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piosenniel · 06-19-2002, 08:57 PM

It was late evening, darkening toward night. As if in answer to her supplication on the cat, the night sky was clouded over, no stars shone through and even the light of the moon was hazy and obscured.

Pio climbed silently up the stern end of the great ship, finding hand and footholds that no human could see. When she reached the deck, she looked over its edge carefully, checking for any patrolling guards. To her left, the way was clear but on her right were two sailors just walking away from her. Her arms and legs burned from the long climb, but she waited until the two were well out of sight. Body flat on the deck, she crawled under a tarp draped over some stacked crates near her boarding point. She inched quietly around the crates and peered out at the expanse of the deck which was dimly lit with lanterns.

Near the helm, she could see that the Captains cabin was well lit, and there were voices coming from it, though she could not pick up the words. Across the oilskin covering the windows, she could see two figures cross and recross each other's path. The voices rose and fell as if there were some sort of argument going on.

There were not many sailors out on deck by her reckoning. And her end of the vessel seemed especially deserted. There was one crew member who was walking toward her position, a coil of rope over his shoulder. He drew near and proceeded to place the coil on the crates and then sat down on one of the lower boxes. Pio stopped her breathing and listened intently. She heard him tamping tobacco into his pipe, the scritch of the match, and then the smell of tobacco drifting on the air.

Stepping quietly behind him, she held his head in a vise-like grip with her arm and slit his throat from ear to ear with her knife. He made no sound, and quietly slumped back against her. She dragged him under the tarp along with his fallen pipe and stripped him of his clothes. Putting them on quickly, she took some of the dark ash and residue from his pipe and wiped it on her face and the backs of her hands. She stuck his knife in her trouser's top and wiped off her knife on the leg of her pants.

'Time to reconnoiter,' she thought to herself, and slipped into the shadows.

06-19-2002, 08:57 PM	#382
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	It was late evening, darkening toward night. As if in answer to her supplication on the cat, the night sky was clouded over, no stars shone through and even the light of the moon was hazy and obscured. Pio climbed silently up the stern end of the great ship, finding hand and footholds that no human could see. When she reached the deck, she looked over its edge carefully, checking for any patrolling guards. To her left, the way was clear but on her right were two sailors just walking away from her. Her arms and legs burned from the long climb, but she waited until the two were well out of sight. Body flat on the deck, she crawled under a tarp draped over some stacked crates near her boarding point. She inched quietly around the crates and peered out at the expanse of the deck which was dimly lit with lanterns. Near the helm, she could see that the Captains cabin was well lit, and there were voices coming from it, though she could not pick up the words. Across the oilskin covering the windows, she could see two figures cross and recross each other's path. The voices rose and fell as if there were some sort of argument going on. There were not many sailors out on deck by her reckoning. And her end of the vessel seemed especially deserted. There was one crew member who was walking toward her position, a coil of rope over his shoulder. He drew near and proceeded to place the coil on the crates and then sat down on one of the lower boxes. Pio stopped her breathing and listened intently. She heard him tamping tobacco into his pipe, the scritch of the match, and then the smell of tobacco drifting on the air. Stepping quietly behind him, she held his head in a vise-like grip with her arm and slit his throat from ear to ear with her knife. He made no sound, and quietly slumped back against her. She dragged him under the tarp along with his fallen pipe and stripped him of his clothes. Putting them on quickly, she took some of the dark ash and residue from his pipe and wiped it on her face and the backs of her hands. She stuck his knife in her trouser's top and wiped off her knife on the leg of her pants. 'Time to reconnoiter,' she thought to herself, and slipped into the shadows. __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.