Occurs the morning after Siebith Scores
The Zephyr
This sleek sailing craft has been made by a craftsman who took loving pride in his creations. Though small and narrow in width, it does have a small inside cabin and an area outside to seat a couple of people. The wood has been left unpainted, its natural color under the finish is a rich reddish gold, the grains adding depth to its luster. The mast is of newer wood, having been replaced at some point in the resent past. Unseen under the waterline there is a long, though now-mended crack running the length of the keel.
The first light of dawn finds D'had up and out on the ship's deck. He's behind the wheel, which today isn't set in place as he gives it a light turn back and forth here and there to steer around the reef which surrounds the island. They're slow in approaching the far side of the island where those raiders were first seen when they washed ashore.
Thea snoozes right through that early light of dawn, sleeping deeply thanks to that workout last night and maybe a little thanks to the constant motion of the boat. She doesn't stir even when D'had leaves her side, finally awakening with the tilt as the boat tacks around the treacherous reefs and pads up the steps soon after, dressed and working through her thick hair with a brush as she makes her way to sit beside him with a yawn. "See anything?" Her sleep-hazed eyes sweep the shore.
D'had turns a glance back towards the cabin at the sound of her heading up and out. That subtle smirk of smile of his turned towards her, one arm settling over her shoulders for a short, one armed hug, as she settles beside him. "Mornin'," he greets, a shake of his head following shortly after in reply to her question. "Next bay," he notes, "Thinkin' there should be something there."
With a gentle smile in response, "Morning." Thea tucks one shoulder up against D'had's side, leans to brush her lips across his cheek. Flashing him a quizzical look while she's close, trying to read the expression in his eyes as she leans back to her own space, she asks quietly, "You doing okay?" Working with quick, sure strokes that brush though her hair as her eyes lift to where the coast juts out ahead hiding that bay and there's about her a subtle bracing for what might be found there.
D'had's lips quirk with a hint of a smile at that kiss. "Yeah," he replies, a short answer but really what else is new. His arm drops from her shoulders to allow her to better finish her hair brushing, but when she's finished - and as they round that last curve in the shore line - he searches out her hand to give it a light squeeze.
Thea will have to be satisfied with that answer, although, well if it were -her- she wouldn't be alright. When she does set that brush down and her fingers curl between his, squeezing back reassurance whether he thinks he needs it or not, well. It's no mistake when the tips brush the pulse at his wrist to take its measure at the same time holding her breath as they make that turn.
D'had knows no more than she does what might be found around that bend. While he might keep a calm exterior… well that quick check of pulse might well tell his tension for what might be. The first thing to come into view, familiar sails. As their own smaller vessel draws closer however it’s clear that there are more people about that should be if it were only the Vega Run's crew.
A large traders ship, the Vega Run is a sleek sailing sloop capable of slipping with speed through the waves of the sea even when heavily loaded. Tall masts, graceful sails, ropes and rigging, a skilled crew and open seas that beckon her, the Vega Run is poised to fly.
Sails are a good thing and sight of the ship intact there in the bright morning sunlight draws a cry of jubilation from Thea before she notes the men on the deck. There's a smile starting and she's half-rising to wave at the crew, turning a look down at D'had and words tumbling from them, "We found them, Donn, it's the Vega! They weren't wrecked by-"
"Shh!" D'had hisses, squeezing her hand tightly as a reminder to go with that sound. "See it." He knows what it is, but he's not getting excited just yet. "There any talkin' ya let me do it," he adds, eyes still fixed on those on the deck of the Vega Run as that trader accent slips back harder than ever.
Thea is caught up with a soft intake of breath catching his tension and urgent squeeze at the same time, her eyes swing back to the ship, troubled and she sinks down to sit. Catching his meaning, she winces, nodding. Absolutely she'll let him do the talking! Though how he's going to talking raiders out of a prize taken… "They've seen us?" Unfortunately it's daylight and not dark night.
"Prolly," D'had replies. It’s not exactly hard to hide a boat, even if their's is smaller than his parent's. She didn't help in keeping out of mind for any longer either. He sends a glance over towards her checking to make sure her knot isn't in sight. His has been tucked away or left back at the weyr all together.
"Oh, that can't be good." Dressed casually in a sleeveless cotton shirt and trous and still barefooted, Thea isn't wearing her knot, although it is down below in the cabin lying in plain sight where she casually tossed it on the shelf by the bed. She's not thinking of knots at the moment, either. Her eyes are still moving uneasily over that deck, murmuring, "I don't see anyone I recognize." So focused is she on looking for familiar faces that she's unaware of any spyglasses turned their way nor movement among the current crew.
D'had is satisfied that her knot isn't in sight from where they are. If it's laying out down in the cabin, well that's something they'll have to deal with if, and likely when, they're boarded. "They're there," he might just be assuring himself, but of that he at least seems confident. Spyglasses are to be expected, that's not what he's worried about.
Thea flickers D'had a long, searching look. "Of course we will," she agrees perhaps too firmly, as if them speaking it will make finding his family reality. They're close enough for her to hear another sound, one that causes her to lift her chin and glare at the faces from the Vega Run turned their way. Hoots of laughter and raucous shouts, jeers and… other things she can't make out float across the water. She makes no attempt to say a word, just waits as they drift nearer. Out of the corner of her mouth she asks quietly, "Have you any arms aboard?"
D'had keeps looking ahead as he steers the boat into the cove, watching and searching out the leader of the group if he can. "Don't worry," he all but whispers back. Somehow it will work out. Hopefully.
Somewhat tartly, "I'm not worried. I want to hide them where they won't find them and conceal a few on my person. Where are they?" Thea is certain he wouldn't attempt a sea voyage without -some- sort of protection. Open leers from those crew not otherwise occupied with tasks are sent Thea's way, but she's ignoring them in favor of nudging D'had with an elbow, pleading, "A knife! Anything I can hide on myself where they might not think of looking… for awhile." Hopefully it would be never, but. Surely he catches her drift?
"Few boxes above the bed," D'had replies. A shelf full of boxes lashed across the front to keep them from falling in rough seas. She should certainly be able to find something in those boxes, might even be surprised by the arsenal within. Weapons for trade anyone?
Thea slips from D'had's side with a hand raked through her hair as if merely frustrated by the wind's mussing of it and descends into the cabin with a practiced ease as if merely making herself more presentable to meet someone of importance. While down there, she eyeballs those boxed with lifted brows and a low whistle of appreciation. She snags two of the knives, one tucked hastily in her waistband. Arriving back on deck, she's braiding her hair and winding it around her the other knife in a bun at the back of her head. Reaching D'had once again, she leans in an questions, "We're giving them /weapons/?" Like she can't believe it.
Not too far off another ship is tacking in, flying non-descript colors that give it no particular affiliation, headed straight for the two ships that are anchored in the cove. Apparently someone's interested in regaining their cargo. On deck, the figures of men dressed in rugged sea-wear or raggedier items can be seen, one holding a farviewer which is pointed right at the deck of the larger ship though another is gesticulating toward the Zephyr.
"I didn't say that," D'had nearly snaps at that question of Thea's when she returns. He's just prepared. That's all. "We'll see how things go, now come 'ere," he adds, reaching for her hand to pull her in and land a kiss squarely on her lips. He knows they're watching. He's watching them nearly as closely. Play it casual. Right.
"You didn't say anyth- mmmg." Thea all but glares when he yanks her in and kisses her, blinking fury at him. "Are you mad?" She hisses through her teeth. Surely he can hear the catcalls, see the leers floating across the water. She can. "You're gonna get them all hot and-" The wind ruffles her thin cotton trous and tunic, hopefully the knife is not as visible as everything else it reveals when plastering her clothing to her. She's out of her depth here, shooting a bit of a nervous glance at that ship, forcing herself to smile at both it and D'had. He didn't prep her for this.
Most of the raiders actually seem far more interested in the ship than the canoodling pair on its decks. The craft changes angle and the sail is loosened so that speed is lost. The vessel glides smoothly in alongside the duo of ships already anchored in the cove and there's a flurry of activity on deck as the crew prepare to deal with the 'interlopers'. The door of the lower deck bangs open and a stout man with a missing eye hidden by a patch stomps into view, has a word with one of the lookouts then heads over to the railing, but not quite to it to eyeball D'had and Thea. "So you thought this would be a good spot to /honeymoon/?" he asks, sarcasm thick in his voice.
D'had just grins at Thea. See, show. Honeymoon it is, let them think what they want it makes it that much easier for him. Hopefully. "Is my island," the bluerider shouts back to the man on the other deck, the accent of his youth and seafaring days holding strong as he turns the wheel to bring the smaller vessel alongside the larger. "Gonna show'er a good time. Luxury, ya know. Like all them holders," he explains with a wink.
Thea tries not to wince at that claim. His island? Crawling with raiders who would now beg to differ. Show. Riiiight. With her lips in a fixed smile, she moves just a bit closer to D'had, watching those ships as though in wide-eyed wonder. It's not hard for someone terrified to act shy, nope. "I hope you know what you're doing," she quietly sing-songs under her breath.
Burly man there folds his arms across his chest and regards D'had for a long moment. "I suggest y'move your fun times elsewhere, otherwise we'll be showin' her a good time. And you too." His smile is not nice, no. "Pull up anchor and go. You're too close to our property there." A nod to the other ship.
D'had smirks. Confident, cocky almost. "How bout I meet ya on the beach an' we talk price," he suggests. "I been there, don't care what yer doin'." That much isn't so hard to guess given appearances and the outlying location. "Just wanna cut for lettin ya use my place here."
Okay now that comment? That draws a wince and it's no problem making a show of dismay - no, that comes quite naturally to Thea's expression. Perhaps they'll read it that she's upset to have her honeymoon in this idyllic spot thwarted. And if they're going to have to leave, she is going to make sure she commits to memory some of the details of the ships and of the faces peering over that rail. Her eyes drift from the Vega Run over to the other ship, lingering on the nameplate, although likely D'had could describe both of them better than she could, two pair of eyes and all that.
The look D'had gets from that man on the ship causes him to chuckle, waving off any threat that might have been about to follow with a brush of the air with his hand. "We'll be movin' on then," he agrees to disagree, starting the turn. "Good luck with alla this." And then to Thea, "Guess it ain't gonna work out here babe, don't you worry your pretty little head none, I'll find ya somewhere yet."
Thea hasn't opened her mouth once and she's not about to do so now lest she give herself away. There's no way she can even come close to faking the accent D'had's using. She just nods, sinks down into that seat as they begin that turn but keeps her eyes on the activity in the cove and especially on the ship, still scanning the faces on deck, hoping that maybe, just maybe she'll glimpse a familiar one.
D'had steers their smaller vessel around. He doesn't bother to look back in the processes, catching a glimpse instead when watching his own maneuvering allows. No need to draw extra attention by obviously scoping things out. Thea's watching, while it might draw some attention likely won't be put to much of any thought. Pretty girl after all. Right? He remains mostly silent as the course out of the cove and around the point is set. Its once they're out of sight and hearing range that he turns that smirk of his towards his weyrmate. Told ya I'd find 'em.
And once out of the cove, out of sight and earshot of the goings on back there, Thea can allow herself to give in to the shaking her knees have been begging to do the whole time. She can't quite match D'had's smirk, just stares back at him with something akin to disbelief. "What were you -thinking-?" Because she still really has no clue what he would have done once on that beach. "I can't believe they just-" she waves a hand towards the open sea, "-let us leave. They could have-" She bites that off, delayed reaction setting in here, her sea green eyes darkened with what she'd feared. "And we found the ship, not your family." Ah, now the part that's -really- bothering her.
D'had was perhaps just confident enough that there would be something there, some clue, that it didn't shake it as much as it should. Perhaps. Or perhaps he's just not letting that part show for her sake. "I was thinkin' I'd find their limits, see what we could figure as what they're up ta. See how many of 'em there was." All good things to know before running in headlong, or otherwise confronting the raiders. He leans over a presses a quick kiss to her temple, an attempt at reassurance. "Nothin' says they ain't on the ship or the island and we just ain't seen 'em. Findin' that's a good thing."
Thea's gaze is unblinkingly sober as she hears him out. The fact that he's using more words than she's likely ever heard him speak at one time doesn't even register. There's a slow nod as she give it some thought, reaches into her waistband to remove that knife. "Guess I won't need this then." She sits with it in the palm of her hand studying it absently while her mind is elsewhere, perhaps trying to make sense of all this. Back up to him with a quelling stare that he'd better recognize, "What now then, Donn? If they're on that ship…" It's two against… however many of them there are and this time, he'd better clue her in.
"Hopefully not," D'had agrees about her needing that knife, or not needing it as the case may be. "Now we know where they are. What we're up against." It all makes perfect sense to him at least. Then again, he knew where he was going with things before they even left Xanadu. At least he's cluing her in now. Right? "Now we can call in reinforcements." Sure, he might have hoped he could do it all himself, but at least he knows enough to know this time he can't.
If he thinks he knows what he's up against, Thea still remains unsure. "But we don't really know, Donn." Her weyrmate gets a bit of a strange look. "We don't know if your family is even aboard the ship, we don't know how many of them are on board and if there are a bunch of them on the island." Her dark brows knit, "If the dragons appear, they could kill them. We should think this through." Anxious now, "You haven't sounded the alarm yet?" Hopefully not yet says her expression as she lifts her eyes from him to the skies.
Their ship on D'had's course continues around the coastline of the island towards the beach where they often land with their lifemates. "Dunno everything," he agrees, "But know a whole lot more than we did yesterday." And that's something. A place to start if nothing else. "Ain't called 'em in yet. We're gonna take it slow and we'll make it work."
To this, Thea must agree and it's with relief that she drops her eyes to see where he's going with the Zephyr. So not back out to sea as she'd assumed he would do. Peering ahead, eyes taking in the now-familiar coastline, she presses her lips together, mind obviously working but not coming up with what he's got in mind. "When you're ready to tell me just what 'take it slow' means? Come find me." And she slips back down into the cabin. To do what, she doesn't say.
D'had was about to say something more, but leaves it be when she slips off. "Let me drop anchor," he calls after her. Then he'll explain. It’s not so much further really, around the coast to that place before he takes the time to make the vessel ready to remain stationary for a time. Once that's set he follows down to the cabin. "I mean," he starts on his way down, "Have help and a plan." What the plan is is yet to be determined. "We got some a the information now. Can share it back with S&R an' see what we might can pull off."
Vague. His explanation is vague and he should know this by the skeptical look Thea gives him once he's stilled the craft and joined her below deck. Silently she hands him his breakfast - apparently that's what she's come down here to do - cook. It's akin to a meatroll but with egg and cheese, bits of peppers and onions. "There's not all that much to share with S&R." She's been doing some thinking while cooking, apparently. "I think we should have a closer look first." By the lift of her chin, she's got her determination back. Before he can argue, she points out sweetly reasonable, "Someone has to and any dragons popping in will alert them." An afterthought. "We should hide the boat, too."
If its vague it’s only because its not completely thought out. It’s an idea at least. D'had takes that breakfast roll, chomping into it and listening as he chews. "If you're sure…" he agrees, not quite certain himself where that came from given it came from her, but stranger things have happened. "Can hide 'er if ya like. But after breakfast." And indeed, after they've finished eating he'll pull the boat closer to shore where jungle meets water and help her get it hidden in the brush, and once that's finished further investigations can begin.