Capt'n Bob was becoming concerned; not of the fire spreading from the ship he was traveling on to the river pirate's vessel but of the river pirate with the pole axe trying to kill him. He had been in the rigging when he fell off a spar, caught a rope on his way down which snapped off at the rail swinging him on to the pirates foredeck, standard stuff for Capt'n Bob. Having a hulking orc see this happen and come after him was not. The pirate had forced CB back against the railing and then out on to the bowsprit itself. He tensed as the orc wound up for a might swing. "Looks like you're dead" said a dwarf lashed to the front of the ship as a figurehead. Startled by this odd sight he failed to dodge as the orc swung and having counting on CB to dodge left missed completely with the axe nearly cutting the dwarf's arm off. Igor had his arms and torso freed when the orc's wild swing cut the ropes around the but his legs were still tied he quickly reached over his shoulder rummaged through the enormous pack on his back and pulled out a bowie knife and started cutting himself free. Capt'n Bob had assumed his usual pose one hand on his hip they other hold the rapier with its tip on the ground. The orc was swearing and trying to free his poleaxe. Igor looked up and decided to be helpful "You moron you need leverage! Put one foot against the rail and heave like you mean it."
"The orc now enraged by the dwarf's taunts brace a foot against the end of the bowsprit and did heave like he meant it. Capt'n Bob fell off the bowsprit as the whole front rigging including figurehead lurched out and down 3 feet as the rotted wood gave way under the orc's assault. Both the man and dwarf where hanging onto some ropes as the forward end to the pirate ship continued to slowly break free. "Now what?" Igor asked. Capt'n Bob was looking past the dwarf as something came down the side to the pirate vessel "We let go right...NOW!" and he dropped 8 feet to the deck of a small fishing boat drifting below. Igor also let go and landed more awkwardly "Where did this come from?" he asked in amazement having fully expected to be sinking to the bottom of the river. Capt'n Bob just shrugged "We were lucky".
"We should get to Glimmerdale probably by morning I am Capt'n Bob but you can call me CB" the man settled comfortably at the tiller. "I am Igor...Igor the mad! They mock my inventions but they will all rue the day when I return" the dwarf was shaking his fist at the sky. "Soooo how long where you tied to the front of the ship?" CB cautiously asked. "About 2 days, well mostly nights actually did you notice the glowing stone embedded in my forehead? The pirates where using me as a lamp." The dwarf seemed rational again and CB wondered how not to upset his mental state again. "Yes now that you mention it I do notice it" Of course CB had seen it the stone was an inch across and had a bright yellow inner light. "It is a magestone isn't it? Aren't those usually on the palms of you hands?" "My fool brother shall shall be the most ruesome of them all for it was he who found the cursed thing and knowing of my superior intellect and keen reasoning brought it to me!" the Dwarf raved. "But just bringing it wasn't enough for him, no! Jealousy consumed him and he bounced it off my work bench so it struck me in the head!" Capt'n Bob sighed it was going to be a long trip. "I think it is "Rueful" not ruesome. Did you get struck in the head a lot growing up?"
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