Kairouni got to her feet and moved up towards the doorway.

Perception- 17

Seri rises more serenely but also moves towards the door behind her Igneri friend.  She addresses Smiler in Olona.

"Shaman, speak to us of what your people are saying.  If others besides us have arrived, such as Maheri somehow, or perhaps the eastern slavers in their ships, my companions will want to know.  Forgive us our restlessness.  Despite the gracious sharing of roof and sustenance, we are still strangers in a strange land.  And until just recently, there were people who sought to enslave us against our will.  And against Trondro's."

William rose to his feet upon hearing the commotion outside. There was talk of strangers approaching but with everyone already here, he wondered who else was here. He reached for his weapons just in case things went south.

Thea leaps to her feet, her eyes wide. What is going on? Her hands fly to her breast, and she fingers the handles of the two small knives hidden in her corset. She follows behind the rest of the group, but as an afterthought, reaches down and chugs the brew, since it seemed to help her companions.

HP roll: 5

As Kairouani moves towards the hut entrance, you hear fragments of sentences and words among the excited chatter outside.

"Shiny-suits"

"Sea-people"

"...not ready..."

Smiler, having lost his smile, dons a grave expression as he answers Seri's question. 

"I think the people from over the sea have arrived here. We expect them, but not now. They want captives. If we don't give, they take."

The three young hunters look around nervously at each other and the shaman. Smiler seems caught by indecision. He looks to Seri.

"Perhaps you and friends stay safe in here? Sefo will talk to sea-people." His tone suggests that he is not especially confident that Sefo will be able to resolve the situation.

As Smiler tails off, Billy's gentle snoring is the only sound inside the hut. Outside, you hear the scampering of feet and calls of "Sefo!" 

Kairouni grinned a cold grin.....fighting those who supplied slaves was no bad thing....but killing slavers themselves?  That was her purpose.

She turned to look at the others, " Wanna go steal their ship?"

William turned his head towards Kairouni. He blinked. Then he blinked again. Slowly.

'You what?' He managed to siss out somewhere between a whisper and disbelief.

" Captain and offsiders are likely here, leaves the crew with maybe the bosun and 2nd Mate...likely a hold full of slaves...My People..."

She looked towards Seri, " Or we hide in this hut like children..."

When Kairouani asks if they wish to hide in the huts like children, part of Seri wants to protest, but I am a child!  Some long-suppressed memory recalls learning from her parents below the waves that elves do not reach maturity until their hundredth year, and she is fairly sure she is still well short of that.

Instead she turns gravely to Smiler, speaking in Olona.  "We both know that taking slaves, whether by purchase or force, cuts against the freedom afforded byTrondro's horizons.  We can stand with your people and fight if they try.  At least my Elder Sister and I, if not the others.  So should you and Sefo rally your people.  Together we can be as strong as as the inexorable tide, with Trondro's will like the wind at our back."

Seri's invisible Mage Hand rouses Billy from his slumber.  She speaks quietly in Veridian.

"Elder Sister and I will go to face the slavers.  Repel them if need be."  She glances at Kairouani, uncertain of the extent to which the Igneri huntress' bloodlust will stop at merely 'repelling' the slavers.  "Slay them if we must.  I have asked Smiler that he and his chief, Sefo, stand strong with us.  Some of you may not consider this your fight.  Yet, I hope that you will join us.  For the taking or selling of flesh as property is anathema, whether it is done to us or to others.  Or should we try a ruse with the tribesmen where we pretend to be captives, bound by false restraints, then attack with surprise?"

Kairouni lowered her head slightly looking off to the side as Seri spoke....she had spoken out of turn and not showed proper respect to Trondros Voice...but her blood raced and her heart pounded....but she would do as she was bid....

Quote from Bulya39672 >>

" Captain and offsiders are likely here, leaves the crew with maybe the bosun and 2nd Mate...likely a hold full of slaves...My People..."

She looked towards Seri, " Or we hide in this hut like children..."

'There's only five of us.' William said sharply, 'That's not enough to take a ship by force out in the open.'

He listened to what Seri said. It had the beginnings of a plan, however harebrained it sounded. William was about to protest when his eyes scanned the room from side to side. There was strange looking Seri, with her foreign divine magic that he could not understand. Kairouni, the tribal woman who had more bloodlust in her than William was comfortable with. And young Thea, who seemed destined for a future of ill-advised choices and troublemaking.

He mentally kicked himself in the shin. Damnit. He thought. You just had to go and become fond of them, didn't you, William?

'Before we go charging out this hut all guns ablazing,' William said, 'we should try to gain every advantage we can get. Especially in my- our state.' A clear indication he favoured the surprise approach.

Smiler looks somewhat panicked by Seri's suggestion of fighting the slavers.

"You cannot! They will anger. Their fire sticks kill like Trondro's great storm takes trees by the shore. I have seen it. They will kill us all. Or take us. You must hide, or go quickly before they reach our home."

As Seri is speaking, Billy awakens with a start and looks about, propping himself up with one arm. Instantly alert, he listens to Seri and William.

"Take a ship, you say? What ship is this?"

Quote from Uhtred_the_Unprepared >>

Smiler looks somewhat panicked by Seri's suggestion of fighting the slavers.

"You cannot! They will anger. Their fire sticks kill like Trondro's great storm takes trees by the shore. I have seen it. They will kill us all. Or take us. You must hide, or go quickly before they reach our home."

As Seri is speaking, Billy awakens with a start and looks about, propping himself up with one arm. Instantly alert, he listens to Seri and William.

"Take a ship, you say? What ship is this?"

'Slavers.' William spat out the word. 'So it should be a ship with a substantial cargo hold. I think a skeleton crew of five could operate such a ship but it will be difficult, let alone we'd be sitting ducks for any unfriendly sailors or worse.'

Seri quickly translates Smiler's words, then speaks in both Olona and Veridian in succession so everyone can understand.

"What of my suggested ruse?  The slavers expect slaves, from Maheri presumably, and the people here have none to offer.  Shall we use our own ropes to tie false bonds around our hands which we can break out from easily.  Conceal our weapons.  The people here can present us as their offered captives, and we attempt a surprise attack when one of us gives a signal word or the slavers are on the verge of putting real shackles on us."

She finds herself wondering as she speaks of hidden weapons and surprise attacks.  Who am I to be suggesting such a ploy?  Some ambitious warrior or chief's son?  Some seasoned village elder?  No, nothing but a runaway acolyte, touched in the head...

Seri also motions Billy to quickly drink some of Smiler's Manasitana to remove his exhaustion.  "Trust me, Billy Flint."  She looks to him and her shipmates for suggestions as to what to do, making sure they understand that Smiler seems to think open battle will result in our slaughter.

As she does so, she summons her invisible Mage Hand.  (More like the potential of ocean winds or waves to push, pull or carry).

Kairouni considers Seris words and after a moment nods, " We will need to be quick to free the slaves before we are overwhelmed and I understand if the others here are not as invested as myself....".

" But I have trust in the Ocean-Father..."

Thea's face lights up at these words. Freeing people? Causing mischief? Sticking it to tyrants? Gods yes. She rubs her hands together for attention, and looks around at the rest of the group, looking into the eyes of each of her companions. The wisdom of Seri's. The drive of Kai's. The protectiveness of William's. For once, others wanted to fight back. Wanted to get rid of the corrupt systems. And she was going to help them do it.

She speaks to the group "Let's do it. Let's kick some butt. I'll go first, and draw attention from the rest of you since my weapons are much more hidden." She gestures all along her body, noting the small, concealed bulges where hidden blades lay in wait, ready for blood. Discovery would mean failure, and that would not happen. The more attention she diverted away from her companions large, clunky weapons, the less likely they would to be caught. "Here's some rope" she plows ahead, pulling some hemp rope out of her bag and walking over to the group, "Who wants fake bonds first?"

Kairouni held out her hands towards Thea, " Trust, Sister."

Thea takes the rope and ties up Kai, making sure the bonding look good but are actually easy to slip out of. She looks up at the woman, since the Elder Sister, as Seri so often calls her, is taller than the short scoundrel, who only measures five feet and two inches at max while wearing her heeled boots, and studies the face of her companion. The face betraying wisdom far beyond her ears. The fiery passion blazing in her eyes, the hatred of the slavers. As well as the muscular athletic body, one honed to deadly efficiency. Essentially, Kai is most things Thea wants to be. Wishes she could be.

Sleight of Hand check if needed to do the job well: 9

William hobbled over on painful feet and following Kairouni's example stuck out his hands for Thea to falsely bind.

'If more noble daughters were as daring as you, the world would be a better place. Or at least more interesting.' He said with a smirk as he put his own hands, safety, trust and life in Thea's.

Smiler wears an apprehensive expression even as his head continues to bob gently, almost absently. He watches Thea tie the hands of each of her companions in turn. After Kairouani, William, and Seri have received their sham bonds, Billy steps forward, wrists together. He looks around at each of your faces in turn.

"We're all in this together now, eh?" He says, with a wry smile. "Can't think of a better bunch o' shipmates to cast my lot in with."

He looks down as Thea loops the rope around his wrists. "So who's cap'n o' this venture? In my experience o' dicey situations such as this, if you don't have one clear leader it quickly goes windward. We ought to know whose signal we're lookin' out for. Easier to act together, as a crew, if we're all haulin' on the same rope, as it were." He looks up again, studying your faces as you consider his words.

As Thea puts the last touches on Billy's ropes, you hear an addition to the commotion outside. A voice calls out in the dialect of the islands, announcing the arrival of a visitor. The words are indistinct but the name of the new arrival is clear to all. Legati Belua. A Verdian name. Having spent enough time around ships and the Imperial Verdian Navy, you all know that 'Legati' is a rank. The newcomer is a ship's officer named Belua, and he or she has at least one servant able to speak the local tongue.

After the announcement has been made, one of the young hunters steps forward into the brief silence. He speaks quietly, but with a subtle confidence, and addresses Seri and Kairoauni as he knows they will best understand his words.

"I am Herim. Let me take you to the sea-people." He turns to indicate the other two behind him, who have also climbed to their feet. "Tsara and Mitombo will come too. After they take you, we follow," he mimes with his hands to indicate following. "We stay hidden, and when you escape, we help." He nods firmly to emphasise his commitment.