Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 07:46 PM
Jochy loved the heat.

Really, he LOVED the heat with a passion. He loved being able to tan, he loved the breeze and he had started to love the ocean.

What he didn't love was the fact that an iron ship grew HOT below decks, no doubt because the bloody dwarves were used to northern climates. And that didn't really help the prisoners below. Nor the stench they spread.

He'd spent the better part of two hours lugging water for them, not drinking water mind you, but sea- water. It cooled a lot of things down. Still, every trip down below was bloody awful.

So right now he was standing at the railing, the bucket and rope coiled at his feet. He'd stripped his shirt off, soaking it in the bucket. Now and again he leaned down, grabbed the shirt and squeezed a bit of water over his head.

Nobody would mind if he just caught his breath, would they?

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jul 3 2008, 07:52 PM
Bastian was on his own self-imposed break, and when he spotted Jochy he headed over to the man. "How have you been doing?" He asked, leaning against the railing and smiling at him. There was a hint of shyness in that smile, and he turned to look out to sea rather than stare at the other man, which was what he was sure he'd be doing if he wasn't focusing his gaze elsewhere.

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 07:57 PM
"Working. The bite's healed properly though." Jochy shot a grin at the other man, showing the arm where the bitemarks now were a rapidly fading circle of red.

"The poor bastards below ain't having it too nice though. Would have been better cutting their throats from the start, it ain't like they ain't gonna hang when the navy gets their hands on them anyway. Just cruel to chain them up and cart them back."

He grimaced.

"The hold's a cramped place."

And he would have to go down there. Again.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jul 3 2008, 08:04 PM
Bastian took a look at the man's arm. "I'm glad it's looking better." He said, flashing him another smile and catching sight of his grimace, before turning to look back out to sea again.

"Do you not like being down there?" He asked, "I'm so glad most of my work is out here in the sun. Being down with those... I guess you can call them men... it scares me a little. I agree with you, having them all killed now would be a mercy."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 08:08 PM
"It's the smell. I ain't really scared of them, hell, they're killers but..." Jochy shrugged and brushed back some of the pale hair, that had now been bleached almost white by the sun. "... so am I."

He wasn't looking at Bastian, just the ocean, going on and on.

"The ship's built for dwarves. everything below is crazy small. And the walls are solid, it feels like I can't breathe with so many people there. Still, worse for them."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jul 3 2008, 08:15 PM
"Not like them, you're not." Bastian said with a snort, "We're all killers on this ship now... but they're just insane."

He nodded. "We're lucky we can escape up here. I don't have problems with the smallness down there so much as most people, but I understand the suffocating feeling." He shuddered slightly but was quick to recover, hoping Jochy hadn't seen. "I like working above much better than down below, anyway."

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 08:21 PM
The Qa'ad set a pair of buckets on the deck, then dragged herself out of the hold. Her face beneath her headscarf looked tight and pinched, lips pressed in a narrow line, long jaw set. Ignoring the two sailors, she marched straight to the rail and, working one-handed, squeezed bloodied water from the bandages soaking in one bucket, shook them out, and dropped them into the clear water in the other.

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 08:21 PM
"Well, especially in this weather..." Jochy gave the man a thoughtful look, having picked up on the shiver. Seemed that someone had kicked this man in the guts in the past, he knew bad memories when he saw them.

"Still, it's gonna be nice to get rid of them." He stretched a bit, scratching his neck. "You planning on staying on the ship after we've hit Mercer? Or... I suppose the navy's gonna send you elsewhere, since Andre's resigning now that we've got the cannibal."

As Sheys came, he cast a glance at the woman. "Yer alright there? Or another one dying belowdecks?"

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jul 3 2008, 08:27 PM
"I plan on staying with Andre, I guess you could say I'm leaving the Navy." Bastian replied. "I'll be happy when I'm out of this damn jacket and into some regular sailor's clothes." He said wistfully.

"Need any help with that?" He asked Sheys politely. "I'm on break at the moment, so I don't mind giving you a hand."

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 08:32 PM
Sheys shook out another bandage--one-handed--and gave Bastian a considering look. "Yes, please." Her voice was lighter and more mellow than might be expected to come out of such a huge woman. "Ah . . . do you have any cuts on your hands? I don't want to think of what those men might carry."

She shrugged at Jochy. "One man with a bad infection. A few more injured. All of them need water."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 08:36 PM
"Dunno how the rations for drinking water are, but I was carrying water to at least cool the poor bastards down some. Just took a breather, it's pretty intense down there." He leaned down and picked up the wet shirt from the bucket, pulling it on to cover his sunburned, tattooed shoulders.

"Infection. You figure he's gonna make it to shore to hang?"

He just didn't get it. This weird compassion. It didn't make sense, and yet... in some weird way it did.

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jul 3 2008, 08:42 PM
"No, my hands are fine." Bastian replied, checking them over anyway just to make sure before stepping beside the woman and picking up a bandage to clean.

"You worried about him missing his date with the noose?" He asked Jochy. "I'd be glad if there were one less down there."

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 08:48 PM
"I do not know," the woman said to Jochy. "It's in his foot. I could take it off. I don't know what good that would do him, but he is in a great deal of pain as it is." She delivered it as a simple series of facts, dipping, washing, and shaking out stained bandages.

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 08:53 PM
"Amputate? Yer figure it's that bad?" Jochy frowned, torn between pitying the man and knowing he'd hang just as well with one foot or two. "It ain't that Jack fella, is it?"

He had to ask. He hadn't spoken to the man since after the battle. It just felt safer to stay away.

Knowing it was probably idiotic to volunteer but knowing nobody better he offered "If yer need another pair of non-squeamish hands for that, just let me know."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jul 3 2008, 08:57 PM
"What side's Jack on, anyway?" Bastian asked, wringing out a bandage and dropping it into the clean bucket before starting on another one. "I thought he was with you." He told Sheys.

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 09:02 PM
The woman gave a wry smile. "Seeing as how my side involves mostly murderers, I don't know if it's much a side to boast on," she said to Bastian. "We both come from Refuge. That is where the association ends."

She spared a glance over her arm for Jochy. "No. Not Jack. One of the others. I do not speak their language, so I could not tell you his name. He won't let me near him."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 09:04 PM
"So he he won't let you near him, then it's his problem, ennit?" Jochy scratched the back of his neck.

"Obviously he doesn't want his foot treated... or yer freak him out by being frighteningly tall."

Posted by: Sebastiano Pietri Jul 3 2008, 09:08 PM
Bastian looked around as someone called his name. He gave his companions an apologetic smile. "Duty calls, I guess. I'll be back to help if I can." He promised before scooting away to find out what the problem was.

((Doc's appointment, back in around an hour and a half!))

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 09:11 PM
"I doubt that is the whole reason." She pressed water out of another bandage, calmly, without looking at Jochy. "I think they are like the Tuathailli: they would prefer death to dishonour. Their captain thought she was a god. Or god-like. They thought the same. Now they think there is no god."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 09:13 PM
"Well, gods are arses anyway, and human gods most of all. But I suppose if yer spent yer life believing something it's a bit of a rude awakeing to have some strangers cut her head off and stick it in a pickle jar."

Jochy shook his head, watching the woman. "Death before dishonour. Never could get my head around that crap. if yer dead yer dead, who cares then? If yer alive yer can change things."

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 09:16 PM
"Mm." She stayed in her washerwoman's crouch and did not meet his eyes to speak. "I've seen that to some people, dishonour is worse than death. At least death only happens once, hm?" She straightened up a bit and rolled her neck.

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 09:20 PM
"Well, some people can't handle shame. Got their whole life wrapped up in what others think about them. I suppose that would mean it'd be better to die than to crawl" He shrugged and gave the woman a look.

"Does it bother you? That he won't let you treat his foot? We could just knock the man out if you fancy."

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 09:25 PM
"The smell is going to bother me," she replied calmly. "And if gangrene sets in then sooner or later his screaming is going to bother most of this ship. I also suspect that if he dies, the others might try to eat him."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 09:29 PM
"And if Andre hears about this, it will bother him. The man still wants them pardoned I bet." Jochy sighed.

"So... yer ever amputated a foot before?" He shot a grin at the taller woman, running a hand through his hair.

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 09:36 PM
The woman smothered an exasperated cluck of the tongue. "I have amputated almost anything that can possibly be amputated from a human body. I can amputate a foot. I would rather have drugs for it, especially if he's going to fight me. And he will."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 09:40 PM
"Drugs. Dunno how this ship is set for that, but if yer need a man out of his head there's other ways to do that too. Doesn't have to go far into his head to dumb him down."

Jochy scratched his head, pondering.

"Yeah, that should be doable."

Posted by: Sheys aSheydl Jul 3 2008, 09:44 PM
The woman rose and poured the dirtied contents of the first bucket over the side. "I wouldn't object to pouring drink down his throat until he passed out, either, if there's nothing else to do for him. I'm used to working with limited resources."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 3 2008, 09:51 PM
"It's crewed by bloody dwarves. I bet there's drink. But I suppose it ain't gonna be easy to get him to drink it."

Jochy sighed, shaking his head.