Oskar woke the next morning naked, hidden behind some crates in the hold of the ship. He heard voices and footsteps on the deck above, but was fairly well hidden from anyone who might come down the stairs and into the hold. He glanced around quickly, but found that Ana had already disappeared. Shame, he thought. I would’ve loved another round or two with her before our goodbyes. Thankfully, his clothes were near him in a heap on the floor. He quickly dressed and straightened out his hair, then snuck up the decks to try to find Manuel.

As he climbed the stairs to the top deck, Oskar heard shouting and shoving. He peeked over the railing and saw Manuel surrounded by large, rough looking men. Pirates, or at the least, sailors who weren’t afraid to do a little piracy by the look of them. His head pounded as he tried to remember the night before. They’d been led here by the most beautiful pair of women he’d ever seen. Pale skin, dark hair, luxurious curves, he’d been sure they worked at the Polished Spear when he’d approached them at the bar. What had been fun in the moment, was now a mountain of trouble.

How do we get out of this? he thought as he watched the situation devolve. Manuel was trying and failing to explain how he found himself in Elisabeth’s bed. Whether the man in charge of the group was her lover, or just someone taking advantage of the situation was unclear, but Oskar knew he had to do something or his friend was in for a fight. Quickly, he came up with a plan.

“Everything looks to be here, alright,” Oskar announced loudly as he climbed onto the main deck. “Be sure to have this cargo moving as soon as possible, with the Governor’s Feast coming up, we’ll need all the rum you’ve got.”

The three men stopped harassing Manuel and looked over to Oskar. They turned and approached him, letting Manuel slip away down the rope ladder.

“Another little hide away, the fuck are you doing here?” the leader of the group said menacingly, cracking his knuckles.

“I’m here on the governor’s business. Ana and Elisabeth brokered a deal with the crown for some provisions, and I was sent here this morning to investigate,” Oskar declared, standing tall to the men. “I waited an hour for a representative to appear, but when no one showed, I started the inspection myself. Do remember, you are within the governor’s jurisdiction here, and are subject to inspection at any time.”

The two lesser men glanced at their leader. The story seemed plausible enough. The man in charge glared at Oskar for another moment, before finally shrugging his shoulders.

“If that’s what those two sluts want, then fine,” he said turning to his crew.

“I’m sure we’ll profit off their activities anyway!” he barked, laughing. “Go on then, you’ve seen what you’ve come to see. Leave!”

Oskar strode confidently across the deck and climbed down the rope ladder. Once clear of the ship and back in safer territory, he looked around for Manuel. The man had run back up the docks a ways, and was now waving to him. They met up and headed back into the residential district to recap the night.

“So, how was it?” Oskar asked Manuel, eyes glinting mischievously.

“Last night? Gods, I haven’t had a woman that fine in my life,” responded Manuel. “Curves in all the right places, and a willingness for whatever came to mind. Of course, the alcohol helped a bit with that as well. What about you?”

“Ana was shy at first, but when you two disappeared, the succubus was awoken,” Oskar said, grinning. “She pulled me below the deck and was absolutely wild. I’m surprised no one heard us.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t so lucky this morning,” said Manuel. “I woke up alone in her bed, with that massive thug about to crack my skull open. I grabbed my clothes as quick as I could, but I couldn’t find my coin purse. Mighta left it at the Wall, but I doubt it.”

Oskar quickly fumbled around his belt. “Mine’s gone too!” he exclaimed. “Those women robbed us!”

“I did think it a bit strange how sober Elisabeth was. They were drinking that liquor all night with us, yet she had no problem moving her hips,” Manuel said, reminiscing. “Thought she might just have a strong stomach, but now it makes sense.”

“Not a total loss, though,” Manuel continued, smirking. “When you distracted those guys, I grabbed a couple bottles of their rum!” He pulled two dark brown bottles from under his shirt.

The two friends stood, penniless, in the middle of the street contemplating the night and the morning after.

“Worth it!” they said in unison, and both laughed heartily, high fiving each other.

“Well, guess it's lucky they didn’t want to come back to our place,” said Oskar. “Don’t think we even set up rooms anywhere.”

“You’re right, you just pulled me straight to that restaurant,” responded Manuel. “What was the place the old man said he was staying at, the Golden Tench?”

“Yeah, that sounds right,” Oskar replied. “We’ll have to stop by and tell Tobias we’ve got to head home early.”

“Hopefully he’s not too disappointed,” said Manuel. “Might be able to talk him into a little loan and extend the trip another day.”

“Like he’s going to lend you any money,” Oskar responded. “Me, on the other hand, I’m an upstanding gentleman with a good head on my shoulders. I would never waste my money on women and wine.”

“Yeah, okay, mister Representative of the Governor,” Manuel said, playfully shoving his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll be sure to announce your arrival everywhere we go from now on.”

“As you should, seeing as my authority saved you,” Oskar said, holding his head high. The two men laughed and made their way over to The Wall. After a quick inquiry at the bar, the friends resigned themselves to their losses and meandered through the city toward the Golden Tench.