Promotions and Demotions

[Deleted]

Takes place just moments after speaking with Baelfire in Slip of a Tongue from a Lost One
It is approximately noon
Mark Wolfe

Elsa paced on the helm deck, she had ordered the anchor weighed and the ship put intpo port, but Sethies tried to disauade her. But she heard none of it. He had pretty much starved a guest aboard! And what was more, that guest was a young boy! No older than fifteen years or so. No, Sethies had failed his duty as the Captain of the Whitesparrow.

On the deck was the helmsman, his brightly colored parrot upon his shoulder, Captain Sethies, and his second in command, a man named Mark. Whom Elsa rarely saw when she was aboard or near the vessel, the man however seemed to be more or less there when needed at the drop of a hat however. And now he stood calm nearby with possibly what had to be the largest bird Elsa had ever seen in her life.

Sethies looked nervous as Elsa paced. She was much calmer now that they were within the harbor. After a long moment Elsa spoke "Captain Sethies. your duty was to find my sister Anna, instead you bring home a boy, and while enroute, you do not care for him as you should. And what is more, you do not bring him to me directly, but have me come to you! You know the laws I put into place!"

Sethies tried to explain himself "But madam, we did not know if the boy had illness or otherwise that could harm anyone in the kingdom. My men were scared of trying to go near the boy to give him food and drink!"

"Never the less Sethies, it was your duty as captain of the Whitesparrow to see to it that anyone aboard, guest, prisoner or crew, were well cared for. And you failed that task." Elsa growled out. Ice dancing atop the deck where she walked. "You leave me no choice but to transfer you to the supply vessel Greywater. A brig yes, but in need of a captain. Understood ?"

Sethies shoulders slumped. "Intimately madam."

Elsa stared him down for long moments as the ship docked in the Arendelle Port where it belonged. When the gangway was lowered she spoke anew. "Captain Sethies, who among your men has the stregnth to lead my flagship ?"

That was the question that Sethies was never wanting to hear. Because he knew of none that could lead such an amazingly powerful vessel

[Mark Wolfe]

As Ice danced across the deck, Ulnaus, the massive bird, squawked loudly, flapping his massive wings, knocking the Captain's hat off of his head. Mark, seeing an opportunity for a joke, stepped forward, grabbing the hat and putting it on his head, turning to the crew, shrugging as some of them laughed and he took off the hat. What was he supposed to do with this? He wasn't the Captain, and the Captain just got transferred, leaving the crew without a Captain. Technically, he'd be in charge as second in Command.

While most of the crew flinched at the scowl on Sethies' face, yet Mark stood firm, his serious expression returning to his face as he once again dawned the cap and faced Elsa.

"My Queen, if I may. I am second in command; I believe myself strong enough to command your flagship." He said; looking very official in that hat with the massive Bird on his shoulder, intimidating armor complete with clawed gauntlet, and strange hooded cloak with the hood down. His lightly trimmed beard showed experience, and his eyes glowed Bronze. What no body but him and Ulnaus knew was that he was scanning the crew, all of whom were on the Deck now; scanning them for any signs of red, any since of hostilities, which would mean some that disagree with him.

He then took off the hat again, handing it back to Sethies. "Hat's not really my thing, though, my Queen." he said softly, smiling to her as he gave her a small, respectful Bow, Ulnaus also bowing his head before beginning to preen his feathers.

[Deleted]

Elsa halted her pacing as the man spoke, turning to look at the man who spoke she took in the size of his bird, and also looking to the others, there seemed to be none against such a notion, so she turned to the crew. Asking them "You took orders from both of these men. Your captain is transffered to the Greywater, In his stead do you want his second ? Or someone of my choosing ? let those who oppose his second speak."

When none did, Elsa smiled, turning to the man, who had yet to identify himself she said "Congratulations, Captain" She said calmly, "The Whitesparrow is yours" She held out to him a scroll overlaid with ice patterns. It was the Captains Deed, every captain had one, but all it had on there was the name of the ship, not the captain. And it signified to the man holding it that he was the captain of that exact vessel.

As she handed over the scroll to Mark the crew cheered. Elsa felt she did the right thing at that moment. So she spoke to Mark "You remember the Laws ?" they were simple, seven of them widly known. The first being always to make port when returning with cargo or passengers, unlike what Sethies did, he broke that one when he made Elsa take a small gunboat out to the massive vessel. the second was also known to care for the passngers and prisoners as if they were part of the crew. As part of the family so to speak, which again Sethies broke by not feeding the young boy he had aboard. The others concerned reports on the ships upkeep, her stocks and stores, and also weapons and general needs of the crew as a whole. The last one though concerned only the ships, when she or Anna came aboard, then the captains cabin automatically became theirs to use as they saw fit

She smiled, this ship was the best of her mothers navy. She wanted to keep it that way for as long as she could. Finally she asked her new Captain of the Whitesparrow, "Do you have a Second ?" Meaning a second in command, which he did, a young woman named Georgina

[Mark Wolfe]

Mark smiled as Elsa handed over the scroll to him, and even bowed his head a little as the crew cheered before he looked back up at the Queen, nodding to her question of the rules he was to follow as Captain. "But of course, your Majesty...." He said calmly before quickly reciting all of them by memory without any hesitation. "I, Mark Wolfe, pledge to uphold these laws with my life and honor, your Majesty; if I ever fail, I surrender myself to whatever punishment you deem worthy." He said, his heels clicking together as his right hand balled into a fist, landing on his chest as he bowed his head.

The rest of the crew followed with a cheer, also using that salute. That salute was the traditional salute used by the Whitesparrow's first Captain and Crew, the Crew appointed one year before Elsa's Birth when the Ship was completed and christened by Elsa's Mother. Almost no one else used it; it was almost an unspoken rule of Arendelle; don't use what has been dubbed: "The Whitesparrow Salute" if you are not an active crew member of the ship. The only people who broke it were people who didn't know of the unspoken rule, or ones who were recently discharged from service aboard the ship and had to adjust, using the usual salute or bowing motion that everyone else used.

Mark stood absolutely still, and waited for the Queen's final blessing; without it, the command wasn't complete, and superstition dictated that the ship would be damaged beyond repair within its first assignment, and all but the First Mate be lost to sea or captured, never to return. But that was just superstition, right? Mark didn't take any chances; nor did the crew. So they stood and waited for the final words from Elsa, accepting Mark's own pledge of loyalty.