A sliver of sunlight breaking the boundaries of night and sky was seen peaking through its blanket as dawn began to fall. The vixen had slept barely a wink all night. Instead, she was awake, sitting in a dark corner of the room with her hat sitting upon her knee, and sword close at hand. She didn't trust it. As she saw the sliver of light grow brighter, and brighter she finally got up, and placed her hat upon her crown once more. The sly fox quietly gathered all her belongings once more, and deftly moved through the doorway onto the threshold of the inn upstairs. She paused for a moment to make certain there were no beady serpentine eyes watching her before she started down the stairs. There was hardly a soul in the pub save for the night time barkeep. She approached, and paid for her nights fare without a word, and then left the tavern.
It was chilly out, more so than it was the day before. The vixen kept her face stoic as she ambled along the empty streets, and skirted the outskirts of town. The air smelled strongly of fish, but that was okay. As she walked along the port she looked for the Sea Maiden. By this time, more beasts were beginning to venture out into the streets. She came to the aft of the ship, and peered up at its deck.
The ship was still undergoing repairs. A nasty hole was in its side, from where it had been rammed by a ramming-ship. It wasn't a large vessel, well-made, with only one oardeck, trim and sleek, built for speed. Beasts marched up and down the gangplank, loading and unloading. Looking down at her from the rail was a strong-looking pine marten. His arms were crossed over his chest as he surveyed the work. "Finch! A little more effort, lad, barely bendin' yer scrawny hide there! Liven up or I'll liven yer up!" He barked at the rat, who was scrubbing the decks. The marten flicked a knotted rope's end at the slacker as he moved on his way. Longeyes was down below. She was working with some others, removing bad timbers from the hull around the gaping wound. Other workers were patching and fitting more wood in. The little rat hacked away at her work with the best of them, grinning against the splinters lest they get in her eyes.
The approach of a slender fox with flame-red fur caught Ty's eye. He appeared to be making a beeline straight toward her.
The vixen glanced up at the ship to watch as the beasts marched up and down the ship's gangplank like an army of ants. Her eyes wandered over the ship as she surveyed how well the crew worked together. She wondered for a few seconds where Longeyes was when she noticed a fox making a bee line for her. Her first instinct was to stiffen, but she pushed it away, and remained cool.
The fox stopped a few paces from her and tilted his head to the side. "Sorry, terribly sorry. We are rather busy, as you can see. Repairs, y'know. Rint's not available, so I thought I'd have a look at you myself. Come to my cabin and we shall discuss your arrangement." The fox spoke in a polished manner, unlike pretty much any beast in this city. He was dressed differently also. He wore a blue high collared coat with lace at the throat and carried a silver-tipped walking cane. To say his fur was red would have been an understatement. Unlike the usual red-and-white of foxes, his fur was solid fiery red. His green eyes offset against it so as to give them a piercing look.
She blinked a few seconds as she took his form in. Well polished in appearance and tone? How the hell had he become a pirate captain in the first place? She wondered. She had never seen another remotely dressed as she was. She nodded her head, and looked at him from under the brim of her hat. "Lead th' way, sir." She replied, her cutting emerald eyes gazing directly into his eyes.
The captain turned with a flourish and marched up the gangplank. He stopped at the door to his cabin, opening it. "After you, my dear. You may seat yourself by the window, if you wish. Quite a view, the sea, isn't it?"
The vixen followed the male up the gangplank, and nodded her crown as she passed through the open door. "T'ank ya, sir." She said as she passed him, and moved into the cabin. Her boots tapped light on the wood flooring as she moved over to where he indicated, but did not sit. "'F t's awl th' same t' ya, oi would like t' stand, cap'n."
He nodded, then sat himself behind his desk and lit his pipe. "As you wish. So tell me, what skills do you have? We are currently out of a healer and the cook would be quite happy to have an assistant. Have you any fighting experience?"
She watched as the match was lit to light his pipe, and then met his gaze. "Oi havn't 'my cookin' exp'ri'nce, 'nd oi ain't v'ry good at healin', but oi am damn good wit' me sword." Came the reply. "Oi 'ave 'n assortm'nt 'f knives 'nd dagg'rs." She added on.
He raised a brow. "Hm? I see. We can always use an extra sword aboard this vessel. I trust you have some skill with sailing?" He let out a breath, making three smoke rings, which floated in the air, then dissipated.
She raised her own brows to match his own and gave a curt nod of her head. "Aye." She replied simply, offering no explanation. He didn't need to know that she was a pirate by trade, a forced thief, and distrusted by all for it. She wouldn't steal from him.
He gave a nod. "Good. That is all. You may move your belongings to quarters. There should be plenty of extra hammocks to choose from." He gave a wry look.
She nodded her crown, and turned to leave. She had been dismissed, had she not. She paused, and said softly "Aye, Aye, Cap'n." with that, she took her leave, and moved toward the door.
The Captain was now poring over charts and scrolls and looked up briefly as she spoke.
Meanwhile, the work party had stopped for a spot of vittles. All were gathered on the shore as bowls of stew and hearty crusts of bread were passed around. Longeyes sat by her young mates, Mizzen and Riggin. The three were engaged in a bit of gambling with rocks they had found along the shore. Riggin sat grinning over his small pile of loot, while Mizzen and Longeyes wore disgruntled looks.
"Yew cheated there, Riggin!" shouted Mizzen, pointing an accusatory paw at the grinning weasel.
"Just try an' 'weasel' yer way out o' this 'n, ey, Rigg!" Longeyes smirked.
"Oi! Who's th' one who's always snitchin' when 'e thinks we're not lookin'? Who's that, eh?" Riggin winked in Mizzen's direction. The young ferret shot Riggin a look. Longeyes sighed. "Ye do know Oi've got eyes in me 'ead as better than th' two o' yew's put t'gether, that Oi does! Oi knows wot yer doin, y' blaggards."
The vixen did as she was told, and wandered into the sleeping chambers. She looked about the hammocks, and located on that appeared to be empty. She stood there for a few moments between hiding her locket deep within her hay stuffed pillow along with her book. Having done that, she figured everything was accounted for. She stood there like an awkward statue for a few minutes before turning fluently, and heading back up to the deck. Her emerald green optics spied the pirates gathered on shore, and figure she ought to join them. She, however, remained silent as her boots touched the sandy beach. She wasn't a visiting type of fox.
The work went well, and in the coming months, the Sea Maiden began to look herself again. Her hull was polished and sealed, her mast tall and single sail billowing in the wind. All the oarslaves had been replaced with strong, young beasts. The stores were stocked to bursting. Spring fell upon the land around Bellidge with a riot of color. Blooms covered the fields, the trees were adorned in shiny new leaves and heavy with blossoms and birdsong filled the air. The city, however hadn't changed. If anything, it was uglier in the spring than before. The streets ran with muck and filthy water, it rained nearly every day, drenching the air and flooding the streets. Captain Franzburg stood on the deck of his fine queen and watched the other ships who had wintered here as they pulled off. Then he gave the order.
"Up the anchor! Unfurl the sails! Let us be off! A late spring has kept us long enough from our task."
It was an unusual day for this time of the year. The sun was just breaking midday and fluffy white clouds scudded across the sky while a rainbow glowed through the mist. Seabirds cried as they flew overhead, as if to bid the seafarers farewell. A cooling breeze cut its way through the soft warmth of the sun, kissing the crew with the breath of a good omen. The sails fluttered and the lines sang as Longeyes breathed a deep breath of the sea. From where she stood in the crow's nest, she could see almost the whole of the city. She was glad they would soon leave it behind. The oars began to splash and with a creaking, the vessel ploughed gracefully out of the harbor and into the open sea.
