Buying Banner

There were now too many people on my boards, I had neither food nor water for this many. We were still far from any place we could provision, and here there was no protection. It was one of the young officers from the empire Ship who beseeched me as I prepared to overhaul my best friend's ship and kill his crew.

The figure was a boy, but already an officer. He had stripped the dragon from his sleeve and his stripes from his shoulder, watching them fall into the murky water below before he turned to address me. His manner belied formal training.

"Lord Captain, I have been told that you are a deep water man, and one not willing to kill your own, which is why I come to you. Your boards are overloaded, and I know you plan to overhaul this other set of boards and bring her down." He gestured to Marek's ship. "And that they are tied to you by friendship and by blood."

He paused a moment to give me a chance to speak. "But why damn such boards to the deeps? Perhaps, and if this is not so, I will understand, not even being pledged to the Banner, but perhaps. Perhaps, you would deem it fit, if we should vote to hang bones, that we might raise banner over these boards and save you from having to kill your own men. Further, we would then follow you to where you must go."