Ratty Driftwood

[Mara the Wolf]

Maut shook his paw. "Well, then it's prob'ly good we ran inta ya, then!" he said with a grin. "Me an' Veach here have been over most alla Mossflower, and even int' the Northlands a few times, though this is the closest we've ever been to Salamandastron. Might be able t' introduce ya to other recruits."

[Sebias of Redwall]

While the surrounding creatures weren't focused on him, Robert sat down, tucking his knees up to his chest and continued to rub his footpaw as if it was sore. His eyes darted around, then the squirrel leaned forward, quietly sliding the knife into his jacket. He winced as he waited to see if his movement had been spotted, continuing to rub his foot.

[Shy-Guy]

In the nearby bushes, Greeneye and Silvertongue had seen more than enough.

The rat shook his head, a grim look on his face. "Aye, let's get the blazes outta here." Greeneye said, starting to put his cutlass away.

"I couldn't agree mo- woah!" As Silvertongue had been stepping back, his foot caught in an upturned root. The fox crashed to the ground, his lute slipping out of his knapsack and clattering louldy against the earth.

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Mharbrow didn't have to call out any orders as Sliteye, Tormbo and Rangfur lept into action, weapons appearing in their paws as they moved swiftly to the bushes, quickly locating the source of the noise.
  "Wha' are ye doin' 'ere?"
  The three corsairs didn't wait for an answer to Sliteye's question. They fell upon the two beasts, aiming to stun or disable them, rather than kill. The vermin may have been spying on them, but maybe they could be persuaded to join them. At the very least, Dyemhar would want to question them.

[Shy-Guy]

Greeneye jumped back, cutlass in paw. "Aye, I'll gut the lot of ye!"

Silvertongue was still on his back, and he was unable to recover before being set upon. "Hey, hey your filthy paws off the cape!"

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Sliteye dragged the fox upright and held his blade to the beast's neck, smiling grimly at the creature's companion.
  "Sure ye will. Make a wrong move and I'll sep'rate yer friend from 'is 'ead."
  Rangfur and Tormbo stood either side of the weasel, blades in paw as they waited for the rat's response.

[Faclan]

Idly rubbing his paws gently against his wrists which he quickly abandoned as it was making both areas more sore Tul was mostly just watching this play out now. He was part of the crew. So that was good. But he had a feeling he still had a lot to prove. So he needed to be on the straight and narrow for awhile. Right. Not get into any trouble. So he took a few steps over and plopped himself on a log to be in view of his new Cap'n and watch the scene currently unfolding. This camp sure was proving popular with Mossflowers residents.

[Shy-Guy]

Greeneye looked between the two creatures, and his friend Silvertongue, before shaking his head and holding his cutlass up. "Ye can kill that airheaded dunce fer all I care, I'll still flay the lot of yas."

"Uh, he doesn't speak for me!" Silvertongue spoke up. "We surrender!"

The rat started to object, but he stopped when the fox lightly shook his head. Greeneye sighed and he slowly sheathed his cutlass.

"Silver, yeh bumblin' dummy." He growled under his breath.

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Sliteye made a motion with his head and Rangfur obligingly moved forwards, taking a cord of rope from his belt as he moved behind the rat and dragged the beast's paws behind his back.
  "Some sort o' friend ye ah. Tormbo, ye kin take th' fox. 'E kin keep 'is paws free fer now, but don't let 'im cause trouble. Back ter camp with both of 'em."
  Shoving the two captives ahead, Tormbo and Rangfur slipped back into camp, Sliteye following and exchanging a brief nod with the captain.
  "Yew to watch 'em wit' a sharp blade. Th' Cap'n's busy. 'E'll talk to 'em when 'e's available."
  Mharbrow let a slight smile flit across his face. Competent crew members were such a blessing.
  "Tulian, come over here and listen to what I have to say. As you can see, Maut, my crew are not dunderheads. I've had a few stupid crewmembers in the past, but they didn't last long. We go through a lot and the ones that need to be given orders to block a thrust from an enemy are finished off fairly fast. My crew can fight and think. You need to be able to do the same if you're to be a part of it."
  Turning back to the squirrel, the fox captain gestured for him to stand.
  "Up you get, lazybones. My prisoners don't sit around in the middle of the clearing either. We've got a nice big pit to bury you in if your paw is giving you that much trouble."

[Shy-Guy]

"Watch the hook, I wouldn't want ye teh cut yerself." Greeneye sneered as he was tied up. The rats left hand-paw was missing, instead replaced by a sharp metal hook.

Silvertongue just held his paws awkwardly behind his back. "My friend here was probably just bluffing, he wouldn't have let me die." He turned back as he was shoved towards the camp. "Can one of you fellows grab that instrument back there?"

"Damnit, Silver, that damned gee-tar of yers isn't important right now!"

"For the last time, Green, it's a lute!" The fox shifted about nervously as he continued to look back.

The two of them seemed to be ignoring the other creatures around them.

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Sliteye paused, glancing behind him, then back at the fox, one eyebrow lifted.
  "Yer a musician, huh? Fascinating."
  The weasel swallowed as the two captives' argument brought back a cascade of memories that he'd done his best to bury. His mate had been the musician aboard Bladewave,  before it had gone down. She'd have tanned his hide if he left a good instrument like that to rot in the dirt. Making an about turn, the weasel jogged back and retrieved the lute, carrying it back to its rightful owner and pawing it to the fox.
  "She's a beauty, mate. Any good at using 'er?"

[Mara the Wolf]

"Well forgive us, Captain," Maut said, "but it seemed like yer crew already had et handled."

[Faclan]

"Aye Cap'n!" Tul quickly hopping to his feet and pattering over to stand next to the fox and the new arrivals. Need to make a good showing after all to stop himself being punished. Though as the little spiel continued Tul started to look more and more nervous. Like it was all directed at him...Tapping his fingers together as he moved to the side in case the prisoners were moved past as he thought about it some more.

Sure his swordplay was bad but he wasn't useless? Right? They had no ship anymore so didn't need to navigate...that was bad. But he was great at directions and land knowledge...right? Looking more and more concerned for his own continued existence as his mind dug itself deeper.

[Shy-Guy]

"Any good? Am I any GOOD?" Silvertongue seemed offended as he cradled his instrument. "Am I not named Silvertongue? Are my ballads not sung through the great forests? Across the mighty seas?"

"Ah, shite, now ye've gotten 'im started." Greeneye rolled his eye.

The fox then proceeded to strike a pose, puffing his chest out as he started to strum at the lute, each flick of his fingers producing a rousing tune as he sang out.

"All through the land, many shall hear,
Of my glorious tales, if they just lend an ear!
The tales of today, tomorrow and more,
I'll sing my heart out, or at least 'til I'm sore!"

His rat companion winced. "He really won't stop singin until his throat can't take it no more. Could ye at least knock 'im out?"

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Mharbrow let the edges of his lips curl upwards in amusement at the fox's indignation, his smile increasing as Sliteye gave his answers to the rhetorical questions.
  "'Ow am I s'posed te know yer name was Silvertongue? Ye 'adn't interduced yerself an' I've never 'eard yer ballads. An' I've bin on both land an' sea."
  The fox captain found himself tapping his paw to the lively beat of the song, despite his usual aloofness with such things. He chuckled and made his way into the conversation when the rat asked to have his friend knocked out.
  "No, sorry. I'd like to chat with you two and I need you both conscious. Thank you, Sliteye. You're dismissed. Please check on how the graves are going and report to me once they're done."
  Sliteye nodded and hurried away to do as he was told, throwing a backwards grin at Silvertongue. Mharbrow took a seat and let his smile drop into a void of deadly seriousness.
  "You have two options..."

~Blah, blah, an amount of time has passed~

  "Cap'n, the graves is dug."
  Mharbrow rose to his footpaws, giving the fox and the rat a friendly smile.
  "Maybe you'd like to see what happens to beasts who don't make the right choice. Come watch."
  The captain's voice rose to address everybeast in the camp.
  "Time to bury our dead. Gather 'round."
  The crew members obliged, new and old. Sliteye, in the absence of his mate, recited the verse for the comrades they'd lost, then the captive members of Keelteeth, under the watchful eyes of Fret and Grunt lowered the bodies down carefully.
  Mharbrow nodded, then held his paw up in a gesture to stop as spades were picked up to shovel dirt back into the holes.
  "Hang on a moment, there's some other business to attend to first. For all the seasons I've been a pirate, I have never let a vanquished enemy survive. That is not about to change now."
  With a lightning flick of his wrist, the fox captain revealed the dagger in his paw and buried it into the neck of Garavito, yanking it free of the dead ermine as he gurgled his way into the grave he had been standing beside. Dyemhar looked around at the shocked faces of the now captainless crew and his new recruits, his eyes burning with an intensity not foreign to the beasts who'd served him for seasons.
  "Everybeast here has two choices: Follow Garavito or follow me. Which is it?"
  Silence, then one of the prisoners, a mink, stepped forward, lifting his spade to strike the closest of his enemies, backed up by two of his comrades. None of them lived to take another breath as they found themselves staring down the blades of Fret, Grunt and Rangfur, then their dead bodies were cast into the pits they'd dug with contempt. Mharbrow nodded, then met the eyes of each of the other beasts, crew and captive alike.
  "Anybeast else? ... No? Alright, fill in the graves and be done with this business. If anybeast would like to change his mind, I'm always available for a chat. In the meantime, set up camp. We'll be here until Belladonna is fit to move, at least. Keep an eye on the squirrel, the hare and the musician and his friend."
  Turning away, the captain approached Belladonna's bed, reassuring himself that she was asleep before disappearing into the trees. Time to find some moss and a few flowers.

~Blah, blah, more time passes, sorry for slight powerplaying, Eb~

  Mharbrow crept into camp, nodding to the beast on watch, eyes scanning the clearing to make sure everything was in order. The young squirrel shifted in his sleep, shivered and then settled down. Everybeast else remained how they were, be it asleep or awake. Not far from the bushtail was Belladonna's stretcher. She was awake, the fox saw, recognising the tight jaw of teeth clenched to keep from making noise from the pain.
  Making his way through the sleeping forms of his crew, Mharbrow approached the vixen and crouched down by her bed, whispering softly as he pressed the peace offering into her paw.
  "What do you need?"
  The vixen opened an eye, looking down at the pawful of plant matter and smiling despite her pain.
  "Exactly that. Thank you."
  Moving the stringy bark to her mouth, she began to chew it, her eyes beginning to close as her pain eased and exhaustion took over, barely registering the captain's explanation.
  "I couldn't find the right kind of moss, but that bark looked useful anyway. Goodnight."
  The fox gave a sigh of satisfaction and peace and, finding a spot, settled down to rest, glad in the knowledge things were sorting themselves out. The Long Patrol had promised to leave them alone, they had an expert forager and his most recent enemy was dealt with. Things were looking up.