[Blackronin]

"The wise man knows more than the four cardinal points; the fool says that directions don't matter."

Duke Kinlin was known to be a man above his time. Being the very young ruling Duke of the Marshes when the worst of pirating was taking a tool on Senniastrill and being in a position that would weaken the commerce of the Marshes with the Sky People, the Duke gathered a vast armada to attack Pirate’s Cove. Young and brave at the time, the Duke commanded himself the fleet that sailed towards the big island that was well known to be the main pirate’s hiding place.

The island was a tropical nightmare filled with dense jungles and caverns, where the pirates were able to hide galleons and other ships so well that nobody could attack them when in port. Along with the Duke’s fleet, a small contingent of Sky Ships from the Gnome Sky people Nation was ready to finish the pirates menace for good. After several weeks of travel, Pirate’s Cove’s peaks appeared before the fleet. The Duke sailed directly against the only known city of the island – Camorron Pearl – to seize it and destroy it if necessary. But to his great surprise, dozens of pirate ships waited for them. His force was bigger in number, but the Duke knew that the pirates were better sailors and fighters than his men, for that was all they done – fighting. The two fleets maintained distance running along the coast as if neither wanted the bloodshed. Then a small schooner with a white flag of truce moved from the pirate fleet towards the Duke fleet.

When she stepped on his deck, the Duke knew that she had the grace of royalty, although her clothes were of a rich sailor. “I am Sharrayn, the oldest daughter of the pirate King”, she said introducing herself in the common speech of man. Darull, his Gnome adviser said quickly in the high language of the First Elves that they should take her as hostage. Before the Duke was able to reply, Sharrayn replied also in the high language. “My father has two other daughters and before he let me sail here, he told me that he could do nothing if you took me prisoner, so I should kill as many as I could before falling prey to your hands.” The Duke smiled and replied also in the high language: “The Wind Master Darull was joking. He knows that I would never betray a truce given freely. My lady, I came here to fight murdering pirates, not a rightful Kingdom. Could you please tell your father, the King, that I would consider an honor to speak with him?” She smiled back at him and he considered her full mouth, her dark curly hair and her brown eyes. Her movements were of a dancer, but he suspected that she was a warrior of some quality. “I will.” And she shouted like a bird and from her ship a flag was raised. After waiting some minutes, a galleon parted from the pirate’s fleet and the Duke sighed. A long round of conversations would now begin. For the better, he thought.

The winds were in their side in the voyage back. The Wind Master Darull approach them. Sharrayn excused herself and went further stern on his galleon. “Duke Kinlin, I will part now from your fleet with my detachment of Sky Ships.” The Duke touch Darull’s hands in the way the gnomes used to do it. “I appreciate your help”, he said warmly, “tell your Queen, that our alliance stands stronger today.” Darull bowed a little. “I will, my Duke. I have, however, one question of mine to ask you if you let me.” The Duke smiled. “Please,do”, he offered. “My Duke, with the entire pirate’s fleet gathered there we could have freed the seas from piracy for long. We were more and you had our sky ships to help you. Instead you chose to make a not very advantageous deal to us. Even your engagement with the Pirate’s King daughter... You could have married someone from the Sunnish Empire… I even think that they will not be happy with this when they learn about it. Can you explain me why?” The Duke looked the ocean for a bit. “There will always be pirates. Working free, killing, murdering, creating chaos and havoc. Having a Pirate’s King as an ally will make thing better for us. He will not let his pirates attack us and the free pirates will be more careful when attacking our ships and we can even bargain easily when ransom is asked from us. And very soon, to become a real Kingdom, the Pirate King will have to start real commerce and diminish his piracy. But they will still have the knowhow and we will profit with it. Even if others don’t… As for marrying a princess from the Sunnish Empire, we seceded from them with hard work and bloodshed to be caught up again by them?! And my marriage was not a political maneuver. I found my match…” The Gnome was ashamed. “Oh…”, he said. The Duke called Sharrayn. “My Lady”, he said when she approached, “our good Sky Master is leaving us.” She extended her hand and the Sky Master kissed her hand with a smile. When he left, she stood so close to the Duke that he could feel her leg against his. “I have the ears of a sea eagle”, she whispered. He laughed. “And did you liked what you listened?” And she kissed him deeply… like the daughter of a pirate that she was…