Chapter 2
Seabreeze froze with fright. It was Bloodstench's voice! What would he do to them? What would he do to her, to be more exact?
Seabreeze was suddenly spun around to face.her brother! Her brother, Thunderstorm, was grinning mischievously at her. She was amazed, but then she remembered that he was an imitator. He could imitate any creature.
"Heeheeheehee! Ye shoulda seen yer face, Sis! Ye looked like ye swallowed a frog! Hohohohoho!" he said. He was laughing so hard that he fell to the deck and rolled around.
"Shhhh!" whispered the other slaves, frantically looking around to make sure none of the corsairs had heard him.
When he had calmed down, Seabreeze rebuked him by saying, "Thunderstorm! You should be ashamed of yourself, scaring three seasons of my life off of me! Don't you know better than to do that? Especially with them corsairs around! I had thought you had learned from the last time you had done that!"
Thunderstorm looked sheepish. He remembered that really well. He had been imitating Seabreeze, saying some very nasty things about the corsairs, and hadn't realized that one of those very corsairs had been close enough to overhear. Luckily, he hadn't been able to identify whose voice it was that had been saying those things, or Seabreeze might have been killed for the things that her brother had said using her voice. Instead, all the female slaves that had been present had been flogged, then made to do double oar work. Needless to say, he had never taken on the voice of any of the other slaves, but he was known for taking on the various corsair voices, but usually when none were around.
Remembering that day, he said apologetically, "'m sorry, Breeze. I was only trying ta have a little fun!"
Seabreeze's eyes softened as she gazed at her younger brother. He was, after all, only 4 seasons old. Then, they became concerned. "Thunderstorm," she said sternly, "Where's Stardust?" She was referring to their season old little sister, who was born not that much before their parents' deaths.
Thunderstorm looked more chagrined as he mumbled a reply. "Donno," he said hesitantly.
That alarmed Seabreeze indefinitely. "What do you mean, you don't know! You were suppose to be watching her while I was at the oar!"
Just then, Seabreeze felt a small body hit her leg, followed by a small voice saying, "BOO!" As she looked down, she relaxed with relief. There was Stardust, grinning devilishly up at her. Seabreeze gave Thunderstorm a forgiving look, seeing as Stardust wasn't hurt.
Nightstorm put his paw on her shoulder, saying, "She has been doing that lately, to anyone watching her. Even you, Seabreeze."
"She's been getting very active lately," Seabreeze admitted, " I can't disagree with that." Saying that, she looked at her brother, saying, "I'm sorry for snapping at you."
"'T's ok, Breeze," he said to her, then grinned. "Maybe we'll have ta throw Star ov'rboard if she becomes ta be too much of a pawful!" He picked the little hare up and feigned throwing her off the ship, causing the beloved terror to shriek with delight.
Just then, the overseer came over to the pens to see what the commotion was about. "Yarr, waz goin' on ina here!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Quiet down ina there, or ya'll be put back to oar wit out a break!" Having that threat upon them, all the slaves sat down wherever there was an available spot. Thunderstorm plopped down on a spot near to Seabreeze, pulling Stardust on his lap to keep her quiet. Seeing everything back in order, Bloodstench left. All the slaves sighed in relief.
"So," Thunderstorm asked when it was safe, "What were y'all talking about before I h'arrived?"
"Seabreeze has agreed to be our leader in the mass escape from the ship. Hopefully, we'll be able to pull it off," Nightstorm replied in a hushed voice.
Crawling off of her brother's lap, Stardust climbed into Seabreeze's lap, urgently saying, "Seabee, Seabee, ya won'ta be leavin' Sta behin', willa ya?"
"Hush now," Seabreeze told her soothingly, "Of course I won't leave you behind, you little terror you." Star settled down, suckling her paw.
"Now," Seabreeze said, as she got back to the current issue, "We have to think of a way to escape. Any suggestions?"
Seabreeze froze with fright. It was Bloodstench's voice! What would he do to them? What would he do to her, to be more exact?
Seabreeze was suddenly spun around to face.her brother! Her brother, Thunderstorm, was grinning mischievously at her. She was amazed, but then she remembered that he was an imitator. He could imitate any creature.
"Heeheeheehee! Ye shoulda seen yer face, Sis! Ye looked like ye swallowed a frog! Hohohohoho!" he said. He was laughing so hard that he fell to the deck and rolled around.
"Shhhh!" whispered the other slaves, frantically looking around to make sure none of the corsairs had heard him.
When he had calmed down, Seabreeze rebuked him by saying, "Thunderstorm! You should be ashamed of yourself, scaring three seasons of my life off of me! Don't you know better than to do that? Especially with them corsairs around! I had thought you had learned from the last time you had done that!"
Thunderstorm looked sheepish. He remembered that really well. He had been imitating Seabreeze, saying some very nasty things about the corsairs, and hadn't realized that one of those very corsairs had been close enough to overhear. Luckily, he hadn't been able to identify whose voice it was that had been saying those things, or Seabreeze might have been killed for the things that her brother had said using her voice. Instead, all the female slaves that had been present had been flogged, then made to do double oar work. Needless to say, he had never taken on the voice of any of the other slaves, but he was known for taking on the various corsair voices, but usually when none were around.
Remembering that day, he said apologetically, "'m sorry, Breeze. I was only trying ta have a little fun!"
Seabreeze's eyes softened as she gazed at her younger brother. He was, after all, only 4 seasons old. Then, they became concerned. "Thunderstorm," she said sternly, "Where's Stardust?" She was referring to their season old little sister, who was born not that much before their parents' deaths.
Thunderstorm looked more chagrined as he mumbled a reply. "Donno," he said hesitantly.
That alarmed Seabreeze indefinitely. "What do you mean, you don't know! You were suppose to be watching her while I was at the oar!"
Just then, Seabreeze felt a small body hit her leg, followed by a small voice saying, "BOO!" As she looked down, she relaxed with relief. There was Stardust, grinning devilishly up at her. Seabreeze gave Thunderstorm a forgiving look, seeing as Stardust wasn't hurt.
Nightstorm put his paw on her shoulder, saying, "She has been doing that lately, to anyone watching her. Even you, Seabreeze."
"She's been getting very active lately," Seabreeze admitted, " I can't disagree with that." Saying that, she looked at her brother, saying, "I'm sorry for snapping at you."
"'T's ok, Breeze," he said to her, then grinned. "Maybe we'll have ta throw Star ov'rboard if she becomes ta be too much of a pawful!" He picked the little hare up and feigned throwing her off the ship, causing the beloved terror to shriek with delight.
Just then, the overseer came over to the pens to see what the commotion was about. "Yarr, waz goin' on ina here!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Quiet down ina there, or ya'll be put back to oar wit out a break!" Having that threat upon them, all the slaves sat down wherever there was an available spot. Thunderstorm plopped down on a spot near to Seabreeze, pulling Stardust on his lap to keep her quiet. Seeing everything back in order, Bloodstench left. All the slaves sighed in relief.
"So," Thunderstorm asked when it was safe, "What were y'all talking about before I h'arrived?"
"Seabreeze has agreed to be our leader in the mass escape from the ship. Hopefully, we'll be able to pull it off," Nightstorm replied in a hushed voice.
Crawling off of her brother's lap, Stardust climbed into Seabreeze's lap, urgently saying, "Seabee, Seabee, ya won'ta be leavin' Sta behin', willa ya?"
"Hush now," Seabreeze told her soothingly, "Of course I won't leave you behind, you little terror you." Star settled down, suckling her paw.
"Now," Seabreeze said, as she got back to the current issue, "We have to think of a way to escape. Any suggestions?"