Ships and Skies

[Tiria Wildlough]

Awesome! I like your writing style.

[W0NWILL]

Thanks. I'm working on the next chapter right now.

[Wisteria Wild Cat]

It's... Very different, also in a good way. I like it!

[W0NWILL]

Thanks. Sorry for the shortness.

Chapter Two

The mutterings slowly grew louder as what Regina said sunk in. Even thieves worry. Regina held up her hands for quiet, but few saw, and if they did, they took no heed. "Quiet!" She said, the people finished their sentences and points, "We have a small military, we are sending an ally request to Dagall." There was some murmurings of approval at this. "We ask that you send young men to the military." This was more of an order, if I know anything about Regina. She continued, but Fee and I were leaving; we had heard all we needed to.
"What do you think?" Fee asked me as we walked through the almost deserted streets.
"I'll fight."
Fee blinked, obviously he didn't expect that, "Good for you." He finally said.
An otter was walking nearby, no-doubt eavesdropping. She wore a monocle and a button-up vest, "Ye'll fight, ye say? Most beasts just say that then drop out, they always have an excuse."
I glared at her, "I'm not most people, I'm a finisher."
She smiled, "So ye say. Would ye like a chance at helping me out?"
"You just say that since you want a measly chore done."
"Perhaps. Most beasts would say that. But I'm not most beasts."
"So what do you want help with?" I asked in spite of myself.
"Trading. I'm the captain of a ship, don't ye ferget it. I'm trying to get my trading an' shiping business up an' running. Ye can help."
"Sorry, I'm a thief."
"Awfully thin for a thief, eh? Tell ye what, ye can on my ship for as long or as short as ye like, full pay. If it isn't yer cuppa tea, I'll bring ye back here so ye can be a thief, or ye can be a pirate."
"Mmm," The offer was awfully tempting, though I was wary, "You say as long or as short as I like?"
She nodded.
"Done,"
She smiled, "I'm Lyl. Welcome aboard the Cloudglider!"
"I'm not sure about this." Fee muttered.

0o0o0o0o

Lyl led us to the dock where all the other airships were tethered.
"D'y'know how these islands stay up?" I asked.
"Not really," she answered, "though I think it's something in the rock."
Our world consisted of floating islands, held up somehow. There were rumors, each one crazier than the rest. There were five nations, Igon, Onmes, Dagall, Fernsground, and The Unseen.
Lyl pointed at an airship large than the rest, it had two balloons, which was very rare around here, "That's my pride and joy, the Cloudglider! I have some more crew, you should get to know him."
"Only one?" I asked, traders needed more crew than that.
"I didn't mention it was extensive. We'll get supplies and push off in the morn."
"She didn't say that is was so small, either." Fee whispered in my ear from his perch on my shoulder.

The man she mentioned was tall and dark. He turned at the sound of our approach, "Hello," he said, "My name's Fiskcar."
"Er, hello Fiskcar." Something was off about him, "Where are you from?"
"Igon."
"Told you." Fee hissed.

[Wisteria Wild Cat]

Wow, I didn't have to wait long!

[Rainshadow]

  *Gestures for more*  Come on, come on, keepa goin', keepa goin'!

[Wisteria Wild Cat]

Haha, indeed!  *Jumps up and down*

[Tiria Wildlough]

Interesting! Keep on.

[W0NWILL]

Well, right now I don't have the most time, so here's a breaching of the fourth wall for you to smile at in the meantime:

“What do you think?” Fee asked me as we walked through the almost deserted streets.
"If I told you exactly, W0NWILL couldn't put this on the Redwall forums." I said.
"Stop breaching the fourth wall."
"Okay, I'll breach the fifth wall instead!"

[Wisteria Wild Cat]

Well, right now I don't have the most time, so here's a breaching of the fourth wall for you to smile at in the meantime:

"What do you think?" Fee asked me as we walked through the almost deserted streets.
"If I told you exactly, W0NWILL couldn't put this on the Redwall forums." I said.
"Stop breaching the fourth wall."
"Okay, I'll breach the fifth wall instead!"

Haha!

[W0NWILL]

I've finally gotten off my lazy butt and am currently trying not to fall asleep while writing the next chapter! Give me reasons to keep writing!

EDIT: I have the chapter done, I'll get it up tomorrow night at the latest.

ANODER EDIT: Oh yes, it now has a name, Ships and Skies. I plan on it being a sort of series, and I'm turning to you guys for help again. I need a name for the overall world of theirs. Nothing like The Skylands. It's cliche and sounds awful. Any bright ideas?

[phoenixfoden]

cool, sounds like welkin weasles with the steampunk contraptions!you should have wolves as some caricters,some bad but most good guys!

[W0NWILL]

Thanks. I may consider the wolves. Though if wolves were to make an appearance, I would likely make them pirates. And they would have something with thumbs to steer their airship, of course.

*considers* I could have the Cloudglider modified so Lyl could steer it easily and without thumbs...hmm...

[W0NWILL]

Chapter Three

Needless to say, I stood there, fighting the urge to run. At least he hadn't tried to kill me yet. Huh, if that was the most optimistic thing I could come up with, I could take lessons from Fee. At closer inspection, he looked nothing like the stone-faced and blood-smeared people you imagine. His eyes were near black but sparkled with humor, his hair was hidden under a newsboy hat. The only things that suggested that he was from Igon was his expression, tired from...something, war? And the ugly, jagged scar that ran from his ear to chin. He was dressed in simple clothes, those of a working man, a button-down shirt, an overcoat, and slacks. And, of course, there was the fact that he was so tall, he might be able to squish me if he tried.

My legs began to shake. Lyl hadn't looked insane, but never judge a book by it's cover. As much as I hated that phrase(it was not true for books in the slightest) it fit like a gear in a windmill. Fiskcar frowned, "What's wrong with you? Is it cold?"
"Er, well you're from Igon."
He nodded, "I just told you, I assume you might remember anything that can get past your thick skull."
That sent me over the top, "You insult me when your nation destroyed Fernsground! You have the gall to, well, waltz over here, probably scouting for any weakness!" My voice got shrill with rage.
“Igon destroyed Fernsground?”
Could he really not know? Airship travel was long, and messengers didn't tell their news to anyone else, "You don't know?"
Fiskcar snorted, "If I did I wouldn't of asked."
Fee hissed, as eagles tend to do when threatened, "Lies!" His feathers bristled and his flapping wings whacked me in the face.

0o0o0o0o

Fiskcar didn't know what to make of it. Igon didn't attack Fernsground as far as he knew. He had been out in the sky for about two weeks before Lyl had docked at Onmes for supplies, "I had no idea that Igon attacked Fernsground." And it was the truth. Skye glared at him for awhile before snorting and looking away.

0o0o0o0o

We stood for awhile, me with my back to him, him just standing and staring. I thought. I never looked back, but standing and staring seemed something that someone with minimal brain cells would do. I started when Lyl bounded aboard, a haversack  of food across her back, "Hello mates! Got us provisions, while using the last of our money, so this time, we actually have to sell stuff." I blinked in bewielderment, was this otter sane? If you went out without any coins, pirates would kill you since you had no pardon to give them. Also, we had nothing to trade as far as I knew. Lyl winked at me, "Ye'll like this first job I have for ye."
"I tend not to enjoy any jobs that get me killed." I snapped, "And, most likely, this one will get me killed. I have to work with a bloody Igonian!"
Lyl tutted as she past me, "What do you have against Igonians? Surely not that little shennanagin today? We're going to Fernsground."
"There is no Fernsground!" I shouted.
"That is where you are wrong. There's Fernsground, but it's enslaved, so they won't mind if we take a couple crops." Lyl winked in a cheery way, which instead of being reasuring, was just creepy.
That was just wrong. Even I have a conscience, even I wouldn't steal from starving and enslaved people. Lyl didn't seem the sort you wanted to be against. It seems that otters have no soul. Or, at least this one didn't.

[W0NWILL]

Chapter 4

Lyl rubbed her paws together, “Let's shove off. Fiskcar, get to the wheel, er, what's yer name?”
“Skye, like almost every other gal around here.” I replied.
Lyl slapped my shoulder, “Ah, don't get down 'cause ye got an awfully common name. Anyways, ye get down 'low decks, ye can do something like sort the provisions fer now. Leave yer eagle, I got a job only he can do.”
Fee hopped off my shoulder, “You'll be alright?” I asked him.
He only nodded, “I was more worried about you.”
I tugged his tail feathers, which was like a shoulder slap to birds; annoying and hampering your movement, “C'mon, you old featherless finch, you know me.”
He hissed, most likely in annoyance, “That's why I'm worried.”
“Skye!” Lyl hailed me from next to a hatch, “Bird, wait here, Fiskcar, why isn't the ship moving?" She strode toward the rear of the ship, what do you call it? Stern? And motioned for me to follow.
I followed Lyl through the hatch and down a ladder, wrinkling my nose at the smell; a combination of rotting fruit and used slacks. Below decks was nothing like above, they were cramped. A group of beds was pushed against one wall and the area farthest away from the hatch was roped off. Several crates of things, maybe the rotting fruit, were kept from sliding too much when the ship moved, or, that's what I thought. Next to each bed was a shelf where personal things could be kept, changes of clothes, though from what I've heard, people rarely changed clothes while on an airship. Above deck, you could see the sky, you could feel the wind. Down here, there was only one  visible porthole, and it was mostly obstructed by the crates.
“So, uh, what do I do?” I asked Lyl. Just then, the planking and steel between my feet shuddered, and I knew that Fiskcar had gotten the Cloudglider moving. I was leaving Onmes, for the first time in my life. The realization filled me with homesickness that I didn't know I could have for Onmes.
“Ye sort out provisions.” Lyl's voice brought me back, “There's only so much food out in the open skies. Be sure to put plenty of that dried salmon in my portion.”
Fish are as clever as all creatures here, yet people still kill them for food. Can't say I blame them, I mean, that stuff is good! It must take someone with no heart at all to kill them, as the fish would most likely plead for mercy. Though maybe they wouldn't know different, maybe they would be as dumb as mules. Mules are terrible at arithmetic and such. Not that I'm much better.
“Huzzah.” I said dryly.
Lyl must of heard the sarcasm in my voice, but she payed no heed to it. She just bounded over to the hatch, her rudder thumping against the boards and she grabbed the ladder and pulled herself onto deck. I sighed and sat on the edge of a bed. It was flat and lumpy. I scooted over to the shelf, this one was empty, and started pulling things from the sack Lyl had left. Again I sighed, would I always get the terrible jobs?

0o0o0o0o

Lyl arrived back on deck, her monocle hung by its cord. Lyl, like Skye, never obeyed the common dress code for the ladies of the time. Of course, animals had no dress code, as humans look at them as creatures of a lower class. Fee shifted from talon to talon as she approached, “What did you want of this bird?” He asked as she passed near him.
Lyl held up a paw as she strode briskly to Fiskcar, “Ye call this ship moving?” She reprimanded him, “We’re barely twenty ship-lengths from Onmes! We’re supposed to be at Fernsground within the week!”
“Ma’am, the ship has only started moving.” Fiskcar protested in his defense.
Lyl stamped her paw, “Don’t give me excuses!” She turned away, not seeing the rude gesture Fiskcar gave her, “Bird, ugh, what’s yer name?” She made a mental note to learn the names of her next crew members before having to give them orders.
Fee dipped his head respectively, “Fee,” He said, not elaborating. Most birds were like that, strait and to the point.
Lyl nodded in appreciation, “Right, Fee, ye’ll be giving us an escort of sorts, ye’ll be flying a ways above the ship, looking out for pirates and the like.”
Fee puffed out his chest at the importance of his task. He looked around for a place to take off and settled for the back of the ship, the balloon ended not far from the end of the ship’s body, giving him plenty of room to take off. He made a mad dash for it and started flapping his wings shortly before the end of the body of the ship. The takeoff went smoothly and without a hitch. Fee soared above the airship, loving the updrafts cushioning his wings, wind parting his feathers, he had been born to fly, like every bird. He rode the wind like a dolphin riding the wake of a boat, coasting and diving, spiralling and soaring.

0o0o0o0o

As I sorted, I got the sneaking suspicion that Lyl just gave me this job just to keep me occupied. That, or she was obsessively organized. I was pretty sure that no ship sorted supplies for each person. That thought filled me with rage, Lyl could sort her own rations! I stood up and flung the sack to the floor. It was still bulging, as I had only taken the dried fish out. The sharp tinkle of glass breaking brought me to my senses. A rush of dread swept over me, the kind that is almost inexplicable, but not quite. I held my breath and lifted the corner of the flap, I reached inside. Something sharp brushed against my knuckle and I pulled my hand out quickly as not to get cut. Too quickly. Another sharp object poked firmly into the heel of my hand. I gritted my teeth, but didn't cry out. I gingerly lifted the edge of the sack with my other hand, nursing the other against my chest. A chill swept over me, my brain refused to accept what I was seeing. A flask of cold tea had broken, splattering it's contents over the unwrapped food of the bag. We had no food except for the rotting fruit and the dried salmon sitting on the shelf.