The Scarlet Reavers

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Maps, scrolls, and parchments covered a nearby desk. A weight had tipped on its side and was gently rolling across the table as the Reaver cut through the waves towards her mark. She held a letter up to the flickering candle light and slightly turned the parchment to allow the stars to help illuminate it. She ground her teeth lightly as she considered the information that the raven had brought. She was missing several pieces to her puzzle, but this letter brought a clue. Further inland there was a town called Vulkwasten where a certain mage was known to dwell. The letter not only confirmed her location but also confirmed that she had knowledge of the artifact they were seeking.

“Peaches, come back to bed. This one is lonely.” The khajiit propped herself up on one arm, allowing the silk sheets to drop below her bare chest.

Her eyes scanned the letter again, weighing the unexpected information. The small harbor town lay ahead and would be their first stop as they pressed inland after the prize. Securing the mage’s help may be the trickiest part of the whole operation.

The khajiit purred again, requesting “Sena, come back to bed?”

The Captain lowered the hurricane lamp to the desk and rotated the little metal knob on the side, reducing the glow. Laying the letter on the scattered desk, she walked towards the bed, the candlelight dancing across her bronzed skin. While she had lived most of her life under the sun, the gods had seen fit to bless her with a body that most envied. A few scars marked her otherwise flawless skin, but her most prized scar was the day she lost her eye…and gained the Scarlet Reaver.

“There is much to do before we make landfall little love.” She slid a leg onto the silk sheets and sat down, smiling as the khajiit slid closer to her. “We have many hard days ahead of us. I’m afraid we will be spending more time on land than I would like.”

The khajiit ran a finger down the small of Sena’s bare back “Then we must make the most of our time, yes?”

A loud, single knock at her cabin door stopped Sena’s reply. Without waiting for a response, the door opened, and the strong face of her Lieutenant leaned in. “Captain, landfall. We’re entering morning watch.” Without waiting for a response, the orc shut the door behind her and disappeared back to the deck.

Sena smiled at Tisya, “Our future awaits.” She dabbed the khajiit’s nose and stood. The khajiit slid from beneath the sheets and began dutifully dressing Sena in her Captain’s uniform.

“This one reminds you that Petra is still in the eagle.” Her deft hands swiftly moved about the Captain, slipping on her favorite trousers, silken blouse and her weathered jacket.

Sena nodded as she stepped into the calfskin boots “I’ll have Laz bring her down before we enter the dock.” She allowed Tisya to fasten her sword belt around her waist as she considered handling Petra. It was only three days ago that the cabin girl was discovered stashing extra rations in her rack. At sea, there could be no mistrust. Petra had been quickly climbing the ranks and Sena had hoped she would enter her inner circle, but those hopes had been dashed with her apparent betrayal. A severe lashing and three days in the eagle had left her begging for mercy and claiming that someone had placed the rations in her rack. Sena’s eyes drifted down over to Petra’s now empty rack, conveniently swung next to Tisya’s own rack. Petra’s cries and sobs echoed in Sena’s ears as she looked down onto Tisya as the khajiit quickly dressed her. The pleas and tears had stopped a day ago, and now she hung limply in her prison. The riggers had confirmed that she was still alive and would occasionally open her mouth to catch rain from the rare passing cloud.

Smoothing out her collar and straightening the dagger belt across her chest, Tisya stepped back from the Captain and looked at her work “This one is finished. The future awaits…”

Sena placed a palm on her sword hilt and checked her daggers. Watching Tisya’s eyes once more, she nodded “The future awaits” and strode to exit the cabin.

---

The Scarlet Reaver began to slow her approach to the dock in Velyn Harbor. The Captain stood at the helm with her hands clasped behind her back. While the crew was not pursuing a ship, the Captain had ordered for the crew to work in silent hunter mode ensuring that they would not draw too much attention to a ship docking in the early hours of the morning.

The limp Petra was dragged before her. Her head lolled to the side, long strands of bleached red hair matted to the side of her face. The two sailors held her tightly under each arm ensuring she didn’t collapse onto the deck. The eagle was a harsh punishment designed to either kill a person or break them. Strung up naked and spread eagle high in the riggings left the prisoner to the torturous elements out on the sea. No food and no water depleted the prisoner of energy. Stretched bare for all to see was a cruel reminder of life with the Captain and broke any pride that a sailor may have. While the wind and rain helped, Petra stank of soiling herself in the eagle and was barely conscious.

The Captain knelt in front of her and repeated the words she had so often before “You sail on The Scarlet Reaver under the captain of Sena Davnie. You’ve broken the code and have paid the salt price. When we reach shore, you gather your belongings, and you never look back. If you choose to stay, your life belongs to me. Is there understanding between the two of us?”

Sena waited for a response, unsure if Petra had even heard her. She nodded to one of the sailors holding Petra, and she jabbed an elbow into her plainly visible ribs. Sena repeated herself “Do we have an understanding?”

Petra slowly raised her head. Her eyes had sunken into her skull, and her skin was covered in oozing blisters. The beautiful girl Sena had hoped to take into her company was a wasted image of burnt skin stretched taunt over a decimated body. Through cracked and bleeding lips she croaked out “Aye.”

Sena nodded to the two women holding Petra. “Take her below and get her cleaned up and her bags packed. You both have charge over her while she remains on ship. After dawn breaks, she will decide.” She watched the sailors drag the broken girl down into the belly of the ship and stood to get a bearing of the ship’s location in relation to the shore.

Laz’s voice carried from behind “Girl never ate much. Why would she steal rations?”

“Usually, you know the perfect time to speak…” the Captain’s accusation hung in the air for a moment as the sailors nearby exchanged looks and went about their business.

“Aye Captain, my apologies.” Laz crossed her hands in front of her and stiffened her back as she narrowed her eyes at the nearby crewman, melting them with her gaze.

Sena glanced down and noticed her Quartermaster, Mel moving among the crew and silently signaling orders. Her eyes drifted up to the riggers and watched her sailors move effortlessly through the ropes as they furled sails and prepared to dock. As her eyes continued down the length of the ship, she paused on what almost seemed like a shadow kneeling along the narrow bowsprit that jutted out over the iron ram below it. While she couldn’t make out her form, she knew it would be Tisya. As much as her First Mate loved being at sea, she loved the land and the promise of butchery that she so craved.

“Steady as she goes Zarah. Ease her into a berth.” The coxswain nodded. “Aye, Captain, steady as she goes.”

She then nodded to the seaman waiting to give order to drop anchor. “Freya, give me a half drag.” The seaman nodded as she placed a weathered hand on the lever, slowly lowering the anchor to drag behind them in order to slow their speed.

She then looked back to watch the approaching dock. Most Captains would not dare to attempt a traveling dock at night preferring the much safer route of anchoring at the mooring or even allowing their ship to be warped into the dock. Not so with Captain Sena, her crew worked with practiced hands, steady and professional, never questioning her judgment. Plus, she enjoyed seeing the looks of the dock workers or hearing the whispers in the taverns about the unbelievable feat a new captain had accomplished. With so few women sailing the high seas, few ever realized she was that captain.

As the ship silently sailed into the dock, the anchor was lowered and set. The ship was tied off, and the crew retired to their racks to get a few hours of sleep before dawn arrived and a new day of work began. Sena walked the deck inspecting their work, with Laz close by her side. The orc was ever faithful and remained mostly silent as she made her rounds. Tisya had scampered out onto the dock before the Reaver had even been tied off and disappeared into the night. She stood on the deck watching a few lights begin to twinkle in the town as it slowly came to life in the early hours of the morning.

“Love, find Mel and have her come to my cabin. I’d like to speak with her before dawn breaks.” Laz nodded and turned to disappear below deck. “As you wish Captain.”

She paused a moment longer, taking in the salt-laden breeze of the sea, her thoughts lingering on the artifact that had brought her this far west. Capturing the single item would set them up with enough gold to purchase a larger ship. While she would dearly miss the Scarlet Reaver, her crew was quickly outgrowing her space, and she had her eyes set on larger ships that were hauling goods to support the war. She was deep in her thoughts when Laz’s voice cut through her thoughts. “She awaits you, Captain.” Nodding, she turned from the awakening harbor town and disappeared below.