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Post by Ladorak on Jun 12, 2010 1:03:49 GMT -5
((This is a two threader...thread...one for the adults, other for the younger ones. Self-explanatory in the title))
Crittenden Harbor had stole upon the ship as it was sleeping. Cries of "LAND HO!" and "CRITTENDEN OFF THE LARBOARD BOW" had quickly roused most of the snoozing crew to their posts however, and Captain Fugate had ordered them assembled in preparation for docking. Ferlusan and Crittenden! They had finally arrived! A month at sea had slid by as if it were nothing. Caden and the others had received some training...but far more lay ahead. But now it was time for port! It was time for fun!
Ports meant downtime as the ship was restocked and refitted...though in this case Agamemnon wouldn't be making use of the port facilities here, only the stores. At any rate, it was time for shore leave. Ladorak was giving shore leave to the entire crew save for the Marines, though they would alternate ship watch with each other every few days so that some could go ashore and enjoy themselves while others stood guard.
But that was neither here nor there. Ladorak had been sure to sternly warn Caden that while he was turning 13 and his body would be undergoing all sorts of changes, he was NOT to dabble in certain areas of town. He had to be careful now...as sure enough, changes WERE occurring. His voice was slipping a tad deeper, though still cracked whenever he was frustrated...something the marten found irritating to no end. It was like he had suddenly turned into a warbler whenever he was agitated. Maybe he'd start sprouting wings next...
His sense of smell was also becoming a bit more developed, and he was able to distinguish (roughly) jacks from jills. Each had distinct odors about them, but it was a still a work in progress for the young stripling. Elliot in particular...he had a peculiar scent about him, but it was just his nose playing tricks right?
There were other changes as well, too numerous to list here of course. The transition from kithood to stripling was...a tumultuous time to say the least. Hormones could really run away with a younger stripling, and Caden was no exception. At least his fur wasn't changing to some crazy color...that much the albino was thankful for.
Caden shoved his hammock into its proper slot, and ran to the larboard railing. Resting his arms on it, the marten beamed, soaking in the sights of the harbor. Crittenden was heavily fortified, with several citadels watching the entrance of the bay. It was also an incredibly tricky bay to sail into, as it had many twists and turns before the city itself rose up. Crittenden was also one of the wealthiest cities on the continent, if not the wealthiest. The Ferlusan Plate Fleet called in here, bringing riches from the New World. Gold, silver, jewels and mercury. Anything valuable was shipped here. It constituted Ferlusan's economy, and also helped buoy some very affluent families...like the Steeps for example.
On top of that, the Ferlusan Navy was headquartered here, and many of their magnificent three deckers could be seen riding at anchor. 74s, 80s, and the splendid 112 gunners. Also present was a towering mountain of timber. Red paint, 201 feet long, 4,950 tons burden, a massive four decks in height (unheard of on this planet). She was the largest warship in the world, and the only four decker in existence. She was the Drenedel, a hulking monstrosity of a warship that mounted 140 cannon. She was like some mythical behemoth of old, dazzling Caden's eyes and causing him to stare at her in rapt fascination as they passed.
"Wow..." he breathed, in awe at the sheer skill required to build something so great. Monumental was how he'd describe it, if he could choose one word. Or colossal or...whatever. It was grand. 1,050 crew...it made the Agamemnon look like a mere drop in the pond.
Bumping up onto a dock, their vessel was warped in by crew on shore, and made fast to the stanchions. Sights, smells, and sounds greeted the albino as he moved eagerly along the gunwale, sliding his arms along the length of the ship and heading towards the gangplank.
But then he stopped...as if struck dead on the spot. Immobilized, the young marten's pink eyes gazed right ahead...down at the dock...down at the swarming...mass of...jills. Jills typically came out to new ships, plying their "trade" as it were in the hopes of snaring a few debarking sailors. Several were bunched on the dock, and even more were out in boats. Waving pawkerchiefs and flashing their best smiles, there were jills of all species.
But what caught poor Caden's interest was a certain black on white...monochrome...fluffy tail...musky odor invading his nostrils and forcing its way in as he neared that gangplank. His heart started racing, as he was held spellbound by the beauty on the docks. A shiver traveled quite visibly down his spine.
There was a group of zorillas on the stone dock...all females...but that one in the center...the one with that purple parasol and...red dress. Gulping, the marten felt his paws get clammy and sweat starting to form on his fur. Ladorak had warned him about this...about how he'd start looking at jills in a different sort of light once he hit this age but...he hadn't expected it to hit him so suddenly!
Caden really didn't normally look at jills of other species but this zorilla this...ZORILLA! His throat closed up, and for a moment he actually stopped breathing...before shoving and hooting shipmates pushed past him and started making their down the gangplank, breaking his trance. Shaking his head fiercely, Caden reined himself in.
Jerk! He chided himself. What about Elle!? What would she think if she saw you gawking at that female zorilla over there!? What's gotten into you!? Besides...she was...older than he was...by what looked several years and then some. Younger than Ladorak but not by much. Pinching himself on the arm, he angrily bit down and looked around for his friends. "Come on Caden...keep it together...stupid thirteen...dumb age." he mumbled. "He guys!" he called out to Elliot and Carrow, when he spotted them that is. "You ready to head into town and do some exploring?" he asked eagerly, his pink eyes invariably wandering back to that dock, but only for a split second as he quickly yanked his head back to the deck of the ship and his mates.
Meanwhile, Peskers shoved "his" way past Spender, giving him a good knock on his back and shoving his gut into the gunwale, laughing the whole time as the ferret moved on past. "Ha! Whoops, guess I didn't see ye there mate...why don't you watch it and pay attention next time scruffy tail!" she hollered in her best male voice, and shook her head, waving her paw dismissively at him as she charged down the gangplank and started to vanish in the crowd. Yech...jills...definitely didn't interest HER.
It was their first of a few free days in Crittenden...and there was much to be seen in explorations around the town...
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Post by Carrow on Jun 12, 2010 4:39:24 GMT -5
Cerinus Apodemus hadn't slept well the previous night. This was par for the course with the mouse, but last night it had been particularly bad. He hadn't been able to switch off at all. The worst part was that he had spent most of the night in a sort of limbo between the worlds of wakefulness and slumber. He'd hoped that those things that usually kept him awake would stay away.
He'd had no reason to think about them after all, but they stole unbidden into his mind nonetheless. He wemt through periods when his confidence hit rock-bottom, and though it seemed he had gotten over the Spender incident more quickly than any creature had been expecting him to, his confidence had taken a hammering. Even so, the rodent was building it back up little by little.
He often surprised himself with his reactions to things. Well, he had CERTAINLY surprised himself with his response to the calls. "LAND HO! CRITTENDEN OFF THE LARBOARD BOW!" He moved faster than he could ever remember doing in the previous twelve-and-a-little-more-than-a-half years of his life. With agility that would leave a squirrel with feelings of slight jealousy, the wood mouse bounded out of his hammock.
He got dressed, switching his night-time outfit of white, striped pyjamas with a matching night-cap, for his slops, which where of course a white shirt and blue slacks. He had also become rather fond of his brown flat cap (which was a snug fit, but suited him well), so donned that too. With those rings under his eyes faintly visible, the drowsy wood mouse needed a moment to get his bearings nonetheless - of course due to his weariness.
Carrow stowed his hammock in the proper position as he'd been instructed to. It was just hitting him now that he had spent a month at sea. Hmm, he thought, perhaps I should write a letter to Archie whilst I'm here. I know how much she'd be wanting to hear for me, after all.
As quickly as he could, he caught up with the other creatures on board. They were soon all gathered and ready to disembark given the command. He scanned the sea of faces for a familiar one, when the back of a familiar white-furred head caught his attention. He grinned. So he hadn't just been dreaming when he'd heard the mustelid's call! Caden was back! The mouse had missed him rather a lot, but he was quite looking forward to speaking to him.
Suddenly, it all fell into place. They were there at last. What was the place called... Crit...ten...den. Something about the sound of the place name told Carrow that he was correct. Then he looked around him, and all his weariness fell away. This was what he had been waiting for! Time for some EXPLORING! His night fears at once banished, thoughts like this lit up the darker corners of his mind - and suddenly he was himself again.
He raced over to larboard side, where Caden was standing, looking about him in absolute awe. Much of the same could be said for the mouse. He liked the look of the place already. And those vast, hulking vessels he saw - they couldn't be ships, he thought. Ships are never that big, right? He was thinking of this with the behemoth that was the Drenedel in mind. He gazed at it, fascinated by its sheer size. Caden was studying it rather intently too, it seemed.
Or rather, Caden had his pink eyes on that general area. They could have been straying to the dock (he wasn't sure), but Carrow managed to take his gaze from the ship for a moment, glancing at his friend. Even at first look, he seemed different. Ah, but of course: he had celebrated his thirteenth birthday back in May. Changes came over creatures when they passed that threshold. Archie had told him a little about it before he had left. She didn't want him to be taken by surprise when much the same things started to happen to him in - well, it was June now, so Carrow figured he had about another four months to go.
To most creatures on board, it was going to seem like the mouse hit puberty late. He would, for all intents and purposes, be FOURTEEN years of age on October 2nd. His best friend and his Captain were the only two creatures who knew the truth - indeed, it was Ladorak who had come up with the idea in the first place: that he should be presented as older than he actually was. It was dishonest, of course, but Cerinus had hardly cared. He would have done literally anything to get aboard HMS Agamemon.
And now, he was here. Miles away from home, in new territory. With all sorts of places to explore! He was smiling from ear to ear as he gently tugged Caden's paw, murmuring in his ear. "It's nice to see you again, matey! Came as quickly as I could. Ready to do some exploring? Are you asking it rhetorically or what?" He punched his friend's shoulder lightly, in a playful manner. "Of course I am. In fact, I couldn't be more ready!" His brown eyes sparkled like diamonds, signalling just how much he was looking forward to all this. You never knew what you might see here - or whom you might meet, for that matter.
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Post by bookity101 on Jun 14, 2010 9:27:17 GMT -5
El jumped up from her hammock, as she did every morning, not really hearing what was said. Woodenly she got dressed, yawning. She had not a had a good nights sleep. Unlike Carrow, when she had a bad nights sleep it was over a dream, or something that had been weighing on her mind. As it was, she was clawdling a letter she had written... to herself. It was from "Elle" to Eliot" and she had been trying to figure out how in the world she was going to get it to herself. It didn't help that there was one inside it for Caden. So until she over heard a couple of the older sea jacks whistles on the deck, it didn't connect that they were in port. . 'Well at least that solves the whole problem of how to get the message to myself...'
Elle made her way to the deck, and saw Carrow meet up with Caden. El had to stop and look in awe at four level monstrosity next to them, missing Caden's glances at the docks, which more than likely for the better as she was of the mind that jills like that gave a bad name to every other jill out there.
Coming up to them, she heard Carrow's last words of excitement, smiling, she joined them;
"Hey guys, don't forget about me." Her smile dimmed as she saw the jills on the dock, her nose wrinkling slightly at the sight. Really, there had to be a better way to make money than... that.
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Post by Ladorak on Jun 14, 2010 23:44:20 GMT -5
Caden nodded in affirmation at Carrow. "Yeah I guess it was a stupid question after all. There's lots to explore. I want to head to the post office and mail a letter to Elle actually while I'm here...though I guess I could give it to Elliot too like he said...speaking of Elliot..." right on time.
The beech marten came trotting up to them, ready to head out it seemed. Caden looked for Spender...there he was. Stupid ferret seemed preoccupied or something. Well...no sense in waiting if he wasn't going to come over here right off. The albino really wanted to check out the town after all. "No of course, would never forget about you. I got a letter for your sister by the way." he reached into his pocket and brandished it before Elliot's eyes. "Just an update on how I've been and what life at sea is like" and how I think about her a lot he didn't tell Elliot out loud. "I could drop it off at the local post office here, and they'd send it to her at some point, or even better, drop it in the ship's outgoing mail. That way it'd sail direct to Welkin. Unless...you want me to give it to you to deliver?" he asked, unsure of this now.
He couldn't resist heading into town though. Before waiting for an answer, the marten was bounding down the gangplank, heading past the Marine sentries and cheerfully looking around him at all the architecture and in particular that massive four decker again. Drenedel was quite the impressive vessel, and the stripling couldn't help but wonder what it was like to serve on her. Must be incredible...having all that room.
But first they had to get through the jills. For the most part they ignored the younger pickings, and Caden was doing alright threading his way through them, but then he caught that scent again, and his body almost went ballistic. His pink eyes invariably snapped back to who he knew was emitting that scent.
Black...white...fluff all around. That tail was something else, all curly and fuzzy and...gaaggh! Caden was horrified at his own thoughts, and tried to pull himself out of this weird dream like state he had entered. It was like the whole world was fading save for that zorilla.
She was being wreathed by the sky that stretched up above him, it was terribly hard to break this spell. But something happened then. Caden caught a very familiar whiff of something, and it brought him back to reality. Wait...was that Elle he was smelling? But where? He frantically searched the crowd. Was she here someplace?
Scanning the area, it was just jill after jill after jill but strangely enough...Caden could've felt certain that he'd smelt Elle just now...but where? Pushing his way out of the crowd of jills to get a better vantage point, but oddly enough.... Caden isolated the scent seemed as coming from Elliot himself...or was it? Squinting his eyes, the albino gazed at the "male" and pondered this. Did he simply have his sister's scent on him? But why hadn't Caden recognized it before? It seemed to vanish though, overpowered by the rest of the jills and the usual smells of a city. Caden's olfactory senses was still developing after all, and he was having a hard time separating scents.
"Hey Elliot....I thought I just smelled your sister right now. I mean....it's crazy right? My nose is getting better now that I've become a stripling, but I guess it's not fully developed yet." he shrugged, unsure of what the familiarity had been. "But she can't possibly be here, right? I mean that would be nuts." he shook his head, acting as if he were crazy and realized it. "Gotta get this thing under control." he muttered in relation to his nose. The sooner they moved off this dock the better, and Caden started doing just that, heading for the town itself. Just get into town, do some exploring....whatever you do don't stay here....
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Post by Carrow on Jun 15, 2010 10:17:36 GMT -5
Carrow smiled at his pine marten friend. There was indeed quite a lot to explore. However, like Caden, there was something that was exerting an influence over the wood mouse. His large eyes kept wandering back to the Drenedel. It towered above all and sundry, slightly imposing in its sheer size. To a creature as small as the rodent youngster, its size was truly mind-boggling.
He tagged along behind Caden when the mustelid set off down the gangplank. Once again, the nickname he'd been given by Archie - Magpie - was proving to be apt. All his surroundings looked shiny and new to him. Unfamiliar, yes, but that was the main reason he felt himself drawn to them. He looked around him, simply just taking everything in for the moment.
The playful mid-June breezes ruffled the mouse's whiskers mischievously, as if trying to coax him to split from the group and head off right then and there. The Dibbun was almost taken in, too. Like his best friend, he seemed to be under the influence of something he could not find a name for. It was more than just simple curiosity, surely? It felt so much more powerful to him.
He snapped out of it quickly enough, though. Bringing his gaze back to Caden, the mouse wondered how his companion was managing to deal with all these new urges that had suddenly welled up within him. It seemed that the marten was up for doing exploring of a completely different kind. Now he saw the albino turn and start heading back up towards Elliot.
The long-tailed field mouse did likewise, wondering how the beech marten was getting along. As per usual, he was rather quiet - and Carrow was unsure what to think of this. Was there something on his mind that he was preoccupied with? Cerinus knew the feeling well; almost too well, in fact. Nevertheless, his curiosity was extending to the state of his other marten friend.
He was also wondering as to the whereabouts of a certain other creature. It wasn't like that Spender Cielciosk to be hiding away someplace. The ferret liked to be seen, so why wasn't he with them? Sure, he didn't like Caden, he seemed to despise Carrow... the only creature of the group of friends he could seem to tolerate was Elliot. Ah, hold on. That was it. Probably didn't want to be seen with them. The mouse was a little hurt that he should be going out of his way to ignore him. Far too many times had he tried to extend an olive branch to the bullying mustelid and been harshly rebuffed for his efforts. Oh, but I don't care anyway, he thought. He can come with us and have a reasonable knowledge of the place as a result, or he can stay by himself and get lost. Probably the latter option at this stage. It'd serve him right - but enough of that for now.
He heard Caden's words, and shook his head emphatically. "It would be something rather strange if Elle was here too - but it would also be quite welcome, you know? I rather enjoyed her company when I met her in Whistleminster... six months ago." He checked himself. SIX months ago? Really?! Had it really been that long since this whole adventure had begun?
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Post by bookity101 on Jun 15, 2010 10:38:13 GMT -5
El froze, not knowing how to answer... how had he smelled that? Elle had been taking some precautions against the adult males being able to tell the difference in her scent... but she hadn't thought about Caden! How had that happened, as she cast about frantically for an answer, half of her brain thought back to how he had gotten a whiff of her undisguised scent;
She had nodded and followed Caden into the crowd of jills, avoiding them as much as possible. A couple of them thought it would be funny to mess with the younger jacks, El stopped as a paw snagged his shoulder, a jill who was just about four years older than 'him' decided to tease him;
"Hey there sweety." El looked up, the young beech martin wrinkled her nose at the sight of the female ferret, and the smell... she seemed to have bathed in her perfume... Like Caden, her nose was becoming much more sensitive, but unlike him, her body changed much more gently, which she was very great full for.
"Um... sorry I got to go... I get lost easy and my guide is..." El had look around for Caden, thankfully he had stopped not to far away... completely taken in by one of the jills looks it seemed. "He's over there no if you'd let me go.." El wiggled out of her grip, then shot off towards the now moving Caden, leaving the jills who had seen 'him' in galls of laughter.
"Can you believe this Caden?" El caught up with the albino martin, looking over her shoulder. Not looking where she was going, she stumbled into Caden, causing the whiff of Elle to wash over the lad. Before she could apologize, Caden asked his loaded question.
"Uh, I.. um I guess you just smelled me Caden," El rubbed a paw across the back of her head,
"We're twins sooo, we've always had a similar scent." El glanced around, then remembered all of the perfume around them "You must have gotten a nose full of perfume, and then me at the same time... Must've made me smell more like my sister... I guess.." Elle glanced at Carrow... 'You too!?' "Yeah.. I'd like fore her to be here too... I miss her." She wasn't lying either... Elle really missed being able to do a lot of different things... not like she didn't enjoy being at sea... but some things you just don't get over... like not having to lie to everybeast... Shaking herself a little, she decided to not let him think about her choppy explanation to much... that would lead to questions that 'he' wasn't ready for...
"Um, I'll send the letter for you Caden," She held out a paw "My family moves around a lot and um.. It'll be easier if I just do it."
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Post by Ladorak on Jun 15, 2010 23:29:07 GMT -5
"Huh...perfume and you makes your sister's scent eh?" the marten asked, pondering this one over in his mind. "I suppose that makes sense." His nose wasn't developed enough to really recognize what it was he had sensed, so he accepted Elliot's explanation for what it was.
Considering the letter in his paws for a few moments, he finally shrugged and pawed it over. "OK, I let her know mostly how we've been doing and such, but I got a few observations of my own too, so hope she likes it."
He started moving forward, away from those jills. Just distance yourself from that scent...get as far away as you can. He focused on the ships out in the harbor instead. In particular some of those large three deckers. Immaculate Concepcion....that was the Ferlusan flagship here as far as he knew. Then there was the Santa Ana, a more modern and up to date version of the Concepcion, though she was lying in decommission at the moment. A very old looking three decker was moored further up, on the north side of the harbor. Her name was Lightning, and little did Caden know, but she was the oldest warship in commission in Ferlusan service. Constructed way back in 1749, she was now 44 years old, ancient for a ship of the line.
But then he remembered something. "Hey you know they have bull fights here right?" he asked, spinning about and walking backwards now to look at the two of them. "I've never seen one myself, only read about it. Takes a lot more courage than I'd be willing to muster up." A mustelid fighting a bull...that would be something to see!
"I think Ladorak said something about us getting free passes to one of the competitions during our stay. Anything in particular either of you want to check out first? I don't know too much about this place...so I guess the fun is just wandering around on our own eh?" he asked, a gleam in his pink eyes. They were nearly off the long quay now, and into the city proper. Good...less time spent around the ship the better, at least until those jills cleared off the way Caden saw it.
"I might want to see if we can get aboard that four decker at some point. That thing is ridiculous!" he said, shaking his head in awe as his gaze wandered back over to it's red painted hull. Like some sort of red mountain she was. Caden only wished he could have the run of it. Great hide and seek aboard that thing he'd wager! Or...they could play sea battle and such. Would be completely all in fun.
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Post by spender on Jun 16, 2010 7:17:02 GMT -5
The last month on the Agamemnon had not treated Spender very well. He was down a hammock, and every other day struck for being slow, stupid, forgetful, or all three at once. Of the four in his mess, he was most definitely the one with the most lashes.
He hated training. He hated duty. He hated mealtimes and the saps he had to spend them with. He hated free time, when he'd invariably set up his toys in someone's way, or just get them scattered by a foul-mooded Peskers. He hated sleeping, because someone younger than him would always sniffle about their mother, and then he'd sniffle about his mother, and then someone would get mad at him. There was not, that he could easily remember, a single moment on the ship that he could point at and say, "This bit was okay."
It seemed the only beast on the ship in a fouler mood was Peskers, and even then, he had to work at it to top Spender. The ferret had taken to not talking to his messmates at all, only grunting if communication was truly necessary. He always scowled, or simply stared blankly at whoever tried to engage him.
All that had changed when they'd come into port. One by one, the woes of ship-life were stripped away. The bustle of city sounds, the firm ground beneath his paws, enough space to do cartwheels...! Not even Peskers trying to shove him off the gangplank could ruin his relief at getting off that awful ship.
Old Spender had returned, for better or worse.
And then, just as quickly, disappeared.
And then re-appeared. With a lithe young zorilla jill clinging to his arm, their tails entwined.
Baffled, the young ferret had been swept into the throng, poked and prodded and proclaimed to be "cute" and "handsome" and "strong as an ox" although this last one was simply a matter of appearances; his muscle tone was still fairly lacking, even if his size was admirable for a stripling of his age. The whirlwind of jills didn't bother him as much as it did Caden—his time of passing had come and gone a few years back without much fuss, and his interest in females had as many phases as the moon.
His current phase was probably best described as "Gibbous".
"This one I got from wrestlin' a shark," he explained, pointing at a welt he'd received for confusing "starboard" from "larboard" for the fifth time in as many minutes.
"Ooh," the zorilla crooned. She was more foreign than simply Ferlusan, coming from further south. Her grasp of the language was spotty at best, but she knew "shark" and "wrestling", and Spender's tale was coming through clear. She rubbed her cheek against his neck. Spender giggled.
Having found his prize from the gaggle of females, he squirmed his way back out into open air... and soon came into view of his messmates, Caden, Carrow, and Elliot.
"Aye," Spender went on, "big as th'whole ship, it was, an' it was bitin' Caden's tail. Now, I thinks to m'self, 'Well, that shark could go ahead an' eat Whiteyface whole, but th'Cap'n probably ain't gonna be pleased with it!' So's I jump in th'water an' punch it in th'eye! Kapow!" He illustrated the action by giving the air in front of them a swift jab. The zorilla gaped, impressed. "So I basically saved everyone's lives, but they were all so tired afterward that I 'ad to sail th'ship single-pawed all th'way here."
He gazed with boredom at the back of his paw, and sniffed at the dirt on his claws. "Course, it weren't no big deal at all."
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Post by Carrow on Jun 16, 2010 10:12:11 GMT -5
Carrow listened in as well. It did indeed make sense. The addition of perfume would probably be confusing Caden more than just a little. The mouse was unsure how exactly that all worked, but now that Elliot had brought it up, that certainly seemed to be the logical conclusion.
Now he saw Caden start moving towards the ships. The poor mustelid's thoughts must be all over the place, he thought sadly. No wonder he's trying to keep himself busy, admiring those ships as much as he is. Can't say I blame him, though, they really do look awesome.
The rodent studied them from a distance. He wasn't all that 'clued-in' when it came to knowledge of seagoing vessels, but even so he was intrigued quite a lot by what he now saw. He was about to go on ahead and take a closer look when he spotted the pine marten turn around and head back to them.
He heard his friend's voice again, and he nodded vigorously. "I should say I do! It's very popular in Ferlusan, and they're quite known for it, or so I've been told." He smiled a little when Caden mentioned the courage it would take for any creature to attempt something like that.
"You and me both, matey. The furthest I would go to get involved in any of that would be as a spectator. I'm sure it must be something spectacular, no matter how you're looking at it. Who knows, we might be able to attend one?"
The wood mouse broke out into a grin when his comment was answered by Caden. "He did?! Well, isn't that kind of him? Here's one mouse who's ready to take him up on his offer as soon as possible! Probably going to need directions, mind. I'm not too familiar with the area either. Yes, Caden," the mouse murmured, smiling still, "that's where the fun is, alright! Way I see it, we don't have any plans, so we might as well just make it up as we go along - go where our hearts lead us. Isn't that right, Elliot?"
He flashed a smile at the beech marten. She'd probably recall similar words being used by the mouse a while ago. Such talk was helping to shape the rodent's outlook on things now. He was here, so he may as well just go along with things and see where he ended up.
Caden's last suggestion was the one that appealed to him the most, however. To show this, his long tail shot up into the air, a kind of signal of intent, similar to one a squirrel would make. His brown eyes widened, brightening to spheres of light. "I'd love to do that if at all possible! It would be something special, I can say that for sure. We'd just need to make sure we didn't get lost, heheh."
The mouse chuckled, but his words were a little more serious than they seemed. To a nervous Dibbun like him, places such as the inside of Drenedel were almost labyrinthine. He could still see no sign of Spender. Good, he thought, less I see of the better.
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Post by Ladorak on Jun 16, 2010 23:52:52 GMT -5
As they were walking along, the Purser jogged up from behind, waving his paw and carrying a sack with him. Two Marines wearily trotted up behind a few seconds after. "Your pay young masters! Don't forget your pay!" he huffed, each pawing them their month's payment. Caden earned 9 pounds a month, or roughly 180 shillings. Elliot and Carrow, being only Seajacks, earned 1 pound, 13 shillings and 9 pence a month. Roughly 33 shillings and 9 pence total. It was more than enough to get by here if one knew where to shop. 12 pence to a shilling by the way. So almost 34 shillings altogether, with some loose change for good measure.
"Don't spend it all in one place!" the ferret said, tipping his cap and rushing back to Spender to paw him his earnings. Caden looked down at his wages, noting of course he had paper bills, the others had one paper bill and lots of coins. He grinned at his comrades. "Not to worry....because I know I have more, I'll be more than happy to treat you guys if you run low...but I think we should be fine. 33 shillings is enough to last a kit well....jeez easily a month, provided you don't overdo it." he explained. "Regardless...expect me to be treating you guys a few times while we're here." he said with a wink. He didn't want them to feel as if he were getting more, or that he was going to hog his earnings to himself.
He would be generous, as it's what Ladorak would have wanted. He was sure of that. The stoat was so generous, and his heart was enormous. Caden had come to appreciate that over the time he'd lived with Ladorak. If he could even be just a fraction of Ladorak here...he was sure his friends would appreciate it too.
They were off the dock and in town now, leaving the trailing Spender behind. He could have that zorilla...Caden had successfully resisted the temptation for now. They could go wherever they wished. "Any stores or things you want to buy first? State your interest." Caden said playfully, making his way along the harbor via a road that wound it's way along the waterfront. "I think checking out anything right now would be fun."
~~~~~~~~~
Peskers could hardly believe it. That jerk! Polluting himself with a...a...urrgh! It made her skin crawl, and her blood boil. She was sitting atop a stove right now, figuratively of course. That arrogant little puke! Bragging about something that was entirely made up and willing to throw his money away on that...jill. Well she'd see about that!
Hopping off the stanchion she had perched herself on, "Ralph" moved forward, stomping over the stones of the dock and giving the zorilla a rough shove backwards. "Get lost alright?" the ferret hissed angrily. "Don't like your kind around here!" The jill was flabbergasted, in disbelief at what had just happened, especially on HER turf.
Grabbing Spender roughly by the wrist, "Ralph" started dragging the male back and away from her. "I'm sure our Quartermasters would be VERY happy to hear about how YOU steered the ship! And you are NOT wasting your money on...on THAT!" she practically spit. "Blockhead!" she pushed Spender ahead of her, letting go of his wrist to throw him forward. "Simply disgusting!" But then she realized....she needed to come up with something better than that...otherwise he might get suspicious!
"Er...you got to have higher standards mate!" she finally said, glaring darkly at him. Like me you idiot...she didn't add.
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