KC: Morning duties - Jygust 30th

[Ashari]

Morningtide

Unlike the nobility, Michel's morning started early. This was especially true when he had plans of leaving that evening, as well as preparation for meetings before going. It meant he didn't have the opportunity to sleep in. On the way to his office in the early marks of the day he was stopped by a few of his soldiers to talk about their exploits of the night prior. The commander had made it his purpose to keep up relations with the warriors, and it showed in the comraderie that they felt toward their military leader.

Standing outside the entrace to his office a young guard kept a stoic expression on his "western" features. He was nearly indistinguishable from any of the other recent joiners to Michel's cause; olive skin, black hair, prominent nose - very stereotypical. His uniform, on the other hand, fit him too snuggly on the shoulders and made him look rather squeezed. It made him appear all the more a new recruit. "Good day, Commander," he announced with a salute and stepped out of the way of the door for Michel. His inflection placed him as a native of World's Mouth, no doubt fleeing from the oppression and chaos of the newly formed state.

[Michel Carbonneau]

This was it. The day had finally come. Today marked the turning point for his career, for his life. After tonight, there would be no going back. Even though he had felt this way before marks before a battle would begin, this was different in a way. There was more psychological warfare going on than in a normal war. If all went to plan, there wouldn't be any bloodshed. If all went to plan... As he walked into the palace, through the corridors, ending up taking the corner to the hallway where his office was, Michel whispered to himself. "And so it begins."

As he walked up to his office he saw the guard standing outside of his office. He had been making a point out of learning as many of the soldiers as he could. He didn't recognize this one. The man had to be fairly new. As Michel gave him another look, he seemed to be from Worlds Mouth. There had been quite an influx of refugees from that city in the last month or so. It wasn't a good sign, but something that had to be taken care of later. First the order in Kings Court had to be restored. Besides, at this moment, he could actually use some new men in the army.

The commander returened the salute. "Good Morningtide, private...?" He asked with a questioning tone in his voice. He kept his face straight, as was appropriate with a salute. Once the soldier had told him his name, he could start the fraternizing part, making the conversation a little lighter than the standard military talk. Even at an important day as today, he could not forget the details of his plan. The more soldiers knew him and were loyal to him, the better. Any one could make the difference in the coming days.

[Ashari]

"Ignazio, sir," he replied swiftly. His large, expressive brown eyes met Michel's stern one-eyed gaze deftly and without flinch for the military man's deformity. Most the young men found the disfigurement disturbing if only because of the reality it brought in the face of war. He had suffered a great injury and still continued on, it gave the men a measure of respect for Michel that was earned through storytelling of his conquests. "Romeo di Ignazio," he added, hearing that the Commander enjoyed good relations with those who served under him.

Romeo was the son of a carpenter back in World's Mouth, and would've trained to be one had the military not called to him. The spirit of what he was doing was very alive in his features and hummed off him in electric eagerness, but he restrained it well enough, and managed to only give his superior a strong look that suggested he'd need to be encouraged to conversation if there was going to be one. Ever the stalwart warrior he held fast to his standard issue Halberd.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Michel noticed the young man didn't flinch. At first he had been horrified of the thought that the soldiers now looked at him differently. The flinching was painful. Like his eye was being stabbed out all over again. But after a while he got used to it and he actually saw some advantages. It said a lot when the soldiers didn't flinch. Not only did they have the respect not to flinch, but they had an understanding of the meaning of being in the army.

"Well, Ignazio. Seems that you have been put here in front of my door on this early morning. What did you do, piss off your senior officer?" A grin appeared on the Commander's face. "I'm sorry you have to be stuck at this boring job, Ignazio. I'm sure you are eager to get some action." He paused. "Trust me, it will come soon enough." His grin widened as he knew exactly how true his next words were. His superior officer had always told it to him and it had taken him a long time to fully understand them. "It always comes sooner than you think."

[Ashari]

The young man smirked at the joke, but shook his head to say 'no' that he hadn't done something wrong. He gave a nod to his commander's more serious comments, his expression straight and sober dispite Michel's attempt at humor. "I imagine it will, signore," he responded resolutely. Once again it left it in the soldier's hands to push for conversation. Romeo, it seemed, lacked any real social skill as he figetted somewhat uncomfortably in his too-tight jacket. Why does he have to be so into conversation? He'd expected mild talk on the day-to-day, such, but even that was unusual in World's Mouth where one was expected to be serventile and lowly when in a menial position such as Ignazio's.

"I'd hate to keep you from your business," he said while shifting the Halberd from one hand to the other and leaning his weight into it, his appearance all the more guard like in it's casual stance. "But, I must warn you someone dropped something off for you in your office this morning, very early, and I have a strong feeling you won't want to keep it waiting." There was a sly anticipation in his eyes, as if egging the Commander into relieving his guardsman from the task of enduring his company and giving the distinct impression of some kind of mischief.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Under any other circumstances, Michel would have joked around about what could have been dropped off for him. This morning however, there was too much at stake to be joking around. Especially when someone would have come in early just to make sure they would be earlier than Michel. Hmm...that thought made him even more curious. The commander nodded to Ignazio, who didn't seem to be the talkative type anyway. "Thank you, Ignazio. Keep up the good work."

Without any further conversation or comments, Michel opened the door to his office and stepped in, closing the door behind him. With quick large steps he walked over to his desk. Usually his desk had been quite the mess, but in these last few months he had been working on getting some system into all the documents and the desk was rather clean and tidy nowadays. He examined the surface to look for anything that could have been dropped off.

[Ashari]

The metal mechanism clicked into place behind him as Michel purposefully strode into his office with aims toward his desk. His work surface, a large piece of furniture, was quite piled with all sorts of documents, and as he approached there wasn't anything of particular which stuck out, and it was movement out of the corner of his good eye which would be likely to call his attention away from the furnishing.

Square columns, supports for his office, rose from the hardwood floor at regular intervals, one on either side of his desk. These had been varnished to match the other wood panels of the room, and provided another place from-which to hang adornments of his conquests. Someone had added a new ornamentation at the base of one of the columns - a young woman stared up at Michel with her arms pulled behind her, her wrists bound and her ankles to match, forcing her onto her knees which were bare and rather beat.

Between her knees there was a letter addressed to the commander in a bold hand that lacked formality.

A crude gag prevented the fairskinned brunette from saying anything productive, but it was her own determination which prevented her from whining, crying or mumbling inchoherantly for help. Instead, she knelt on the wooden floor and almost marvelled at the new arrival in her makeshift prison. The soiled chemise she wore had a flair of lace and extravegance once, but now clung to her by her own sweat, which she smelled of heavily. That, the blood that soaked the cuffs of her shirt and the scent of saltwater had entirely changed the musky smell of his office. Her breeches, too, were well worn, and not just recently. Patches hemmed rips and tears sustained previously, but the bloodied and raw knees were more notable.

Outside the door there was a noise of movement, footfalls and creaking of floorboards easing under shifting weight, but then silence again except for the young woman's heavy, labored breathing.

[Michel Carbonneau]

As soon as Michel saw the woman tied to the column, he cursed. He had known in the back of his mind that something didn't quite fit. Who would place a completely new guard in front of his door? There had always been regular guards there, not complete new ones. He heard the footsteps outside of the room. The man had fled the scene. Motherf... He had been so busy with his plans for today that he had completely missed the obvious. He could have gotten himself killed! How could he have been so careless. Focus Michel, FOCUS! This was no time to fuck up on any detail.

The commander huffed, still pissed that he had been so careless. as he walked over to the girl to free her. Having seen quite some injuries in battle he knew the girl would be alright, sure she was in a bad shape, but whoever did this had just wanted to give him a message. There was no time for emotions right now, he had to think rationally. Therefore the first thing he did was to grab his sword and pick up the letter and read it. If the letter was indeed just a warning and no action had to be taken right that flicker, he would carefully open the door to have a look into the hallway to make sure the little fucker was gone. Otherwise he'd have to kill him. First secure the area, then take care of the girl.

[Ashari]

The note was rather brief.

Commander,

Small gift for you. She is only the beginning.

~A Friend~

Knowing his office well enough, Michel could open the latch without it's telltale loud click, as he did, there was movement beyond. Where he'd left Romeo there now stood a more familiar face - Lt. Elijah Brown.

The young man was startled by Michel's immergence from his office, and took an immediate defensive stance. He was prepared, but then stared at the Commander with wide, alarmed, green eyes befitting his ginger complexion. "C-c-commander!" He stammered out as soon as he was able. "I hadn't expected you so early, sir! My apologies, I left my sentry to use the outhouse. I had asked private Ignazio to cover until I got back, but he was gone when I got back-" always an excuse, though he did mean it. "Ih.. it took longer than I expected," he finished with a prominent blush to his cheeks. Eli was young and hailed from the Baron Estates. He'd come to King's Court with the purpose of doing something with his life. He hadn't realized at the time that something would involve such violence. All in all, Lt Brown managed to keep his nose clean and under the radar and he was very good at taking orders, which made him invaluable in a rather strict sense. "Is there something wrong, Commander?"

[Michel Carbonneau]

The letter did not contain anything important for that moment although the commander was sure it would be a mind cruncher later. As he saw Elijah stand at the door, Michel cursed inside. What was interesting though was that apparently, private Ignazio hadn't just stood there just for this morning. He had apparently been using his soldier's disguise longer than that. But that was also something for later. He put away his sword again and looked at the guard. "Lieutenant Brown. It's ok. We'll keep this between you and me. What I need you to do now is get me some water, some bandages and some clean cloths. A large blanket would be in order as well. And please be as discrete as possible. I don't want anyone to ask questions just yet."

Without saying anything else, Michel closed the door again and walked over to the woman. He got down on his knees and looked straight into her eyes. "It's ok. I'm going to remove the gag and the ropes now. You're safe now." He then removed her gag and then grabbed his knife and freed her wrists and ankles. "Please, lean back against the column. It's ok now. No one is going to harm you. Can you tell me your name?"

[Ashari]

"Y-yes, sir!" He replied and turned to move away almost immediately. "Should I send someone over to guard your door while I'm gone?" The hospital ward was a few burns jog away, but he got the impression from Michel that something was incredibly off, and he didn't want to be further accountable for it. As it was, Eli felt rather irresponsible for leaving his post. Shouldn't have left it for that stupid Mouthie... His stomach churned. He'd felt aweful all morning. New recruit couldn't handle it. I can. He waited only for the Commander's response before leaping into action with a sprint down the hallway.

Inside the office the young woman watched him as he approached. There was a wince, as she expected to be hit as he fumbled with the gag. As soon as it was pulled from her narrow jaw her mouth spat out a leather pouch that was tied tightly. The brunette snapped her lips shut, adjusted her jaw with an audible snap. Her injuries, upon closer inspection, were superficial. Much of the blood that stained her clothing wasn't hers. He assured her that everything was going to be ok, and the young woman couldn't help the confusion. "Diana," she said with some finality as he untied her wrists. The harsh ropes had rubbed against her pale skin leaving obvious marks.

The girl leaned against the column as directed, and shifted so that her knees weren't pressed against the floor. Instead, her bare feet pushed against the planks and she rubbed her wrists absently. What the nether is going on? Her heart raced, unsure of whether she should try to escape, and to what measure it would actually help her. You wouldn't get far, lass, might as well just sit tight. Her wrecked knees were pointed upward, and she rested her arms against her thighs, so that her hands hung between her legs. From his vantage point he could see a tattoo snaking up her left wrist along the protruding bone, but the design wasn't obvious unless he were to investigate it further.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Another guard..that would attract more attention. On the other hand it would mean more security. But what if the new guard was another part of the plan?
He was going to rely on himself for this one. All he said to Eli was "No. Just hurry back."

Things were getting more and more interesting by the flicker. The woman had a leather pouch in her mouth. Michel could feel his heart beating faster and the adrenaline starting to race through his body. His senses kicked into full gear as he realized that this set up had been planned. He opened the leather pouch to see what was in it. Meanwhile he asked Diana more questions. "Diana, I am Michel. Do you have any idea who brought you here and why?" As he noticed the partial tattoo he knew he had to have a look at it right away. He would need any clue to this mystery as soon as possible. In any other situation he would have just grabbed her hand and twisted it around to have a better look, but that might freak her out. Definitely something that he didn't want to happen at the moment. He gestured to her wrist with his head. "I need to look at your tattoo. Can you show it to me?"

[Ashari]

Eli nodded and was off, his mind racing as to what he'd missed and what was going on. Now wasn't the time for questions. On the way to the ward he ran into a few of the guys, who were immediately all questions. The Commander doesn't want anyone to know... Lt Brown, ever the clever young man, came up with a lie.

Meanwhile...

Michel made fast work of the leather tie that held the pouch closed. Out spilled a treasure trove of a rather familiar substance: opium seeds and a simple, albeit small, smoking device. "That 'splains this," Diana said and reached into a pocket and procurred a flint and steel. "Someone wan'ed you ta haf a good time." Go ahead.. light it up. Get good and fucked and I'm the nether out of here, she prayed to any god that was listening. Hazel eyes shifted over to the door. It was close enough. She could make a dash for it.

Michel referenced her tattoo, and his wanting to see it. Turning her wrist she covered it protectively, and realized he'd recognize it as soon as he saw it. He was the Commander, that much she'd been told. There was no way he wouldn't start putting pieces together. Her body leapt into action. Palms pressed into the floor and she propelled herself without warning in a burst of energy toward the closed door. Halfway there she remembered the door swung inward. "Fuck all!" She grunted and slammed into the hardwood, her fingers wrapping around the handle, using the rebounding energy of her own weight to pull it with her backward.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Seeing the opium, Michel knew that this was trouble. They were trying to fuck with his shit and this was not good. Instantly his mind switched to a different mode and when the woman didn't want to make him see the tattoo, he knew enough. As she made a run for it he made a split-flicker decision. All the feelings of empathy and protection were gone, now there was just one feeling left. He had to stop the bitch. She was going to tell him all that she knew.

Without any hesitation he grabbed the dagger that he had put on the ground next to him and threw it at her, aiming slightly in front of her legs, knowing that he would either hit the door or hit her legs if that was where they were going to be the next second. Not waiting for the dagger to hit, he dove forward, making a somersault and then using the forward energy to jump at her. He had to stop her. That bitch was not going to leave until he had his answers.

[Ashari]

Michel's blade was a bit off aim, but it managed to slide across Diana's exposed left calf, giving her another new wound. A gutteral animal sound exploded from her bruised lips, but she didn't let it slow her down. She had a moment's head start on the Commander, but it wasn't enough. He was a good deal taller than her, and his body made the distance much faster than she anticipated. He sprang like a hunting cat and slammed her body into the door, his weight crushing her with a pathetic issuing of air from her lungs as the wind was knocked from them. The door handle rammed into her hip bone with a sharp pain. Her body crumpled between his and the heavy wooden door and she mumbled something squeakily before taking in a gasp of oxygen.

Her mind whirred. Please... Please let me go. Her palms pressed against the wall, trying to push away from it, and push Michel away from her so that she might somehow slide through the door. It was a hopeless cause. Shaky arms gave their best, but it wasn't enough, and she only managed to get a gap of a few inches between herself and the door. She remained rather squished between the military man and the obstruction. Then the wrestling began as she tried to throw an elbow backward toward his face.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Michel tried to dodge her elbow. The time for being nice or careful was over and he wasn't planning on letting her go before he had seen that tattoo. The commander was using all of his strength now, not making any attempt to keep in mind that she was a woman. As they were wrestling he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself. "I...don't...have..time..for this shit."

There was no way he was going to give her another chance to just keep calm and tell him what he needed to know. She had shown much resistance and zero cooperation. The time for talking was over. The only thing he didn't want to do was to kill her, so he tried to avoid slamming her face into the wall until there was absolutely no other option left. Michel pushed her away from the door as hard as he could and as soon as he got the chance, he would knock her out cold. He would punch her straight in her face.

[Ashari]

Michel avoided the elbow, but not the bare heel that propelled itself upward to catch his groin with great accuracy. Looking back on it, Diana would know it was that very act that gave the Commander the final energy for the swung as he spun her body around, shoved her shoulders into the wall, and landed a sharp right hook to her already mangled jaw. Her head popped over to her right hard and the knockout reflex took over. The brunette's body slumped and would fall to the floor with a thud resembling a sack of potatoes. It left it so that she could be easily examined, though how long the lack of conciousness would last depended on her.

Inside her head she swam back to the orchards of her youth, where she picked bushels of apples for her father in the company of her numerous brothers and sisters. The scent of the wide hillside was intoxicating in the early autumn. She recalled the drunken deer wandering the field eating the rotten apples, and then she delved further into her subconcious, looking quite peaceful in her slumber. Dark circles under her eyes gave the impression that it was a sleep she truely needed.

Elsewhere, Elijah had shaken off his comrades and was gathering supplies with a purposeful speed and then raced out of the death-scented environment. Healing rooms always made him feel uncomfortable, he knew how many had died on those beds, and it caused his already irritable stomach to quiver violently and threatened turning up it's contents.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Her kick in his groin definitely hit home but he managed to knock her out before he sank to the ground himself. "Balls..." He held one hand against his groin and gave himself three flickers before he reached over to grab her wrist and took a good look at the tattoo. As soon as he had gotten a good look he would lean against the door, waiting for Elijah to return. Diana seemed to be quite peaceful, but he didn't want her to escape once more. He also made sure the dagger was back in his hand again, not within reach of the woman.

Michel sighed. This was all quite fucked up. Thousands of scenarios had been going through his mind of how this day was going to go. Each and every scenario he had ran through his mind several times. But he would have never guessed that this is how his day would start. He gazed back and forth from the girl to the opium and back, only now just realizing how much he had lost control when he had figured out it had to do with the opium. It made him feel nauseous and that wasn't just from the kick in his groin. This was really fucked up. The poor girl really did look quite peaceful in her sleep. She probably really needed it.

Finally he just leaned back with his head against the door, waiting for the nausea to fade away and for Elijah to return with the medical equipment.

[Ashari]

Winding up Diana's wrist was a tattoo of a banner coin dripping with blood. Rather than the normal motif of the coin there was a jolly rogers skull, and below it the crossed bones, as if incorporating the coin into the general design. The blood "oozed" from a prominent fresh scar further up her fore arm.

The room smelled of sweat, blood and saltwater. Morning light cascaded through a glass paned window in orange streaks. They appeared like flames, searing over the map which was tacked over his desk. World's Mouth was lost in the glow, and Roque was being swallowed up by it as well, though King's Court itself remained in relative shadow comparatively. It was another two burns before Eli returned with a dull thud beyond the room.

"Sir!" Lt Brown knocked on the other side of the door waiting to be granted entry. As soon as he was he pushed the door open only to be sliding Diana's legs across the floorboards. Wide green eyes surveyed the room and his pained looking Commander. The epitome of discretion he stepped into the room without a word and shut the door behind him. "Sir, the supplies you requested," he had put the bandages, new clothes and a sewing kit into the blanket as a sack, which was slung over his shoulder. He carried a bucket of water in the other hand, unsure of how much Michel would need.

"Are you injured?" His first concern was his comrade, next would be the strange and unconcious woman.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Michel didn't recognize the tattoo, but he made sure he would remember it well. It looked like some kind of underground tattoo. Definitely bad news. For the next two burns he just sat there staring at the wall. He thought about completely nothing. It was actually quite nice to think about nothing at all. Maybe that was what his mind had been needing, much the same as the girl had needed the sleep. He had no idea who this woman was, but..he felt a connection. Man how life could be weird.

When Eli returned he waved his care away. "I'm fine. Make sure the girl isn't bleeding anywhere, but don't disturb her too much. Let her sleep for as long as she can. Just put her in a comfortable position and put the blanket over her. She really needs the sleep." The nausea from the kick in his groin was pretty much gone, yet he didn't feel like getting up. "This is some crazy morning, Eli." He didn't even had the focus to call him Lieutenant at that moment. He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of it all. "They put the girl in my office...all tied up...I...I freed her, saw that she had a tattoo...and when I asked about it she tried to run away....I tried to stop her and then she started to wrestle with me." He sighed, slowly regaining his focus. Leaning against the wall, he stood up and looked at Eli. "She needs to rest. I need to know who she is and what these people wanted from me."

[Ashari]

Listening to what his commander said, Eli turned and clicked the lock into place to ensure their privacy, and then knelt to examine the young woman's wound. "Tattoo?" Tattoos in the Western culture were a rarity, and this girl didn't look like a foreigner. Tattoos on women were all the more rare. Eli rolled her over gently and caught sight of the tattoo. "Pirate," he said with a frown and dropped her arm, then went to the business of patching up he knife wound. He decided it wouldn't need stitching, but he did clean it, and then also her knees. The bandages were searing white against her dirtied skin.

Wrapping the blanket around the young woman he gave her a brief check for weapons, but found none. "She's destined for a quick drop and a short stop, I'd say." He pushed her chestnut brown hair out of her face. "You know.. doesn't she look familiar?" He scrutinized her, but shook his head, unable to place the nagging idea that he knew her, or had seen her before. "Did she say anything before she ran?" He glanced over at the Commander - the man was shaken. "What's that flint and steel? And the pouch?" His eyes drifted from Michel to the other things that were in Diana's possession against her will. "Perhaps, sir, we should tie her up again?" She'd already bolted once from what he said, and then had a physical struggle with the Commander. This young woman couldn't be trusted.

[Michel Carbonneau]

"A pirate, huh? What would they want from me?" It still didn't make all too much sense to him. It gave him a hint why the girl wanted to run, though. Pirates coming into his office, dropping off this girl with some opium as a present....had to be all about the opium. They knew about his addiction and they were going to exploit it. He was going to have to find them. And kill them all.

The girl was they key. She would know who these people were. Eli thought she looked familiar. Michel took another good look at her face to see if he saw anything in her that he recognized. "She said her name was Diana....doesn't sound like a pirate's name, does it?" Michel walked over to the pouch and picked it up together with the flint and steel. What to do with this? He couldn't hide it...that would look much too suspicious. Eli had been very trustworthy and loyal. If anyone was going to believe his lies, it would be Eli. "I have no idea what is up with it, but they gave me an opium smoking kit...everything is here. Opium, the pipe and even a flint and steel. They also left this note." He walked over to the desk and held up the note. "It says small gift for you, she is only the beginning. A friend."

He walked over back to Eli. "I can't have this shit right now, Eli. Big things are going to happen today. I have meetings to attend and business to deal with in Pax. Tonight everything in the Kingdom will change. And then, right on the most important day, this girl shows up? It's too much of a coincidence. Someone is trying to tackle me even before the race has started." He looked at Eli. "We have the morningtide to find out who they are and what they want exactly. What do you know of this Ignazio fellow?"

[Ashari]

"She doesn't much look like a pirate - aside from her shabby clothes and that tattoo," Eli said giving her another visual inspection. He shook his head again. "Diana.. no, not really sounding like a pirate name - not like Raven Darkheart or anything like that. Now that sounds like a pirate name."

Michel showed Eli the drugs, but all he could do was give them a glance. He didn't know much of anything about drugs. He was a country boy in that respect. "Why? Do you think they were aiming to frame you and say you hurt this girl and are some sort of drug user?" His voice was incredulous. No one would believe that.

"Only the beginning?" He hummed on this one, looking to her again with crossed arms. "If she was caught by the navy then they'd have a record of it," Diana stirred, but didn't open her eyes. Eli didn't notice. "I could go down and check, perhaps she was kidnapped from the goals. If so, I could return her and say she escaped. I will be held responsible for her wounds and she'll be put to death by hanging, as she ought to be - thieving little beast, and you can put this whole thing behind you."

When he asked about Ignazio he shrugged. "He's just a stupid Mouthie 'bastardo'," he mocked the dialect poorly. Lt Brown didn't think highly of their new state. "He came out with some of the guys last night for some meads, he's alright," he said. "We talked about work, mostly. He's sort of a smartass. He's been in the guard for about three months now."

Diana mumbled and moved a bit, her eyes drifting open with a pained expression. "This yer city's idea o'a hempen jig?" She asked, using the vernacular of Nether's Gate. Diana had been listening to them since her first movement, but decided she was best off piping in now before being brought back to the dungeons. Her mouth felt all wrong and she moved her jaw carefully for fear of it being broken. "I fink you broke me jaw, ya land lovin stuffie!" It wasn't broken. She didn't dare move yet.

[Michel Carbonneau]

Michel shrugged as Eli threw away the idea that it was about the drugs. "I have no idea what kind of plan they have." He let Eli talk as he continued to think about who could behind this and what they were after. Was it just the drugs? Would they have nothing else? He was sure they would. Maybe some kind of blackmail. Apparently Ignazio had been in the army for three months now. And yet he hadn't seen the man before. He was sure the man had something to do with it. Would he still be around? Or would he have fled back to the other pirates? Too many questions, too little time.

As Diana started to mumble, he had no idea of the first thing she said. Michel guessed she was still quite out of it. He did understand the part about her jaw though. "Be glad I won't have you hanged." The commander walked over to her and leaned in, studying her face wit his one eye. There was no expression of empathy visible in his face like there had been when she had been tied up. "You have a pirate tattoo on your arm, you speak like a pirate and yet by your name and appearance, you are not a pirate. Tell me, who brought you here and why. What do they want?"

The look on his face hardened. "As I said before, I do not have time for this shit. You either tell me what you know and you tell it now, or you will be put to death by hanging for escaping from the goals and attacking the Commander of the Army." He took an estimated guess with his next comment. "And speak in the common language, not in the pirate's tongue."

[Ashari]

Obviously Michel didn't speak pirate. Diana stared up at him with hazel eyes that were familiar, the more he were to look upon them. The determination in them, too, was eerily reminiscent of someone else. She dropped the pretense of the Gate speak. "I am a pirate," she snapped back, staring upward into his one eye. The young woman shifted and pressed her back against the wall she was close to, or would if he allowed it.

"My name is Bloody Banner Diana and my crew dropped me off," in the ocean, girlie, don't forget the best part! "Why should I tell you anything, anyway? You're just going to kill me anyway - I tried to tell you lot the truth before, but your little friends wouldn't listen to me," she huffed. She hadn't told them the whole truth, either. She'd held fast to her lies for fear of the damage it would do to her family's name if she were hung for piracy.

She could imagine her big brother. That, in itself, was the hardest. So much shame. This hadn't been what she'd planned for herself. It wasn't the life she'd planned on. "One of your little bastards brought me here, he brought me from the goals and he tied me up and he shoved that in my mouth," she motioned toward the drug parcel. "And then he left me here since it was dark. I have no fuckin clue where I am except that I'm back in the capitol in the office of the Commander of the King's Army," she kept her vision glued to his eye. She'd seen PLENTY of eye patches in Nether's Gate. "And I got punched in the fuckin face and I'll say, as much as you're bitchin about what a crummy day yer havin, I'd say mine is faring worse," she started to slip slowly back into the pirating lingo as she became angry.