Dawn broke in a relatively peaceful matter for Eroket, who chose
several hours after the sun rose to bring himself out of bed and don his
black uniform. Removing his sword and daggers from their place by his bed,
Ero blinked to clear away any traces of drowsiness remaining, a crimsoned
died paw wiping at his eyes before he donned his sword belt.
Weapons and uniform in place, the young ermine walked downstairs, pausing to note Talrid's absence. Talrid was generally an early riser but Ero doubted that would be the case this morning.
Anyways, Ero had more things on his mind then Boneflower and Talrid.specifically Dukat Nidas's possible retaliation for the death of his lieutenant and attempting to rendezvous with Kalis's party would be the other priority.
Ero took a seat at the table reserved for him and Talrid, only a handful of Calpathions, mostly Talrid's, greeted him warmly, one offering him a glass of cider which Ero gratefully accepted.
Talrid descended the stairs fifteen minutes later, blinking exhaustion from his eyes and walked to his seat, parallel to Eroket's. The golden furred ferret's violet eyes carried an alert look despite his fatigued appearance.
"Morning." Eroket replied with a smile. Talrid nodded once in reply.
"Barkeep?" Tal turned his eyes to the tender who acknowledged with a single nod. "Gimmie a hard cider."
"Drinking isn't going to help you wake up faster, Tal."
"Go to hell."
Ero took in the insult with a bemused grin, "Didn't get much sleep last night, did we?"
Talrid's fangs flashed in a slight grin. "Now, now.children shouldn't ask about these things."
Eroket rolled his amber eyes sarcastically as Talrid adjusted his uniform quickly as footfalls heralded another arrival. Boneflower walked down the stairs, her revealing clothing with slightly ill adjusted and her long headfur slightly loose, despite her best efforts to tie it back.
"Good mornin'!" She chirped, promptly pulling up a seat between talrid and Eroket before hopping into it, her sapphire eyes sparkling as she smiled her greetings.
"My, you seem perky this morning." Ero replied, smiling.
"Eh, I got plenty of sleep."
"What the hell are you implying?!" Talrid snapped, Ero biting his lip to keep from exploding with laughter then and there, patting Boney's red furred shoulder lightly.
"We can't all be winners, Talrid."
"Do you want I pull rank on you?"
"Whatever happened to freedom of speech?"
"Oh, shut up."
Boney giggled to herself, placing a paw over her mouth as her eyes danced from one commander to the other with a distinctly less interest in Talrid then the previous night. "So, you guys heading out soon?"
Ero shrugged. "Prolly best we do.Nidas won't be happy one of his only mainland leads was killed."
"Nidas is too busy with the other Corsair Lords and the Redwave kingdom, Ero!" Talrid scoffed, taking a swallow of the cider the tender had just passed him. "One, he doesn't know its us. Two, we'll be long gone before he can send in a crew he can't strategically afford to send in and three, he'll have to cover it up, else Lusan or Harran or one of his own captains may try to usurp his fleet."
"Corsair Lords?" Boneflower frowned before her face darkned. "What the 'ell right do they 'ave, taking that title? Corsairs answer to nobeasts! That's why they're corsairs."
"You may want to tell them that, Boneflower." Ero sighed. "The corsairs in the Southern Isles-and that is a big place, ruled by the Redwave foxes-were taken over by some of the more powerful captains.there are plenty of lower leaders occupying islands but three managed to build up huge fleets. Wavelord Dukat Nidas, a wildcat. King Lusan Katan, a searat king, and Tidemaster Harran Raklen, a ferret.they've all formed fleets behind them and are all forces to be reckoned with.most corsairs joined them for fear of execution. And, Tal.you heard about King Jarendias was assassinated?"
"You're kidding."
"Nope.from what I gather, it was a wolf close to him.Redwave's suffered a blow and no corsair'll pass up that opportunity.you heard Prince Silvren fled the isle to save his own skin?"
Boney blinked, trying to take it in as Talrid shook his head, violet eyes narrowing. "I'm from those islands, eroket.I knew King Jarendias, Prince Silvren and Prince Rellis.Silvren would never abandon his family.you mark my words, that boy's out for blood."
"I have the unpleasant feeling, his will be shed."
"Perhaps.not our problem though." Ero shrugged as Boney growled. "My father would 'ave a fit iffen 'e 'eard about corsairs lording over one another.enough to make a beast ill."
Talrid and Ero nodded, both aware of Boneflower's corsair lineage.
"It turns like a windlass." Ero replied with a sigh. "The balance of powers and the like."
"Windlass?" Boneflower's expression turned interested. "Wots a windlass?"
"Device on a ship.I don't know too much abou-"
"I like the name!" Boney chirped, grinning at Ero before springing out of her chair, throwing her arms around Eroket's shoulders and kissing him deeply before he could protest the treatment. Talrid laughed as Boney pulled away, her mouth frozen in a happy grin, Ero blushing profusely.
"Boneflower Windlass!" Boney replied to herself. "Thank ye, Erry!"
Eroket blinked several times. "Perhaps that was a little-"
"Shut up, Eroekt." Talrid kicked him lightly as Boney sat back in her seat, repeating the name 'windlass' to herself.
Weapons and uniform in place, the young ermine walked downstairs, pausing to note Talrid's absence. Talrid was generally an early riser but Ero doubted that would be the case this morning.
Anyways, Ero had more things on his mind then Boneflower and Talrid.specifically Dukat Nidas's possible retaliation for the death of his lieutenant and attempting to rendezvous with Kalis's party would be the other priority.
Ero took a seat at the table reserved for him and Talrid, only a handful of Calpathions, mostly Talrid's, greeted him warmly, one offering him a glass of cider which Ero gratefully accepted.
Talrid descended the stairs fifteen minutes later, blinking exhaustion from his eyes and walked to his seat, parallel to Eroket's. The golden furred ferret's violet eyes carried an alert look despite his fatigued appearance.
"Morning." Eroket replied with a smile. Talrid nodded once in reply.
"Barkeep?" Tal turned his eyes to the tender who acknowledged with a single nod. "Gimmie a hard cider."
"Drinking isn't going to help you wake up faster, Tal."
"Go to hell."
Ero took in the insult with a bemused grin, "Didn't get much sleep last night, did we?"
Talrid's fangs flashed in a slight grin. "Now, now.children shouldn't ask about these things."
Eroket rolled his amber eyes sarcastically as Talrid adjusted his uniform quickly as footfalls heralded another arrival. Boneflower walked down the stairs, her revealing clothing with slightly ill adjusted and her long headfur slightly loose, despite her best efforts to tie it back.
"Good mornin'!" She chirped, promptly pulling up a seat between talrid and Eroket before hopping into it, her sapphire eyes sparkling as she smiled her greetings.
"My, you seem perky this morning." Ero replied, smiling.
"Eh, I got plenty of sleep."
"What the hell are you implying?!" Talrid snapped, Ero biting his lip to keep from exploding with laughter then and there, patting Boney's red furred shoulder lightly.
"We can't all be winners, Talrid."
"Do you want I pull rank on you?"
"Whatever happened to freedom of speech?"
"Oh, shut up."
Boney giggled to herself, placing a paw over her mouth as her eyes danced from one commander to the other with a distinctly less interest in Talrid then the previous night. "So, you guys heading out soon?"
Ero shrugged. "Prolly best we do.Nidas won't be happy one of his only mainland leads was killed."
"Nidas is too busy with the other Corsair Lords and the Redwave kingdom, Ero!" Talrid scoffed, taking a swallow of the cider the tender had just passed him. "One, he doesn't know its us. Two, we'll be long gone before he can send in a crew he can't strategically afford to send in and three, he'll have to cover it up, else Lusan or Harran or one of his own captains may try to usurp his fleet."
"Corsair Lords?" Boneflower frowned before her face darkned. "What the 'ell right do they 'ave, taking that title? Corsairs answer to nobeasts! That's why they're corsairs."
"You may want to tell them that, Boneflower." Ero sighed. "The corsairs in the Southern Isles-and that is a big place, ruled by the Redwave foxes-were taken over by some of the more powerful captains.there are plenty of lower leaders occupying islands but three managed to build up huge fleets. Wavelord Dukat Nidas, a wildcat. King Lusan Katan, a searat king, and Tidemaster Harran Raklen, a ferret.they've all formed fleets behind them and are all forces to be reckoned with.most corsairs joined them for fear of execution. And, Tal.you heard about King Jarendias was assassinated?"
"You're kidding."
"Nope.from what I gather, it was a wolf close to him.Redwave's suffered a blow and no corsair'll pass up that opportunity.you heard Prince Silvren fled the isle to save his own skin?"
Boney blinked, trying to take it in as Talrid shook his head, violet eyes narrowing. "I'm from those islands, eroket.I knew King Jarendias, Prince Silvren and Prince Rellis.Silvren would never abandon his family.you mark my words, that boy's out for blood."
"I have the unpleasant feeling, his will be shed."
"Perhaps.not our problem though." Ero shrugged as Boney growled. "My father would 'ave a fit iffen 'e 'eard about corsairs lording over one another.enough to make a beast ill."
Talrid and Ero nodded, both aware of Boneflower's corsair lineage.
"It turns like a windlass." Ero replied with a sigh. "The balance of powers and the like."
"Windlass?" Boneflower's expression turned interested. "Wots a windlass?"
"Device on a ship.I don't know too much abou-"
"I like the name!" Boney chirped, grinning at Ero before springing out of her chair, throwing her arms around Eroket's shoulders and kissing him deeply before he could protest the treatment. Talrid laughed as Boney pulled away, her mouth frozen in a happy grin, Ero blushing profusely.
"Boneflower Windlass!" Boney replied to herself. "Thank ye, Erry!"
Eroket blinked several times. "Perhaps that was a little-"
"Shut up, Eroekt." Talrid kicked him lightly as Boney sat back in her seat, repeating the name 'windlass' to herself.