Re: The Prisoner - The Arrival
Giving a brief moment for the panicking Lars to get his bearings, Valmir stands patiently near the pilot roost. It looks as if he is about to further the conversation when you see him crook his head to the side. "SHH!!!" He gets deathly still holding his left hand out, index finger raised. The tension in his posture reminds you of a cat about to pounce.
Wup.... Wup... Wup....
You hear some strange noise. It is similar, yet just a bit more mechanical, to a sail which has blown free allowing it to flap in the wind. Valmir's hand flattens into a stop motion. "Everyone hold still, it's a patrol!" Off along the horizon, where you just came from, you see a silhouette of an airship making a long sweep near the lands edge you just passed.
Valmir springs into motion, hurriedly talking as he rushes about the boat. "I'm sorry my friends, time is up, I need to move this boat now. If we are caught lanside we are all done for!" He shimmies down the rope ladder and unhooks the anchor. The shadow of the patrol boat appears to maintain it's distance, however it is hard to tell given the lack of landmarks in the sky. "This airship has no defenses other than stealth and speed, and it is not all that fast." As he clambers back on deck. "If you want the underground's assistance, I need the map and I should be back within 30 or 40 cycles. Otherwise I can pick you all back up after your deeds are done in 15 to 20 cycles."
He finishes trimming a few lines and stoking the furnace. "The choice is yours and it needs to be done now. If you want any hopes of assistance whatsoever I need to get hidden or on the way."