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Post by Ladorak on Mar 16, 2010 11:44:29 GMT -5
The Welkin countryside was abundantly beautiful this Spring morning. The snow was for the most part gone, with a few isolated chunks here and there from where it had been shoveled aside. The sun was shining, the past several rainy days were now gone, and Ladorak Fugate's pelt was beginning to change. The days were lengthening now, which meant a long, slender brown stripe running from the tip of his nose down to the black splotch on his tail was appearing.
It was a sure sign that his winter fur would be sloughed off soon, and he would be in summer coat before long. But for this transitory period he wasn't exactly sure what to call himself. Erstoat? Stoatmine? He could settle for just short-tailed weasel too. At any rate the weather was at its finest, and so was he. He could now wear TWO epaulettes on his uniform...not one but TWO. He was a Post Captain at long last.
Behind him were the wind whipped grassy knolls and plains of Chatham, and even further behind him, the HMS Agamemnon, his new ship, was being outfitted. Work crews were scurrying about like mice, getting the ship's rotting timber repaired and making sure the hull was re-caulked before she could put to sea. New copper sheathing would be added to her underside and in a few more months she would be seaworthy. New canvas, new masts, new hull, and new cannon.
The ermine changing into a stoat could hardly contain his anticipation at the prospect of being at sea again...and commanding a warship no less. They would be headed for the sunny Cobalt and not the stormy and cold Ceres thankfully. He couldn't really have asked for more. Well...perhaps a 74 instead of a 64, but the Agamemnon would do. She was the fastest ship of the line in the fleet, and had a reputation as a hard hitter to boot.
Taking a deep breath of Spring, the ermine (he just decided to settle on that until his brown was more prevalent than his white) turned on his heels and faced the young group of midshipjacks that had gathered early in the morning for training. Many of them, including his ward, were yawning. Smiling smartly, the ermine scanned the group. He held a long thin cane known as a starter in his paws, and flexed his biceps a bit as he tightened his grip on the cane. He was in full uniform, though the cadets weren't. They wouldn't be given their uniforms until they got aboard.
"Right! Top of the morning then recruits! Welcome to day one of your training! This will encompass a few weeks of intense training while you're still on land. Your real training will begin at sea. This little process here is meant to weed out those of you who simply cannot and will not make the cut." he strutted before them, noting that many of them were slouching or had bad posture. He'd fix that.
"I don't care who says what. You are NOT jacks yet and you will not be jacks until you pass my course. You're still kits, or at most striplings. But regardless, I'm here to whip you into shape and get you at least semi-prepared for what you'll be facing. Now then....some of you are planning to be officers, shooting for that oh so elusive rank of Lieutenant." his eyes came to rest on Caden, whose own pink eyes studied Ladorak. The albino knew in his heart that the Lieutenant's Examination was his ultimate goal, but it would take years before he could arrive at that point.
"Others will be content to rise to Warrant or Petty rank. The pay is better the higher you go, and each of you will get a cut of any prize money we will receive upon capturing an enemy ship. Warships are worth the most, but richly laden prizes could make some of you....into millionaires." he paused for effect. "However! Those kinds of captures are few and far between! Expect to work hard, sleep little every other day, and share in the glory and prestige that comes with defending your island nation upon the high seas! WE...not the Army, are Welkin's first line of defense! As an island nation, we have traditionally had a very small land force but a very large Navy. The Navy is the first and foremost line against any foreign invader....and right now we are facing such a threat from our traditional enemy, Rosferia. We shall combine our sea forces with those of Ferlusan and strike at them before they strike us!" he pointed now sharply with his cane, directly across the Welkin Channel to where the distant cliffs of Rosferia were just barely visible through the morning haze on the horizon.
"Look yonder. See how close our enemy is? They are within visual range...and the fight is out there...on the open sea. The Welkin Navy prides itself on being the best in the world...and you young ones are the up and coming proof of that....if you can make it that is. Discipline is taken extremely seriously in the Welkin Royal Navy. A ship MUST be efficient...one blunder can compromise the entire vessel. Thus it is imperative to be at your best. Your best..." he looked them over again. Some were paying rapt attention, others not so much. Oh that would change though....
Walking over to a barrel that he had as his makeshift desk, the ermine Captain picked up a leather bound roster. Flipping the lid back, he scanned the names. "Right then.....these are all the names of those assigned to my ship, HMS Agamemnon. If that ISN'T your ship you're in the wrong spot." some nervous looking kits went wide eyed and gulped nervously and began shying away, realizing they had gone to the wrong place. "Now then, this is alphabetical so I'm going to call out your name, and you will respond with an affirmative that you are here and also.....when your name is called you will pick a number between 3 and 14. This number will correspond with your placement on the gun crew. " he said emphatically. "If you aren't fit for your age I recommend you start working out....some of you will need to move this cannon. A typical 32 pounder weighs four tons...four....tons...." he emphasized these last words to drive them into the kits' heads. "So! Let's begin. Respond that you were here and call out a number of your choice."
He glanced down at the roster. "First up. Cerinus Apodemus!"
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Post by bookity101 on Mar 16, 2010 16:15:36 GMT -5
"Elliot" McNamee stood near Cerinus, 'he' had just arrived on the tail end of Ladorak's speech, and was trying to find 'his' way around. El had checked with the jack at the desk, and knew that he was assigned to the HMS Agamemnon, which was Jal Fugate's ship.
Elle glanced around, hearing Cer's name called, and hoping that he would be ok. She saw a white head, and fell in behind him, standing straight, not at attention because she had never been around any officer's before. She leaned forward, speaking in a low voice.
"You wouldn't happen to be Caden Freemont would you?"
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Post by Carrow on Mar 16, 2010 16:16:29 GMT -5
Cerinus had had quite the mixed week once he had been brought home. The moments of elation he had felt had contrasted sharply with the anxiety and worry that had gripped him every time he'd thought of what was in store for him. He just couldn't help those feelings.
However, with his weasel carer Archia Mustela's help, all thoughts of backing out had vanished from his mind. The mustelid had a talent that she was reluctant to display to many people; that is to say, she was quite skilled in the art of hypnotism.
She very rarely used her abilities on her young rodent charge, but she had decided that in these desperate times, she was going to have to resort to desperate remedies. Rather appropriately enough, the wood mouse had spent most of that night in a sort of trance, so it didn't take much effort on her part to send the mouse off to the land of nod.
After reassuring him about what was to come, the weasel hypnotised him using an old pocket watch. It was a family heirloom that she had found more interesting uses for. It had been a long while since she'd sent him to sleep in such a manner, but she had actively pursued the improvement of her skills as a hypnotist over the years, taking lessons from a very well-known Welkinite. And, needless to say, Cerinus slept well. in fact, when the Dibbun woke the following morning, fully refreshed, he told his guardian that he'd had his best sleep in years.
Archie hadn't needed to hypnotise Cerinus again, though she had indeed helped him sleep every night since the induction. She was rather good at that, he thought - no matter how she went about it. So now, he was here. In good form, and in the best of health, especially when his rapidly-healing injury was taken into account.
He had taken to doing weights, even while recuperating, so desperate was he to begin getting in proper shape. He knew he was a little bit off peak fitness for a creature his size, but no matter. So long as he made the effort.
There certainly were some creatures only half-listening and beginning to turn pale as the reality of the task ahead of them hit home, but Cerinus Apodemus was not one of them. He listened as attentively as he could, stiff-backed, ears twitching gently. Though Jal Fugate was acting every inch like the commanding ermine he knew that he could be, his voice still carried a very distinctive warmth that was easy on the ear, and this made sure his words reached the young mouse, who continued to listen with rapt attention.
"...First up, Cerinus Apodemus!" He stepped forward slightly to make his presence felt, and responded, in his high-pitched clear voice: "Present, Captain Fugate! I'll take number four." With that done, the rodent stepped back into line, smiling. Right... that was that taken care of. He remembered that he had absolutely no idea what it was that he had just chosen, but his face was a mask of determination. His eyes were bright, and his paws were clenched in a resolute gesture. In for a penny, in for a pound. I'll do this. Come Hellgates or high water - and I can count on the latter showing up, he thought, his smile widening.
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Post by Ladorak on Mar 16, 2010 16:54:50 GMT -5
Ladorak wrote down a four with a charcoal stick next to Cerinus's name. "Four...very well." He looked over the muster book at the small mouse. I only hope you're up to this... he thought inwardly, giving him a studious look from behind his spectacles. "OK..." he started reading off some more names now, going through the As and the Bs.
Caden tensed up a bit when he heard a low voice behind him. Hey! Was that...ELLE!? He spun his head over his shoulder, and caught sight of a beech marten behind him. Nope....it wasn't Elle....but then this must be....
"Um...yeah. That's me." he whispered, hoping Ladorak wouldn't catch him. "Are you...Elliot then?" he asked, looking back and forth between Ladorak and and the marten. He didn't want to get caught talking out of turn after all.
"Hmm.....Spender.....Cielciosk." was the name Ladorak read next. Yep....that was him alright. Seige's boy. Was he actually here though? If not....he soon would be, and in the company of the Press Gang. A bunch of ruffians who would go and round up everyone that was supposed to be reporting for duty and yet skipping out was who the Press Gang was. They would normally break into homes and beat their targets senseless in order to bring them to their station by force. But that was only if Spender hadn't come willingly.
"Spender Cielciosk state your number." He scanned the group now, trying to see if the ferret stripling was present or not....
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Post by bookity101 on Mar 18, 2010 21:37:33 GMT -5
'Elliot' smiled at Caden, making a mental note to lower her voice, or change it in some way so it wouldn't be so close to her normal voice.
"So what exactly is going on here now..." El smiled nervously, "I was kinda late."
Elle looked around at all of the boy's, feeling uncomfortable in the breeches she had gotten from the used pile in the family kitchen. She had actually brought along a bag in case she wouldn't be heading back home, and a change of clothes... just in case...
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Post by Ladorak on Mar 18, 2010 23:53:49 GMT -5
"Um....we're calling out numbers between 3 and 14 for our assignment to a gun crew..." but he had to clam up as Ladorak spoke again.
"OK...obviously Spender isn't here yet. Well we'll skip him and get to him when he does get here." he rattled off a few more names, continuing to move down the list. Caden nodded at Elliot, and just gave "him" a smile.
"Caden...F...." Ladorak had paused upon reading the name. It didn't say "Freemont." On the contrary.....something else was written down. Still an F, but not Freemont. "Caden Fugate." he said now, his innards secretly melting at the fact that his ward had taken this step and registered with the Admiralty under the name of Fugate. Try as he might, Ladorak wasn't fully able to contain his smile when he glanced down at the albino.
Caden, for his part, stood proudly tall, and gave Ladorak a return smile, though it was more of a smirk as he stepped forward. "Present sir! I would like to request uhhh....three sir." He said, settling on the number. He couldn't remember for the life of him which numbers were which on the gun crew, so he'd be pleasantly surprised....he hoped.
"Very well..number three." the ermine Captain commented, marking it down next to the marten's name. Caden stepped back into line, and Ladorak continued. He went through Gs, Hs, Is, Js, Ks, and Ls before reaching the Ms. "Elliot...McNamee!" he called out, raising his eyes from behind the sheet. Wait a minute....wasn't McNamee the last name of the beech marten that Caden had blathered on to him endlessly about after they left the party? She...had a sibling?
He moved his eyes to who was obviously "Elliot", and studied the beech carefully. "Very well." he said, nodding at the marten to step forward. "Number?"
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Post by bookity101 on Mar 19, 2010 9:07:43 GMT -5
Elle's mind went blank.'Oh boy, he's gonna be hard to fool...' Elle shook her head.
"Um, here Sir,... I guess number five Sir." Elle stood still, then remembered that, at least whenever she had seen Navy beasts, whenever receiving an order, or answering an officer, they would either salute, or touch a knuckle to the forehead. She choose the later, nearly giving herself a black eye in the process.
Elle stepped back, rubbing her forehead where she had hit. 'Gonna have to practice that one....'
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Post by spender on Mar 21, 2010 11:17:40 GMT -5
Spender had quickly learned two things that morning. One was to shut up. Two was to shut up more. The third lesson was having a bit of difficulty settling into his brain, for no matter how much rough handling he received, the stripling ferret still squirmed uncomfortably in his captors' paws.
His father, having returned to their home deep in the country, had left Spender largely on his own the last little while. Spender, honestly, did not know what to do with his freedom. Being allowed to drink at an early age meant he had no desire to taste the taverns. Being given a small allowance meant he had nothing to gorge on. The room and board at the inn was paid for months in advance, and he was given no trouble so long as he came to supper on time and brought no females up to his room. The thought had toyed at his mind, but he didn't have the slightest clue where to begin looking for such things. He was too embarrassed to even ask where the fights were, so he could at least watch, if not gamble a bit.
So mostly he took crackers from lunch and fed ducks. He liked ducks.
Somewhere in all the drudgery, he had lost track of what day it was. Not to mention what time of day it was. The past few days he had started waking up well after lunch, with only a few hours of daylight left to cavort in, and having to spend evenings listening to boring conversations in the inn's main room.
So needless to say, he was quite surprised when his door burst open and a bunch of very angry, very smelly creatures of various shapes and sizes began shouting at him and hitting him. For a few minutes he thought he was being kidnapped. All he had managed to grab was what he had fallen asleep in; a blue tunic, his red flatcap, and The Last Number tucked away close to his chest. The little fox doll was his most prized possession, and there was no way in 'gates he was leaving it behind if this was to be his last day in the world of the living.
Things were not very well explained on the way, but he gradually came to realise they were not kidnapping him, as such.
The ferret groaned as he was deposited on the grass. His right eye was quite blackened by now, and various other bruises were forming under his clothes. His tail fur was mussed up, and his nose was bloody. All he could do was cradle his cap - his fox doll safely hidden inside the floppy folds - and writhe in pain as he stared up at the assembly of young creatures, and the molting stoat who stood before them.
"Hurrrrgh," he said.
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Post by Ladorak on Mar 21, 2010 16:00:39 GMT -5
Ladorak was a bit dismayed by the latest show by Elliot. The kit ended up bopping "himself" in the eye. He cringed, but went back to reading off the list. "Five it is." Hmm.....those three...they all knew each other and they were choosing numbers within proximity...but it didn't quite work like that either. Just because they were right next to each other didn't necessarily mean they'd be working with each other. Two of them would in fact....but the other would be doing something quite different.
The list wasn't much longer, as there were only 12 or so gathered here. The molting stoat finished a few minutes later, and then went back over the list, calling out the names again and this time informing them about their respective jobs. "Cerinus Apodemus.....you are a Sponger." he gave the mouse a look. "This means you'll need to lift and hold both a rammer and a sponge, but rather than go in depth into what it is you'll be doing, you'll get actual training aboard ship in the firing of a cannon. Just know for now that you are a Sponger." he went on down the list, skipping Spender as he still wasn't here yet.
"Caden Fugate, you are a Loader. That also requires some heavy lifting, as you'll be pawdling the shots and the powder." Loader! That's right! Caden knew a little about that. He had to roll the cannonball down into the barrel and then hold his paw over the mouth of the cannon so that the shot didn't roll back out. He'd have to wait for the Assistant Loader to paw him the wad, and then he'd put that in there as well, and let Cerinus ram it down using the rammer.
"Elliot McNamee, you chose five, which means you are an Assistant Loader, which means you'll be working directly with Caden. You'll also be pawdling shot, wads, and powder, so be prepared and make sure you'll able to lift those when the time comes. I suggest you two get to know each other.....you'll be each other's shadows in combat." the Captain explained, and Caden marveled at the coincidence of this.
Elle's brother....working with him on the gun crew? Well that would be good! Cerinus would be close by as well, though he'd have a different job. He'd be standing across from Caden on the other side of the cannon, if Caden remembered correctly. Caden would be to the left of the muzzle, and Carrow to the right. Elliot would be behind Caden a few steps, assisting him with his job and well....taking over for him in case...something happened.
"We'll be training to fire a cannon at sea, so for now you don't have to worry immediately about your particular position. We'll be doing gun drills on the way to our destination, so plenty of time to practice then. Navy regulations stipulate that at most a third of the powder carried on board can be used for target and gunnery practice, so expect to be getting in some real firing as time passes." He paused though, noticing with some dismay that Spender was approaching...in the company of the Press Gang....and they had roughed him up a bit it seemed.
The gang threw him to the ground and Ladorak angrily went over to them. "There was no need to treat him that way!" he snarled, and the gang only eyed him funny.
"We ain't answerable to yerself sah! Ye got a problem with 'ow we do our job take it up with the Admiralty Board."
Which would do Ladorak no good he knew as the Press Gang were really just a bunch of thugs at heart, and they would never change. They thrived off of getting paid to beat critters up, and nothing would change that. "Get the hell out of here!" he shot back, and fixed them with a stare that caused even them to gulp. They shuffled away, muttering amongst themselves as Ladorak bent over to get a good look at Spender.
"I hope they didn't treat you too roughly." he said, taking note of the black eye. "You should've been here on time though. I can't protect you from them if you aren't. They're a different department entirely from my own. Now if you can stand....please do so." the stoat said gently, and stepped back to give the knocked up ferret some room. "You're Spender Cielciosk I know, and if you could just choose a number from three to fourteen we'll get you on your way."
While Ladorak was speaking softly to the newcomer, which happened to be Spender, Caden turned around to Elliot, smirking a bit at what had happened to the ferret bully. "Hey. That's great we'll be working together eh? Loader and Assistant Loader....two martens make for an awfully good team I'd say." he gave her a grin, using this opportunity while Ladorak was dealing with Spender to relax for a bit.
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Post by Carrow on Mar 21, 2010 16:37:20 GMT -5
Cerinus smiled. He knew this was going to be some work for him, but he was optimistic about the whole arrangement. The mouse met Ladorak's gaze for a second. "That's fine by me. I'll wait to see what that involves, and give it my best for everyone here, sir," he responded in a respectful tone of voice.
So, things had been set in motion now, and the mouse liked to tell himself that with every day that passed, they were getting closer and closer to shipping out, and he had to admit that the recent developments, and the job he had been given, gave him a sense of purpose, something he felt that he had sorely lacked up to now.
The Dibbun was in fact wearing a nice-looking light brown flat cap. Archie had picked it out for him a few days previously. She'd thoght that the colour suited him prefectly, even going so far as to say that it brought out his eyes, which were nearly an identical shade of brown to that of the cap. Putting a paw to its brim, he raised and lowered it in a kind of salute.
A sure sign of his contentment was the fact that his tail was waving to and fro. Things were really looking up for him now. He knew he'd put himself on the line, and stuck his neck out, for quite a few creatures. Cerinus was many things, but he was also - and rather crucially in this case - quite a fast learner. He would indeed need to be at the top of his game when receiving instructions.
Nor did the rodent have any idea where his immediate position would be on the ship when there was work to be done. Admittedly, he was thinking of this with his proximity to Caden and this... newcomer, Elliot, in mind. The beech marten seemed to be rather good company. As he looked at him now, the wood mouse noticed that he bore a striking resemblance to Ellie. So, he assumed that this particular mustelid was her brother,
He turned to the two now, his eyes shining. "So, how do you think things worked out for you both? I'm still in the dark, if I'm honest, about what exactly I'll be up to, but, well, this is going to be a real adventure for me, and I'm going in unaware, but ready. Ready as I'll ever be, in fact - and now I can't wait to get started."
Cerinus had spotted Spender as well - his physical condition too, and the youngster really couldn't hide the slightest of smirks, much as he tried to. That bully of a ferret, getting his rump pawed to him by those two Press Gang beasts? He didn't like the look of the unsavoury pair, but, how ironically appropriate!
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