Cat And Mouse

[Felix Whitegate]

The darkening horizon did little to quell Felix's growing sense of unease. He wasn't certain if it was some forshadowed warning of what was to come or the islands themselves seeping an unnatural aura, but he couldn't shake the notion that the Shattered Isles were very much somewhere they should be giving a wide birth, never mind mooring there and intending to stay for any duration of time. 
Despite his reservations, the guardsman was certain in his actions; He couldn't have stood by and watched the ship leave, knowing Ellen was on board, in the hands of pirates. The Captain of the ship had seen little need to treat him in the same vein, thankfully not recognising his name, nor meet him with the end of a blade, and save for a few dark glares in his direction from her surpassingly loyal crew, the guardsman was left unhindered after promising that his only purpose for being on board was to protect the kidnapped noble.

The ocean air ruffled his fringe, the usually welcoming sent of the sea, here, felt cruelly ice cold, as though breathing it in could cut the lungs. The guardsman looked out to the darkening sea, his forearms leaning on the wooden ledge that ran the edge of the ship; The bright smile he'd given the Captain had long faded, the corners of his lips turned downwards with concern. He dropped his eyeline to the waves below, the almost black water tipped with grey froth hit the bulk of the ship with gentle rhythm; All he could do now was focus on protecting Ellen... What else could he do? He was outnumbered, and couldn't very well storm the ship and take it in order to return to Goldcrest single handed... Although if he'd by some fantastic amount of luck managed to achieve such a feat, he couldn't deny it would have been an impressive return to the mainland.
He shook his head a little, a small grin having crept onto his features at the stupidity of such an idea, before he gave another sigh, adjusting the belts that held the scabbard across his back; He might as well go and make himself useful in some way or other, given as he was pretty much stuck here for the duration.

[Trevor Marin]

It was no secret that Trevor didn't belong on any ship, let alone one maintained by pirates. His manner of dress and the calm, almost distant way in which he navigated the decks made it clear he was an outsider. He didn't mind it so much, truth be told. No one had expected him to be much of a use while on the ship, though he felt no guilt in that since much of the food, water and supplies held in the hold were provided with his coin. If that didn't warrant his right to freely move about the ship and not be expected to climb the main mast he didn't know what would.

The advantage to being an outsider was the capacity to quickly spot anyone else who simply didn't fit in. It didn't hurt that, while the young man in question didn't know Trevor, Trevor certainly knew him. How his cousin had ended up on this ship looking as out of place as an escort in a council senate meeting was a curiosity Trevor couldn't let go.

"You'll have to try pretty hard to convince me you're not an utter fool for stowing away on this ship." Trevor said. He'd moved up to the stranger and leaned against the railing, arms folding across his chest as he glanced down to the deck beneath his feet. "But I am curious as to why the captain hasn't ordered you thrown overboard. Your story must have been interesting enough to amuse her."

[Felix Whitegate]

Felix flinched a little when the man spoke to him, noting the manner in which the man had approached, casually, as though he belonged here despite obviously not being a member of the ramshackle crew; Like him, this stranger stood out a mile, from his calm demeanour to his manner of dress. The guardsman raised an eyebrow, before managing a small grin. "I wouldn't say I'm a total fool, I did manage to remain hidden for the entire journey until now," He spoke in response, a small amount of pride in his words, although this quickly fell with a chuckle. "Although likely that was with sheer luck."
He leaned back against the railing, narrowing his eyes a touch as he tried to pinpoint where he'd seen the man before; Had he seen him in Goldcrest? His face felt familiar, although Felix was certain he'd never addressed this stranger before.

Why was he on board? He was clearly no pirate, and didn't retain the usual assumed fear and concern of a kidnapped person... "...Perhaps I merely batted my lashes at her and she swooned?" He joked, before his smile fell and he folded his arms across his chest, and dropping his gaze to the deck with a gentle sigh. "... I came to protect the Lady Ellen. I know she's on board, and it's my duty to look after her. I would have prevented the ship from leaving at all had I the time to do so." He may as well be honest, what other choice did he have? The Captain already knew his purpose on board. He then raised his head, casting his gaze back to the stranger, his brow furrowed. "Who are you, sir, if you don't mind me asking? You're not exactly a pirate."

[Trevor Marin]

Despite having managed to keep his presence from being discovered until days into the journey, Trevor would continue to debate the level of foolishness. Trevor, himself, should have been able to spot the young man who so obviously didn't belong but he'd blame the tension from the situation on his oversight. Still, there [/i]had[/i] to be something more to the story for Erika to have been so lenient. She normally didn't tolerate stowaways.

A contemptuous snort followed the playful quip of a response. Trevor's eyes slid over to look over the other guy before he gave a shake of his head and a resigned sigh. "If you believe that you've no idea who you're dealing with." He remarked. He may not have known much about sailing nor had he approved of the kidnapping plot but Trevor knew the ship's captain far better than most.

More questions were set to follow but Trevor found it almost surprising at how readily the pieces of this little puzzle were offered. He gave a faint nod as Felix spoke, taking it all in and fitting the pieces together. It was an unfortunate coincidence, of course, that the Guard foolish enough to sneak aboard the Black Dagger happened to be Trevor's cousin. As if he'd ever let that bit of information be known, though.

"Lady Ellen?" Another snort came then. Trevor chuckled and shook his head. "I'm starting to think you may not be a fool, but overwhelmed by a false sense of duty and honor." Trevor said. His words were equal parts a philosophical jab, a subtle hint to his own, personal belief system and a test to see how Felix would respond. And, yes, Trevor had heard the inquiry about his own identity but tactfully chose to skim over it for the moment. "You've obviously never met the 'lady' in question. I'd give you ten minutes alone with her before you're jumping on your own sword."

[Felix Whitegate]

Felix gave a small shrug at the stranger's comment regarding the Captain. Felix knew nothing of her bar her reputation and what he'd learned in his small interaction with her, which was little more then reinforcing what he'd already known. He didn't usually keep company with pirates, so this was all relatively new to the guard. Clearly the gentleman beside him knew great deal more, which implied he'd spent a significant amount of time within the Captain's company.
Felix's gaze snapped away from the man, his expression momentarily shifting to something reminiscent of sad amusement. "... You're not the first to say that," He commented, a small smile slipping onto his expression. "But to what reason would I to falsify a sense of duty here and now, outnumbered on a pirate ship in the middle of practically nowhere?"
He wasn't certain as to why the other male sought to make a personal comment when he'd spoken to him all of mere moments, but perhaps he took delight in seeing how others reacted when he did.

The guardsman then pulled a small, but pained smile, looking back to the stranger. "And I have actually spent significant time with the woman in question." Although opted to leave it at that; He'd been forthcoming with a number of pieces of information, but it was information he felt would not hinder his safety nor the safety of Ellen... And the knowledge that the lady currently forcibly kept on board was in fact, if his Mother had her way, his intended betrothed, he wasn't quite certain how the situation could have turned. They'd come to the rapid conclusion that he too must be something of value, and would only likely end up as a second kidnap victim.

[Trevor Marin]

"I would say it's the false sense of duty that drove you here in the first place." Trevor replied without missing a beat. He turned, leaning over the railing of the ship and looking out over the water. Felix may not have know it, but his very presence added an entirely new wrinkle to a situation Trevor wasn't exactly pleased to be involved with in the first place. Guards tended to be noble and law abiding by nature, two traits that wouldn't serve the Black Dagger and its crew any favors at the moment.

A contemptuous snort followed Felix's assertion. Dark eyes slid from the water and settled upon the foolish guardsman. Now things were getting interesting. There were more pieces to the puzzle here than Trevor had originally thought and now they had started falling into place without him so much as seeking them out. There were only a few reasons why a simple member of the Goldcrest City Guard with quiet ties to the royal family of Astilon would be spending any amount of time with a young woman such as the 'esteemed' Lady Orland. "Star crossed lovers?" Trevor asked with a thin smirk touching his lips. "The valiant protector jumping headlong into danger to protect his capture love?"

[Felix Whitegate]

"How false it it when I have followed it through? Perhaps to you I seem overly righteous, but to me, I simply cannot stand by and watch a young woman be kidnapped by pirates," Felix spoke back quickly, his brows raised slightly at how bitter the other man seemed; Had he had dealings with the guard before that ended poorly, hence his tone and attempts at badgering the young noble? He clearly held some form of animosity towards, what Felix assumed, was what he stood for as a guardsman. Felix couldn't help the way he was... Perhaps it was his upbringing, but he'd long held a strong moral compass, and however false it appeared to others it was far from so to Felix.
But what need had he to prove that to this stranger? What grudges he held were, as far as Felix knew, little to do with him.

He narrowed his gaze as the other male snorted, his smile falling, before he almost immediately had to fight back an outright laugh; The idea of him and Ellen as actual lovers was laughable... It was a notion their families wanted, and not something shared by either party. But despite everything, Felix still cared for the nightmare of a socialite. He managed to hold back his almost splutter of amusement, and instead tilted his head slightly to one side, his smile calm as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Why is it when a man comes to the defense of a lady he HAS to be romantically involved?" He mused, before grinning. "Isn't that a touch narrow minded? ... Although it does beg the question as to why you'd care so much about me and my actions in the first place, sir."

[Trevor Marin]

Trevor chuckled softly. Nary a word that slipped from Felix's lips served to rattle or strike the merchant in the slightest. Felix could trumpet his beliefs of 'duty' and 'honor' all he wanted and Trevor would remain unconvinced. It was that sort of blind loyalty and refusal to compromise that Trevor found caused the slow decay of societies. It was a shame, really, that after the wars ceased there were still so many willing to follow along with outdated notions. Trevor didn't mind so much. Such ideals and values were painfully easy to exploit when you lacked any of them yourself.

"I fear you may not realize there is far more at play here than meets the eye." Trevor said cryptically. He was a man of many secrets whose motives and intent were rarely easily deciphered. "But I commend the reckless abandon in which you pursue your duty." Though the methodical way in which he spoke made it unclear whether or not he was truly complimenting or condemning the guardsman.

A laugh escaped at Felix's reply. Of course Trevor wasn't so narrow minded to think there was only one reason one such as Felix would dare venture board a pirate ship under these circumstances. The poking and prodding wasn't so much to outright guess or predict Felix's intent, but to draw out the real reasons he'd snuck himself aboard. The more Felix said, whether Trevor was right or not, the more pieces of the puzzle Trevor fit into place. "Because one's sense of duty and honor alone rarely make them suicidal." He replied forebodingly. "It's usually love that dulls the senses enough to make such terrible decisions."

Trevor glanced in Felix's direction then gave a short shrug of his shoulders. Felix was wise to question his motives, of that was certain. Trevor's presence on the ship was dubious at best. He was no pirate or mercenary. Anyone who recognized his face would know him as a nothing more than a merchant. A prominent, wealthy merchant, sure, but just a merchant nonetheless. "I already told you not everything is as it seems." He answered, turning his eyes out to the blackened seas. Yes, Trevor knew he was being vague. That was his plan fro the very beginning.

[Felix Whitegate]

Felix had no intention of rattling the stranger, nor did he think his words would have even without intention; He was merely trying to express his motivations, although to what point and purpose he actually wasn't quite sure. Maybe it was due to the familiarity of the man's face, that the guardsman felt he needed to try and prove his reasoning to be true? But truly, why should he care if some stranger he didn't even know the name of didn't believe in his motivations, or thought them foolish? Perhaps the Captain had sent him over in order to try and work out if Felix held any other motives beyond what he'd already stated...

Then he spoke cryptically, implying that there was more underlaying the surface of what was going on then Felix knew. The noble raised an eyebrow questioningly, but didn't voice his concerns out loud. He instead offered the man a warm smile. "Then consider me commended," He spoke briskly, knowing full well the comment was unlikely, given the man's attitude, to be any sort of compliment; But it wasn't in his nature to be riled by such a remark, and now was no different. He then shifted his gaze away when the man laughed, his expression softening as his smile fell away, before a small, faint chuckle escaped his own lips. "Hmm," He hummed softly, leaning back against the ship's ledge as he let out a gentle sigh. "I just have very little sense of self preservation," He replied, again with a light hearted tone and a shrug of his shoulders. The man seemed to be trying to provoke Felix somewhat for whatever reason; He clearly didn't seem to think of the city guard favourably.

The man then turned from him, and spoke again, seeming intent on coming across as mysterious, as knowing more then he was willing to say, and frankly Felix was quite happy to leave this stranger to it. "... Well let me put it this way, sir. I'm here to protect Lady Orland, and what, if any, opinion that causes you to make of me and my motives is your concern, not mine," Felix spoke resolutely, but with a gentle sternness, pushing himself from the ship's edge and facing the stranger. "... You're no pirate, and no captive. I don't know who you are, nor why you'd care about me and my actions. You clearly know more about what's going on then I do... And I'm assuming you have no intention of informing me of what that is."

[Trevor Marin]

Trevor paused a moment, his ever present smirk seemingly extending to the gleam dancing in his eyes. This guardsman was far too noble for his own good, it didn't take a trained monkey with dementia to figure that out. That Felix was so quickly to dismiss Trevor's role in all this despite having the pieces to the puzzle plainly laid out before him only proved the Astilonian royal's naivety. Most would find this density achingly frustrating but Trevor seemed to draw a great deal of amusement out of it.

"I do so hope you're not in charge of investigating crimes within the Guard." Trevor said with a faint chuckle and a shake of his head. His gaze slid away from the guardsman and back out to the water around them. He refused to allow his growing concern over their course bleed through his expression, though. "You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss those around you." He said half advising and half warning. "The pieces of the puzzle are being laid out and before you determine what, exactly, it is you've gotten yourself involved in you should at least attempt to fit them together."

Trevor then glanced to Felix, speaking again before there was a chance to be interrupted. "The captain of this vessel doesn't seem one to allow just anyone to board her ship." He pointed out calmly. If he had to walk Felix through all this by spelling it out clearly then so be it. "Especially not when carrying such a... sensitive cargo." Trevor may not have been a member of the crew of a captive but he hoped his presence would foster at least some sort of curiosity. Pirates, after all, were known for being terribly reluctant to allow stragglers and stowaways.