The Quest for Romance: The Hunt for the Lashkeel

[Rainshadow]

  Cooper looked at the bodies of the fallen foes.  They had been his friends at one point.  Now they were dead.
  Feeling slightly sickened, Cooper took Brielle's paw and followed her down below.

  Tempest was feeling overwhelmed as beasts came in to be attended to.  She wasn't much of a healer, and had just signed up for this task because she wasn't much of a fighter either.
  Walking up to an injured otter, Tempest gasped.  It was Avalanche!  He was moaning from the pain of his wounds, having taken quite a blow to his head.  It must have been a hammer, Tempest thought.
  "Stella!  Stella, could you come over here, please?  Now!"

  Avalanche couldn't see clearly or think clearly at the moment, and right as the stoat had struck him on the head, he was sure he would die.  Amazingly he hadn't, but then he was sure that he would be changed forever.
  Too afraid to reflect upon that moment, Avalanche had closed his eyes and intended to sleep, but before he could black out, he heard a familiar voice.

  "Stella!  Stella, could you come over here, please?  Now!"

  Was that... Tempest? he wondered, opening his eyes slightly.  He could see the blurry shape of a grey otter.  That must be her!
  "Tempest?" he mumbled, barely able to speak.  "Is that... you?"

  Tempest rushed to his side, hearing the voice of the handsome otter.  "Aye, it's me, Avalanche.  Are ye alright?"
  Avalanche groaned and passed out, his head rolling to one side.

[Leatho Shellhound]

She went over the check on Featherwood. He was propped up on a makeshift bed. "How are you feeling sir?"

"Better, where's Terra?" he asked.

[Tiria Wildlough]

Tia suddenly caught sight of Leisa sitting in a corner, holding her face. 'Leisa!' she cried. 'What is it?'
'It hurts...' moaned the white-furred mousemaid. A shudder of horror went through Tia as she realized that her friend's eye had been slashed.
'Leisa!' gasped Tia. 'I'm so sorry! I should have helped you.' She tried not to cry at the sight of Leisa's wound. 'Somebeast! Leisa needs help!'

[Rainshadow]

  Tempest ran over, hearing the call for help.  "Wot?  Wot is it, Tia?"  She then saw Leisa's wound.  "Oh my goodness," she muttered, before calling out, "Stella!  We need yer 'elp o'er 'ere!"

[BrookSkimmer]

(using Stella with permission)

Stella heard the call and came up quickly from below decks. She had left Acorn to work on various patients. The chipmunk was impressed Acorn had been able to pick up healing skills so fast. It usually took a long time to learn to learn such things.

The mouse had a very severe eye wound and Stella knew it would need to be treated quickly to stop the blood flow.

"Tempest, can you carry her down to the infirmary? I can help her from there."
---
Better, where's Terra?

Acorn wanted to be able to tell Featherwood where Terra was but she did not know.

"I don't know yet sir, but I'll find out. Here, drink this."

The squirrel pawed the otter a mug of steaming liquid that would help him to relax and heal.

After this Stella and the others came below and Leisa was placed on a table.

"Get me a compress of motherwort as quick as you can Acorn, this mousemaid may loose her eye."

Acorn jumped to the work and soon the compress was being applied.
---

Brielle squeezed Cooper's paw reassuringly as they wnet down the steps.

There were still some slaves chained to oars below decks of the Lashkeel. The smell was sickening and Brielle swallowed hard so she would not gag.

"Let's get them out of here. There must be some keys to their chains around here somewhere."

[Dannflower Reguba]

OOC: Finally, something I can do. BIC:

"A good shove from a lance oft does the trick!" Lusiphi was already there, but his battered image was obscured by one of the support columns.

*Chink!*

"I started at the other end knowing how the worst conditions are up front, I didn't start that long ago. Could you give me some 'elp mates?"

OOC; His left side has a dscarring scimitar mark in it, a sling stone glanced of his left knee cap, and he took an arrow to the back of his right shoulder... Got hammered in his chest by a big sea rat to boot.

[Mattio]

Mattio staggered down the stairs. "They're simple turn locks", he said as he gestured to the slaves that were unlocked.

[Rainshadow]

  Cooper pulled out his right scimitar, his left paw on his ear.  "D'ye think ye could find me some bandages 'till I can get these seen to?" he asked Brielle, striking a lock with the pommel of his sword.  The lock broke easily.  So much for being the best pirate ship in the seas, Cooper thought.  They don't even know when they see a good lock!

  Tempest walked over to Stella, picking up the mouse.  "Aye, I can do that for ye."  She carried the mouse down to the makeshift infirmary, placing her on an empty cot.

[BrookSkimmer]

The lock body clattered the to floor, loosing the chains around about half a dozen slaves. It was a good sight after the ordeal they had just been through.

D'ye think ye could find me some bandages 'till I can get these seen to?

"Aye, I didn't notice your ear was still bleeding pretty badly." She unwound the tough black wrap that covered her right lower arm from elbow to paw. It was used to protect her when she used her sword paw. "Here, try this." The she cat wound the wrap about Cooper's head, covering his ear stump. "It's clean enough and will hold you until we can get back aboard the Freebeasts."

After this Brielle spotted Lusiphi. He looked like he had taken a beating during the battle.

"It looks like a lot of us need some medical attention." She questioned the otter. "Are you well enough to help lead these slaves out into the sun? After that, we can get your injuries seen to."

Mattio appeared on the scene next. The hare also looked like he had seen better days. Indeed the battle had been hard won.

"Thank you, we'll have the slaves up on deck soon and then all our injuries will be looked at." She tried to assess the hare from her position. "Will you be alright?"
---

Stella peered for a long moment at the slash wound to Leisa's wound. It was deep and did not look good. She did not want to tell the mousemaid that it looked like she may indeed loose her eye.

"Now, lie back while I secure this compress on your wound. We must stop the blood flow before we can stitch the wound closed. I'm sorry it must be very painful." Stella looked to Tempest again.

"Take some nightshade root and crush it with that mortar and pestal. Once it's ground, take a pinch and add it to some water with a bit of mustard seed flower. That will help ease her pain."

Acorn was busy aring for many beasts as they came the infirmary. After they were all seen to for the time being she packed a bag with simple medical supplies and made for the hatch.

"Stella, I'm going to go see to the injured up on deck." The young squirrel felt her confidence build as she made her way to the deck of the Lashkeel, looking for beasts to help.

[Rainshadow]

  Cooper placed his paw on the bandage, starting to feel blood seep through.  He grunted his thanks, saying, "I think I might need somethin' for me chest, too."  He looked down at the nasty gash on his chest before blacking out from the loss of blood.  With a loud thud, he hit the deck.

  Tempest nodded, running to find the ingredients for the mixture Stella had been talking about.  She hurried in the making of it, but was very careful to put in the right amounts.  She picked up her mixture, bringing it back to Stella.  "Is this wot ye wanted?"

[Leatho Shellhound]

Acorn wanted to be able to tell Featherwood where Terra was but she did not know.

"I don't know yet sir, but I'll find out. Here, drink this."

The squirrel pawed the otter a mug of steaming liquid that would help him to relax and heal.

After he took the drink he poored it down his mouth, "thank you for every thing Acorn" he said and then fell asleep.

[Dannflower Reguba]

"Are you well enough to help lead these slaves out into the sun? After that, we can get your injuries seen to."

Lusiphi gave Brielle a weak half-grin, "I'll do what needs to be done, and if that means getting these poor beasts up to tha fresh air, then it's gonna get done. You can stake yer' life on it mate. I'll see you soon I'm a' guessin'. Good bye for now." With that he turned to lead the train up the stair well, and provide assistance where needed.

[Mattio]

Will you be alright? "I'll be fine just gimme a few hours rest," he said while tearing up his tunic then applying it it his wounds."I might need a new tunic," he said with a grin. "Let's get these slaves up"

[Mattio]

ooc:i know i just meant to keep it going

bic: Mattio watched in satisfaction as the slaves walked up the stairs. But these beasts must be starving, for I am. he thougth as he watched. "Can we get these beasts sumtin' to eat?"

[Rainshadow]

  OOC:  Gonna get this movin' along. 

  BIC:  The next day past by in a blur, everyone working to get both ships back in working order.  Cooper had been carried off to the makeshift infirmary, his wounds taken care of.  The slaves had been freed, and now they were helping to move the corpses, throwing the vermin corpses overboard.
  Tempest had led a small group out, finding all of the injured beasts and bringing them the medical attention they required.  She felt slightly sickened, looking at the dead beasts that were still lying on the decks of both ships.  She couldn't wait to get back to Redwall!

  The day after the battle, Cooper was allowed to get out of his little cot and walk around a bit.  Luckily the gash on his chest hadn't gone very deep, so he would only get a scar out of it.  Nothing more.
  Cooper stood on the deck of the Lashkeel, standing in the exact spot where Raven had fallen.  He sighed, rubbing his bare arm.  His tunic had been taken from him to be mended and washed, so all that was covering his upper body was the large bandage on his chest.  The ocean breeze was rather cold that day, and Cooper wished that he could find his coat.  He had lost it sometime during the battle.
  Cooper looked to the horizon, wishing that he could turn back time and relive that moment.  He could have saved Raven, but he'd hesitated.  Now it was too late.
  Cooper shook his head, very confused.  Why was he thinking about the evil otter?  She had made his life miserable!  Why was he now regretting that moment?