Open Hearts of Oak

[Tanya Keltoi]

Very rarely was Tanya lost for words. She stared, something between utter confusion and discomfort flickering in her expression before she mastered both this and the urge to join in the laughter. In her younger years she might have bullied the doe relentlessly; as she had aged she had begun more to appreciate the intrigue and potential often brought by the eccentric. Perhaps she just needed some focus.

“Alright you lot, we’re a crew not a circus: let’s focus. Oilfur!” The dark-furred marten who had been hanging about checking over some cabling threw his commanding officer a desultory salute as he padded over, clearly anticipating a task he was unlikely to relish. “If you could take everybeast down to the top gundeck and start showin’ the cannon I’ll join you shortly an’ take back over.”

“Ma’am.” Another salute and Oilfur gestured for the assembly to follow as he made for the stairs belowdeck. “Foller me, then. I’ll show yeh the guns an’ such an’ where you’ll be bunkin’. Don’t expect me to know the ins an’ outs of the cannons but you can ask the officers later.” Scratching his chest distractedly, he led the way to the gundeck. “Don’t expect it’ll ever smell so good again, either. All shiny an’ new now, but if you’ve a sensitive hooter best see what dried herbs you can get for your ‘ammock.”

Hanging back as other beasts began to pass, the fox crooked a claw at the rat doe who had made such an impression already. “Ms Cryle, with me,” she said, following up with a gesture towards the binnacle at the helm. “I’d like a quick word about those stars you mentioned.”

 

[Cryle]

Cryle stared straight ahead, expression as blank as could be, as those around her fell apart. What was the fuss? Sure, maybe her syllable count was a little off... Her melody was nothing to praise, certainly, although mathematically the rise and fall fit within the two-chord structure with a pleasing accidental dip to flavor the line before the resolution, and her pronunciation hadn't faltered and she'd only warbled a little on one of the higher notes...

Oh. They were making fun of her, weren't they.

Oh, well. She had several older brothers. It would take more than laughter to get her to react.

It was disappointing, though, that nobeast actually answered her question...

She followed the group glumly, stifling a yawn, and almost missed the Authority Figure until she spoke her name.

"Sorry," she began as she followed up towards the helm, "it's just, you said to sing, and I didn't know - I was told to pay attention to following orders to the letter, oh... Stars...? What about them?"

Despite her sudden wakeful interest, she couldn't hold back - she yawned again, quickly clasping her paws over her snout to snap it shut again, a vaguely panicked look cast towards the Admiral. And just as quickly looked away, lest she catch the attention of The Eyes. And, ooh, what was this...

Cryle audible "aww'd" at the binnacle with a girlish squeak, reaching out to gently brush her fingertips over the tools on display. "Gimbals," she whispered reverently.

 

[Tanya Keltoi]

Her good ear seemed to drop horizontal like a signal flag before flicking back to position; just what emotion that was designed to convey, even Tanya did not know. Amusement? Confusion? Agreement? It simply felt correct for the situation. The yawns were noted but appeared of little consequence to Tanya. After the lairy nights she’d had in her youth drinking, carousing and fighting she had often scuttled the decks of the Navy’s ships the morning after with dire regrets and the need to battle yawns of her own. Such regrets would inevitably vanish come the evening as her memory for discomfort remained remarkably short and lessons rarely learned.

Green eyes tracked the curious doe’s movements before resting on the contents of the binnacle. “Gimbals indeed,” she echoed, crossing her arms. “There’s a lot more gear in the cabins for trackin’ and markin’ space and time at sea if you’ve a mind for it. Large part of navigation at sea requires understanding where we are in relation to the skies. Was wonderin’ if that sort of job sounds like somethin’ you’d be interested in learning.”

 

[Cryle]

"Space and time," she repeated under her breath. Just like her rank seven moon ranger, Ryleca Starmist, who could manipulate time and space to do lunar wizard magic! Except, logging isn't exactly manipulation, this isn't accounting, after all. Close enough to be a good exercise.

Cryle practically had her face pressed to the glass of the compass and other instruments encased safely within the binnacle. Her glasses fogged up as she breathed heavily. Her thoughts raced as she considered what the pine-marten-colored fox was asking.

"Logging positions on a map, that's fun. Coordinates, farrange¹ and extrange², why, it's basically top-down stellar geometry. I could probably guide a ship through the ocean just with a sextant and the moon, I've already written down the angles the moon will be rising and setting for this year, just need to tweak the numbers to account for the farrange and extrange of Vulpinsula from Magh. Oh, at sea it will be even more fun, the ship will be moving! Of course, that's what ships do. And cartography? They probably have all their own maps, but wouldn't it be fun to make my own? Really make sure the elevation is right, get all the angles of the inlets and things we pass by. And if I can get my water-telescope idea working, I could even map out the reefs and slope of the shorelines, I bet there aren't maps that have all of those accurately depicted. I'll need more paper to draw on, I should ask if there will be enough... and lots of pencils, oh dear, what if I run out of my favorite width at sea? Must remember to put in a request to make sure there are extra 6.5-millimeter pencils. Ugh, I hope the pencils made in Bully Harbor have the same grip-feel as the ones I get from Mr. Woodfoot..."

She raised her face from the binnacle and turned towards the Admiral, dipping her head politely.

Yes, is what she said in her mind.

Her ears flicked. "Um." Which part of that had been her mouth and not her thoughts...?

"Yes?" she said, meekly. "Yes, I am interested."

And, just to make sure her mouth was working properly, and because she wasn't one to let a question go unanswered:

"Also, what kind of wood is the BlackShip made of? And, um, what is a binnacle, are they like barnacles? Do they glow?"

¹ Latitude.
² Longitude. Cryle was self-taught. That involved making up words for concepts other beasts had long since named.

 

[Vilde Isdatter]

Eager to learn, and curious about all these wild personalities, Vilde looked to the three foxes who had also been asked to follow Oilfur belowdecks. She gave them a bright grin.

"I for one look forward to seeing how these cannons work. Sailing I know, but not the ways of powder. Perhaps I will learn from you men, hmm?"

She strode after the dark-furred marten.

@Orion Bloodtooth IV @Corda LaConte / Cordan LeConte @Michel Fabron