Out at sea

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

The otter didnt budge as the other came at him. He kept his eyes on him. His moved his face closer to the other's. Slowly inching towards him leaning in until he was 3 inches from the other's face. "Your breath is putrid...." he said holding in all the humor he could but he couldnt help himself, yet he kept all signs of emotion in. He leaned back to his normal position. "I am Celeron, Strong-paw of the Skipper of Sea Otters. You may call me Undertaker...most do..."

[Toriphess]

"You still havn't answered me. Why are you on our ship. You haven't had any permission from me or my co-captian. Therefor, you aren't allowed to be on this ship. Get off, or explain yourself. The only other option is to die." He snarled. He wasn't moved by the name, or the closeness of Celeron's face. His scythe moved underneath the otter's neck in a very menacing gesture. "I am not patient with intruders."

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

"Permission? I dont need permission...you are in the Skipper of sea otter's territory and anything within it is therefore subject to be boarded to acquire the reason for it being in the territory. I am on this ship, as I have stated, to find out why you are in his territory...it was was my first question and it should have been obvious. As for your actions towards me I am finding you to be quite hostile and am finding no need for it..." He grabbed the middle of the scythe and pushed it away from him but still keeping the superior grip on it. "Do you wish to act civil or are you going to force me to break your bones..." he asked

Celeron was one of the strongest otters there had ever been and it was said that all the otters in his line could easily break the bones of anybeast that dared to find out. He was muscular and it showed alot more than his skipper. He was taller than him as well....

['Piper']

"Both of you ninnies shut up will ya!"
Males. So prone to arguing. Not to mention neither was stopping to think about the implication of the other's words. Phessy didn't seem to have let it through his skull that a crew of otters led by a Skipper owned the territory around here. The formerly hooded figure seemed to ignore the fact that he was surrounded by armed vermin, on a ship that was obviously a slaver. So quick to confront, so slow to think.

So she'd think for them. Turning to gaze at Bilge she nodded, directing him to go off to the starboard rail, and see if he could see any signo f the skipper and his crew. Signalingn to another beast she sent him to the port rail to check up on things on that end. Both shook their head, good no ship around.

Glancing sideways she was glad the beast had tken off his hood. He was so much easier to talk to now that she could put a face to his name, the Undertaker. Nice name for a ship, but not for a otter male.

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

The otter turned towards the other. "Is there somthing I can help you with? Perhaps lighten your body by removing your spine? Or do you have somthing to say? Just raise your hand the next time you choose to speak...Its not nice to interrupt... when your elders are speaking..."

['Piper']

'I do not raise my hand to for those less intelligent then me. My brother mayhaps ,but when you barge onto our ship and start making threat' I believe I have a reason to be ruffled."
Tori explained. Secretly before the faithful fellow had trudged off Bilge had handed her her ever faithful dagger, of course he had been to afraid to do anything else. Poor little Bilgey, such a good friend though.

Rearing up to her full height(which was not very impressive compared to her brother's) the young female fixed the 'Undertaker' with a steely glare. No one came and tried to usurp her authority, not on her ship. It'd be different if she was on a ship of all males in the middle of the ocean, with this fellow as captain. She'd rather die first. Which in this case was one of the options that stared her in the face, a rare option for her to encounter indeed. With a discreet movement of her paws she slipped the dagger from the tip of her rudder ring to her right front paw.

"Oh, silly me. The names Tor'."
the name much more resembled a growl then the actual name it had been supposed to resemble. She didn't like this fellow, he was so igh and mighy, her arrogant brother was bad enough! Two of him was much more then she could deal with, Steelfur put her wits at end sometimes.

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

The otter pushed away the scythe and step backwards a few feet keeping his distance. "Glad to see we're acting civil...I believe i've already said my name...You'll have to dismiss my intrusion upon your ship...but seeing you entered my sight it I required myself to investigate the reason. You see...the Skipper owns these seas...and we have to make sure they stay safe." he said stepping back a few more paces.

The fog had rolled in again. He took a medium sized stone from his haversack and threw it into the foggy void. However it didnt strike water...but wood. Seconds after it hit, shouts and voices could be heard. The lapping of waves against the hull of a ship were heard as The Skipper's ship"The Lancebreaker came into view. The deck was loading with otters coming from below deck and in the front...The Skipper of Sea Otters. Dressed in a black, bloodstained, Seacoat. He had two curved swords on his back and a long pike in paws. "Wot' can we 'elp you with?" Said the Skipper.

Celeron smiled calling over. "They say there lost Skip! Was was it you were looking for again." he asked Tor in pure innocence.

['Piper']

(While its more proper for me to post, it is definitely Phessy's turn.)

[Toriphess]

Toriphess groaned. "This is certainly not my day." He glance at the Lancebreaker. The ship was bristling with hostile otters, not the least of which was that Skipper. "We were just passing through friend." He called. "Our normal territory is the river, but some lazy crew beast left the anchor dry. Sorry if we intruded upon your home." Toriphess resumed his gaze to Celeron. "Get off my ship if you want to keep your head."

Steelfur glanced at the ship with his captain, and gulped. It looked like the odds were not in their favor. There were more otters then they could easily beat. His hand creeped to his staff weapon, but halted. Such an action would certainly seem hostile rather than defensive, and one of their long-range crew could easily stick him with arrows or hit him with a stone before any defensive action could be initiated. What now?

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

The crew members onboard heard Toriphess's order to Celeron and froze.

"A hostile comment?!?!" "What did we just hear?!?!" "A hostile comment?!?!" "We were trying to help!!." Those were the thoughts of the otters as the word spread through the deck. There was some shuffling about and a few quiet whispers before the Skipper spoke up. "If im not mistaken...we were trying ta' help ya...." the sound of swords drawing through the ship could be heard. The shing of swords from thier sheaths and the rustling of pikes was unmistakable.

Celeron turned his own gaze towards Toriphess in confusion. He reached into the long tunic and pulled out the most oversized, jaggy, meat cleaver anybeast could possibly wield in combat. He stepped backward keeping more distance between them.

['Piper']

"We never said you weren't matey!"
Tori called across her deck to the Lancebreaker's crew. They didn't need this right now, of course now that they were in the Moss's mouth they didn't need any help, not that they ever had. Why did these otters have to ruin their fun? No more raiding for today.
"My brother was merely retalitating after this brute threatended to seperate my spine from me poor back."
Ofcourse they had probably heard that. A familiar scuffling noise greeted the ottermaiden's ears as Bilge ran back up to her side.

If only tat little rat was a otter. Turning to Toriphess she sighed.
"Besides laddies the river found us again, no need for any of your helpin' now."
Black eyes zoomed across the ship to the debating fox, if it did come to a draw her and Phess could likely save themselves. with some being held against their will bull. It usually worked, and the crew was usually recollected before they were killed, well most of them anyway.

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

"Oh the Spine eh'? He always does that..." The skipper called over. Celeron lept backward back into the water and swam back to "The lancebreaker". "Well just so long 'as yer back on track...You mates have a good day now! And A Happy Wintersday!" he said as all the otters resheathed their swords and put away thier weapons. The skipper leaned in to Celeron as he came back onboard. "You see that Mountain in the distance...they say a badger lord lives there...Go there and tell 'em of the situation. Well keep these in our sight..." with that celeron nodded and quietly slipped back over the otherside underwater and began towards the mountian-like object in the distance.

"Hey mates! We'll make sure you get off safely!"

[Toriphess]

Toriphess watched the ship come closer. "No need to friend. I know this river well. Lived most of my life on it. There is absolutely no need for you to escort us. Sorry for all the trouble, we'll be off." He put up his scythe and leaned over to his first mate. "If they show any more hostile action, I want us to be ready to retaliate."He whispered softly. He made absolutly sure that there was no way possible for the Skipper and his crew to overhear his conversation.

Steelfur nodded. "I agree. I will prepare the crew at once." He trotted off, and whispered in a crewbeasts' ear when he encountered one. A simple nod was usually all he got, and then he went off to another. Each corsair on the Swiftraider was specilized in some long-range weapon. Whether it was the bow, the sling, throwing daggers, throwning axes, or lances; they all were specilized in one of them. Now, they set their weapons close at hand, and out of sight of the Lancebreaker.

['Piper']

thd "Aye mateys. We don't want to cause ya any trouble! We can work our own way back home."
Tori yelled back over to the Lancebreaker. While her voice was pleasant her mind was secretly raging, angry and unsatisfied. They didn't need their help! Those otters could go to Hellgates for all she cared! Turning on her heel she walked off to help Steelfur. Her part of the crew understanding the code. Her part of the crew being those who liked 'er more then Phessy, not to mention the best land fighters.
"Rigging check mates(Get ready)! yes! that includes you Blackfirr.(Blackfirr=weapons.)

Nearby Bile fumbled with his over sized Tunic. Trying to stop its bouncing, It was then that the sensible fellow had a rather ingenious idea. They were ready to lave already.Why steal a lifeboat when their way out was right in front of the! Tori may have been smart, but she usually missed the most obvious answer.

Waddling up to Tori he stood on his tiptoes and hastily whispered a few words. Causing the angry look on her face to turn into one of shock. Then a huge grin.
"'Hoy mates do you know the way to Redwall? A sick crewbeast of ours needs some help."
She had turned back toward the Lancebreaker, all former signs of anger gone, and dissipated. After the statement she turned to wink at her brother, she needed to look innocent after all. Besides SHE was sick of not having any alone time. just enough to pillage soem books from Redwall's library.
"OI! Is that Sala!? LOOK PHESSY!"
A warning, and a true statement of surprise. Damned otters had lured them this way so they'd habve some help if it came to a fight.

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

"Oh dont worry mates Its our job to make sure everybeast that travels my territory stays safe. Redwall eh? Never heard of it...theres a rover that runs close to a stone quarry though...watch yer step though there! Lotsa' six foot 'oles...." he leaned over to his second mate in command. "Tell the beast bellow to keep their weapons close...looks like we might not make it out of this without a fight...lets just 'ope we can get close enough to that mountain fortress place before we do..."

"The Lancebreaker" was as scary a ship as the beast onboard it. The sails were black and stained with blood from past seasons. The reason being beast arnt invincible when climbing the mast...Arrows can normally make thier way up the mast. The decks were never swabbed as they were supposed to be. The blood was never washed away after a battle and it normally dried itself to the deck before the sea could wash it away. The smell of death was always on ship for the ship used a be a slave ship which held at the least of 200 beast onboard. It was a big ship and one to be feared. It may not have been the fastest ship on the sea but it made up for it in capacity and could also make up for it with the slaver paddles out, not to mention the sails...

[Toriphess]

"It's all right. We are perfectly capable of looking out for ourselves. We wouldn't want to trouble you any further." He smiled and perked his ears slightly as he heard his sister's coded commands. He groaned inwardly when he felt the atmosphere grow colder and more hostile. He didn't want a straight out battle with the Skipper and his crew, yet things were brewing up that way.
"Steelfur, check the ropes on the mast will you? I have a feeling they're a little loose." (Translation=Check the boarding ropes. We might have to use them soon.) His first mate climbed the rigging fast enough to make a squirrel envious, and checked the group of ropes rolled up Underneath the crow's nest. They were long, and sturdy. Not a single speck of mold or stray fibers anywhere. They would hold the heaviest crew member , and were perfet for swinging. They were used in cases like this, when the captains felt like a battle was inevitable. He called the all clear, and an air of uncertain and nervous expectancy fell over the Swiftraider as they waited to see who would make the first move.

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

"Oh dont you worry mates! Its no trouble at all! Really! Dont suppose you'd want a bit of food eh? We've got plenty! Bit of Hotroot and Habberath Reddust." at the mention of The Habberath Reddust everybeast onboard laughed to them self. The Habberath reddust was by far the most painful substance known to beast. If it got on ones fur it would seem to burn them it was a painful stinging sensation. There were only three way to rid the pain.
A: Use a special brownish liquid that every otter in the holt had.
B:Shake the substance off your fur for about 20 minutes or
C:Die.

Water did not rid it...it only made it worse. The otters in the Holt found this method to be their favorite.

[Toriphess]

The otter captain's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before resuming their normal size. "No, no. That's quite allright matey. We have plenty of food in our kitchen lockers. Thanks for the offer though." Toriphess held a paw below the railing of the ship and secretly signaled. Steelfur grabbed the ropes and tensed up. The time for battle would soon be upon them, and the ropes would need to be let down fast. But before he could pull them out, there was a disruption.

"Halloo there. Which one of you holds the Skipper of Sea otters. I have a message for him from the mighty Salamandastron." The voice chuckled, and a fox stepped into view. His black fur was opposed with his creme tunic, silver vest, and light blue sash. He had a pack held on one shoulder, and a chain was qrapped around his sash with three iron balls on the lowest side of the sash. He grinned broadly and shaded his eyes with a pure white paw. He looked between the two ships. "Well, which ship holds the Skipper?"

[Skipper of Sea Otters]

"That would be me!" He shouted down to the beast. Instantly, arrows and Javelins were at the ready pointed down at him. "Might I ask ye' what Saladaderostonmathing is?"

[Toriphess]

Alaris chuckled again. "Salamandastron is is the giant mountain fortress over yonder. Shame you don't know about it. The Badger lord this time around, Lord Ashstripe, is a very memoriable prescence. Anyway, to my message," He cleared his throat and looked at the beast who spoke. "A friend of mine, a hare named Maken Viah, and and old hare named Sarge found an otter. The said otter claimed to be an old chum of yours. Does the name Blade mean anything to you?" Alaris looked at the hostile ships with a raised eyebrow before continuing. "Anyway, he conked his head on a rock and about caved his head in. He is now awaiting you," the fox stressed the word very clearly, "in the mountain infermary. Do you wish to see your comrade?" He inclined his head to one side and rested one paw on his left hip. The other paw was holding the strap to his bag, still. His face had a very patient expression, that was contradicted by a quickly tapping footpaw.