Round One: BloodSpine Crew (Riding Out the Storm)

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

*Carr groaned inwardly again. First a storm, then a ripped sail, now an idea to stop at a cove. This just keeps getting better and better... He made his way to the captain's cabin. Finally reaching it, he opened the door. "Captain, sir, we're having some small problems!" he gasped. "One of the sails started to rip, but we've fixed that particular one. But there's probably goin' to be more!"

[Romsca]

*Navarre heard the scream and turned around just to see somebeast fall over the edge of the rail. She walked over to the rail, but they had already disappeared beneath the surface. She left the rail quickly, trying not to think of how deep the ocean was. She decided she should go tell the captain they had lost yet another crew member.

She entered the captain's cabin quietly, trying not to show her distaste for the two foxes. At least Carr was there. He was a weasel, and even though he was eleven seasons older than her, she found him to be somewhat attractive...

Even though the captain was injured, Navarre saluted him. "Cap'n, sir," she asked, "has Carr told you about the sail yet? Well, if he hasn't, the sail ripped, an' the rat Gasher, ya prob'ly know him as Gavin-Asher, fixed it. I can't be sure, but I think 'e ruined it in the process, but that's just my take on it. The crew's runnin' around aimlessly an' they don't know what to do. Should I order them to furl the sails, Cap'n? An' we lost another beast, a stoat I think..." She then noticed the horrific wound on his back. "Hellgates," she whispered, "I knew the otters injured ya, but I never knew it was that bad."

[Kitsune]

Farril was still in the captain's cabin, since Gasher took care of the sail, wondering what to do. He watched the water crash up against the side of the boat, wave after wave. He decided to take a peak at the plans. There seemed to be a lot of arguing, seeing their two options in the map by a lot of dagger marks. He guessed they might shelter in a cove.

Bored with the map, and longing for something to do, Farril looked out on deck. He turned around. "Uh, captain? Golfar's coming this way with a funny look in her eye. It's like she's got something up her sleeve!"

[321tumbler]

"You musn't fidget Captain. If you do the wound will be deepened" Vela Menkar said dabbed a cloth containing a special blend onto the large gash on Captain Visefang's shoulder. Then Vela beated another cloth until it was very soft and wrapped it around the wound. "That will make sure that nothing touches the wound." she whispered.

After she rolled all her materials into her bag she whispered to Navarre, "Why did you talk about the otters. Don't you know he might be angry now!" she shook her head at the young ferret.

[BloodGullet]

Seeing that the door to the captain's cabin was already open, Golfar stepped in after listening at the door long enough to hear about the missing stoat. She quickly summed up the situation from the small crowd already gathered and giving a small nod of respect to the captain said "Evenin' Cap'n! I suppose you've heard of the fine weather we've been having!  The poor beast that was left at the helm is having a tough time of it for sure." Pausing for effect, she continued, "after studying the map and getting some input from Sculrig and Skral, it seems there may be a cove, due east of here that may offer some shelter from the storm.  It has a deep, wide inlet and high mountains surrounding it.  There should also be plenty of supplies for a landing party to gather near the coast."

Turning to Carr and Farril she said with wicked grin, "Too bad about your boss, Sula, matey's. Looks like you might have to work for Gasher now, unless the captain has other plans.  I know how much you like going on raiding parties with him at your back!" she could barely restrain a laugh at her own morbid humor.

[Mattio]

*Skral ran out ounce he heard the screm. "Who wass that, who fellss over?" he screamed and "Get below the deck you lily-brained scum or you'll go to hellgatess, all of you!" he knew too many crew members had fallen overboard and he needed to keep all of the others onboard if they wanted to keep sailing.
Skral hissed at a passing corsair who was doing something above decks. Skral sneered once everyone was below, the storm would take no more victims from their crew tonight.

[Kitsune]

Farril spat on the floor. "Says who? I though I was going to be promoted if something happened, not just changing who I work under. At least that's what I though I heard Captain say, a long time ago. And who are you to tell us who to work for? You're just a little navigator. Let the captain do that."

[BloodGullet]

Oho! she thought, I've certainly struck a nerve there!  ...Good to know... Golfar turned toward the weasel, and although he was larger and stronger, she knew she could slay him in a wink if needed and so his outburst did not even cause her to pause a bit. "Here, here now, Farril 'ol matey" she said to put him off his mood, "I was just funnin' you a bit.  Of course, if you think the captain owes you a promotion, then take that up with him.  I was just speculatin', that's all.  Gasher seems to be the more senior crew beast maybe.  In any case, that doesn't concern me, it's somethin' for you crew beasts to work out.  But, being just the little navigator, as you put it, that still puts me in with the officers," her voice then grew low and menacing as she turned more to him and stepped back into a fighting stance "so don't be goin' and gettin' some airs about ye, me bucko, or the BloodSpine may be short another crewbeast before morning, which would be just fine by me"

She ended her threat with a stare that would boil water, while slowly toying with the hilt of her shorter sword.  She grinned with delight at the challenge and at the thought of the many ways she could send this beast to the Dark Forest. This time, the grin was so big that not even the veil could cover the horrible scar she received so many seasons ago, that left her face and her soul ravaged.  White bone and teeth could be seen, making the deadly grin into a ghastly and horrible sight.  The pain of it fueling the fire of her fury, but now is not the time, matey, I have other beasts to boil, and you're not going to spoil my plans she thought.

[Kitsune]

"Now's not the time for idle slaying" Farril countered, "...so I won't take this much farther. You certainly have been trained by somebeast, and I won't under or over estimate their knowledge, but I have had proper sword training also. Even if you were to attack me, and were my better, I would not go easily. And now you have made the foolish decision, my scarred friend, for if I were killed or missing the captain," he indicated him "would know who did it. And you would be severely punished, Golfar. So why don't we just carry on and forget about this?" He said. Farril walked over to the table again. "So what do we plan to do?"

[Redwaller]

* Gasher had entered the moment Golfar talked about the forage party. He went over to her, "Did I 'ear about me being the forage leader? Hohoho! I'd like that very much, it's been a while since I saw blood!" he said, handling his heavy war hammer. "Where do we go next? Oh, and before I forgets, tell the captain the sails been taken care of." He looked over to the captain, who looked like he suffered much. Lowering his tone so only Golfar could hear, he said "He's taken a fair beatin' from those otters."

Outside, the wind was holwing fiercely as raindrops beat on the windows, almost hard enough to break glass, the ferret which Gavin-Asher had pushed down was stil clinging to the rail. With the wind and rain lashing at his face, he uttered a threat. "I'll get you Gasher! Even if you're at the end of the sea, I'll get you!" And with that, he let go of the ship, plundering down to sea, with the hope of being washed on shore.

[Romsca]

"I'll get you Gasher! Ever if you're at the end of the sea, I'll get you!"

When she heard this, Navarre drew her sword. The screaming ferret sounded like her brother. "What was that about?" she demanded, pointing the sword at Gasher's throat. "What did you do to make him so angry? I can't tell exactly who that was because of the storm, but it sounded a lot like my brother. Tell me EXACTLY what happened. I want answers NOW!" She tightened her grip on her sword and moved it even closer to Gasher's throat.

[Tam and Martin]

Sculrig heard the arguing from below deck and ran up to where Gasher and Navarre were arguing. He immediately stormed in pushing Navarre and Gasher apart. "Hold hard there what's this about?" He asked, "Explain!" He pushed away Navarre's sword from Gasher's throat and moved in between them.

[321tumbler]

Vela slipped out of the captain's cabin and out onto the deck where she saw Navarre yell at Golfar. She stood in the shadows watching and waiting to see if someone died, but when Sculrig came she stepped out and helped him. Vela knew that with Golfar's help they could kill the captain she hated. Turning to Golfar she whispered, "I think we could work together to become the leaders of this ship. I believe that Visefang will become more cruel than ever because his pride was hurt. What do you think?"

[BloodGullet]

Golfar was jittery with excitement! With all this drama, beasts falling over, arguments, swords being drawn, surely blood will flow soon! With Navarre and Gasher at each other now, it will only be a matter of time, especially considering how close she was to her brother.  She was gripping the hilt of her shorter sword, being that they were  in the captain's cabin, and wondering if she would have an opportunity to use it.  Still, before using it on the beast she had in mind, she would have to ask some questions first, at least before sending them to hellgates.

The moment passed however as Sculrig jumped between Navarre and Gasher, keeping them from slaying each other.  Over her shoulder, Vela whispered in her ear a plan about the captain.  It gave her a chill up her spine how the fox could be so quiet and come up behind a beast with out them hearing her.  She will have to keep that in mind.  She could not trust any beast who could do that.

Stepping back into the shadows, Golfar considered Vela's request.  She knew the fox was taking a huge risk with a statement like that, one that could be used many ways, all with outcomes in her favor. She smiled and replied in a low whisper, taking Vela into her confidence, "I'm not one with an eye to running things, but I do agree that I would not be sad to see an accident befall our dear captain.  Let's just say I've had much better captains in the past, and would look forward to a new one, and the sooner the better!"  Pausing for a moment, she added, "I'm not sure that now is the right time," and then, with a grin,  "but what do you see in our dear captain's future?"

[321tumbler]

*Vela licked her paw and held it out to sense the wind. It was blowing strongly from the east and a sudden gust of air blew her cape out. Then she took a black and white feather out of her purse. The white one fluttered overboard and drowned in the sea, but the black one floated over to the captain's cabin. "Those feathers represented two parts of the captain, the white one was the captain that we know cruel but not crazy. Alas, the black one represented a part of him that only shows when his pride is broken and he tries to hide it up with a cloak of almost crazy harsness. Since the black feather floated towards his cabin, I'd have to say that soon our captain might go insane." Vela hoped that Golfar would believe her because if the stoat was superstitious Vela knew that could become an advantage.