Donna has been searching from town to town in the islands, trying to fin an apprentice weaponsmith. She has come across many good candidates, but her insistence that the apprentice be female has disqualified every prospect she has found. Frustrated, she finds herself currently in Porto Sale on Formetera (close to Ibiza). There are ships, unsavory sailors, possibly pirates, merchants, fishermen, and a fresh salty scent in the air.
She stops for a snack at a food cart, and it is some of the best damn pastry she has ever tasted! She looks at the kid selling them, plump boy of mixed ethnic origin. He is working away wrapping up some muffins for sale, when he is approached by a brawny and burly smith carrying a hundred pounds of anchor chain on each shoulder.
Hey! Fat boy! Tell Uncle Yonan I will be working late tonight. i finished the chains early, and the captain has a score of swords he wants repaired. Extra bonus money little brother!"
"You are never going to find a husband if you keep it up with the heavy dirty labor. I don't understand you
"Like I care. You will be lucky to find a wife who appreciates a domestic man. Maybe we can get you a husband! Ha!"
"I practice the high arts of a culinarian, any woman would be lucky to sink her hooks in me when I come of age"
(and that is the set up for the idea I thought of )
Donna finishes her pastry and considers her approach, then she leans in and signals the boy he would like to talk, as though making an order. "Excuse me, I would like to give my complements to the cook, these are the finest pastries I've ever had."
"That would me me! Yanni Yashuvitz. My sister Yenni, the brawny gent that just passed, she and I live here with our uncle Yonan. All our lives and many generations before us. But I have dreams of taking my art to the great cities like Tolouse or Paris.
"Nah. She initially learned by watching Poppa when she was little, but he died when I was a baby and she was around seven. Self taught from there. Simple stuff really. Nails, anchors & chains, crude knives, stuff like that."
The boy is appout to respond when conversation is inturrupted by a man shouting for the attention of the crowd. Dusky skin, bearded, piercing eyes. Obviously a leader type/
"Everyone listen up! I just received word that Christian forces are due to be here at sunset. The wrongly imagine they will be making a surprise attack. But we will be gone by then. My corsairs and I have three ships, and enough space to evacuate most of you. Crusaders, though ruthless, are not heartless. The elderly, married women and young children are safe. The rest, well, if you stay you run the risk of imprisonment or slavery." Then he grasps the dough boy by the shoulder. "Yanni, your coming with us. Your skills as a cook are important for my ship. and your sister will throw a fit and refuse to work unless we take you. She is on the Green Goose, my head ship. You ride with us.
And who is your friend here? Think we might have to grab her too"
I forgot that there should be some sort of language barrier. The kid can speak Catalan and Arabic, the pirates are speaking Arabic but can manage Catalan.
Hand wave that.
"We are making for Sardinia sweetheart. And this ain't the time to get argumentative. I'm saving your skin, and protecting our back from any informants. Abducting you is far more merciful than killing you. So get up on board peacefully and I will see to it that you are treated well. Fight with me, and I'll toss you down below for the crew to pass around.
Get my drift?"
Your options are to fight or cooperate. If you fight, you might be able to get away, though it is doubtful you will be able to take Yanni and Yenni with you. Cooperate, and you may have etter opportunities down the road.
NOT trying to railroad you. If you can figure out a different solution, go for it. But I have laid the cards on the table
And in short order, the tiny pirate fleet is under way. And Donna is indeed treated well. She shares a cabin with Yanni and Yenni, you are given the good food and wine, and Donna receives and invitation from the captain to come dine with him. You can bring the kid as a chaperone to make sure everything is on the up and up.
The captain's name is Harlock :mrgreen:
Donna brings the kid along, and begins with the usual pleasantries before sliding into her real topic of concern. "So what plans are there after we make land?"
He offers you each some wine and dinner served is roast capon with some greens.
"I know a guy in Sardinia who is willing to join his ship to our fleet. It is but one, but larger than any of my current three. From there, I am thinking of raiding the shipping lanes of the Sea of Sardinia for a while. Recoup my losses after the crusaders sacked my stronghold on Ibiza. When strong enough, I plan to attack Ibiza. More for revenge, I don't expect to drive the Christians out by myself. But there is this one guy there, name of Raw Bert. Some sort of magician they say. I think he uses alchemy to create fire. I used to have a sorcerer as an ally, had his own little ship. This Raw Bert guy killed him and torched his ship. The other three sorcerers of the islands are hiding in fear of him. Him and the witch hunters employed by the Christians called "Flame Brethren". If I can take this Raw Bert out, I can convince the sorcerers to rally by my side and we can work on purging the lands of these Flaming Brothers.
But the main goal is money, as always. The Balearic Islands were by base of operations until the crusaders came. This situation is putting a serious crimp in my profits. And revenge. I want revenge."
Someone shouts to the captain, a ship has been sighted. One lone small ship. Easy pickings.
And, coincidentally (though Donna has no way of knowing), this is also the ship Isolde is one. Antoine's lady love from Hungary.
Antoine is also, presumably, aboard, given the discussion in From Hungary. I'll assume they haven't spotted anything yet, and are just up on deck watching the shore slip by.
Donna sits quietly as the man rants, then when he is called away turns to Yanni "quests for revenge never end well, and if you dream of cooking somewhere more grand I have friends in Barecelona who can make that happen, and I am certain when they taste your pastries they will, but we need to get the three of us, yourself, your sister and I, off this boat and somewhere safer. Are you with me?"
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