How did a trip to recover a stolen ship involve a discussion on alcohol? Ethan supposed it was because of the cargo involved, and he was learning just how very different their viewpoints were. Nymira saw it as a weakness while he saw it as a way to relax, even if he himself never partook in it. [i]Just another thing I and the princess don't see eye to eye on[/i] the Muran mused to himself, smiling and giving his head a defeated shake. Couldn't expect everyone to view things the same, the world would be awfully boring if that were the case. And by that stretch it only made sense that everyone had their own opinions on things, even if he didn't agree with those. Way of the world or something like that.

In their conversation of liquor Ethan had forgotten how they were meant to distinguish their ship from the rest. Certain markings? A name? A style of ship? Surely Lazlo had mentioned something before and yet now he couldn't bring it to mind. Furrowing his brow in thought it was Amuné who would give him the answer, feeling rather silly that she could remember it just fine. "Right, Aube Doré... I doubt they'll bring it into town," he mentioned in agreement to Zander, "Or they could be going there to sell them, I guess either way. We won't know until we spot them will we?" Provided of course they hadn't already passed the ship without realizing it. There was also a very real chance of it continuing up river, which if that were the case then they didn't have much chance of catching it. No, if they were going up river then it was against the currents, it would be traveling slowly regardless. They would find it one way or another, had to keep confident.

"We'll find the ship, we had better. I'm not on this errand to chase ghosts," Nymira commented testily as she looked towards the water, as though expecting the boat to materialize on command. "From what little I've seen so far your bandits are fools and arrogant, they're probably parading about somewhere dressed in absurd clothes like that merchant. All we need to do then is look for a band of roving buffoons and we'll have our men." Seemed straightforward enough to her really, just look for something that screamed ridiculous like Lazlo's outfit and they'd be on their way. 

It didn't take long from there to locate the ship surprisingly, and what's more it would be easily accessible. Perhaps easily wasn't the right word, there was nothing easy about the five armed men at the bottom of the plank organizing crates. Nor was there anything easy about the several bandits still onboard Aube Doré itself, a headcount which they couldn't get from here. Sat in the crook of the river and braced up against a riverbank the ship was being unloaded one by one, its contents poured through and no doubt the more valuable items set aside. As if these morons would know what was valuable or not, Nymira reflected cynically. To them it was all cloth and nothing more no doubt; she hadn't any idea of the materials worth either, but at least she had the excuse of being from another land. Just a bunch of muscle-bound idiots looting what didn't belong to them, disgusting. Had they earned it in battle perhaps she could turn a blind eye, but they had stolen from a hapless, if eccentric merchant. 

"So... How in the heck are we going about this?" Ethan asked curiously, furrowing his brow as he peered over the bushes in which they hid. It was roughly 200 meters from where they stood to the boat he'd guess, a lot of space for anyone to cover without being seen. No matter how you cut it a fight was probably inevitable, though he really wanted to avoid one if they could. "Is there any way we can sneak aboard? Maybe go up the shore or something..."

"Why should we sneak? We have to be rid of the bandits, its best to just launch a head-on assault!" Nymira retorted impatiently, one hand already on her dagger, "I can handle those five if we get a surprise attack, then we move up the board there and onto the ship. Between you, Cecil and I we can take them. I've yet to meet a bandit I couldn't defeat easily." And she'd had her fair share of troubles since arriving here from her own clan's land, more instances than she could count. One man had given her a bit of trouble yet she still came out on top, and since then everyone else had been a minor nuisance. Standing upright she tried to step through the bushes and simply charge for the ship, growling when Ethan grabbed her arm to hold her back. "What now? We're wasting time sitting like this!"

"We don't know how many there are, we can't just go charging in," Ethan whispered as he pulled Nymira back down, "Come on, that boat's huge! There might be twenty, thirty even. We need to be safer about this." They had to think not only about Amuné's safety but Zander's as well. Not to mention Cecil was probably not thrilled with getting on a boat, being surrounded by water and all. It might be easier to somehow lure everyone off the boat, though then they could end up surrounded. [i]Think Ethan, think... There's got to be a way to do this...[/i] Their only way to sneak on board was probably to move down the shore, even through the water if they had to. Being wet again really didn't sound pleasant but if that was their only chance...

Up on the deck of the ship the bandit leader stood at the edge of the deck, watching as his men unloaded crate by crate to the ground below. "Faster you louts, we need to get this done before the guard show up!" he shouted in a gruff voice, waving his hand impatiently, "You drop any of that in the water and it's your head, you hear me? Now get moving!" Scowling as a pair of men fumbled a box but managed to save it he rolled his eyes, turning and storming back into the cabin. Eyeing the woman sat upon the bed he stopped right before her, a smirk on his lips as he reached down to pull her to her feet. "And you, it's time for you to earn your paycheck, Naga. If any guards show up you deal with 'em, hear me? If I have any spare men I'll send one or two down, but that's it. Don't go dying on us, I'd hate to not pay you."