The Wind's Will

[Kharmin]

The rocking of the ship eased as the Winds Will made port. The change in the ship's attitude woke Morgause from her comatose slumber. She stretched and recalled where she was with a grand smile. Cameron's scent was something she would never grow tired of and she reveled a few lingering moments longer in her bed.

She heard Cameron and the first mate calling orders about as the ship was brought alongside the dock and fastened. Reluctantly, Morgause swung out of bed, collected her boots and other gear, and made a half-hearted attempt to be presentable. She checked her hair in the small, rectangular mirror Cameron had affixed to the wall in the cabin and decided that it would have to do.

With her longbow in her hand, and the arrows re-seated in their quiver Morgause headed for the door. Her cutlass, belted on again, clattered against the table leg as she passed.

Typical dockside noises accosted her as she exited the cabin and returned to the deck. She ascended to the aft castle and took her position at the rail. The late afternoon sun bore down on her and she shaded her eyes with her hand to survey the quay.

I wonder how many of them are already here, she thought with a sigh of inevitability. Morgause heard Cameron's voice and she diverted her attention amidships where the captain was finalizing their docking and advising the crew of their time ashore. When Cameron had finished, and the crew began to disperse, Morgause left her self-assigned post and approached.

"Um.... where are we?" she asked, for in her varied travels Morgause had not seen this town before.

[Shura]

Cameron smiled a bit ad she looked over to Morgause. "Trenton, popular trade port on the south west seas. The town that never sleeps as some would say." She replied befor shoftong her gaze out to the dozens of other ships that loned the docks some leaving some pulling in. "A good place to get lost, better of you want work. Lots of cargo to be moved from here." She sighed "the other ship should be hear by morning the earliest. So we have time to prepair. How did you sleep?" She asked turning her gaze back to the red head.

[Kharmin]

Morgause's green eyes were rested and showed a spark of impish mirth to Cameron as she replied, "Lonely. I slept lonely." She stifled a snicker. "But seriously, my captain, thank you for the use of your cabin. It was restful."

She looked out over the docks which were much busier than the sounds she had heard in the captain's cabin had led her to believe. Getting lost seemed exceedingly tempting, but if she were to do so it would mean leaving Cameron. That was non-negotiable.

Morgause took a deep breath and stretched as she stood on her toes and extended her arms up over her head. "Mmmmm...." she said as she tried to soak in some of the afternoon's remaining sunlight. "So, my captain," she said, "what is the plan? Do we restock and run, or did you have some other plan in mind to ambush this pursuer of mine?"

[Shura]

Cameron chuckled softly "Hopefully tonight won't be as lonely." She replied with a suggestive smirk before looking back to port. "The town is large and hard to track through. I have a few friends with in the town and possibly among the ships at port here that I need to visit and catch up with. The Navy's presence is an issue and this many pirates gathered here need to be warned if they don't know already." She sighed removing her hat to ruffle her sweat dampened hair. "As for the pursuers we lay low see what we're dealing with. Hopefully make it difficult for them to sail after us once we leave. Engaging right now wouldn't be smart no telling if they have allies among those who dock here which is entirely possible. That'll have to be done on more controlled terms." She muttered having given the situation a lot of thought. "For now it might be best to hide your lovely locks, they're more likely to give you away" She smiled slightly.

[Kharmin]

Morgause's eyes flared briefly with mirth at Cameron's promise of them sharing another night together. She longed to feel the smooth skin of her lover entwined with hers, if only for the comfort of lying with her. Her insides stirred and she forced herself to focus on present matters and endure patience for later ones.

"I agree, my captain," Morgause offered in her soft voice. "I hadn't expected anyone to find me at the last port. I meant it when I said that these people have a lot of influence and resources. I don't know that engaging them on shore is wise; at sea we would at least know their total numbers whereas ashore everyone who isn't allied with us is a potential enemy."

She glanced over the rail at the quay and tried to see if they were granting any undue notice. Morgause, in the chase, had long since stopped trying to pick out who might be after her from a crowd of people – it was easier to simply trust no one and it kept her from becoming truly paranoid. Still, the captain's point had merit: Morgause had to be less obvious.

Morgause twirled her long, straight red hair in her fingers she smiled with coyness in her eyes as she contemplated Cameron's remark. "I had a cloak at one time," she said, "but I lost it just before boarding your ship, captain. If I purchase another from one of these vendors who will surely be grateful for my coin, do you think that will serve?"

With a thought, she added, "I should also re-supply my arrows. If my captain intends to keep me on board for a while, it might be a good idea to pick up a lot of them."

[Shura]

Cameron nodded slightly at the suggestion, "would be wise on both accounts. I find my self in need of resulting as well on a few things." She looked out to the sky seeing hoe the sun was already starting to hang low in the sky. "We best be started if we want to get things done before the shops closed." She muttered before turning her attention to her first mate letting him know that she was going ashore to take care of some things. In truth she did have a long list of stops to make most we're to catch up with those she hadn't seen in a few months since last in port. Part of her was excited to see the reaction of a few old friends now that she was a captain. She grinned to her self before looking over to Morguase. "Care to accompany me into town?"

[Kharmin]

"It would be my pleasure, captain," Morgause purred softly. She gave a curt bow of respect and indicated that Cameron should precede her down the gangplank.

Morgause's senses were on full alert as they crossed the dock to the shore. Assorted coils of rope and a multitude of crates and boxes were scattered in some semblance of order that Morgause couldn't readily comprehend. Still, each stack was considered a place where a potential enemy could be lurking, so she kept a firm but steady hand on her longbow.

She followed Cameron's meandering through the throng and kept an eye on her own possessions as well as her captain. In actuality, she was more enjoying the sway and gait of Cameron from her perspective behind her, knowing full well the shape and feel of the body that was beneath her clothes. It made focusing on their task more difficult for Morgause, but she bore it with a mild burning within.

The haggling for the cloak took longer than Morgause had expected, but then again it wasn't a simple, woolen cloak. Rather, Morgause selected a forest green that was dark enough to almost be black in color. The material also sported a slight mottling of dark brown threaded throughout which gave the garment a camouflage look – something Morgause was certain would be helpful somewhere along the line. She also bargained for a few, dark colored shirts to match the cloak. The ensemble was completed with a pair of skin-tight leather gauntlets which Morgause had considered a steal at the price.

Satisfied, Morgause donned both gauntlets and the cloak. She placed the additional clothes in her sack and slung it over the shoulder opposite of her quiver. She nodded her readiness to Cameron and followed her further along the row of shops and stall vendors, stopping briefly to scoop a small handful of strawberries which, although expensive, were a small treasure. With a sly wink of radiant green eyes to Cameron, Morgause bit seductively into one as a precursor for her captain later that evening.

[Shura]

Cameron couldn't help a cheery grin as she made her way thought town, she did have her guard up but it was lax compared to how she had been in the last port. Alden was almost a second home with how much time she had spent here in the past. Most ships she worked on would always stop here to drop off or pick up cargo of some sort. While Morgause haggled for her cloak Cameron spoke with the owner of the weapons smith next door the man looked intimidating to most but loved to poke fun at those me knew giving cam a hard time about the condition of her blades which admittedly had gone too long with out a proper sharpening. She was scolded for it but the old black smith agreed to fix her blades for little cost at all.

By the time she finished Morgause had made her purchase and the cloak was a very well made one. She did think it was a shame the had to hide her crimson locks but knew it was more for safety than anything else. Moving further along she notice Morgause pause at one of the stalls to buy some strawberries something Cam had never really like much. Though by the way the vixen was eating them she made them seem like the most delicious thing the world. A strong tug of desire pulled at the captain, so much so she almost wantd to return to the ship right then but fought the urge knowing the wait would be worth it.

Came was thrown out of her thoughts when she heard her name called and looked over just in time to see a blue of blond and was nearly tackled by two younger kids no more than 10 . One was a boy and the other a girl and the two looked nearly identical. Cameron couldn't help but he align as she ruffled their hair messing up their golden locks as the two spoke over each other in excited rambles. "Hey, hey one at a time. Can't expect me to understand all this chatter if your both going at the same time." She chuckled noting how much both had grown since last time she was in port.
"Sorry but we haven't seen you in forever!" The boy complained quickly followed by his sister "how come you didn't come back in the with Grerim?!"
"Ah you both know I don't only sale for one ship... Well used to anyways. Cam broke into a wide grin. "I got my own ship now though" both of their big blue eyes widen in amazing meant. "Really?" "That's awesome!" They said cheered excitedly causing Cam to chuckle.

[Kharmin]

Morgause watched with mirthful green eyes well hidden beneath the hood of her mottled cloak. Cameron seemed well at ease with the young urchins that both competed for her attention. It seemed the good captain was not only well received here, but close to some of the locals. A slight twinge of jealousy channeled through Morgause, but she summarily dismissed it as simply folly.

The kids asked about Gerim, which was a name Morgause had not heard before. She filed it away to ask Cameron about when they were in a more private setting.

Seeing how her captain's attention was occupied by the children, Morgause casually scanned the crowd around them for any suspicious eyes watching them. Suspicious? she thought with a sly smirk. They're all pirates here – everyone is suspicious. Still, having been hunted for the past several years, Morgause had begun to more easily spy out her pursuers on most occasions, so she continued her survey looking for those tell-tale signs.

With no impeding threat evident, Morgause returned her gaze back to Cameron and the children. The captain seemed at ease with the two kids. Morgause was never one for children. They were cute and all and she was sure served some nominal purpose, but for her it wasn't something she really wanted to consider. Kids were another mouth to feed, body to clothe and watch over – a luxury that her current situation denied her. There were more important things for Morgause to lose sleep over, so she let other people breed and deal with those results.

[Shura]

"Aye, perhaps you mum will let me show it to you later." Cam suggested noting how both kids got a mischievous glint in their eyes and crossed her arms. "I take it your mum knows I'm in town already." Both nodded "Your going to stop by later right?" "Mum will be real sore if you don't" "I will I will." She nodded before noticing the little boy staring past at her and remembering that she had come ashore with with Morgause and smiled slightly. "She really pretty eh?" The boy blushed furiously causing Cameron to chuckle standing up a bit straighter. "Milli, Erick this is Morguase she's part of my crew." She introduced. "Morgause this is Milly and Erick, their mum owns an Inn I stay at often when I stay in port." Both kinds smiled brightly "Nice to meet you!" Milly Greeted Erick just giving a shy smile and wave.

[Kharmin]

Morgause crouched down on one knee to be more on level with the kids. Her green eyes sparkled from within the depths of her hood and her gentle smile was mostly hidden by the shadow of the cowl. She met each of the kid's eyes with her own as she returned the introduction. In her soft-spoken voice, barely audible over the din of the massed crowd in the streets and the assorted hawkers, she said, "It is my pleasure to meet you, Milli .... Erick. I look forward to accompanying my captain to your inn, should she allow me."

She motioned with her free hand for them to come closer. Then, with a conspirator's grin, she added softly, "Tell no one that I am in port and I may have a reward for you. Do we have a deal?" Morgause extended her hand slightly for them to shake.

[Shura]

"We'll the company would be nice... and it is more comfortable than sleeping in on the ship." Cameron grinned with a mischievous glint to her eyes keeping her tone neutral mostly because of the kids. Both of the children stared at the woman eyes wide with curiosity before glancing up at Cameron who just nodded "Secret silents okay?" "Okay!" Both chimed. Cameron nodded. "Now run off before your mum starts to worry." "Okay!" Milly chimed turning back to Morgause "Nice to meet you!" She grinned before linking arms with her brother and running off down the streets. Cameron watched after them as they scampered down the street making sure they got to the In with out a fuss before looking back to Morgaus, "You needn't worry about them saying who you are. Their good kids and used to keeping secrets. They think it's a game most times." She reassured.

[Kharmin]

Morgause stood back up as she watched the children run off. Without turning to Cameron, she breathed, "I will do whatever my captain desires."

The thought of sleeping in an actual inn was pleasant. It would certainly be better than the rocky shore by the lagoon and would call less attention than sharing Cameron's cabin on the ship. Morgause would never presume to do so as she knew the importance of Cameron keeping her illusion.

"Still," she added as the children finally disappeared from her enhanced sight, "I did promise them rewards, so I need to deliver. The girl should be easy; I'm sure that I can buy a doll around here somewhere, but what should I purchase for the boy?"

Morgause turned her hooded gaze to Cameron. "Any ideas, my captain?"

[Shura]

Cameron nodded slightly to the idea of a doll for Milly before giving the Erick some thought before smiling a bit. "A toy boat would work. He wants to be like a fisherman like his Uncle so all he can talk about is boats and fish most times." She suggested "At least that's what I remember form the last time I was here and that was nearly 6 months ago." She muttered with a bit of uncertainty. "Either way shall we be on our way." She said continuing into town. She continued into town stopping by a few shops to pick up ammo and a few other thing she had been running low on. All of the shop owners were friendly and polite some more than other poking fun at Cam when they could. It could be seen Cameron had spent a lot of time in and out of the town. She got a few offers to work on a ship or two which she declined politely letting them know that she had her own ship to tend to. Which usually resulted in Cam boasting a bit to those who had doubted her. She tried not to draw much attention to Morguase as they made their way through the town known she was still in hiding.

Cameron stopped by a tavern near the docks very similar to the one in Billoways where other pirates gathered to drink and discus trade. She let Morgause know that she could wait outside or somewhere unseen if she wanted to knowing it was more of a risk that someone would identify her in the tavern than anything else. She was ment with a fairly welcoming greeting as she went inside greeting a few of the captains she had helped in the past. She ordered a drink as she sat at a table with two other men. They weren't famous by any means but they were well known in their own circles. John Anton tall and handsome on all accounts and known well for trading and smuggling. The other was a ginger older man who went by Captain Kington and war infamous in the south eastern seas for raiding trade ships.

"Ah well look what the tide washed in! We were beginning to think you fell off the edge of the world, lad" Anton greeted with a cackle.
"No, just working in a town a few days sail from here." Cameron replied accepting a tankard of Ale from the waitress.
"I heard you were hiding from Crim. Something about a bad raid." Kington questions his voice gruff and low.

Cameron nearly choked on her drink "I was not hiding! I was avoiding the idiot but not because of a bad raid." She defended "Doesn't surprise me he tried to spin a tale the inept fool." She grumbled taking another long drink. "The raid went fine better than he expected but the bastard tried getting too close for comfort. I swear just because I take the form of a whore doesn't make me one." She complained annoyed with this development. Toe everyone there she was as much of a man as the rest of them but her talent wasn't much of a secret.
"I told you that talent of you'rs would be nothing but trouble." Anton mocked with an mused laugh.

[Kharmin]

Morgause agreed with Cameron's suggestion and as they slowly progressed through the market, the soft-spoken, cloaked red-head purchased both toys for the children from the coin she had taken off of the man she had killed in the small jungle.

When they stopped at the tavern, Morgause considered Cameron's concern, but waved it off with a nod of her head toward the door. Cameron was her only ally and Morgause was not about to let her out of her sight. However, when they entered the tavern, Morgause simply found a spot along the wall near to the door and leaned casually up against it.

The tavern was like so many other dock-side taverns that Morgause had visited that the sounds and stench no longer affected her. They were part of the experience – the ambiance, if you will – of the these kinds of establishments. With hooded eyes, Morgause kept a careful watch on Cameron although the patronage appeared to greet her with great affection.

Would that I ever receive such a greeting, Morgause thought bitterly and her usual, amiable façade took a more dour appearance. The thought was banished as an overly buxom brunette, who wore clothes that were at least two sizes too small, asked her for an order. Morgause requested and accepted a frothing stein of whatever local ale was available; however, she didn't drink it. She held the stein and brought it to her lips from time to time in the appearance of enjoying the brew as she maintained her relaxed posture against the wall.

As best as she was able, she listened to the jibes and conversation that surrounded her captain and learned just a little more of the woman with whom she was slowly falling in love.