The Family that Rages Together [Varilde+Company]

[Grath]

Stays together.

{{Malum, Ripley, you're welcome to be in this thread too}}

Eastpaw shoved his broad shoulders into a gap in the brush, not feeling the various pokings and prickles from twigs and broken branches on his heavily calloused paws. He tore away at the cover with Southpaw, lifting the brush to reveal a small boat. It wasn't a ship, true, but it had a sail and - he kicked the hull - it was seaworthy. It would fit all of them comfortably with room to spare. It had no belowdecks, but it did have a shelter astern.

He scrambled inside, knocking about and testing the wood. After all, it had been seasons since this boat, the Fleabit, had been used. He located several sets of oars and tested them briefly. The sail was whole and hole-less except for one finger sized hole in the bottom left corner.

It looked like the Fleabit would sail. He jumped out, looking around at the hares around him. "She's sound."

[Mista P]

Crystin stood near by as her brothers pulled away at the brush that hid a small boat. Crystin was a mess. Her uniform was tattered and filthy from her tripping in the woods on the way here, her fur was even worse, and she quivered with anger and sadness as tears ran down her cheeks. Crys' eyes had settled down a bit from their dark red now to a rosy pink.

Looking out on to the dark rough waters of the sea, as another tear creased her face. The last time she had gone on a ship...She shivered. What had she done to Lani? It was all her fault. Everything was her fault.

Upon hearing the sound of Eastpaw checking out the little boat, Crystin turned around to face the boat. it wasn't much, but it looked sea worthy. Fleabit , yeah, it was the size of a flea bite. Was it big enough to even hold all of the Varilde siblings? Minus Lani of course...Oh Lani!...

Eastpaw had brought out the oars and tested them. Crystin gingerly picked up one of the oars, gripping it firmly in her paws. Her mind flashed back to her days on the slavers' ship. She could see the chains around her wrists, and feel the pain of the stinging whip.

Dropping the oar suddenly, it clattered loudly on to the deck, snapping Crys' flashback. She didn't want to row. She didn't want to...but.. Lani...

"She's sound."

Crystin looked up at Eastpaw. Her face scared, but determined, eyes still pink, and tears still flowing. "Then lets get the bally well goin' wot!"

[Malum]

OOC: You can't get rid of Malum that easily XD
'
Malum snuck up on the hares, not making a sound at all. Then she saw the boat. She snorted in her mind and rolled her eyes in exasperation. Watching carefully, she decided to wait until they weren't looking, and then either sneak on, or follow close behind.

I could swim.... No, sharks and currents at night aren't my thing. She thought, going over the possibilities in her mind. If they find me They'll either kill me or not let me come, so either way, they can't find me out.

She sighed, wishing they would just get distracted for one moment, so she could slip in. After all, I've got nothing to lose except my life.

Malum got comfortable in the bushes, waiting for her time. She though about the last time she'd been on a corsair ship. She smiled at the thought, remembering how everyone had reacted when she asked the captain if she could join, just standing there. They had all been suprised by how outforward she had been, yet she had gotten a good job. An outlook, with no slaves to deal with or idiots to mess with you, just watching for danger. Then things got bad. They ran into a group of good woodlanders who decided to storm the ship. Malum hid up in the top of the bird's nest, waiting for them to leave. Yet, they sunk the ship, causing Malum to foll into the water, gasping for breath from the impact. She saw the woodlanders, leaving, and grabbed a peice of driftwood, trying to follow and get them to pick her up. One saw her, then they all came to watch, as she slowly drowned. Until the so called captain saw what was going on. They brought her aboard, and...
Sure they made me a prisoner, but at least they didn't kill me. Malum thought.

[Tracy]

Ripley had every intention of following along with the Varildes. Not only was she an adventurous sort, but she wasn't sure she could live with herself knowing a Bloodwrath family went off on their own, a danger to themselves and other innocent beasts. She assumed the ferret had been effectively shaken off, and she slipped off, hoping the younger creature would make herself scarce.

Although quick and silent, she didn't exactly intend on making her presence a secret. She stayed back a bit as Eastpaw went about assessing the seaworthiness of their dingy. Ripley eyed the craft with apprehension. She was already unsure of being out on the water - she couldn't really swim - and this thing seemed better suited to the bottom of the sea than riding atop it. Her paw lightly tapped on the hilt of her rapier, a comforting measure.

The young scout was always attentive, long white ears perked, eyes searching in the darkness. She froze for a moment, the slid her violet eyes back suspiciously. Quickly she disappeared from the Varildes' view.

Suddenly, a white paw descended on Malum's huddled form, pulling her up by the back of her cloak. Ripley wasn't much taller than the considerably younger ferret, but she had the feistiness of a creature who was quite certain she could take the other in a scuffle. Sighing and shaking her head disapprovingly, Ripley pointed at her ears.

"Y'know what these are, ferret?" she asked condescendingly. "They're ears. Long hare ears. You breathe much too loud to hide from a hare scout, let me tell you." She attempted to pull Malum from her hiding spot in the bushes.

"You look awful suspicious all hidin' back here. I'm not all that sure if'n you're trying to follow us to help or attack, but now I need to keep my eye on you." She stopped and took a firm grip on the ferret's upper arm, trying to force Malum to look her in the eye. She continued in a firm, but muted tone, "Listen an' listen good, ferret. That lot o' siblings over there, they have this thing called Bloodwrath. When they get riled up, nothin' will stop them hurting you or me or anyone. Keep a sharp check on your tongue, understood?"

By now the Varildes had probably heard the commotion in the bushes. Ripley nodded ahead to Malum. "Go on, you're comin' along just so I don't have t'keep watching our backs."

[Rorgus]

Souhtpaw helped His Twin pull away the bushes to fins the boat that was hidden there. It was a good sized boat. It had a sail and oars and there was a sheltered place under the stern of the ship. Eastpaw had gotten in the boat and was checking to see if it was still seaworthy.

"She's sound."

"Good," he dumped his pack in the stern and set about getting ready to sail.He noticed Crys sitting at the oars and the scared look on her face.
" Crystin you will be the cook. Me and East will sail and if we need to we will do the rowing. Nico you be the look out." Suddenly he heard talking. Then some scuffling he gave a woebegone look at East. He knew who it would be. Then climbing out of the boat he started to where the noise was. He skirted a bush and there was Malum and Ripley. Apparently Malum had been spying on them for some reason, then Ripley had come up behind her and caught her. Southpaw tunred to East.
" What are we going to do with these two? Is there enough room in the boat? If we don't take them now they'll just find another boat and come after us." He shrugged " I really don't care if they come just as long as they do their share fare of work. What do you think East?"

[Grath]

"Then lets get the bally well goin' wot!"

Eastpaw looked at Crystin, at the determination on her face, grimly shining through her tears. He was not a coldly calculating beast, but his initial rage had cooled, instead replaced by a slow, simmering determination to see his family whole again. He nodded to Crys, watching as she and Nico climbed into the boat.

"Go on, you're comin' along just so I don't have t'keep watching our backs."

Eastpaw was not best pleased when Ripley came out of the darkness, the little ferret in paw. “Ah dinna ken why in hell ye feel in necessary to follow a group that clearly doesn’t want you.” He growled at the ferret. He exchanged a look with Ripley, then his twin. He ground his teeth, jerking a thumb at the boat. “Fine. Get ‘er in.”

“C’mon South.” The hare twins shoved the boat into the water, jumping in once the keel cleared the bottom. East stopped to put an arm around Crys. “Dun worry, Crys. Ah’ll watch out for ye. Ah’ll get Lani back.”

If it’s the last thing I do.

[Mista P]

" Crystin you will be the cook. Me and East will sail and if we need to we will do the rowing. Nico you be the look out."

Crys looked up at Southpaw. Cook? What was he thinking? Crys didn't know who to cook! She burns salad!!! Oh, yeah..She looked away. She knew why. He wasn't sure she could handle rowing. And to tell you the truth, she wasn't sure she could either.

Feeling a gaze upon her face, Crystin raised her head and her eyes locked with Eastpaw's. He was serious, but caring, most of all, determined. At his nod, Crys followed Nico into the little boat.

Feeling the sea worn wood under her paws, Crystin sat down on a bench that sat under the edge of the small shelter. Her paws instinctively went to her lap like she was ready to row. Shivering, Crys put her paws down. How was she ever going to do this?....

For Lani...That's how... oh Lani...

"Go on, you're comin' along just so I don't have t'keep watching our backs."

Crys looked up and saw Ripley leading the younger ferret. Crystin looked away...No, not now...

" What are we going to do with these two? Is there enough room in the boat? If we don't take them now they'll just find another boat and come after us." He shrugged " I really don't care if they come just as long as they do their share fare of work. What do you think East?"

“Ah dinna ken why in hell ye feel in necessary to follow a group that clearly doesn’t want you.” He growled at the ferret. He exchanged a look with Ripley, then his twin. He ground his teeth, jerking a thumb at the boat. “Fine. Get ‘er in.”

“C’mon South.” The hare twins shoved the boat into the water, jumping in once the keel cleared the bottom. East stopped to put an arm around Crys. “Dun worry, Crys. Ah’ll watch out for ye. Ah’ll get Lani back.”

Crystin leaned in, resting her head on his chest. "I know ye will...But....It's all my fault...." A tear just raced down her cheek as she whispered to her brother. It was her fault....Everything was her fault....

[Tracy]

Admiral Ripeye was on his main ship, Bloodtide, now with a fresh stock of rowing slaves, including a number of hearty and strong looking hares. He was staring north as if he could see something out on the water, although he could not. When Lorna's crew had deposited the new slaves onto his ship and his own crew had them shackled to the oarshafts, he had realized too late that his ship did not nearly have the water and resources necessary to sustain the ship's additions.

After sailing for several hours after the exchange of slaves, he decided they need to make anchor near shore again and collect some fresh water and food. Sailing near enough to shore to keep a wary eye on the landscape, he finally determined a mooring point, a place on shore that looked quite wild and deserted. He wanted this to be a quick and quiet affair. The ship made anchor and Ripeye dispatched a small group - specifically used to gathering food and water - to shore on a small vessel.

Although the slaves were afforded a nice break from rowing for a time, the mood was tense up on the deck. Ripeye was pacing, always nervous when they weren't moving. At any time the creatures from that mountain would find out what happened and go after them, and who even knew what kind of ships they had? And anything could happen onshore; it was not as if they'd had much luck last time they'd stepped on land. He grunted as he recalled how a couple hares had dispatched almost an entire ship's crew. They'd been surprised, the hares had had the advantage. Regardless, he didn't want to run into them again.

He whipped around at a tap on his shoulder, baring his sharp, yellow teeth. "What?" he growled, annoyed that any crewmember had the time to bother him at the moment. A lanky, dirty ferret stood there, anxiously wringing his paws.

"Ah, Cap- Admiral! Admiral!" he squeaked furiously as he was confronted with the point of a cutlass. Looking cross-eyed at the blade before him, he continued quickly. "Was jus' in da crow's nest an' saw somebeasts comin' our way. Looks like they're floatin' in summin' 'ardly more'n a gutted log."

Ripeye slowly lowered his cutlass, then sheathed it. "Who was in this... gutted log?" he asked slowly.

The ferret scratched his head, where he was missing an ear. "Um, looked like summa doz rabbits, like the ones we got yesterday. Dey comin' from da north, too."

Ripeye turned and looked north again, and thought that perhaps, this time, he could see the floating dot in the distance. Considering his options, he finally spoke, without looking back at the ferret. "Get me Hookear."

The ferret hesitated only momentarily before skittering off quickly. Ripeye didn't watch him leave, just kept his one good eye fixed steadily north, thinking about the possibility of having even more oarslaves before day's end.

----------

Ripley took a brief sip from her canteen, saving it from sloshing over as the tiny vessel tilted to the side yet again. She'd been hard-pressed on whether to save her water or herself, but she'd managed to grab and cap her fresh water quickly and was now back to desperately clinging to the side of the boat. She shot a dirty look ahead of her.

"All right, the next one to tilt the boat is shark food," she said flatly. She wasn't feeling ill as she'd anticipated, just in a constant state of terror that she'd fall in. The young haremaid had exposed herself to all manner of danger, scouting almost every inch of Mossflower by herself, into dangerous territory and around vermin without batting an eye. But the idea of what lay in the unseen depths of the sea was almost more than she could handle.

Something caught Ripley's keen eye in the afternoon, and she blinked rapidly, trying to catch it again, but she finally decided her eyes had tricked her, and chose not to mention it. But soon she saw it again, a black ball on the horizon, and it wasn't moving. Without thinking, she popped up and pointed. "Look look!" she called just as she made the boat sway again.

"Oh, whoa... oops. Sorry," she quickly said as she threw her paws out, using Eastpaw's head, the most readily available object, to steady herself and stop the boat from tipping further.

[Malum]

Malum sat in the boat making sure to stay out of the hares' way in case they decided to throw her out. Sure, I can swim, I just don't want to battle currents. She thought as she rowed silently, getting into the constant rhythym of the waves and the ors slapping against the water.

"All right, the next one to tilt the boat is shark food," One of the hare yelled, as she grabbed the side of the boat.

Malum smiled, but in her head she hoped they didn't blame the tilting on her. Suddenly a yell split the air.

"Look look!" the same hare yelled, springing up.

The boat tipped and for a breif moment, she could see the dark water underneath the boat, lapping eerily as if waving her towards it. She held her breath until the water receeded from her and then she let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh, whoa... oops. Sorry," The hare said, grabbing onto another hare's head.

Malum ignored that and stared at the blob on the horizon. She could just barely make out the relative shape of some sails.

"I think that's the ship." Malum said obviously. "We had better hope they haven't spotted us yet, but i bet they have. After all, they probably have a crow's nest with a lookout in it."

She sighed, wishing the lookout was one of those stupid rats that sleep on the job.

[Rorgus]

Southpaw saw the expression that passed over Cry's face when he told he she was cook.
" I know you are strong and willing to row if needed,and I don't doubt you would Cry's, its just that I don't want to bring back all the pain and the memory's." He smiled gently at her.
" And if you don't know how to cook ask Ripley." He said even before the hare had come through the bushes. He knew she was going to be following them.

They all piled into the boat and settled down. Even though they had made a hasty departure South had at least tried to make sure they had provisions. He sat down at one of the oars across from his Twin.

They sailed for what seemed like days. They had been out in the boat for about a day and the sun was shining. There was no wind which meant they had to row.

Later the evening when it was slowly starting to get darker Southpaw was looking out over the horizon when he spotted something. He was just about to say something when Ripley stood up and said.

"Look look!" She had stood up suddenly which was a mistake. The boat rocked perilously,


"Oh, whoa... oops. Sorry," She held onto the boat side and Easts head as she tried to catch he balance.
" Be careful Ripley!" He said,
" We don't want to be landing in the sea with the sharks just yet. Not when were so close to Lani."