- Character Biography
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It had been three days since the Hide set sail once more, she was where she belonged now. Her sails mighty wings that pushed her across the endless oceans, her great domain that she reigned over as queen. The sun had set some time ago and most of the crew was below deck, save for a lone lookout in the crow’s nest. An old stoat wearing a striped shirt and a bandana around his head. He was smoking a pipe and idly searching the waters for threats. His eyes drooped a bit, but he startled as he heard someone climbing up the rigging.
Looking down, he blanched to see it was Lieutenant Songfox. He was twenty years older than the Lieutenant, but he was still outranked, and knew of the Lieutenant’s disdain for smoking. He quickly stowed the pipe and stood to attention, saluting as the Lieutenant hopped into the crow’s nest. “Lieutenant Songfox, Sir!”
“Um… at ease, sailor.” Silvertongue nodded awkwardly. He hated the title, and the aura that it carried. He wanted to be seen as an equal, not a superior. “I’ve come to relieve you for the night. Feel free to go and get some rest.”
The sailor stood, dumbfounded. “Is… is this some sort of test, Sir?” He finally asked.
“No, and- please drop the ‘Sir’. You’re older than me. Trust me, I was fairly surprised about the whole thing, too. Please, you ought to go sleep. We need all of our crew in proper condition for this voyage.”
The soldier decided not to push his luck, and he nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Sir- I mean Lieutenant Songfox.”
The soldier quickly clambered down the rigging, leaving Silvertongue to his own devices in the Crow’s Nest. Silvertongue wrinkled his nose. The sailor had been smoking. The Captain had advised him that trying to outright ban smoking would go poorly, so he had to endure it for now. Silvertongue sighed and he scanned the horizon, before he glanced at his locket, looking at the portrait of his parents wistfully.
Before he knew it, he had started to doze off. Strangely enough, he didn’t even think he had been that tired. In his minds eye, Silvertongue was on the deck of the Hide, and standing there were his parents.
“Mother…” He approached the older vixen, Marit, dressed in a blue silk dress, who smiled at him. “I can’t make some new memories.”
“Father…” He turned to his father, Firetail, still standing in his military uniform, who saluted Silvertongue. “I’ll be a better son than I ever was.”
As he walked closer, his parents spoke in unidison. “Please keep your eyes open.” They said as they walked backward.
“Why are my eyes and my heart and my soul so heavy?” He asked, rushing forward to hug them, but they held him back.
“Please keep your eyes open.”
“I keep on trying to embrace you both, why won’t you let me?!” Silvertongue asked, stepping back.
“Please keep your eyes open!” They repeated.
Silvertongue looked at his uniform, something completely foreign to him, then back to his parents. “So much has changed, but I’m the same! Yes, I’m the same!” He then rushed forward, slamming into them both and wrapping his arms around them
“Please keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open.” Firetail said.
“Wake up.” Marit said softly. “Wake up!” She grabbed his chin. “Silvertongue, you are in grave danger, WAKE UP!”
Silvertongue startled awake, jumping up and looking around for the danger. That’s when he spotted it. In the distance. Dark clouds that blotted out the stars, frothing, roiling waves. A deep rumble. A storm. It would be upon them in a matter of minutes. He felt the warmth drain from his body. Sheathing his sword, he leaned over the railing of the crows nest and shouted below him.
“STOOOOORRRRM!” He yelled at the top of his lungs, grabbing the rope of the alarm bell and ringing it wildly. “STOOOOOOORRRRRMMM!!”
Looking down, he blanched to see it was Lieutenant Songfox. He was twenty years older than the Lieutenant, but he was still outranked, and knew of the Lieutenant’s disdain for smoking. He quickly stowed the pipe and stood to attention, saluting as the Lieutenant hopped into the crow’s nest. “Lieutenant Songfox, Sir!”
“Um… at ease, sailor.” Silvertongue nodded awkwardly. He hated the title, and the aura that it carried. He wanted to be seen as an equal, not a superior. “I’ve come to relieve you for the night. Feel free to go and get some rest.”
The sailor stood, dumbfounded. “Is… is this some sort of test, Sir?” He finally asked.
“No, and- please drop the ‘Sir’. You’re older than me. Trust me, I was fairly surprised about the whole thing, too. Please, you ought to go sleep. We need all of our crew in proper condition for this voyage.”
The soldier decided not to push his luck, and he nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Sir- I mean Lieutenant Songfox.”
The soldier quickly clambered down the rigging, leaving Silvertongue to his own devices in the Crow’s Nest. Silvertongue wrinkled his nose. The sailor had been smoking. The Captain had advised him that trying to outright ban smoking would go poorly, so he had to endure it for now. Silvertongue sighed and he scanned the horizon, before he glanced at his locket, looking at the portrait of his parents wistfully.
Before he knew it, he had started to doze off. Strangely enough, he didn’t even think he had been that tired. In his minds eye, Silvertongue was on the deck of the Hide, and standing there were his parents.
“Mother…” He approached the older vixen, Marit, dressed in a blue silk dress, who smiled at him. “I can’t make some new memories.”
“Father…” He turned to his father, Firetail, still standing in his military uniform, who saluted Silvertongue. “I’ll be a better son than I ever was.”
As he walked closer, his parents spoke in unidison. “Please keep your eyes open.” They said as they walked backward.
“Why are my eyes and my heart and my soul so heavy?” He asked, rushing forward to hug them, but they held him back.
“Please keep your eyes open.”
“I keep on trying to embrace you both, why won’t you let me?!” Silvertongue asked, stepping back.
“Please keep your eyes open!” They repeated.
Silvertongue looked at his uniform, something completely foreign to him, then back to his parents. “So much has changed, but I’m the same! Yes, I’m the same!” He then rushed forward, slamming into them both and wrapping his arms around them
“Please keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open.” Firetail said.
“Wake up.” Marit said softly. “Wake up!” She grabbed his chin. “Silvertongue, you are in grave danger, WAKE UP!”
Silvertongue startled awake, jumping up and looking around for the danger. That’s when he spotted it. In the distance. Dark clouds that blotted out the stars, frothing, roiling waves. A deep rumble. A storm. It would be upon them in a matter of minutes. He felt the warmth drain from his body. Sheathing his sword, he leaned over the railing of the crows nest and shouted below him.
“STOOOOORRRRM!” He yelled at the top of his lungs, grabbing the rope of the alarm bell and ringing it wildly. “STOOOOOOORRRRRMMM!!”
