Dangerous Dance

Despite Valeras' implicit threat, Hethir managed to get both of them back to the Storm Hawk without anyone's skin being punctured. Their feet had hardly touched the deck before the sails were unfurled and the ship pulled away from the dock.
How do we fare Michael?
Captain, four men attempted to infiltrate the crew, one shortly after our arrival, the others after we had reached the inn.
And now?
Three are in the brig, two of them are still unconscious. Two came at the same time earlier, one of them tried to flee, I shot him down, his body will be thrown overboard later, one crewman died as well.
Unfortunate. Very well, I will attend to our unwanted guests shortly. Keep the helm, get us well out to sea, I want to be out of easy range to be tracked.
Aye sir.
Where have you situated the mercenaries?
In the rear quarters, I informed them to stay there until you came to speak with them.
Excellent, thank you Michael.
"Now then Val... we have things to discuss."
She looked around briefly at the sailors moving around them with confusion, "Wouldn't somewhere more... private be more appropriate?"
Hethir set a narrow smile on his face and let the illusion that covered his features drop. The sailors didn't even blink around them.
"My men are entirely loyal to me Valeras, and fully aware of what I can do, we are safer here than anywhere else we might be."
This revelation did not seem to comfort her overmuch.

Once she was convinced to start, Valeras didn't take very long to explain what had happened. She was playing up her front as a landless noblewoman, using it to build court contacts and leverage dirty secrets to sell later. That was when she had been approached by D.
At first it was fairly normal work for her, obtain a small item or get certain information from someone. They were always looking for good help, and she told hem about some of her more trusted contacts, Hethir included. Then it began to get strange, and dangerous. She was brought deeper into the organization, and she saw strange magic artifacts being smuggled in; strange creatures were hidden away in their safe houses, and she started to understand just how intricate and vast the organization was. She tried to casually move along, parting ways with D and his strangeness, but he was not amused. She had barely escaped their first kidnapping attempt, and had fled the city. Using her own talents as a seer, she jumbled her traces as much as possible to slow their attempts to find her.
Then she went looking for Hethir.

He stood in silence for a few minutes after she finished. Two crew members walked up to them and picked up Valeras' small chest. "Hey, leave my things alone!" She snapped at them, they looked at her with some confusion.
"I told them to show you to your quarters, I didn't expect you would want to carry that by yourself."
"Oh... and where might my quarters be? I certainly hope you do not expect me to house myself with a bunch of sailors, loyal or not."
"Of course not, Lady Valeras, you will be quartered in the finest cabin on board."
She looked back at him with an expression between suspicion and surprise, "really? I am surprised Hethir, I did not think you were a gentleman."
"You're right... The finest cabin on board is naturally the captain's quarters, and I didn't say that you would be the only one there."
Valeras' eye's flashed, "you dare!"
Hethir laughed, "don't even try to play the innocent card on me of all people Val, we both know where we've been before..."
Val stalked away with her nose in the air, leaving Hethir to chuckle.

His mood sobered quickly though, and he jumped down into the hold of the ship. It was time to talk to his new help, and see how much help they would really be.