The Unbound Wolf

[Imara]

The rank odor of stale ale and tobacco hung in the air as Liadain sat across from the one remaining player at the table. He was handsome enough; some minor noble of an unrecognized Sin’dorei family. Earlier in the evening, when the table had been full and the ale had been fresh, he had been wearing a dapper black coat and his hair had been styled to perfection. Now he was bleary eyed, his coat was gone and his loose-fitting white shirt was un-tucked. He had to brush several strands of hair out of his face to return her unwavering stare.

“And so here we are, m’lady. The final hand. I wonder if you have the gumption to up the ante…”

Liadain smirked, downing the last of her wine, the blue flecks in her eyes flashing. “I think the rest of the men here would agree that I have hardly backed down from a challenge this evening.” Lia gestured toward the motley crew surrounding the table.

The men were all in various stages of intoxication but they seemed terribly interested in the game before them. An orc with a horribly scarred face stood just behind Liadain and nodded his agreement, a line of drool falling to Lia’s shoulder. She wiped the spit away with her sleeve, her eyes never leaving her opponent’s.

The elf cleared his throat. “Very well then. I say if what you have bests me I’ll give you the last ship in my father’s fleet… Admiral.” He mocked. “If I best you, you spend tonight in my bed.” A ripple of murmurs arose from the surrounding crowd, along with a good deal of lecherous snickering.

Liadain smirked. “You’ve got a deal.” The room went silent and the gentleman’s cocky demeanor faltered slightly. He rolled his shoulders, swallowed the rest of his ale in one gulp and flopped his hand on the table. The crowd cheered; full-house, aces and eights.

Liadain rose slowly, being jostled slightly by the eager crowd, breaking eye contact for the first time to look down at her hand. Liadain scrunched up her nose. “Hmmm…” The crowd quieted and her opponent adjusted his belt meaningfully.

In one fluid motion, Liadain spread her cards on the table. “I trust she’s seaworthy…”

The crowd erupted in boisterous cheers, and the orc behind Liadain picked her up in a bear hug, as the nobleman stared in disbelief at the mocking faces of four queens.

[Imara]

Liadain stood on the beach, arms crossed, surveying the sloop with a critical eye. Much to her surprise, the ship was actually sea worthy and appeared to be well cared for; it’s sails and masts in good repair. She turned to her former opponent, now dressed to the nines again, and extended her hand with a grin.

“Well. It’s certainly been a pleasure doing business with you. I’ll be sure to change her name, lest your family become associated with any of my nasty pirate habits.” She winked at him and he shook her hand weakly; clearly still sore over his loss.

Releasing his hand, Liadain sauntered off to the dinghy where Davadan, her newly appointed first mate, stood waiting. “Shall we?” Davadan saluted her good-naturedly, she hopped on board, and the pair of them rowed out to the ship.

On the approach Lia scanned her new vessel. She had been pleased to discover it was a smaller ship. She’d always been one for speed and maneuverability over armor and great firepower. A ship like this would require only a small crew and should easily be able to dodge any trouble in their travels. She noted, as they tossed the lines to the two young human boys on deck, that the vessel had been dubbed the “Excelsior.”

Liadain turned back to Davadan as they settled on the deck. “That name is suitably flowery for you elves, no?”

Davadan pulled a face. “We aren’t all pansy noblemen.”

“Excellent. Then you won’t mind that we are changing it.” Liadain chuckled and then, without a word, they parted ways to begin inspecting the vessel more closely.

Liadain headed below deck, the two boys following in her wake; curiosity plain on their faces. Though musty from disuse, the hull of the ship was sturdy and well oiled, the cargo space was dry and the living quarters were compact but comfortable. Lia’s eyes searched every nook and cranny, looking for any sign that the ship might not be safe to sail and she found nothing. Eventually, she returned to Davadan who had finished his evaluation and stood at the helm.

Davadan smiled at Liadain, her blond hair was being tossed by the sea breeze and it glinted in the late afternoon sun as she leaned casually on the wheel. He noted that she looked more comfortable than he had seen her thusfar in the short time they had known each other. It suited her. “Well, Admiral. I couldn’t find any problems on my search. How about you?”

Liadain smiled. “None at all.” She glanced over at the two boys standing awkwardly nearby. “You boys seem terribly nervous.”

The taller boy cleared his throat. “Well. Me brother and I we… well… Lord Purefoy he… He says we work for you or no one.” The boy turned a brighter shade of red with every word he spoke.

Liadain laughed, which only made the boy blush harder. “Well then. I suppose I have my first two cabin boys. What do you think Dav?”

“Seems so.” Davadan chuckled as both boys relaxed visibly. “What are your names, anyway?”

The taller boy spoke again. “Me name’s Adam and this is me brother, Tim.”

“Well, welcome aboard the… Hrm… " Davadan paused and looked at Liadain.

“Unbound Wolf.” Liadain said, without hesitation.

“Oh sure… Couldn’t be something short…” Davadan grinned and turned back to the boys. “Welcome aboard the Unbound Wolf.”

[Imara]

(( I'm going to go ahead and open this up for anyone who has met Liadain, wants to meet Lia, etc. etc. Because of my work schedule I'm not online during prime time most nights but I would love to meet more people and get more RP going out there. So, feel free to jump in. You can also friend me and find me in game. :)

When not on her ship these days, Lia is typically hanging out in taverns, training in the rogue's guild or milling about Shattrath and Silvermoon. Have at it!))