Setting sail

Harry gave Brenan a small smile followed by a sharp salute. "We're ready whenever you are Captain. Where are we headed?" It was likely common knowledge that Ambrose shipped this kind of contraband to Veertor, but Brenan had been a pirate long enough to know not to go prattling about his destination until after he left the harbor. More than once he had used the excuse of looking for work on a fat merchantman to try to gauge the value of her cargo, number of guns and probable route.

"Is that all your kit?" Brenan asked looking at the satchel that Harry had carried aboard earlier.

"All the rest of my gear is on the siren." Explains Harry with a look that let Brenan know that it was as good as gone by now. "But I've got some deck clothes and I bought a wool poncho in case we're sailing north." Was Castillo prying for information again? Brenan couldn't tell for sure, it could just be his way.

"Get below then lad, requisition a hammock and locker - your stuff will be safe on this ship. You have my word."

"Prepare to make sail boys! I want to be the first ship out to sea this evening." The Jones twins and James manned the mizzen halyard as Harry released the hawsers that had kept this schooner land bound.

"Hoist the mizzen sail! and give us a good push to turn her out a little." The orders were called out in good form, Harry and the Lantian twins were as sharp as he expected and even James was pitching in. In less than five minutes the schooner was weaving its way through the many ships bobbing at anchor in the deep harbor. A few other ships were sailing as well, but by the time they cleared the congested mouth of Freeport harbor Brenan had his ship well underway. With both the mizzen and mainsail catching the evening breeze he was making close to five knots even in the shelter of the island.

Far behind him he saw a pair of Cryn merchantmen keeping well clear of the Peregrine, Brenan didn't blame their captains one bit. Freeport was a safe harbor, and any ship that preyed on its shipping lanes would lose the protection and services they provided, but even so pirates were a greedy bunch; better to not give them any temptation. One of the reasons he wanted to be first to sea was so he didn't have to worry about the likes of the Peregrine.

Once well clear of the hills behind him, the breeze was a little stronger and Brenan decided to put the crew to the test.

"Set her topsails, let’s see how she feels with a full set of sheets!" Technically, full sail would include flying jibs as well, but he'd save those for some other day. Brenan spent the next half hour trimming her sails and testing how she responded as he turned her into the westerly wind. She was a sweet sailer - worth every crown he spent on her and the companion to his pistol as well.

Dinner was a fine affair, Sasha had cooked up a stew of salt pork and vegetables and topped the stew with steaming dumplings that melted in Brenan’s mouth. There was a salad of greens (those wouldn’t last long) and a grog of tea, sour grape and cane sugar that tasted pretty good.

The crew agreed and insisted that Sasha come up from the galley and join them on deck not that Freeport and the Veertor agents were safely behind them. Bolstered by their good spirits, Brenan found himself singing out the first few verses of a chantey so old it was probably sung on the decks of old Earth ships. Soon the whole crew had joined in, James went below and returned with a small pipe and Tyler accompanied the words with a pair of belaying pins.

Near mid-watch Brenan gave the helm to Harry and once he was confident the man could keep a course, Brenan went below to his cabin wondering how Julien was making out, and if the two or so days to the rendezvous will be uneventful.