Post by Captain Hestia Black on Nov 13, 2012 17:05:04 GMT -5
Fleet Falls Island was a dangerous place for any captain to sail, Pirate or otherwise especially at night. Hidden reefs had claimed many a ship here; it was how the island got its name. The sails on the Sea Bitch were tied away securely and the oars were slowly pulling them to the small bay. Tense silence pressed against Hestia on all sides as her crew all hung over the edges trying to see the waters through the thick mist, watching the waters for any sign of a lurking reef, but the silence went beyond that. It was as if the water itself had chosen to remain silent, and that only added to the cold feeling that spread through Hestia’s stomach when the mast of a sunken ship protruded through the gloom. She tightened her grip on the wheel, and uttered silent prayers to the Sea Goddess to watch over them and to guide them to another day of roaming her beautiful seas.
After an hour of navigating through shipwrecks, hidden reefs and eerie mists, the Sea bitch glided safely into an open bay, but there was no beach here. Only a large cave in which the sea flowed. Once the ship was anchored, a small boat was lowered and two women climbed down to take up the oars to row the captain and her first mate into the cave. “Light all the lanterns I want others to know we are here.” All around the ship small lanterns were raised, small golden balls of hope.
She looked at Aella and smiled reassuringly, more for her own sake than Aella’s, and then descended to the boat below. Once her first mate had joined her and a lantern had been set upon the front of the lifeboat the four women glided across the inky black waters in their wooden chariot, and after a while, a starlit sky gave way to stony ceilings decorated with stalactites. Once inside the cave it was only a short row to the ridge before the steps and the huge wooden door that was so out of place, it was surreal. Pirates had been using this place for years as a secret meeting place. It’s hard to navigate reefs and out of the way location meant no one cared to look for them here, Enden or otherwise.
Climbing out of the boat and up the five rough cut steps, Hestia had to shoulder barge the swollen door open. Opening her palm she created a ball of fire that floated ahead of her and then rose high above them and grew to light the entire cavern. The room within was enough to take anyone’s breath away, even if it was a little cobwebby. Vast stone pillars had been raised to support the cave’s ceiling, torch brackets lined the walls and a huge chandelier hung low over a vast driftwood table flanked by ornate chairs. The click of her boots echoed across the stone floor as Hestia moved forward and ran her hands across the back of the chairs as she made her way to the table head.
She stopped behind her chair, her fingers curling round its back and smiled. This would be the second meeting she would be holding as the Pirate Queen, she had to relish in every moment of it, because any moment it could be snatched from her. Raising her hands, the fire ball above them separated and moved to light the torches and then the candles on the chandelier before she extinguished it.
Each chair before her would bare a pirate captain, or so she hoped, and with them they would bring a maximum of three crew members, though they were not permitted to sit, and a barrel of rum or whatever other alcohol they had lurking on their ship to share, as a gesture of good will. Liza and Liara, the two who had rowed the lifeboat to the cavern were rolling in her barrel into the vast room, with two goblets attached to their belts. They hoisted it up onto a rack on the far side of the table and then opened the tap, filling all four goblets and handing one to Hestia and one to Aella.
“To freedom.” she toasted before lifting the glass to her lips, relishing in the warmth the liquid brought to her throat. Now there was nothing to do but wait.
After an hour of navigating through shipwrecks, hidden reefs and eerie mists, the Sea bitch glided safely into an open bay, but there was no beach here. Only a large cave in which the sea flowed. Once the ship was anchored, a small boat was lowered and two women climbed down to take up the oars to row the captain and her first mate into the cave. “Light all the lanterns I want others to know we are here.” All around the ship small lanterns were raised, small golden balls of hope.
She looked at Aella and smiled reassuringly, more for her own sake than Aella’s, and then descended to the boat below. Once her first mate had joined her and a lantern had been set upon the front of the lifeboat the four women glided across the inky black waters in their wooden chariot, and after a while, a starlit sky gave way to stony ceilings decorated with stalactites. Once inside the cave it was only a short row to the ridge before the steps and the huge wooden door that was so out of place, it was surreal. Pirates had been using this place for years as a secret meeting place. It’s hard to navigate reefs and out of the way location meant no one cared to look for them here, Enden or otherwise.
Climbing out of the boat and up the five rough cut steps, Hestia had to shoulder barge the swollen door open. Opening her palm she created a ball of fire that floated ahead of her and then rose high above them and grew to light the entire cavern. The room within was enough to take anyone’s breath away, even if it was a little cobwebby. Vast stone pillars had been raised to support the cave’s ceiling, torch brackets lined the walls and a huge chandelier hung low over a vast driftwood table flanked by ornate chairs. The click of her boots echoed across the stone floor as Hestia moved forward and ran her hands across the back of the chairs as she made her way to the table head.
She stopped behind her chair, her fingers curling round its back and smiled. This would be the second meeting she would be holding as the Pirate Queen, she had to relish in every moment of it, because any moment it could be snatched from her. Raising her hands, the fire ball above them separated and moved to light the torches and then the candles on the chandelier before she extinguished it.
Each chair before her would bare a pirate captain, or so she hoped, and with them they would bring a maximum of three crew members, though they were not permitted to sit, and a barrel of rum or whatever other alcohol they had lurking on their ship to share, as a gesture of good will. Liza and Liara, the two who had rowed the lifeboat to the cavern were rolling in her barrel into the vast room, with two goblets attached to their belts. They hoisted it up onto a rack on the far side of the table and then opened the tap, filling all four goblets and handing one to Hestia and one to Aella.
“To freedom.” she toasted before lifting the glass to her lips, relishing in the warmth the liquid brought to her throat. Now there was nothing to do but wait.
