- Influence
- 764.00
(The following is an edited old VI thread. It introduces Sorrona, Yaro Ashpaw's mother, who in contemporary VI is locked away with wildcat madness. It also includes the first time Jeshal met his now wife, Tanya, face-to-face. Other main participants are: Xhavek Mokorai, Armina Rogue (who turned out to be Vaelora Ryalor), Julia & Anithias Freedom, Rynn (sorry I couldn't find their surname anywhere 
), and Enguil Albine. There is also reference to a baby Falun Furotazzi among other now grown-up VI dibbuns!)
), and Enguil Albine. There is also reference to a baby Falun Furotazzi among other now grown-up VI dibbuns!)A PURRFECT ALLY?
First post: Milarkus 19, Yr. 1728, 1:59 pm
Sorrona Ashpaw
Sorrona's golden eyes drank in the scene of the busy ship upon which she had so recently enlisted. The sleek, silvery-grey wildcat brushed one of her dark paws over the hood of her violet cloak to scratch a protruding ear.
I wonder who it was I was meant to report to? Perhaps I should learn to listen one of these days. Perhaps. Maybe not today...
She meandered about the deck, casually dodging those rushing about on their errands and awaited some clue as to what was expected of her.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek had finally dislodged himself from his writing desk and was staring out to the bay. Turning back to the deck he noticed a beast he hadn't met before. She seemed a little lost, which made Xhavek grin. It wasn't so long ago that he was a new crewbeast.
His large sage green tail swished as he walked over to her.
"Hello mine friend. New here? I'm Xhavek Mokorai the Aide-de-camp on ze Golden Hide. Itz a pleazure to meet you, have you been zettled in yet?"
Xhavek grinned at this new wildcat. He hoped she didn't mind drinking. He hadn't been able to convince his blood brother Wisp to go with him after their last fiasco at a tavern.
Sorrona Ashpaw
As the authoritative lizard addressed her politely, Sorrona kept her head dipped and her eyes averted in a reverent manner.
"The pleasure is mine, sirre," she replied, clasping her paws at her chest. "I regret I have not been familiarrized with any place as yet. I would be grrateful of yourr assistance. It is my desirre to blend in as best as possible."
Enguil Albine
Enguil boarded the ship again. He'd just been out, eating his fill. He hoped Rynn didn't notice. He didn't want the cook to get mad at him. In front of Enguil was a silver-furred wildcat. She appeared to be a new recruit.
Well of course she's a new recruit, thought Enguil, I'd recognize her otherwise!
Enguil stepped around her, into her line of vision.
"Hello, madam! New aboard this ship, are ye? M'name's Enguil. I'm the Bosun of the Hide. I guess ye've met Xhav?"
Xhavek Mokorai
As Enguil appraoched Xhavek grinned at him. He had abviosly been out eating again by the crumbs in his fur.
"Yez she iz indeed new here. I'm zorry mizz but i don't zeem to know your name. And zeeing az how itz my job and all I'll need your information zo i can get you officially regiztered az a member of ze crew."
Nodding to his good friend Enguil, he motioned for the cat to follow him.
"Zee you later Bozun, Juzt make zure you vipe your faze before Rynn zeez thoze crumbz. Pleaze come vith me mizz."
Xhavek chuckled as he walked away from the albino Bosun. He had been eating out a lot lately.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Again, Sorrona kept her eyes cast downwards and bowed a little as the white ferret also deigned to greet her.
Her tail twitched as though she were nervous. It had been a long time since she had spoken to anyone, much less been in such a bustling environment. As Xhavek exchanged farewells to Enguil, she bowed her head once more to the ferret.
With soft pawfalls, she allowed the monitor lizard to lead the path she would walk.
"I am Sorrona, sirre. I have not had grreat experrience with ocean trravel, but I have a few talents that I hope may be of help to the crrew."
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek led the way to his office. He grinned at the silver furred wildcat as he opened the door. Stepping in he walked over behind his desk and pulled open one of the drawers. Taking some spare parchment and a quill, which he dipped in the inkwell on his desk, he looked up to the new crew beast.
"Velcome to my offize Zorrona. Pleaze be zeated, zo ve can get you all written in. Now I vill need your full name, your rank, and just a few otherz."
Xhavek dated the parchment, and looked back down to the parchment and waited for her to answer. The sooner this was over the sooner he could get something to drink. He hadn't had a good ale in a while.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Her violet cloak blanketing about her, Sorrona set herself down in the chair before Xhavek's desk, paws resting statuesque in her lap.
"Let me see. As full as I carre to divulge, my name is Sorrrona Ashpaw. My rrank, as farr as I can determine, is currently that of a... deckswab? Of the firrst class, I think. I would hope to trrain beyond this purrpose, forr I believe myself to be of greaterr use with tasks of a keener naturre. Sirre."
As she waited patiently for more questions, one of her ears flicked slightly to one side - habitually keeping alert for any listeners.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek filled in the information as she gave it to him, his quill scratching across the parchment swiftly. Though his handwriting wasn't awful, it was very choppy. Half the time people needed to look at it twice before the understood what it meant.
"Okay. Now, plaze and date of birth are helpful but zince mozt don't zeem know it it iz optional. Heheheheheheh. You'd zink zat a beazt vould be able to remember zomething like zat. However, I vould alzo like an inventory of anzing you vill be bringing aboard. Got to keep track who ownz vhat don't you know? Eye color, zcale or fur coloration, oh and one more zing, I vill need your zignature on ze bottom."
Dipping his quill in the well once more he poised it over the parchment expectantly.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Feeling her hackles rise a little at the thought of her homeland, Sorrona closed her eyes to will the bottled rage below the surface. It wasn't as though they'd let her leave without repercussion.
"Well, sirre," she said eventually. "I was borrn in the Ashpaw colonies farr frrom herre, Frrimary the twenty-firrst." She added the year of her birth somewhat more quietly. "As you can see, my eyes arre yellow, orr gold. My furr is silver with these black tips on my paws, a trrait among my family."
She patted at her belt as she continued.
"With me I have a small black axe marrked with the faint trraces of what was my family's emblem - a strrong wildcat pouncing upon a woodland birrd. Now, only the birrd can be seen. I also have a rring, green stones circling one large black one; a locket of little marrket value, and of courrse my cloak. The rrest is merrely a few as you would call...vittles."
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek filled in all the information on his parchment. Signing his own name at the bottom, he turned to a large stamp on his desk. He picked it up in one charcoal colored claw and slammed it with a bang next to his name. It was the seal of the Golden Hide, which verified the legitamacy of this document.
He slid the paper over to Sorrona and handed her his quill. Leaning over the parchment briefly she signed her name in a spidery handwriting. Then she handed it back to Xhavek who stowed it away among all the other files that had yet to be copied and sent to the appropriate Ministries.
Xhavek pushed back his chair, stood up, and placed his claws on his desk.
"Vell zat iz it mine friend," he grinned, "Velcome to ze Golden Hide."
He was about to extend his claw for a pawshake but a knock came at his door. Without even waiting for an answer the door began to open.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Sitting patiently as the welcoming lizard performed all the due necessities for her to become an official member of this intriguing ship, Sorrona took a moment to allow the scent of the charcoal seal to tickle her senses.
Before the wildcat was donated the time to move her paw to seal the lighter side of her contract, in effect - to clasp Xhavek's scaly hand, she was interrupted by a rapping upon the door.
Both of her ears swivelled towards the entrance and then she turned her face to follow suit, anticipating what beast might be entering...
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
If any eyes were of the nature to be looking for a face in the general height assumed, they might have been a little confused by the empty space that greeted them. Indeed, the thin and ragged face of the Captain poked about the sturdy timber door a good several inches below the norm, bright green eyes with their scruffily dyed patches narrowed suspiciously as she glanced inside. They slid across to Xhavek carefully, not really seeing the lizard as she muttered to him awkwardly.
"Xhav, please make sure y' call in th' carpenters later. Seems I musta gotten my paws on a crossbow last night an' had an argument with m' door. Can' remember it though..."
In the silence that followed, Tanya's gaze fell upon her Aide's outstretched claw and stared at him stupidly before finally noticing Sorrona for the first time, her surprise revealed in a twitch of the ragged half-ear and pleasure in the lopsided, glittering grin she gave.
"Ah, new beast eh?" Without waiting for approval, the scrawny fox slid into the cabin and closed the door behind her, careful to avoid upsetting any of the lizard's paperwork as she crossed over. The peculiar grin still evident, Tox ran a paw through the mat of fur at the nape of her neck and fell to fiddling with the beads in her braids, branded tail swishing as she sized up the quiet newcomer.
"Well then," she eventually managed when she seemed appeased with the feline, "wha's yer name?"
Sorrona Ashpaw
As the entrant moved into the cabin, Sorrona lowered her gaze to the floorboards once more. The dark auburn fox's grin not lost upon her awareness, the wildcat closed her eyes and dipped her head in greeting.
"I am Sorrrona of the Ashpaw colonies, my lady. It is my honourr to serrve you. I trrust you arre the captain of this bountiful vessel?" she purred without a trace of insincerity.
A faint thrill of threat toyed about her heart in the silences that danced amidst the conversation. She enjoyed the peril of every meeting with a new face.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Unused to such a formal introduction as this (most of the new recruits being misfits and drunkards who preferred to test their most slurred of bawdy greetings on the diminutive Captain), it took a few seconds for the words to process, so thrown was she with the politeness and enthralled with the unique, sibilant manner of speech.
"Oh... aye I am. Not that many got it right on first guess, 'm impressed with yer perception. Ah, there's no need for the 'lady' nonsense; Cap'n is fine enough or, if you don' like that, names allus work."
The smile reverting back to the hollow smirk from earlier as her snagged attention dwindled, she extended a paw to the cat and shrugged.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Ever careful to keep 'unnecessary' emotion concealed, Sorrona did not bat an eyelid to Tanya's hesitation to respond. In a manner so gentle one might mistake her for being a frail and ancient being, she reached out with one of her black-tipped paws and warmly clasped the fox's outstretched palm.
"I would apprrreciate this verry much, Captain. I am eagerr to meet morre of yourr crrrew and learrn my way about the ship beforre I find my place upon it."
She cast her gaze ever so briefly to Xhavek's face, bobbing her head down once she had caught his attention.
"If I am perrmitted, sirre."
Rynn
The cloaked wildcat caught Rynn's eye just as Xhavek was leading her to sign the needed papers, leaving Enguil off on his own. The tawny she-cat noted a slight few crumbs still residing upon the bosun's fur. She had made potatoes for lunch along with boiled fish, and all beasts know that no crumbs came from that food. "Already tired of m'vittles, Eng?" She gave a dry chuckle, as she passed by him playing it off.
Further steps led her to the door of Xhavek's cabin. She waited on the side of its frame, wanting to greet the new arrival, wildcat to wildcat. As she leaned against the side she couldn't help but eavesdrop. Rynn nodded her head to a silent tune, listening in on the conversation. Ashpaw colonies, not familiar with it; fur is a trait among her family, interesting; carries an axe with black markings and a few other items of value to her. "An interesting new member!" she murmured to herself, grinning widely. She heard the tap tap of boots coming near, and hid herself for no apparent reason. Feeling awkward perhaps for eavesdropping.
She eyed the owner of the boots. Captain Tox. "Come t'greet that Sorrona feline, no doubt." Rynn mumbled again, smirking.
"..I am eagerr to meet morre of yourr crrrew and learrn my way about the ship beforre I find my place upon it...If I am perrmitted, sirre."
Rynn stood up and peeked her head around the door. " 'O course y'are. Permitted that'is," she smiled, then nodded to the captain and Xhavek. " 'Ope y'don't mind me poppin in, Cap'n Tox. You too Xhav." She slipped into the room, still near the doorway trying to keep the room from feeling crowded. "It's nice to see another wildcat on board, Miz Sorrona. I'm Rynn, just the cook. But y'can call me whatever y'like."
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek shook his scaly head in exasperation. She was always doing something to drive the crew crazy. This just made the lizard grin though. After all that was what they all loved about the Captain.
The lizard bowed as he spoke, "Of courze Captain I vill get to it right avay."
Xhavek began to move to his door when his good friend Rynn popped in.
" 'O course y'are. Permitted that'is" Rynn nodded at Tox than him and the monitor nodded in kind, " 'Ope y'don't mind me poppin in, Cap'n Tox. You too Xhav."
"Not at all mine friend. Now if you vill exzcuze me I have a door to have fixed."
Bowing to his friends, the lizard left with a grin on his face. He whistled as he walked out onto the deck. Weaving his way through the crowded deck he quickly made his way to the gangplank and went down it. Spotting the dock master he strolled his way over to the smarmy looking stoat.
"Exzcuze me but could you zend for a carpenter? Ve have a few repairz zat need to be done."
The stoat sneered down his nose at Xhavek, "Why? Did you break something scaleface?"
Xhavek's smile altered itself ever so slightly. Suddenly Xhavek's black claws darted out, and gripped the unfortunately stupid beast. Lifting the stoat was an easy matter for the powerful lizard. Turning with the squirming and screaming stoat in his claws he hurled the dock master out over the dock's side.
Xhavek growled as the stoat splashed into the water.
"Moron....."
Xhavek turned to one of the dock boys, a dirty urchin of a weasel.
"Vould you mind getting a carpenter for me?" xhavek growled at the young beast. The weasel nodded fearfully and dashed off.
"I'm zurrounded by idiotz...."
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Lounging precariously upon the nearest bulwark, his tail coiled about a stayrope, Jeshal called over to the mildly seething aide-de-camp.
"Oh I wouldn' say surrounded. Perhaps subject ter a little o' the old guerrilla tactics."
The copper-furred fox grinned at his old acquaintance, the metal claws of his left paw drumming gently upon one of his raised knees. It was enjoyable to see any beast in a state of frustration, and to see a monitor lizard under pressure was a rare delicacy.
He cast a glance to the half-drowned unfortunate that hauled its carcass, shivering, back to the vessel and Jeshal allowed himself an approving sneer.
"It be good to see ye're still of yer fine strength," he added.
It idly crossed his mind that the lizard might be little enough surprised to question why he was not performing a specific duty save watching other crewbeasts' business. Indeed, Jeshal had been most interested in the inhabitants of this ship he had recently joined. One inhabitant had become of particular fascination...and so on occasion his gaze would flit to the open cabin door.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek turned to look at the speaker. Ah it was Jeshal, the odd copper furred fox that had joined the Hide just a few days before. The fox had obviously been a pirate before he had joined the crew but so had many of the beasts in the Navy.
When the gauntlet-pawed beast had first set footpaw on the deck, Xhavek recognized him from somewhere. The lizard couldn't remember exactly where but Jeshal seemed to enjoy Xhavek's absence of memory for him.
"Oh shut up Jeshal. Vhat do you know about 'guerrilla tacticz'? Bah it iz juzt mine luck to be ztuck vith an idiot for a dockmazter."
The lizard wasn't really angry he just couldn't stand that smarmy piece of work talking him down all the time. He had gotten enough of that from villagers in his days of wandering aimlessly.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Secretly delighted at Xhavek's ruffled countenance, Jeshal put on a solemn face and jumped upright upon the deck, his sandalled footpaws landing neatly together.
"Then why not be rid of 'im? Put somebeast else in his place that'd know his tail from 'is elbow. Surely there's beasts aplenty ter choose from?"
He twirled his black whiskers with a metal claw, glancing again to the cabin entrance.
"By the by, who be the newbeast? If a feller might ask..."
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
A smirk, bemused and distant due to her mind being occupied in another plane of existence (or somesuch excuse) managed to flit across the slender face of the recently widowed Captain as she nodded to Rynn and gave a leisurely yawn, dye-marked eyes averted to the door as she crossed and ushered the felines out. "Alright then, let's give ye th' classic gran' tour of this 'ere beauty. We'll start with the topdecks, get you used ter all that first."
After a swift ascent to the main decks, Tanya seemed much more lively with the introduction of (relatively) fresh air. Her senses sharpening with the cool breeze which whipped in from the oceans and brought her more consistently back to reality, it was with a beaming sense of pride that she spoke, paws splaying and dipping as if doing most of the communication for her.
"Now then, I'm to assume you have no prior knowledge of this 'ere ship; one of the Navy's finest, and notably its fastest in the 'ole fleet. Sure enough ol' BlackShip is all size an' the Skeered has reputable arms, but this, Miss Ashpaw, this is the one that can outdistance 'em all..."
She silenced then, for her curious green eyes had rest upon the copper-furred form of a beast she only dimly recalled even being told of, let alone signing aboard. She cast Rynn a semi-apologetic glance, silently bidding her to continue the introductory tour before excusing herself and crossing the deck to where vulpine and lizard stood. Taking a position somewhere betwixt the two, her mollified expression budged not an inch.
"Everythin' in order, you two?"
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Jeshal trailed off, his attention swiftly leaving the face of the aide-de-camp as the slight-statured figure of the Hide’s captain emerged upon deck. At last…the moment he had been waiting for, to meet the vixen he had partially deemed responsible for the loss of his left paw, the main reason being hers was the only face he had branded on his memory in those moments before his ship went down and hers sailed away from the blazing wreck.
His bistre eyes swept across her attire, the soft pale fur of her throat; the brass earring. She may have been a captain now, but it was her all the same, and she did not even know who he was. That would change soon enough.
A silver-furred wildcat had followed the fox captain, cloaked in deep purple, eyes downcast. So this was the new beast, barely aboard less than he. What little fur he could see told him that she was not accustomed to battle. He’d give her a week at most before the prissy madam would yowl to be taken back to port. Jeshal’s gaze was eager to return to the captain. She had a brightness to her, a faint trace of innocence that fluttered over the surface of darker thoughts. He sensed loss beyond those green irises and, without being entirely sure why, he longed to know the cause.
And then for a moment he froze, the moment that she had noticed him. She was heading straight for him.
I’ve waited so long. Don’t corpse now, fool. Straighten up, look her in the eyes…
Jeshal grinned as the vixen moved between him and the higher-ranking monitor lizard, concealing how he drafted in her scent almost until he felt giddy.
“Oh aye, Cap’n. Shipshape ye might say. Me an’ master Mokorai were just discussing the merits of yore present dockbeast. ‘S a pleasure to meet ye at last. Indeed…a great pleasure.”
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek was about to reply to the Captain when the dockboy returned with a very ugly rat in tow. The rat was obviously the carpenter. The scruffy urchin smiled up at Xhavek and held out his dirty little paw.
"I gots the carpenter jse like ya asked mister. Can I have mah gilders now?"
"Zertainly," Xhavek said as he pressed a feww gilders into the boy's hand,"Now you come here ve have a door zat needz fixing."
Xhavek led the smelly rodent over to the Captain's cabin leaving the others to wave their paws in front of their noses to ward off the stench.
Armina Rogue
"Ow."
"Stop fidgeting. It's your own fault, after all."
"When did I say it was my fault?"
"When a beast shows up with a crossbow wound, generally it means they've been up to no good."
Armina didn't have a response for this. She sighed mournfully, looking around the infirmary. There were no shelves as one might expect from an infirmary; instead, there were long rows of cabinets bolted to the wall, padlocks holding them shut. In a ship, where suddenly rolls and turns could send objects crashing to the floor, shelves were impractical. So instead, glass jars had to be densely packed into cabinets, supporting and preventing each other from shattering during storms or attacks.
Another whine escaped Armina's lip's as her ex-godmother pushed the needle through her skin, binding the wound. Armina gritted her teeth as the needle went in and out, in and out, sealing the mess that Armina had made of her arm. At last Julia clipped the string, setting down the needle. Grabbing a long swath of linen, she proceeded to make a sling for the youngster. Armina bore it patiently- a miracle for the impetuous teen in any instance.
Armina avoided looking at Anithias, who was leaning against a wall, staring at his ex-goddaughter accusingly. Little Falun stirred in his arms, distracting him temporarily, and Armina took the opportunity to examine her former godfather's face. It was now lined and worn, large circles under his eyes. It seemed that he had not been getting enough rest, and Armina thought she knew why- every night, without failing, Falun woke up and started bawling, not stopping until both his parents got out of bed to settle him down. The kit was being so noisy at nights that several crewbeasts had started a petition to have the First Mate's cabin soundproofed.
Julia tied the ends of the sling together, leaving excess in case it started to slip. Quickly Armina hopped off the "operating table" and exited the infirmary, leaving Julia to put away the medical supplies. Armina was still somewhat in shock from being wounded the night before; how and where had she gone wrong? She knew the answer to that, but she didn't want to think about it. An innocent stoat... he probably had a family, kids waiting for their papa to come home... I've made them orphans. Armina stopped, horrified by the notion. Was that what she was destined to do? To ensure that her own misery someday passed on to another innocent soul? To continue the cycle of grief? She hurried on before she could think about it anymore.
She emerged onto the deck, passing Xhavek and a smelly rat headed for the quarterdeck. She averted his eyes- he had been there when she was injured, and she wasn't in the mood to talk about the events of last night. Tanya, Rynn, a fox she didn't recognize, and a wildcat she didn't recognize were talking. Armina leaned against rail with one paw, listening to their conversation. For some reason she couldn't quite place, she didn't trust the fox. He seemed alright; the missing paw was slightly creepy, but Armina had met creepier beasts in her lifetime. Still, something didn't seem to quite fit with him... Armina sat herself on the rail, quietly observing the small crowd.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Slightly perturbed by the emphasis that this new todd placed upon his words, but determined not to let it show lest he exploit it any further, Tanya tilted her head to one side and glanced down to the docks with a critical frown as she watched the waterlogged dockmaster scrabble back onto dry land.
"I don' appoint the dockmaster," she shrugged to the copper-hued fox, "'owever in light of certain circumstances, I might go an' 'ave a chat with the beast charged t' do so about findin' a new one with a touch'a humour."
Approaching the railings, it was simple enough to flag down the dripping dockworker and give him a flippant salute.
"Oi! Yer can shove off early today Scawbeck an' finish the paperwork I've been wantin' yeh to sign; leave th' work ter Raiko for th' day...Or better yet, I'd suggest yer stick to the admin an' keep yer paws dry for the future, aye?"
Ignoring the embarrassed and furious yowling from below, Tanya began humming some children's tune to herself and turned, ready to make for her cabin when she noted the rat working on her door. Cursing beneath her breath, the scrawny fox chewed one of her claws and glanced back to the assembly.
"Well mister Jeshal, looks like I gots some time on m' paws whilst my door's out of commission. Anythin' you need ter discuss?"
Jeshal the Ironclaw
The shifty fox flexed his iron claws as Xhavek left to attend to his own affairs, anticipating and secretly fearing being alone with the object of his dubious obsession. This was swiftly balanced by the arrival of another beast, a young grey female of his own kind. She looked to be of the age he had been that fateful day he had waved goodbye to his left paw. How far he had come since then…the years he had spent retreating into his mind, training himself to battle against the weaknesses he once had. He had been pathetic at best.
Now the vixen-in-charge spoke, Jeshal let her words soak his fur, extracting the few necessary ones to enter his ears. He smiled with amusement as she called to the dockworker.
“Oi! Yer can shove off early today Scawbeck an' finish the paperwork I've been wantin' yeh to sign; leave th' work ter Raiko for th' day...Or better yet, I'd suggest yer stick to the admin an' keep yer paws dry for the future, aye?”
Her speech pleased him. Not so dissimilar from his own and none of this circumlocutory toff nonsense. Although he could see her pulling it off, oh aye, he could see her in so many ways. Then, ‘Gates…she was humming. His warped soul stirred, the fur on his neck shivered.
Delighting in the way she never gave a thought to biting her nails in public, he waited for her to resume conversation with him.
“Well mister Jeshal, looks like I gots some time on m' paws whilst my door's out of commission. Anythin' you need ter discuss?”
The Ironclaw nodded to the quiet wildcat standing a few paces behind the busy-minded captain.
“There be plenty o’ time fer introductions, marm, but I see ye’re already booked up with another beast. Now, I venture we could all go down ter the mess an’ chat over vittles an’ the like, or per’aps ye would prefer to make an appointment if ye’d rather I get some old fashioned toil an’ trouble done ‘pon deck? Choice is yours, o’ course.”
Sorrona Ashpaw
Tail twitching all the while the gauntleted fox spoke, Sorrona waited patiently until she was given leave to join the conversation. One of her ears, which protruded from its snug slit of cloak hood, swivelled to better hear the dealings of the aide-de-camp, and then towards the young fox with her arm in a sling that had seated herself upon the rails.
Attention placed upon her, the wildcat relaxed her tail and slid her gaze away from the unnerving fox to her new captain. For the first time upon the Hide her stark, round eyes met with another's.
"I would be pleased to caterr to your prreferrence, my Captain, but wheneverr it would be of convenience, I have a serrvice to offerr if therre is not alrready such a beast in place. I shall discuss this when it would please you."
Her stare dropped away, and the sneer upon Jeshal's face did not pass her awareness.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek idly watched as the rank rodent repaired the Captain's door. Xhavek wondered why anybeast, sane or otherwise, would let themselves become so horrendously smelly. Probably lacked his sense of smell. Xhavek shook his head sadly. How could any creature live without his sense of smell? Xhavek relied heavily upon it and probably put more stock in it than any other beast he knew, other monitors included. It wasn't that other monitor's didn't have the same abilities but they didn't work their other senses hard enough.
Presently the rat finished the work. It was a decent job, not incredible but it would serve well enough. The odorific rat held out a dirt encrusted paw.
"I'll be takin' me pay now."
Xhavek nodded and handed over a few gilders to the rat, who nodded and went on his way. A few seconds later Xhavek realized that the carpenter had left his toolbox behind. Picking it up Xhavek strode over to Bootnose, one of the ballista crew.
"Bootnoze vould you tell ze Captain zat her door iz repaired and zat I vill return after I give ze carpenter back hiz toolbox? Zank you."
Xhavek turned and began to walk away when he heard Bootnose muttering.
"By th' way 'e acts you'd think 'e was th' Cap'n. Uppity little scale-face."
Quivering in anger at the insults from one of the crew Xhavek's claw found itself gripping the carpenter's wooden mallet tightly. Xhavek grinned then whirled , letting the mallet fly, and shouting as he did so.
"Hey Bootnoze!"
The unfortunate beast looked back at the diminutive Aide just in time to catch the mallet between his eyes. The impact sent Bootnose staggering and he toppled over the railing. Bootnose was a decent swimmer so Xhavek was not worried about his drowning. Stomping angrily Xhavek retrieved the mallet and dashed off, chasing down the smelly rat carpenter.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Her mouth hung open a little in thought as the Captain pondered the best response for the situation; having only just caught herself from blurting a suggestion without prior thought being given, the metal-tipped teeth of the vixen became visible as she stood dumbly for a second. The sound of a scuffling and splashing swiftly directed the vixen's head towards the source of commotion again, and her mouth moved into a grim line as a predominant expression settled on her features: exasperation. She was too busy with keeping the ship together as it was without officers themselves making trouble amongst their charges.
"Fer 'Gates sake, this bloody place can't remain civil for 'alf an hour with that stroppy scaleface aboard." Though her words were grumbled and her hackles risen, the eyes remained soft with distant glow of kinship: too many times had she herself been called to whichever Captain of the ship went previously to discuss her 'inappropriate' behaviour concerning the short tether of patience. In fact, it had only been when the Minister of War had smashed her head against the walls that fateful night that she had fully learned her lesson – hopefully Xhavek would manage to learn his own without the loss of one's mental stability. Choosing to ignore the situation, however, Tanya glanced to her cabin, looked back to the newer recruits and managed a smile.
"Now is as good a time as any, miz Ashpaw. I'm sure that yer won't mind Jeshal accompanying us, and perchance we can have a bit of an introductory discussion in my cabin, seein' as it all appears fine. Armina, if you want ter join us or come through to go see Vald and Aille, yer welcome to."
Armina Rogue
"Well mister Jeshal, looks like I gots some time on m' paws whilst my door's out of commission. Anythin' you need ter discuss?"
"There be plenty o' time fer introductions, marm, but I see ye're already booked up with another beast. Now, I venture we could all go down ter the mess an' chat over vittles an' the like, or per'aps ye would prefer to make an appointment if ye'd rather I get some old fashioned toil an' trouble done 'pon deck? Choice is yours, o' course."
Armina's eyes narrowed as behind them her brain whirred. What was it about this fox? She was sure she hadn't seen him before – she would have remembered a beast with one paw. It was something about his attitude, his inscrutability... Yes, that had to be it; Armina couldn't tell what he was thinking. Why should that bother her so? People were allowed to keep their thoughts. Still, there was something about Jeshal, something that lurked below the surface that she didn't trust... he had his own agenda. That was it. He had his own plans here. Well, who didn't? But Armina couldn't tell what those plans were, and that disturbed her.
The unknown wildcat spoke now, and Armina was surprised at the way she stretched her rs, almost as if purring. "I would be pleased to caterr to your prreferrence, my Captain, but wheneverr it would be of convenience, I have a serrvice to offerr if therre is not alrready such a beast in place. I shall discuss this when it would please you."
There was a sudden disturbance as by the quarterdeck Bootnose went toppling over the railing. A mallet landed suddenly at Armina's feet, apparently having rebounded off Boot's cranium. Xhavek stalked angrily off the ship after the carpenter rat, toolbox in hand.
Tox looked exasperatedly after Xhavek. "Fer 'Gates sake, this bloody place can't remain civil for 'alf an hour with that stroppy scaleface aboard." Armina was glad Xhavek hadn't heard the captain say that- as far as she could tell, he did not take well to the word "scaleface".
"Now is as good a time as any, miz Ashpaw. I'm sure that yer won't mind Jeshal accompanying us, and perchance we can have a bit of an introductory discussion in my cabin, seein' as it all appears fine. Armina, if you want ter join us or come through to go see Vald and Aille, yer welcome to."
Armina hopped off the railing and ran to the cabin door, which was mercifully repaired. Clumsily she opened the door with her left hand, letting a shaft of light shine in.
"COUSIE 'MINA!"
Armina's legs were suddenly enveloped in two large bundles of fur that seemed intent on cutting off circulation to her feet. Laughing softly, Armina clumsily patted the left one -she thought it was Aille, but she couldn't tell as the sling was blocking most of her view- on the head. "It's good to see you too." Kits clamped on her legs, Armina waddled into the room, the heavy weights swinging forward with each step and shrieking happily. For the first time in ages, Armina let down the guard she kept around her heart to cherish these two wonderful beings.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Jeshal pushed the smirk he so desired to give into a crooked smile and bowed respectfully to his new captain. His ears gave the slightest twinge at the sudden loudness that erupted from the cabin he was being directed to.
"COUSIE 'MINA!"
His dark eyes settled upon the little kits with an air of amusement as he followed the young fox who was gaining their attention into the cabin.
"Well ain't that sweet as honeyed oatcakes? Who might these fine liddle rogues belong to?" he simpered, folding his arms and finding a spot in the room where he could lean leisurely against a wall.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Following the other foxes after a slight pause to wave Sorrona over into the cabin, Tanya slid into her office almost unnoticed as she grinned at the two kits, Valdrisk's golden-orange fur and Aille's deep russet a startling contrast not only between themselves, but also against Armina's charcoal grey coat. The softening emerald gaze sharpened a little at the tone she took to be mocking from Jeshal, the knowledge that vermin were naturally unused to kits aboard a ship being the only sane piece of information that stopped her from blurting a threat: she kept it within her skull instead.
"Who might these fine liddle rogues belong to?"
Captain's cabin, Captain's children; and if you dare t' touch 'em it'll be your last mistake before it's yer tail decoratin' their bedroom door.
"Mine." She shrugged simply, stepping neatly over the array of toys and scraps of doodled parchment that littered her office floor, grinning broadly at the more impulsive Valdrisk who had detached himself from his adoptive sister's leg to enjoy the embrace of his only parent who held him with the expert of any protective mother as she admonished them with a glittering grin.
"Now then, you scruffy lil' scraps, what did I say about playing in my cabin without me about? Las' time I did I found all me lufferly turquoise ink wasted on paintin' each other!"
"Bu' Tooo-bey said we could!"
"Oh, did 'e really? An' what business would that great lump of a bird be havin' indoors?"
"Uhh...Well...Um..."
"Kiptoof tol' us 'twas okay." Aille blurted from her perch on Armina's leg before trying to scramble up higher.
Rolling her eyes, Tanya noticed her son take an interest in the little wooden sword on the floor by his mother's booted footpaws and began squirming to be put down again, although his little claws had become lodged in her coat. As Tox began the process of picking the claws from the fabric, her attention caught Jeshal as he prepared to lean against her walls – practically papered with a random assortment of maps gathered either from distant lands, past Captains, the Ministries or paw-drawn herself – inconveniently in front of her latest and greatest work mapping the West coasts, work which was dry enough not to run but still damp enough to be smudged if any weight were placed upon it.
Without thinking, the lithe little vixen bolted forwards, the kit still in her arm as she used her free paw to grab the todd by the wrist — just above his metallic paw.
"Oi, no leanin' — that ain't dried fully!"
Jeshal the Ironclaw
“Mine.”
With that one word, Jeshal’s as yet narrow perspective of this vixen he had known so little broadened to the likelihood that he knew nothing whatsoever. Since he had caught sight of her in that first instance, she had grown, and whether or not she had had someone in her life at that time, the seasons had thereafter granted her experience and younglings. Someone was or had been close to her, and he was not sure what to make of it. The only sensations he could name were that of feeling uncomfortable and a little nauseated.
Not a flicker would he allow in his facial expression, however. He observed Tanya’s interactions with her kits, unable to prevent his softer side from appreciating the warmth he had so seldom seen between creatures before he had boarded the Hide.
He had been quite content to remain in the position he had chosen to stand, settling in to his manufactured feeling of self-control. Being entirely distracted with this new information, he was caught completely unawares when the captain suddenly darted towards him and grabbed his arm.
If it had not been for the child, he was sure he would have done something even more foolish. His instincts had told him to go for the throat, to twist her assault, to throw her to the floor…
Instead he gave a snarl laced with a yelp, wrenched himself free and staggered in an ungainly manner across the room. With immediate shame, his ears flattening, he half bowed to the vixen.
“Fergive me, Cap’n. I…I shall remove meself until I be fit fer civil company.”
After a quick glance from the children, to Armina, to the captain’s feet, he bolted out of the door without waiting for a reply, narrowly avoiding knocking the wildcat Sorrona over as she entered.
He did not stop running until he reached the prow of the ship. Panting heavily, Jeshal gripped the front rail and looked out to sea, into which he poured a great stream of uncouth words.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Stunned and not a little horrified by the startling response and unnaturally apologetic tone from the once-smug todd, Tanya shook her head in bewilderment after Jeshal, only stopping herself from bolting after him because Valdrisk had changed his mind and pressed himself more closely to her scrawny body for comfort. Hugging him gently, the vixen sighed.
"Mother..." Aille began, having halted her scramble to Armina's shoulder long enough to witness the spectacle, "Why did he run?"
"Because I think I hurt 'im" she muttered distantly, tattered ears folding backwards awkwardly at the admission.
"Why don' you go after him then?"
"I think he wants to have a moment alone. I'll be sure to, though."
Resolved to confront and apologize to the todd when he had had a short time to cool down, the little Captain turned her attention to the cloaked feline and attempted to distract her mind.
"So miss Sorrona, you said you 'ave a particular talent, am I correct?"
Sorrona Ashpaw
Whiskers twitching from the near flattening she had just experienced, Sorrona found herself calming in the presence of the world-sheltered kits.
She nodded to her captain, clasping her paws together humbly.
"Yes, yes, corrrrect. I am parrticularly adept een the knowledge of herrbs and flowerrs of medicinal means. I believe you arrre alrready in possession of a ship physician...but have you everr considerred the need forr a...samplerr, shall we say?"
Her footclaws emerged and tapped quietly, with nervousness, upon the boards.
"Eet would be an honourr to serrve in thees rrespect."
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
"Interestin' proposition of yours there, mate..."
One free paw raised to her chin in contemplation as the other held Valdrisk steady, Tanya furrowed her brows and hummed a little. Being a poisoner by trade back on shore, the diminutive vixen felt that nobeast with a good sense would make any poisoning attempts, but pride, as they say, precedes a fall, and the Captain was never too proud to admit to a helping paw being useful. A smile managed to affix itself to her slim muzzle accompanied by a nod.
"Awight, yer in. I think ye'd best report yourself to both the ship surgeon Kiptooth and Rynn the cook again. Kip'll see to it that you know yer stuff an' have whatever you need and Rynn will need yer to check the inventory. Tha' all sound fine by you?"
Sorrona Ashpaw
Sorrona swept out her cloak as she gave a surprisingly large bow. She was fairly certain she could remember the way back to the kitchen, though her unfamiliarity with ships left her somewhat confused. She was not the type to ask for directions, however, more the sort to mill about until she discovered something herself or happened to be escorted by an amused bystander.
"I am most grrateful, Captain. I shall seek them out as soon as I may. Ees therre anything else you rrequirre of me? I can see you have yourr paws rrather full."
The wildcat chuckled pleasantly, like an old woman warming herself by a fire.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Sorrona's golden eyes drank in the scene of the busy ship upon which she had so recently enlisted. The sleek, silvery-grey wildcat brushed one of her dark paws over the hood of her violet cloak to scratch a protruding ear.
I wonder who it was I was meant to report to? Perhaps I should learn to listen one of these days. Perhaps. Maybe not today...
She meandered about the deck, casually dodging those rushing about on their errands and awaited some clue as to what was expected of her.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek had finally dislodged himself from his writing desk and was staring out to the bay. Turning back to the deck he noticed a beast he hadn't met before. She seemed a little lost, which made Xhavek grin. It wasn't so long ago that he was a new crewbeast.
His large sage green tail swished as he walked over to her.
"Hello mine friend. New here? I'm Xhavek Mokorai the Aide-de-camp on ze Golden Hide. Itz a pleazure to meet you, have you been zettled in yet?"
Xhavek grinned at this new wildcat. He hoped she didn't mind drinking. He hadn't been able to convince his blood brother Wisp to go with him after their last fiasco at a tavern.
Sorrona Ashpaw
As the authoritative lizard addressed her politely, Sorrona kept her head dipped and her eyes averted in a reverent manner.
"The pleasure is mine, sirre," she replied, clasping her paws at her chest. "I regret I have not been familiarrized with any place as yet. I would be grrateful of yourr assistance. It is my desirre to blend in as best as possible."
Enguil Albine
Enguil boarded the ship again. He'd just been out, eating his fill. He hoped Rynn didn't notice. He didn't want the cook to get mad at him. In front of Enguil was a silver-furred wildcat. She appeared to be a new recruit.
Well of course she's a new recruit, thought Enguil, I'd recognize her otherwise!
Enguil stepped around her, into her line of vision.
"Hello, madam! New aboard this ship, are ye? M'name's Enguil. I'm the Bosun of the Hide. I guess ye've met Xhav?"
Xhavek Mokorai
As Enguil appraoched Xhavek grinned at him. He had abviosly been out eating again by the crumbs in his fur.
"Yez she iz indeed new here. I'm zorry mizz but i don't zeem to know your name. And zeeing az how itz my job and all I'll need your information zo i can get you officially regiztered az a member of ze crew."
Nodding to his good friend Enguil, he motioned for the cat to follow him.
"Zee you later Bozun, Juzt make zure you vipe your faze before Rynn zeez thoze crumbz. Pleaze come vith me mizz."
Xhavek chuckled as he walked away from the albino Bosun. He had been eating out a lot lately.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Again, Sorrona kept her eyes cast downwards and bowed a little as the white ferret also deigned to greet her.
Her tail twitched as though she were nervous. It had been a long time since she had spoken to anyone, much less been in such a bustling environment. As Xhavek exchanged farewells to Enguil, she bowed her head once more to the ferret.
With soft pawfalls, she allowed the monitor lizard to lead the path she would walk.
"I am Sorrona, sirre. I have not had grreat experrience with ocean trravel, but I have a few talents that I hope may be of help to the crrew."
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek led the way to his office. He grinned at the silver furred wildcat as he opened the door. Stepping in he walked over behind his desk and pulled open one of the drawers. Taking some spare parchment and a quill, which he dipped in the inkwell on his desk, he looked up to the new crew beast.
"Velcome to my offize Zorrona. Pleaze be zeated, zo ve can get you all written in. Now I vill need your full name, your rank, and just a few otherz."
Xhavek dated the parchment, and looked back down to the parchment and waited for her to answer. The sooner this was over the sooner he could get something to drink. He hadn't had a good ale in a while.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Her violet cloak blanketing about her, Sorrona set herself down in the chair before Xhavek's desk, paws resting statuesque in her lap.
"Let me see. As full as I carre to divulge, my name is Sorrrona Ashpaw. My rrank, as farr as I can determine, is currently that of a... deckswab? Of the firrst class, I think. I would hope to trrain beyond this purrpose, forr I believe myself to be of greaterr use with tasks of a keener naturre. Sirre."
As she waited patiently for more questions, one of her ears flicked slightly to one side - habitually keeping alert for any listeners.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek filled in the information as she gave it to him, his quill scratching across the parchment swiftly. Though his handwriting wasn't awful, it was very choppy. Half the time people needed to look at it twice before the understood what it meant.
"Okay. Now, plaze and date of birth are helpful but zince mozt don't zeem know it it iz optional. Heheheheheheh. You'd zink zat a beazt vould be able to remember zomething like zat. However, I vould alzo like an inventory of anzing you vill be bringing aboard. Got to keep track who ownz vhat don't you know? Eye color, zcale or fur coloration, oh and one more zing, I vill need your zignature on ze bottom."
Dipping his quill in the well once more he poised it over the parchment expectantly.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Feeling her hackles rise a little at the thought of her homeland, Sorrona closed her eyes to will the bottled rage below the surface. It wasn't as though they'd let her leave without repercussion.
"Well, sirre," she said eventually. "I was borrn in the Ashpaw colonies farr frrom herre, Frrimary the twenty-firrst." She added the year of her birth somewhat more quietly. "As you can see, my eyes arre yellow, orr gold. My furr is silver with these black tips on my paws, a trrait among my family."
She patted at her belt as she continued.
"With me I have a small black axe marrked with the faint trraces of what was my family's emblem - a strrong wildcat pouncing upon a woodland birrd. Now, only the birrd can be seen. I also have a rring, green stones circling one large black one; a locket of little marrket value, and of courrse my cloak. The rrest is merrely a few as you would call...vittles."
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek filled in all the information on his parchment. Signing his own name at the bottom, he turned to a large stamp on his desk. He picked it up in one charcoal colored claw and slammed it with a bang next to his name. It was the seal of the Golden Hide, which verified the legitamacy of this document.
He slid the paper over to Sorrona and handed her his quill. Leaning over the parchment briefly she signed her name in a spidery handwriting. Then she handed it back to Xhavek who stowed it away among all the other files that had yet to be copied and sent to the appropriate Ministries.
Xhavek pushed back his chair, stood up, and placed his claws on his desk.
"Vell zat iz it mine friend," he grinned, "Velcome to ze Golden Hide."
He was about to extend his claw for a pawshake but a knock came at his door. Without even waiting for an answer the door began to open.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Sitting patiently as the welcoming lizard performed all the due necessities for her to become an official member of this intriguing ship, Sorrona took a moment to allow the scent of the charcoal seal to tickle her senses.
Before the wildcat was donated the time to move her paw to seal the lighter side of her contract, in effect - to clasp Xhavek's scaly hand, she was interrupted by a rapping upon the door.
Both of her ears swivelled towards the entrance and then she turned her face to follow suit, anticipating what beast might be entering...
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
If any eyes were of the nature to be looking for a face in the general height assumed, they might have been a little confused by the empty space that greeted them. Indeed, the thin and ragged face of the Captain poked about the sturdy timber door a good several inches below the norm, bright green eyes with their scruffily dyed patches narrowed suspiciously as she glanced inside. They slid across to Xhavek carefully, not really seeing the lizard as she muttered to him awkwardly.
"Xhav, please make sure y' call in th' carpenters later. Seems I musta gotten my paws on a crossbow last night an' had an argument with m' door. Can' remember it though..."
In the silence that followed, Tanya's gaze fell upon her Aide's outstretched claw and stared at him stupidly before finally noticing Sorrona for the first time, her surprise revealed in a twitch of the ragged half-ear and pleasure in the lopsided, glittering grin she gave.
"Ah, new beast eh?" Without waiting for approval, the scrawny fox slid into the cabin and closed the door behind her, careful to avoid upsetting any of the lizard's paperwork as she crossed over. The peculiar grin still evident, Tox ran a paw through the mat of fur at the nape of her neck and fell to fiddling with the beads in her braids, branded tail swishing as she sized up the quiet newcomer.
"Well then," she eventually managed when she seemed appeased with the feline, "wha's yer name?"
Sorrona Ashpaw
As the entrant moved into the cabin, Sorrona lowered her gaze to the floorboards once more. The dark auburn fox's grin not lost upon her awareness, the wildcat closed her eyes and dipped her head in greeting.
"I am Sorrrona of the Ashpaw colonies, my lady. It is my honourr to serrve you. I trrust you arre the captain of this bountiful vessel?" she purred without a trace of insincerity.
A faint thrill of threat toyed about her heart in the silences that danced amidst the conversation. She enjoyed the peril of every meeting with a new face.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Unused to such a formal introduction as this (most of the new recruits being misfits and drunkards who preferred to test their most slurred of bawdy greetings on the diminutive Captain), it took a few seconds for the words to process, so thrown was she with the politeness and enthralled with the unique, sibilant manner of speech.
"Oh... aye I am. Not that many got it right on first guess, 'm impressed with yer perception. Ah, there's no need for the 'lady' nonsense; Cap'n is fine enough or, if you don' like that, names allus work."
The smile reverting back to the hollow smirk from earlier as her snagged attention dwindled, she extended a paw to the cat and shrugged.
Sorrona Ashpaw
Ever careful to keep 'unnecessary' emotion concealed, Sorrona did not bat an eyelid to Tanya's hesitation to respond. In a manner so gentle one might mistake her for being a frail and ancient being, she reached out with one of her black-tipped paws and warmly clasped the fox's outstretched palm.
"I would apprrreciate this verry much, Captain. I am eagerr to meet morre of yourr crrrew and learrn my way about the ship beforre I find my place upon it."
She cast her gaze ever so briefly to Xhavek's face, bobbing her head down once she had caught his attention.
"If I am perrmitted, sirre."
Rynn
The cloaked wildcat caught Rynn's eye just as Xhavek was leading her to sign the needed papers, leaving Enguil off on his own. The tawny she-cat noted a slight few crumbs still residing upon the bosun's fur. She had made potatoes for lunch along with boiled fish, and all beasts know that no crumbs came from that food. "Already tired of m'vittles, Eng?" She gave a dry chuckle, as she passed by him playing it off.
Further steps led her to the door of Xhavek's cabin. She waited on the side of its frame, wanting to greet the new arrival, wildcat to wildcat. As she leaned against the side she couldn't help but eavesdrop. Rynn nodded her head to a silent tune, listening in on the conversation. Ashpaw colonies, not familiar with it; fur is a trait among her family, interesting; carries an axe with black markings and a few other items of value to her. "An interesting new member!" she murmured to herself, grinning widely. She heard the tap tap of boots coming near, and hid herself for no apparent reason. Feeling awkward perhaps for eavesdropping.
She eyed the owner of the boots. Captain Tox. "Come t'greet that Sorrona feline, no doubt." Rynn mumbled again, smirking.
"..I am eagerr to meet morre of yourr crrrew and learrn my way about the ship beforre I find my place upon it...If I am perrmitted, sirre."
Rynn stood up and peeked her head around the door. " 'O course y'are. Permitted that'is," she smiled, then nodded to the captain and Xhavek. " 'Ope y'don't mind me poppin in, Cap'n Tox. You too Xhav." She slipped into the room, still near the doorway trying to keep the room from feeling crowded. "It's nice to see another wildcat on board, Miz Sorrona. I'm Rynn, just the cook. But y'can call me whatever y'like."
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek shook his scaly head in exasperation. She was always doing something to drive the crew crazy. This just made the lizard grin though. After all that was what they all loved about the Captain.
The lizard bowed as he spoke, "Of courze Captain I vill get to it right avay."
Xhavek began to move to his door when his good friend Rynn popped in.
" 'O course y'are. Permitted that'is" Rynn nodded at Tox than him and the monitor nodded in kind, " 'Ope y'don't mind me poppin in, Cap'n Tox. You too Xhav."
"Not at all mine friend. Now if you vill exzcuze me I have a door to have fixed."
Bowing to his friends, the lizard left with a grin on his face. He whistled as he walked out onto the deck. Weaving his way through the crowded deck he quickly made his way to the gangplank and went down it. Spotting the dock master he strolled his way over to the smarmy looking stoat.
"Exzcuze me but could you zend for a carpenter? Ve have a few repairz zat need to be done."
The stoat sneered down his nose at Xhavek, "Why? Did you break something scaleface?"
Xhavek's smile altered itself ever so slightly. Suddenly Xhavek's black claws darted out, and gripped the unfortunately stupid beast. Lifting the stoat was an easy matter for the powerful lizard. Turning with the squirming and screaming stoat in his claws he hurled the dock master out over the dock's side.
Xhavek growled as the stoat splashed into the water.
"Moron....."
Xhavek turned to one of the dock boys, a dirty urchin of a weasel.
"Vould you mind getting a carpenter for me?" xhavek growled at the young beast. The weasel nodded fearfully and dashed off.
"I'm zurrounded by idiotz...."
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Lounging precariously upon the nearest bulwark, his tail coiled about a stayrope, Jeshal called over to the mildly seething aide-de-camp.
"Oh I wouldn' say surrounded. Perhaps subject ter a little o' the old guerrilla tactics."
The copper-furred fox grinned at his old acquaintance, the metal claws of his left paw drumming gently upon one of his raised knees. It was enjoyable to see any beast in a state of frustration, and to see a monitor lizard under pressure was a rare delicacy.
He cast a glance to the half-drowned unfortunate that hauled its carcass, shivering, back to the vessel and Jeshal allowed himself an approving sneer.
"It be good to see ye're still of yer fine strength," he added.
It idly crossed his mind that the lizard might be little enough surprised to question why he was not performing a specific duty save watching other crewbeasts' business. Indeed, Jeshal had been most interested in the inhabitants of this ship he had recently joined. One inhabitant had become of particular fascination...and so on occasion his gaze would flit to the open cabin door.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek turned to look at the speaker. Ah it was Jeshal, the odd copper furred fox that had joined the Hide just a few days before. The fox had obviously been a pirate before he had joined the crew but so had many of the beasts in the Navy.
When the gauntlet-pawed beast had first set footpaw on the deck, Xhavek recognized him from somewhere. The lizard couldn't remember exactly where but Jeshal seemed to enjoy Xhavek's absence of memory for him.
"Oh shut up Jeshal. Vhat do you know about 'guerrilla tacticz'? Bah it iz juzt mine luck to be ztuck vith an idiot for a dockmazter."
The lizard wasn't really angry he just couldn't stand that smarmy piece of work talking him down all the time. He had gotten enough of that from villagers in his days of wandering aimlessly.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Secretly delighted at Xhavek's ruffled countenance, Jeshal put on a solemn face and jumped upright upon the deck, his sandalled footpaws landing neatly together.
"Then why not be rid of 'im? Put somebeast else in his place that'd know his tail from 'is elbow. Surely there's beasts aplenty ter choose from?"
He twirled his black whiskers with a metal claw, glancing again to the cabin entrance.
"By the by, who be the newbeast? If a feller might ask..."
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
A smirk, bemused and distant due to her mind being occupied in another plane of existence (or somesuch excuse) managed to flit across the slender face of the recently widowed Captain as she nodded to Rynn and gave a leisurely yawn, dye-marked eyes averted to the door as she crossed and ushered the felines out. "Alright then, let's give ye th' classic gran' tour of this 'ere beauty. We'll start with the topdecks, get you used ter all that first."
After a swift ascent to the main decks, Tanya seemed much more lively with the introduction of (relatively) fresh air. Her senses sharpening with the cool breeze which whipped in from the oceans and brought her more consistently back to reality, it was with a beaming sense of pride that she spoke, paws splaying and dipping as if doing most of the communication for her.
"Now then, I'm to assume you have no prior knowledge of this 'ere ship; one of the Navy's finest, and notably its fastest in the 'ole fleet. Sure enough ol' BlackShip is all size an' the Skeered has reputable arms, but this, Miss Ashpaw, this is the one that can outdistance 'em all..."
She silenced then, for her curious green eyes had rest upon the copper-furred form of a beast she only dimly recalled even being told of, let alone signing aboard. She cast Rynn a semi-apologetic glance, silently bidding her to continue the introductory tour before excusing herself and crossing the deck to where vulpine and lizard stood. Taking a position somewhere betwixt the two, her mollified expression budged not an inch.
"Everythin' in order, you two?"
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Jeshal trailed off, his attention swiftly leaving the face of the aide-de-camp as the slight-statured figure of the Hide’s captain emerged upon deck. At last…the moment he had been waiting for, to meet the vixen he had partially deemed responsible for the loss of his left paw, the main reason being hers was the only face he had branded on his memory in those moments before his ship went down and hers sailed away from the blazing wreck.
His bistre eyes swept across her attire, the soft pale fur of her throat; the brass earring. She may have been a captain now, but it was her all the same, and she did not even know who he was. That would change soon enough.
A silver-furred wildcat had followed the fox captain, cloaked in deep purple, eyes downcast. So this was the new beast, barely aboard less than he. What little fur he could see told him that she was not accustomed to battle. He’d give her a week at most before the prissy madam would yowl to be taken back to port. Jeshal’s gaze was eager to return to the captain. She had a brightness to her, a faint trace of innocence that fluttered over the surface of darker thoughts. He sensed loss beyond those green irises and, without being entirely sure why, he longed to know the cause.
And then for a moment he froze, the moment that she had noticed him. She was heading straight for him.
I’ve waited so long. Don’t corpse now, fool. Straighten up, look her in the eyes…
Jeshal grinned as the vixen moved between him and the higher-ranking monitor lizard, concealing how he drafted in her scent almost until he felt giddy.
“Oh aye, Cap’n. Shipshape ye might say. Me an’ master Mokorai were just discussing the merits of yore present dockbeast. ‘S a pleasure to meet ye at last. Indeed…a great pleasure.”
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek was about to reply to the Captain when the dockboy returned with a very ugly rat in tow. The rat was obviously the carpenter. The scruffy urchin smiled up at Xhavek and held out his dirty little paw.
"I gots the carpenter jse like ya asked mister. Can I have mah gilders now?"
"Zertainly," Xhavek said as he pressed a feww gilders into the boy's hand,"Now you come here ve have a door zat needz fixing."
Xhavek led the smelly rodent over to the Captain's cabin leaving the others to wave their paws in front of their noses to ward off the stench.
Armina Rogue
"Ow."
"Stop fidgeting. It's your own fault, after all."
"When did I say it was my fault?"
"When a beast shows up with a crossbow wound, generally it means they've been up to no good."
Armina didn't have a response for this. She sighed mournfully, looking around the infirmary. There were no shelves as one might expect from an infirmary; instead, there were long rows of cabinets bolted to the wall, padlocks holding them shut. In a ship, where suddenly rolls and turns could send objects crashing to the floor, shelves were impractical. So instead, glass jars had to be densely packed into cabinets, supporting and preventing each other from shattering during storms or attacks.
Another whine escaped Armina's lip's as her ex-godmother pushed the needle through her skin, binding the wound. Armina gritted her teeth as the needle went in and out, in and out, sealing the mess that Armina had made of her arm. At last Julia clipped the string, setting down the needle. Grabbing a long swath of linen, she proceeded to make a sling for the youngster. Armina bore it patiently- a miracle for the impetuous teen in any instance.
Armina avoided looking at Anithias, who was leaning against a wall, staring at his ex-goddaughter accusingly. Little Falun stirred in his arms, distracting him temporarily, and Armina took the opportunity to examine her former godfather's face. It was now lined and worn, large circles under his eyes. It seemed that he had not been getting enough rest, and Armina thought she knew why- every night, without failing, Falun woke up and started bawling, not stopping until both his parents got out of bed to settle him down. The kit was being so noisy at nights that several crewbeasts had started a petition to have the First Mate's cabin soundproofed.
Julia tied the ends of the sling together, leaving excess in case it started to slip. Quickly Armina hopped off the "operating table" and exited the infirmary, leaving Julia to put away the medical supplies. Armina was still somewhat in shock from being wounded the night before; how and where had she gone wrong? She knew the answer to that, but she didn't want to think about it. An innocent stoat... he probably had a family, kids waiting for their papa to come home... I've made them orphans. Armina stopped, horrified by the notion. Was that what she was destined to do? To ensure that her own misery someday passed on to another innocent soul? To continue the cycle of grief? She hurried on before she could think about it anymore.
She emerged onto the deck, passing Xhavek and a smelly rat headed for the quarterdeck. She averted his eyes- he had been there when she was injured, and she wasn't in the mood to talk about the events of last night. Tanya, Rynn, a fox she didn't recognize, and a wildcat she didn't recognize were talking. Armina leaned against rail with one paw, listening to their conversation. For some reason she couldn't quite place, she didn't trust the fox. He seemed alright; the missing paw was slightly creepy, but Armina had met creepier beasts in her lifetime. Still, something didn't seem to quite fit with him... Armina sat herself on the rail, quietly observing the small crowd.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Slightly perturbed by the emphasis that this new todd placed upon his words, but determined not to let it show lest he exploit it any further, Tanya tilted her head to one side and glanced down to the docks with a critical frown as she watched the waterlogged dockmaster scrabble back onto dry land.
"I don' appoint the dockmaster," she shrugged to the copper-hued fox, "'owever in light of certain circumstances, I might go an' 'ave a chat with the beast charged t' do so about findin' a new one with a touch'a humour."
Approaching the railings, it was simple enough to flag down the dripping dockworker and give him a flippant salute.
"Oi! Yer can shove off early today Scawbeck an' finish the paperwork I've been wantin' yeh to sign; leave th' work ter Raiko for th' day...Or better yet, I'd suggest yer stick to the admin an' keep yer paws dry for the future, aye?"
Ignoring the embarrassed and furious yowling from below, Tanya began humming some children's tune to herself and turned, ready to make for her cabin when she noted the rat working on her door. Cursing beneath her breath, the scrawny fox chewed one of her claws and glanced back to the assembly.
"Well mister Jeshal, looks like I gots some time on m' paws whilst my door's out of commission. Anythin' you need ter discuss?"
Jeshal the Ironclaw
The shifty fox flexed his iron claws as Xhavek left to attend to his own affairs, anticipating and secretly fearing being alone with the object of his dubious obsession. This was swiftly balanced by the arrival of another beast, a young grey female of his own kind. She looked to be of the age he had been that fateful day he had waved goodbye to his left paw. How far he had come since then…the years he had spent retreating into his mind, training himself to battle against the weaknesses he once had. He had been pathetic at best.
Now the vixen-in-charge spoke, Jeshal let her words soak his fur, extracting the few necessary ones to enter his ears. He smiled with amusement as she called to the dockworker.
“Oi! Yer can shove off early today Scawbeck an' finish the paperwork I've been wantin' yeh to sign; leave th' work ter Raiko for th' day...Or better yet, I'd suggest yer stick to the admin an' keep yer paws dry for the future, aye?”
Her speech pleased him. Not so dissimilar from his own and none of this circumlocutory toff nonsense. Although he could see her pulling it off, oh aye, he could see her in so many ways. Then, ‘Gates…she was humming. His warped soul stirred, the fur on his neck shivered.
Delighting in the way she never gave a thought to biting her nails in public, he waited for her to resume conversation with him.
“Well mister Jeshal, looks like I gots some time on m' paws whilst my door's out of commission. Anythin' you need ter discuss?”
The Ironclaw nodded to the quiet wildcat standing a few paces behind the busy-minded captain.
“There be plenty o’ time fer introductions, marm, but I see ye’re already booked up with another beast. Now, I venture we could all go down ter the mess an’ chat over vittles an’ the like, or per’aps ye would prefer to make an appointment if ye’d rather I get some old fashioned toil an’ trouble done ‘pon deck? Choice is yours, o’ course.”
Sorrona Ashpaw
Tail twitching all the while the gauntleted fox spoke, Sorrona waited patiently until she was given leave to join the conversation. One of her ears, which protruded from its snug slit of cloak hood, swivelled to better hear the dealings of the aide-de-camp, and then towards the young fox with her arm in a sling that had seated herself upon the rails.
Attention placed upon her, the wildcat relaxed her tail and slid her gaze away from the unnerving fox to her new captain. For the first time upon the Hide her stark, round eyes met with another's.
"I would be pleased to caterr to your prreferrence, my Captain, but wheneverr it would be of convenience, I have a serrvice to offerr if therre is not alrready such a beast in place. I shall discuss this when it would please you."
Her stare dropped away, and the sneer upon Jeshal's face did not pass her awareness.
Xhavek Mokorai
Xhavek idly watched as the rank rodent repaired the Captain's door. Xhavek wondered why anybeast, sane or otherwise, would let themselves become so horrendously smelly. Probably lacked his sense of smell. Xhavek shook his head sadly. How could any creature live without his sense of smell? Xhavek relied heavily upon it and probably put more stock in it than any other beast he knew, other monitors included. It wasn't that other monitor's didn't have the same abilities but they didn't work their other senses hard enough.
Presently the rat finished the work. It was a decent job, not incredible but it would serve well enough. The odorific rat held out a dirt encrusted paw.
"I'll be takin' me pay now."
Xhavek nodded and handed over a few gilders to the rat, who nodded and went on his way. A few seconds later Xhavek realized that the carpenter had left his toolbox behind. Picking it up Xhavek strode over to Bootnose, one of the ballista crew.
"Bootnoze vould you tell ze Captain zat her door iz repaired and zat I vill return after I give ze carpenter back hiz toolbox? Zank you."
Xhavek turned and began to walk away when he heard Bootnose muttering.
"By th' way 'e acts you'd think 'e was th' Cap'n. Uppity little scale-face."
Quivering in anger at the insults from one of the crew Xhavek's claw found itself gripping the carpenter's wooden mallet tightly. Xhavek grinned then whirled , letting the mallet fly, and shouting as he did so.
"Hey Bootnoze!"
The unfortunate beast looked back at the diminutive Aide just in time to catch the mallet between his eyes. The impact sent Bootnose staggering and he toppled over the railing. Bootnose was a decent swimmer so Xhavek was not worried about his drowning. Stomping angrily Xhavek retrieved the mallet and dashed off, chasing down the smelly rat carpenter.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Her mouth hung open a little in thought as the Captain pondered the best response for the situation; having only just caught herself from blurting a suggestion without prior thought being given, the metal-tipped teeth of the vixen became visible as she stood dumbly for a second. The sound of a scuffling and splashing swiftly directed the vixen's head towards the source of commotion again, and her mouth moved into a grim line as a predominant expression settled on her features: exasperation. She was too busy with keeping the ship together as it was without officers themselves making trouble amongst their charges.
"Fer 'Gates sake, this bloody place can't remain civil for 'alf an hour with that stroppy scaleface aboard." Though her words were grumbled and her hackles risen, the eyes remained soft with distant glow of kinship: too many times had she herself been called to whichever Captain of the ship went previously to discuss her 'inappropriate' behaviour concerning the short tether of patience. In fact, it had only been when the Minister of War had smashed her head against the walls that fateful night that she had fully learned her lesson – hopefully Xhavek would manage to learn his own without the loss of one's mental stability. Choosing to ignore the situation, however, Tanya glanced to her cabin, looked back to the newer recruits and managed a smile.
"Now is as good a time as any, miz Ashpaw. I'm sure that yer won't mind Jeshal accompanying us, and perchance we can have a bit of an introductory discussion in my cabin, seein' as it all appears fine. Armina, if you want ter join us or come through to go see Vald and Aille, yer welcome to."
Armina Rogue
"Well mister Jeshal, looks like I gots some time on m' paws whilst my door's out of commission. Anythin' you need ter discuss?"
"There be plenty o' time fer introductions, marm, but I see ye're already booked up with another beast. Now, I venture we could all go down ter the mess an' chat over vittles an' the like, or per'aps ye would prefer to make an appointment if ye'd rather I get some old fashioned toil an' trouble done 'pon deck? Choice is yours, o' course."
Armina's eyes narrowed as behind them her brain whirred. What was it about this fox? She was sure she hadn't seen him before – she would have remembered a beast with one paw. It was something about his attitude, his inscrutability... Yes, that had to be it; Armina couldn't tell what he was thinking. Why should that bother her so? People were allowed to keep their thoughts. Still, there was something about Jeshal, something that lurked below the surface that she didn't trust... he had his own agenda. That was it. He had his own plans here. Well, who didn't? But Armina couldn't tell what those plans were, and that disturbed her.
The unknown wildcat spoke now, and Armina was surprised at the way she stretched her rs, almost as if purring. "I would be pleased to caterr to your prreferrence, my Captain, but wheneverr it would be of convenience, I have a serrvice to offerr if therre is not alrready such a beast in place. I shall discuss this when it would please you."
There was a sudden disturbance as by the quarterdeck Bootnose went toppling over the railing. A mallet landed suddenly at Armina's feet, apparently having rebounded off Boot's cranium. Xhavek stalked angrily off the ship after the carpenter rat, toolbox in hand.
Tox looked exasperatedly after Xhavek. "Fer 'Gates sake, this bloody place can't remain civil for 'alf an hour with that stroppy scaleface aboard." Armina was glad Xhavek hadn't heard the captain say that- as far as she could tell, he did not take well to the word "scaleface".
"Now is as good a time as any, miz Ashpaw. I'm sure that yer won't mind Jeshal accompanying us, and perchance we can have a bit of an introductory discussion in my cabin, seein' as it all appears fine. Armina, if you want ter join us or come through to go see Vald and Aille, yer welcome to."
Armina hopped off the railing and ran to the cabin door, which was mercifully repaired. Clumsily she opened the door with her left hand, letting a shaft of light shine in.
"COUSIE 'MINA!"
Armina's legs were suddenly enveloped in two large bundles of fur that seemed intent on cutting off circulation to her feet. Laughing softly, Armina clumsily patted the left one -she thought it was Aille, but she couldn't tell as the sling was blocking most of her view- on the head. "It's good to see you too." Kits clamped on her legs, Armina waddled into the room, the heavy weights swinging forward with each step and shrieking happily. For the first time in ages, Armina let down the guard she kept around her heart to cherish these two wonderful beings.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
Jeshal pushed the smirk he so desired to give into a crooked smile and bowed respectfully to his new captain. His ears gave the slightest twinge at the sudden loudness that erupted from the cabin he was being directed to.
"COUSIE 'MINA!"
His dark eyes settled upon the little kits with an air of amusement as he followed the young fox who was gaining their attention into the cabin.
"Well ain't that sweet as honeyed oatcakes? Who might these fine liddle rogues belong to?" he simpered, folding his arms and finding a spot in the room where he could lean leisurely against a wall.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Following the other foxes after a slight pause to wave Sorrona over into the cabin, Tanya slid into her office almost unnoticed as she grinned at the two kits, Valdrisk's golden-orange fur and Aille's deep russet a startling contrast not only between themselves, but also against Armina's charcoal grey coat. The softening emerald gaze sharpened a little at the tone she took to be mocking from Jeshal, the knowledge that vermin were naturally unused to kits aboard a ship being the only sane piece of information that stopped her from blurting a threat: she kept it within her skull instead.
"Who might these fine liddle rogues belong to?"
Captain's cabin, Captain's children; and if you dare t' touch 'em it'll be your last mistake before it's yer tail decoratin' their bedroom door.
"Mine." She shrugged simply, stepping neatly over the array of toys and scraps of doodled parchment that littered her office floor, grinning broadly at the more impulsive Valdrisk who had detached himself from his adoptive sister's leg to enjoy the embrace of his only parent who held him with the expert of any protective mother as she admonished them with a glittering grin.
"Now then, you scruffy lil' scraps, what did I say about playing in my cabin without me about? Las' time I did I found all me lufferly turquoise ink wasted on paintin' each other!"
"Bu' Tooo-bey said we could!"
"Oh, did 'e really? An' what business would that great lump of a bird be havin' indoors?"
"Uhh...Well...Um..."
"Kiptoof tol' us 'twas okay." Aille blurted from her perch on Armina's leg before trying to scramble up higher.
Rolling her eyes, Tanya noticed her son take an interest in the little wooden sword on the floor by his mother's booted footpaws and began squirming to be put down again, although his little claws had become lodged in her coat. As Tox began the process of picking the claws from the fabric, her attention caught Jeshal as he prepared to lean against her walls – practically papered with a random assortment of maps gathered either from distant lands, past Captains, the Ministries or paw-drawn herself – inconveniently in front of her latest and greatest work mapping the West coasts, work which was dry enough not to run but still damp enough to be smudged if any weight were placed upon it.
Without thinking, the lithe little vixen bolted forwards, the kit still in her arm as she used her free paw to grab the todd by the wrist — just above his metallic paw.
"Oi, no leanin' — that ain't dried fully!"
Jeshal the Ironclaw
“Mine.”
With that one word, Jeshal’s as yet narrow perspective of this vixen he had known so little broadened to the likelihood that he knew nothing whatsoever. Since he had caught sight of her in that first instance, she had grown, and whether or not she had had someone in her life at that time, the seasons had thereafter granted her experience and younglings. Someone was or had been close to her, and he was not sure what to make of it. The only sensations he could name were that of feeling uncomfortable and a little nauseated.
Not a flicker would he allow in his facial expression, however. He observed Tanya’s interactions with her kits, unable to prevent his softer side from appreciating the warmth he had so seldom seen between creatures before he had boarded the Hide.
He had been quite content to remain in the position he had chosen to stand, settling in to his manufactured feeling of self-control. Being entirely distracted with this new information, he was caught completely unawares when the captain suddenly darted towards him and grabbed his arm.
If it had not been for the child, he was sure he would have done something even more foolish. His instincts had told him to go for the throat, to twist her assault, to throw her to the floor…
Instead he gave a snarl laced with a yelp, wrenched himself free and staggered in an ungainly manner across the room. With immediate shame, his ears flattening, he half bowed to the vixen.
“Fergive me, Cap’n. I…I shall remove meself until I be fit fer civil company.”
After a quick glance from the children, to Armina, to the captain’s feet, he bolted out of the door without waiting for a reply, narrowly avoiding knocking the wildcat Sorrona over as she entered.
He did not stop running until he reached the prow of the ship. Panting heavily, Jeshal gripped the front rail and looked out to sea, into which he poured a great stream of uncouth words.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
Stunned and not a little horrified by the startling response and unnaturally apologetic tone from the once-smug todd, Tanya shook her head in bewilderment after Jeshal, only stopping herself from bolting after him because Valdrisk had changed his mind and pressed himself more closely to her scrawny body for comfort. Hugging him gently, the vixen sighed.
"Mother..." Aille began, having halted her scramble to Armina's shoulder long enough to witness the spectacle, "Why did he run?"
"Because I think I hurt 'im" she muttered distantly, tattered ears folding backwards awkwardly at the admission.
"Why don' you go after him then?"
"I think he wants to have a moment alone. I'll be sure to, though."
Resolved to confront and apologize to the todd when he had had a short time to cool down, the little Captain turned her attention to the cloaked feline and attempted to distract her mind.
"So miss Sorrona, you said you 'ave a particular talent, am I correct?"
Sorrona Ashpaw
Whiskers twitching from the near flattening she had just experienced, Sorrona found herself calming in the presence of the world-sheltered kits.
She nodded to her captain, clasping her paws together humbly.
"Yes, yes, corrrrect. I am parrticularly adept een the knowledge of herrbs and flowerrs of medicinal means. I believe you arrre alrready in possession of a ship physician...but have you everr considerred the need forr a...samplerr, shall we say?"
Her footclaws emerged and tapped quietly, with nervousness, upon the boards.
"Eet would be an honourr to serrve in thees rrespect."
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor
"Interestin' proposition of yours there, mate..."
One free paw raised to her chin in contemplation as the other held Valdrisk steady, Tanya furrowed her brows and hummed a little. Being a poisoner by trade back on shore, the diminutive vixen felt that nobeast with a good sense would make any poisoning attempts, but pride, as they say, precedes a fall, and the Captain was never too proud to admit to a helping paw being useful. A smile managed to affix itself to her slim muzzle accompanied by a nod.
"Awight, yer in. I think ye'd best report yourself to both the ship surgeon Kiptooth and Rynn the cook again. Kip'll see to it that you know yer stuff an' have whatever you need and Rynn will need yer to check the inventory. Tha' all sound fine by you?"
Sorrona Ashpaw
Sorrona swept out her cloak as she gave a surprisingly large bow. She was fairly certain she could remember the way back to the kitchen, though her unfamiliarity with ships left her somewhat confused. She was not the type to ask for directions, however, more the sort to mill about until she discovered something herself or happened to be escorted by an amused bystander.
"I am most grrateful, Captain. I shall seek them out as soon as I may. Ees therre anything else you rrequirre of me? I can see you have yourr paws rrather full."
The wildcat chuckled pleasantly, like an old woman warming herself by a fire.
