Nina's Discipline

The Town of Modestus

The Town of Modestus

Manon's groans of pain as she pulled the sail up the mast to tie it into place were quiet. So softly moaned that Nina might be able to convince herself that she didn't hear them at all. Not that she was all that disturbed to hear them, she was rather pleased. It meant that Manon was actually doing as Nina instructed without trying to lighten her burden.

She was also pleased that the hisses of pain from burning, aching muscles were as quiet as they were. Not because she didn't want to hear them, but because it meant that Manon was refusing to complain about a task that she had taken on for herself. Though it was surprising to her, Nina did believe that the princess had been serious about the decisions that led her here.

Though, even if she weren't, it was too late to turn back now. The town of Modestus was right below them and Nina had been given the signal by the pier workers that it was safe for her to make her landing onto what appeared to be the first dock. There were many places to land a ship, but almost all of them were empty. The war had driven business far from this town.

Idly, she wondered where the cobbler's shop was.

Pushing the pointless musing away, she rested the ship down onto the pier, bringing the engines to a slow, steady stop. Manon was sliding clumsily back down the mast she had been ordered to climb. She looked absolutely miserable. The body defining work outs that Nina had been forcing her to do had nothing to do with weaponry. If she had been given one, Manon wouldn't know what to do with it anyway. She had never needed muscle tone before, so she didn't have any. Before Nina could teach her anything, she had to build that up first.

Nina ordered her to lower the gangplank and it looked like Manon might cry. However, she moved to obey. The searing hot pain of her muscles was burning so hot that she was amazed she had the ability to lift her arms alone, much less the heavy gangplank.

When it came to lowering it onto the dock, it wasn't so much a controlled fall as it was her dropping it from the rail. She flinched at the sound it made hitting the deck, but the dock workers below chuckled good-naturedly.

"A bit heavy, eh, miss?" One of them asked.

Manon laughed breathlessly. "Yes, a bit..."

Nina came around to her side, satchel in hand. "Evening, gentlemen."

"Evening, miss. Have you your travel papers?"

"Right here."

A few minutes later, after checking her papers and manifest, the dock worker nodded in approval. Nina had told him that she wasn't here to trade, just stopping through to see the engine refueled and to restock their supplies before continuing. The man informed her that she simply must stay a short while. They would be happy to trade her for some of her goods, either in money or materials.

The offer gave Nina pause. She knew that she was supposed to be playing as a trader, but she really didn't know anything about doing business.

Her hesitation gave Manon all the opening she needed.

"Well, we won't turn down a good trade, will we, sis?" She asked eagerly. "We'd be happy to bring up some of the stock on deck so people can come get a look and make some offers. I warn you though, my father says that I'm a wily one."

The man chuckled, shifting his weight off of his injured leg. He walked with a limp, explaining why he was still here and not out at war. He agreed that Manon did indeed appear to be wily. He suggested that her father would have a hard time finding her a husband, then told them that they were welcome to go into town for whatever they needed. The ship would be well cared for here.