Authors Note: I've got a million and one fanfictions that I'm working on, so apologies if you feel like I'm not getting this one done. I will get it finished eventually. Pirate's Promise. :)
-----Chapter 15-----
All of the crews were assembled there and Camdyn blearily rubbed her eyes as she followed Mad Dog through the crowd. Della was speaking with a mic from one of the planes over a loudspeaker in the hangar.
"Due to circumstances beyond our control, The Hunter has eluded us for the time being. Our scout has returned with news that he's slipped away from Parides under our very noses." The wolfess paused for effect, then continued. "There has been some disagreement as to what should be done next. We know for certain that he is following a heading that takes him straight out to sea. I have suggested that we use the Vulture and give chase, however," she shot an angry glance at Don Karnage, "Our host has refused on the grounds that the ship will be overtaxed with our added weight."
Camdyn shook her head. She looked at Mad Dog. "She's hiding something, isn't she?"
"Yeah...I wonder what heading he's taking?" Sam muttered from beside Camdyn. He had his chart from the radio room in his hand. "If I could just get that stupid she-wolf to give me the coordinates I could figure out where he was going."
"Excuse me!" Camdyn had climbed onto the railing and, holding onto a cable with on paw, waved down at the captains.
"What do you want?" Della snapped.
"I was really talking to Captain Don Karnage." at this, Karnage looked slightly smug.
"Yes, yes...what is it you wanted to ask of my wonderful self?"
"If you don't mind, what were the coordinates that The Hunter was using?"
"That's none of your business." Della snapped, cutting off Don Karnage. He scowled at her. He was going to give a similar answer, but since Della wished to be a pain...he gave the vixen the numbers.
"Thank you." Camdyn climbed back down, almost stepping on Sam, who had dropped down to use the floor as a table while he did his figuring. Camdyn had to hop over him and stood watching as he scribbled.
"Well, I'm glad he knows what to do with them." Camdyn said to no one in particular.
Down on the hangar floor, Della glared at Karnage.
"Just what did you do that for? She's just being nosy and it's none of her business." she sounded sulky. Up on the catwalk, her crew were mumbling to themselves about the events of the past few minutes. Della had flatly refused to give them any idea of what they were going to do and refused to give them even a hint as to where The Hunter might be going. They weren't too pleased with their leader, and one or two of them had gotten an idea.
Karnage glared back and answered, "You have not liked her since you saw her. I am believing you are in the clutches of the greeny-eyed monstrosity."
"I am NOT jealous of that, that...besides, there isn't any reason for me to be jealous of her." Della stuck her muzzle in the air.
"Give it a rest, would you? You ain't been an item since 1923." Roderick snorted at the two wolves.
"Actually...we have never been an item." Karnage corrected the bear. "If you wish to go hare-braining off after the Hunter, you may leave at your own disecretion."
"That's DISCRETION, Karnage." Roderick rumbled.
"That is what I said." Karnage snapped, paw on his sword. The big bear leaned over and smiled nastily.
"What are you gonna do with that, Karnage? Pick my teeth?"
"No...I would like to pick your brain with it, but-"
"But?"
"It is too small. I cannot find it." Karnage jumped backward, neatly missing the bears' swing at him.
"Knock it off, Roderick. You want to bring his whole crew down on us?" Jonas, the strange tabby captain, stated. Roderick stopped, but still stood growling about Karnage.
Up on the catwalk, Gibber stood watching as Sam figured what was the most likely spot for the Hunter to be, but his ears were listening to the other crews. One in particular had his attention with their plans of mutiny.
Back on the hangar floor, Karnage was watching them, wondering if it was a mutiny or out-right murder they were planning. He'd heard the news from Gibber that Della wasn't held in very high esteem by her crew. Gibber had informed him about several of his own crew's speculations that Della wouldn't be their captain for too much longer. Karnage had to admit that Della wasn't exactly held in very high esteem by anyone else either. She was bossy, pushy, annoying and probably worst of all was that hideous syrupy way she talked. As he watched, Della's crew seemed to have reached an agreement, though what it was on Karnage could only guess at. But Della seemed oblivious.
One of Della's crew stood up, he was a large rat with sleek gray fur.
"Do you realize this ship wouldn't be so overloaded if you threw that stupid she-wolf overboard?" he asked. Camdyn looked over at him, then to Della, then to Mad Dog in an attempt to see if what was going on was serious. Judging by the look on Mad Dog's face, it was.
'What?!" Came the snarled response from Della. "How dare you! What is this?"
"This is mutiny. We're sick of you Della."
"Yeah! All you ever do is sit around and whine about yourself and make us do everything."
"That's right..."
Now Della's former crew had truly gotten into airing their complaints about their leader. Karnage shook his head and continued watching them. Della simply gawked.
"Certainamente you recognized a mutiny when you see one in progress, yes/no?"
Della glared at Karnage and turned back to her crew.
"What are you talking about? I've been more than generous..." Della continued talking in the silence that followed her crews complaints. Camdyn was nervous. She'd never seen a mutiny before, but Mina had talked about it and they hadn't sounded pleasant. Then again, from the way Mina talked, it was almost as though she had been a victim of one. She looked around now for the bear. After a few minutes of searching the crowd, she saw her below, watching the crew. Camdyn wanted to go talk to her, but remembered that she wasn't to leave Mad Dog. Karnage might as well have put her on a leash.
"Oh yes? And who, pray tell, would be your new captain? It's not as if there are candidates crawling out of the woodwork around here." Della snapped, drawing Camdyn's attention back to the argument. Della laughed at her crew's befuddlement. The rat looked around at the rest of the group. They were a rag tag bunch. They hadn't been a proper crew since Della had mutinied on their former captain. He was angry with himself for not thinking of it sooner. He was hoping to spot someone who was likely to at least know what they were doing. A white furred vixen caught his eye. He looked at her.
"You wouldn't happen to know anyone who knows captaincy do you?" he asked her.
Camdyn looked puzzled, then pointed at Mina.
"I'm just a pirate in training...I don't know anyone here somewhat well except Mad Dog, Sophie, Gwynn and Mina." she answered.
"Don't look at me. I ain't no captain." Mad Dog said. The rat looked at him and seemed as though he was getting ready to comment on that when one of his crewmates interrupted him.
"What was that last name?" one of the other crew asked. Camdyn couldn't tell whether it was a cat or a dog because of all the fur.
"Mina."
"As in Cassomina? Cassomina Bayr?"
"Yes."
The fuzzball pirate turned and looked at the others. They all seemed a little confused.
"Is she here?"
"Yeah, she's right down at the bottom of these steps..." before Camdyn had finished speaking, the mop with legs had moved off with a speed that surprised her.
"Would you believe me if I told you he was a dog?" the rat murmured.
"What's his name?" Camdyn asked.
"Oh, we just call him Invertego because you can't tell which end of him is facing up."
Camdyn thought back to when Mina had told her who she'd trained and tried to remember if that was one of the names. But Invertego was back.
"What did she say?" the rat asked urgently.
"She said yes."
The rat leaned over the railing and pointed at Mina.
"Cassomina Bayr is our captain." he proclaimed. Della showed her fangs in a snarl of displeasure.
"Well then let Cassomina Bayr come and take my right to leadership with her own paws." Della shouted. Everyone on the hangar floor stepped back, leaving an empty spot in the center of the floor. Camdyn was surprised when even Don Karnage stepped back. She looked at Mad Dog, who was staring at the floor below.
"What's going on?"
"Mina's gonna fight Della."
"Oh no..."
"Yeah, might even kill Della if we're real lucky. I never liked that bitch to begin with." the rat next to her spat. Not literally, as it would have made someone very mad when it landed on them.
Camdyn didn't say anything, but she sincerely hoped Mina didn't kill the she-wolf. Not that she liked Della, but she didn't think she could handle that right now. She could hardly fathom what was going on now and stayed as close to Mad Dog as she dared in hopes that the much more experienced pirate would clue her in.