Maids of the Sea
Of Slavery and Bravery
By: Catty Engles
The sail's canvas flapped wetly, misting Jyda with briny sea spray. The squirrel clung with careless ease, to the boom of a topgallant sail, positioned high on the mizzenmast. Far above the thriving bustle of ship life, Jyda strained her salt rimmed eyes, willing them to pierce the thick fog.
"No. . ." Jyda peered harder at the figure looming out of the impending haze. She blew moisture from her nose tip and nodded resolutely. Headfirst, Jyda recklessly swung onto the deck, directly beside the ship's mate. Twyler the otter barely flicked an eyelash at her captain's sudden appearance. Jyda's eyes were glued to the front as she pronounced to her second in command.
"Those slugs are back f'more. This time we'll give it to 'em." Jyda raised her voice to the crew, "Put about! We've got comp'ny lassies! Get out the fine china and lemonade!" An old, fat harewife poked her head out of the for'c'sle cabin. "Not lit'rally, Antie Enn." Jyda dashed to amidships and rapped her knuckles hard on the gunwales. "Bring her up on the port side, ladies."
'Aye, aye-s!' Abounded as creatures deftly tacked and trimmed the sails. Skipping from stem to stern in a blink of an eye, the nimble seabeasts quickly turned their ship in the opposite direction. Excited voices charged with adrenaline called to one another high in the standing rigging, however, each had a hint of femininity. The Queen, as the crew lovingly dubbed their ship, housed only maids, the Maids of the Sea. On first glance, none could be considered fighters, except perhaps the mate, Twyler, but on second, fierce warriors would meet your eye.
Twyler leaned on the railings, lowering herself to eye level with the Jyda. "Yer workin' yerself into a frenzy matey. Why so hot 'n' bothered?"
Jyda gnashed her teeth and stared levelly into Twyler's muddy brown eyes. "'Cause it's a slave ship, Twy."
Twyler's eyes hardened, and she clapped Jyda on the back. "This time 'round it'll be diff'rent."
***
The lethal knife glinted cruelly in the fetid air. Splitear thrust his ruddy face into Ren's. Hot, stale breath laced with grog invaded the squirrel's nostrils. "Row harder yeh swabs, cap'n Milkeye don' like lazy galley slaves." Splitear's spittle flecked Ren's cheeks, and he strove to maintain an impassive face. The squirrel kept his eyes to the front, concentrating on working the oar his hands were chained to. The slave master's flushed face turned redder, and a tic began to pulse above his left eye. He screwed up his features and roared into Ren's face.
"Are yeh even a-listnen ta me ya bla-"
"Oy, Splitty! We go' a ship 'ere. Ya want a go at some booty?" After a heated moment of thinking, Splitear threw down his knife. It stuck, point down, in the moist planking. Belaying his formidable girth, the fat weasel rushed to the galley's exit.
Turning, he leered at his charges, "Now don' you be a-goin' anywheres. I wantcha nice an' safe where I left ya." Cackling, Splitear slammed the galley door.
"Go anywhere? Pish tush, the cad doesn't even have the decency to acknowledge the jolly old position us chaps have got ourselves in, wot, wot?"
Six rows of benches to either side of the ship lined the galley. Two creatures were chained to each bench. Ten dull faces stared back at the joke maker, dismissing him completely. Ren the squirrel was on the aisle, next to his benchmate, Chorlwhite Scutstraffer Eidlewhoop, Chorls for short, obviously a hare.
Chorls plastered a look of indignation on his features. "Barnacle encrusted cads, can't tell the lot of them from the bally planking their sittin' on." The hare muttered. Ren could empathize.
Ren and Chorls were the newest additions to the galley, having been here for less than a season. The lifeless slaves had become drones to the oar, their spirit broken long ago. Ren didn't intend on that happening to him.
"Ship oars." The command was shouted through the partially opened door. Ren pushed and Chorls pulled, adequately fitting their oar in a slot on the outside of the ship, out of the battle's way. Chorls glared patronizingly at the half open door and spoke to it.
"Mocking us eh? Bad form, old boy, ya split masted piece a flotsam!" Ren smiled at Chorls outrageous manner. He had come to enjoy it. The door swung idly on its hinges. Ren strained the manacles that impended his paws, further chafing the tender skin under them. Ren bit his lip and gasped.
"Chorls, look! Splitear left his dagger! Look, look! It's right next to my footpaw!" Ren whispered loudly. Chorls' ears stood up rigid in the air, excitement playing about his features.
"Well stop flappin' your gob and get the frog sticker!" Chorls whispered back just as loudly. Ren smiled grimly and leaned into the aisle. Some of the slaves had noticed his actions and began to encourage him. Battle sounds were heard from above deck. Ren worked fast, hooking his bare toes around the dagger's handle he flipped it on its side. With a sideways flick, Ren had the dagger right below his right footpaw.
Chorls held bated breath as Ren strained against the manacles, trying to reach the blade. The ship lurched forward, and Ren rapped his chin sharply against the oar. Gritting his teeth, Ren reached farther. The shackles bit into his skin, but he was almost there. Finally, Ren felt the plain blade between his paws. He sat up quickly and began to hack at the chains in one motion. A muffled cheer came from the other slaves.
***
Jyda gnashed her teeth at the big stoat that dominated her vision. Grabbing part of the rigging she dealt him a flying kick that landed him winded on the varnished plankings. The squirrel twisted in the air and slashed at another stoat with her stolen scimitar. He was dead before he fell.
"Jyda!" A familiar voice hailed her from the melee. Twyler was half way up the foremast and fighting for her life. Jyda blew perspiration from her nose tip and begrudgingly hacked her way through the oncoming horde. A mousemaid was dealing death to all who came her way, bellowing nonsensical war cries at the top of her lungs.
"C'mon ya dithering doltfaces, I'll chop off yer heads and throw 'em in yer faces. I'll rip out yer gizzards and make yeh digest em'. I'll- hey!" Jyda grabbed the over enthusiastic fighter by the scruff of her neck and tugged. Kessy shot her captain a death glare but continued to fight with a broken spear haft.
"C'mon Kes, Twyler's got 'erself in a fix, time for us to save 'er, use those lungs o' yorn to rally the crew." The mousemaid brightened considerably.
Kessy carelessly brained a ferret with the blunt end of the spear and sent up a deafening screech that pierced the din, "TO ME, GALS OF THE QUEEN, TO ME!" Jyda ground her teeth and clamped her paws over her ears. She made a beeline for Twyler who was still doggedly defending her precarious position on the mast.
Armed with a fraying whip, Twyler stubbornly lashed out at the vermin. A bolder rat had fashioned a makeshift pike from a dagger and oar. Twyler shuffled out of reach from its latest onslaught.
"JYDA!" Twyler scurried out of the way as the pike grazed the mast's wood, leaving a definite chip in the well-polished finery.
"Stop yer bellyaching, I'm here." A muffled shriek announced that the pike- wielding rat would no longer be a problem. Twyler flitted down the mast with effortless ease.
"Huh, an' I thought I was the squirrel. Why'd ya need me when you could do that?" Jyda used the flat of her blade to send a hapless ferret flying over the ship's side rail.
Twyler grinned fiendishly, "You looked bored." The otter hurried off to another part of the battle while Jyda vented her anger on an unlucky rat directly in front of her. Unlike most vermin, this rat was armed with a good blade, unfortunately it was a stronger metal than the rusty scimitar Jyda sported.
Clang! The corroded steel snapped off, leaving Jyda with only the hilt of the once whole sword. The rat advanced menacingly and raised his sword for a death strike when two identical daggers seemed to sprout from the rat's chest. Jyda whirled around; only too be knocked over by two, also identical, shrewmaids. They rushed past her to examine the felled vermin.
"Hah, I win!" One of the shrews proclaimed, pointing to the dagger on the left. The rat had died instantly; two daggers to the heart in an almost identical spot will do that to you.
The other shrew pouted, "Wyn, ya nudged my shoulder. How was I supposed ta aim with a nudged shoulder?"
"How'm I supposed ta know Lyn, but I still win." The second shrew defended herself.
Jyda got to her feet and dusted herself off. She muttered almost to herself, "Thanks for saving my life you two."
"No problem, cap'n." The tiny shrews chorused modestly, still bent over the daggers.
Jyda shook her head and stooped to pick up the rat's better sword. Jyda found Twyler fighting alongside Kessy and a haremaid named Ashlyn. She joined them. Forming a circle the friends rotated slowly, moving at all times. Ashlyn sported a quiver full of arrows but could not use them at such short range. Instead, the resourceful young hare was jabbing and wounding most with an arrow clenched in each paw.
Twyler and Jyda conversed over the skirmish as if over tea. "The nerve of some o' these corsairs, eh treejumper?"
Jyda slashed furiously but kept up the lively banter with her closest friend, "Aye, nobeast is as assuming as these corsairs, are ya matey?" She said grimly, as she ran the corsair she had directed her comment to through.
Twyler nodded her head sagely, "I hear ya cap'n, assuming this was yore ship ain't the gentlebeastly like way." She growled menacingly at a ferret and knocked him back over the ship's railing. He grabbed a grappling line that the corsairs had used to board the ship. Its end was secured high in the corsair boat's rigging. The hapless ferret swung out over empty space and then let go, tumbling right into the galley.
Ren hacked persistently at the chains connecting his footpaw to the bench. He had made no headway in the last ten minutes. Chorls was about to begin complaining again when a ferret hurtled through the galley door. He dazedly opened his eyes, which were unfortunately level with Ren's dagger. He grinned cruelly.
The ferret advanced upon the two bench mates, "Gimme that dagger." Ren balled his fists and shoved them into the ferret's midriff. The corsair doubled up, gasping for breath. With strength born of desperation, Ren cleaved through the wood that surrounded his and Chorls's foot shackles. Before the ferret began to recover, Ren managed to cut the oar off, their hands still shackled to it.
Ren leapt into the aisle and pulled his side of the oar, straining the chain links. Chorls caught on and copied Ren's motions. Just as the ferret sat up, Ren and Chorls hurtled at him, the length of oar stretched between them. Clunk! Chorls dashed through the galley door, Ren trailing, amidst rousing cheers from the galley slaves. Briny air and the bright sun dazzled them for a moment.
Taking in the full-fledged battle raging between the two ships, Chorls chirped happily, "Looks like fun!"
*** A/N That was fun. Hey, I'll take name suggestions because I really suck at them ~I like Twyler though~. Only names for the crew, tough but feminine (that's why I'm having trouble), no descriptions. Point out my faults please. I want to improve.
Of Slavery and Bravery
By: Catty Engles
The sail's canvas flapped wetly, misting Jyda with briny sea spray. The squirrel clung with careless ease, to the boom of a topgallant sail, positioned high on the mizzenmast. Far above the thriving bustle of ship life, Jyda strained her salt rimmed eyes, willing them to pierce the thick fog.
"No. . ." Jyda peered harder at the figure looming out of the impending haze. She blew moisture from her nose tip and nodded resolutely. Headfirst, Jyda recklessly swung onto the deck, directly beside the ship's mate. Twyler the otter barely flicked an eyelash at her captain's sudden appearance. Jyda's eyes were glued to the front as she pronounced to her second in command.
"Those slugs are back f'more. This time we'll give it to 'em." Jyda raised her voice to the crew, "Put about! We've got comp'ny lassies! Get out the fine china and lemonade!" An old, fat harewife poked her head out of the for'c'sle cabin. "Not lit'rally, Antie Enn." Jyda dashed to amidships and rapped her knuckles hard on the gunwales. "Bring her up on the port side, ladies."
'Aye, aye-s!' Abounded as creatures deftly tacked and trimmed the sails. Skipping from stem to stern in a blink of an eye, the nimble seabeasts quickly turned their ship in the opposite direction. Excited voices charged with adrenaline called to one another high in the standing rigging, however, each had a hint of femininity. The Queen, as the crew lovingly dubbed their ship, housed only maids, the Maids of the Sea. On first glance, none could be considered fighters, except perhaps the mate, Twyler, but on second, fierce warriors would meet your eye.
Twyler leaned on the railings, lowering herself to eye level with the Jyda. "Yer workin' yerself into a frenzy matey. Why so hot 'n' bothered?"
Jyda gnashed her teeth and stared levelly into Twyler's muddy brown eyes. "'Cause it's a slave ship, Twy."
Twyler's eyes hardened, and she clapped Jyda on the back. "This time 'round it'll be diff'rent."
***
The lethal knife glinted cruelly in the fetid air. Splitear thrust his ruddy face into Ren's. Hot, stale breath laced with grog invaded the squirrel's nostrils. "Row harder yeh swabs, cap'n Milkeye don' like lazy galley slaves." Splitear's spittle flecked Ren's cheeks, and he strove to maintain an impassive face. The squirrel kept his eyes to the front, concentrating on working the oar his hands were chained to. The slave master's flushed face turned redder, and a tic began to pulse above his left eye. He screwed up his features and roared into Ren's face.
"Are yeh even a-listnen ta me ya bla-"
"Oy, Splitty! We go' a ship 'ere. Ya want a go at some booty?" After a heated moment of thinking, Splitear threw down his knife. It stuck, point down, in the moist planking. Belaying his formidable girth, the fat weasel rushed to the galley's exit.
Turning, he leered at his charges, "Now don' you be a-goin' anywheres. I wantcha nice an' safe where I left ya." Cackling, Splitear slammed the galley door.
"Go anywhere? Pish tush, the cad doesn't even have the decency to acknowledge the jolly old position us chaps have got ourselves in, wot, wot?"
Six rows of benches to either side of the ship lined the galley. Two creatures were chained to each bench. Ten dull faces stared back at the joke maker, dismissing him completely. Ren the squirrel was on the aisle, next to his benchmate, Chorlwhite Scutstraffer Eidlewhoop, Chorls for short, obviously a hare.
Chorls plastered a look of indignation on his features. "Barnacle encrusted cads, can't tell the lot of them from the bally planking their sittin' on." The hare muttered. Ren could empathize.
Ren and Chorls were the newest additions to the galley, having been here for less than a season. The lifeless slaves had become drones to the oar, their spirit broken long ago. Ren didn't intend on that happening to him.
"Ship oars." The command was shouted through the partially opened door. Ren pushed and Chorls pulled, adequately fitting their oar in a slot on the outside of the ship, out of the battle's way. Chorls glared patronizingly at the half open door and spoke to it.
"Mocking us eh? Bad form, old boy, ya split masted piece a flotsam!" Ren smiled at Chorls outrageous manner. He had come to enjoy it. The door swung idly on its hinges. Ren strained the manacles that impended his paws, further chafing the tender skin under them. Ren bit his lip and gasped.
"Chorls, look! Splitear left his dagger! Look, look! It's right next to my footpaw!" Ren whispered loudly. Chorls' ears stood up rigid in the air, excitement playing about his features.
"Well stop flappin' your gob and get the frog sticker!" Chorls whispered back just as loudly. Ren smiled grimly and leaned into the aisle. Some of the slaves had noticed his actions and began to encourage him. Battle sounds were heard from above deck. Ren worked fast, hooking his bare toes around the dagger's handle he flipped it on its side. With a sideways flick, Ren had the dagger right below his right footpaw.
Chorls held bated breath as Ren strained against the manacles, trying to reach the blade. The ship lurched forward, and Ren rapped his chin sharply against the oar. Gritting his teeth, Ren reached farther. The shackles bit into his skin, but he was almost there. Finally, Ren felt the plain blade between his paws. He sat up quickly and began to hack at the chains in one motion. A muffled cheer came from the other slaves.
***
Jyda gnashed her teeth at the big stoat that dominated her vision. Grabbing part of the rigging she dealt him a flying kick that landed him winded on the varnished plankings. The squirrel twisted in the air and slashed at another stoat with her stolen scimitar. He was dead before he fell.
"Jyda!" A familiar voice hailed her from the melee. Twyler was half way up the foremast and fighting for her life. Jyda blew perspiration from her nose tip and begrudgingly hacked her way through the oncoming horde. A mousemaid was dealing death to all who came her way, bellowing nonsensical war cries at the top of her lungs.
"C'mon ya dithering doltfaces, I'll chop off yer heads and throw 'em in yer faces. I'll rip out yer gizzards and make yeh digest em'. I'll- hey!" Jyda grabbed the over enthusiastic fighter by the scruff of her neck and tugged. Kessy shot her captain a death glare but continued to fight with a broken spear haft.
"C'mon Kes, Twyler's got 'erself in a fix, time for us to save 'er, use those lungs o' yorn to rally the crew." The mousemaid brightened considerably.
Kessy carelessly brained a ferret with the blunt end of the spear and sent up a deafening screech that pierced the din, "TO ME, GALS OF THE QUEEN, TO ME!" Jyda ground her teeth and clamped her paws over her ears. She made a beeline for Twyler who was still doggedly defending her precarious position on the mast.
Armed with a fraying whip, Twyler stubbornly lashed out at the vermin. A bolder rat had fashioned a makeshift pike from a dagger and oar. Twyler shuffled out of reach from its latest onslaught.
"JYDA!" Twyler scurried out of the way as the pike grazed the mast's wood, leaving a definite chip in the well-polished finery.
"Stop yer bellyaching, I'm here." A muffled shriek announced that the pike- wielding rat would no longer be a problem. Twyler flitted down the mast with effortless ease.
"Huh, an' I thought I was the squirrel. Why'd ya need me when you could do that?" Jyda used the flat of her blade to send a hapless ferret flying over the ship's side rail.
Twyler grinned fiendishly, "You looked bored." The otter hurried off to another part of the battle while Jyda vented her anger on an unlucky rat directly in front of her. Unlike most vermin, this rat was armed with a good blade, unfortunately it was a stronger metal than the rusty scimitar Jyda sported.
Clang! The corroded steel snapped off, leaving Jyda with only the hilt of the once whole sword. The rat advanced menacingly and raised his sword for a death strike when two identical daggers seemed to sprout from the rat's chest. Jyda whirled around; only too be knocked over by two, also identical, shrewmaids. They rushed past her to examine the felled vermin.
"Hah, I win!" One of the shrews proclaimed, pointing to the dagger on the left. The rat had died instantly; two daggers to the heart in an almost identical spot will do that to you.
The other shrew pouted, "Wyn, ya nudged my shoulder. How was I supposed ta aim with a nudged shoulder?"
"How'm I supposed ta know Lyn, but I still win." The second shrew defended herself.
Jyda got to her feet and dusted herself off. She muttered almost to herself, "Thanks for saving my life you two."
"No problem, cap'n." The tiny shrews chorused modestly, still bent over the daggers.
Jyda shook her head and stooped to pick up the rat's better sword. Jyda found Twyler fighting alongside Kessy and a haremaid named Ashlyn. She joined them. Forming a circle the friends rotated slowly, moving at all times. Ashlyn sported a quiver full of arrows but could not use them at such short range. Instead, the resourceful young hare was jabbing and wounding most with an arrow clenched in each paw.
Twyler and Jyda conversed over the skirmish as if over tea. "The nerve of some o' these corsairs, eh treejumper?"
Jyda slashed furiously but kept up the lively banter with her closest friend, "Aye, nobeast is as assuming as these corsairs, are ya matey?" She said grimly, as she ran the corsair she had directed her comment to through.
Twyler nodded her head sagely, "I hear ya cap'n, assuming this was yore ship ain't the gentlebeastly like way." She growled menacingly at a ferret and knocked him back over the ship's railing. He grabbed a grappling line that the corsairs had used to board the ship. Its end was secured high in the corsair boat's rigging. The hapless ferret swung out over empty space and then let go, tumbling right into the galley.
Ren hacked persistently at the chains connecting his footpaw to the bench. He had made no headway in the last ten minutes. Chorls was about to begin complaining again when a ferret hurtled through the galley door. He dazedly opened his eyes, which were unfortunately level with Ren's dagger. He grinned cruelly.
The ferret advanced upon the two bench mates, "Gimme that dagger." Ren balled his fists and shoved them into the ferret's midriff. The corsair doubled up, gasping for breath. With strength born of desperation, Ren cleaved through the wood that surrounded his and Chorls's foot shackles. Before the ferret began to recover, Ren managed to cut the oar off, their hands still shackled to it.
Ren leapt into the aisle and pulled his side of the oar, straining the chain links. Chorls caught on and copied Ren's motions. Just as the ferret sat up, Ren and Chorls hurtled at him, the length of oar stretched between them. Clunk! Chorls dashed through the galley door, Ren trailing, amidst rousing cheers from the galley slaves. Briny air and the bright sun dazzled them for a moment.
Taking in the full-fledged battle raging between the two ships, Chorls chirped happily, "Looks like fun!"
*** A/N That was fun. Hey, I'll take name suggestions because I really suck at them ~I like Twyler though~. Only names for the crew, tough but feminine (that's why I'm having trouble), no descriptions. Point out my faults please. I want to improve.