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Post by Ladorak on May 14, 2012 13:09:14 GMT -5
Caden inhaled deeply and let out a tremendous, lazy sigh. The young midshipjack was sitting near the bow of the ship, right up against the foremast. His forepaws rested behind his head, and his upper body in turn was propped up against the foremast's trunk. They were in literal paradise, or so the marten felt, his hind plaws splayed out in front of him.
His tinted glasses rested upon his snout, and his hat was pulled low over his brow. A book he had been reading was resting open with pages down in his lap. Three bells had just sounded in the Afternoon Watch, but it didn't matter to the albino. He was on the larboard watch today, and thus, was off duty at the moment.
Yawning, the marten watched the sea move slowly out in front of him, resting as he was on the forecastle, which was the only part of the weather deck that crew on leisure time could frequent. He'd finished a fantastic dinner a half hour ago, and was now taking it easy.
The fleet was cruising in the very warm and sunny waters off eastern Ferlusan, being at present off the island of Minorca, where they were to stay until further notice. Ships were all around Agamemnon, and Caden found it a very comforting sensation. Temperatures were in the low 70s, and made for quite the perfect atmosphere.
While tensions between Ferlusan and Welkin were just a little too high at the moment to permit the docking of Hotham's fleet at Port Mahon (Ferlusan and Rosferia were currently negotiating a peace treaty after all, though NOT an alliance... that was important for Selvis), Caden still found he enjoyed being this close to such a beautiful island.
The reasons for the cruise weren't entirely clear, as Toulon was a good ways off, and they certainly weren't performing any sort of blockade duty by cruising off the Balearic Islands. Ladorak's best guess was this: the Balearics were close to Cartagena, which was Ferlusan's major naval base in the Mediterranean. Given the state of affairs between the two nations, Ladorak could only speculate that Hotham was "reminding" the Ferlusanians of Welkin's presence here in the Mediterranean, and that getting too friendly with Rosferia was probably not in their best interests. Whatever the reason, it was a post that was well loved by the crews, and there were very few complaints throughout the fleet.
They had sailed on May 8th, and had arrived off Minorca on the 18th. Now it was late May, and their cruise would last until Hotham said otherwise. Hotham was of course keeping a sharp eye on Toulon. Welkinite frigates patrolled off the Rosferian naval base daily, and they would hasten south with any word of the Rosferian fleet's sailing, if it did occur. Likewise, despite the fact that they weren't at war, Hotham kept a frigate off Cartagena as well, as there were several massive three deckers present there.
Caden was slightly disappointed that they weren't able to head into Port Mahon, as the town looked positively fantastic, but he'd settled for simply enjoying the sight of the island every morning as he rose for his daily routine.
Word had arrived that the Rosferians had been reinforced by several ships from Brest, and that they now outnumbered the Welkinites. Welkin had correspondingly detached several ships from the Channel Fleet to rendezvous with Hotham in order to restore the balance, and that fleet was said to be arriving within a few weeks, led by none other than the 100 gun Victory, Samuel Hood's old flagship. Admiral Hood would not be present however, much to Ladorak's chagrin. Admiral Robert Mann of Gibraltar would instead be in charge, though not superseding Admiral Hotham.
Caden wondered what the rest of his friends were up to, and if they didn't run into him out here, he was going to get up soon and look for them... but not right this second. He wanted to enjoy the weather a little more, and just soak in the sun.
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Post by Carrow on May 15, 2012 12:19:49 GMT -5
Cerinus Apodemus was also taking it easy, but he wasn't reading a book. Instead, he was reading the letter he had received the day before they had sailed for Minorca. He was on the upper gun deck, half-asleep at this stage, a very peaceful-looking mouse indeed as he fought to keep his eyes open, scanning the letter once again. It comforted him to know that Archie was still around, as he hadn't heard from her in five months and had, in truth, been starting to get a little worried. Her letter to him read as follows:
Muggidrear, February 27th 1795
Dearest Carrow,
I would like to apologise profusely for not writing before now, but I have been rather busy as of late, and entirely unable to get my thoughts in order. I haven't even been back home a week and I am almost completely swamped with work. I love the job I have, as you well know, but it's been keeping me from writing this letter; that is, until now.
The remainder of my trip went rather well, and I spent a few more days in the Tuscan region before moving on to other places. Unfortunately, I did not get to see Stratospheros this time around, but you never know, I may be able to manage something like that towards the end of this year! Now that I'm able to travel slightly more often, I think it should become an annual thing - maybe it'll be more successful than last year?
You know that I had to leave Florence under less than pleasant circumstances, of course - I didn't want to write until I had come to terms with what I had done. I left your friends gifts, you know. I do not wish to know whether they have since opened them or not, but I'm still a little upset about the fact that I departed on bad terms. I do not think I should ever try something like that again, after what happened, and even if it means we may not see each other for many years, we can always communicate by letter. I'm just so unsure what the others would think if I showed up again, say, next Christmas. I do not wish to cause any creature any more unnecessary distress, you see.
In any case, enough about me. How have you been getting on? You said you weren't going to leave Florence until early March - now, I know it will probably be five or six weeks before you receive this, but did that end up being the case? Did you enjoy the rest of your time there? Oh, and of course, as you will most likely be at sea by the time you receive this, what else have you and the crew of the Agamemnon been getting up to? How is your new role as Quartermaster's Mate treating you?
I've heard that Selvis's home country has been knocked out of the war, and that they are currently negotiating a peace treaty with Rosferia. These must be uncertain times for him, so I want you to ensure you're there for him, all right? Please find enclosed an extra pound to help you in deciding what his birthday gift will be - I don't know if you've already bought him something, but that should come in useful, if not!
Pastreus sends his regards. Give mine to Selvis, as well as Caden, Ladorak, Ocean, Alleline and all your other friends and acquaintances. I'll be thinking of you, and I know you'll do the same. You're not here with me in body, but you are in spirit.
Take care, Archie.
As it happened, Carrow had not yet chosen Selvis's present, and had let him know as such, but he knew that the longtail wouldn't mind so long as the mouse got him something, anything at all. He'd promised Selvis that he would, and Caden as well, though his 'new' birthday was toward the end of August, and the rodent liked to be able to keep his promises. Archie's gift would certainly be put to good use when the opportunity arose.
He was not thinking of any of these things at the moment, though. As the letter slipped out of his paw and landed softly upon the deck, the mouse sighed peacefully and let his eyes slide closed again. There was a nice, soothing atmosphere to where they now found themselves, and the field mouse had also had a good dinner, so he was feeling more than a little drowsy at this point, sitting in between two guns. He figured a short rest wouldn't do him any harm; after that, he'd go look for his friends.
He wasn't the only one catching some shuteye, as across from him, Evi Panettos was sound asleep. Some used their leisure time to catch up with their friends, play card games, and so on, but the hedgehog more often than not used it to catch up on his rest. He was rather comfortable, and didn't look like he'd be woken for anything. He was a creature who could be quite easily stirred at times, but so far, nothing had happened that could have woken him up.
--
The mouse and hedgehog were both very relaxed, but Selvis Frenata was about as far from relaxed as it was possible to get at this stage. He was becoming increasingly anxious over the situation between Rosferia and his home country. They were only negotiating a peace treaty, and not an alliance, much to his relief, but still, he was terribly unsure about what might happen next, and it was having a visible impact on him.
His appetite had seemingly become every bit as unpredictable as Carrow's, though he'd eaten just enough to keep him going over the last few days, and little more. The situation he now found himself in was getting to him, and it was impossible to hide. This was why he was currently seeking out Caden. Neither Carrow nor Evi had seemed awake enough to talk much when he'd passed them by, and the locations of any of his other companions were currently unknown, but he knew that talking to the albino pine marten would definitely do something to help his stress levels.
It was ironic that, at a time when the longtail was physically closer to home than he had been in almost two years, he felt more detached from his homeland than ever before. He was unable to set paw on Ferlusanian soil and unable to explore Port Mahon thanks to the fact that tensions were quite high between Ferlusan and Welkin, but knowing they were near Minorca was helping him cope, albeit only slightly. He sought solace in his friends more than anything else.
He reached the weather deck and made straight for the forecastle, as he knew this was the only part of the deck those who weren't on duty could be seen in. Caden, due to his albinism, was easy to spot when others needed him, and the longtail brightened up slightly when he sighted his friend. It was very hard to forget about his troubles, but he needed to do that somehow. He'd been drinking a little more frequently than usual, but that didn't seem to help very much either.
He yawned as he approached the pine marten. He'd tried not to let his sleeping pattern be affected by what was going on, but it had proved unavoidable. He didn't look tired, but he wasn't getting as much sleep as he should have been. He smiled a little as he joined Caden, sitting down next to his friend and sighing softly, though whether it was in contentment or frustration he himself couldn't tell. "That's a rather nice view, isn't it?," he said gently as he tried his best to get into a more relaxed position, before noticing the book. "What's that you're reading, mate?," he enquired, clearly intrigued.
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Post by Ladorak on May 15, 2012 17:50:22 GMT -5
Caden stirred a little, recognizing Selvis's voice immediately as he came out of the stupor he had been in. "Oh! Selvis!" Caden replied, yawning and stretching with his forearms over his head. "Heheh... didn't notice you approach. Yes... it is rather the magnificent view. You Ferlusanians sure have beautiful islands." he said, winking at the long-tailed weasel from behind his glasses.
"Oh... this?" he asked, gesturing at the book now. "Heh... nothing too special. 'The ways of seajackship and ship pawdling.' As you can see... nothing too stellar." the marten chuckled as he held the book up for Selvis to glimpse.
"Just... you know... studying away. I gotta take the exam in a few years... it's coming up faster than I thought, but I still have some time... unless of course Ladorak can pull some strings, and get me in earlier." he winked again, as such a thing was not completely uncommon in the navy. "Who ultimately knows? I'll just... keep at it, and I'm sure he won't surprise me... I'd love to have him sit on the review panel, but the way the list is shaping up... Ladorak is looking at promotion to admiral in another two years or so. That might change things. It'll certainly be good for him... when he can get his own large warship and also an independent command." the marten smiled as he thought of it now. Ladorak getting promoted... and who knew where they'd be headed to and what assignments they'd receive then! It went... blue, red, and white... or something.
No... wait... Caden thought this over a moment longer. Blue, white, and red, with red being the most senior of each rank for admiral. Ladorak would become rear admiral of the blue first, then white, then red, and so on and so forth as he rose through the ranks of vice and full admirals.
"You ever been there?" Caden asked his Ferlusanian companion now as he pointed out to sea at Minorca. "It's part of your territory, and I'm just wondering if you've ever visited Port Mahon... or indeed, any of the Balearic Islands. It certainly looks amazing!" the marten exclaimed, swiveling his head to look at the island again. "And of course... if you have... you'll have to tell me all about it." the albino added, smiling again.
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Post by Carrow on May 17, 2012 12:46:31 GMT -5
"It's rather relaxing out here, yes," Selvis responded with a chuckle of his own. "As for you noticing my approach, well, I tried to be as quiet as possible. Wanted to surprise you, you see," he said mischievously, grinning. "You did look rather at ease there. I suppose we all needed this bit of downtime, but we're making the most of it, it seems!" He was still smiling as Caden commented on the Ferlusanian islands. "We do indeed. I was excited about seeing Port Mahon, but even though that's not going to happen, we still have things like this," he said, stretching slightly.
Selvis nodded as Caden told him a little about his book, listening as the pine marten told him that he had his exam on his mind. It certainly seemed to the longtail that his friend was preparing as best he could for it. It was still two years away, but it was quite important and needed the right preparation. The weasel had hit a stumbling block in his efforts to study for his own Ship's Corporal assessment, however. He would normally do as much as he could for those, but his stress levels had been much higher than normal as of late, and he didn't feel like studying under those conditions. He needed a break for now.
"We shall have to see how things go, but in the meantime, yes... all you can really do is keep at it and do your absolute best in preparing for it. The time may be going by relatively fast, but you won't be taking it for another two years or so, so just keep doing what you're doing, is my advice. Of course, if Ladorak could get you in earlier, that'd be great too. And yes... actually, I've been thinking about how things might change if your guardian becomes an admiral. It would do him good, I think," he said, visibly excited by the prospect.
"I've been studying as much as I can for my shot at becoming Ship's Corporal, but my efforts have recently been overshadowed by... shall we say, other, rather unfortunate events," he said, his voice softening audibly. "I'm having difficulty dealing with the uncertainty of what might happen next, now that those Rosferians have brought my countrybeasts to the negotiating table. It's been affecting my concentration, so that's why I haven't been able to put as much into my work as I should be doing."
It was a slightly upsetting situation for him, but the weasel's ears perked up considerably when Caden asked him whether he had been to Port Mahon, or any of the Balearic Islands. He nodded slightly in response. "I've never been to Port Mahon, nor have I ever been to Menorca," he told his friend, opting to use the Ferlusanian name for the island, which was otherwise known as Minorca. Old habits did indeed die hard. "We didn't travel all that much, so I haven't seen all that much of the mainland, never mind our islands," he said with a small chuckle.
"However, I have been to Mallorca! Mum and I stayed there for a few days a few years ago. That was my 11th birthday present: a short getaway to finally see one of the Balearic Islands! We finally chose Mallorca, but I could just as easily have gone to Menorca for a while; it's a shame that I missed out on Port Mahon, but well, you can't win them all. From what I saw of it, it was very nice. We spent most of our time in Palma, a place which has a very interesting history.
"It was founded by the Romans, but when their empire fell, it suffered a number of sackings by the Vandals. It was later reconquered by the Byzantine, before being colonised by the Moors... and then it was properly established by James I of Aragón in the 13th century! You may know that Mallorca itself was frequently attacked by the Barbary corsairs in the 16th century, along with the rest of the Balearic Islands. The place has certainly had a turbulent history!," he said with a smile and small shake of his head, before falling silent so Caden could jump in if he wished.
--
Carrow had spent the previous few moments having a rather comfortable snooze, but he was soon awake. There was no use in simply laying here all afternoon. He wasn't tired; he had instead felt so relaxed that he'd dropped off for a short while. This was something the mouse had become used to whilst he had been in Archie's care, of course, though it was usually in a rather different context. Everything around him just felt so peaceful that he'd been unable to resist closing his eyes. He'd needed something like that.
Now was the time to get things done, though. He knew some of his companions would be about in various places, but he wanted to check in with Alleline, in particular. He didn't get to spend as much time with his friends as he would have liked, in any case, but he and the monitor lizard hadn't spoken for any great length in a while, and he wondered what Alleline was doing at that moment. He stood up, folding Archie's letter and putting it in his pocket before starting his search for Alleline.
He knew that Ocean and Scharnhorst would possibly be around somewhere as well, but if they were on the weather deck then they'd need to be near the forecastle, as they weren't allowed anywhere else on that deck whilst on leisure time. There was a good chance he'd run into Caden and Selvis too, and the field mouse was quite pleased about this; he'd be able to catch up with all of his companions. He reckoned that it was about time he had an opportunity to do so. First, though, he wanted to speak to the lizard.
He had been thinking about learning to play cards recently; just a random thought which had stuck with him. He'd never really been able to do much of that back home, and he hadn't properly put into practice the little he had learned with Archie, so it was as though, were he to resume those investigations now, he would be starting from scratch. He didn't mind that, though; he knew Selvis could do card tricks, but had never asked him or Caden about actual games.
He was quite sure Alleline was into that sort of thing, however, so that was another reason why the field mouse wanted to touch base with the reptile. It wasn't long before he had spotted Alleline. Lo and behold, the monitor was currently playing cards! This was fortuitous, because Carrow had been wanting to learn for a little while, but was only just now getting around to it. Today would be a good start.
The lizard was sitting down, and the mouse joined him, giving him a broad smile. There was something about the current atmosphere that surrounded the ship that seemed to be rubbing off on him and making him feel generally good. "Hello there, Alleline!," he said brightly. "Heh, couldn't help but notice that you seem to be enjoying yourself there," he commented with a small chuckle. "How have you spent your downtime today?," he asked curiously. "I almost fell asleep, due to how peaceful it is at the moment, but I pulled myself out of that and instead decided to come see you," he told his companion, tail wrapping around his footpaws slightly to indicate he was quite relaxed.
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Post by Ladorak on May 17, 2012 15:23:47 GMT -5
Caden paused as he took a minute to listen to what Selvis had to say. He shook his head, a smile crossing his features from where before they had been rather serious. "Actually Selvis... not two years, unless as I said Ladorak can squeeze me in earlier. Normally, midshipjacks aren't eligible to test until they reach the age of twenty... so that's another five years and then some for me." he winked from behind his glasses again. "I DO however feel confident that Ladorak is going to get me in before that... and hopefully he can sit on my review panel too... but if not... I'll just pull out all the stops to impress whichever three captains will be grilling me... so to speak." he chuckled.
Caden once more became serious though, his features falling a little as he listened to Selvis relate his woes. Ah yes... of course. The ongoing negotiations. Caden had heard that the Mordenzers were negotiating as well... if they allied with Rosferia, then the lineup could change in terms of the naval contest going on. Mordenz could contribute 47 warships to the struggle, thus bringing the Rosferians damn near close to even with the Welkinites. No real word on what Ferlusan was doing, but an alliance seemed highly unlikely at this juncture. Mordenz was only allying with Rosferia because they too had underwent a revolution, and now shared many of Rosferia's ideals.
Nodding, he frowned sympathetically. "Well I understand that. I'm sure it's weighing on your mind rather a lot... but then again, we aren't usually traditional allies anyway, and the only reason we were was because of the relatives between Rosferia's throne and yours being threatened. Welkin is... fighting for different reasons than Ferlusan. But hey... maybe it's good they're dropping out. War can't be positive for any nation for too long... though I have to admit... certainly keeps me employed." Caden said, sticking out his tongue. "Still though... maybe some peace for your homeland is a good thing."
He was rather surprised to hear that Selvis had never actually been to Minorca... but maybe it wasn't so shocking as he originally thought. Not having traveled much throughout the mainland certainly put things into perspective. Now that he thought about it... he hadn't really traveled much throughout Welkin either... lack of time and... the mostly bucolic lifestyle he'd led since being adopted by Ladorak hadn't lent itself to much traveling. Selvis was probably the same. If you weren't nobility, you generally didn't travel much. Welkin was an exception to this, as it had a large middle class, unlike most of the continent (with the exception of a few places like Rosferia), but even then, one mostly traveled for work and couldn't afford to do more.
Caden's ears perked up now though, as he heard that Selvis HAD in fact been to the big island, Majorca. Or Mallorca as the Ferlusanians said it. Majorca held particular interest for the albino, as he knew the capital was located there, and indeed, Selvis had been to Palma as well. While Majorca was not currently visible on the horizon, Caden knew it was out there, off Minorca's western shores.
Caden smiled as well as Selvis brought in the history of the place. "Hah... yes! I would imagine the Moors settled the place, though were driven out a lot earlier than I would have expected! I guess it was only the southern portion of Ferlusan that held out for so long." the albino commented, shaking his head. "The Alhambra and all that. The Barbary Pirates were a rather large threat back then too, yes, but have since been mostly brought under control." he commented, knowing it was of course far from over in regards to the Barbary States.
"So what about Palma itself? How did you find that?" He asked, curious as to what the large island was like.
As Carrow had been musing about cards, it would do Selvis good to know Caden had been practicing, though the long tailed weasel DID in fact know that tidbit, as Caden had been showing him and slowly learning. While he was far from adept at this point, he was getting the basics down at least.
Alleline meanwhile was engaged in different sort of "game." Hunched over a barrel in between guns, the monitor had a look of intense concentration on his face. He sat with three others, playing a variant on whist, with tricks being put down and of course, no bets being placed, as gambling was strictly illegal on the ship. The master-at-arms or one of the corporals would walk by every so often just to ensure that nothing was being exchanged.
Alleline looked up as Carrow approached, his concentration broken temporarily. "Uh yes, hello there, Mr. Apodemus, sir." Alleline nodded, throwing a small salute. "Nothing out of the ordinary here. Just a regular card game." he muttered, not sure if Carrow was looking for gambling or not. He frowned and shook his head thoughtfully. "Only been on break a half hour or so. Done nothing but play cards in that time." he explained. "Might quit soon though." he added, looking up at the mouse.
"What exactly is it that you needed to see me about, sir?" he asked, unsure if there was an issue that needed to be addressed. He was a little uneasy, but was also curious as well. The mouse didn't seem to be on about discipline, after all. He seemed like his usual cheery self if anything. That was a bit of a relief at least. As far as the goanna knew... he hadn't done anything to violate the ship's rules, but it paid to be careful, all the same.
The other players, an otter, hare, and mouse, all looked up, nodded at the quartermaster's mate, and shifted their attention back to the game, hoping of course they weren't in trouble, and trying to remain inconspicuous. Card games always fell under suspicion on ships after all, so they were being careful not to draw too much attention to themselves.
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Post by Carrow on May 19, 2012 9:47:56 GMT -5
"Oh... right. I didn't know that," Selvis responded with a sheepish sort of smile, rubbing the back of his neck with a paw. Why had he thought it was two years? Maybe he had just forgotten... the way things had been going recently, probably so. All the stress he had been having to pawdle as of late was causing him to forget the simplest of things. "Five years, then... sorry about that. Anyway, whatever happens, I'm sure you'll give it your all, because a lot of creatures, your friends included, will be expecting that of you," he said, winking back at Caden.
He listened as the albino marten gave his opinion on the new realities that his home country had to face. "I can imagine it being a stressful enough time for my parents, too. I don't know what they think of all this yet, as I haven't read the letter I got from them, but I suppose I'll see soon. You're right when you say that war can't be good for any nation for too long, but there was a kind of certainty there for us that isn't really there anymore. We as a nation have bowed out of the war, but we can't say what's coming next, simply because we don't know. We probably need a period of peacetime, as you said, but still...." He let that sentence hang in the air, a thoughtful look on his features.
He smiled when Caden responded to his mini-history lesson on Mallorca, and brightened up again when asked how Palma had been. "It was rather good for me; even though we didn't even stay there for a week, I left with fond memories of the place. As we went in June, it wasn't too hot, so that meant we could appreciate things more. If we'd gone in August, it would have been a lot more difficult to get around, because temperatures regularly go into the low 100s then. The city itself was rather busy, too, which helped the atmosphere a lot. There are some great attractions there, and we went to see a few of those.
For example, did you know that Palma has the distinction of having the first circular castle on the entire continent? It's called Bellver Castle, built in 1311 century for King James II of Majorca. We went there, and enjoyed the experience immensely, which I had expected to, because I had read before we left that Bellver was one of only a few of its kind in Europe. The name 'Bellver' means 'lovely view' in ancient Catalan, and there is certainly one of those from its roof! We looked over the city and the bay from up there! That's a sight I won't forget any time soon!," he exclaimed with a grin.
"Speaking of tourist attractions, what did you think of the Leaning Tower that we saw a few weeks ago? I have to admit that that was the last thing I was expecting Ladorak to take us to see, but it was a tremendous sight! I'd read a little about it, but seeing it for real was something else entirely! I rather enjoyed that particular trip to Calgary, mainly because we got so much done," the longtail said with a small chuckle. "How about yourself?," he asked his pine marten friend.
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Carrow returned the salute with a smile, nodding at his reptile companion. "Well, card games, whether they involve gambling or are merely 'regular', as you put it, are always good, but as you know, the former are forbidden on ships. In any case, I'm fairly certain you would all know better than to risk contravening Ship's Law, and I don't see any gambling going on here, so you can all relax on that front. I'm not over here to look for it, anyway, certainly not with creatures as reputable as the four of you," he said with a chuckle, before continuing.
"I didn't really need to 'see you' about anything, Alleline," the mouse responded to the monitor lizard's query, the smile returning to his lips. "I was merely planning on checking in and seeing how you are, as we haven't been able to chat as much as I would like recently." The rodent was curious about something, too. "I know there's been gun training going on at some point since we had that battle in March - are you still involved in that? I know you weren't ready to serve on the crew a few months ago, but how are you faring now?," he asked, still smiling.
It would do Selvis good to have another of his friends on the crew - fates knew he needed as many creatures there for him as possible, and Carrow couldn't be there as much as he would have liked to. Besides, he had his own worries, even though he was trying not to let them show. He was unsure what was going on with Tally; he hadn't seen her very much either since they'd sailed a week and a half ago. He had heard that Molly might be unfit for life at sea, too; her injury had worsened to the point that she would probably need to be sent back home. Would she take her mouse charge with her?
His eyes were once again drawn to the card game that was being played. He was still smiling, and looking rather relaxed about things, too. He noted the body language of the others, and couldn't resist commenting on it. "There's no need to worry, honestly; I know gambling is outlawed on this vessel, but as said, I can see that none of you are doing any of that, and I'd be the last creature to condemn regular card games. In fact, I should very much like to learn how to play some!," he exclaimed.
"It's fortunate for me that I should find you playing cards, Alleline," he informed the lizard. "It's not really something I've had much opportunity to do before, but it's definitely something that I'd like to try my paw at sometime... so... if none of you mind...," he said slowly, easing himself into a sitting position and placing his paws by his sides, "I'd like to observe things for a little while. Perhaps I can learn a few things along the way!," the rodent said eagerly.
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Post by Ladorak on May 21, 2012 10:43:00 GMT -5
"Well, it wasn't like you were fighting for any territorial gains or anything." the albino reminded the weasel. "Ferlusan was simply trying to restore the monarchy... and as said, our nations are not traditionally allies. To top that off, Rosferia has only really taken portions of Catalan in its invasion... they wouldn't be able to gain more concessions from any treaty signing, IF they gain any territory at all." he pointed out. "I don't think Ferlusan stands to lose much if anything from this from peace."
The albino's eyes widened here at the mention of how hot it got in Palma. "Low 100s?" he asked, disbelieving. "Sheesh! Makes me glad we aren't sailing off this island in August. Or at least... I hope we won't be." He said now, shaking his head. "That's crazy. I guess Crittenden can get that way too, though." he commented.
Caden found the bit about Bellver Castle to be exactly his cup of tea. "The FIRST you say? Well then... it's sounding like Majorca is definitely a spot I'd like to see more and more now. Ugh... too bad we can't see the island from here..." He said, looking in Minorca's direction, but seeing nothing but empty ocean beyond. "So close... and yet so far." he chuckled. "Since there is no King of Majorca now, I assume the castle is used for defense? Or possibly a prison... such old castles usually are converted for such things... unless it's still a royal residence if your king ever visits the island." Caden speculated aloud.
Caden remained cheery as Selvis brought up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. "Ah yes! Pisa!" he exclaimed, pink eyes flashing as he remembered it. "Now THAT was quite the sight! That's something I've read so much about in history books and the like, and have always wanted to see it... but I never thought Ladorak would take us out there!" He nodded happily.
"It certainly was worth seeing." Pisa was not yet the tourist trap it would become by the 20th Century. It had been rather quiet and remote there, in fact when they visited. "I enjoyed it immensely, and was quite pleased that Ladorak had decided to take us out there. Actually seeing something so famous in person... it kind of fuels your desire for travel, doesn't it?" he asked, smiling at the weasel. "Most CERTAINLY makes me glad I joined the navy all right."
He paused now, thinking about something further. "Hey Selvis... I know we're not exactly close to this port, as we're a bit further north but... you ever been to Cartagena?" he asked now. "That's Ferlusan's main naval base in the Mediterranean, and from what I know, they have at least half of their fleet stationed there. Ever visited?" he asked. "Of course... you living at their main Atlantic base would be sufficient enough." he chuckled. "Seeing all those ships all the time... all those three deckers too." he smiled again, closing his eyes and remembering what their sojourn in Crittenden had been like. Forests of masts... old castles... a city on the sea. He'd very much like to stop there on the way home to Welkin... whenever that would be.
"Ah yes." the goanna replied, nodding. "Aye, I'm learning the ways of the gun rather well." he stated. "I'm becoming a lot more confident with it on my feet, and feel I'm ready for whenever I'd be assigned to one. As of right now, aren't any openings though." he shook his head, eyes closed. "We didn't lose anyone thankfully in that last battle, but that means I'll still be working aloft in combat." he said, opening his eyes to look at the mouse now. "I'll just be waiting and hoping for an improvement on that end... without of course wishing ill on my fellow crew." he said, nodding.
The others seemed to relax a bit when they heard that the quartermaster's mate was not in fact out to bust up their game. They nodded amongst themselves and resumed playing.
"Well yes... feel free." the goanna offered. "This game is for four players only, however, so once it's done, you can jump in if one of us gets up to leave... though this may be my last game for now, anyway." he informed the rodent. "When one isn't having consistent luck, it's better to walk away." he said, looking around him at the others. "Admittedly it's not my favorite pastime either, which is why I'm probably going to make this my last for the day." he explained.
"Have to say..." he said in a lower tone as the next "trick" was started. "My respect for Captain Fugate has only grown. We made it through that battle with none killed... and I think every bit of that has to do with the captain. Employed those tactics that really gave us an edge... he's something else, ain't he?" he asked the mouse, putting his card down as the game moved around the "table."
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Post by Carrow on May 22, 2012 12:25:40 GMT -5
"Yes, that's good, at least," Selvis said with a small sigh, "but I don't really feel capable of getting past the uncertain position that these new developments leave my country in. I must say, though... if you'd allow me to be perfectly honest for a moment... that I don't really see Ferlusan as 'my country' anymore. I feel more like an honourary Welkinite than anything else at this point," he revealed to his pine marten friend. "It's... quite difficult to explain; I'll tell you more about it when I'm sure I know what I'm on about," he said, smiling a little, though he was still finding it tough to cope with the complexities of his situation.
"We'll have to wait and see where we are, or even what we're involved in, come August, but I think you'll find, in a few months when things really start heating up around here - literally speaking at least," he said with a wink, "that you've become more used to higher temperatures. The first real experience of abnormal heat for most of the crew was on Calvi last year, but I don't think it'll be too difficult to pawdle this time around," he assured his friend. "Crittenden can certainly be like that at times, yes, but one will become adjusted to those sort of conditions over time. It's a natural thing."
The mustelid's blue eyes gleamed a bit as tis companion wondered about the circular castle's purpose. "Bellver is being used as a prison, in fact," he informed Caden, "and has spent most of its existence as one. I believe it was first used for that purpose in the mid-14th century. It made for quite a spectacle for that reason, amongst others, as I can't really say I'd ever been given a tour around a prison before. Was certainly an eye-opener for me," he commented, relaxing a little more as Caden let him know his thoughts on Pisa. Even though the issue of his country's situation was still coming up here and there, simply standing around and talking was helping to calm the weasel down.
He let the pine marten talk for a while, only speaking when he was spoken to, as he'd noticed his companion become particularly animated when the topic of Pisa was brought up. "Well, it seems to me that the sight of the Tower must definitely have resonated with you, to hear you talk now!," Selvis exclaimed with a hearty chuckle. "My desire for travel didn't need much fuelling, really," he quipped, once again winking at Caden, "but yes, I can certaintly see what you mean. We've seen some great sights on our travels so far, and seeing something like the Leaning Tower makes me think that there are plenty more to come!"
Selvis smiled when asked if he had ever been to Cartagena, but once again was only able to answer in the negative. "As much as I'd like to say I have, I unfortunately have not. I'd like to someday, though. It was nice seeing all those ships in Crittenden, but Cartagena would be quite a step up in that respect. I seem to recall seeing a number of impresed faces when the crew visited Crittenden two years back, and I definitely remember you being quite taken aback by all those sights. I'm not surprised at all, because things like that are some of the fondest memories I'll take from that place," he admitted, smiling in a sort of wistful manner.
--
"I'm glad to hear you're doing well in training. Would that I were able to be there to see you work, but well... I have my own duties to attend to," he said, voice softening. His current line of work meant that he missed out on his friends' achievements in training and in battle, but on the upside he was quite enjoying his work with the Quartermasters, even if there were still some times where he felt quite awkward and self-conscious in their presence. He'd been feeling like that on and off for a while recently, but had mostly kept it to himself.
"Yes, you'll most likely be aloft whenever we have our next encounter, but you never know; your chance may yet come sooner than you're anticipating," he said, brightening up a little and smiling. "I know you're not fond of working aloft in battle, because of the exposed position you're left in, but the way I see it, it seems to add an extra bit of thrill to the skirmishes. Maybe if I weren't so uncomfortable with heights, it sounds like the sort of thing I would like," he told his goanna friend.
The field mouse was unable to suppress a smile when he saw the other mouse, hare and otter resume their activites, keeping an ear out for what Alleline had to say. "I wasn't planning on jumping in right away, regardless; I don't know how quickly I'd pick something like that up, and I may not want to risk trying others' patience," he admitted, blushing slightly. "And yes, one has to know when one is beaten," he concurred with Alleline's point. "Whatever else you get up to, I reckon I'd like to spend some time with you, so we'll see where things lead," he said, nodding.
Carrow's sensitive ears twitched slightly as Alleline lowered his voice, and he smiled broadly as the monitor lizard praised Ladorak's decisions in their previous battle. He had hit the nail on the head with his comment; there was no way they could have done what they did without a creature like Ladorak at the helm. He nodded enthusiastically in response, watching the progress of the card game and thinking for a moment about his reply.
There was an audible tone of awe in his voice when he did respond. Ladorak's stature had increased significantly in his eyes in the wake of their last skirmish. "Yes, I know! The gun crews did a tremendous job too, but it was all thanks to him that we sustained so few casualties. I didn't get to see his actions at first paw on the second day of the battle, as I was up on the poop deck, but he certainly did a great job, and he strikes me now, as he has so many other times in the past, as a rather special Captain!"
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Post by Ladorak on May 23, 2012 11:45:16 GMT -5
"Well it just means they won't be fighting the war anymore. As said, could be a lot worse, like them being subjugated, but the Rosferians really didn't make any massive gains on their front either. I'd say you're good. And..." he paused to smile now. "You pretty much ARE a Welkinite, because you have to serve our nation in the event of war between your country and ours... not that that seems likely either." he said, shaking his head. "Just saying."
The weather was brought up as well, and Caden didn't feel like he'd be better acclimated to it this time around either. Calvi was the worst... and he never wanted to experience that again. Selvis was used to it with time but... Caden would probably need a few more years to adjust.
"Wow..." Caden said. Given a tour of a prison... that must've been a rarity... and perhaps a somewhat gruesome tour in some instances. He briefly wondered why Selvis had agreed to tour such a place outright but... maybe the weasel was curious about reality and how it worked behind bars. Couldn't exactly fault him for that, after all.
He DID however nod happily at the mention of Pisa having been worth it, and how they'd most likely be seeing even more sights with time. Oh yes... that was a guarantee. No matter where they went, Caden wanted to soak it in. He was also pleased that Selvis was going to take his memory of their sojourn in Crittenden with him wherever he went. THAT was good at least... as he was seeming... strangely alienated from his home as of late... but likewise, Caden dreaded ever seeing his own "home" again, though he doubted Selvis was like that. If he ever DID visit... he'd want Ladorak and a very well armed ship behind him as well. That place... still occasionally gave him nightmares.
It was then that nearby pawsteps caused him to swivel his head from his sitting position, and he looked behind the foremast at the approaching creature. It turned out to be Ocean Sleet, smiling at them as he arrived, and holding out a letter for Caden. "Greetings, chaps. Stopped by the purser's earlier, and this was for you." he said, pawing over the envelope. "Asked me to deliver it if I saw you... finally managed to track you down."
Caden eagerly took the letter as Ocean sat down with his back on the larboard side of the foremast, thus behind Selvis, but somewhat off to Caden's extreme left (Caden was facing the bow after all, with Selvis on his right, and Ocean to larboard). Sliding a claw down its length, he slit the envelope and slid the letter out, unfolding it, and making sure it didn't blow away, as it was rather windy out here.
"It's from Constantine! A little over two months' turnaround... not too bad... but he must be close by. Aha yep... he's in Coburg! Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to be more precise. He's just met his future wife... the fiancee his grandmother's arranged for him. He's..." his pink eyes moved back and forth as he read the letter. "Unfortunately not very impressed with her. He doesn't really want to get married, as he's just turned 16, after all. Doesn't want to be tied down quite yet. His wedding is scheduled for next year." the marten related to them.
"Hmmm... he's exceptionally jealous of us for having seen our second fleet battle, and our first one with our home fleet. He agrees that Admiral Hotham could've been more aggressive, and is particularly praising of Captain Fugate's actions. Says our captain really saw us through, and that he'd make..." Caden snorted as he tried to hold back a giggle now. "A better admiral than Hotham... but I don't think I shall be repeating that aloud again, heheh." he said, chortling.
"Moving on... yes, he says he's extremely envious, reiterating that, and he hopes to see combat in another two or so years himself, when he comes of age, though his country is not currently at war either. His grandmother is remaining... quiescent about the whole Rosferian Revolution thing, though they've been focusing on Kradowska lately as well. Dividing it up with Kostritz and Gradvar. He hopes to be our ally very soon though in this war, and is burning inside that his nation hasn't yet joined us in our fight." He frowned and nodded understandingly at this. "Yeah... I can see that."
"Heheh... he included some Delornian for me to learn... so I'm gonna try and learn it and write back to him in Common, and hopefully in Delornian by the end of the year, if not sooner. According to this... he's explaining why his grandmother speaks with a German accent... his great-grandmother was exiled from the court by Empress Elizabeth for spying on Delorn for the Gradvarian throne... and thus, his grandmother grew up in Gradvar, but was actually well liked by Elizabeth, and was invited back into the country later on, but knew not a word of Delornian. She thus had to learn it from scratch, though she still has a German accent." he shook his head, smiling as he pictured it all.
"She was married to a Gradvarian... and named as Elizabeth's heir, along with her husband. Though I guess Peter, her husband, was too Gradvarian for her tastes. Wow... yeah I see why he likes to distance himself from his family. Talk about... intrigues and all that." he said, eyes widening now. "I had heard that Empress Catherine actually assassinated her own husband for BEING too pro-Gradvarian but... Constantine doesn't make any mention of that." he said, shaking his head again. "Sounds like a real family drama here with the Romanovs."
"Glad to hear from him, all the same. Heheh, I guess I'll comment on his family history... as he's got quite a bit of it it seems." he tapped the letter with the back of his paw now, holding it tight so it wouldn't blow away.
The goanna grated his teeth as he thought of it. "Thrill yes... but exposed too. Don't want THAT kind of thrill in battle, I think. Plus, I know if the mast falls, I'm dead." He said, shaking his head. "Though I guess... could hang on... might increase my chances... heard it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be... depends really." he said, shrugging. "Would rather not find out, either way."
"No worries, mate. I'll teach you, sometime." he said, nodding. He brightened up though, smiling crookedly at Carrow's mention of Ladorak being a special captain. "Aye... he's certainly that. Just SEEING what he did... I always want to serve under him now... as I'm sure most of the crew on this vessel do... but I want to be one of the first to step up to volunteer for another posting with him if he transfers." the goanna stated emphatically.
He was able to take the cards of this particular trick, as he'd won, but he knew he lacked high cards, as his hand was crummy, and didn't expect to get much more out of this game. He knew where the rest of the cards lay. Grumbling a little, he shook his head, then spread his cards out face down on the barrel. "I'm done for now." He said, getting up to stretch, and being careful not to knock his head on the low overhead ceiling.
"Well then, young master Apodemus... I'm done with this bout. How do you like our new station, eh? Certainly seems to sit well with me at least, me being cold-blooded and all." he chuckled. "That's why I enjoy drawing the kind of outdoor work we do around here. Much better for my body, ultimately." He cracked a smile here down at the mouse, and began walking aft.
Ladorak was standing on his stern balcony behind his cabin, a paw resting on the railing as he inhaled the sea air slowly through his nostrils. He was alone again... but no major surprise there. He was cursed whenever it came to relationships. Third time had most certainly not been the charm. But maybe it was better this way...
He was molting now, and well on his way to his summer coat. The stoat was getting his brown back in nicely, and it was almost there, though the white still held sway over more than half his body at present. It would be gone soon enough. Servants were coming in daily to sweep up his cabin from all the fur he was shedding.
With the departure of his mate, the ship had also seen a few others take their leave. Spender Cielciosk had been discharged at Personza as completely unfit for duty. Willard Waters had been sent back to Welkin in chains for his disloyalty. He faced a prison sentence of four years, to make up for the four he had yet to serve out of the six he'd enlisted for. It saddened the stoat.. but it also had to be done. Admiral Hotham had concurred when Ladorak had sought his advice on the matter. "Send the weasel back... he'll face justice there, Fugate." the capybara had said. Thinking on Willard and Castrigg however... that got him thinking about another particular weasel... and what it was she was currently doing. What were they ALL doing? Many of "them" were probably no longer alive.
The Imperium was relatively close by, being off Calgary's coast and all... but the Welkinite Navy had no business there whatsoever. Besides... if they ever did need to go there, Ladorak expected resistance to be minimal. He was still in communication with the general who was planning the coup, and the fellow was patiently waiting for the day when Welkin's navy would sail into the harbor and create enough chaos for him to launch his uprising. Was there anyone even worth saving from that pit? Ladorak could think of precious few... though there was a potential one...
Opening his eyes, he studied the rest of the fleet. Soon... they'd be a lot more numerous. Once Admiral Robert Man showed up... they'd have even more ships, and would no longer be outnumbered by the Rosferians. Oh what he wouldn't give to be aboard one of those fine Ferlusanian three deckers now! They sailed as fine as any frigate, and he was certain they would be able to match speed with the Agamemnon. The only one he'd gottan aboard had been the Purisima Concepcion... but you could forget about that one, as far as he was concerned. Langara no longer even used it as his flagship, as it was apparently a bad sailer. Her sister, San Jose, was the better of the two. Langara himself was using the Reina Luisa now, which he'd used at Toulon. It had acquitted itself well a few months ago, having captured a Rosferian frigate in a chase near Roses. A FRIGATE being caught by a three decker...
Drumming his claws on the railing, Ladorak contemplated which of the three deckers he'd like for his own. Hmmm.... they were all beautiful, and most were sister ships, with a few exceptions. Almost all had been constructed by Romero Landa. Ladorak had been rather drawn to the Mexicano as of late, for whatever reason. She had been funded by the citizens and governor of Mexico, and hence her name.
Smiling to himself, the monocled stoat pushed off from the rail and walked back into his cabin. A steward was standing there, nodding slightly at him as he approached. "Sir! Package for you! From the Orient, sir!" the young fellow said rather insistently, clearly impressed that Ladorak was able to order something from so far away.
"Aha! Excellent!" he said, rubbing his paws. He'd been expecting a package from the far east! His contact that he'd met back on Personza had put in a special order for him, and the stoat gratefully accepted the package, thanking the steward for his time. Good thing it hadn't sunk on the voyage here! Placing it upon his desk, he began to undo the wrapping, grinning as he tore the paper away.
Underneath rested a wooden box, typical of the Asian style. It was made of a rich rosewood, and this particular breed hailed from Southeast Asia. Opening the lid, the stoat's face lit up as he marveled at the two hook swords within. Known as Fu Tao or Shuang Gou, they were said to date to the Song Dynasty, which happened to be Ladorak's favorite. They were an interesting breed of weapon, and were always sold in pairs.
Consisting in reality of several different types of weapon rolled into one, hook swords comprised the: back of the blade, which could be used as a regular sword, the hook at the end of each, which was a potent weapon in and of itself, the bottom of the hilts, which acted as daggers, and the crescent shaped sword guard which could be used for parrying and slashing. The best part was, you could loosely link them together, and form one large hook sword out of them.
Removing them from the case, Ladorak chuckled as he hefted them, the silvery steel glinting in the light as he held them in a combat stance. Yes... they would suit just fine! An excellent addition to his arsenal! While he loved the Midlight Hammer, these would be convenient in more enclosed spaces, where one did not have the luxury of wielding a broadsword.
Ladorak had gotten the idea ever since Caden's abduction in Tunis, when he'd been forced to fight in the cramped confines of that Tunisian castle. These would do very well for other such instances.
Inside the box was a note, the scrawling all very familiar to the mustelid. "With compliments Mr. Director. May your blades always be swift and sharp. - The Black Wind"
Smirking to himself, the stoat placed the hook swords back into the box, and picked up the note. He proceeded to rip it up into tiny shreds, tearing it slowly and methodically before walking back over to the balcony and tossing the fragments into the wind out the stern of the ship. He had left no fragment large enough to piece any particular word together, and watched with satisfaction as they were taken by the wind and blown ever downward into the sea.
Oh yes... he was the Director, all right. He smiled once more, this time in a warm fashion. Serving his nation and protecting those dearest to him... there was truly no greater purpose in life.
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Post by Carrow on May 25, 2012 20:07:05 GMT -5
"Yes, I suppose I am," Selvis said with a smile. "I have to admit that I'm feeling like I'm closer to Welkin than Ferlusan at this point in time. It's just something that seems to have occurred naturally. And well, I know I do," he responded with a chuckle, knowing his friend hasn't meant anything by that remark. "I had certain terms presented to me before I signed up, after all, and that was one of them. The fact that I would have to do that doesn't bother me - I've come to terms with it over time - but other things, well... they've been more difficult to pawdle.
"I'm managing as best I can, though. I know I don't need to worry about it so much, but I'm just unable to escape it sometimes," he told his pine marten friend. He brightened up again though when Caden reacted to his mention of being toured around Bellver Castle. It had certainly been unusual circumstances under which he had agreed to pay the place a visit, but he had immensely enjoyed the experience all the same.
The weasel was surprised to see Ocean appear, and he beamed at him. The longtail had been wondering where his fellow mustelid had been, but now it seemed he had come to deliver a letter to Caden. He knew almost instinctively from whom the letter had come, and he was in fact quite excited to hear from that particular creature. He waited until Caden opened the letter and confirmed his suspicions before properly reacting, but he was quite relieved to hear from the Delornian mink. He knew how agonising it could be to wait on letters, after all.
He was still smiling as he peered at the letter, but Caden started to read its contents anyway, and Selvis was pleased to hear that the Delornian was close by. It meant he wouldn't be too far out of reach when Caden decided to write him. He frowned thoughtfully when the subject of arranged marriages was brought up. "Of course. Even if it weren't arranged, I think something like that would still be too soon, but well, best of luck to him with that," he said good-naturedly.
He let Caden continue relating the contents of the letter, and had to try very, very hard to keep himself from laughing outright when the issue of Hotham (as it was certainly becoming an issue, at least in his eyes) was brought up. "We can just agree amongst ourselves on that point," he said in a mock-conspiratorial fashion, before chuckling as it was stressed that Constantine was envious of them. He nodded in understanding when Caden mentioned the mink's desire to become involved in the war. "So can I, and I would definitely like to have somebeast like him on our side!"
He smiled when Caden revealed his Delornian-related ambitions. "That's a good thing to aim for, I think. He certainly does well enough with your language, so I'm glad you're going to try and make the effort with his," he told the pine marten, still smiling, and stroking his chin thoughtfully when he heard about the mink's grandmother, unable to hide his surprise when he heard a little more about Constantine's family history.. "Hmm, that's quite an interesting situation they're in, and no mistake! Sounds quite dramatic too, yes...," he murmured. "I think you should ask him whatever you can about it; I know I would, if I were in your position. It'd make me quite curious!"
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"Of course not, I would feel the exact same way if I were in your position," Carrow responded. "No doubt you would hang on for all you were worth, and you've already proven yourself to be a powerful creature, in any case, but yes, something like that is best avoided. I'm sure it can be thrilling for all sorts of reasons, but being aloft like that carries its fair share of both risk and reward. You may yet get a breakthrough as regards your efforts to join the gun crew, though, and well, perhaps you could look at it this way: wouldn't you rather build up your confidence as much as possible before anything else occurrs?," he asked with a smile.
The mouse had of course been able to do that himself, but as it happened, on the night of their first battle, his nerves had been shot, and he'd swapped places with Ocean; that had worked out well enough for him. The rodent nodded also as Alleline gave him an affirmative response as regarded his interest in learning to play cards. "That's great! I'm already looking forward to learning from you, whenever that may be!," he said enthusiastically.
"I know, it was an impressive enough sight on its own, heheh," he replied, referring to Ladorak's choice of tactics during their last battle. "Even if I didn't fully understand the ins-and-outs of it at the time, I've been learning since then, and can understand more of such things now, which is a better situation than I honestly thought I'd be in at this stage," he admitted. "And yes, I'm hoping I'll be able to commit as soon as possible, should he get the opportunity to transfer. That'll be quite exciting for all of us!"
The rodent fell silent as he saw Alleline return his attention to the game, watching for a while as he saw the lizard win his hand. The field mouse was quite far from understanding the rules of most card games, but he found that he quite enjoyed the spectacle of watching this one. Alleline won the hand, but then decided to call it a day. Carrow smiled; this meant that the two of them would be able to spend some more time together.
The mouse was still smiling as he was referred to as 'young master'. He always liked things like that, for some reason he couldn't quite figure out... and was still not fully used to being called 'sir', even if he was growing into it, so to speak. "Very well, we'll see what else we can do," he responded, quite in the mood for a walk-and-talk. He nodded when the goanna mentioned how it suited him better. "Yes, it's certainly warmer up here, usually, though the fact that we find ourselves in sunnier climes definitely helps.
"I'm glad that things are more comfortable for you up here; you certainly can't afford to feel sluggish whilst training at the guns, so I can certainly see why the upper gun deck would suit you more. As for me, I think the new station suits rather well! Outdoor work is always the best kind of work to be doing, I think, especially with the kind of weather that's in it. Most of the time, I have to stay in the one place for hours on end, too, so I rather like being out in the open air!"
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