On the Way

The Asgar

The skill of millenia of ship crafting is present in every vessel of Gondor, and this one is no exception. Long, though narrow on the beam, this two-decked frigate is a sight to behold. Three masts rise towards the sky, their sails white and bearing the Tree of Gondor upon them. Though complicated, the maze of ropes are all in their place, none of them loose. Wood and plankings are ruddy and weathered, but still in prime shape. Brassworks all over the ship are polished to a high sheen, showing the pride the crew thake in the vessel.

Two sets of stairs lead up onto the quarter-deck of the ship, and two more lead up to the foredeck a hatch in the middle of the deck leads to the lower deck. Her lines clean, the second deck has a five heavy ballistae a side, peeking out from ports, while others have long-handled oars protruding from them. Lighter ballistae and catapults are upon the main deck, ready to rain death and destruction upon the enemies of Gondor.

On Board:

Ceredir

Menelglir

Seregarth

Findon

Obvious Exits:

Out leads to Pelargir: The Havens - War Quays

Captain\'s Cabin leads to The Asgar: Captain\'s Cabin

On the right, flowing fields of green, the grasses the distance, heralding a morning breeze from the west. To the right Emyn Arnen rolling sparsely forested hills that thankfully, for the most part, shield travelers upon the Anduin from the Great Dark beyond them. Dawn approaches fast, the stars above have all but faded. And the great river flows on by on either side.

This morning then, finds Findon Telumehtar -- wreathed yet in heavy armor, the brave fool -- upon the forecastle with his hands settled upon the railing just above the bow, gazing ahead. He does not look worse for the wear after a night on the water.

On deck comes the ship\'s surgeon in his hands a mug of some sort of liquid. He is looking for the ship\'s Captain.

Ceredir, on the other hand, is on the quarterdeck, yawning, knowing enough to stay out of the way.

Seregarth emerges soon enough from his cabin beneath the quarterdeck, taking a deep breath of the river air before he casts a practised eye on the activity of the crew, and the location of any passengers on deck. Cousin Findon is noted with a brief frown before Ceredir is spotted on the quarterdeck. A quiet grunt comes from the Captain as he takes note of the ship\'s surgeon.

Somewhere, a door creaks open. Tathar comes out, looking a bit foggy about the eyes. She has done her best to tidy herself in the cramped quarters, and is neatly dressed but tiredness can\'t be hidden by nice clothes or combed-up hair. She smothers a yawn herself, wraps her cloak around her shoulders a bit more tightly, and starts to make her way along the railings. The breeze starts right away to untidying her neat curls.

As one of the women on the ship makes an appearance, Seregarth gives her a nod as well before he begins to walk the deck, hands behind his back. The brass bell upon the ship is rung by a seaman to denote the changing of a watch, with some crew coming up out of the hold and others going back down into it.

\"Captain!\" the surgeon calls after the man, hurrying to follow. \"I have this for you this morning. For those wounds, still, sir,\" he grimaces, then gives a greeting in the form of a polite grunt to Tathar. \"And a draught for the Lady by the looks of her,\" he mutters under his breath. He hurries to give the Captain the remedy.

\"Captain...\" Ceredir nods toward the man. \"Is it a breach of protocol for me to be up here without you? I was up early and thought I\'d be out of the way.\"

The activites behind does not cause the knight to stir. Not yet anyway. Ere moments, even at the ringing of the bell, the sun peeks over the hilltops, the crow\'s nest and the topsails gilt in the stark brightness.

And then, turning, the Swan Knight assesses the state of the deck with a fleeting glance, before treading down the steps, and up some too, approaching the aft, and the there gathering. \"Morn\', Captain. Lady.\"

\"Good morning, Captain,\" Tathar says. She stops as the bell is rung, looking around to see where it is and then stands still as various men start hurrying back and forth. \"You were wounded?\" she asks as the surgeon speaks, and gives him a curious look at his muttering.

It is now that the sound of metal foretells the approach of the Knight, and Tathar smiles as she says again, \"Good morning,\" and brushes her windblown hair out of her eyes.

A brief scowl appears on the Captain\'s face at the surgeon\'s concoction before he jerks his head in a nod, draining it in one go before handing the cup back. \"I hope it works,\" is all he says.

He turns his attention briefly to Ceredir, shrugging slightly. \"As long as the officer on duty gave you permission, no harm is done.\" He looks then to Tathar, nodding his head slightly. \"Good morning, lady. Duel with a Corsair. I came off the worst for it. Fortunately, it was short.\" A brief, mirthless smile passes his face before his gaze flicks to the Knight, and a true smile replaces it.

\"Ah, cousin. I trust you have enjoyed the trip thus far?\"

\"I trust the night has treated you fairly, Lady Tathar?\" Gaze lingering a moment on her smile -- he himself wearing one in kind -- ere turning, the Knight answers Seregarth: \"I am torn something fierce, coz.\"

\"At once relieved to be under way, and yet already dreading the arrival. But yea, this manner of travel is quite enjoyable. I only wish the errand was different.\" A sigh. \"She preforms admirably. All credit and praise to yourself and your crew.\"

\"To be fair, I had expected...\" A wry twist to his smile, \"Less calm.\"

\"Not here?\" Tathar asks, sounding suddenly nervous. She looks out at the other boats - but none of them appear to be attacking instantly - and her face still bears a tiny frown as she says, \"Well enough - though I must admit I have slept better. And what of yourself?\"

Hurriedly, she adds to the captain, \"Not that there was anything amiss with the quarters you gave to us I was extremely comfortable. I expect it was the strangeness of the noises - all those creaks and the water splashing! - that kept me awake.\"

The surgeon gives Seregarth a bark of a laugh, then abruptly heads below deck once more. \"Next watch! and the lady too!\" he calls as he disappears.

\"Yes, Captain, I had permission to come up here. It was kindly suggested that I should in fact,\" Ceredir grins, though he now moves to be with the others.

\"Lady...perhaps you and Lady Liria might look for fishes. Gills and fins...sea creatures.\" He grins.

\"Hardly,\" replies the Fleet Telumehtar with a wry smile. \"Off the coast of Anfalas. Storm blew us off course, and we had a minor collision in the morning\'s fog. A brief battle as they tried to board us while some of the crew from both ships worked to clear the lines,\" here, he gestures to the ropes and sails overhead. \"You would only see Corsairs in the Anduin for war if Pelargir were aflame, and I see no smoke on the horizon.\"

\"It is only when you hear shouting that you have to worry about creaks and splashing water on a ship, Lady Tathar. Or very loud \'cracks\'.\" He turns his head briefly to Ceredir, nodding. \"I would expect so. Better to keep those that do not know ship\'s routine out of the way.\" A brief grin passes on his face before his attention shifts to the Knight once more.

\"A different errand? Well, I was of mind to take you up on your offer and I can firmly say now that I will. If you are willing to act as crew every now and then, and fight along side us, you are quite welcome to come along occasionally on our patrols. Then you will see the Asgar at war, cousin.\"

The knight confers to Tathar a grin in answer, and only that. His glance fleets by the scout, a subtle nod given. And the grin falters then, in answering: \"Aye, I am not particularly pleased with the prospect of southrons roaming at will the streets of our fine port city.\"

A pause. And, if no smile, there is brightness in Findon\'s eyes: \"Most gracious of you, coz. I shall look forward to it.\"

He extends a hand.

\"You will reconoiter the seas during some of the festivities, I imagine?\"

The worry smoothes away from Tathar\'s face at the captain\'s story. \"I am glad,\" she says wholeheartedly. \"I have no desire to meet such again.\"

\"Lady Liria can look for sea-creatures if she so wishes,\" she says to Ceredir dryly. \"I will wait until I am upon the sea...\" Then a sparkle glints in her dark eyes, and she says demurely, \"The great knight Findon - working? Shall he scrub the decks, Captain?\"

A sidelong glance weighs on Tathar \'neath a quirked eyebrow, perching on high. Drily, Findon retorts: \"That isn\'t malicious glee, surely, lady?\"

Yet, the twitches at the corners of his mouth betray his amusement.

Seregarth clasps his cousin\'s hand with a nod. \"Of course we shall. Quite often, I expect. I hope your offer of sword play still stands?\" An eyebrow is arched a moment before the Captain releases his grip, a grin pulling a corner of his mouth as he glances to Tathar.

\"Only if he does something that endagers the ship, I think. I was thinking, unless he wishes to learn seamanship amongst the crew, he would be on the quarterdeck, learning how to govern a ship... amongst learning navigation and other essential skills.\"

\"I thought the Swan Knights had their own ships?\" Ceredir asks, entering the discussion between cousins. \"Though sailing for sword play? That is an unusual exchange.\"

\"I defer to my cousin\'s judgement on the matter. And at your leisure, of course,\" Findon tells his kinsman with a nod attention fixed for the nonce on the same Seregarth. \"We might practise the movements slowly, if your injuries permit. I do not wish to impede your recovery.\"

His glance shifts to the watchman of Ithilien. \"Is it now?\"

\"Though, yea, it is true that there are some notorious sailors in my order, it is a widespread misconception that we are all mariners.\"

\"Of course not,\" Tathar says solemnly. She looks at the Captain. \"But surely scrubbing the decks is an essential skill?\" she asks him, but then she drops the pose of sobriety at the mention of swordplay. \"Oh - might I watch? I won\'t get in the way.\"

\"Tis,\" Ceredir says, re-asserting his statement. \"And if not mariner, then what? Swordsman, you claim? I\'d match my blade against the Swan\'s any day. Though my blade of choice is far shorter than any you chose, I dare say. And so surely you can outmatch a recuperating Captain and a stubby-bladed Scout.\" This is not said without a grin, though it is a grin of challenge, not mirth.

\"Only insofar as punishement duty, lady,\" replies Seregarth to Tathar, a soft chuckle coming from him before he nods to Findon. \"Aye, slow is best. The surgeon would... not be pleased were I to open my wounds. And Cairion would be most dismayed if I got blood upon the deck.\" A brief grin is flashed by the man before his gaze returns once more to Tathar.

\"Watch? I see no cause for concern with that, if none of the others do.\"

The knight\'s glance lingers a while longer, assessing the scout\'s array of weaponry.

\"Yea,\" He muttters, ere looking from Ceredir to Tathar. \"Mine is larger, to be sure.\"

And to Seregarth: \"Have a care, coz. This lady has aqcuired a taste for the martial. Pray do not lend her a weapon, or Argamir might well be displeased. I have caused him enough trouble with the Nimothan already, I fear.\"

And Findon says, at once grave: \"Very well then, gentlemen. Is this part of the deck suitable?\"

\"Yes,\" Ceredir nods to Findon, \"I agree. It is.\" He glances to Tathar, then drops his voice, likely so as to not offend the lady. \"But then, I always knew that the Swan Knights had to compensate, and if it must be with the lengths of their blades..so be it.\"

He glances to Tathar, then to Findon and the Captain again. \"SHould the lady wish it, she can use my sword. I use a dagger.\" Which he draws and holds up to the others now.

Tathar scowls at Findon, but she can\'t be truly angry, for her eyes still sparkle with enthusiasm. For a breath of a moment, she looks as if she will take Ceredir\'s offer, but then she subsides, shaking her head, regretfully. \"I should not.\"

\"The size of the blade is not always a perk, cousin,\" replies Seregarth, pulling his blade from its scabbard. \"\'Tis all about how you use it, though I have no cause for complaint of my own.\" A quiet laugh comes from the Captain before he raises his voice. \"Crew! Clear the deck!\" It does not take long for the crew on that side of the Asgar to move to the other, giving the small party a clear area for their spar.

\"I would not wish to cause Argamir to have further displeasure with you, cousin. She can watch, certainly.\" That said, he takes a few steps away to open up space between the weapon-bearers, slowly rolling his shoulders with only a mild wince.

A nod.

That is all, ere the Knight turns his back to the allegories, walking too apace some few steps out, where he again turns to face the others, hefting his greatsword. It does require the extra room. \"I am curious to see just how much of your boasting is merely bad wind, watchman. To see what you can do when your foe\'s back is not turned your way will be... interesting.\"

\"Now. As per the scout\'s challenge, I would propose that you both attack me in a manner that seems fitting. Is this agreeable, coz?\"

\"It is agreed, yes,\" Ceredir nods, biting back whatever comment he might have retorted to the Captain. \"There is a lady present so...\" He shrugs in explanation.

Tathar moves back until she is well out of the way, and settles herself to watch the match.

\"Aye, well enough for me,\" replies Seregarth. There is hardly a pause between his words and his actions before he lunges at the Knight, turning his blade early enough so that the point will not pierce should it find it\'s way through.

Seregarth attacks Findon with his Longsword, but Findon parries the attack with his Greatsword!

The Scout flahses a grin toward the naval man as he lunges, then Ceredir, too lunges forward, except he goes toward the Knight\'s side, trying to get inside the reach of the man\'s sword.

Ceredir attacks Findon with his Dagger and mildly wounds him!

At Seregarth\'s lunge, the knight steps nimbly to his left, greatsword brought down on the longblade with force.

KLANG

Yet, this particular chosen movement serves the Master Scout\'s intent well, as the dagger is turned with a grating sound by the mail armor \'neath Findon\'s attire the knight\'s torso twisting ever so slightly with the blow. But whether an attempted avoidance or not is anyone\'s guess: it is for certain a prelude to an answer.

Hilts first, the knight swings backhandedly at Ceredir\'s midriff.

Findon attacks Ceredir with his Greatsword, but he misses by a handspan.

Tathar is mostly silent, though she claps her hands as Findon parries the first attack, and cries (softly!), \"Well done!\" as the Scout evades the Knight\'s sword.

The impact with the great sword jars the Captain\'s arm, but he does not let that stop his attacks. Bringing his blade back for only a moment, he swings it in an arc at the Knight\'s left knee, aiming with the flat of the blade to strike.

Seregarth attacks Findon with his Longsword and mildly wounds him!

\"Ha!\" Ceredir shouts, twisting away so that the Knight\'s backhanded hit misses him by an inch or two. He\'s fast, this Scout,and as he twists out of the way he turns back to Findon, slapping the flat of his blade down toward the Knight\'s upper arm.

Ceredir attacks Findon with his Dagger and mildly wounds him!

The Captain\'s blow bends Findon\'s knee as he turns to follow the scout\'s movements, and the heartbeat after again the dagger grates against the chainmail.

The hind leg, which Seregarth struck, is moved forward -- not back, strangely -- but the same knee buckles eeirly upon setting that foot down, a wince fleeting from the Knight\'s face. Buckles, but does not falter.

Again, leading with the hilt but with the blade following suit and extending outward and upward, Ceredir\'s also is the next rising swing -- at a leg, the groin, an arm...

One does not aim with a greatsword.

Findon attacks Ceredir with his Greatsword, but he misses by a hair.

A grin flashes across Seregarth\'s face as his blow lands, and his blade is brought back once more to defend against any strike. When it does not come, however, and cousin Findon goes for the Master Scout once more, the Captain\'s blade flicks out, the flat heading for the Knight\'s side.

Seregarth attacks Findon with his Longsword and mildly wounds him!

The sword one more meets air as the Scout moves faster than the blade, though this time his blade does not strike out in return. Instead, Ceredir puts a foot out, meaning to trip the Knight as the man\'s knee buckles slightly.

Ceredir attacks Findon with his Bare Hands, but Findon parries the attack with his Greatsword!

The boat moves on the river - unexpectedly, at least to Tathar. She half-stumbles, but catches herself on the railing without ever looking away from the bout. Various emotions flicker across her face as she watches, but excitement and wistfulness are foremost among them.

Twisting away from the longsword that scrapes his side, Findon skips a step as the ship rocks, ever so slighty. The greatsword is driven -- eerily close to Ceredir\'s outstretched foot -- an inch, mayhaps two, into the floorboards. Ironically, in an effort to remain afoot.

\"Enough, enough,\" The knight says, brow inclined over his heavyhanded grip of the hilts.

\"Point taken.\"

The Captain pauses for several moments before he nods, pulling his blade back and sliding it home in its scabbard. \"You did do quite well, cousin... as I said, the length of the blade is not always a perk.\" A brief grin passes over Seregarth\'s face before he winces slightly, reaching a hand for his wounded shoulder.

\"Enough, yes,\" Ceredir agrees, eyes on the blade that was so close to his foot. He shakes his head at that, and sheaths his dagger. \"Speed is a virtue over length at times,\" he says with a quick grin to Seregarth. \"And likely, Captain, your surgeon will not be pleased at this morning\'s exertion. But I\'ll not be the one to fetch him, though I think that I will see about fetching some sort of tea ere the sun climbs too high. Good morning to you both and thank you for the exercise.\"

With quick bows to his fellow combatants and the woman, Ceredir makes his way down below deck.

A breath drawn through the nose.

And Findon yanks the greatsword from the deck\'s planks. \"Indeed,\" He says, a faint curl to his lips. \"I shall consider the merits of knives over yonder, if it please you.\" A hand indicates the forecastle. \"Lady.\"

He does not, in fact, wait to see if it pleases the vessel\'s Captain, however, but goes thither without pause.