Atherius Vindicta
Chapter 1 Life in Corsair Hell Written by Black Vindicare

Disclaimer...I do not own Redwall....that belongs to Brian Jacques, I am not making any money out of my writing...just having fun doing it

For your information this is set after Pearls of Lutra...The Corsairs are trapped on Sampetra after their ships were burnt by Redwallers...anyway I won't spoil the book but here's the story

Vaco stood on the cliffs of Sampetra's southern edge, behind him was the ruined palace of Ublaz Mad Eyes, the now long dead pine marten. Vaco's mother, Jota, had told him of Ublaz when he was a small rat. Ublaz had been cruel...and powerful...he was claimed to have eyes that were hypnotic and all the corsairs had feared him.

Vaco had also heard of Rasconza, the fox who had fought against Ublaz. Had Rasconza lived, Vaco might have asked him about the time when the corsairs roamed free, raiding settlements and taking slaves. But alas Rasconza had died to the trident of Sagitar...it was tradition to say a curse after the names of Ublaz, Sagitar, and Lask Frildur so Vaco let go with all he had, cursing their names for a full minute.

As he stared out at the sea he could almost hear it taunting him...he had to get off Sampetra...he had to see the world...maybe he would join the band of some great warlord...raid in the forest called Mossflower...maybe, if he could ever get off the hunk of rock that he was stuck on. Once again he cursed Ublaz for being foolish enough to let the wood he had stockpiled get burnt to ashes.

As he turned back to head down the path the wind began to roar through the collapsed stones of Ublaz's keep, the wind also blew through Vaco's dull gray fur, causing him to draw the ragged clothes he wore closer about him

As Vaco scuttled under the plants that grew over his dwelling place he heard his mother's rough voice howling through the gale force winds but he could not make out her words. As he sat near the small turf fire he heard a shuffling as his mother joined him near the fire. As she crouched near the fire Jota set several clamshells into the coals to cook.

"Yarr ya did well Vaco...tis the best vittles we've had fer months."

Thirty minutes later Vaco and Jota sat gulping down the roasted clams along with some fruit and roots.

"Yarr needs salt...but we'll live won't we muther? we always have."

"Yah, but I was wonderin what have yer been doin up on those cliffs all day?"

"Watchin fer stuff, betcher there's gonna be a big storm tonight...hate to be out on those seas yarr"

"I pity the fools who would be out on the briney onna night like disun yiss yiss"

"Who knows...maybe somebeast'll wreck a ship on der rocks and leave us wood"

"Not likely, dey avoids dis island as if it were 'aunted"

Outside their small cave the winds howled and moaned...it was a foul night.

It was even fouler for the crew of the sloop that fought the waves out on the ocean. The crew consisted of a few shrews, some otters and a mouse or two and they all fought for their lives against the waves.

"Tis no use matey, the storm's just too strong"

"We have to try Skip, who knows? we might get lucky and find someplace to land"

"Yah but it had better be soon, the old gal can't take much more of these waves"

"There! I can see something in the distance" The young mouse spoke true, for off in the distance there were cliffs rising from the water

"Lets head there mates, we can wait for the storm to subside"

As the ship drew near to the island the crew saw cliffs rearing out of the darkness Skipper of sea otters saw the danger, but he could tell the wind was driving them towards the cliffs and couldn't save the ship so he yelled out over the storm "Abandon ship mateys!" As they jumped overboard a huge wave hurled their sloop up against the cliff and then there was a loud crack

Skipper and his crew bobbed in the waves, treading water, Skipper was horrified as sharks pulled a few of his crew under the waves. Then it was all blackness as he was hurled against a rock by a wave, the last thing he heard was the screaming of his comrades as the hunters of the deep tore them apart.