Currielle - Safe Port, Five Days Sailing

Anemoi, 6 Juniius, 765 AV

Currielle, River Port of the Duchy of Agassiz

The bald man, his scalp red in the sunlight, barked out, “Emilienne! Pick up your kit, or is yer mama on her way to pack your useless ass onto the boat?”

The freckled young woman, well built in leather armor dyed dark blue like her mates, started upright, pulling her gaze away from the stone wall that ran along the dock in the busy trade hub of Currielle.

“Uh, right away Shield-Sergeant, sir!” There were at least twenty sailors working around the large galley, and about as many of the blue-clad marines. She grimaced as the woman she had been talking to - someone who had perfected the talent of at least looking busy - laughed and shot Noah another openly flirtatious wink, debating whether to yell an invitation to him.

Noah, former and perhaps future steward of the Nawyet, sat on the riverwall a dozen steps away. He had been enjoying watching the marines and sailors hurriedly prepare for their trip downriver, but hadn’t been paying particular attention to the ones who had been eyeing him up with varying degrees of subtlety.

Clearly, the weathered sergeant, a man either in his 40s, somewhat younger, or much older, was not pleased with the dawdling. Most of the young marines were women, but Noah had noticed that at least a few sailors were men, which was faintly novel to see.

The sergeant glanced at Noah, then back at the marines. Emilienne, the pale marine with freckles, made the mistake of almost unconsciously looking at Noah one last time, and a raspy voice boomed out, “Deep hells! You luckless virgins couldn’t guard the door of a cheap boywhore brothel - LET ALONE DO ANYTHING USEFUL INSIDE IT! Get your fucking hands out of your greasy britches and to the task at hand or you’ll be fucking swimming downriver after the boat!”

The two women in question, and the other marines that had been loitering closer to the daydreaming steward, bolted upright and grabbed their packs before double timing to the galley. The old sergeant shot a sour look at Noah, who felt suddenly like he was doing something wrong. If the veteran wanted to say something about the distraction, he kept it to himself and instead stiffened and gave a proper salute to the air above Noah’s left shoulder. “Captain,” he said, adding a nod of respect as he spun on his heel to continue haranguing his troops.

Looking to his side, Noah saw Captain Amaruq take in the commotion on the wooden pier. She was in her naval jacket, the insignia declaring her rank and previous service shining. Not that there were many people in Currielle who didn’t know who the river captains were, and undoubtedly everyone had heard about the journey of the Nawyet already. The galley, with its full detachment of marines, was to row down to the Watchtower at speed to investigate the area.

Noah spun to his side and climbed to his feet, standing now on a step lower than Captain Amaruq. The woman could not help but notice how the two marines, and a few other passersby, watched the handsome young man as he grinned happily at her. It would certainly not do her reputation in the port any harm to be looked at so affectionately, so respectfully, by a man who would put most of the expensive courtesans to shame in any big southern city.

With a tiny thrill, the captain realized she didn’t care much about her reputation as a trade captain… but a perhaps a not so small part of her as a woman enjoyed the jealous looks and covetous gazes.

“Hello Captain!”

She couldn’t help smile back, even tired as she was. The Nawyet had reached Currielle the previous evening, and Amaruq had immediately sent messengers to the governor’s residence and the trade association headquarters - the political and economic heads of this Agassiz trade hub. The resulting discussions - tinged with near panic to start, then mellowing to unease, relief, and determination - had swept the town with rumours until the governor had issued a public proclamation just before midnight that concisely explained out what had happened to the Nawyet.

“Good morning, Mister Anders,” she inclined her head slightly. Now on land, and with Noah’s near future as a member of her crew very much in doubt, she addressed him as she would a distinguished tradesperson or scholar.

But the man shook his head firmly, “Please call me Noah, Cap’n, uh unless you prefer to not?” He looked quizzical for a moment and Amaruq knew him well enough now to realize he was trying to sift through what he knew of the culture of this foreign land. This foreign world, though she could scarcely believe it.

“As you wish Noah. In port, and with you not under contract or obligation to the Nawyet any longer unless you choose to return with us, you do not need to call me Captain… although honestly most people still do. More of a social habit for this town, which is naturally built entirely around the river trade.”

That knee-melting grin again, and he chuckled, “Oh, you’ll always be Captain, Cap’n.” He looked closer at her and said, “The crew mostly slept on the boat last night, at least once we got out of all those meetings with the Duchy soldiers and everyone but it was quite late. Did you get away?”

“I look like I’ve been up all night?” She couldn’t resist teasing him, but waved a hand away, “I had a short nap in the cot at the Kuniq Cooperative, the half owners of the boat, but they had as many questions and demands as the Duchy did. Currielle is not an open port, like Anglet is, but the merchant houses and trade co-ops have some authority here as this is the very outskirts of the Duchy of Agassiz. Regardless, I am heading to the Nawyet to make sure the crew is settled and our cargo is unloaded. Then, I’m off to my room at the company headquarters where I shall sleep away the afternoon, don’t worry.”

Without even realizing she was doing it, Amaruq had begun to walk toward the Nawyet’s berth and Noah was walking beside her, listening attentively. She was about to gently, subtly, ask Noah if he wanted to keep using the steward’s berth on the boat while it was in port, just to save on renting a room, perhaps, when a young girl in Agassiz blue jogged up to the pair.

“Captain Amaruq, sir!” The girl was in her teens, and heroically managed to not look at Noah and instead kept her gaze on the woman at his side.

“Yes?”

“Captain, Gouverneur DuGray sent me with a personal message for you. I was going to leave it at the Kuniq offices but they said you would be around here so I ran to catch you, and I did!” The girl looked rather proud of her burst of initiative, and Amaruq hid a smile. Oh, to be a teenage cadet or squire again.

“And the message?”

“Oh! Yes! Gouverneur DuGray has sent a formal invitation to a banquet, tonight, dans le maison. The Factor’s House,” she corrected herself in the common Lingua, though naturally Amaruq knew a few words of Agassian, enough to recognize that the formal dinner would be in the governor’s ornate hall rather than the port’s meetinghouse.

Handing over a small, sealed card, the girl tugged down on her blue jacket and continued, “Le Gouverneur - sorry, the Governor - knows you have many duties and must be terribly busy, so the banquet will be one bell after sunset. All of the heads of the trade houses, and all captains in port, are requested to attend, in part to discuss the happenings on the river.”

The girl spoke so carefully that Amaruq was certain she was just parroting what she was told. Old DuGray was a cold, calculating man, but he was a shrewd and capable administrator.

It was just like him to have his messenger make sure Amaruq knew he knew she had been up all night and had many duties to attend. Also, just like him to make it clear his ‘request’ was not really optional. She unfolded the card, breaking the paper lock cut into the corner, and scanned it.

“Since this is a social event, and not a mandaté meeting, dinner and refreshments will be provided by the Duchy. And you are invited to bring a guest.” At last, the girl’s eyes flicked to Noah, who was standing with his default look of genial interest.

The captain gave a curt nod, dismissing the messenger. As the girl wandered off to loaf her way back to work, Amaruq frowned to herself. “This will be a tricky affair. All the captains, all the trade houses, the governor, the news of the Lizardkin incursion… no doubt DuGray had to get everyone together tonight, to try to keep control of his end of it. No one owns the Northlands, no one owns the river, but the Duchy of Agassiz probably could if they wanted it badly enough, they control the whole plateau to the south and a lot of the mountains besides. The companies don’t want that, not at all.”

“While I was researching the Empty City I read some of the recent history of the Northlands when I was in Anglet, it was a rather dry and carefully neutral account but it still hinted at enough corporate backstabbing and governmental interference behind the scenes to be engaging.” Noah was standing in front of her now, and even in her boots with the higher heels and thick soles he was a few inches taller.

A captain does not rise through the ranks by being shy. She looked up at him thoughtfully and said, “Noah, would you accompany me to the governor’s dinner tonight? You being my escort would, frankly, be a political statement. It might be dull and tedious contract posturing, or it might end in a knife duel for someone’s insulted honour, you can never tell in Currielle. You might enjoy the evening, and if I am being honest I’d enjoy it a lot more if you were there with me. I guess I can take Hannah, the captains often take their second’s, but… I would enjoy taking you. Very much.” With surprise, Amaruq realized she had flushed. Odd thing for a combat veteran well into her 30’s to do. Also, she had said ‘enjoy’ about a dozen times. Terribly odd.

He didn’t keep her waiting long, “I’d love to! It sounds entertaining for sure; I still don’t really know what I’m going to do other than relax and think about things here for a few days. Everyone is being very patient with me, you know, deciding and so on, and the crew said they would be off drinking tonight for certain which also would be pretty fun but I can do that some other night. It sounds like they are all local celebrities and won’t lack for options!”

“Aye, I’m sure some of them are turning heads and getting tongue’s wagging,” Amaruq said, letting her knowing smile broaden. Even as she spoke, a pair of companywomen from the island of Panoag were slowly walking past, devouring the mostly oblivious man with their eyes and shooting Amaruq jealous glances.

Briefly confused, Noah turned and made eye contact with the women, which resulted in them quickening their pace and talking loudly about, of all things, the prospects of rain for the summer months.

“If you’re staying on the Nawyet I’ll see you just after sunset, Noah,” she said, keeping her tone more or less professional, “or leave word there and I’ll collect you.” The captain and her former steward confirmed their plans and went their separate ways.