If there was one thing Crayton hated it was being ordered. He would happily serve his royal family but a…pirate so it seemed he was is not a person he would like taking orders from. However it didn’t seem he had that choice so he decided he should tell the guy a few details, the ones he needed to know.

“Ok, well we are in need of going to hell I suppose, we need to travel to Thermidor, we need to go as soon as possible, I am a marked man by the Ares empire, she is suspected to be marked by unknown forces and I will pay you with a grand ship of the Ares fleet. The ship you most likely have heard about, “The countess” the queen’s personal ship. But if you want this reward I expect to be taken to Thermidor, you must trust that I will return after my business there and then must take us back. What do you think? “ Cryaton had maybe jumped certain details and the fact they were unsure how long “business” would take, but in all truth he had no plans on returning or paying the man. He did however know that he was the only person now alive who knew of the whereabouts of the countess ship.

“What say you sailor?”

Elcid laughed out loud at the proposal.

'You're going to pay me with the most expensive and tricked out load of rubbish on the mist seas? Even if I believed you, which for the moment lets say I do, what use have I got for a royal transport ship? I don't care if it is the fastest ship in the Ares fleet, how am I to pay her crew eh? With honour and duty? Bollocks, my men will follow me so long as they know they'll be better paid than in the Navy and because they know that if they don't I'll crack thier skulls with my boot.'

The soldier explained that they might wish to be paid with the Mella Gems used for the Countesses trim.

'That'll pay them for a little while, certainly, but how am I to get her past the battle line? A ship like that is pretty bloody obvious init? The second they spot her mast they'll be blowin trumpets and rollin out carpets for us, only when they pull along side, they'll see she ain't got no royal crew, nor royal cargo and I don't care how fast she might be, a broadside in the stern from a man-o-war will tear her to ribbons, and then we'll all be dead. Only way we can get to Thermidor is to go right the way around the fleet which you're looking at a two or three month voyage which is going to be doubled if I have to tow a bloody great yacht behind me...'

A sudden thought struck Elcid. The letter of Marque against any ship flying the Ares flag must surely still be out and the prize money for captured Ares ships was enormous. If he could somehow get both the Mistress and the Countess to Thermidor in one piece, he would be sitting on a gold mine.

The look on the Soldier's face suggested that a time frame of five to six months was unacceptable but Elcid had other concerns to deal with at the moment, namely meeting a client about the silver ingots in the hold and recruiting more crew members.

'Look, I'll think about your situation. If I can think of a way to get it done that won't end up with all of us getting killed, then I will accept your payment and take you to and from Thermidor. If I can't well, you're S.O.L. but you're free to stay on board ship here until such a time as I make up my mind. Right now I have other buisness what needs seein to, not least of which is getting some more sailors as I'm sure we'll need, especially if we're to be running with two ships instead of one. For that, I think I shall be putting the Lassie's skills to good use, if you'll come along with me miss.'

Elcid stood and beconned for the girl to follow him.

Anei blinked and did a double take between Elcid and Artois.. She looked dumbfounded for a second as she had literally been dragged around and she didn't quite know what would happen. but she did know that Elcid wasn't meaning to do her harm as she was listening to both men's inner selves. Both at a place where neither trusted one another as far as they could throw themselves... This was going to be a hard thing. But she did follow. As Elcid did have the inquiry that was directed to her and she needed to make this seemingly new partnership actually get off the ground if anything was to happen.

Anei turned and nodded and bowed slightly to Artois before running out of the room and closing the door. She didn't want another scene like the on in the market. But of course. she bumped right back into Elcid. This time right with her front instead of her side. Literally making her assets press right up to his chest. As she nearly backfired backwards. Stepping back a few paces and bowing once again. Looking up and blushing. She was being absent minded at the moment as she picked up on someone grumbling about how bad the one side of the hull was. which was beside a wall three floors below them.

Shaking her head and rubbing her temple. Anei blocked out the happenings surrounding her and went back to just listening with her ears. Looking back up to Elcid, she might have still been blushing. But she was regaining her composure. "sorry about that.. had other things on my..." Anei didn't finish as she saw that he wasn't needing an explanation. She had inadvertently used telepathy on him and this might be one of those things he would soon ask her about.

Anei stood back up and moved her cloak. Shifting it so that her arms were covered. It was a bit drafty and she knew that would soon be fixed... maybe.

"so..." Anei started as she got right in front of Elcid and looked into his eyes. "What did you want to speak with me about, exactly?"

'Well, there's a few things I'm not getting about all this whole mess Lass.' Elcid spoke candidly as he led her down to the docks where a few of his men were gaurding the crates of Silver Ingots. They looked wolfishly at Anei but he waved them away and told them to go and spend some of thier hard earned money else where.

'Sorry about the men, but I only trust the scum of the earth. You can always count on scum to be scum see, and that makes 'em predictable. It's these upright types like your friend the soldier I can't bend my mind around. This whole bloody country is full of them proud buggers. You know they aint even hirin' Privateers to fight Thermidor? They think they're invincible cause they got big bloody ships, but if they keep thinkin' that, they're liable to get stabbed in the back. Ships can't fight if they aint got rounds 'n powder and thier ships can't rearm out in the middle of the sea without transports farrying supplies to 'em. But Thermidor's put such a price on captured Ares ships the sea is full of Pirates looking for easy targets.

But that just goes to show you Ares thinks they can't loose don't it? No need to resupply if you win the first battle hands down. Now what really don't multiply with me is what your friend is up to. What's a soldier doing running from his own people and protecting a Wizzard (OOC: discworld reference) like you for eh?'

Elcid could see by the look on her face he'd hit the nail on the head about her. He hadn't imagined that voice in his head after all. It had been a sound that had gone right to his mind without passing through the ears. His ears were shot from firing his Arquebazook so much, but the sound of her voice had been clear as the cold night air on a calm sea.

Before she could begin to give him a response however, they were approached by the buyer of silver so he tried to concentrate his thoughts towards her to test a theory.

'Right Lass, I'm certain if you can speak into my head you can read me like a book just as easilly, so listen good. Dive into this guys mind and tell me the going price of unmarked silver because I'm almost certain he's cheating me. If you can do a trick like that, then I'm pretty sure I can get you to Thermidor and back if that's what you really want.'

Anei looked and sighed in her mind. Opening herself up and could hear nothing but overwhelming joy of swindling Elcid... She winced a bit at the immense emotion and turned away and placed her hand to her forehead. 'Oi vie...what a cheapskate..' Anei thought to herself....

She moved over and simply placed her hand on Elcid's shoulder. and shook her head slightly and spoke in a soft voice. "He's lying alright.. Silver is way more pricey than he gives off... I'd say..." Anei closed her eyes and listened again as the man was still over boasting in his mind at how well he was getting a deal for the silver. "Oh he's swindling you alright. I'd say a good 40% more for the asking price is the right amount for what you're selling.. He's trying to get it cheap and has a buyer already.. I think you should actually pass since I now have that buyers name and place of selling to him..." Anei said as she could now feel the man's anxiousness turn to speculated worry... She even clearly herd him think. "Just what is going on here... I need to do this and get them over to the Mavir peer fast.. This idiot has no clue how much Commander Gegins wants this for... This is a steal.. Hurry up and stop talking to the Wench..."

Anei almost said something but instead turned towards Elcid. "Mavir Peer, Commander Gegins. That's who you want to sell to... and he's leaving right quick in forth-five minutes. He's buying Silver for double what this guy is offering..." Anei said as she had to finally shift off her telepathic abilities. This ass was giving her one hell of a headache now... and it could be seen on her face.

Elcid smiled. Truthfully, Anei had pratically earned thier passage with her telepathy. Elcid had been over eager at finding a buyer and hadn't bothered to look for a better price.

'Thanks Lass.' He said to Anei then shouted at a few dock hands lazing around to swing the donkey around and lift the crates of ingots onto a cart and take it to Mavir peer, offering gold if they could get it done in half an hour. Then he turned to the merchant who was staring bug eyed at him and asked what he was still doing there.

'Bugger off you lousy swine!' He said then turned back to Anei. 'Saved my neck you did there, but now I'll have to ask you to do it again. If we're to cross the Ares and the Thermidor line, we're going to need a crew that's willing to go but I can't very well go to the taverns and start flapin my gob off about our plans can I? I'll have the guards on me in no time doin' something like that. The other thing I'll need is registration for the Mistress and for this ship the Countess. See, the Mistress didn't put out the Mistress, she was the Antellope before I got my grubbies on her, and if we're boarded by an Ares frigate I want to be able to flash the papers at them what says she's mine, fair and square rigged. Course I don't have time to go through the proper channels, so if you can point me in the direction of a less republe nature of gent I'd be much obligated.' He explained to her.

Elcid followed the dock hands a short way down the warf until they got to Mavir Peer. Elcid had Anei point out the captain of the ship and then approached him. True enough, the commander was more than willing to pay a high price for the silver ingots, after varrifying thier authenticity and unmarkedness. Elcid relected once again that you could always count on scum to be scum as he hefted the weight of the gold used as payment.

'Right, shall we see to crew now? Come to think of it, you look like you're a bit groggy. Maybe we should get a drink and you can fill in the gaps in the story your soldier friend didn't want to tell me. On me of course, I think you've more than earned it.'

Anei nodded as she accepted Elcid's proposal. She was happy to help and also make a good impression of almost getting Artois and herself to where they needed to go. But the whole finding other people and getting the registration papers signed was going to be a bit more of a problem. She knew that she was going to need to use her telepathic abilities. But in a pub would be like going into an aviary full of a hundred crows... It was going to hurt like hell.. But she would try.. The drink would just have to be something light. She really didn't drink that much anyways since she had to keep her illusion on her back up constantly... She didn't know how Elcid would react if he saw two sets of purest crystalline wings jutting out of her back... let alone anyone else that was nearby...

She did follow and wondered just what Artois was doing but decided to make sure she watched where she was going this time. She really didn't need to keep bumping into Elcid... It'd make a bad impression of her.

Anei followed to a small pub near the wharf as she could already smell the smoke and alcohol on the air.. She coughed at the smoke but quickly pulled up one of her silk shawls to cover her lower half of her face. It relieved most of the smoke to be bearable. She just looked up at the sign that hung near the door. "The Misty Swan Bar" was what it read as she felt an arm wrap around her waist and a hand grasp her hip. As she felt herself being lead in by Elcid.

Elcid had a seat at the bar, ordered a pint of Ale and a ploughman's lunch for himself and on Anei's request a glass of wine for her. She looked noticably uncomfortable which Elcid assumed had to do with the suroundings.

'Kick back and relax Lass. If this place ain't to your liking, you're in for a shock onboard ship. The ship stinks of all manner of things worse than cigarette smoke, it's dirty, it's small the food is horrible once it starts to go bad and it's always cold and damp, and you got naught for company but a bunch of smelly violent 'Tars' (OOC: slang for sailors) and yours truely.' Elcid motions to himself with a cheese wedge. 'Damn that reminds me, I need to see about provision. I'd send the midshipman if he wern't such a useless sack of meat, but I suppose if he were useful I'd have made him a lieutenant.'

Anei just sips her wine and Elcid mentions he never could get a taste for that fancy stuff, that his old captain was always trying to culture him up with little success. The wine didn't seem to be having the desired effect on her. He wanted to loosen her up,
but she was getting more and more tense by the minute.

'Don't take this the wrong way lass, but you look as if you need to lie down. I'll settle up here and then let's go back to the ship. You can tell me about things when you're feeling better.'

Anei felt tense.. but the way that a few were watching her was the reason. It was two of the four that had assaulted her and Elcid assaulted them... She knew nothing good could come out if they followed them.

"Actually it's not that... It's... well.." Anei didn't need to finish. All she needed to do was point. And there they were. Watching. But there were more of them now. A few looking like they'd keelhaul both of them. One actually was almost a good foot taller than her. But size really didn't mean anything.

Anei did however feel the malice. She didn't need to use her abilities to feel that much hatred.. "I... I think it's about time to go... I really don't like the feel of this.." Anei said in a very worried voice. Not for her. But for Elcid. They were looking in his direction more so than hers... She was a prize.. it was Elcid that had done the damage prior... She would have to help if it came to that.. but she didn't really want to show her shadow manipulation abilities this soon into the seemingly fragile friendship.

'Oh is that it then? Good eyes on you Lass. I may ask you to man the main mast nest with eyes like that. Now, see if you can spot this trick.'

He dropped his loaf of bread on the floor and went to pick it up, as he did, placed a powder cartridge under one of the legs of his barstool with a slowmatch touching it, so that all he would have to do in order to set it off would be to grind the stool hard against the stone floor.

'Do you see?' He asked, a devious smile on his face then finished off his bread. He placed some money on the bar then stood. 'Shall we go then?'

Anei flinched away as he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Amateurs, he thought, if it had been him, he'd have simply broken a stool over thier heads. None of this messing around.

'We gots a debt to repay you mister.' Said a giant of a man, a full head taller than Elcid and a half foot broader.

'That's good, I always like to collect.' Said Elcid as he ground the stool against the floor. There was a barely preceptible pause before the room seemed to exlode with noise and smoke, in which Elcid ducked down and rammed his forehead into the giant man's stomach, then made three quick punches to the man's groin before hauling him up and throwing him over the bar to crash violently through the glassware and liquor bottles.

Elcid had a simple method of fighting which was simply to go full out all the time or go home. He came down on the next man swinging his chain bollas like a flail, the heavy cast iron ball cracking the man's jaw on the first blow and his collar bone on the second. A man hit him with a chair which toppled him over, but he rolled away from the blow and came back armed with a piece of the barstool which had been blown appart by the powder cartridge.

He clubbed the last man into submission then grabbed Anei's arm to get her away from the brawl. The two of them fought thier way to door, Elcid swinging the bollas furiously ahead of him to clear a path and they dashed away as the brawl quickly spilled out onto the quay. Elcid led her to an alley where he had to stop, clutching his ribs where he'd been hit.

'Bloody hellfire lass it never gets dull with you around does it? That bugger did a number on me with that chair.' Elcid laughed, even though it hurt to do so, because despite himself, he was having a lot of fun.

Anei smiled at the comment but it was short lived.. They had been followed and they weren't too happy... actually they were downright pissed and they had them now outnumbered.. and out guned.. well so to speak.

But instead of letting Elcid get in anymore scraps... Anei walked forward.. the lowly lamp behind her making the multiple shadows now on the ground somehow grow forward. The men were just laughing, wondering what a pretty lil' wench could do? But they would soon find out as a smirk went across the pretty lady's face. The shadows quickly moved right into the pursuers and they couldn't move.. "What do you call a man that is bound by there shadow?" Anei said in a very clear voice.. as she let her hood down. Her eyes almost a crimson in the dancing light.

The men just roared as they tried to get free as more shadows came up and seemed to look like hooded men with scythes and outstretched blades. This made them want to run....

The smirk got wider as Anei now looked straight at the men caught in her trap. "Sitting ducks!" Anei said as the hooded figures swarmed near them. Muffled screams were barely heard as after a few moments the hooded men disappeared as if they were never there and the men collapsed as their eyes were white and wide. Anei had scared them to unconsciousness. as the shadows went back to normal and she collapsed.. She had used a big shadow bending and illusion manipulation techniques and it was a bit over done. But her point got across.. She just sat on the ground huffing as her cloak had fallen to the side. Her illusion on her back wavered and her wings were nearly visible as she sat there on the ground trying to get back her strength. She wouldn't be able to walk for a few moments.. but there was now a good amount of sound coming their way... "Damn.. used too much power..." was all that Anei could say. When she tried to get up, her legs wouldn't listen to her and she started to fall backwards as her legs buckled.

It was true that Elcid had seen magical powers used before, wind conjuring magicians aboard ships were highly sought after, but he never seen anything like what Anei had just done. It was terrifying but exciting. She'd seemed a little helpless to him before, but now seeing her true power, if anything, enamoured her to him more so. He supported her as she staggered backwards and helped her back on her feet and as he did, he could feel something odd on her back, which after what he had just seen didn't really surprise him much. Her eyes and her powers all suggested she wasn't a regular species of man.

'That was bloody increadible Anei,' He said, Lass was clearly inappropriate for her, she was no meer girl after all 'If you can pull off a trick like that, running a blockade will be a snap. Now lets be back to the ship before these bastards find more friends.' He held her around the waist and put her arm over his shoulders so that he could take her wieght which was surprisingly light, considering her height and helped her back towards the Mistress' dock.