Chapter I: Planning a Plunder
"Are ye ready me little matey?"
"Yes father!"
"Then come down 'ere ye little rascal! Your mama's been waitin' fer you down 'ere ferever!" The huge lynx pirate captain, Zan Kunth, called up the spiral staircase, a smile spreading across his scared face.
"How do I look, father?" The small snow leopard padded down the stairs, spinning around to let his mother and father take a look. He wore three brass earrings in his tufted ear and tan suspenders. His fur was ruffled and on the top of his head was stained red; the mark of a true Lynx pirate.
"Oh, honey! Are you sure you want to take on the life of piracy?" His mother, a beautiful snow leopard, asked worriedly, her green eyes flashing over at Zan.
"Now now, Jezabell! Let the boy chose for himself! Now, me little matey, what do ye wanna do? Come with yer pa or stay with mama?" Zan asked, kneeling down beside him. "Whichever path you take will determine yer name, little fellow!"
"I wanna become a pirate like you papa!" He growled, leaping into Zan's arms.
Zan hugged him proudly, standing up and, with his free arm, pulled Jezabell into the embrace. "Now don't ye fret your whiskers over us! We'll be back afore you know it!"
"Yeah mama! I'll be back to give you gifts like pa does!" Zan's son smiled, hugging her around her neck.
"Zan, don't you have something to do now?" Jezebell asked Zan, pulling away from the hug. Zan looked at her quizzically, the smiled, bending down to his sons height.
"Alright me little matey, are ye ready to receive yer name?"
"Yes!"
"Alright then. I've been waitin' to name you this, but yer name will be Leatho Kunth like your great great granddad," Zan smiled, stroking his red stained head fur.
"Oh Zan, what a wonderful name!" Jezabell purred, hugging Leatho. "Now you listen to everything your father and his crew say, Leatho!" She whispered, tweaking his ear. "I love you, Leatho."
"I love you too, mama," Leatho said, hugging her one last time, then pulled away to join his father at the open door.
"Alright, me love, I'll see you when the winds bring us rolling in," Zan said, walking over to Jezabell and kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door with Leatho skipping happily behind him.
Jezabell smiled, holding her paws to her heart. "Be safe my loves," she whispered quietly, a smile pulled across her muzzle. She knew her son would do well; he was a born pirate.
EIGHT YEARS LATER
"Land ho, Capin' Leatho!" A scraggy wildcat called from his post in the crows nest, his ragged paw clasped over his brow. "Looks to be mayhap Florida? Maybe California?"
"Aye aye, Delrif! Either way, tis a good plunder!" The teenage snow leopard captain called up to to Delrif, smiling. His father, Zan, had died five years ago in a battle with another ship, the Skull Basher. Now, Leatho was captain of the ship, The Lynx.
Leatho had changed much since he was ten and left with his father. He was eighteen now and still wore three earrings, though they were gold now embedded with emeralds. Around his right paw he wore his fathers old golden bracelets, and on his ring finger he wore a skull ring. On his face he donned many new scares from the sea battles.
Leatho turned to his second in command, a pretty red wolf named Lira. "Go tell Pyran, Leopard, Ginver, Gull, and Jagg to get ready to morn on the island. Senval! Set corse south west of California! And Delrif, it is California," Leatho called up to the old wildcat who nodded, laughing to himself.
"Sorry, Capin'! Me brain ain't as good as it was years ago! Ye know I ain't young!" Delrif called down to to Leatho, scratching his head fur.
"Yes Captain Leatho," Lira finally replied. Bowing, she padded away down below decks, seeking out the five best thieves on board.
Delrif dropped down beside Leatho, steading himself on his shoulder. "I say, that young un likes you, Leatho," he said as Leatho whipped his brow with a massive paw.
"Well, I don't think it's going to happen, Delrif. I'm not interested any either way, she's a wolf, I'm a snow leopard," Leatho said, padding over to the railing of the ship and leaned over, looking at the white capped waves following in the wake of the ship.
"Well then, your pa didn't teach yer right, boyo!" Delrif snorted, joining him. "Now listen to me, Leatho! We're anthros. We're like people, but in animal looks. We talk, walk, and mate for life like humans. And boy, let me tell you something your father wanted to tell you when you grew to eighteen. You might be able to shift into a human," Delrif said flatly, looking out at the setting sun.
Leatho stumbled backwards, not really processing what Delrif had said. "Wh-what did you say?"
"I think you heard me, Leatho. Your father thinks that you can turn into a human. It's very rare in anthros, but possible," Delrif said, looking back at the stunned Leatho. "Lighten up, boy! Just forget about it for now! You have a crew to attend to."
Leatho turned to find himself face to face with Lira; Pyran, Leopard, Ginver, Gull, and Jagg were standing behind her at attention.
"Captain, I've brought them for you," Lira blinked, her tail swishing lightly behind her.
"Thank you, Lira. Ok, you guys are my best thieves, so I'm going to take you inland with me and we'll take what we can find. Any questions?" Leatho asked, a challenging look in his eyes.
Ginver, the bravest of the six, spoke up boldly. "How are we gonna get into there, boss? California is crowded with people, and we don't look anything close to people."
Leatho walked coolly up to Ginver, smiling. "And that, my friend, is why we have you. You, unlike these other idiots, have the courage to confront me on this problem. Now tell me, how are we going to get past all these people?" Leatho asked Ginver, stalking around him, never taking his eyes off the bobcat.
"Well, you know how people have those fursuit convention things?" Ginver asked him, not flinching as Leatho circled him. "Well, we could go and say we were fursuiters. Put on heavy clothes, wear shades to hide our eyes. I think that could fool them."
"Hmmm... I think that actually could work, Ginver. Ok, Pyran and Jagg! You two go down to the storage and forage all the clothes you can find. Leopard and Gull, you stay here with the rest of the crew today. The less people we take the easier it'll be to pull this off! Only me, Ginver, and Pyran are going!" Leatho stated, padding over to the wheel maned by Senval the Hyena. "Senval, when will we arrive at the island?"
"About five minutes, Captain," Senval stated, his eyes still glued to the sea ahead of him. "Are you really going out there onto California Captain? Just my suggestion, Captain, but I think your takin' a very high risk goin' into a mass human population like that. I think we should stick to piratin' other pirate ships or anthro populations," Senval said, finally turning to Leatho. Leatho had never got used to the Hyena's face. The whole left side was bone, his upper lip and nose totally torn off and when he breathed, it mad a weird whistle noise.
"I know your trying to help, Senval. That's the only reason you stand on my ship still. But I think my crew is starting to doubt me. We haven't pulled in plunder in many weeks, unlike under my fathers rule. I'm sorry, Senval, but this is what must be done." Leatho stated, looking out at the island that was slowly getting closer.
Senval nodded, removing a paw from the wheel to pat Leatho's back. "Well, I don't doubt you, Captain. You're as good as your father, Zan. Mayhap even better."
"Thank you, Senval. I don't know what this crew would do without you," Leatho smiled at Senval, then padded down the stairs to the storage, motioning to Ginver to follow.
"Hey! What you think you're doing with that? That's what I was gonna take!"
"Well, I got it first!"
"Well, I saw it first!"
"Quiet!" Leatho roared at the bickering pair, his eyes glowing dangerously. "Now, give that shirt to Ginver, and hand me those jeans. I don't need a shirt." Leatho growled at the pair.
Ginver, Leatho, and Pyran all removed their pirating cloths and put on the human cloths; Leatho wearing only a pair of tattered jeans with a chain and sunglasses, Ginver wearing shorts, an aqua t-shirt, and sunglasses, and Pyran wearing a leather jacket over a white t-shirt and black jeans.
Leatho turned to Jagg, smiling. "Well, do you think we'll pass off as fursuits?"
"Yes! I think so, Captain!" Jagg said, looking the three over. "Very fursuity!"
"Captain! We've reached the island!" Lira said, popping her head around the doorframe.
"Thank you, Lira. Tell Senval to make sure the ship is ready for a quick escape if need be. And prepare the fishing boat for us, will you?" Leatho asked her, pulling his as close to his tail as he could.
"Of corse, Captain!" Lira saluted, hurrying up the stairs as fast as she could go.
Leatho turned to the Pyran and Ginver, motioning for Jagg to leave them. He gave a hasty bow then left, stumbling up the stairs to help out above deck.
"Now, I need you to listen to these three easy rules. Rule one, never remove those shades at any cost. Rule two, don't split up unless I tell you to. Rule three, if you abandon, I'll track you down and skin you so I can make a nice bobcat or maned wolf coat; understood?"
"Yes, Captain!" Ginver saluted, his eyes stiff forward and his back straight.
"Sure, Captain. Why would I ever abandon you?" Pyran laughed, also saluting.
Leatho smiled, his green eyes twinkling slightly. "Alright. Let's go above deck and see if they have our boat ready."
