A simple raid gone wrong

[Toriphess]

Toriphess stood at the helm of his ship, The Swiftraider as his crewbeast ran across the deck. They were preparing for one of their infamous raids, and they were eager to carry it out. One of the otter corsair's land spies had discovered a large encampment about a mile from their current position, but extremely close to the water's edge.
"Come on you lot! We haven't got all day. The raiding point is only a few minuets ahead!" The captain scowled at a rat lazing about, and the rat quickly ran off as soon as he spotted his captain's face.
He heard footsteps behind him, and knew it was Tori.
"Can I help you, sibling?"

['Piper']

"Tis a wonderful day eh Phessy?"
The voice rang out clearly, the owner in no obvious hurry to get the raid done and overwith. Tori's left paw rested on her exposed hip, the other was crossed straight across her chest, with no obvious purpose. Letting her head fall back slightly she relished in the feeling of heat brought down by the all merciful sun.

Seconds later both of her black yes fluttered open, glittering with thoughts of mischief, and oh how much fun it was to make mischief with Phessy. For the most part that is what she called raiding, mischief, just more deadly and less fun. Her tail jingled as it waved back and forth behind her.

"So Phess what is my job today?Surely nto sitting about this boring old hunk of wood again?"
If he tried chaining her below like last time so she wouldn't get hurt , her brother would get worse then a small bite on the paw.

[Toriphess]

Toriphess growled. "Tori, you know that you are supposed to go to the ammo locker and distribute stones and arrows to our ranged beasts. Why are you dallying?" He glared foreward, not daring to meet her eyes. His sister was rebellic. He knew that she would never listen to him untill absolutely necesssary, and also calling him Phessy when she knew he dearly loathed the name. He sighed and rued the day he decided to steal Tori away to receive their parents love for himself.
"Tori, don't make me lash you to the mainmast. I will without any hesitation, regardless of scratches." He rubbed his left paw where she bit him while he was carrying out her last punishment.

['Piper']

"Oh but that is such a bore--Besides I already distrubuted the arrows when you were daydreaming about being fa' and greedy. Oh wait--no dream required."
Nearby a rat by the name of bilg had stopped to watch the proceeds. Tor' had told him the exact amount of arrow shaped stones to give to each beast, along with the new slings for the best of the best in the last battle. Raising a grimy paw he tried to stop himself from laughing at the two bicker, or Tori cheek Phessy to be more precise. Although a quiet snort did escape from between his fingers, which he swiftly disguised as a bout of coughing.

Meanwhile the female otter gazed up at her brother, her narrowed eyes daring him to even try it. Lets just say the hand across her chest was in that position for more then lookn' pretty, which Tori tried her best not to do. On a almost all male ship if you acted female, you were going to be treated like one. At least thats what she thought, and usually when in male company you were treated inferior.
"Really now?"

With a disgruntled sigh she started walking off towards the ammo locker, her large feet slapping the deck as she walked. Of course she wasn't thta good of a girl. Phessy wasn't the headbeast on this ship, they did that together. Or they didn't run the ship at all, he had no idea of how to plan a raid. Tori on the other hand found it great fun to move her crew around like chess pieces and laugh when they were shot.

[Toriphess]

Toriphess glared at the rat. "Rottenfur, you will pay for that. Get to work before I pound you to bits." He didn't shout it, no that was slightly intimidating. He said it in a low growl, which sent the rat run off quickly, with hardly a glance behind him.
"Tori, you know you need to listen to me. I am still in charge of the water aspects of this ship, and that makes you under me while on my ship. I obey you when on raids, but you listen to me on this ship, got it?" He looked behind him quickly, and spotted the back of his sister. He sighed.
"What happened to the little cub i kidnapped?"

"Campsite ahead!"

['Piper']

"Ho ho, so if I am off the ship I'm queen of this hunk of wood eh?"
With a giggle, and a slight sideways shuffle she ran towards the side of the boat. Turning her head at the railing to stick her tongue out at her brother, and smile impishly. There was no way she was going to sit there and make plans like last time! With a much louder fit of laughter she allowed her right hand to grip the railing, and with her rudder pushed herself over it, and off the ship.

Splosh!
The sound echoed around the ship as the petite otter maiden hit the water. Now she'd like to see Phessy boss her around! Her brother could be such a sod sometimes! Thanks to the clear day it was easy to watch her lithe form swim beside the ship in the water. Then with a deep breath of cool forest air she dove under again and seemed to disappear. Of course she knew where she was, and was glad for the depth of this section of the river moss. It wouldn't have been pleasant if the boat had scraped her back as she swam under it.

With the consistency of a cork her head bobbed up, directly nder the spot Toriphess had been standing. In a very childish gesture, often used by siblings, she stuck out her tongue at the older otter.
"Well let's see you get there before I do!"
Dragging herself onto the shore, she slowly began weaving her way towards the raiding target, exactly what they were raiding they didn't know, but there was no way she was being left out like last time.

[Toriphess]

"Impossible, simply impossible." Toriphess muttered. He grabbed his scythe from where it was laying next to him on the railing and fastened it behind him. With a running leap, he dove into the water where Tori had appeared, and swiftly swam next to her. He gave a wolf whistle, and his crew members splashed into the water. He winced at all that noise, and turned back to the target.

"What was that?"
"Probably some local otter cubs having fun in the river. Come on Longepaw, do you really think it might be dangerous?"
"What about that Toriphess guy?"Interjected a third voice."I hear he and his crew raid the river."
The second voice scoffed. "You really think a pirate captain of his reputation is going to raid us? We're beneath his notice."
The first voice cut in again, "If you were a raiding pirate captain, wouldn't you find that a large encampment more profitable for raiding than a small one?"
The camp fell silent for a while as the voices faded in the trees. Toriphess looked to his sister. "Your call, sis. When do we attack?" he whispered.

['Piper']

"I have no idea, let me go in there first eh? The lay of the land and all tha-"
Really all she wanted to do was eat something, before sticking a knife in some poor creatures back. Well not a knife, but her beloved dagger. Flipping over onto her back she used her rudder to steer her along, her wet, thin clothes clung to her body, making her glad that no male otter but her brother was hanging about. Lifting her earring in her paw she twisted it so it caught the sun, and pushed up on it twice, sending out miniature sunbursts each time.
"That's the signal Phessy."

A few beasts, who were not fond of the water had decided to take their chances and stay on the ever faithful ship. Taking part in a hidden bottle of wine in their cabins, and wondering what had made them follow a pair of young, idiotic, otters in the first place. Soon after they were dropped off at the station of lude jokes, and non-thinking attribute to alchohol. Some guards they were!

Trying to stop herself from adding a rather rude comment to the rambunctious noise she briskly dipped her head under the water. Allowing herself to sink she opened her eyes for the briefest of seconds, making sure that the sand near the shore looked good for climbing on.
"Hurry now ol' one, fore it gets dark."
She muttered cheekily, as her brown head once again broke the waters surface tension.

[Toriphess]

Toriphess nodded to Tori. "Go then. I'll watch for your signal." He pointed to his second, and the stoat swiftly climbed the rope hanging down from the ship. Soon, the noise stopped, and the stoat returned to water, and back to his captain's side.
The otter raised a paw and waved it in a backwards circle. The beasts in the watter set themselves in a half circle around the edge of the shore, making as little noise as possible. Toriphess watched his sister as she moved foreward. He fingered the hilt of his dagger, and waited.

['Piper']

Pulling herself up onto the shore she brushed sand off the front of her 'shirt'. She had to look presentable no matter who she was going to see after all. With a slight wave to her brother she disappeared into the bushes. Her brother would have to duck to avoid those bracnhes, but threats didn't earn advice from her. Upon seeing the haphazard camp she put on her poor lost maiden look, although bother her eyes were counting the number of beasts loitering about.

She needed some more time.Hopefully Phessy wouldn't think anything of her staying and setting the beasts inside up for a harder downfall. With a cry of sheer joy she collapsed to her knees.
"I need help, can any of you oblige? Please!? I am lost, and need help getting back up stream. Theres a log in the way, and my wee arms cannae move it."
At the moment she realized how stupid a seemingly defenseless female getting down on her knees in a camp full of males was. Of course she wasn't defenseless. Besides they didn't want her for any reasons, unless they were a otter.

Besides maybe there were some charts she could snatch before her brother wrecked the place. Although slight murmurs carried over the water she was sure to the creatures it sounded like nothing more then the wind.
(You play NPC's..and next post I will throw in a very rude crewbeast)

[Toriphess]

(Roger)
"What's an otter maid like you doing down here, missy. A log shouldn't be much of an obstical for you."
A kindly looking hedgehog neeled beside Tori. Murmers of assent went around the camp as they gathered around the otter.
"M'name is Gorry missie. And I would be glad to help you. In fact, so would some other hogs, wouldn't you boys?" A group of three quickly stepped foreward, and Gorry stood up. "Now let's see 'bout that log, shall we?"

['Piper']

Tori looked up at the hedgehog, somewhat saddened by the fact that they weren't vermin. She had no idea how to act with normal law abiding beasts.
"Alrigh' marm, thi' way."
Tori replied, most of her earlier distress had evaporated replaced with a cheeky smile. Pushing herself bak up onto her feet she began walking in the direction her brother was. Something was wrong though, this didn't seem like the settlement of Hedgehogs that had ignored their cries for help from the bowels of the ship when they were children.

Rolling her eyes she ignored the odd feeling in the depths of her stomach. Trying her best not to think about the hedgehogs, who were sturdy enough to live through this, no, instead her thoughts turned to the riches that camp was sure to have.
Besides, they didn't help us. Why warn them?
Nodding to no one in particular she raised hr paw to her ear, but stopped. Surely they could leave these four be?

-------
"'eh Cap'n, what you let a little lass like her go off for? Who knows what would happen if some burly otter much like yourself started pushin' her 'round, shes smart not tough."
The speaker while hard to discern was either a tall slim ferret named Bog or his partner in crime a small dirty rat by the name of Mudsnout. Who as usual was leaving a trail of dirt on the water as he pedaled.

[Toriphess]

Toriphess glanced at him with a bemused smile on his face. "One, Tori can perfectly well look after herself more than you lot can, and Two, are you questioning my authority?" His smile vanished in an instant. He glared at his two crew beasts as he resumed his gaze to his sister's position in camp. He waited fervently for her signal.

['Piper']

Sighing Tori lifted a paw to her earrings, and gave the signal. Half blinding herself in the process. RUbbing at her eyes she pretended to be looking for soething in the bushes, while she was reaching into the hem of her bandanna to pull out her small dagger. Turning from the bush it was hidden behind her back, those males would have to be pretty strong to be sent out to move a log. A rather sad smile was plastered on her features as she turned back around.

Of course there was no way to explan the earring signal. Hopefully her brother would head off to the camp and leave the three kind beasts here alone, and what meager things she got that she didn't share with her brother would go towards making sure they were safe for a little while longer.
------
"Wel' then why do you always not let her out to fight'ng sir?"
A vermin rather close too Toriphess piped up. This was the first time in a while they had been alone with their captain. They just wanted to know why he was sometimes so bossy to his sister, who was supposed to be of even rank.

"Yah, boss you almost left her at that left settlement, no telling us that wos a accident."
A large fox piped up from the water directly behind Toriphess. They all liked Tori, and her rudeness made her closer to them then their calm and collected captain.

[Toriphess]

"Silent!" Toriphess snarled. "That whole incident with the last raid was all your fault, if you don't remember. You had told me that she was on board, so I set off. Imagine my surprise when she came running from the woods, cursing my head off for leaving her. And why are you questioning me? Now be quiet, and let me concentrate." He resumed his gaze back to the camp, and almost missed the signal. "Right, there it goes. Out of the water, and ATTACK!" He lunged out using his powerful tail and landind on the shoreline in a role. He took his scythe from behind him and came up running. Thunderous splashes behind him told him well that his crew beasts were trying to follow as fast as they could. He came into the encampment as his crew surrounded the place, as per plan.
That went smoothly enough, he thought, but still. I'd better not get too overconfident. They could still try and fight us, and that would prove unpleasant for the both of us.
----------------------------------
"Are you alright lass? That was some sunburst that blinded you. Now, where is this log, I don't see...."
He was interuppted by a loud shout in the direction they came from.
"ATTACK!"
"Cripes! What was that?"
"You think it was that Toriphess guy?" one of the other hedgehogs asked.
"Most likely. Let's go help defend our camp! Are you coming, lass?" Gorry turned to the camp and started foreward.

['Piper']

"Oi, that wasn't our fault, though her throwing things at your head was rather humorous"
This was followed by a gentle chur from the mouth's of the crewbeasts, who stopped at the command to be silent. They knew better to push him any farther where Tori was concerned, he seemed rather sensitive on that subject. It took a few seconds for the beast to register the signal, and a few more before they began splashing towards there shore. Stepping on many tails in the headlong fight to be last.
----
Tori paused for a minute.
"Oi, isn't it a bit dangerous to go that way mates?"
She knew the outcome if they went, but maybe if she stalled them for a little bit of time they would be alright. Of course the vermin part of her was warning her about what happened to criminals who tried to be friendly while stabbing someone in the back, the friendly part was completely ignored.

[Toriphess]

Screams emated from the camp area as Toriphess and his crew set about crashing the camp and pilfering valuables. Gorry looked back at Tori with a mad look on his face.
"Lass, my mates are being robbed, and that cur is destroying everything he can't take. He has been doing that up and down this river for years now, and somebeast has got to put a paw down. That pirate needs to be taught a lesson!" Gorry turned back to the camp and set off, the other three right behind him.

['Piper']

"he's not a pirate, oh no. We're raiders oh mister fussy spikes."
Tori mumbled, udner her breath,slipping around so she was in front of the rampaging hedgehog. Without thinking she held out her dagger-armed paw and smiled, disarmingly. Just because they had helped her didn't mean she was going to rush into their camp and become a creature that fought for others. The hedgehogs may not have been the ones who idly watched as a slaver passed through, but they would have done the same. Laughing in their little huts as the screams of 'help' echoed distantly through their happy little homes, they needed to be taught a lesson in karma, vermin-style.

"Come on now, this is foolis'."
She hissed, trying her best to look threatening, and at the same time wise. Both of her black eyes were half-lidded, but her mouth was bared in a savage snarl. Her tail lashed back to and fro, as she let out a sigh.
"Just don't be stupid hedgehogs' that makes you dead uns."
What did she care? She didn't. Of course she didn't, and they would have everything they owned stolen by her, a lot less roughly then some of the others would do it.

[Toriphess]

Gorry looked at tori in surprise. "Are you allied with him lass? Why? They say that the corsair is the worst scoundrel that evers sailed the Moss. The Skipper of otters himself put out a reward for Toriphess' capture. You still want to do this, little ottermaid?"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Toriphess looked around in satisfaction. His crew finished taking down the tents and pilfering the valuables. He himself had overseen the capture of a collection of charts. He had them piled up next to his left footpaw as he watched the hedgehogs squirming in their ropes. One of them looked at him in anger, then joy. He was puzzling the last emotion when he felt something hard hit him on the back of his head. He crashed on his face and rolled over just fast enough to avoid another attack. An otter in a blue tunic stood there with a scowl on his face.
"You are coming in to the Skipper, rogue." He suddenly found himself surrounded by his kin, and none of them looked all that happy to see him.
"Help, Sis!" He shouted. he crouched as soon as the words left his mouth, and held his scythe in the ready position. "C'mon then. Try and get me."

[Sliteye]

In the bushes behind the pirate captain a pair of bright blue eyes watched the otter with his bow drawn. But he cursed when the otters got in the way. He had the perfect shot to. Lowering his bow the weasel started to walk abound the camp, trying to get a better angle to get the corsair. But while he was walking around he ran into some more of the pirates, but the weasel quickly hid his bow and changed his expression. "Come on mates, why are we letting those otters get the captain?! Lets get them!"

As the corsairs looked at each other trying to decide what to do the weasel had already disappeared into the woods again. But a different voice caught his attention. Following the sound the weasel found a female otter threatening some hedgehogs. He caught the lead hedgehog asking if she was allied with him. He guessed that she was, and drew back his bow. Stepping from the tree cover he stood behind the otter, well out of the reach of her dagger. "Lower the dagger otter." He said simply as he aimed his bow at her. The bow already pulled to full draw.