These scenes were written out weeks ago. Other than editing for version (fan-fiction versus "original") I don't see why it took me so long to upload them.
Edits might still be necessary, though; I made several changes when I altered this for the "original" version, and I don't quite remember what was what.

I own Denizen, Fahd, Voalt, and Jericho (formerly that "kid" who was the sole survivor of the merchant ship; finally named, and he will be named much sooner in the "original" version).

The crew and the town gathered that night, to send the deceased on their way. They laid the bodies together in a rowboat, and gathered around to lay out offerings of grog, or coin and small treasures.

The procession went on all night, as more ships pulled in to port, and their crews learned the tale and left their own offerings to the dead.

Finally, when the sun's first rays touched the sky, Fahd stepped forward. "I pray that your gods will forgive us," he muttered to the dead echidnas, "strangers who do not know your ways, and cannot spare a better ship for your journey."

The sand cat looked around at the crowd, then raised his voice to carry over. "We come, many peoples, from many lands, to honor these strangers as our own. We knew them only days, and they knew us not at all, but in their deaths, they were as of our people. No matter the troubles that led to their fate, we pray, each to our own fashion, that they reach Fiddler's Green, or whatever land we call our final home."

The mood was too solemn for cheering, but a gentle murmur flowed through the crowd.

At Denizen's nod, Fahd took a torch and lit the funeral boat before pushing it out to sea.

The pyre grew high as the boat floated out of sight.

—

After the funeral, Denizen's crew prepared to return to their ship as quickly as appearances allowed.

The iguana waited until the land was out of sight before sticking his head into the brig. "You can come out now, Jericho."

The echidna merchant climbed out, the baby in his arms. "I still say I should have gone with you."

"Among that crowd?" Denizen snorted. "Not a chance. No telling if any of them was working for that councilor of yours."

Jericho gave him a panicked look.

"Maybe not all pirates are the villains we're made out to be," Fahd added, "but enough are. You can't afford to let anyone know that you survived. Not yet."

"But I feel like I dishonored them by hiding," Jericho insisted. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Like I disrespected Aurora."

Fahd placed a hand on the echidna's shoulder. "You show them greater honor," he said, "by surviving, so that one day you may tell your people what happened."

Jericho stared at the cat for several moments. Then his shoulders slumped, and he sighed. "I can't do that, sir."

"Why not?" Denizen asked.

"You didn't kill the councilor, did you, sir?"

Denizen shook his head.

"If he survived, I can't go back home. I'll never have a chance to tell anyone. I'll be a dead man the moment I set foot in Albion. I—"

"You'll shirk your duties to your goddess, is what you're doing," Fahd snarled.

Jericho flinched. "I have always accepted my duties, if they are within my abilities."

"Aye, and who is to say they are?" Fahd replied. "Can you gauge your skills better than an experienced pirate? Or better than your goddess?"

"You're wasting your breath, Fahd," Denizen growled. "We can drop him off at the next port."

"But—but, sir," Jericho began.

Denizen shook his head. "No. Voalt can't fend for himself, not yet. But you can; you choose not to. I'll not have any freeloaders on my ship."

"I can learn," Jericho insisted. "I've already proven my worth in the storm. And your people can teach me to fight."

Fahd snorted. "Why? What's the use of learning if you never use it?"

"I will!" Jericho snapped. "If I have to. When I go back to Alb...ion..."

Denizen and Fahd exchanged glances. Then Fahd started laughing.

Denizen grinned. "Welcome to the crew, signer," the iguana said.

—

It took several hours of congratulating the stunned echidna before Fahd could get Denizen alone again, and the cat handed over an emerald medallion, cut to the shape of a leaf.

Denizen peered at the medallion closely. "Wasn't the mage wearing this?" he finally asked.

Fahd nodded. "I took it for the boy's inheritance," he replied, "and a few others."

"You took it." Denizen lifted an eyebrow. "From the mage."

"Aye, sir. And well that I did." A growl sounded low in the cat's throat. "A mage's belongings should be destroyed on his death, or passed to one who would use it well. Not left with his corpse for anyone to find."

Denizen shrugged. "There are many gutless enough to steal from a corpse. We're hardly responsible for every thief out there—"

"Aye, but when the thief robs us of our offerings, I must wonder at his designs," Fahd replied.

Denizen scowled. "What do you mean, robbed our offerings?"

"I made note of our offerings. But when I said the prayers over them, every stone we'd left was gone! Not taken by the Desert Flower, either."

Denizen's scowl became a stare. "And the others?"

Fahd shook his head. "From our crew, only."

"I saw the other ships leave offerings worth far more than we could ever give," the iguana said. He frowned. "Now why would someone go to that trouble, just to rob only our offerings?"

"Perhaps the thief thought they were not offerings," Fahd muttered. "The mage did come from our ship. Perhaps the thief thought they belonged to the dead."

Denizen's eyes grew wide. "Every ship that laid offerings knew that he was a mage," he muttered. Fahd nodded. "Who would be foolish enough to steal from a mage? Especially from his funeral trappings." He shuddered.

"Who indeed, but another mage?" Fahd snarled.

Several minutes passed before Denizen broke the silence. "I think we will not be using that port again for some time."

Since Jericho insists on playing a larger role than "extra," he will be named much earlier if/when I revise this into an "original" story.
For the time being, though: get your furry butt out of my story until I call you!

And...this story is going on temporary hiatus.
See, NaNoWriMo is coming up soon, and I never really made up my mind what I wanted to write for this year.
So I finally figured, since I want the rest of the story told from Voalt's perspective (he is supposed to be the main character), I might start my NaNo from there.
I'll technically be writing the "original" version for NaNo. Whether I'll go back to posting the fanfic version during November, or waiting until NaNo is over, remains to be seen.
Until then, I'll be editing last year's NaNo, and trying to work on Bad Blood and my various other ideas some more.
And working on homework and finding a job, of course, what with graduation looming. (With student loans to pay off and no job to cover them, believe me, graduation looms.)