Ratty Driftwood

[Faclan]

If it were possible for a rat to deflate thats what happened to Tul when he was told that he got to dig graves! Horray! The smaller rat fumbling with the shovel that was thrust into his paws before he managed to get a ahold of it. Looking over at the one known as Tormbo for some help for a fellow rat. But the other just shrugged and smiled.

"Aye mate - at least ye still alive. So keep doing good and we'l do good by you." Tul didn't believe that for a second really. But he had little choice. Refusing to do a job the captain gave him would be beatings at the absolute best. So he just noded and turned to set to work on digging. Trying to follow the lead of the other beasts who had been given the job.

Though it would be fairly clear to all watching that the navigator had never really held a shovel in his life.

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Belladonna was clearly in pain, her teeth clenched and her eyes squeezed shut to keep from crying out. Mharbrow felt a tightening in his chest and had to force himself not to stop the mink from continuing his work. He stubbornly pushed the sharp order that was hovering at the edge of his tongue down. The vixen needed this treatment. She may even die without it.
  The captain took a deep, hopefully calming breath and continued watching as the female fox was bandaged up and the mink was escorted back to the rest of the captives and given a spade. He didn't look up as Firestripe came to stand beside him, also watching Belladonna's mostly still form.
  Then the first mate spoke and Mharbrow let a slow, slightly amused smile spread across his face.
  "It would indeed seem that way.' the Captain replied mildly. 'It's not often that I see you lose your temper. I'm glad you've got control of yourself again. The poor rabbit is not harmed badly, but he's maybe more than a little scared of you now. That beast is playing a dangerous game and I think he's crossed the fine line between bravery and stupidity. He's lucky we're the ones to have captured him. I know several other corsair captains who aren't nearly so easy going."
  One captain in particular sprung to mind and the captain felt a cold hatred clutch his heart. Ulrik El-Dinbar. The beast who had robbed a young corsair blind, stolen his ship, killed most of his crew and gotten away with it, for now. One day, Mharbrow would get revenge. His words were quiet, but none the less vehement.
  "Stupid, fat, ugly stoat! I'll settle our agreement one day, you'll see."

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Belladonna let out a long breath as Chiptooth finished his work and returned to the task of grave-digging. She listened to the muted conversation of the captain and first mate and opened one eye a crack to regard the two foxes beside her. She frowned in annoyance; the fact that they were there out of concern for her didn't register with her.
  "Yes? Can I help you?" the vixen asked, with just the faintest hint of sarcasm. The pain was making her irritable, she realised, and tried to feel apologetic. The attempt was a failure.

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Mharbrow looked up sharply in response to Belladonna's question, frowning at the clipped tone and answering accordingly.
  "Oh, no. It's not like we were worried you'd die or anything!"
  Spinning on his heel, Mharbrow stormed away from the vixen, fuming at her irritability. He'd been trying to look out for her and make sure she was alright. She shouldn't have snapped at him. As the captain, he deserved more respect.
  The crew didn't even have to be given orders. They all noticed Dyemhar's worsened mood and all made themselves look very busy and productive with various camp tasks.
  After looking around for something to do, Mharbrow decided to put his anger to good use in getting a fire started with the sticks already gathered. It would most likely be a cold night and, in all the rush of them arriving back, the small fire that had been licking sticks to nothing before had reduced to a pile of ash and coals.
  And I shouldn't even need a flint and steel. The captain reflected humourlessly. Put the dry tinder in front of Belladonna and she can just snap at it.

[Faclan]

Thankfully the rat was quick to pick up proper positions for his paws on the shovel and most of the form needed to stop his back hurting too much as the digging resumed. It was decently quick work with four beasts on it. It was just a matter of cooridinating their swings up and down to not clang against each other and slow down. Which happened occasionally but less and less as they got more experienced. Then there was some fixing and shifting needed to make it so they wernt flinging dirt on any beast or fires. And finally it was just digging.

Wasn't even any whips being snapped around their heads which was a very nice change but Tul suspected it was because they were working and not complaining. And just like slaves they knew what would happened if they slacked. Besides, glancing over at the camp as he dug the shove into the earth, most of the slavedrivers and whip masters looked like they were resting. Oh well you take the victories you can as he continued to dig and fling.

Doing what he could to keep his big dish ears open to pick up anything that could help him out of here. Not wanting to be a slave really. What a shock.

[Mara the Wolf]

Further into the woods, a silver fox with black ears, face, and tail tip slank silently through the woods. Only the very slight slapping of his sheath against his thigh gave away his presence, and that was only if you were right next to him. And the only beast near him was a stoat, sniffing a little ways ahead. The two weren't planning any ambush mission or such, but they'd heard Long Patrol hares might patrol this far out.

Funny, I thought those overgrown bunnies usually didn't travel much past the shores, the fox thought to himself. Good thing my last clients were willin' t' give me th' tip.

The stoat suddenly stopped in his tracks, his nose sniffing the air, ears swivelling.

"What's wrong, mate?" The silver fox said quietly, coming up to his friend's side, straining to hear what put his pal on alert. He didn't expect an answer. The stoat was incapable of talking.

The stoat could smell a host of other creatures, mostly foxes and rats, and the two could make out somebeast talking, albeit indistinctly.

"Think it's safe?"

The stoat only trilled.

The silver fox shrugged, unsheathed his sword just in case things turned hostile, and headed forward, keeping as much in the shadows as he could, his stoat companion following behind him.

[Kade Rivok]

Firestripe sighed to himself as he watched the Captain trudge away, tendrils of anger bleeding out from his movement.  The black fox figured that Mharbrow was likely aware that Belladonna wasn't fully cognizant at the moment, but the fact that it still got to him showed that he was just as mentally drained as the rest of them.  They really needed a break; nothing had been going well for them lately. 

Firestripe refocused his gaze on the wounded vixen and let a small smile play on his muzzle as he placed a paw lightly on her shoulder.  "Sleep, Belladonna.  You'll feel better, and the Captain will be in a better mood, methinks."  Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away to leave the vixen in peace.  As he strode through the camp, he made note that things were running smoothly.  Apparently the crew had caught on to Mharbrow's mood and were responding appropriately.  As it stood, though, there was little for the large fox to do, and so he fell into his usual routine of patrolling the perimeter of their encampment.  Keeping an eye out for movement in the surrounding foliage, he made himself more familiar with the area immediately around them.  One could never be too careful, after all.

[Mara the Wolf]

Maut slipped stealthily through the woods, his stoat companion right behind him. The two didn't dare make a sound. They didn't notice the big black fox until they walked into his line of sight. Maut nearly did a double take at the size of the fox. Vulpuz! Was 'is mother a wolf?! Picking a fight with him would obviously be a very bad idea. He raised his paws placatingly, forgetting for a moment he had his sword drawn. "We was jus' passin' through. We ain't lookin' fer trouble."

His stoat companion kept a wary eye on the black fox, ready to jump to Maut's defense should the other fox attack, though he made no attempt to appear threatening.

[Kade Rivok]

Firestripe had instantly dropped into a combat stance and put a paw on one of his sword hilts as soon as he'd noticed the fox and stoat stealthing their way through the underbrush.  They were quite good.  He hadn't heard them at all, and he had the feeling that it was only via luck that he'd spotted them so quickly.  He also couldn't help but notice that, though the silver fox claimed to mean no offense, he very clearly had his blade drawn. 

Glancing between the pair, the black fox relaxed slightly, but didn't remove his paw from the hilt of his saber.  "Friendly you may be, but your steel says otherwise."  He said, scanning his one good eye around them, casting about for any more hidden figures.  "Is it just the two of you then?" 

If that indeed was the case, then he might be able to recruit them.  They seemed like capable creatures, and goodness knows the crew could use some reinforcements.  Maybe their luck was finally about to change for the better, even if only a little.

[Mara the Wolf]

Maut looked bemused for a moment, before he realized he was still holding his sword. He chuckled nervously as he sheathed it. "Sorry 'bout that, mate. Heard there were Long Patrols out here. Figured it was best ta be prepared. And yes, it's jus' th' two of us. Name's Maut. This is Veach." He indicated to the stoat.

[Kade Rivok]

Seeing that the two seemed non-hostile, Firestripe finally dropped his paw from the hilt of his blade and nodded at the pair.  "Everybeast calls me Firestripe.  And you're right about the Long Patrol; my crew had a run in with them not too long ago."  "Though..." he paused, thinking quickly.  The pair seemed worried about the mountain hares, meaning he might be able to use that to convince them.  "We did manage to come to something of an... understanding.  Basically, they'll be leaving us alone for the time being.  If you're worried about the hares, I'd suggest joining up with us."  He finished with a wink.  Though, because of the eyepatch, it mainly looked like he simply blinked at them.  It was an old habit he still hadn't gotten out of.

[Mara the Wolf]

The silver fox barely hesitated. "I think we'll take ya up on tha'."

[Wylder Treejumper]

Ulrik El-Dinbar

The sharp salt breeze snapped the blue pennants of the Silver Gull high above the waves. The ship shuddered as the boarding plank came down onto the blood-washed deck. There was the thud of heavy boots, and then Ulrik El-Dinbar jumped down onto the reddened timbers of his latest conquest.

Clad in a black greatcoat with silver braided trim, one paw resting on the ornate hilt of his cutlass, the stoat surveyed the Gull with the dispassionate eye of the expert. The pirate crew bustled about the deck, dumping bodies overboard- mainly sea otters, but a scattering of mice as well- and securing broken spars. The anguished moans of prisoners mixed with the derisive laughter of the pirate crews, the moaning of the hull and the creaking rigging. He bent over, and easily flipped the corpse of a brawny sea otter with a crossbow quarrel in his neck over the railing. It landed in the waves with a splash.

"Cap'n Dinbar's arrived!" a ragged fox cried, looking up from his work. "Get Cap'n Craggin!" From the aft cabin, a scarred searat with a wooden leg burst out and stumped his way across the ship to meet the pirate king. "Harr, Cap'n Dinbar! How d'ye like the newest addition t'the armada? She's a fast 'un, we 'ad a mighty chase ter catch 'er."
The stoat nodded sharply. "She's a fine ship, Craggin. Get 'er secured and get the prisoners aboard the Vulpus Infernal, she'll be taking these bilge scrapings back to Terramort along with the others. Leave a few of yer crewbeasts 'ere too, I'll be sending over a skeleton crew to take her in for refitting." His even baritone betrayed only the slightest hint of an eastern isles accent.

Captain Craggin smiled, a terrible expression on his deformed face. "Right ye are, cap'n. But I got a present fer ya too, sommat special. Foller me." He led Ulrik up the stairs of the aft quarterdeck, where the stoat saw, tied up and under heavy guard, two hares. The first, a young female, whimpered and sniffled almost unconsciously, frozen with fear as the two vermin guards on either side of her leered down wickedly. The other, an older, well-dressed male, looked up at Ulrik with horror-stricken, worried features.
"Hares." There was an edge to his flat tone.

Suddenly the older hare struggled upright, despite a rat giving him a sharp blow to the side with the butt of his crossbow. "Yes, sah, we are hares! And I demand that my daughter and I be released at once!"
Ulrik stared at him for, then, looking at the guards, made the slightest motion with his head. The rat spat over the gunwale, but moved away from the hare, who struggled to his feet, almost incredulously. "I say, I th-"

In a flash, Ulrik's paw flashed forward, and a silver streak betrayed the dagger that embedded itself in the underside of the hare's chin. He gurgled, and then Ulrik withdrew the dagger slowly. The hare toppled slowly backwards over the gunwale, and the splash was inaudible beneath the horrible shriek that ripped from the hare maiden's throat. Ulrik flicked his dagger once, then licked the blade. Slipping the newly-shining blade back inside his greatcoat, he nodded matter of factly. "Yer request is granted." He turned back towards the stairs, but as he did so he spoke to the guards. "Once you've done with 'er, dump her over the side."

The screams of the haremaid echoed across the water as Ulrik El-Dinbar and Captain Craggin walked back across the deck towards the gangplank. The searat looked at him, amused. "Har, I knew that'd be a good one fer ya." The stoat gestured equivocally. "I much prefer the ship. Good work, Cap'n. It's been a fine day so far, wouldn't ye say?" He jumped onto the gangplank and lightly climbed back up to his own ship.
"Set course, due south! We sail fer Salamandastron!"

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Belladonna gave a half smile in reply to Firestripe's gentle words and touch and closed her eyes. "I'll try," she murmured. The vixen heard his retreating pawsteps and opened one eye again. She scanned the campgrounds until her gaze fell upon Mharbrow, crouched beside a fire he was in the process of kindling. She let out an irritated hiss and lay back, wincing as she settled down to sleep.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Robert Pinebrush kicked sullenly at a patch of thick grass. The young squirrel was in a foul mood, a stark contrast to the beauty of the forest surrounding him. A few birds trilled their songs with gusto, almost seeming to mock Robert's miss fortune.

"Why do I have to fetch things for everybeast?" he muttered, slinging the bag he was carrying onto his other shoulder. "You'd think I was a slave for all the work I do! I mean, couldn't somebeast else collect mushrooms? I've been out here for ages! Hmph." He stomped over to the base of a tree, catching sight of an edible piece of vegetation. Shoving it onto his bag, he plowed on, mumbling under his breath.

Before his parents sent him on his task, Robert had been whittling a piece of wood. His carving knife was tucked into his belt. He brought it out now, slipping the bag off his shoulder and dropping it. He stabbed the blade's point into a nearby tree, shaving off a piece of bark, then did a few fancy twirls with it. "Nobeast could tell me what to do if I was a great warrior. Why, I could do whatever I wanted! Ugh... I wish Old Tom hadn't stopped teaching me..."

Old Tom was a hare who lived in Robert's village. He was ancient, grizzled and grumpy. It had taken a lot of persuasion on Robert's part to get the old veteran to teach him how to use a sword. However, once Robert's mother learnt of his antics, she immediately put a stop to it.

"I know Ma wants to keep us safe and all," Robert said aloud to himself, "but I don't want to just become some farmer or something. I want a life of adventure!"