Ratty Driftwood

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Belladonna nodded and tied the paws of one rat firmly behind his back. She hauled him to his feet and lightly ran her claws across the back of his neck. The rat stumbled forward and Belladonna kept him moving until he stood a short distance away from his bound shipmate.
  "Sit." she snapped, and the rat dropped to the sand, settling himself in the same position as his fellow captive. Belladonna made sure the two rats could not reach each other before she bound his footpaws securely. Her nose twitched as the smell of fish and old vegetables was carried to her from the cooking area. Not a particularly delicious meal, she thought, but it was food and she was hungry. 

[shisteer of nothing much]

Mharbrow tied the other rat's paws and then kicked him into consciousness, hoisting him up by the scruff and wordlessly shoving him until he'd shuffled awkwardly into position. Mharbrow gave him a savage grin and kicked him at the back of the knee, causing the rat to sprawl unceremoniously in the sand.
"I haven't quite decided what I'm going to do with you lot yet. Sit tight and behave yourselves or I'll give you something to complain about."

Tornpatch shoved his captive in place and grinned at the captain, sniffing the air appreciatively.
"Smells like good grub, Cap'n. I 'aven't ea'en in a while. I 'spect these beasts 'aven't neither. What d'ye think, should we feed 'em?"

Mharbrow turned away and headed for the camp fire casually.
"Of course not. Belladonna, where is Grunt? Was he hurt in the fight?"

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Belladonna ducked her head apologetically. "Sorry, Captain Dyemhar. Grunt was cut on the leg by one of these rats. I told him to wait for Baretail or Fanggrin to come back and help him into camp. Speaking of them, where in Sampetra did they go? Fanggrin! Baretail! Get of your worthless behinds and come here." The vixen tapped her footpaw on the sand as the two rats scampered over to her. Fanggrin held out her herb bag to her, his gaze cast down.
  Belladonna took the bag and pointed towards where they had left Grunt. "Both of you go and help Grunt back here. Get him something to eat and then bring him to me." They took off in the direction she had indicated and the vixen turned back to Mharbrow.
  "Again, my apologies, Captain Dyemhar. I should have known not to depend on fools like them."

[shisteer of nothing much]

Mharbrow shrugged the apology aside, watching Baretail and Fanggrin disappear.
"Don't worry about it. Anybeast will get distracted when they've had a long day and the food suddenly comes out. Speaking of which, let's get some of it before it's too late. Would you help me question that weasel? I don't think I'll have the patience to restrain myself from examining his innards if I have to deal with him on my own."
Mharbrow forced out an exasperated laugh and dished himself a portion of the fish and vegetable soup, licking the splashes from his paws before tucking in to the scallop shell.
"We'll have to see about replenishing provisions too. We'll leave here tomorrow."

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

Belladonna repressed a shudder at her captain's words and laughter as he brushed past her. She sipped her soup slowly, feeling its warmth spread through her body. "So soon?" she queried, mildly curious.

[Kade Rivok]

Firestripe deposited the bound and unconscious enemy captain with the rest of the prisoners as Mharbrow and Belladonna planned amongst themselves.  This kind of thing always annoyed him; the captain regularly treated her much more like the first mate than he himself, even though he was the one that actually held the position.  There was no point in bringing it up of course, they'd been part of the same crew longer than he, but it irked him nonetheless.  He decided to forgo food for the moment to keep an eye out, making sure the prisoners didn't try anything while also watching for anybeast trying to sneak up on them.  Who knows if there were others that had managed to make it to shore somewhere out of sight.  It would be stupid to make a simple mistake like that now.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Mharbrow finished his soup and passed his scallop shell to Tornpatch. There weren't enough vessels to go 'round everybeast so they had to take turns.
"Once you've finished, give the shell to Sliteye and take over watching the prisoners for him. Cutsnip, have you eaten?"

"Yes, Cap'n."

"Good, climb up on those rocks and keep watch. Report anything you see to me or Firestripe. Speaking of which, Webneck, go give him something to eat. He looks preoccupied. Tell him that, when he's ready, I'd have a word with him."

Webneck filled his scallop shell and hurried to do his Captain's bidding while Cutsnip scrambled up the rocks. Mharbrow looked up as Grunt stumbled into camp, supported on either side by Fanggrin and Baretail, the wound clearly visible in his upper thigh.
"I'll leave you to work in peace. I've got some prisoners to talk to."

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Belladonna drank the rest of her soup and tossed her scallop-shell aside. She gestured for Grunt to sit in front of her and rummaged in her bag. She produced a strip of clean cloth and laid it across her lap, then rubbed some herbs between her paws, letting them fall onto the cloth. She took a ceramic jar from the bag and liberally spread its contents, a potent ointment, over the wound. Grunt clenched his teeth in pain as the vixen tended him, binding his leg tightly with the strip of cloth.
  Belladonna nodded in satisfaction and repacked her bag. "Get something to eat and then find a job." she told Grunt. She brushed several herb leaves off her red-brown fur, her green eyes fixed on Mharbrow and Firestripe.

[Kade Rivok]

Firestripe heard somebeast scrambling up onto the rocks to keep watch and figured that was his cue to reconvene with the rest of the crew.  As he turned, he noticed Webneck heading his way, soup in paw.

"Got some grub for ye; captain's orders.  He wants a word wiv ye, er, once yor ready, 'e said."

Firestripe smiled slightly to himself before downing the soup in one large gulp, handing the empty shell back to Webneck once he was through.  "Thanks mate.  Suppose I'll head over now; no need to keep the captain waiting."  The large black fox stretched his bad leg out as he walked, showing the same slight limp that he always had.  His left eye-socket felt a bit itchy under his eye-patch and he removed it, inspecting the thing.  It had become encrusted with salt from his time in the ocean and he wiped it down as best he could, removing any buildup from around his eye-socket as well.  Before he knew it he'd already reached the captain and he quickly returned the eye-patch to his face.

"Sorry about that sir.  You wanted to see me?"

[shisteer of nothing much]

Mharbrow nodded, his brows slightly furrowed as he watched his first mate's efforts at hiding his pain. Firestripe was a fierce and capable fighter, despite his injuries. The other fox was a useful and trusted ally and Mharbrow wasn't incapable of feeling a level portion of concern and even sympathy for the beast.
"Yes, I did. I was hoping you'd help me interrogate the captives and that weasel. We're moving out first thing tomorrow and I want everything, or as much as possible, sorted tonight. Is your leg...? I think Belladonna has various herbs that help with pain..."

Mharbrow left the statement hanging and studied the prisoners in the dim light, most of them making an attempt at rest and not doing very well. Keelteeth's captain was still out to it, though he looked as if he'd stir soon. Mharbrow smirked quietly. When his enemy did wake, he'd have a splitting headache and the knowledge that he'd been captured wouldn't help matters. It was just as Mharbrow wanted it.

[Verdauga]

Though he could easily smell the soup, Wrackfur waited until after most of the corsairs had gotten their meals. Being a newcomer didn't help his situation. He scooped up his soup and drank straight from his bowl, stopping and leaning on one of the rocks near the rest of the crew, fully realizing the size of the band.
"At least the soup is good." he thought.

[Kade Rivok]

Firestripe shook his head at Mharbrow's question and statement. 

"No need to worry, captain.  I'll be fine," he said, before inclining his head Belladonna.  "I'm sure we're running low on healing herbs as it is, given the state of things."

He pondered the captains plan.  Information would always be useful, so it certainly made sense.  "About the interrogation, as you know it isn't exactly my forte, but I can stand around and look menacing if you want," he stated matter of factly, a small smile on his lips, before continuing in a lower voice.  "Though, I do think that new... recruit we got should be useful.  He' sure to know the lay of the land in these parts."

[Faclan]

Squeaking in surprise as the young Captain Gara was thrown to the sand next to him and a few other survivors the Navigator tried to stay still. To not draw attention to himself as he sat there. He was no fighter and no strong beast especially under threat of blades or beatings. So he tried to just wait and watch as Gara was secured tied to the driftwood near him. And once it was done and the main group of Foxes had moved off the Rat err ummed and finally spoke up quietly.

"C..Cap'n G'ra? Ya' 'k?" (C...captain Gara. You ok?)

The small navigator's tail flicking around in worry which made the sextant in his belt clink and clank around quietly.

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Belladonna smiled slightly. Firestripe was right, she was running low on medicinal plants. She had plenty of dried rosemary still, but it wasn't the most useful herb in the world. She approached the two foxes and spoke softly to them.
  "Would you mind asking that weasel you found if he knows anything about plants, Firestripe? I could use some more black cohosh and echinacea, but I don't know if they grow in this area."

[shisteer of nothing much]

Mharbrow shrugged resignedly, not convinced but willing to let the matter rest.
"If you say so. Mmm, you're very good at looking menacing. Maybe you could do the same when I get round to interrogating the weasel. Keelteeth's captain looks like he's beginning to stir. Let's get ready."
Mharbrow drew his dagger and moved forward, swiftly untying the ropes bounding the other captain to the driftwood and dragging him away from the remainder of his crew. He prodded the stoat gently with the tip of the dagger.
"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty. My knuckles could give you the kiss of true love, if you think you need it."
Mharbrow kept his eyes on the sea scum, talking out the corner of his mouth to the healer fox.
"I'll ask Wrackfur about those herbs when I question him. Tell Sliteye to keep an eye on the other prisoners. I don't want any trouble from them."