The Quest for Romance: Sea

[Rainshadow]

  Cooper the wildcat was not pleased with his captain.  He despised the ways of Raven, and he wanted to leave.
  Sitting down on a barrel aboard the ship Lashkeel, Cooper thought over his plan.  Let's see, he thought.  I have a ship, some vittles, weapons, a map, and...  He pondered what he was missing.  Ah!  A first mate, that's what I'm missing.  Now Cooper wondered who would make a good first mate aboard his ship.
  Standing up, Cooper made his way up to the main deck.  He looked around, searching the Lashkeel for a suitable beast to take with him.  He needed someone he could trust.

[W0NWILL]

"What're yew doin'?" Birata snapped, striding over. He enjoyed bullying the crew at every opportunity, making life harder for them. His cutlas bumped against his leg and his cloak billowed, "Don't yew have anyt'ing to dew?" Even though he didn't hold a position of authority aboard the Lashkeel, he always waved off any objections and whacked them with the flat of his sword. They usually did what he wanted sharpish. The thought made him smile, a clever, discreet smile.

[Leatho Shellhound]

OOC: So the Lashkeel is the "bad" ship?

[Rainshadow]

  OOC:  Yes.

  BIC:  Cooper glared at Birata.  "Please, otter, don't yew 'ave summat better ta do than bullyin' other beasts around?  Don't yew want to go stare at the Cap'n some more?  Try an' make 'er give yew some authority?  It'll never work, y'know."
  He moved out of the otter's way and continued watching the crew.  Who could he trust?  There was nearly no one who he could trust with his life on this ship.  The only beast he could think of was... Brielle.  He couldn't find her, however.

[BrookSkimmer]

Brielle had spotted Cooper out on the deck from her perch in the crow's nest. The shecat had been all too happy to take the job as look out for the Lashkeel. Brielle detested how Raven took advantage of other less fortunate ships and crews. Stealing their belongings, and even killing on occasion. It was awful. She did her best to steer the ship clear of any vessels she spotted at sea.

The wildcat looked down again and saw Birata come out on deck. She didn't like the otter, especially as he was in league with the captain that she detested. Harsh words floated up from below and Brielle quickly made her way out of crows nest and down to the deck. She came and stood near Cooper, offering hi support with her presence. She was done with the otters bullying them.
__

Captain Raven Brinewater was in a foul mood. She could feel unrest brewing in her crew and that was never cause for celebration. She paced about in her chamber, sometimes stopping to study maps, other times taking sips from a glass of red wine on the table. Raven's heart had turned dark. She no longer remembered the days of being part of an otter holt and tending the land. She had taken a pirate's vessel one day at the tip of her cutlass, and now ruled that same ship was cruelty. She smiled thinly, yes, even those who admired her were afraid of her.

Take Birata for example. He was a handsome otter to be sure. Covered in barbaric tattoos and making mean sport of other crew members. Yes, he was a type that could become close to Raven's heart. But, it was better to have him afraid of her. Perhaps they would become close someday, but she would always be the Captain of the Lashkeel!

The pirate captain strode from her chamber and moved quickly up to the main deck. There before her was Birata and a couple of wildcats. Cooper and Brielle. It was time to make an example of trouble makers.

"Lazing around my decks again I see eh Cooper? And you Brielle, shouldn't you be in the crows nest doing your job?"

[Rainshadow]

  Cooper looked away from his captain.  "No, Cap'n, just gettin' back ta work."  He knew how cruel Raven could be, and he hoped he could get off lightly for what he'd been doing.

  OOC:  Just curious, Brook, are you wanting to have the Lashkeel at a port, or out at sea?  I'm picturing it at a port, but I'm not sure if anyone else is.  That's just how I was planning to make an escape.  Cooper sees a ship at the port and commandeers it.

[W0NWILL]

OOC: Could Phillim be a prisoner if it's at sea? Or if not, she'll be at the port.

[Rainshadow]

  OOC:  I suppose it's Brook's choice, whether it's at land or sea.  She is, after all, the captain of the Lashkeel.

  BIC:  Cooper cleared his throat.  "Well, Cap'n, Ma'am, I'd better be gettin' back ter work."  With that, Cooper turned and tried to stay as far as possible from Raven.  He picked up a mop and started cleaning the deck.

[Rainshadow]

  OOC:  Okay.

  BIC:  Cooper tried to catch Brielle's eye as he walked up to her.  Making sure that no one was watching them, but still trying to remain casual, he whispered to her,  "Psst!  Meet me below deck."
  After saying that, Cooper slowly meandered his way below the deck of the ship.  Right before he stepped below, he looked towards the land.  There were many other ships docked at the port.  Cooper hoped that there would be at least one that was a good ship for him.  Then he headed down.

[W0NWILL]

It was a fine day to be alive! Phillim Torsorem had acquired a hefty fish, with a great deal. Just some crops she had gotten from a field near the edge of town and she had a beautiful supper. She past the docks and watched some commotion going on. Looked like an otter giving a stern talking-to to a wildcat. As she watched, another wildcat and otter joined. One of the otters seemed to be in charge, she was pointing at the crow's nest and getting herself into, what looked from here, a rage. One of the wildcats picked up a mop and started mopping the deck. Were they slaves? Phillim was no stranger to slavery. She had seen the looks of beasts who had lost hope. Wait...one of the wildcats had gestured to the other and indicated to go belowdecks. That wildcat, just before he went below, had looked at land in a wistful sort of way. Were they planning an escape?

[BrookSkimmer]

OOC @Wonwill: I think Phillum should join the crew Cooper and Brielle are starting. Looks like you're already posting in that direction anyway...   

BIC:
No, Cap'n, just gettin' back ta work.

Raven's muzzle held a thin smile as the wildcat male responded to her bidding. At least the crew was quick to jump to it when she was around. The dark furred otter captain turned to look at Birata. They would be leaving for the sea again soon enough, the store rooms aboard ship were already nearly replenished. Raven did not like coming into port, preferring to keep the open ocean under her paws. However, there were matters that needed attending.

She walked by Birata, her whiskers coming close to his ear. "Meet me in my quarters Birata, I need to have words with you."
______

"Psst!  Meet me below deck."

Brielle's ear twitched as she picked up the words. It sounded as if Cooper might be planning something. She nodded discreetly and then made her way to the riggings that lead to the crow's nest. Why the captain wanted her up there when they were at port was always the question. However, she was a crew beast an followed orders... usually.

Once the captain and Birata had moved off the main deck Brielle shimmied back down and went down the steps into the underbelly of the ship. It was dry enough below decks. Captain Brinewater ran a tight ship. Everything was in order. Ship could smell the new fresh bread stored in the larder not far from where she was.

Then she spotted Cooper. She went to the wildcat, a smile forming on her lips. She spoke quietly but playfully to him. "I'm here. What's up wildcat?"

[W0NWILL]

"Meet me in my quarters Birata, I need to have words with you." Whenever a crew member was called to the quarters, it was not good for the crew member. Last time, there had been screaming. What did the cap'n want? Was she punishing him? He racked his brain for anything he had done recently that would give Raven cause to be mad or suspicious. Nothing. Was she giving him a promotion? That was as unlikely as him jumping off the ship and flying. Was there something that he had done against the ship's rules? He fought down panic as he walked stiffly toward the cap'n's quarters. He raised a paw and paused, before knocking. Without waiting for a response, he went in. Pirates had no common courtesy rules among them.

"Cap'n, I didn't dew anything! I promise, I'd swear on me life!" He nearly held up a paw in protest as he stammered, but didn't, since the cap'n might chop it off. He kept on stammering of his innocence, inwardly cringing.

-----

Elay padded into the port town, bone-tired. She would of been an easy target for robbers, a short rabbit with her paws dropping off and a haversack of food. At a loud splash her head swirled, pinpointing the noise. Rabbits don't have their large ears for nothing. Water droplets danced onto the dock, it looked like someone had fallen off a ship. She ran over, "Mi koi nahlay, natal-li!" (You have blindness, empty-head!) A black hare looked up at her pleadingly.

-----

Well, if the wildcat slaves were planning an escape, it was up to Phillim to stop them. She scampered up the plank that led up to the ship. Her paw hit a patch of water. That water happened to be slippery. She couldn't help letting out a scream as she hit the plank, bruising her pelvis. She lay there, gasping for breath, her heart thumping in terror. She slowly tried to stand up, but that pesky patch of water prevented her, again she went down, though not toward the plank. The sea had never looked so intimidating. When she would look back on this moment, it was a blur. She had looked up and seen a hare, or was it a rabbit, looking down at her. The rabbit had turned and darted away.

[Rainshadow]

  Cooper smiled at Brielle.  "Brielle," he said, looking around to make sure she wasn't followed.  He looked back at the beautiful she-cat.  With her sparkling eyes and soft fur, she did truly look beautiful.
  "Brielle," he said again.  "Do you wanna escape?  We can leave this ship right now, just the two o' us!  We could steal another ship an' start a crew o' our own.  I already 'ave some food."  He gestured to a sack, which lay close by.  It was packed to the brim with food.

[BrookSkimmer]

"Cap'n, I didn't dew anything! I promise, I'd swear on me life!"

Raven had just sat down at her writing desk as the male otter entered. The knock at the door had sounded and then Birata had burst in. He had startled the Captain and caused her to spill red wine on the maps upon the table. Trying to quell her anger the dark otter stood and came quickly towards Birata. She slammed the door shut and then used her paw to cover the otter's blabbering mouth.

"Shut up you fool! Shut yer gob this instant!"

Something about them fact that Birata was terrified of her made Raven like him even more. She was fairly sure he could be trusted, especially since he knew the consequences for crossing captain Brinewater.

"Don't say another word." She spoke the word flatly and removed her paw from his muzzle. She then strode to her desk and held up a map, shaking it to rid the parchment of red wine. it would stain but it would still be readable.

"Listen close Birata. I need slaves. We don't have enough crew beasts to properly run this ship. We will soon be setting to sea, making for the far eastern islands. I want you to go and capture slaves for me. Hard working creatures that can pull oars and scrub a galley. Do this for me and there will be a promotion in it for you. What do you say?"

As she spoke she leaned in closer and brushed her paw over his shoulder.
_____

Do you wanna escape?  We can leave this ship right now, just the two o' us!  We could steal another ship an' start a crew o' our own.  I already 'ave some food.

Brielle looked at the wildcat before her. He was handsome and strong and she could tell he was taken with her. She spoke quietly to him.

"Yes, let's leave this place!" Of course she wanted to go. She hated the captain of the Lashkeel and everything Raven stood for. If she left she could be with Cooper on their own ship. A good ship with a good crew. Yes she wanted to leave! "But we'll have to go quietly. Tonight?"

[Rainshadow]

  Cooper smiled his handsome, charming smile.  "Sure.  Thankee for doin' this, Brielle.  Now," he said, turning, "we'd best be gettin' back ta work.  Don't wanna let the Cap'n notice anythin' out o' order.  That'd ruin our plans."
  Cooper stepped back onto the deck, breathing in the salty air.  He picked up his mop and got back to work.