The Glorious First of June

[Ladorak]

Ocean resolutely nodded, taking the sponge out of Carrow's paws, and placing it back down on the deck. "Hardly. I'm on the prowl now... well heheh, as much as I can be inside a ship." the ermine stated, and prepared for the next set of orders.

The battle went on, with several Welkinite vessels cutting through the Rosferian line, and engaging to leeward, though the majority did not do this. Orion engaged to windward, though closed the distance and brought the Northumberland to a close action. Valiant, ahead of them, drove her opponent Patriote out of the line rather quickly, as her crew were hardly in any condition to fight. Valiant then ranged on ahead and engaged the next ship ahead of her, the Achille, bringing that vessel to close combat before it could close distance to support the flagship.

As predicted, Queen was not able to keep up with Northumberland due to her earlier damages, and had to content herself with bringing to action the next 74 in line, the Jemappes, which she outgunned rather heavily, 98 to 74. That left Northumberland all to the Orion, and the two ships went at it for close to an hour, the Orion suffering relatively lightly in terms of casualties, whereas the Rosferian vessel was having its hull battered by concentrated fire. The Welkinite ship was suffering damage to its masts, but so was the Northumberland, and not quite an hour before the start of the engagement, the Orion's crew were treated to quite the joyous sight.

"FIRE!" came the order. The gun decks once again erupted, the heat rising to rather intense (but not unbearable) levels. The open gun ports helped to ventilate the hot gun decks, but every beast had sweat on him by this point. There wasn't a single dry member of the crew.

Booming out over the water, the broadside from the Orion once more smashed into the Rosferian ship's hull, and this time, in addition to of course heavily damaging their gun decks, the sounds of a nice snap could be heard as well. Ladorak craned his neck to look, and there in his field of vision out the port, the mizzenmast of the Northumberland could be seen snapping like a matchstick, and it soon broke cleanly in two, toppling over the side and leaving nothing but the stump of what had once been the aft most mast.

"WE DID IT!" He exclaimed. "WE GOT THEIR MIZZEN! KEEP IT UP!" this elicited cheers from the gun crews up and down the deck, and even Caden stamped a paw in joy and shook his fist in a triumphant gesture.

"Good shooting! Let's see if we can get another one!" the marten called. It had been like a tree, toppling in slow motion as it had gone over the side, but their opponent was crippled now, and it did much to lift the morale of the gun crews. They were getting somewhere. A dismasted opponent would be easier to capture, and already they had gotten one mast down. There were two to go.

"SERVE YOUR VENT!" the Gun Captains all stoppered the vents, thumbs going into the protective holsters.

"WORM AND SPONGE!" Carrow now had an additional duty, as every fourth shot or so, he would need to worm out the gun and clean out any debris that got stuck in there, primarily to free up the vent.

Ocean picked up the worm, handing the corkscrew like instrument over to the mouse. It was an iron wire that spiraled around on the end of a long ram rod, similar to the sponge and rammer, but this one could ensnare and pick up any loose debris, such as pieces of wadding or cartridge that hadn't fully disintegrated in the gun. While Carrow used the worm, Ocean prepared the sponge, dunking it down into the pail as usual, making sure it was nice and wet before he'd paw it over to the rodent. He'd trade the sponge for the worm, once Carrow got done using the latter.

[Carrow]

Carrow smiled at Ocean's use of hunting imagery. The ermine was clearly having a good time in this battle, proving to the mouse that even something as deadly serious as naval combat could actually be enjoyed. The rodent was much more able to settle this time, and even despite his pacifist outlook, he was having a good time as well.

The battle progressed, and Selvis soon returned, his thirst definitely quenched. The weasel and mouse had soon set up a sort of rota system, and this was strictly adhered to for the next hour of combat. When Carrow finished with his duties, he would dash to the water casks and refresh himself. Selvis, meanwhile, was able to do the same thing after every completed action.

The efficiency with which the two companions worked was increasing every time they had to carry out their separate duties. In fact, this could be seen right across the board. The gun crews had now settled into a rhythm, and in relative terms, the next while seemed to fly by. The Orion was making noticeable progress in its battle against the Northumberland, and so it was that its crew made a major breakthrough when the mizzenmast of the enemy ship was destroyed.

Carrow was absolutely soaked at this stage, less well-equipped to deal with the heat than Selvis, who was used to it, coming from a much warmer climate. Sweat was literally dripping off the mouse stripling at this stage. True, he was starting to feel just the slightest bit tired, but the sight of seing the Orion strike home lifted his spirits, and when the damage had been comfirmed by Ladorak, he punched the air, cheering with the majority of the rest of the gun crews.

Selvis was similarly delighted, but was less able to express it as the weasel had of course needed to move the second that the gun had fired. The recoil shot the weapon back towards him, but he was ready for it, running forward and chucking his pawspike underneath the carriage wheels, successfully chocking it. The exhilaration that the longtail felt was like nothing he had ever experienced.

The train tackle was duly reattached, but as Selvis stepped forward again to retrieve the 'crowbar', he felt a slight twinge in his back. He sighed. That was to be expected with all the physical activity he had been doing. The mustelid was in great shape, and while things hadn't taken too much of a toll on him yet, they couldn't be ignored. He returned to his post, bending down and touching his paws a few times, before heading amidships, this time at a more cautious pace, yet safe in the knowledge he'd probably be alright soon.

Carrow was waiting with bated breath for the next set of orders to be given. The vent was served, and the mouse, who had been expecting to use the worm again sometime soon, and who had been left literally speechless by the sight of the damage recently inflicted on the enemy ship, smiled as the orders he had been expecting were given. His smile grew as he looked at Ocean. "Wow... never thought I'd see anything like that in all my life. This battle is going to be unforgettable, for sure," he told the ermine before accepting the worm from him and stepping forward.

He inserted the corkscrew-like instrument into the barrel, running it back and forth a few times, pendulum-fashion (more often than not, doing this made him think of Archie and her talent!) to clear out the debris that had built up, before stepping back with a satisfied look on his features as he held out the worm for Ocean to take.

[Ladorak]

Ocean traded him, pawing over the sponge for the mouse as he took the worm, reaching with his free paw and tossing the debris that the worm had picked up out of the open gun port. They would certainly be busy in the next few moments, as the gun would need to be reloaded before firing.

Setting the worm back down, Ocean readied himself to take the sponge from Carrow as soon as the mouse was done cooling down the inside of the barrel and extinguishing any sparks. He got the rammer ready, as it was really more like a relay they were going through now.

Ladorak wiped his arm over his brow, knowing that both were covered in sweat and he'd come off wet regardless. He had forgotten just how strenuous it was in here, but he was in excellent physical condition, and still fairly young, so he most certainly wasn't going to shirk these duties. He was still game, and now that they were crippling their opponent, the contest might well be terminated before long. It invigorated him, and got him thinking about one thing only. Capturing that ship.

Caden too, knew he'd need to wash his uniform after this. Crew rarely washed their clothes, doing the routine about once a week (which was way more than on land), but as an officer, Caden had to keep his uniform spic and span, and so a good wash would be in order after combat had ended. Despite the fact that bathing was not common practice in this era, the albino felt that a good bath would do him wonders as well. He'd feel refreshed and relieved, and in a sense be a new marten when it was over and done with.

[Carrow]

Selvis was well on his way to the water casks at this stage, though he was much more concerned about getting his back settled again. They'd been at things for close to an hour, and the weasel knew he had to nip problems like this in the bud before they were given the chance to get any worse. Who knew how much longer he'd be going through this routine, after all?

He rested for a moment when he reached the casks, finding the atmosphere on the lower gun decks slightly oppressive at this stage, but the fact he'd done himself a little damage whilst working hadn't helped his outlook. He needed to calm down otherwise things were certain to spiral out of control, and once again Selvis realised that there was a lot of anxiety within him, ominously lurking beneath the surface, just waiting for a chance to overwhelem him.

Being able to drain two cups of water helped to calm him down somewhat. The mustelid was being twisted into knots, but was nonetheless making good use of this slightly extended reprieve. Once he'd quenched his thrist, the longtail stretched a few more times, after which point he felt better and was able to start jogging back to his post. However, he was unable to shake the feeling that something was off. He hoped he hadn't pulled anything, even slightly.

Carrow, meanwhile, was having more problems with the heat than he was his actual work. Not even when he had experienced his first taste of summer weather in Crittenden had he felt heat this intense. It was just as well the Agamemnon's crew hadn't decided to travel a little further inland when they'd stopped off in Ferlusan, otherwise the mouse really would have suffered. He was doing his best under the circumstances, all the same.

The routine he had fallen into was working rather well with him, and even though he still got a jolt when the Orion's guns fired, there wasn't much that the rodent felt could break his stride. Even if he had to wipe sweat from his eyes before trading Ocean the worm for the sponge, he felt as though he were still on top of things. This was a sort of test for him, in a way, and he had made sure to do nothing but his absolute best.The sponge was cool to his paw, and in a way it provided him with minor relief before he stepped forward and began to wipe down the inside of the barrel.

He felt like he'd definitely need to have a wash of some sort when all this was through. A wash, and a good rest. Even though he wasn't showing any visible signs of it, the heat was wearing him out. Giving the barrel another thorough wiping-down, he turned to Ocean and returned the sponge to the ermine, shaking himself a tad, droplets of sweat cascading off him at his point. It was rewarding work, yes, but even though it was entirely worth it, there'd still be a price to pay when it was all over.

[Ladorak]

The hot, sweaty atmosphere did not detract from the experience in the slightest, at least not for Ladorak. His perspiring body was almost like a machine, a device that would not stop working the guns until their opponent had been brought down. He panted a little, his chest heaving in and out, but overall he was pleased with his work, and rather enjoyed the thrill of this fight.

"LOAD WITH CARTRIDGE!" The stoat reached out his arms, receiving the cylinder from the powder carrier, and he was immediately working to stuff it down into the barrel, taking a wad from the Assistant Loader and pushing that in as well.

He then stepped back, allowing Carrow to do his work.

Ocean, who was of course still behind Carrow, had taken the sponge, set it back down on the deck, and had gotten the rammer for the rodent to make use of. He was feeling a bit tired, but knew that they were going to keep going with this, and wouldn't be stopping now. Blood had been "drawn", and they were going to see this through to the end.

As his paw was reaching out for the mouse, the Northumberland let loose with a broadside, her larboard side belching out flames and smoke, though her own fire was somewhat diminished, due to the damage she had suffered to her gun deck. Her shots raced through the sky, cutting through the air as they tumbled and rolled, some landing harmlessly in the sea, others ripping through the Orion's rigging, and still others smashing into the hull.

Their ship once more shuddered, but this time, a groaning came from somewhere high above them. It was impossible to see from this far down in the ship, but Ladorak knew that one of their masts was breaking. It sounded like it wasn't the whole thing, as it seemed a good deal above their heads, but whatever it was, it soon snapped, causing a great tumult from above.

Lines parted violently as they were ripped from their belaying pins, and the entire main topmast of the Orion started to come down. It fell with all the slow motion that the mizzenmast on the Northumberland had done, the great lumbering piece of debris smashing through the main yard and destroying that as it toppled seaward. The main top was shattered as well, the platform collapsing under the weight of everything coming down on top of it, and in this way, despite the mainmast itself not falling, every sail was rendered useless due to the destruction of the main yard and fighting top. With the collapse of the main yard came the falling of the main course, and when the main topmast finally hit the sea on the larboard side of the ship, the Orion was left with not a sail standing on the now solitary mainmast.

A great geyser of spray erupted behind them, shooting up in white brilliance as their main topmast struck the ocean. Caden whirled around, squinting as he struggled to make out the damage. It was some ways aft of them, larboard side, meaning it was something on the mainmast. The foremast and mizzenmast still stood, as far as he could tell. The same exact thing had happed to the Agamemnon last year, except the falling main topmast hadn't taken out the main yard as well.

"Looks like we just lost the main topmast, lads!" Caden shouted, looking back over to his crews. "Let's stay focused! Keep in mind, we've just taken out an entire mast of theirs! They've only got our topmast! Keep it up! We're far ahead of them in terms of damage! Let's see if we can't bring down another one! A topmast is only a topmast after all. It can be replaced! We're going to keep fighting no matter what they do! We still got two whole masts and a third of a third still standing, which is more than they can say, so keep it up! We'll get them yet!"

The marten didn't need to add that enemy fire was already slackening, and that previous shot had just been the culmination of the past hour of firing. They had been targeting high, and had finally gotten pay dirt. But so too had the Orion's gunners, and the Northumberland's masts looked to be in the worse state, as the fore and mainmasts were tottering, and everyone could see it. That Rosferian ship would soon be dismasted, and they would be able to close in for the kill.

Caden removed his hat to wipe his brow, feeling the exhilaration of it all. Both sides had drawn blood, but he felt supremely confident that they would get the better of their opponent in this. It wouldn't be much longer now, and the albino was ready for what he felt was the rapidly approaching conclusion.

[Carrow]

The Northumberland broadside took Carrow completely by surprise. He had had his paw outstretched to receive the rammer, but before he could grasp it, the enemy ship opened fire. He had been leaning forward ever-so-slightly in anticipation of taking the rod, and as such was caught off-guard when the enemy fire hit home. The shuddering and shaking of the ship beneath his footpaws knocked the field mouse off balance. He didn't have good balance at the best of times, and since he hadn't been prepared, the mouse didn't have enough time to steady himself.

Down he went, toppling sideways as he heard a creaking sound above him. As the topmast started coming down, taken out by the Rosferians, Carrow hit the deck, landing on his left shoulder. Lucky for him, there hadn't been too much of an impact, and there was nothing that could have possibly cut him, but even still, the mouse grimaced as he sat up, slightly irritated by what had occured but not about to let it break his stride. "Damn it," he said softly before using his paws to help himself back to standing.

"I'm alright, I'm alright, 's fine," he told Ladorak and Ocean. "Surprised it didn't happen sooner, 'm not that good with balancing!," he added, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He was once again about to take the rammer from his ermine assistant when the topmast struck the ocean, sending spray shooting up behind him. He gasped slightly, turning around. It was their topmast that had been hit, he realised. It could have been much worse, and this was the first time the Rosferians had struck home in quite a while, so he wasn't too concerned.

He listened to Caden and took further encouragement from the marten's words. In any case, the Northumberland was still in quite a state. It was definitely still advantage Welkin, and Carrow was ready to get back into the swing of things, knowing it would be easier to do so this time. At the third attempt, he took the rammer from Ocean and rammed home the wad and cartridge without so much as thinking about it. Four rams did the job for him; it was clear that the rodent's duties had become second nature to him. He kept a hold on the rammer, nodding confidently at Ocean as he noticed Selvis coming back to his post at an unhurried pace.

It was just as well the weasel didn't need to rush back, because he was in a cautious frame of mind as regarded his physical wellbeing now, after what had occurred earlier. He spotted Caden, waving to him and smiling at the official-looking pine marten before taking up his post again. He gave Carrow a wave next, raising his brows curiously when he saw the mouse windmilling his left arm. "What are you doing that for, mate?," he asked, smiling a little.

Carrow's whiskers twitched a little as he responded to the long-tailed weasel's query. "Ah... took a bit of a tumble just there while you were away. The ship was shuddering shaking a bit too much for me to pawdle, and I couldn't stay upright. Just checking to make sure landing on my shoulder hasn't left me much worse for wear. It hasn't, so I should be OK. We lost our topmast, y'know," he told the mustelid.

Selvis shook his head. "We DID? Oh dear... that's a shame, but when you look at the bigger picture it's not so bad, because we're obviously still well ahead of the Northumberland. I wouldn't worry if I were you, mate. That's the first shot they've got on target in what, an hour? We'll get them in the end, I'm sure," he said confidently, smiling once more.

[Ladorak]

Ocean of course moved to assist, but Carrow was quick on the recovery, and rapidly demonstrated that he didn't need assistance, and thus the ermine backed off. Giving the mouse a nod, he too was caught a little by surprise at the falling of the topmast, but he knew it wasn't overly serious. Serious enough to get the Orion in for repairs, but nothing that they needed to worry about at the moment.

The Gun Captain pressed his priming wire down the vent, withdrew it, and squinted to see the black tip on the end, and nodded with satisfaction before he wiped it off. "HOME!" he yelled.

Caden could hear Selvis chatting it up with Carrow as the long tail returned from getting a drink of water. He felt like telling them to pipe down, as talking so much during combat was generally frowned upon, as it was hard enough to hear in the gun decks as it stood, and the Lieutenants of course were constantly shouting out orders. "SHOT AND WAD YOUR GUN!"

Sure enough, there were the next orders. He knew that their talking was probably helping to keep the morale up, but he wandered over to Selvis all the same as Ladorak received the shot from the Assistant Loader and rolled it on down the barrel. Keeping his left paw over the opening, he received the wad next.

"Try to keep the chatter down, Seajack." Caden said in a lower voice so that only Selvis could hear him. "I know it's been an hour, but come on. Try to stay focused, alright?" Caden clapped the weasel on the back, giving him a small smile as he moved on by and resumed his station back amidships.

Ladorak stuffed the wad in, and moved back for Carrow to take it away. They'd be firing again soon. His heart was racing once more at the prospect of possibly seeing more of their opponent's masts going over the side. If that happened, they could close in, and possibly secure the Rosferian ship's surrender.

All around them, the battle still raged. It was hard to tell what was going on fore and aft. Ladorak was looking more aft from his position, as he faced towards the stern down the starboard side. Queen looked to be hotly engaged with the Jemappes, the latter looking like she hadn't yet lost any masts to Queen's fire. It was hard to tell Queen's damage from the angle, but Ladorak could see that so far, her fore and main masts still stood, but beyond that, he couldn't see much through the smoke. Admiral Gardner's ship was sticking very close by her opponent, despite Jemappes attempting to run to leeward.

Caden determined to just have a repeat performance and smash into their gun deck with their next shot. The upper gun deck was doing a fine job taking care of Northumberland's masts after all, and they would probably see at least one more toppled this next broadside. It caused him to wish the order to fire could be given now... but all in good time. It wouldn't be much longer.

[Carrow]

Selvis nodded as he heard Caden's suggestion, responding to it in just as soft a voice: "Yes, Midshipjack Fugate, sir; I'll do that." The weasel appreciated the pat on the back he got from the marten Midshipjack, and the smile too, which he readily returned. Yet when Caden returned to his post, Selvis let out a slight sigh and briefly looked down at his footpaws.

He wasn't bothered by being asked to keep quiet. The reason he'd sighed was because marten companion may have guessed some of the reasons for the longtail trying to make conversation in the midst of a battle, but he wasn't entirely correct. Sure, Selvis, who was usually quite talkative, had been trying to boost morale, but that wasn't all. He was trying to keep his own spirits up, as he still felt as though he were struggling with his personal difficulties.

He felt like he needed a sense of purpose, something which he had realised he now desperately lacked, and he liked being a creature who was always ready to talk. Besides, it helped take his mind off things for a while. Things were piling up on him, and this was why the request to pipe down hurt him slightly, though of course not enough for him to show it. He hadn't realised he'd been doing anything wrong.

Sounds familiar... whatever about how I've been doing in this battle, I honestly wonder what else I've been doing right, he thought miserably, feeling tears begin to form in the corners of his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, lest Carrow should see him like this. Of course, the mouse was already aware of Selvis being upset, and if he had known why, the rodent would have sympathised, because he had been there before so many times that he'd lost count: Selvis was beginning to question everything about himself.

The only things he could be sure of anymore were his companions; Caden still liked him after what had happened - though in his current, depressed state, the weasel couldn't imagine why - and Carrow was unaware of what was bringing him down so much, but Selvis liked to think he'd lend a paw if possible.

Selvis's problem was not one of focus - ironically, talking to others was doing the exact opposite and helping him to focus, because he was determined to do everything possible to hold himself together... at least until the end of the battle. He couldn't even be sure what would happen to him then.

He tried to ignore both the physical and mental pain he was in - though the latter was far more difficult to pawdle right now - and stood watching Carrow as his mouse friend went about his work, aware he'd be back in action soon himself.

The rodent had recovered quite well from the tumble he'd taken; unlike Selvis, he wasn't having trouble focusing - or at least focusing on the right things - and had had no difficulty catching the next set of orders, even despite talking to Selvis. The mouse was feeling more motivated now than he had been at any point in the last hour or so, because now it was clear that the Orion had made a major breakthrough, and if things went according to plan, the end would be in sight within moments.

He stepped forward, ramming the combination of wad and shot home by giving it several good thrusts. He knew, despite the prospect of a possible injury - and a glance at his shoulder after he'd done his work confirmed it was starting to bruise a little - there was no point in not putting everything he could into his duties, particularly not at this stage.

He took a few steps back, smiling as he turned around and pawed the rammer to Ocean, pleased with how things were going so far. This clearly showed in the smile he gave the ermine, the way his tail swayed cheerfully behind him. The mouse felt as though he were on top of his game, and the fact that he was tired didn't seem to matter at all, for once.

[Ladorak]

Ocean took it and placed the rammer back upon the deck. He felt probably as giddy as Carrow felt, though he wasn't positive if the mouse was in fact giddy. He sure seemed it of course. They were getting ready to fire, and it was all coming down to this!

"RUN OUT YOUR GUN!" The gun carriages all began to move forward as the train tackles were unhooked, the carriages creaking and groaning as they were hauled toward the open gun ports. Some came out crooked, but they were so close now that it didn't matter. "PRIME!" The Gun Captains all tore into the cartridges, ripping them open to expose the volatile powder within.

The quills were inserted, the frizzens were closed, and the Gun Captains began to back away, lanyards in paw. "POINT YOUR GUN!" shouted the Lieutenants, but Caden felt there was no need to do this.

"We're close enough lads, we don't have to worry. Doesn't matter where we aim, as we'll be hitting their hull all the same!" the Midshipjack marten exclaimed. "So don't bother! Let's do this!" he shouted, and Ladorak cheered, joined in by the rest of the gun crew.

The albino quickly moved to cover his ears, as he knew what was coming next. "FIRE!" A thunderous cacophony went off as the guns rumbled forth. Shooting backward until the breeching ropes caught them all, Caden shut his eyes tightly, not witness to the blasting guns. Ladorak sneaked a peak however, and saw their gun bounce up, smack the ceiling, and then crash back down.

He loved that. They were violent yes, but they were also very powerful. They would hop all around when they got hot enough, and these guns were quite hot, given the temperature in here. Their broadside was now out, sailing over the skies, hurtling down towards their target. The solid shots struck home, smashing into the side of the Northumberland once again, splintering the wood and causing the two remaining masts to totter. Caden opened his eyes once he heard the noise die down and unplugged his ears.

He was just in time to see the damage dealt to the Northumberland, and felt his heart beating faster. Yes! That was it! They were doing it! The Gun Captain quickly attached the train tackle, and their gun was now immobile. Looking past it, Caden see the main and foremasts of the Northumberland suddenly snap like ancient trees. Both broke close to the main deck, and it was like two great trunks starting to fall. The mainmast went first, seeming to plummet towards the sea in slow motion. When it did strike, followed a moment later by the foremast, both created brilliant geysers, and Caden couldn't help but to break out in cheers. "Completely dismasted!" he crowed, snapping his claws and pumping his fist in the air.

Ladorak too let loose a whoop of exhilaration and accomplishment. "Ha!" he laughed, seeing the now dismasted ship floating nearby. No escape for them. There was but one chance, and that was for them to set their spritsail at the bow to try and escape. It was the only spar they had left, the bowsprit and jib boom. The jibs had all been ripped away with the collapse of the foremast, but they still had the spreaders and dolphin striker with which to set the spritsail from.

"SERVE YOUR VENT!" The Gun Captain's thumb moved into the holster, and rapidly plugged up the opening in preparation for the sponging of the barrel.

"SPONGE!" was the next order, and Ocean already had the sponge dunking into the pail, running it around to get it soaked before he withdrew it and held it out for Carrow to take. "We're doing a good job!" he exclaimed, his ears ringing a little but still able to hear his own voice, which was good. "Not much more of this, I'd say!"

Already the Rosferian crew was scrambling to set their spritsail, and it looked as if they were now trying to escape, but Caden had no intention of letting that happen, and he was pretty sure Duckworth didn't either. "I don't think they can take much more! They'll either surrender or be pounded further! Not like they can really do much sailing!" the albino shouted, and gave a firm nod, practically grinning as he watched their work.

[Carrow]

Carrow felt slightly giddy, admittedly, so Ocean's guess proved correct. He was swept up in the exhilaration and thrill of the battle. It was the lift he had long been expecting to arrive, but he let himself be caught up in it nonetheless. Things were approaching their concluiion now, he could feel it, almost literally in fact. There was a strange sort of tingling running through him, and he shivered slightly with excitement.

Carrow didn't need much help keeping his spirits up at this stage. Selvis did, however. While he was excited about what looked to be the closing stages of battle, he could no longer deny that this was the glue that was just barely managing to hold him together. When the victory-fuelled euphoria finally wore off, he didn't how what sort of state he'd be in. He was trying not to worry about that at present, though - at least not too much. He saw that there'd most likely be no need to point the gun, due to the proximity of the Orion to the enemy ship, and so waited for the order to fire.

It soon came, and it was just as well both mouse and weasel had been prepared, otherwise they would have been completely caught out and probably rendered temporarily deaf as a result. They both plugged their ears with their paws, Carrow remembering to steady himself in order to avoid a repeat performance of his earlier tumble.

As it was, he had no difficulty staying upright. His eys remained open as well, and the mouse was witness to a spectacular sight. Their gun bounced, striking the ceiling before crashing back down to the deck. Well, that's something you don't see everyday, he thought to himself with a smile. He also saw the shots fly out and strike the Northumberland in a punishing broadside, and the effect of that assault was completely devastating.

Even Selvis, who had been saved a little work by the breeching ropes this time around, was slightly taken aback by the sight of the falling masts. That broadside had yielded a better result than he'd been expecting, and he joined in the hearty cheers that broke out around him. Carrow punched the air as he could now sense that victory was truly in sight.

There wasn't very much else the Northumberland could do. Selvis understood that the enemy ship had once chance left, but one more complete round of work from the Orion would seal its fate - if the Rosferians didn't decide to surrender beforepaw, that is. Figuratively speaking, they were as good as sunk.

Carrow had to be on the alert for the next set of orders, and as the vent was served, he turned to Ocean, whom he could see already had the sponge in paw. He noticed the ermine needed to shout a bit. His ears were probably still ringing in that caase; Carrow's had done so for a much shorter period of time, and Selvis had hardly been affected. The rodent reached forward and took the sponge from the mustelid. "Indeed we are, Ocean! We're doing more than a good job, I think! We're doing the absolute best we can it seems! We've got them now!," he exclaimed triumphantly before stepping forward and wiping down the inside of the barrel. He gave it one more wipe than was strictly necessary, for good measure, reckoning that after that tremendous broadside, it needed to cool down a little more quickly than usual.

He turned, pawing the sponge back to Ocean, his large ears twitching appreciatively as he heard Caden speak. The Rosferians didn't have much of a choice anymore. That was clear to pretty much everybeast on the ship, and it'd probably start sinking in for the enemy soon enough as well. Beaming at Ladorak, the mouse awaited the next set of orders, first taking a quick glance at Selvis to see how he was faring- and noting that it seemed the weasel had a little more on his mind than most - before looking back at Caden and giving him a thumbs-up. He'd done a fine job in this battle, there was no doubt about that.