Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-10906938-20140514001728/@comment-11457306-20140626233131

Captain Daal just about had a stroke when he opened the door to his quarters and found Alyssa seated on his desk, leaning back on her good arm, her legs crossed.

“Whotin seven ‘ells are you doing here?!” he growled, once he managed to find his voice. He didn’t bother to ask how she got in—he was well acquainted with her skills as a thief.

“Hello to you too, Daal,” she said pleasantly. “I want to buy passage for myself and some friends.”

“To Falskaar? Whotinell ya wanna go there for?”

“No, not Falskaar. High Rock.”

“High Rock! That’s way offen my route. Ya know that!”

“From the way your ship is riding high in the water and from the lounging swabbies on your deck, Daal, I’d guess business is a bit slow right now. I thought you’d welcome the business,” said Alyssa, examining her nails.

Her comment struck home. He was short, alright. If he didn’t land some work soon, his men would begin looking for another ship to call home.

“’ow many friends—and what’s yer offer?”

“About a dozen.”   Alyssa reached into the bag beside her and set one of the gold ingots on the desk. Daal’s eyes lit up with greed.

“Keep goin’” he said.

Alyssa placed another ingot down beside it.

“Ya’ ain’t there yet,” said Daal.

Placing the final ingot on top of the other two to make a pyramid, she looked over at him. “That’s it. You get us there safe, I’ll give you a bonus.”

“Whut kinda bonus?” The Captain stood taller and crossed his arms.

Alyssa slid off the desk and dug in the front pocket of her tight leathers. She pulled out a flawless diamond. Some things she always kept on her person, never stashing in her chest. She thanked the gods now for that habit. She held the diamond, as big as a sabre cat’s eyeball, up in front of the Captain’s face. His eyes glazed over as he reached for it. She quickly closed her hand back over it and slipped it back into her pocket. He was practically salivating.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What’ll it be?” asked Alyssa.

<p class="MsoNormal">Daal always had been too greedy. He frowned and crossed his arms again. “Not enough. Not for wanted fugitives like you and your friends. He grinned broadly at Alyssa’s startled expression. “He, he—ya’ thought I wouldn’t know? I’ve seen the posters—you’ll pay me three times that or ye can all rot ‘ere on the shore till the Imperials come ta get ya’.

<p class="MsoNormal">Alyssa’s pretty face darkened. “I have a counter proposal, Daal. You take us to High Rock safely for what I’ve offered and I won’t make the story of what really happened to the former owner of this vessel public. How’s that?”

<p class="MsoNormal">The Captain paled and momentarily lost his ability to speak. Then, “Ye’re bluffin’! Ye don’t dare show ye’re face—“

<p class="MsoNormal">It happened in a second. Alyssa, with a strength born of over a decade of wielding heavy twin axes, grabbed the front of Daal’s leathers and slammed him up against the bulkhead. He felt something down below and when he looked down, he saw her dagger pressed against his groin. He whimpered.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You wanna put it to the test, swabbie? I’ve got absolutely NOTHING to lose and I know someone who isn’t wanted who’ll be happy to spread the tale for me. We can even get the word to Jarl Yngvarr. What do you think he’ll do to the man who murdered Falskaar’s beloved kinsman? Widowed his wife and child?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Alright! Alright! I’ll do it! But when ye’re safely in High Rock, we’re quits, Alyssa! The scales are even!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Agreed.”   Alyssa let him go and stepped back, making the dagger disappear. “If you got any supplies to load, load ‘em fast. We’ll be aboard shortly and I want to get underway immediately before the Imperials catch up with us.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Daal nodded weakly and Alyssa turned on her heel, grabbed her sack and left, slamming the door behind her. The Captain sagged against the bulkhead for a moment, trying to regain his composure. Then, with shaking hands, he reached for the gold ingots to hide them from his crew.

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<p class="MsoNormal">“You always were a b, Alyssa,” he muttered to himself. “I rue the day I ever met ya’.”