What the tide dragged in; [open]

[Piranha]

The gravelly beach was quiet, as it normally is just after a storm. As a winter storm, it had been particularly violent. Lots of flotsam and jetsam were washed up on the beach. Beachcombers were out and about, looking for treasures from the sea hidden among the rubble. Crabs and seagulls picked through the seaweed and driftwood for anything edible or shiny. Overhead the sky had returned to its normal dismal winter hue of white, low-hanging clouds.

The oddest, although not uncommon sight among the chaos, was the wreckage of a once fine cargo ship. Blown into and smashed against the rocks, its final resting place was directly under the cliff side where the tide reached all the way. Its main mast lay in two big pieces against the rocks. Bits from the wreckage had washed up all over the beach. Rope, broken pieces of wood, and several busted crates could be found all the way down the beach.

In the shadows of the hull, washed half way up the beach was the unconscious body of a frosty white ermine. His fur hung limp against his skin, patches of pink showing between the clumps of salted fur around his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth hung open slightly. Plastered to his skin were clothes fitting someone of royalty- a green and gold brocaded vest, white tunic underneath with puffed sleeves, and fine leather belt fastened with gold, and a pair of dark brown leather breeches. Buried partially by the shifting sand and gravel was a finely-crafted silver rapier, hung around his waist. A plain golden ring secured on the paw resting on the beach above his head was stamped with a family crest.

With a cry from above, a seagull called down to those below, alerting them of his find. A freshly-washed up ermine was tastier then what else had been found on the beach. With a loud whump, a rather large gull landed next to the unconscious ermine, folding its wings back with a tilt of his head. Thrown into immediate shade, the creature still did not move, which only encouraged the gull more. With a harsh peck, he jabbed the fancy-dressed ermine in the middle of his shoulder blades to check for a reaction. Before he could deliver another blow, a particularly large wave washed over the both of them, startling the gull, which gave an indignant squawk and took off.

As foul sea water filled his mouth, the ermine awoke with a loud splutter. Floundering, he was at the mercy of the wave as it pushed him farther up the beach. Tumbling over rocks, he lay were he was deposited. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he crouched
over the earth as he coughed up bile and sea water. With tired muscles, the ermine dragged himself into a sitting position, sitting back on his knees as he doubled over a second time, retching up more sea water and whatever else was left. With an unhappy groan, he straightened his back, looking at where he was. He took one look at the wreck and his heart sank. All that cargo, his crew… He was so far from home- where in Hellgates was he?

Hearing gravel shifting under paw, his head snapped back to the beach. Vision still blurred, from ahead of him, up the beach, a lone figure came. He squinted, trying to make out who it was? A surviving crew member maybe?

A darker thought crossed his mind- a scavenger, a pirate, or a bandit. He knew enough to know that his dashing good looks and expensive attire would attract the unsavory like flies to honey. He tucked his paw under his other arm, going for the rapier on his left hip. Curiosity stayed his paw from pulling it out- that and his aching muscles and back protested greatly.

[Nagini]

The tall figure traversing the beach liked the quiet that came after a good storm. She'd just come here to relax after taking a nice bath and cleaning her armor, but now, after seeing that the storm had brought more than water to the beach, she thought she might stay and have a look.

Morwenna Fairpaw was probably quite a sight to see amidst such destruction. The silver ferret walked steadily past crabs, gulls, and others with little regard for any of them. The glaive-guisarme in her white paws was polished and well-cared for, but she carried it not for show.

The lower half of her pale velvet cloak billowed in the seabreeze. The upper half was kept down with the weight of the luggage Morwenna carried on her back. The cloak was closed and mostly covered her body, but on the occasion that the wind blew it back, leather armor could be seen.

Morwenna glanced down every so often as she walked, surveying the broken crates. She looked out for anything shiny, but no desperate greed shone in her blue-grey eyes. There was just mild interest. She was in no hurry, not even when a gull cried out its find.

Morwenna looked in the direction of the bird and watched it investigate a lump of white fur and cloth. She headed for it at her relaxed pace, even after the gull was startled away and the lump revealed that it was not dead.

She watched the creature cough and throw up seawater. She watched it sit up and look around. She kept moving. Morwenna felt better than fine as she stepped strongly and closed in. Now a few yards from her target, she didn't bother to keep a smile from forming on her lovely face.

With that smile there and much more than mild interest glinting in her eyes, Morwenna looked the wet creature over and said in a sultry tone, "My, my, my... What have we here?"

[Piranha]

The closer the figure got to him, the more in focus it became until the ermine was able to tell it was a ferret. The long, lean body was a give away, even covered with a cloak. The creature's fur was a lovely silver, and her eyes were a fair blue in contrast to his jet black. If she was but a maiden, he would of guarenteed the outcome of this encounter; but, as his eyes fell upon the weapon she carried in her paw, he began thinking up different strategies. A winning grimace fell across his face and he gestured behind him to the wreck of his ship.

"I seem to have had a spot of trouble. What you have, my fearsome lady, is a very troubled and freezing ermine." he answered her in his most polite, gentlemanly fashion. His accent was true to the southeast, although it was a little more shaky then he would have liked. He took his paw off the handle of his rapier, supporting his ribs instead, which ached from the tumble up the beach. All over he ached, but for some reason, his back between his shoulders seemed to be particularly sore.

As for the ferret, he didn't pin her as someone who would cause him immediate harm, despite the wicked weapon she carried. She was definitely more then just a bandit or a sea raider. That was something he could work with.

"May I ask, where am I? I believe last I checked, I had been sailing up past Mossflower. I should have already passed the mouth of the river." he said, sitting up onto his haunches, and straightening his spine slowly. Tilting his head to the side, he shook his head, trying to clear his ears of water.

[Nagini]

Ah, a troubled and freezing ermine, and yes, she was a fearsome lady, wasn't she? She mentally smirked at the statement.

How unfortunate for you, Morwenna thought, and how fortunate for me. She could just leave him out here to die, or kill him herself to make it swifter. She would be perfectly free to rob him.

But that was coarse, and she was smart. He could be worth more alive than dead. She knew expensive things when she saw them. He must have been important, judging by his clothes.

Important or just rich. Either status was fine by her, and he didn't sound like he was from around here. Throw in the possibility of foreignness and that was one more thing to cash in on. A rich beast was not one to pass up.

Morwenna waited until he finished speaking to answer him. "If you mean the mouth of the River Moss, you're not far from it," she explained and watched his attempt to get water out of his ears.

"I imagine that you would like to get less freezing and and less troubled," she continued smoothly. "Being the lady that I am, I could direct you to a nice town that would be happy to take care of that."

[Piranha]

The ermine's eyes betrayed nothing of the inner workings of his mind, instead crinkling slightly as he gave her a smile that brought his lips up enough to reveal the pearly white tips of his fangs. He rocked himself forwards unsteadily as he tried to regain his balance, paws shifting a little under the gravel and sand. The point of his rapier scraped against the rocks as he did. It was a slow process because his muscles ached something fierce, and with a long grunt, he was able to steady himself in an upright position.

"Well m'lady, that would indeed be helpful of you, but am I not far off in saying that payment is required for your services?" he asked her with an amused expression, that ended in a grimace when he opened his arms in an open palm gesture.

"I don't mean to disappoint, but I am alas lacking in funds at the moment... Unless you happen to be able to turn into a fish." he said with a small chuckle, which also ended in another grimace. Laughing was not a good option at the moment.

[Nagini]

"I don't deal in fish," Morwenna replied, keeping the same tone as before. She was unamused at his joke, but amused at how he kept trying physical joviality and failing. She wondered what the extent of his injuries were. "And yes, I do like to be paid for my services."

Morwenna looked him over again. "Directions," she emphasized, "are usually free. Escorts are not, and if I were you, I'd take an escort to town. I doubt you would last otherwise. You may lack funds, but I doubt you lack worth, and I take more than coin as payment. I think we could work something out."

[Piranha]

He might as well forget about trying to be light hearted. She wasn't the type of beast that responded well to that sort of tomfoolery- that, and he also wasn't feeling up to it at the moment. Touching his paw to his ribs, he tried a few steps forwards in the direction up the beach, gingerly shifting his weight as he walked. He probably was going to need an escort. Not only did he not know the nearest establishment from here, he not know the locals, and in his state, the dangers they might prove. In the south, there were plenty of beasts to be aware of.

"Well, you are right in your assumption m'lady. I am someone of worth." He stated, stopping just short of passing her. He took a step back to turn and face her. He squinted one eye as the dull ache his temple changed. He sensed a migraine coming on.

"My name is Tiberius Percival. I am a merchant by trade and by blood. I own but a small company... but we've been lucky so far. And by so far, I mean until now. Now I don't know what financial troubles this misfortune will cost us." He said with a troubled sigh, looking down at the rubble strewn across the beach.

"I need to return south, but first I need to find any of my surviving crew members- if there are any, and then find the nearest outpost so that I may attempt to get back some of my funds lost. Which will probably be j-just enough to get me st-tarted, and to pay y-you off." Tiberius said, his voice trembling slightly as he started to shiver.

[Nagini]

Some name, Morwenna thought lightly when the ermine identified himself. After hearing the rest of his story, Morwenna said, "Well, Tiberius Percival, I am Morwenna Fairpaw. I'm not a merchant by trade, but I am the daughter of one and a relative of others."

A more charitable beast might've removed her cloak and offered it to Tiberius when he began to shiver, but Morwenna did not so much as touch hers except to brush it out of the way.

"You're welcome to search for your crew now if you wish," she went on, "or later. It doesn't matter to me."

[Piranha]

Tiberius's furred lips parted again in a smile, and he stared at her in the eyes. "And fair you are." he remarked, although he didn't do other than comment. A less dangerous maiden he may have kissed her paw, but he had the feeling if he did that with this one, he would get a glaive-guisarme across the jaw. Or through the gut. Neither outcome was particularly desirable.

He shivered again from the pull of the winter wind against his sodden pelt and shook himself slightly, letting his plastered fur puff up in clumps around his face and neck. He tried to wipe the sand from his paws on his vest, but everything else he wore was wet. With a look of irritation, he let out a puff of air and with a grunt, he took off at a limping walk down the water line.

Picking through the debris, he couldn't hide a true look of dismay at the wreckage of his cargo and ship. His crew, he could care less about; beasts were replaceable, shipments were a real loss. He kept a constant half eye and an ear behind him for the female ferret. Not completely trusting her, he did suspect though she was serous about an escort, so he didn't think he'd need fear for his life just yet.

Farther down the beach, he stopped next to the lifeless form of one of his crew- a searat. He waited until Morwena got close enough to sigh with disappointment. "Alas, one of my crew. Fine lad." he commented, before stepping over him. Actually, he had been quite useless. Always drinking on the job. The ermine was glad he was dead.

After a bit, he stopped for a breather, wincing as his ribs began to bother him. "I think we should stop for a quick moment... I have not had that great of a day." he said, leaning against a rock with one paw while he did a quick scan of what was ahead of him. When he thought he had seen the last of the wreckage, a couple crates appeared, looking mostly intact. He would try his luck with them...