Nonus 3, 1668

It’s a bright, sunny Nonus day as I sit & write up on the aftcastle with my puppy on my lap & wine on my table. There a hint of a fall chill in the air, but today I’m finding it rather invigorating!

I have just taken a great, but exciting risk & managed to walk away with a nice chunk of my family’s wealth! As thrilling as that was, however, it still could not compare to my completely unbelievable adventure in Carleon! With the exception of Serpente, who had the misfortune of also being up to his neck in the pandemonium, nobody I’ve told believes me! Now I find myself being ribbed by McKrimmon about "killer clowns" & "dancing bears"!

Ah well, I suppose had I not been there, I wouldn’t have believed it either & if this journal is ever uncovered after I’m long gone, I’m certain the reader will think I belong in an institution for all of my delusions, but I swear it’s all true!

Upon our arrival in Carleon, I’d already had our two-day shore leave planned, but we all know how my frivolous plans tend to go…

As soon as we arrived on shore, I went to find Berek & invited him for drinks. I’d hoped to swap stories of our trek to Ill d’ Bête with him, but unfortunately the Queen had need of his presence. While I teased him slightly about his preference of company, I offered a rain check, which he accepted happily. We parted on the note that it had certainly had been great fun & perhaps we shall join forces again someday!

With Allende in tow, Serpente & I went to secure accommodations. However, at my insistence, we wouldn’t look in the usual, piratical flophouses. Determined to spoil my Dio for this shore leave, I led him to an absolutely gorgeous rustic stone inn that featured a lovely view of the castle & arranged for two of their finest rooms, paying for the both of them.

After bathing, making up my face & dressing to impress in my red velvet & black lace coat, I would meet Dio downstairs for a delicious late lunch of quail & a fine Innish brew. At one point, I stopped our waiter & inquired (in Avalon so Serpente couldn’t understand) what special events may be happening for the Harvest Feast Celebration the following day.

He informed me that there would be all kinds of street performances, food vendors, games, a parade, & most importantly- the circus was in town, for the first time in several years! If that weren’t enough, the Vendel Ambassador would be dedicating a new wharf to Avalon on the morning of the 1st, which we could also attend. This upset me considerably, as we were supposed to be leaving then & I was already quite eager to get back out to sea. At the time, the whole ceremony just seemed like a major inconvenience to me!

I thanked our server by handing him a 50-cent tip with payment & resumed conversation with my charming Castillian companion. That is, until our waiter saw fit to interrupt us! He handed me a flyer for the Circus (written in Montaigne) & went on excitedly about how the Ambassador would also be attending the Big Top show. While I tried not to be rude, I did attempt to brush him off as best I could & he took the hint, excusing himself quickly & gracefully. I guess I must have tipped him too well! He was simply being far TOO helpful!

I did look over the flyer though, once he’d gone. It was for the Philleas T. Burnam’s Circus, which claimed to feature "entertainers the likes of which the world has never seen". Now, while I have never personally enjoyed the circus, I thought perhaps Serpente might & so I kept him in the dark, thinking I may wish to take him there for the holiday. After all, as I would tell Dio, tomorrow was no mere Harvest Feast Day, but "Spoil Dionysio Caldera De Gallegos Del Castillo Day". Okay, so I knew I was being silly & the look on his perfect face said the same, "It is strange that I was not informed." He said, smiling. I explained that, being that the rest of the world doesn’t know that he actually IS Dio, I shall have to spoil him all the more for all of them, & that Is exactly what I intended to do...

After stopping at the ship to let the Quartermaster know where we were staying, we made for the Powder Keg where we’d sit, talk & drink some more. I, myself, made sure I always had an expensive bottle of Montaigne white wine in front of me. (While it was no Chateau Allais du Crieux, I will mention that it was quite good!)

Around 7, the bar began to pick up & I’d find myself waiting to play in a darts competition simply for the wonderful view of the last man in line. Okay, so I did a horrible job & ended up buying drinks for the entire house, but I had been quite distracted! Besides, it was worth it- especially when he agreed to join me at the bar. A group of musicians took the stage while I continued to flirt, & it seemed for quite awhile that I was getting somewhere… until I mentioned Canguine! Come to find out, he was a merchant & upon realizing I was a pirate he became very nervous.

I assured him that I didn’t want him for his ship, but he ended up excusing himself just the same. Well, it was my own stupid fault, I guess, for trying to make conversation. It’s not like I really wanted to "talk" to him anyway…

I wasn’t happy, but made the most of his departure by turning my full attention back to Serpente & we would share a lovely dinner & worthwhile conversation before he decided to turn in. He was actually very excited about "his day" tomorrow & wanted to be well rested for it. Thrilled to have made him so happy, I bade him goodnight, promising to meet him for breakfast the following day. That wouldn’t happen.

Oh, did I ever feel bad, but you see, after he left I ended up meeting a ravishing raven-haired sailor… Needless to stay, I didn’t get back to my room until the very wee hours of the morning & when I finally did fall sleep, I slept the sleep of the dead! I wouldn’t wake up until just past 10.

Panicked & upset that I’d missed Dio, I dressed quickly & went to his room, but he wasn’t there. I stopped downstairs next, where I would find him finishing breakfast. He’d already paid for it, even, so after apologizing for running late, I demanded that for the rest of the day he was not to pay for a thing! In fact, if anything so much as caught his eye, it was his.

After breakfast, I went back upstairs to write a very quick letter to Logan, (which was easy enough considering I can't say much anyway), & change into the most festive gown I had. Ironically, it would be the same one I’d worn for my dreary dinner with Eisenfürst Seiger, but it matched the whole circus motif quite well with it’s bold black & white stripes with red trim. Dio dressed up as well & while he is always incomparable, I would find myself having a harder time than usual of keeping my eyes off him. Of course, it also helped that he was visibly happy, practically glowing.

We walked arm in arm down the bustling streets. Everyone we would see was gaily dressed, some even donning holiday masks. Shops, games & food stands had been set up on either side of the road & the air was full of wonderful, sweet smells. The sound of music & merriment could be heard in every direction, but for a moment those pleasant sounds were drowned out by one blood-curdling scream!

Without thinking, we ran to the scene, & there we would witness something that we’d never seen before & doubt we’ll ever see again! In front of a nearby shop, we would find a man being mauled by a huge black bear in a bright pink tutu!

I lifted my skirt & pulled out my pistol. Not wanting to hurt the poor creature too badly, I aimed for his flank & when I hit, he came limping after me! Meanwhile, Dio ran to the merchant stall & grabbed a large iron pot, immediately throwing it at the bear’s head! It hit with a resonating "BONG" & the bear staggered for a moment before falling, unconscious.

With the bear out of commission, I ran to the man who now lie bleeding in the street. I kneeled down beside him in time to witness his last words; "The circus… must… stop him!" On his last breath, he went limp, opening his clenched hand, & as he did, a little red clown nose rolled out. I picked up & gave it a squeak.

Just then a portly Vodacce man came running over & went to check on the bear. He began fussing about how he’d always been such a good bear & he didn’t know what had gotten into him! I worked my way over to the man & Dio joined us also, kneeling down beside the animal. He felt around in the fur for awhile before pulling out a small dagger. Upon further examination, we would notice a thick viscous liquid sticking to the blade- the poor bear had been poisoned! The animal’s trainer explained that he was the dancing bear for the circus & the dead man was Henri Philippe, a clown.

Eventually, figuring there was nothing more we could do & not wanting to waste any more of our day, we departed. As we made for the Big Top Dio said, "Dancing bear mauls clown… not something you see everyday." Oh, it was in such bad taste, but I couldn’t help but laugh!

Once inside the circus grounds, we would find all sorts of sweet treat stands & carnival contests along the dirt road to the enormous tent. Anything that caught Dio’s eye, as promised, I either bought or won for him. We nibbled on a large tuft of cotton candy as we watched a comedic puppet show & visited the "Mysterious Goat Boy". (I had to muse that "his mother had to have been even kinkier than I", to which Dio replied that his dress maker wasn’t as good…)

On our way past the Hall of Mirrors a very small man stopped us. He said that the Ringmaster, Mr. Burnam, wished a word… it was very important. I didn’t want to disrupt my companion’s day again, but when I looked for his approval he nodded & so we followed. We were taken back behind the circus tents & into a big wagon that was filled to the gunwales with strange & no doubt expensive knick knacks from all over the world.

The owner welcomed us with a handshake & a friendly smile before getting to the point. He had heard that we had witnessed the attack & was curious as to what we saw, especially anything unusual, which is when I told him about the poisoned knife. He asked then how interested I was. I shrugged, not really wanting to get involved, but I must admit, I was insanely curious.

Noticing my quandary, he asked if I would just allow him to show us something. I nodded & he had us follow him out to a large, square tent, where he pushed aside a hay bale revealing another corpse. This one was found just five minutes before we arrived, he said before begging us to find the person responsible.

At that very moment, a voice behind us spoke, "That will not be necessary!" We turned & there, at the door, was a burly Eisen man in a top hat with a hilarious handlebar moustache. He pulled a cord to the side of the door, dropping a barred cage down over us! Before we even had time to speak, he snapped his fingers & the Ringmaster fell to the ground, asleep! After that performance, he made a low, sweeping bow & introduced himself as "Gustaf the Magnificent"! I glanced at him briefly before calling him "yet another man with delusions of grandeur", but I assured him that his performance was quite funny. He just rolled his eyes with a "you bore me". He informed us then that his dramatic plans for the destruction of the circus will take place as planned- the cannon ball act will "go off with a bang", but we won’t be there to witness it! With that, he pulled another cord & laughed as he walked away.

Small doors on either side of the cage opened & 2 large, muscular lions entered the room. Serpente ducked behind a hay bale, while I climbed on top of them & again pulled out my pistol, but it wouldn’t do any good. As a lion climbed up after me, I fired twice & missed twice! Meanwhile, Dio began climbing the cage bars & came down with a very long whip, which he snapped loudly. Both lions recoiled in fear & ran back in through the doors from which they came. I was so impressed & it must have shown, as Dio smiled & shrugged, saying, "I never knew I had it in me."

After a brief laugh, he cut the rope to the trap doors, closing the lions in again, while I climbed the bars. I grabbed the rope to the door & rode it down, pulling the door up. While I held it in place, he pushed over some hay bales to prop it up with & we made our way back out onto the thoroughfare.

I think we both breathed a huge sigh of relief until we noticed six clowns standing in front of us! All of them wore a disturbing, blank expression on their painted faces… & all of them carried knives! Always having had a secret fear of clowns ever since I was a child, this was the ultimate in creepiness for me! I just wanted to get away, but as I turned I’d discover six more behind us! We had no choice but to fight them.

On either side of the road were all kinds of games & vendors, so while Dio went to find weapons, I jumped up onto the nearby cream pie stand & began throwing pies at my attackers. After blinding one with a pie & shooting another, I’d hear a loud "BING"! One quick glance at the strength test explained everything, as Dio stood with the mallet in hand & an unconscious clown on the ground!

I fired again, but missed! Being out of ammo, I threw my pistol & pulled out my bodice dagger. I was surrounded by them, so I hit another clown in the face with a pie & jumped down, this time running for the coconut stand. I leapt up onto it, put my dagger away & grabbed 2 coconuts.

"BING!"

Serpente had done it again! I was beginning to think he was having just a bit too much fun! I realized then, however, that I was too! All of my hatred of clowns & unpleasant memories of the circus was coming out in the most entertaining ways!

Anyway, the clowns all walked very slowly, as if in a trance, with their knives in the air, so by the time the first arrived, I was ready! I let him get close & smashed his head between the coconuts, knocking him out cold! At this point, there was one to go & he suffered the same fate; his head made a loud crunch before he staggered & fell to the ground.

With my lot gone I ran after Dio, who was now at the dunk tank & as I arrived, he was just throwing his last clown in! A strange thing would happen then, however. The clown, now sopping wet, poked his head up out of the tank & asked, stammering & obviously confused, what he was doing there. When we explained, he replied that he remembered none of it; in fact, he last memory was of- the man with the moustache!

After all of that excitement, I'd completely forgotten! I asked him when the human cannon ball event was, to which he looked at the sky & replied, "Any minute." We simply had to stop it, so without further delay Serpente & I made for the Big Top.

In the center of the enormous tent were all of the tools of a good circus- the trapeze, the high wire, bars, rings, hoops... & the cannon, which was pointed directly at the Ambassador! With no time to think, I ran directly for his seat, pushing through everyone in my way before finally throwing myself on top of him! Needless to say, his guards instantly surrounded us, but I had no time to explain, as several blank-faced & armed circus people had begun moving slowly in our direction. At the same time, I spotted my companion near the cannon, Dracheneisen dagger in hand. It seemed quite apparent that he'd just cut the fuse!

I told the guards to get the Ambassador out of there, before jumping down the aisles, stepping on everything & everyone I needed to in order to get to the center. I grabbed drinks along the way, attempting to throw them in the faces of the mesmerized performers, but missed each & every time!

By the time I reached the center ring, several of them had already converged there & quickly surrounded me, so I did the only thing I could... I jumped on the trampoline up onto the ladder & climbed it all the way to the trapeze. A couple of them had followed me up the ladder, so I climbed onto the trapeze itself, eventually falling back with the bar under my knees. My skirts flew up over my head as I swung through the air, so I ripped them off before pulling out my dagger once again.

From that dizzying height, & upside down no less, I could see everything in the entire tent, albeit skewed, but my attention was forced back upward as two of the performers were now on the trapezes to either side of me, swinging at me with jugglers clubs! This would turn out to be a mistake for one of them; when he passed I snatched his weapon & when he passed again, I hit him with it, knocking him down onto the net!

There was still one to my left & he was a tricky one. I managed to switch weapons as we swung back & forth, & I was finally able to thunk him hard on the head, sending him flying to the ground below. Just then, I was able to catch a glimpse of Gustaf wandering out of the tent with the Ambassador! I needed to get to them!

Cheers came up from the audience as I flipped off of the trapeze onto the net & from there to the ground. Just like the opera in Charouse, I don’t think anyone quite realized exactly what was going on, though it was probably the better for everyone.

Anyway, as I landed, I was greeted by the strongman! He stood before me, several feet taller than I, muscle-bound & menacing. He was holding an iron barbell, which he slowly tied into a knot as I watched & for a moment, I thought I was in some real trouble… until I got an idea! I dropped to my knees, pulling out my dagger, & jabbed upward, hard between his legs. He groaned & the rest of the crowd groaned with him, until he slumped & fell to the ground in a heap.

I made for the aisle, but six more hypnotized killer clowns once again blocked my path! Serpente must have noticed the trouble, as he joined me & together we managed to dispatch just enough to run through their line.

Just outside of the Big Top was another smaller tent, which I peeked into. Sure enough, the two were inside, only the Eisen had the Vendel pinned to the wall with throwing daggers & looked like he was taking position to finish him off!

I ran to pounce on him before he could throw, but as I did, he turned & threw his dagger at me! I dodged quite gracefully, but I hadn’t anticipated Dio’s being directly behind me! He took the knife hard & slumped to the ground. During that distraction, the Ambassador managed to break himself free & while Gustaf came after me, he grabbed a juggling club & bashed him over the head! He called for his guards, who eventually came running to haul the moustache clad miscreant away.

Once we were alone again, I finally got a good look at the distinguished & remarkably handsome blonde, sapphire-eyed gentleman man I’d worked so hard to save. While he was easily the same age as my father, his years only served to add character to his stunning features. We glanced at each other for a moment as we regained our wits.

Eventually he spoke, thanking me sincerely for all of my trouble & inviting me to the ball at the Embassy that evening. Of course, I accepted graciously, before turning my attention back to Serpente. I asked him how he was feeling, to which he replied, "I have never felt better"… before passing out. The Ambassador wandered over towards us & knelt down beside me. He assured me that his best doctors would attend to my friend, which alleviated my worry a bit. At that he smiled, a genuine pleasant smile, & introduced himself as Reiner Thorsen. I likewise introduced myself before he stood, kissed my hand & departed.

So excited was I to be attending what was bound to be a very extravagant party, not to mention seeing the devastating Mr. Thorsen again, I went to the trouble & expense of having my hair & makeup professionally done for the ball. Knowing of the Vendel fondness & respect for riches, I also donned my finest gown- the black & red striped dress with black lace accents & diamonds hanging from the bodice, tiara & choker.

When my name was announced in the Embassy, I was instantly greeted by The Ambassador himself, who seemed very sincerely pleased that I could make it & he seemed equally pleased in informing me that my First Mate was doing well, nodding in Dio’s direction. I apologized at once, but I absolutely had to go see him. Fortunately, my dashing host was very understanding & encouraged me to go, so long as I promised to return shortly…

From the moment I’d arrived at Serpente’s side I was babying him, going on about how things were not supposed to have been that way & apologizing for his ruined day, although… he did seem to have had too much fun with the strength test. He simply smiled & shrugged, "What is one to do?" After sharing a laugh over the day’s crazy events, I asked him very sincerely if he was happy. In reply, he took my hand in his & gave it a gentle squeeze, with a "Yes". "Well, that’s all that matters." I said. …And I mention this because at that moment, he looked as if he were about to say something, or do something. It doesn’t really matter, because the sentiment seemed to transcend words. I felt close to him again, perhaps too close, as if I might kiss him & felt the need to find my way back to my host, "before seeming rude, you know".

The breathtaking Mr. Thorsen was very happy at my return & within minutes we were talking as if we’d known each other for years. I would discover that he had the most splendid sense of humor & delightful wit, combined with such a warm underlying sincerity, that I found myself admiring the man immensely. In fact… I think I’ve developed a crush!

Anyway, we’d been getting along so famously, that he insisted that I sit beside him for the fireworks. So, once the time was announced, he took my hand & led me outdoors where we sat, drank, talked & watched the splendid sky show. It was during this time that he mentioned he would love see me at the dedication of the wharf the following day & hoped I would attend. Now, one may remember that I’d originally been put out by the idea, but I now found myself wanting to go & assured him that I would be there.

After the show, I would find myself seated as his right hand for the absolutely magnificent Harvest Festival dinner, where we conversed & laughed some more over food & drink. Unfortunately, however, it wouldn’t be long before he announced his need to retire- something about his age, he said with a smile, but I was more than welcome to stay at the Embassy overnight. While I was very thankful for the offer, I panicked slightly & asked, rather sheepishly, if I could perhaps get a carriage to go to my room for my things… & my puppy? Reiner laughed again, assuring me that I could have anything I wished.

The next morning found me dressed up extra-specially well for breakfast in my elegant blue velvet dress with matching bows in my flowing curls. I’d hoped to impress, but upon reaching the breakfast table I’d find my host in a most unpleasant mood. When I inquired, he replied that Gustaf had escaped & now he feared that there might be problems at the dedication. Of course, I immediately offered my assistance & protection. At this he noticeably relaxed, mentioning something about how he had guards, but that obviously they hadn’t been of much use- I’d been the one to save him. Yes, he would be honored if I would stand guard for him, but honestly, I was the honored one.

So, after breakfast I changed into my black & gold captain’s garb, donned my weapons & joined Dio for the walk. He’d stayed over also, so we needed to retrieve his things from the hotel before dropping our bags & my dear little Allende off at the ship.

From there, we made our way towards the wharf, but as we neared, we noticed 6 midgets & 1 regular sized man. The full size man wore a top hat & was carrying a very large keg beneath the wharf! They hadn’t seen us from what I could tell, so we followed them quietly. Unfortunately, as soon as we had gotten close enough, the mesmerist & I caught each other’s glances! He simply smiled & cut a rope that pulled him up & as he rode it, he lit the fuse to the keg. At this point, the little people attacked, running at us with knives.

The 2 that came after me met a sharp surprise at the end of my blades & while Serpente fought off the rest, I cut another rope & rode it up to a waiting Gustaf. He laughed upon my arrival, saying, "The essence of magic is distraction. While you’re busy here, Reiner is making a very interesting speech!" …And as soon as those words escaped his lips, the keg exploded into a flurry of rainbow colors! When the smoke cleared, he was gone!

Dio had heard the explosion &, having dispatched our little enemies, ran to my side. I had no time to explain- we needed to get to The Ambassador! We jumped off of the wharf & ran full speed for the stage where the speech was set to occur. I pushed people aside; even stepping on a few, as I desperately rushed to the front. As I approached, I could make out the ball-like figure of who featured a moustache nearly as large as he was- the Lord Mayor! It became quite apparent that his speech was coming to an end as he spoke of what a great day this was for the people of Avalon & Vendel.

I climbed up onto the stage just as Ambassador Thorsen took the forefront, but as he went to speak, his usually delightful face suddenly grew expressionless, his body stiffened & his eyes glazed over as he drew his sword. When he spoke, his words came out slowly, as if in a daze… something about hating all Avalons! …And then he went to strike at the Mayor!

The second I noticed I jumped between them with all of my might, weapons crossed. His sword came down on me & was caught between my blades. I hit the ground hard, & while the Mayor rushed to safety, he continued swinging at me! As I blocked his blows, I was yelling for someone to throw water at him. Not soon enough, the little Mayor came waddling up (as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, no doubt) & splashed Reiner directly in the face.

The Ambassador instantly fell to the ground with a thud. I put my blades away & kneeled at his side. His exquisite blue eyes opened almost as soon as I sat & they were full of questions. Delicately, I told him what had happened & just as I finished explaining, his guards had arrived at the scene wanting to take him away. He nodded sadly & they helped him to his feet. Before he left, however, I promised to visit him as soon as I was done here, which brought a slight smile to his weary face. He looked forward to it.

Once he was safely in his carriage I turned my attention to the Mayor, making sure that he was unharmed & while he was rather emotionally shaken (which was actually quite comical & it took a conscious effort not to snicker at the little man), he was physically unharmed. He said, in a very thick Avalon cockney, that he had a couple of loose ends to tie up there, but requested that I stop by courthouse after about an hour. Figuring that it would be on our way back from the ship anyway, I heartily agreed.

By this time, Serpente was standing by my side & the two of us made for the Embassy. We hadn’t traveled far when a shrill scream cut through the air, followed by a woman’s voice yelling that someone had taken her daughter! We followed the mother’s cries & upon finding her, asked which way he’d gone. She pointed & sure enough, in the distance, a man in a top hat could be seen carrying the little flailing bundle in his arms.

We instantly took off after him, chasing him through the fairgrounds & into the house of mirrors. Once inside, everywhere we looked, in every wall, we could see the poor little curly haired, puppy dog eyed, child locked inside of a glass cabinet. Water was spilling in on her from above, filling quickly around her as she cried, screamed & pushed against the walls! The only thing louder was the sound of Gustaf’s maniacal laughter. I took out my sword & began bashing every mirror with its pummel, but as I did the water rose & his taunts grew louder. Upon Dio’s suggestion, we split up- he went to find the girl & I went looking for the mesmerist.

After all-too-ungracefully running into mirror after mirror as I followed his insufferable chortling. I would find myself in a large room, walled by distorted mirrors of all kinds & in each of them the moustached miscreant stood, laughing at me! "Which one am I?" He goaded, but as he continued to hurl atrocious, uncreative insults, I was able to guess his direction. I turned fast, thrusting my rapier full force into one of the mirrors! His eyes grew large with surprise as blood spurted out onto my weapon. "You’re a better foe than I thought." He stammered, & with that he pulled off his top hat. Dozens of pigeons flew out of the hat, causing me to flinch for just a second, but that second was all the time he needed. When I regained my wits, the mediocre marvel was gone.

Just then, my Dio’s voice rang through the air, "I have got her! It is okay!" Dazed & confused, I put away my bloodied weapon & slowly followed the broken mirrors back out to the front, where I would find him holding the very wet & teary eyed little girl in his arms. I must admit, it was a rather an adorable scene…

By the time we returned to the mother, a crowd had gathered & cheers rang out as we approached with the little one in tow. Her mother came running to meet us, absolutely ecstatic to have her child back. She thanked us repeatedly as Dio placed the girl in her waiting arms. As we once again headed for the Embassy, we parted with a happy reunion & an adoring crowd in our wake.

I was admitted without any fuss whatsoever & lead directly to the parlor where the Ambassador rested on an exceedingly soft red velvet couch. He was very happy to see me, but still rather confused. I sat at beside him & shared my experiences with the obnoxious mesmerist both before & after the speech. While I spoke, he took my hand & once I’d finished, he thanked me for saving him yet again. Obviously, for some reason unbeknownst to him, Gustaf had it in for him & now his career was ruined, but at least he had his life. He wanted to do something for me, to thank me. He offered anything I could possibly ask for, but the only proper thing I could think of was that lovely mud bath in Kirk…

He laughed a bit at my simple request, "Then you shall have it." He promised to send word first thing in the morning, so that upon my arrival at month’s end, I could go to the largest, most luxurious bathhouse in all of Kirk for an entire day at his expense. When I thanked him, he said, "The pleasure is all mine." "Not all." I replied, feeling my face flush as he kissed my hand once more. He expressed in the most seductive & sincere tone how he hoped to see me in Kirk & I honestly hope he does! I wonder if the Avalon will have sent him home by then…?

Anyway, I really did need to leave, so, reluctantly, with a gentle kiss to his forehead I bade my enchanting Mr. Thorsen farewell. Serpente & I stopped at the courthouse, as requested, to check on the rotund little Lord Mayor (& his moustache) one last time. Once we were presented to him, he immediately introduced us to other nobles & dignitaries about the room before reaching up to pin on me a bright blue & gold "Avalon Ribbon of Honor" for having saved his life. He asked when we planned to visit Carleon again & I mentioned our plans to return for Primus 15th. He told me to bring my officers & report to his men when we arrive, as he was officially inviting us to join him for the feast day celebration. He also assured me that all of our needs would be taken care of during our stay, as a show of his "appreciation for our assistance".

After that rather dry & painfully proper meeting, Dio & I meandered back to the ship. I remember mentioning, along the way, how the Lord Mayor was "more political" while the Ambassador was (sigh) "more… passionate". Of course, Serpente felt the need to tease me about my very obvious infatuation with the older Vendel gentleman, but I brushed it off with somewhat of an embarrassed smile. While I know that what I feel is genuine lust & sincere admiration, I also realize that I can never act on it, not really. Mr. Thorsen is an exceedingly wealthy & influential man- a useful ally, far too useful to ruin over a few hours of ecstasy! Ah, but a girl can dream…

Almost as soon as my feet hit the deck, I was asked for our heading & I was ready! I ordered us directly into Montaigne waters, West by Southwest, "until we run into something fun."At lunch, a rugged, balding Avalon man that I’d never seen before joined us. When I asked, I was informed that his name was Clayton Hall & he’d been taken on as our new Carpenter- an unfortunate reminder of the losses of our last adventure.

Well, being new to The Scarlet Lady, I simply HAD to fill him in on our shenanigans- from l’Empereur’s Birthday to Il d’ Bête to my recent escapades at the circus. I hadn’t even begun to think how ludicrous the story would sound until Mr. McKrimmon broke into unrestrained laughter. The idea of me on the flying trapeze, not to mention throwing coconuts at killer clowns, had him downright cracking up! "Don’t mind if I don’t believe ye, " He said, catching his breath, "but I must say Capn, ye have a grand sense of humor!"

…And he’s been teasing me ever since.

Mildly embarrassed, I turned my attentions to something much better- the luscious Dupré. I asked if he’d delivered my letter & he assured me that he had, but he was most certainly glad that we planned to be in Freiburg on the first of next month so he wouldn’t have to do that again, as much as he detests it.

Once everyone had completely finished eating & the dishes had been cleared, I pulled out a map, rolled it out onto the table & gave my men a lesson on each of the coastal families of Montaigne, from the Crieux to Verre. I pointed out both the worthwhile investments, as well as unwise targets. Speaking of unwise targets, however, I’d already planned to attack a Crieux ship, which is why I chose the heading we were on… & Serpente knew it. He looked at me curiously when I gave the order, but I was feeling very rambunctious & extremely daring that day. I suppose it may have been that I’d spent too much time on shore, or possibly the giddiness of my newest crush, but either way I felt like tempting fate.

Finally we did come upon a merchant ship which flew the flag of the Allais du Crieux! Two military frigates flanked it, but as soon as I laid eyes on her I simply couldn’t help myself! I had to take her. Excitedly, I ordered us to fly the flag of Avalon, being that we were still near their waters, & had us sail parallel for awhile. I knew that if we got close enough to the merchant ship, it’s military escorts wouldn’t fire for fear of damaging it. The key then, once it began, was to take the vessel before the frigates had time to react, so once we sure that they didn’t perceive us as a threat, we quickly swooped in, taking out the merchant’s sails with chain shot. Once she couldn’t move, we hooked up & boarded.

I was the first over, landing on the aftcastle & directly in front of four sailors whom I dispatched quite effortlessly with two simple strokes. From there, I fought my way below decks, to the Captain’s quarters, where I was greeted by a rather unfriendly guard. He immediately swung at me with his cutlass, but with the simplest of blocks & harshest of stabs, I sent him reeling onto the floor.

Once free of distraction, I opened the door to find a relatively well dressed, but mousy Montaigne captain, who welcomed me simply with, "I surrender." I escorted him to the upper decks at sword point, where, much to his dismay, was warmly greeted & "comforted" by the ever-amusing Lord Du Naught, who insisted that he would have me taken care of at once by informing the Emperor of this outrage!

Back on board The Scarlet Lady, the captain spoke, "They won’t let us leave alive." He stammered, before informing me that those were l’ Empereur’s frigates & specific orders were given that absolutely no pirate ships were to be allowed to escape & no pirates were to be left alive. Ah, the thought brought a smile to my face & a joy to my heart. My, how Leon must want me, to go to such trouble!

I simply informed our guest that if that were the case, they would have to kill him right along with us & had him taken below to be put in irons. He was right though, the frigates followed, moving forward & to my sides until they were flanking us. I ordered us to fall back, falling between our pursuers & pummeling them hard from both sides with our heaviest guns. After destroying both of their masts, one still attempted to give chase, until we hit her one more time- right in the powder room, causing the entire ship to explode!

We’d lost 6 men in the battle, our rigging was damaged & our galley, again, was destroyed, but we were able to limp away without any further trouble. I immediately went to examine our cargo, to see what goodies my family was so kind as to give me & to check for anything blooded. As it was, we’d make off with an entire crate of Chateau Allais du Crieux wine (of which I claimed 2 bottles for myself), another crate of 525 Sols, & yet another full of luxury goods- statues, porcelain, tapestries, artwork, & more! Altogether, a very fine catch!

After setting our course for Canguine, I went down to check on our captive, who ever so nicely welcomed me with, "What you do want?" "Oh, why the sour puss?" I teased, to which he took it upon himself to explain how I had single-handedly destroyed his life. He was working for the Duke himself, & he could never show his face again, having lost his ship to pirates!

While the idea that I’d taken my very own uncle’s ship pleased me to no end, I concealed my pleasure & moved on by asking my guest if he’d ever considered piracy, which led to a very interesting conversation! Eventually, I would learn his name was M. Cedric Bouchard du Crieux, a "mere gentry", & while he was still a little nervous & apprehensive, I was able to coerce him into joining me for drinks on the aftcastle.

Once there, settled in & with drink in hand, I shared with him the joys & profits of "the sweet trade". He seemed quite intrigued by the whole prospect, but always returned to his complaints about losing his ship & his "ruined career". Finally, I asked him how much he would have made for his voyage & at his reply I had Mr. McKrimmon fetch the downright laughable amount of 200 guilders from my personal money, which I used to reimburse him. The gesture seemed to confound him quite well, being a "ruthless pirate" & all, but even more so that I thought it was a joke & could pay it so easily.

When the men joined us for dinner, they each shared with our guest how much money they’ve made on The Scarlet Lady & he listened, wide eyed. Eventually, he mentioned, quite shyly, that he was a rather good navigator… A little bit wary to make a spur of the moment decision, but also seeing some promise in this young gentleman, I made a deal with him. We would meet for drinks at The Broken Compass & then I would let him go. What he chose to do from that point was entirely his decision, without any pressure.

…And that will be but a few days from now. Until then, I have arranged for him to sleep with the sailors, as a sailor, & join me for meals. I have discovered a few things about him in the past day since taking him on, though. He seems to be rather greedy &, that considered, I’m not sure how much I can trust him- especially with the bounty on my head. While I may scoff at 12,000 guilders, from his expression over 200… Oh, yes & he continues to complain a lot.

Well, either way, I’ll keep my word & release him in Canguine. Personally, I don’t even want to stop. Were my ship not so damaged, I’d love to continue on & raid the Montaigne some more, but I suppose if I must take shore leave somewhere, it might as well be in a town where I’m guaranteed to never sleep alone. Besides, I simply HAVE to share my story of the circus at The Broken Compass! Not that anyone will believe me…