Kevin
Arin Cragton
Astoria

Arin gasped and sputtered as water entered every opening in his face, and fell out of the makeshift hammock he had made out of messed up netting. The ship that he was sailing on was an old fishing ship that had rescued him. He was the sole survivor of a raid on his ship, and the only mark on him was a small cut on his lip and a nick under his eye. He stood up and walked above deck, squinting as the bright sun invaded his vision, and he blocked it with his hand. 

"Oi, young man, you are awake. You are lucky we found you. You were half dead when we picked you up. It's been three days." A short and stout man told him. 

"Thanks. I appreciate it of course. But I have nothing to repay you with. All of our goods are gone, lost to the sea." Arin said, leaning against the door with his shoulder propping him up. 

"That is fine. You can work it off after we leave Astoria. We have to dock for a little bit to get supplies to repair." The man said, steering the ship towards the port.

Arin grabbed his dagger and sharpened it using the fisherman's whetstone. He looked into a cracked mirror and ran the fine blade along the curve of his face, removing the beard that had grown. He grit his teeth together as he drew the blade along his neck, and sighed as he didn't cut himself. He wiped the blade off and grabbed the bucket that held sea water and rinsed his face off. He grabbed a small cloth and wrapped it around the blade of his knife, before scrubbing his teeth with it. He finished and walked back outside, watching as the fisherman pulled into the dock. A guard that had been patrolling immediately boarded.

"Halt. What is your business here? This port is closed." The guard said. 

"Emergency repairs. The hull won't last long enough to make it to Araedia. Also we are lacking fresh water, and hoped to purchase or fill our stock here." The fisherman calmly said, resting on the wheel of the small ship. 

"Do you have papers for both of you? I can only allow you to dock if you have your fishing papers from your authority." The guard asked, his hand resting on his blade. 

"Unfortunately no. But I do have this." The man said, holding up a small bag of coins. 

"You are both under arrest for attempted bribery and trespassing. Exit the vessel and drop all weapons." The guard said, brandishing his sword. 

Arin dropped his dagger into the ship, the blade making a dull thud as it sunk into the oak. "What the fuck. I didn't even try to bribe you. I just got on this ship three days ago!"

The man began to shriek. "He's a pirate! He forced me too go here! He's the reason we came here!" The man said as the guard forced them off the ship. They were led into a dark building. 

"You will wait here until I return. And I want no problems coming from the two of you." The guard said, slamming the door behind him, and the clank of an iron lock being forced into place sounded. Only a small torch illuminated the room.
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astorian Ports.

It wasn't usual for her guards to alert her to a prisoner taken at port, and when Anya was pulled aside the next morning and informed of it, her brow raised in confusion as to why she was being told this. 

"One of them accused the other of piracy." Wirmly explained, an older gentleman who had worked with the guard for as long as she could remember. 

"One of Maith's, you think?" She asked, and the greying man gave a scrunched face in response. 

"I dunno, it seemed as if he could have just been trying to save his skin, the other kid didn't look much harm, but you can never tell these days." He offered, though his advice didn't help the situation. 

"Where are they now?" Anya asked, still having not risen from her seat.

"The jail in the port city." He answered, and she inhaled deeply, letting her head fall back as she thought over what she should do. 

"Did either show signs of illness? You said neither had papers? On a passage to Araedia?" 

Wirmly confirmed all to be true and the Queen gave a small puff of breath as she finally stood. "There are other people who can handle this." She said finally, intent to leave it at that. 

"Your majesty," Wirmly started, making her pause. "You did request that any activity on the coast be reported directly to you, on account of," He didn't say it, but he didn't have to. They were all very aware of how easily the plague could slip in through unmanned borders. She watched him for a long moment before exhaling through her nose. 

"Right. I'll meet you in half an hour. Go assure they're secured and quarantined until then." And with that, the elder man departed, The Queen following after shortly.
Kevin
Arin Cragton
Jail

Arin sighed, and sat with his back against the wall and leaned against it. He was separated from the fisherman when they were shoved in, and he closed his eyes. After a little bit he heard voices, and the shriek of the fisherman nearby. 

"I'M SERIOUS. HE'S A FUCKING PIRATE.LISTEN TO ME.." The man's voice trailed off as the guard left his cell. Arin opened his eyes as his door swung opened up and a bright light violated his eyes. 

"Name?" A rough voice asked. Arin couldn't make out the man's face. 

"Arin. Arin Cragton." 

"Business in Astoria?" He was asked. 

"Just passing through."

"Any disease?" 


"Fuck no. I haven't been near any port that has been rumored to carry the disease. I've been at sea since I left Northwind a few months ago." Arin said, blinking to get used to the light. All of a sudden a woman appeared in the light of the torch.

"Pay respects to the queen." The guard ordered him. 

Arin awkwardly got on a knee. "Your... Majesty?" He said awkwardly.
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astorian Ports

The first man hadn't shown any signs of infection or malintent, though he did annoyingly comment on the piracy of his passenger on every breath. When asked for proof, he could provide none, and she lingered in the doorway of the cell he occupied, arms crossed over her chest as the man was questioned. She believed he had picked the man out of the waters of a shipwreck and she believed that he had stopped to refill his stores and get repairs. She'd caught sight of the ship in the docks and noted the cracked mast that was hastily knotted in various places to try to support it's weight. But that was about the extent of what she believed, and she wasn't sure why this man was so quick to accuse the other of piracy despite having no proof besides 'knowin' his kind'." 

So when they moved to the next cell, and she was shown the blonde man in the cell, she narrowed her eyes. He was told to pay his respects, and the half hobbled attempt made her cringe. 

"I'm not your Queen, don't kneel for me." She told him, and her chin jutted upwards once, instructing him to rise to the position he previously held. "You've not docked once since your departure from Northwind?"
Kevin
Arin Cragton
Jail

Arin stood up slowly and looked at the woman. 

"Unfortunately no. I've been plagued by terrible luck and bad timing ever since this meeting with some Prince. I think his name was Pickles... Hickles.. Something of the sort. But no. It's been a long time since I have been on solid ground. But I have no one to return to, so that helps." Arin said, shrugging his shoulders slightly. He popped his neck and looked back at the Queen. 

"I'm not surprised you all locked me up. With the sickness spreading so rapidly, I would do the same." Arin said, grinning. His white teeth gleamed in the torchlight.
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astorian Ports

Why that helped, she had no idea. "Plagued is a poor choice of words, mister Cragton." She reminded him, and looked to Wirmly who was looking thoroughly annoyed. 

"Why are you traveling to Araedia? Whose ship did you sail?"
Kevin
Arin Cragton
Astoria Port Jail 

Arin opened his eyes again and stood up straight. "I was sailing on a merchant ship sailing from Taemar and traveling to Araedia looking for work when a pirate crew boarded us. I barely escaped out to sea." Arin lied smoothly, though his starting point and destination were true. "Although yes, plagued is a bad choice. May I replace it with dogged? I apologize." Arin said softly, looking down at his pocket. He reached in and remembered it was empty. "I was hoping for a gift to give you. It's not often one gets to meet a queen. " Arin said. 

The guard was looking anxious, and Arin laughed softly. "What? Is my interrogation boring you? You could always leave. It's not like I'll ever be let out of this stupid cell until you want me to leave." He said, leaning back against the wall and scratching the stubble that was forming on his face.
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astorian Ports

Her brow rose. "You said a moment ago you were sailing from Northwind, now it's Taemar?" She asked, and tensed as he reached into his pocket. He commented about a gift, and something about his smile made her skin crawl. She was over this investigation. She didn't want him or his friend antagonizing her guards, let alone in her cities. 

"He's lying." She said simply to Wirmly, turning her head to the man as Arin leaned back against the wall. "Burn the ship, burn their clothing. I want them cleaned and quarantined until the next ship is scheduled to leave, and they'll be dropped off wherever feels most convenient." 

She paused, then looked to Arin. "Next time don't assume you're pretty enough to lie to a Queen."
Kevin
Arin Cragton 
Astoria

Arin smiled. "I never lied." Arin said, sitting on the ground and closing his eyes. "I told you that I have never touched solid ground nor been at a port. I also told you I sailed from Northwind and then was on a merchant ship that sailed from Taemar. Now how do you think that a young sailor got on a ship that was sailing from Taemar without touching a dock?" Arin asked, his voice dripping from his mouth like honey. 

"I told you my luck was horrible. The ship I was sailing on from Northwind was sunk in the sea near Araedia, my destination. I was picked up by a pirate ship and I was going to be sold into slavery when they tried to board a merchant ship. That's why the guy said I was a pirate, because he saw me jump off of the massive ship known as the Black Marauder. Sorry for my confusing statements." Arin said. His mind ran through countless scenarios and he remained calm. "Thank you for the compliment though. You don't look half bad yourself, your highness." He said, opening his eyes and looking up.
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astorian Ports

Her eyes rolled, "Funny how you're a chatterbox at the idea of two weeks of solitude." She mused, and looked to Wirmly. He was annoyed, and she could tell. "Question his friend again, confirm that story, if a detail is different from mister Cragton here, I'll dump them both in the sea. I don't want one of Maith's spies in my home." She left out the _again_ bit, and watched as Wirmly disappeared. With him gone, she moved across the room to Arin, and gripped his wrist firmly, her fingers barely touching where they wrapped around to meet over his pulse. 

Anya didn't say why she had reached for him, and she was quiet as she probed the man for a hint of the disease that had been reported throughout Terresol. It hadn't hit the Astorian borders yet, but it didn't mean it couldn't. "You're clean, at least that was honest." She mused, releasing him with a sigh. "So you somehow escaped piracy? How did you get off the ship?"
Kevin
Arin Cragton
Astoria 

Arin shrugged. "They were a bunch of idiots. They didn't check my pockets. My dad taught me how to pick a basic lock so I escaped the room they put me in and jumped ship. Then the Fisherman over there, he picked me up. The entire ship went up in flames though, because apparently you are not supposed to knock over a lantern, three torches, and a candle on your way out. " Arin said, grinning a little bit. "Before they noticed half of the galley was already lit up." He said. "But they did leave their mark." He said, pointing to his eye and cut lip. 


All of a sudden she grabbed his arm, and Arin slid back. "Don't you think this is inappropriate? Oh well." He said, his eyes widening. She wouldn't dare try anything, he hoped.
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astorian Ports

His comment made her wonder if her own guards had checked his pockets. Surely they had, but something about the comment felt like a hint that they hadn't. Her lips pressed together and she placed her free hand on his thigh, feeling for whatever he might be hiding in his pocket. Her palm fell on flat skin, and she repeated the motion on the other to the same result. She wasn't satisfied that he wasn't hiding anything, but she wasn't in the mood to preform a full pat down on the man. 

"So you think death is equivalent to a cut lip? Seems like a skewed moral compass."
Kevin
Arin Cragton 
Astoria

Arin frowned. "What are you even looking for? I was searched when leaving the ship. I had nothing but my dagger." He said, trying his best not to embarrass himself in front of a queen. 

"No. It was worth life. I would die a slave. I would rather live months out here than years working for someone that wouldn't care about me. I want to be free. I want to live my days with the wind in my hair and the sun in my eyes." He said.
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astorian Ports

"A poet and a pirate, what a pleasure." She murmured, but straightened. "What's in Araedia for you?"
Kevin
Arin Cragton
Astoria 

Arin leaned back. "Hopefully the life I'm looking for. I have someone there that I know that, if they actually waited for me, should have the escape, or the job, I need." He said softly.