As dusk broke, so did the waves on Sansnom, or Nameless in the common language. It's epic mountain rising out of the sea, visible for hundreds of miles all around, giving false hope to those lost in Aegir's domain. To the crew of the Dead Stark, the island was home. Pip hung from the port side rattlin as he looked over the fast approaching island. The rig jerked to the side, he glanced down to see who was coming.
"Going to be a fine day. Well so say Dainty, look there on the far left." Thirst was a short and stocky man with a square nose and round face, his ragged beard was in patches. His eyes held fire, burning of a green gaze. He pulled himself to be at level with Pip, his breath smelt faintly of rum, or spiced wine.
"The bonfire on the beach?" asked Pip as he strained his eyes to see what Thirst meant, indeed there was a bonfire, sending sparks high into the morning sky. Pip glaced back at Thirst who had puckered his lips and nodded, rocking his whole body in doing so.
"Yep. He's a native to the island, like to keep sailors alive, be it yellow-bellies from Prance, flank-kissers from Equestria, or wrecks from the sea. He be a kind soul, well so long as you respect the man." Pip was about the ask if every person on the island was like that, but before he had the chance, Thirst was down the lines and making his way the the crew hatch, no doubt in search for the last of the drink on the ship.
The second the boats hit the shore, the men erupted from them. Kissing the sand and laughing in joy. It had been a long four months since they had seen their home, the isles of Old Maui. Pip stood on the back seat of his rowboat, his hand hooked into his belt and shoulders rolling. He followed the men, be it much more slowly and without the antics of the rest of the crew. Grace had landed first, taking her entire crew save for six, they were needed to guard the ship from pirates and Maple was among those who stayed back.
"Pip! Move you're arse and get over here!" Yelled Grace as she trudged up the beach, passing a few huts erected near the surf and disappearing from sight, Pip followed eagerly. Catching up to her, he eyed the path ahead of them. The town was growing around them, first were the small huts like that of the ones scattered about the beach, then came houses that were weathered, they had paint chipping off all over their husk-like appearance. After that there were a host of shops, signs advertising everything from soap to firearms.
Grace too eyed the area, but for a very different reason. While Pip looked to soak it all in, she was looking for a mark. "You much of a drinker Pip?" Asked Grace as she made a sharp right and descended a dark hatch, a tankard carved crudely above it's doors.
"Depends. Am I being challenged?" Asked Pip as he followed her, his hands moving to his weapons with each step.
"That remains to be seen, just follow my lead and you'll walk out that door that same way you came down, mostly alive." Replied Grace as she kicked over a sleeping patron from his seat, not even waking him or turning a head from the rest of the bar. Pip pulled out the chair from the opposite and sat down.
"So what are we doing?" Asked Pip as he leaned back, kicking his feet onto the table. Grace smiled and shook her head, napping her fingers twice. Pip eyed her for a second before spying a young girl walking towards them, a pair of tankards in her hands. The yellow-brown foam fizzing over the rims gave a clean indication of what was in them. "Marnich malts?" The girl placed the drinks down on the table, passing on to Grace and leaving the other in the middle of the table. Pip glanced at her before reaching out and grabbing the large cup. The girl made a gesture and walked away, Pip watched her go.
From the look of her, she either was in her late teens or very early twenties. Her skin was deep bronze from the sunlight, her raven hair passed her shoulders, tied into a cinched ponytail with locks of hair falling in front of her face. From the look he got of her face, her eyes were piercing green.
"I'd keep my eyes to myself if I were in your boots." Pip looked back to Grace who was slamming back the rest of her drink already, the foam of the beer covering the area around her mouth.
"Oh yeah, what if I like taking risks?" Asked Pip as he picked up his drink, smelling it before taking a sip. The rich taste of the brew filling his mouth, a much needed refresher to the stale taste of the water kept on board.
"If you're thinking of taking ricks that make money, I have a job for ya." Pip nearly spit his drink, but he managed to keep it in. Turning around to see the source of the voice, he was met with a set of belts and buckles. Attached to them were several pistols, above them were yet more belts with even more pistols clad to them. Pip cranked his neck to see the face of the man, his face was marred with scars, his beard was brown with small patches of white.
His blue eyes were cutting deep into Pip as he stared deep into them. The man grimly walked around the table and pull a seat from a neighboring table and sat down. "But if you're more of the type to rick you're skin to get with a man's daughter, I'll shoot you meself." Finished the man as he pulled yet another item from the neighboring table, this time a green bottle filled with princesses knew what. The man eyed Pip for a moment before slamming back the entire bottle.
"Tell me Thatch, what does an old sea hound like you got for me?" Asked Grace as she pick her empty tankard back up, only to put it back down with a loud thud.
"Well, depends. I have a list of items that need sinking, thievin', and drinking." Replied Thatch as he pulled out a small pearl coloured pipe, the image of an angle engraved on it.
"Sinking?" Asked Pip as he leaned forward, taking a long drink from his cup as he did so.
"Aye, got us a Royal Southern Kingdom Fleet of ships floatin about down near the Coltin pillars." Replied Thatch as the same girl brought more beer, this time three tankards and a coy smile for Pip.
"Numbers?" Asked Grace as she rolled her head around her shoulders, disinterested in the topic at hand.
"Only a wee fleet, only about 15,000 strong." Pip gagged and start choking on his drink. He slammed the cup onto the table and began coughing violently, Grace paid his little mind.
"15...*Cough* thousand strong? Are you bloody mad! The Royal Equestrian navy is only 16,000 and that's all her fleets. How fucken big is that Southern Kingdom?" Asked Pip as he hammered his chest with a balled fist. Thatch regarded him with nothing more than a small smile.
"So the thievin' job then?" Asked Thatch as he took a tiny sip of his beer, tasting it before taking a second taste this time in the corm of a huge swig.
"Aye, what is the mark?" Asked Grace as she finished yet another tankard of beer, show little of the effects Pip was starting to feel.
"Well, the mark is about 6 years old, wee lad with golden locks and a face of a babe." Replied Thatch as he drained the last of his beer and set the massive empty tankard. Grace leaned forward, her elbows set on the table and face plastered with a grin. Thatch smiled and pulled out a tiny note, about the size of one's palm and set it on the table. It was sealed closed with bright red wax, the likeness of three unicorns in the middle.
"House Spellcaster?" Asked Pip as he pick up the letter and looked at the seal more closely.
"Know of them?" Asked Grace as she extended her hand, gesturing for the return of the note.
"Yes, they were a major player a few hundred years ago, I take it we're going after the crown prince?" Asked Pip as he stood up, finished his tankard of beer. Thatch nodded slowly, eyeing another man across the bar, his hand brushing his sides.
"Aye, break into the stronghold, get the boy, get out, wait for money drop off, give the boy back, get out alive. Very simple." Replied Thatch as he got to his feet, his hand resting on his gun. "Well at the very least on paper." With that he walked away, leaving Pip and Grace to sit and ponder.
"That it then? If you'll excuse me ma'am, I'll go run and hide somewhere warm for the night, I'll be on board in the morning. This is going to be a hard target, but should be the only one we need." Grace nodded and took Pip's second tankard of beer.
"Good, I got a few things to turn in, get a few bounties filled out by the mayor." Replied Grace as she finished off Pip's drink and headed for the door. "Good luck." Replied Grace before jogging up the stairs towards the surface. Pip looked about the bar, spying the girl who had served them drinks. Tonight was going to be a hell of a night, one way or another.