At anchor in Umbar
Captain Lanahar surveyed the dock with unease.
Standing on the quarterdeck his view of the harbour and surrounding waterfront of Umbar was extensive.
He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow...again.
Damn heat. It was likely going to be over 100 degrees again today...and still full noon was an hour away.
Damn orders. From Minister Falastur himself!...but still a fools errand. Any Seaman worth his salt knew this was the wrong way to catch a pirate. Lanahar had great experience with pirates, and not much respect for them. Before the great war he had captured many, and sunk over a half dozen Corsairs.
This was a different kettle of fish. The Crown's latest vessel! Stolen! Magic behind it? Idiocy! What stirred his bitterness most was the knowledge that the ship had been promised to him as his new commission. And to think some filthy pirate was helming that beautiful vessel! His teeth ground in irritation and suppressed rage.
"Captain?"
Lanahar turned toward his first mate and raised an eyebrow.
"Sir...I have had another request from the Captain of the Marine force. It seems he would again like to convey his wishes to grant shore leave for his company of men. It seems this waiting at port is badly affecting moral and..."
"Absolutely not!" barked Lanahar. "I've allready told him that there was to be no shore leave permitted! Not for my Sailors and not for the Royal Marines of Gondor! Is he some sort of idiot? Doesn't he realise that we are on the most important mission since the end of the great war? Doesn't he realise that any word of our mission in that festering pool of a city will certainly reach the ears of this pirate within days? Blistering barnacles man!, we are barely in control of this city...the last thing I need is to ship home bodies of fools cut down in dark alleyways! There were 3 guards killed here last month! You can't trust these blood thirsty savages...barely civilized and filled with their stupid customs and superstitious notions. It was bad enough I had to provide transit to that...merchant. And to think he is here to work on our behalf?!?"
The first mate mused:
"Well sir, they were a strange bunch it's true. And that quiet one...he always kept a hood over his head? Sir, I don't like the look of him. He is...unsettling."
The Captain wiped another bead of moisture from his brow, then surreptitously wiped his sweaty hand on his heavy wool uniform. He continued:
"I don't understand how we can be ordered to follow their requests. Who in hades are they anyways? I've never heard of any of them...and they certainly aren't from of the Navy...or Army from what I can see. Freaks I deem them...unsavory to be sure."
"Well sir...we are under orders to wait only 8 days in a port, and then we are free from this shmozzle of a mission. If they don't return from Umbar by tomorrow, we can set sail and pursue the bandits ourselves. The orders from Minister Falastur are quite specific."
The Captain sighed and scanned the brilliant clear azure waters, and the city beyond them. The shimmering heat caused the view of distant buildings, wharves and towers to waver in the late morning light. Yes...just one more day...and no sign of the four had been heard since they'd been rowed ashore 7 days earlier. Searching for clues? Trying to gain intelligence from the savages in this cesspool of a city? Truly these 'so called' agents of the king were fools with a naive understanding of how things should be done. And all this talk of magic...the Minister's secretary had been quite insistent...but was obviously a fool as well.
Everyone knew with the Dark Lord Sauron gone the evils of sorcery had also been eradicated from the world of Men.
Standing on the quarterdeck his view of the harbour and surrounding waterfront of Umbar was extensive.
He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow...again.
Damn heat. It was likely going to be over 100 degrees again today...and still full noon was an hour away.
Damn orders. From Minister Falastur himself!...but still a fools errand. Any Seaman worth his salt knew this was the wrong way to catch a pirate. Lanahar had great experience with pirates, and not much respect for them. Before the great war he had captured many, and sunk over a half dozen Corsairs.
This was a different kettle of fish. The Crown's latest vessel! Stolen! Magic behind it? Idiocy! What stirred his bitterness most was the knowledge that the ship had been promised to him as his new commission. And to think some filthy pirate was helming that beautiful vessel! His teeth ground in irritation and suppressed rage.
"Captain?"
Lanahar turned toward his first mate and raised an eyebrow.
"Sir...I have had another request from the Captain of the Marine force. It seems he would again like to convey his wishes to grant shore leave for his company of men. It seems this waiting at port is badly affecting moral and..."
"Absolutely not!" barked Lanahar. "I've allready told him that there was to be no shore leave permitted! Not for my Sailors and not for the Royal Marines of Gondor! Is he some sort of idiot? Doesn't he realise that we are on the most important mission since the end of the great war? Doesn't he realise that any word of our mission in that festering pool of a city will certainly reach the ears of this pirate within days? Blistering barnacles man!, we are barely in control of this city...the last thing I need is to ship home bodies of fools cut down in dark alleyways! There were 3 guards killed here last month! You can't trust these blood thirsty savages...barely civilized and filled with their stupid customs and superstitious notions. It was bad enough I had to provide transit to that...merchant. And to think he is here to work on our behalf?!?"
The first mate mused:
"Well sir, they were a strange bunch it's true. And that quiet one...he always kept a hood over his head? Sir, I don't like the look of him. He is...unsettling."
The Captain wiped another bead of moisture from his brow, then surreptitously wiped his sweaty hand on his heavy wool uniform. He continued:
"I don't understand how we can be ordered to follow their requests. Who in hades are they anyways? I've never heard of any of them...and they certainly aren't from of the Navy...or Army from what I can see. Freaks I deem them...unsavory to be sure."
"Well sir...we are under orders to wait only 8 days in a port, and then we are free from this shmozzle of a mission. If they don't return from Umbar by tomorrow, we can set sail and pursue the bandits ourselves. The orders from Minister Falastur are quite specific."
The Captain sighed and scanned the brilliant clear azure waters, and the city beyond them. The shimmering heat caused the view of distant buildings, wharves and towers to waver in the late morning light. Yes...just one more day...and no sign of the four had been heard since they'd been rowed ashore 7 days earlier. Searching for clues? Trying to gain intelligence from the savages in this cesspool of a city? Truly these 'so called' agents of the king were fools with a naive understanding of how things should be done. And all this talk of magic...the Minister's secretary had been quite insistent...but was obviously a fool as well.
Everyone knew with the Dark Lord Sauron gone the evils of sorcery had also been eradicated from the world of Men.
posted by Skouser | 8:56 PM
1 Comments:
We should have asked the Captain the best way to hunt down Pirates! Damn good idea....
Oh well.
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