The Ransom of Tolan duBroise

[gedren_y]

The capture of the Dark Narwhal, and the death of her captain had been told readily enough. Captain Daffyd Prows, known to many as Splattersquawk, had been struck by a precise cannon shot, sending his body off the ship and into the deep.

What had not been told was that the force of the shot had knocked the close-by first mate, Tolan duBroise, senseless for several minutes. During that time the crew of the Dark Narwhal were overwhelmed. When Tolan came to he only had time to grab all that remained of his late captain, his black hat with the gold tiara, before he was surrounded by the invading Sea Rat crew.

Holding tight to the hat and his favorite map, Tolan allowed the invaders to disarm and shackle him. He was quickly ushered over to the Darting Frog, and into a fully shuttered captain's cabin. The cabin was lit with three oil lamps, and was decorated with items seeming to have originated from the far southwest of the Halosian continent. This was not surprising, given the look of most of the crew.

His captors forced Tolan into a seat before a grandly carved desk, holding him in place. One cocked the pistol taken from him, and the other placed Tolan's rapier on the desk within easy reach. Tolan relaxed with the understanding that if he behaved he would survive.

It was several minutes before a man obviously the captain came through the door. He said something in some other tongue to the crewmen, took the cocked pistol, and sat across from Tolan. The two crewmen were quick to exit. The captain smiled at Tolan, laying the pistol on the far side of the rapier, within his easy reach.

"I am Captain now." the man said, with no hint of accent.

Tolan gave a slight nod.

"Please lay your map and hats on the desk," he asked. When Tolan did so he continued, "You are a valuable man, Tolan duBroise. I answer to Captain Sulu. You know the name?"

Tolan nodded again.

"Good. Captain Sulu has prepared a ransom contract should we capture you," he said, handing over a piece of parchment, "Please read."

It was a simple contract, but clear and generous. He would be held at a secret location, and well cared for, until the ransom was paid. The sum listed wasn't unreasonable, so Tolan knew his family would pay. The note also informed him that all his maps would be copied, but anything on his person save pistols would be returned.

For his part the contract stipulated that Tolan, upon release, was to swear off seeking any revenge on the interests of Captain Sulu.

"My crew?" Tolan asked.

"May stay or go when we sell the ship," the captain replied with a shrug.

As Tolan reached across the desk the captain tensed, but relaxed when he lifted the quill in the inkwell. Signing the parchment, he asked, "May I know your name?"

"I was told not to give it," the captain replied.

"Ah," Tolan responded, returning the parchment.

The captain took a long moment examining Tolan's signature, comparing it to the notes on the map before him. When he was satisfied, the captain spread sand on the ink to set it, blew on the words, and quickly rolled it. A bit of black wax was applied, and a seal impressed into it.

It was only when this business was done that Tolan realized that the Darting Frog had been under sail for quite some time.

The captain called out in that other tongue, and a different crewman came in with a black sack.

"You are a canny navigator, Mr. duBroise," the captain told him, "This is a minor thing to keep our holding facility secure."

The sack went over Tolan's head before he could comment. Covered, he was ushered out of the office, across the deck, into the hold, and then across what seemed the extent of the hold. On this trip he heard the voices of his crewmen.

"Hold steady, mates," Tolan told them with as much conviction as he could, "Ye'll be free soon enough."

Tolan could tell that the man escorting him was taking him around several alternating stacks of tall cargo (plunder?) to his holding place. When they stopped, the unknown crewman spun Tolan left and right repeatedly, confusing his sense of direction. Then came a wooden clack and the creaking of hinges.

With sudden push Tolan stumbled into an empty space, followed by a heavy thud. It didn't take long before Tolan realized he was alone, and he removed the black sack.

"A smuggler's hold? Here?" Tolan exclaimed when he realized where he was.

A small shaft of light pierced the darkness of the place, likely from a knocked out knot in the wood. It let him see three barrels on the left side of the space (he couldn't tell if it was port or starboard), and on the right a small enamel pot. His privy he guessed. A quick examination of the barrels revealed that one was water, one was hardtack, and one was salted beef. His provisions obviously.

Tolan looked out the knot hole, but all he could see was a line of planks.

With little to do, Tolan settled against the beef barrel and began to sing.

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Tolan would spend nearly a week in the little hold, seeing only two crewmen when they came to empty his pot. One would hold a pistol on him, and the other would leave with the pot, empty it and return, then they would both leave. By the end of his stay the place had become quite ripe.

It was night when Tolan heard the clear sound of an anchor going down. It was simple matter to expect whomever came for him would want the sack on his head, so Tolan did this himself.

It wasn't long before he heard the hidden door open and a gruff voice say, "Good. Walk."

Sack covered, Tolan was put into what he could tell was a dinghy, rowed to a beach, and marched through some dense foliage. There was an expanse of open ground, then a stone pathway. The sound of a large door opening, then Tolan was walking on wooden floors.

Tolan was told to keep walking, with nudges on one shoulder or another to indicate turns. As he came through another door, he heard the shuttering of a window to his left. Tolan was turned to his right, and the bag his shackles were removed. He stood in a hallway. Ahead to his left was a barred doorway, and on the right was a small table.

"Your things stay there," a crewman told him pointing at the table. Pointing at the barred doorway he continued, "You go in there."

Tolan had little choice but to comply.

The room looked comfortable enough, though it had been decorated for a lady, and lacked any windows. As soon as Tolan was locked in, his escorts left. A few minutes later the clattering of a shutter bathed the hallway in light. Tolan put his face against the doorway to try and see the window, but no angle gave him even the edge of it.

Upon searching his quarters, Tolan found behind a screen at the far wall (not pictured) was a private garderobe, with the even better luxury of running water.

That night in the soft bed was another luxury that Tolan hadn't had since the Dark Narwhal sailed out of port in October.

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The next morning Tolan was awoken to the sound of someone unlocking the door. In came a woman with a pistol, a man with a plate of food and cup of ale, and best of all, a man with a razor and a towel. After the shave they left, and Tolan ate. Later two would come, one with pistol and one to get the dishes.

Lunch and dinner were same, without the shave, which would only be every third morning. During the day between meals Tolan would pray and exercise. This would be his routine for about three months.

Tolan did his best to mark the date, and when he couldn't quite remember those who served him his meals were willing to tell him. This allowed Tolan to honor the holy days of his faith as best he could.

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Feb. 18, 617

Today's mid-day clinking door came with some welcome news. Today his ransom would be paid.

"Out with ye, man," called the one in red.

"My effects," Tolan exclaimed.

"Hold there a moment," the man in greens told him.

The man in green tossed one of his blades to the woman with red hair, and quickly put Tolan's rapier in its place.

"You'll get this back when you're with your people," he told Tolan, "And I'll carry your map while you wear the bag."

"Well then," Tolan replied, picking up his brown hat, "I guess I'll give this hat to the lad, if he'll carry my other."

"Ah, well, okay then," the young man in red replied.

"Now, on with the bag, and let's go," Tolan exclaimed.

With the black sack firmly in place the quartet made their way out.

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It was another jungle walk, but it seemed to Tolan that they were taking a different direction than the night he came in. The walk was longer than before, but to the beach they made it. Before long Tolan was settled into a dinghy.

The trip in the boat was quite long too, and intentionally obtuse. His escorts took strange arcing turns, and five times paddled in circles both directions before heading off again.

As soon as the boat came to shore, the sack came off, the black hat plonked down on Tolan's head, and the map thrust into his hands with a, "There you go."

The foursome took another long walk, a full two miles down the beach to a well cared for dock. Just before stepping up Tolan noted a fortified house just inside the treeline, with at least two muskets pointed out of a window. A quick trot down, and Tolan greeted some welcome friends.

Viscount Alexander Doblin was expected, and Captain Hammish Grei of the Island Rose a welcome sight, but it was High Priestess Ylsbeth the Starcatcher that was a most rewarding surprise.

While Tolan greeted his party, the man in greens tossed the rapier.

His aim was bad, though, and it headed for the frozen grin of Captain Grei. Ylsbeth, proving at least part of her name true, caught the blade, and lightly handed it to Hammish.

The Sea Rats were quick take their prize and leave.

Viscount Doblin wanted an accounting of why the Dark Narwhal was lost. Tolan handed him his map, on the back of which was listed all the times Daffyd Prows sailed for blood not cargo. He also told Alexander how it was Daffyd who was targeted when they took the ship.

"How would ye like to be the captain of the Island Rose, lad?" Hammish asked as he handed the rapier to Tolan.

"Oh, I'd gladly command her," Tolan replied with a smile, "But why?"

"I'm a good score of years older than I look, and I've a mind to settle down," he told the younger seaman, "The good Priestess here has offered to make me the in-shore Commodore for the Island Rose and Consort's Duty. When ye're berthed in Nova Terreli I'll assist ye with cargo, and new crew if need be. Ye'll be reportin' all yer accountin' and turnin' over what's owed to the Crahaish to me. I'll also be respons'ble for givin' orders from the Crahaish, if they be needin' either of their ships for some purpose."

"You're the right man for the job, Hammish," Ylsbeth encouraged the man.

"I even have a mind to try for a seat on the Colonial Council. The Independents' Seat has been empty for too long," Hammish told Tolan out of the corner of his mouth, and much louder,  "Enough of this lad. Let's get ye acquainted with yer new crew. And then we'll be settin' our course for Nellisa."

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An overall shot of builds A and B together.

Links to some shots of the builds empty.

A 01
A 02
A 03
B 01
C 01
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And that's the story. CCC?

Edited May 16, 2017 by gedren_y

[Maxim I]

Great story Gedren! Fun to read :)

Glad to see Tolan made it home safely :)

[MKJoshA]

Fantastic story! Your writing is well done. I would have loved to see a MOC of the smugglers hold, but what you've build adds nicely to your tale. 

[gedren_y]

11 hours ago, Maxim I said:

Great story Gedren! Fun to read :)

Glad to see Tolan made it home safely :)

 

10 hours ago, MKJoshA said:

Fantastic story! Your writing is well done. I would have loved to see a MOC of the smugglers hold, but what you've build adds nicely to your tale. 

I'm glad you guys enjoyed my little yarn. Writing the stories that I post does take a lot of effort, and it is pleasing to have that appreciated.

The smuggler's hold is something I came up with in the moment because I realized that I needed to separate Tolan from the rest of the captured crew. I couldn't even do the Captain's cabin scene because I didn't have the parts for the established window, nor a good fig to be the Captain. I couldn't do the scene digitally because LDD doesn't have much in the way prints with Asian character script, nor does it have the Brickforge frill in Tolan's old brown hat and the Brickarms rapier.

Can someone confirm that I am the first to address regular shaving in BOBS?

[Bodi]

It's a long and interesting story, the reading was entertaining. The scenes are nicely built and I like these minifigs, the High Priestess Yisbeth fascinates me the most, with her wizard dress and fencing skill.

[Capt Wolf]

Good story and good builds! And while I like your work in LDD, I'm happy to see builds in real bricks. I really like the use of the clear round plates under the dock. Nice effect!

[gedren_y]

19 hours ago, Capt Wolf said:

Good story and good builds! And while I like your work in LDD, I'm happy to see builds in real bricks. I really like the use of the clear round plates under the dock. Nice effect!

Thanks. I'll be doing more physical builds for a while, though I do have a massive LDD build coming. I've used the clear round plates like this before, but that was on top of other Lego used as water. On the bit of cardboard they are more visible, and 'float' so that they look more random. Loose parts can be a bit of a problem when you need rotate a build for photography, but sometimes that is the best way to give a sense of life to a build.