them.
“Two schooners coming in fast from the south. Intercept course,” continued Sergeant Blaze.
“Clear for action!” Captain Keen bellowed, and raised his brass telescope to the shoreline, then lowered and folded it again. “I can see Hildburg from here, and if we make full sails past the carrack, we can reach port before any other ships can catch us.”
“Now you’re acting like our good friend, Sergeant Blaze,” she noted and took up a position beside the wheel. “Continue on our current course and speed. I mean to show them our visit here is legitimate.”
Of course, the gryphons might still decide that it wasn’t. She was able to convince a captain of what’s right or wrong, but the blockade was no doubt commanded by an admiral who could prove more difficult to persuade.
The three approaching ships were moving in to surround them, and gryphon messengers could be seen flying overhead between them and their escort. The only thing she could do now was to remain visible to anyone above to make sure they understood the visit was legitimate.
“We’re greatly outnumbered,” Haywood said, eyes on the skies. “What prevents them from flying over here and overwhelming us?”
“Magic,” Captain Keen answered. “Nearly all WPTC ships have a unicorn on duty who can create a barrier strong enough to keep out boarders, or to trap them inside to prevent them from leaving.” After a moment he added. “Nothing strong enough to repel cannon fire, though.”
She could almost hear the loud arguments above despite the crashing waves and creaking oak, and Sergeant Blaze was now in a conversation with gryphons from several different ships. The tension in the air was palpable as they got closer to the bay entranceway, situated between two sheer cliffs.
The escorting carrack then suddenly veered off course to give them a clear path into Hildburg bay, and the three other gryphon vessels broke off their pursuit.
“Steady as she goes, Captain Keen,” she said, as the crew began to cheer loudly. “Take her in nice and slow.”
“Thank heavens,” Haywood said and fell to sit on the deck while fanning his head with a hoof.
A thought then came to her, one which caused an even louder uproar when she struck her hoof into the air and announced in her Royal Canterlot Voice:
"First round of cider is on The Princess of the Night's tab!”