Inheritance: Threads of Fate

Chapter Eight - Scale of the Land

Raxe poured you another drink "liquid courage" he said as he also poured himself one. You watched Caspian's body language very carefully. He stood by their table with one hand resting on the pommel of his sword, more from habit than from intimidation, the rest of his body remained relaxed as he gave a little bow to the men. Then his arms gestured while he was talking, motioning towards your table. The men looked up and you and Raxe both raised your glasses to them in greeting. The Captain stood, motioning to one of his men to follow and Caspian led them back to your table. He was shorter than Caspian, but taller than you, had bright red mutton chops that led to a thick mustache. He wore mostly brown leather but wherever he could add color he chose a bright emerald green, to match his scale.
The Captain's face seemed cheerful enough, though a bit red from drink, which may end up working in your favor. You and Raxe slid to sit closer together, giving the Captain and his man room opposite of you. Caspian slid in next to you.
"Men, may I introduce you to my Captain, Lord of the Scale of the Sea." He said to the Captain and his man as he sat.
"Grand pleasure it be!" The Captain gestured towards Raxe.
"Actually, she's the Captain." Raxe nodded towards you.
You pulled the Scale out from your shirt to show them.
The red-headed Captain looked surprised for a moment, then boomed in laughter. "Yer pullin' me leg! A lady Lord? Who'd ya have ta bed ta get tha?"
Your temper flared. "Didn't have to bed him to get it. But had him begging for me when I was done." You took a nonchalant sip from your cup.
Raxe snorted on his drink, and Caspian turned and stared at you in shock, but couldn't help a chuckle.
"Oh HO HO!" The Captain laughed. "She's a feisty one! Jus' how I like 'em!  Pleasure, My Lady. Captain Cale." He stretched his arm out and you took it. "Curious, I haven'a heard from the Sea Scale fer years...na since..."
"Doleraz?" You interrupted.
"Aye..." He leaned in close to your face, searching your eyes with his light brown ones. "Call meh daft...but..ye remind me o' him...yer eyes..."
"I should. He's my father."
"Well sla' me thrice!" He exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. A few others in the taven looked toward your table, but thankfully his outburst was enough for their eyes to land on him, not you. "How's the ol' goat doin'?"
"Well, that's one of the reasons we're here." You leaned forward on the table and spoke softly. "He was kidnapped by the slave trade, we came here to find him but got abducted ourselves. I sent my ship off to save my crew," you lied, "but now we need to get word back to them."
"Those rat bastards." Cale spat on the floor. "I wouldna' come ter this lion-fer-saken lan' if they didna' have the bes' damn spirits." He poured more arak into the mug he brought over with him.
"See, he likes it." Raxe chimed in.
"AH! A lad af'er me own heart. Cheers!" He toasted with Raxe and they both downed their glasses. Raxe was beginning to look a bit flushed.
"Will ye join me a' our table?" Cale asked. "It'd be me pleasure te help ye get back ta yer ship n' crew. 'An we can see what we can fin' ou abou' yer da."
"We'd love to Captain. Right boys?" Raxe was already getting up while Caspian gave you a look that you could only interpret as "you're giving me orders now?" You poked him playfully in the ribs to get him to slide out of the booth, and joined the rest of Cale's crew at their large table. You and Caspian took seats next to each other on a bench near the end, while Raxe sat across from Caspian.

"Na' then..." Cale sat across from you, to Raxe's left, and took a big swig from his mug,  "how may I be o' service?"
"We need to get word to my crew. If anyone knows the whereabouts of my ship and can get a letter to them..."
"What're we lookin' fer?"
"A galleon, black, with black sails. May or may not be flying Narnian colors."
"Narnian eh?"
"We..." you thought carefully about your words, "have an alliance with the king..."
"Ah. Righo'." Then he called out down the table. "Any o ye mangy curs spot a black ship wi' black sails as we ma'e port?"
A congregation of shaking heads and "na cap'n" answered. One man got up and walked down to your side of the table, and bent down next to Cale's ear, but loud enough for you all to hear.
"Cap'n, a man I was speakin' with yes'erday mentioned a ship jus' like that. Said it had been circling the same spot for weeks..."
You and Caspian looked at each other excitedly.
"Did this man say where exactly he saw it?" Caspian asked.
The sailor shook his head. "Nay... but he be down by the docks, his ship's gettin' repaired."
"Looks like ye have a headin'" Cale grinned. "Na we celebrate!"
"What are we celebrating?" You asked.
"Why, the Scale of the Sea has a Lord again! We be a full set once more!"
All his men cheered, and Raxe joined in.
"Sorry Captain, but we better head down to the docks to speak to that man right away." You started to get up, but he reached his hand across and grabbed your arm.
"Aww lass. Come now. It be late, an' the poor man's probably sleepin'. Lookie here, if ye grace us wid yer company, I'll be sure teh send a man down wid ye tomorrow, ready ter cast off wid yer letter. Eh?"
You looked at Caspian, unsure of waiting until morning. You leaned toward each other so he could speak into your ear.
"We wouldn't be able to send anyone out to sea in the dark anyway. Even if we found this man and learned about the Shade's whereabouts tonight, we'd have to wait until morning." Caspian rationalized. "Part of politics is mingling with your peers, as you said, making friends."
"Alright, but the drinking stays to a minimum?" You compromised.
"I think we may be too late for that rule." Caspian chuckled as he looked towards Raxe who was singing loudly with Cale's crew.
You sighed and rolled your eyes. "Alright Captain, you have a deal." You raised your glass towards him and he toasted you happily.

* * *

"Youknow...this stuff....isgrowing on me.." Caspian held up his glass and looked through it, as if it was going to turn into something else.
You giggled. "It's still disgusting....but... I guess it could be worse..."
You and Caspian sat at the end of the table still. The bottle Raxe originally bought was laying sideways on the table somewhere down the way, and a second bottle had been brought out. Which you and Caspain had managed to make half empty without noticing. The tavern was almost cleared out, just a few drunken men passed out on the tables, Cale's crew, and your three remained. You convinced yourself that with everyone either drunk or asleep, you could risk taking off your veil, which lay on the bench next to you.
Cale stumbled over to you. "Ye know.... lass..." he hiccuped, as he sat next to you "ye got a pretty face...whasayye we...join forces...two Lords...commin' tegether?" He hiccuped again.
Caspian stood up, a little too quickly as he wobbled backwards... "Whatexactly...areyou... suggesting....Captain?" He slurred.
"Caspian..." You tried to sound more firm than you actually did.
Raxe leaned over and grabbed Caspian by the arm, gently pulling back into his seat.
"Sorry Capn'... this lady's spoken for..." He mumbled.
"Ah....jus' me luck... *hic* ....fin'ly finda' lass worth me merritt...n' she's gotta claim laidn'her... *hic*... he be a lucky lad..."
"Youuu... damn right...." Caspian pointed in Cale's general direction, as the Captain got up and stumbled back towards his crew on the other end of the table.
"...Waitaminute...who....whodyou think is speaking forher?" Caspian asked Raxe, poking him hard in the chest.
"Comeooooon Cas..." Raxe shook Caspian by his shoulders "You're crazy abouther..."
You sat silently, blushing...
"Wha....what?" Caspian tried to play it off, unsuccessfully.
"Heeey! She'sa Lord now...right?" Raxe asked loopily.
"Y...yea..?" You responded, trying to focus on what he was asking you.
"That means....that means...." Raxe trailed off.
"What Fox?" You already forgot what he asked you.
"What?" He asked you back
"You askedher....something..." Caspian responded.
"You asked her...something..." Raxe laughed and slid down the bench towards the other men.
"I...think he'shad toomuch..." Caspian wondered.
You giggled. "I think you've had toomuch..."

You don't remember anything past that conversation.