Seeing that Nos seemed to have made it back up and down the ladder unscathed, Claire takes his silence to mean that he didn't spot anything dangerous ahead.  She turns back to look at the others briefly.

"I'm going.  I'm not sure what the rest of you are planning, but I will not wait for my captors to come down here and question why I'm not rowing their slaver ship.  I would rather be the one to do the questioning.  Come, or stay down here if you prefer -- but I am not going to allow these thieves and scoundrels to write my destiny."  Gripping her spear, she moves up the ladder, weapon at the ready to attack whomever might come by.  Once on the upper deck, she stops and takes a look around, trying to locate the other guards, and get the lay of the cabin.

Perception: 13

If the coast is clear, she will take a moment to stick her head down the ladder and tell the others waiting there what she's seen.  If it's not, Claire is more than ready to use her glaive once again.

Vaclav sighs but follows behind the armored lady. He keeps the owl on his shoulder as he walks. "Just make sure to say something before you get stabbed."

Climbing the ladder, Claire and Vaclav find themselves at the bow end of the lower deck [area 15].  They've been here numerous times before, but usually in a smock and being herded to an oar bench to row.   In the gloom of the lower deck you can make out rows of oar benches.   Behind the foremast is a door which heads to some unknown rooms at the fore of the deck.   In the middle of the deck is a double hatch which leads down to the hold and is opened to raise and lower crates.   Just beyond that are two doors which lead into an inner area where you believe the guards are stationed.   At the very aft is one more door which leads into the area you thinks most of the crew sleep.

Three further ladders ascend from this deck, one at the fore and two at the aft.  These lead up to the main deck and fresh air!   Additionally there is another ladder past the oars which you know leads down into the secure area you reclaimed your equipment from.

Presently there are no sounds of movement or alert.  You'd not really expect people to be moving around down here, but it's very likely that there will be people awake on the main deck above this one.

Stepping over the body of the fat man, Salazar gives it a good kick, and then nearly vomits when he gets blood on him.  It hasn't quite registered what he and his crew have done yet...  but it will.  In the mean time, Salazar pats down the man looking for any thing of value he may have been carrying on his person.  Suppressing the feelings involved with killing a man and robbing his corpse, planning to deal with them later, he continues on to the next floor.

"Maybe we should barricade the door or set it up so that anyone in there is unable to respond to anything else we are doing.  Unless we want to set everything on fire, which is... an idea of questionable merit."

Investigation, if needed for the search: 13

"I would say if we can we should clear things room by room. See if we can make a whole deck safe to move around on." Vaclav tries to see if there's any light escaping from under any of the doors using Chernobog's superior eyes.

Perception: 12

"We're not here for the crew," Claire says, struggling to see in the dim light as she squints toward the aft door, which she vaguely remembered having seen it before.  She looks towards the foremast, pointing to the door behind it and keeping her voice to a low whisper as she speaks to Valcav.   "I don't know what's behind there, but it could either be the captain's cabin or more guard rooms." 

She looks longing at the stairs leading upwards, almost desperate to taste fresh air once again.  "Maybe we should try to jam one of these doors and take care of the guards on the upper deck first."

Nos Heliwr will look around to see if he can find anything that might be used to jam the doors, quietly to be sure, both searching and jamming. (Reggae Rocks!)

Investigation   8

Salazar gives Bayo a quick frisk and finds a set of keys on him.  These are bigger than the ones Burt had, and look like they have more different types of keys. He also has a purse with a few coins on him (1 gold, 15 silver, 12 copper), and a bottle which you recognise to be a Potion of Healing.

Nos Heliwr sees lots of things which he thinks could be used to jam doors, though most of the heavy stuff is in the hold below; but it would be easy enough to bring it up here where the doors are.  There are 4 doors you could jam on the lower deck:  1 fore, 2 amidships and 1 aft.  You realise there is no door or trap door where the ladders are - they just lead up and down and cannot be shut.  Perhaps some crates could be piled up in the way to make traversing the ladders difficult.

Chernobog's superior eyes spot a sliver of light coming from the starboard side door in the middle of this deck.  As he flies around he is also able to hear low talking coming from behind that door.  You recall this is one of the two doors which guards occasionally come and go from when you are rowing.

Vaclav points to the light under the door. "Guards in there likely. Either we need to block it off or take them out." 

Claire motions to the deck above.  "I think we should deal with the guard up top first.  Let's try to jam that door over there… but quietly."

It's a sound tactical decision, but if she's being honest with herself, her real motivation is simply to be on deck and exposed to fresh air once again.  It feels like a lifetime since she's glimpsed the sky overhead, and her jaws clench a little in frustration at the necessary delay.  Recognizing the danger of her impatience, she manages to hold herself from charging blindly forward towards the top deck with a warrior's cry on her lips.  Instead, she just continues to grip her glaive tightly and wait for the others to make the first move - as unsatisfying as it feels to wait.

 (Claire will assist the others in jamming the doors if they need help, although she is definitely not the stealthy sort.)

Salazar pockets the keys, knowing that they will likely come in handy.  The potion is an exceptional prize.  Patting the belly of the fat man, thinking to say something clever, Salazar instead nearly vomits.  "Right then.  Let's go make sure we don't die.  New friend, you'd better be with me, or I'm in trouble."

Salazar hears a deep, ominous voice echo somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind.  I'm always with you, fear not, little one.  I watch over my own and look after them, constantly, continuously and completely.  I empower and embolden and emancipate.  And all I ask for in return is the occasional moment of gratitude, an act to repay me for the protection, power and privilege I grant.  Only tiny, trivial and trifling things do I request.   Then the voice is gone and he's not even sure it was there.  But of course in the back of his mind he knows it's always there, listening, watching and somehow waiting...

Salazar jumps, and then shivers as the voice echoes through his consciousness.  There was much to learn about this relationship, and with the being actually communicating with him directly, perhaps that learning will be easier.  "Excellent.  Glad we are on the same page, then.  I'll look forward to it."  Salazar joins the rest of his former slaves and current mutineers.

Claire looks around, but the others seem to be distracted… likely still dealing with the body, or perhaps some of the prisoners were rising up to join with them.  The thought bolsters her, but she tamps down on that hope, knowing that in the heat of the moment, you really only can rely on yourself.  Then she shoots a glance at the mage who instigated this entire rebellion.  Or maybe not...

"I'm going to try to jam that," Claire whispers, pulling out her crowbar and gesturing to the door Valcav had indicated.  "Maybe you can send your bird up and scout the situation on the deck.  If there's only a few guard up there, luring them towards the stairs might allow me to take them by surprise.  My glaive has a pretty long reach.  But hurry," she adds.  "They might hear me doing this and try to break out.  I'd prefer to have the guards on deck out of commission before we deal with the ones behind this door."

Having stated her intent, Claire does exactly that - move up to the door and wedge her crowbar into the door in such a way that it acts as a metal latch.  Then, moving swiftly, she makes to the stairs, watching for Vaclav's signal to move, glaive out and ready.

Vaclav nods and snaps Chernobog away. He then walks over to one of the portholes for the ores and looks upwards, snapping Chernobog out into the night sky and having him glide around the ship. He walks back over to Claire and places a hand on her shoulder before his eyes go pitch black. 

Claire flinches, then relaxes a bit.  It's the first human touch she's had in a while that hasn't been at the hands of a slaver.  Seeing the strange condition of Vaclav's eyes, she figures magic is at work, and tries not to reflexively flinch - her family had been so very strict about condemning the use of any magics whatsoever.  He's been helping us so far, and I'll take what advantages I can get, she tells herself, trying to shake off the uncomfortable feeling and readying herself to guard Vaclav from whatever might appear.

Claire goes to jam her crowbar into the door of the starboard midships cabin.  As she gets close she hears a laugh behind the door, and maybe she picks up the sounds of knucklebones being rolled.    The crowbar slots into place, jamming the handle neatly.  It'll take a brawny sailor to break through that door.

Her and Vaclav make their way quietly to the foot of the foremost ladder.  There Vaclav sends Chernobog off to the Void and then resummons him on the outside of the ship.  The owl swoops across the ship's surface, revelling in the fresh air and freedom.  

Vaclav sees that the main deck is mostly quiet.  Two guards stand watch at the Quarterdeck, softly chatting to each other and a bit distracted.  A further guard is alone on the Forecastle.  There's no one in the rigging and no one in the crow's nest.  The crew are all apparently in their quarters.

Away from the ship it is a moonlit night and the stars are out, casting dim light across the deck.  The owl swoops again and Vaclav can see the shore, not too far away across a dark, calm sea.   The shoreline isn't familiar to him and there are no signs of any significant settlements.  A sandy beach rises in the moonlight to flat farmlands, and in the distant his owl-sight can make out a small farmstead.

Vaclav let's Chernobog fly by himself for a bit and takes his hand off Claire. "Three guards on deck. Two on the quarterdeck, one up front. Sorry for the touch, needed a way to tell if bad things were coming." 

"We should try to take out the one on the forecastle as quietly as possible," Claire says.  "Even if we make noise, though, at least it'll be a longer journey for the guards on the quarterdeck to run down here and let their friends out.  Are you ready?"  She pauses, and looks over her shoulder.  "... and are any of the others coming, or did they all lose their nerve?"