|
Post by Ladorak on Jun 14, 2012 10:54:38 GMT -5
Selvis's had heard right. The Portuguese had contributed nominally to the war, mostly fighting during the actual invasion of Ferlusan itself. They had sent a few units to the Battle of the Black Mountain, under Joao Forbes, who of course was really John Forbes, a Scot in Portuguese service. They had been defeated like the rest of the Ferlusanian units that day, and had returned to Portugal afterward.
The marten nodded, and returned the weasel's salute as he approached. "You are correct." he said. "I have of course tried to conceal that little fact... not that I'm ashamed of it in the slightest... I've long since lost my Portuguese accent, as you can tell." He said, speaking with a very pronounced Welkinite tongue. "That takes time, in case you're wondering. As I've been serving on Welkinite ships for oh... close to fourteen years, one definitely learns to adapt to those around him."
"Hmm... why did I enlist in Welkin's navy? Well... I wanted a change, I suppose. I served for a time in the Portuguese merchant marine... going to sea when I was 12, like so many of my peers who were interested in life at sea. I quickly learned I had a penchant for everything that has to do with those..." he pointed at the lines, rigging, and sails above them, as well as the masts.
"I learned quickly, and soon became a boatswain's mate. On one particular voyage, I decided to go into the military. It was less pay, but I wanted to see how it compared. I could always switch back, after all, after I'd served my time. I decided on Welkin because... well our navy was not currently engaged in any form of war in 1781, and I wanted to experience combat for myself first paw. The only war going on at the time was the Mossflower-Welkinite War, and my home country stayed out of that one, so there was no way I could enlist in the Portuguese Navy." King pointed out to Selvis.
"As I didn't really support Ferlusan's viewpoints on the war, I decided to try my paw with Welkin instead. I was so impressive to them that I quickly made boatswain by the age of 17, and that's when I met him." King pointed over at Ladorak now, who was a little behind them, talking to an enraptured Carrow. "Captain Ladorak Diomedes Fugate." King said the stoat's name rather reverently.
"If it weren't for him, I probably would've gone back to Portugal, as I said was my original intent. He was my captain on the frigate Boreas, and WHAT a captain he is!" the marten proclaimed proudly. "From the time I first served under him, I knew that I could never go back to Portugal, nor indeed would I want to. That stoat right there..." he said, pointing in Ladorak's direction once more. "Is the best damn captain to EVER sail the seven seas. I've served under many, lad, but none like him. He's bound for great things, that one, and you should count yourself extremely lucky to be serving under his command." the boatswain informed Selvis.
"From that point on I was sold. I now count the captain as a good friend of mine, and he equally respects me as a boatswain, which is why he sought me out to become Agamemnon's boatswain when he was appointed to her. That jack knows his business, and we have a great deal of mutual respect for each other. When our cruise ended, I went into retirement with him, as we were all paid off and sent home. But let me say, I knew that if war ever broke out again, that Captain Fugate would be the one calling upon my services. I've got nothing but respect and admiration for him... and that you could say is why I've stayed with Welkin, young Jal Frenata. Or should I say... he is the reason I've stayed." he smiled down at the weasel now.
"So why you? What made you enlist on this ship when we called at Crittenden? And yes... I do know about that. Ladorak... ahem, Captain Fugate told me all about you when you joined. He figured I'd want to know that a well... guess I can't really call you a distant relative... more like a beast from my region generally speaking had joined up. I've been keeping my eye on you Jal Frenata..." He said, closing one eye and aiming the other at Selvis as he smiled. "You might not have known that... but I knew someday you'd come talk to me. Been sort of... following your career with some interest, you might say." King told him, opening his eye now and giving the weasel another smile.
"Thank you very much, Carrow." Ladorak said gratefully. "I'm glad to know my words have had such an effect on you. I'm mostly moving rapidly, so to know that my abbreviated version of events is enough fills me with happiness." the stoat smiled widely here.
"What is my father like?" Ladorak asked. "Well he's still alive, so what IS he like is probably better than was, heheh." he chuckled now. "An interesting fellow, I guess you could say. We didn't... have much in common at first. He was a wealthy business jack, and I was well... a stoat less concerned with filling my purse than with making something of myself and helping those around me." He noticed Carrow sitting down now, and motioned for him to move against the gunwale, in order to get out of the way of the beasts working. He also suggested Carrow sit away from the shrouds, lest the crew climb over the mouse in order to reach them.
Once the rodent was properly situated, the stoat went on. "He's always been in love with the almighty pound I guess you could say. Making profits was his game for awhile, and he owns one of the largest castles in Norfolk, his home region, though he was born in Cambridge. He... has become a bit more open and charitable over the years. He thought I was dead at first, when the ship his mate was on was lost at sea. Upon meeting him well... I thought this couldn't possibly be MY father, heheh." he laughed a little again.
"But... I knew it had to be true. He had my birthmark... and everything about what he described about our family history seemed to fit. We were distant at first... as said, he had sunk himself into building his fortune when his mate's ship had vanished. Losing me and her... it had caused him to change, or so he said." Ladorak commented, frowning a little.
"So we didn't speak much at first... but over the years... especially after I had returned from the war, he... opened up a little. We gradually came to accept each other, and I decided to buy a house near his castle in Norfolk. He lives a bit further away from Burnham Thorpe than I do, but we see each other more frequently now." he said, nodding solemnly before folding his arms back over his chest and smiling. "He's a good stoat at heart... I think he just needed his family back in order to let his better nature show. NOT a sea jack at all though!" Ladorak laughed now, throwing his head back as he did so. "He's broken the family tradition, but I'm glad to say I've gotten back into it." he gave Carrow a wink here.
"So ah yes... where was I? Oh right! The war! My command of the Albemarle. We're up to October of 1781 now... my 23rd year of life. Right! Well, my first assignment was to take a convoy from the Delorn Company and meet them at Elsinore... yes the same Elsinore Castle from Hamlet in Dazaria... and escort them to Welkin. I had two other frigates under my command here, the Argos and Enterprise. We made it to Welkin all right, but a storm hit us, and while the convoy made it in safely, the Albemarle, which was a poorly designed ship, had quite the number of problems." he said, consternation showing on his face.
"She leaked and could not hold her wind very well, plus she'd run aground before I'd taken command of her, and had structural problems from that. Fortunately for us though, I managed to get her safely into Portsmouth by February of '82, and my first assigment was complete. I was immediately assigned to escort another convoy, this time from Cork in Hibernia across the Atlantic to Quebec. We arrived in May, and there I was detached to start hunting privateers... a job I took up with great zeal, as you can imagine I had no love for my former kind." he said, smirking now.
"The cruise was not quite what I'd hoped for though. We only managed to retake some of our own ships that had been captured, and a few small fishing vessels. Not exactly a glorious routine." he chortled again, showing his amusement with it all. "I DID however have a bit of excitment in August, when I ran into the Rosferian fleet of Admiral Vaudreuil, and just BARELY managed to escape, heheh, though they chased me for a good part of the day. I arrived back in Quebec in September, and this time escorted another convoy to New York, where I had the pleasure of falling under the command of my... well whom I consider to be my greatest mentor, Admiral Samuel Hood. We met in November, when I had turned 24. I was so impressed with him that I asked to be transferred to his command, and the opossum assented, and got me placed with his fleet, which was bound for the Western Mandates."
"We took up station off Jamaica." Ladorak continued. "I was sent to scout for de Vaudreuil's force, the same one I'd had the run-in with before. Unfortunately, he managed to elude us, and slip into the Caribbean by March of '83. I um... I came up with a plan to assault the Turks Islands, a Rosferian garrison, and Hood approved it, though the Rosferians were very strongly entrenched, and I had to call it off after awhile. Fortunately though, Hood did not blame me, and we remained on good terms. We spent the rest of the war cruising the Caribbean and taking Rosferian and Ferlusanian prizes, and by then the war had ended, so I was sent back to Welkin in June of '83."
He continued leaning against the gunwale, using it for support as he related his story to the mouse. "Hmmm... I went to Rosferia that year... I wanted to see what it was like, and I had some friends there as well, believe it or not. I stayed with them, and attempted to learn Rosferian, though am not very good at it." He said, shaking his head and blushing now. "I stayed the rest of the year in Rosferia, taking it in, and returned to Welkin in January of 1784, where I received command of the frigate Boreas, and was assigned back to the Western Mandates in order to enforce the Navigation Acts. That was where I met the very talented and best boatswain in the fleet, Jal Joseph King." Ladorak motioned with his paw over to the marten now, ironically enough while the marten was talking about Ladorak.
"I uh... got into a spot of trouble out there. We were SUPPOSED to be searching ships as per the Navigation Acts, but this led to conflict between the merchants whose ships I had seized, and even my own superior officer, Admiral Hughes. Hughes was a corrupt fellow who was taking kickbacks from merchants over there to NOT search their ships. It was a nice deal for him, as he got some extra pocket money and the merchants got off free and clear. WELL... I TRIED doing the right thing by following the Navigations Acts, but this just angered Hughes and the merchants, and Hughes even threatened me with imprisonment at one point, and I had to remain aboard the Boreas for close to eight months, not even able to set paw on shore for fear of being arrested. Heh... one of those instances where you do the right thing... yet end up getting censured for it." he rolled his eyes here, obviously not happy with how this episode of his life had gone. It hadn't been the first time this had occurred either, as thoughts of the Imperium's civil war briefly flashed through his mind as well.
"I was also sued by the merchants whose ships I'd taken, and th court of Nevis ruled against me, so I had to pay out a VERY hefty chunk of my earnings, and became almost bankrupt afterward. However... some positives did come out of this. I met Molly Serra for the first time on that station, and when I was finally permitted to return home in 1787, I sailed first to Welkin, and then to the Imperium, where I once more ran into her. I stayed in the Imperium for a time, rekindling old friendships and running into Caden there as well. Little bugger had just turned 7 at that point." he smiled here as he thought about his albino ward. "I found I was left a possession as well from Ublaz, and decided to return to Sampetra to see just what it was."
He was evidently very happy with this part of his life. It was pleasant, and was filled with fonder memories and good times. "Imagine my surprise when upon my return there, I followed several clues Ublaz had left behind, and found out that he named ME as his beneficiary, and I unearthed a trove of his riches and treasures!" Ladorak was getting rather excited at this part of the story. "Well! It was enough for me to buy a home in Burnham Thorpe, the current home I now reside in, and the rest as you know is history." he said, grinning.
"I agitated for a command at sea from 1788 on, but there were just no openings, and it wasn't until 1793 that I took command of this ship here, my first third-rate, the HMS Agamemnon. War returned me to the sea, and I had adopted Caden about a year and a half before that, as I figured he'd need a new home and a new start. So that, my dear Carrow, is not only my story of my exploits at sea, but also my life, as well. Not the most exciting career, I know, but I've been around, and I plan to make THIS chapter the most memorable of all, if I can help it." he said, determination in his eyes now as he gave the mouse a firm nod.
"So there you have it. What do you think, then?" he asked. "Was it everything you wanted to know? Did I satisfy your curiosity?" he inquired, lacing his claws over his chest now.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jun 16, 2012 6:02:56 GMT -5
"Most creatures wouldn't believe you if you told them," Selvis responded with a chuckle. "Fourteen years, you say? That's more than enough time for you to pick up the accent. You look like a Welkinite in that uniform, and sound like it too, sir. I wonder if I'll have lost my Ferlusanian accent by the time I'm finished serving here," the longtail mused. "I know I only committed for 7 years, as is the usual, but I'd like to stay here for longer, provided I survive that long," he informed the pine marten.
Of course, there was the 'get-out clause' that Ladorak had offered him in the event of his homeland defecting and abandoning him, but the mustelid highly doubted, unless other things significantly changed for him around the time that occurred, that he would take the course of action. The best-case scenario was that he finally made it to Welkin to live with the stoat Captain and his pine marten ward. The weasel listened as Jal King launched into the story of why he had joined the Welkinite Navy, and Selvis soon found himself paying as much attention as Carrow was behind him.
He smiled when the marten told him he had wanted to become a boatswain from an early age. "It was almost like it was a calling for you, sir - I see! Well, to know what sort of career one wants to pursue at such an early age is something quite rare! I'm glad glad it worked out for you," he told King, his smile widening. The weasel nodded when King mentioned that Portugal had played no part in the Mossflower-Welkinite War. "Yes, that's right; I've done a little bit of reading on the subject, and while my home country was involved, yours was not," he replied.
Ladorak was soon introduced into the tale, and Selvis noted both the stoat's middle name (which he had been previously unaware of) and the way King said his full title; there was real reverence in that tone. "Ah, yes; it's all starting to make sense now," he quipped, chuckling again as King went on about Ladorak in the same reverent voice. "I do count myself lucky to be serving under him - I did when I started my service here, and I do now to an even greater extent! I have great respect for our Captain: he gave me the kind of chance I had desperately been hoping would come along, and I shall be forever grateful to him for that, no matter what else may happen."
He nodded again when the pine marten confirmed his suspicions. "Hah, I thought as much - Ladorak's the reason you decided to stay. I'm not surprised about that in the slightest. I have noticed before now that the two of you seem to be on particularly good terms with each other, and I have to admit that I wondered if there was more to that than I realised. I didn't realise the two of you went back that far, you see," he explained to the boatswain.
The weasel was rather flattered to hear that his fellow mustelid had taken an interest in his career, and he blushed modestly, his tail whipping about behind him. "Th-thank you, sir," he stammered slightly in response; this was all new to him, after all. "I had no idea I was of such interest to you, and while it makes perfect sense in the context of everything I've been made aware of in the last while, I'm still rather surprised. Why exactly were you so intrigued by me?," he decided to ask aloud, his curiosity compelling him to do so.
"As for me, well, like I said, the three main reasons I decided to enlist were the friends I welcomed to Crittenden; I was quite taken with Caden, Carrow and Elle, and they convinced me to join. There were other factors, though: I had heard a little about the poor state of the Ferlusanian Navy. Its ships were, and still are, wonderful creations; its sailors, well, not so much. That's what I'd heard, and the rumours turned out to be true. I didn't wish to throw my lot in with them because I felt like I could do better, and it turns out that I did, very much so in fact!"
--
Carrow simply nodded, accepting the praise modestly. He smiled when he heard that Ladorak's father was still alive. He didn't really know too many creatures who still had their fathers with them, or even both their parents. He went back to silently taking everything in, not wanting to interject unless it was absolutely necessary. Ladorak went on to tell him about his father. There had been bad times and good times in their relationship, but that was the way things worked. Can't be plain sailing all the time, the mouse thought, and the pun made him smile, as did the fact that things had worked out for them both in the end.
The stoat returned to discussing his naval exploits; Carrow had moved to sit against the gunwale at this stage under his direction. He found it more comfortable with something to rest his back against, and was soon once again caught up in the story. The rodent noted the mention of Elsinore Castle with great interest, as he had in fact read a copy of Hamlet that he'd bought for himself the last time they had been ashore, having heard a good deal about it from Selvis. He'd found the language difficult at first, but, with Selvis's help, soon found himself engrossed in it, and finished it soon after that.
He heard about problems the Albemarle had had, and smiled broadly when Hibernia was mentioned. He'd have to tell Selvis that Ladorak had been to Cork, as the longtail had Hibernian blood. The mention of his travails all the way across the Atlantic in Quebec (a place he had heard very little about up until now) left the mouse looking visibly amazed. Here was a stoat who had done quite a lot of travelling! He listened, completely enraptured once again, as the mustelid related to him how he had encountered the Rosferians, and then how he had come to meet Admiral Hood, a creature whom Ladorak held in extremely high regard.
Ladorak then ventured to Jamaica, and Carrow looked slightly disappointed when he was told that his plan to assault the Rosferian garrison had not worked out. That would have been quite something for him to achieve at his age, but the mouse knew that, in time, other chances had come his way. He nodded as Ladorak told him he had been to Rosferia the following year; he'd heard a little about this before, but found himself having to quickly process the information revealed to him before his Captain moved on to the trouble he'd had with Admiral Hughes. He shook his head as the corrupt nature of that creature was revealed to him, and gave Ladorak a sympathetic look as he told him how he had tried to do the right thing but had instead been censured for it. He knew how that felt.
He brightened up once more as he was informed of Ladorak's meetings with Molly and Caden, noting the smile on his face as the albino pine marten was brought up again. He knew precisely where the mustelid was coming from. However, the biggest surprise of all those that had been woven into the narrative came towards the end, as Ladorak revealed how he had been left with riches and treasures from Ublaz! The rodent's eyes widened as he heard about the pine marten's generous gesture.
The stoat soon concluded his story with how he had come to captain the Agamemnon, but he finished on another surprising admission. "What do you mean it's not the most exciting career, sir?!" The mouse was so taken aback by this statement that his voice rose to its highest pitch, a kind of whistle register. "I'm guessing you mean in comparison to others, so I'm going to leave that one up to you, but there was plenty of excitement in there, even I can see that. You've had a captive audience for almost ten minutes, so you must have been doing something right," he said with a wink, having since calmed down. That was not something he had expected to hear.
The stoat came to the end of his tale then, and for a brief moment, the rodent was half-tempted to ask him what had drawn him to Molly, but he stopped himself for both their sakes. Carrow had lost Tally, a fact which still had not properly hit him yet, and he was worried about what might happen once it did. Ladorak had lost Molly for the same reasons, so he could relate to the mustelid's situation to a certain extent, but he didn't want to go into that right now... or indeed, not until he was ready to deal with his own loss. He'd been here before, of course, but that was when he had not been fully cognisant of what had occurred. Now, though, he was, and he wanted to distract himself from needing to pawdle that for now. Relatively speaking, he was in a good place, though he knew that he could still be quite emotionally volatile at times.
"You most certainly did satisfy my curiosity, sir," he responded after a moment's silence, "which is a considerable achievement, because you could say that I more or less wanted to know everything. I wasn't sure where to begin, so ensured we'd begin at the beginning," he remarked, smiling at the stoat. "You've certainly had an eventful existence, sir; so much so in my opinion that I'm not sure what else to ask you! You've done quite a bit of talking in the last little while, and you're an enthralling speaker. I feel like I'm the one who should be thanking you, as you chose to share all that with me. Well done, sir," the field mouse congratulated the stoat, gradually returning to a standing position.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jun 16, 2012 13:20:36 GMT -5
"Six years." Jal King quickly pointed out. "But you can turn it into seven if you so desire." he added with a wink. "You're certainly right about the Ferlusanian Navy... though that seems like only two reasons... unless you count the poor state of Ferlusan's navy to the better state of Welkin's." he said, winking now again. "All fair, though. You are correct... the state of the Ferlusanian Navy has deteriorated ever since the 1740s, when it at least used to be Welkin's equal. You couldn't have picked a better navy to join, that's for sure!" he told the weasel enthusiastically and proudly.
"Hmm... I suppose I took an interest in you because you reminded me of yourself when I was your age." the marten said, a smile spreading across his features. "I wanted to see how you'd integrate with the Welkinite crew, and how you took to the sea. You certainly seem to have done a good job so far." the boatswain praised his junior. "So far, I do certainly see a lot of myself in you... hence my keeping an eye on you." he said, glancing over the sails and making sure they were still lying to. It was nice now, as he had less work to do when they were not sailing.
"I'm glad you decided to join, Jal Frenate, and hope you choose to make a career of this. Couldn't have picked a more active time to join, after all. I wish you luck in your future endeavors, and if you ever feel like talking, I promise I'll set some time aside for that. I work for more often than most of the crew on this ship, as my job is rather vital, but on down time I'll be more than happy to speak about my experiences or anything you wish to talk about." the boatswain informed Selvis, giving him a friendly nod and another smile now. "Thank you very much for dropping by."
"Well thank you immensely once again, Carrow. I do appreciate your kind words. I've of course put an abridged version of events together, but you get the general gist of things." the stoat captain said with a nod. He was still leaning on the gunwale, resting his arm on the canvas covered hammock rail.
"Well... considering that some of my contemporaries have served in such battles as the Saintes, St. Kitts, and the Moonlight Battle, I suppose that I could have had a far more exciting career, and one that would've brought far more glory and prestige to me. That's what I've been aiming for for quite some time now... but it's so far eluded me." He said, drawing his lips together like a purse before he spoke again. "However... as I'm due to make admiral in another two years or so... I'm hoping to acquit myself rather well before then, as at that point, I should have an independent command, or so I hope." He said, smiling here.
"I'm also looking forward to the next month or so. A good friend of mine will be showing up with Admiral Mann's reinforcements. Captain Thomas Troubridge and the HMS Culloden will be joining us from the Channel Fleet in June, and as he and I go back a ways, I'm very much looking forward to serving with him again." the stoat nodded eagerly, anticipation evident in his features. "We served with each other off and on over the years, and I think this will be just like old times." the captain added.
"Well, I hope I've told you everything you wanted to hear." Ladorak imparted to the mouse. "As you can see, it's not the most exciting or glorious career so far, but I've only ever been in one shipwreck, and that ship was NOT under my command." he informed the mouse suggestively with a wink.
"I'm glad you heard me out. There are parts of my life I've wanted to forget at times, but I always love talking about it regardless." He wasn't aware that Carrow wanted to ask him about Molly and what attracted Ladorak to her from the start. An interesting story in its own right, but that would be saved for another day it seemed.
"Thanks for dropping by, Carrow. I love talking to my crew whenever I can, and I know it seems like I'm isolated from the rest of them rather a lot, but at times like this, I love hearing from them. I never forget that I used to be where they are now, and I always want to make sure that I lead them into each situation as best as I can. I want to look out for them all so that I can get them home by this war's end, and I have to say that it's a pleasure having this ship and her crew under my command so far. That's why I've turned down numerous offers of promotions to bigger ships." he said, grinning now. "I just can't leave this crew behind."
It was no secret that Ladorak had a rather strong affection for his crew. He did everything he could to ensure their safety, yet he also tried to ensure that he fought his battles as efficiently as possible. He was after personal glory, yes, and while he could have a reckless streak from time to time, Ladorak Fugate was one stoat who almost always had his crew's safety uppermost in his mind. If he had an opportunity to make an excellent attack, he would take it, but only if he felt he could come away with a smashing success that would leave his crew dominantly on top. It had served him well so far, and his crew knew it, showing their devotion to their stoat commander both in and out of combat for the most part.
"Now I think it's my turn to ask something of you." Ladorak suddenly said. "How are you finding your life in the navy so far? Is it what you expected? Better? Worse?" he asked, smiling now. "You can be perfectly honest with me after all. I know you still have four years left, and it's to be seen how much of that time will be spent at sea, but how have the first two years been for you?"
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jun 17, 2012 11:24:30 GMT -5
"Six years? Well, it's no wonder I don't remember that," Selvis responded with a wink of his own. "I was so excited by the prospect of joining up that I probably would have agreed to those conditions that Captain Fugate set out for me, no matter what the circumstances or consequences," he admitted. "I really needed something like that, and I think it came along at just the right time, because I was just finishing school for the summer, and needed something to do for a few months; it turned into having something to do for a number of years," he said, chuckling.
"About the poor state of the Ferlusanian Navy in comparison to Welkin's well, while I cannot say for sure if it actively played a part in influencing my decision, in hindsight it certainly makes sense. My homeland's naval glory days are long since behind them, as you say, while Welkin's stature has grown considerably in that respect. I knew at the time that I was making the right decision, at least. It's been two years since I joined, and I'm proud to say that hasn't changed at all. Regardless of how things may turn out for me, I regret nothing," he said emphatically.
Selvis's eyebrows rose in surprise as the pine marten boatswain admitted that he'd reminded him of himself at his age. "Hmm, that's quite an interesting way of looking at things. I had no idea, sir, and once again I can't help but feel slightly flattered by what you're saying now," he admitted, smiling as King praised him. "Oh, it's nothing really. I've simply been trying my best for the last two years, and that would appear to have gotten me somewhere," he said modestly.
"Of course, the way I see it, in a career like this, if you don't try your best, you're not trying hard enough." There were certain creatures who crossed his mind as he said this, and he was glad they had been sent on their way. They were all small cogs in the wheel, sure, but he saw no reason why every creature shouldn't do their utmost. A ship was only ever as good as its crew, after all. It was fortunate that most of them knew that. "But yes, I'm rather glad to hear all this from you," he told the boatswain, his voice softening a little. This changed things; how, he wasn't yet sure, but it did.
"It seems like I'm going to do that, in all honesty, sir. While I'm facing into a future that's a lot more uncertain that I would like, I'll try and make the best of it whatever happens, and should I still be alive by 1800, I'll most likely continue serving Captain Fugate and whatever vessel he happens to be on at the time." He smiled broadly as the pine marten offered him an ear when he needed it. "Thanks very much for your offer, sir, and I shall make use of that whenever I need to speak to you and you can give me some of your time. It's nice to know that I have another creature on whom I can rely. I'm glad we had this talk," he said, smiling and saluting. "I'll see you around, sir!"
Turning and heading for the stairs to the upper gun deck, the longtail was still smiling as he thought of how open King had been with him. He was quite fortunate in that he had a number of creatures on the ship he could talk to absolutely anything about. He looked back for a moment and spotted Carrow in conversation with Ladorak, and chuckled slightly; no doubt the stoat's career was making quite an impression upon the mouse. He had another pine marten to meet now, and the visibly excited weasel took the stairs two at a time, going over to one of the starboard guns near the next flight of stairs and waiting for Caden to return.
--
"You're welcome, sir," Carrow responded once he had let Ladorak talk for a while. "I'm glad to have been here for you to talk do, even if I didn't say very much, but I have to admit that I just couldn't bear to interrupt most of the time," he said in an awed tone of voice. "You say that glory and prestige has eluded you, and I agree. It's long overdue for you; you've been making considerable progress since taking command of this ship, after all, but you just haven't been getting that recognition you desire. Your time will come, though, I'm sure of it," he assured the stoat.
"Thomas Troubridge?," Carrow repeated curiously, nodding as he was told that he and the stoat had known each other for a while. "Well, from the way you speak of him, he sounds like a very interesting creature, and I shall have to introduce myself to him whenever I meet him," he said decisively, nodding. He noted the anticipation on Ladorak's face, and this made him doubly eager to meet the HMS Culloden's captain. The mouse smiled when he heard Ladorak refer to his career again. "Can we agree to disagree on that? Glorious, perhaps not, but I found it all very exciting!"
He gave the stoat a wink, and nodded when Ladorak told him that there were parts of his life he'd wanted to forget. "Well, we all have to deal with things we'd much rather not, at some point in our lives, but I find that it's better to focus on the good times. A lot of what you've experienced has come about as a consequence of something else, from what I've been told today, so even though you've had to take the rough with the smooth, look where you are now," he told the stoat.
The mouse smiled all the while his Captain explained his devotion for his crew. "I'm sure most if, if not all of us, feel the exact same about you. I know I do. I know also that you would much rather not be perceived as isolated from them, but it seems that you just have to do the best you can due to the nature of your job. We greatly appreciate anything you do for us, and while I can only speak for myself, I'm certain that my friends and the crew at large feel the same!"
The mouse was surprised by the sudden nature of Ladorak's question, and he rubbed the back of his neck in a slightly sheepish manner whilst he thought of how to respond. "Well, since you say I can be honest, sir, it's nothing like how I expected. I only had a little to go on before I joined the Agamemnon, and the reality of it all has exceeded my expectations many times over. Things have turned out rather different to how I had anticipated they would, and I suppose that's a result a result of changes within myself as much as anything else.
"I have to admit there were times when I wasn't sure I'd last this long, and that I wasn't cut out for it, but I have gone places in the time that I've spent on this vessel, so to speak," he told the stoat, smiling. "I've proven myself wrong, or at least I like to think I have. Things have so far turned out a lot better than I had hoped, and even if there have been some things that haven't worked out, it's mostly been quite enjoyable and fulfilling." A pained look momentarily crossed his features. He was still shying away from referring to the Tally situation by name.
"I must admit that I'm not quite used to being referred to as 'sir'!," he admitted with a grin. "It's been three months and it hasn't properly sunk in yet. I enjoy it, I have to say, but the fact that it's necessary is the only reason I don't come over all bashful and ask that I just be referred to as plain old 'Mr. Apodemus' by everybeast," he said. "Some things have changed, but others definitely have not. I've settled in better than I ever thought I would, though, so I'm glad that's happened. I've enjoyed my first two years here rather a lot. I've had the opportunity to travel, to experience new cultures and make new friends, and I've also been able to try and prove my worth in ways I never thought I'd have the chance to. It's working out very well so far. I have you, amongst others, to thank for it... so thanks again," he said gently, keeping his eyes on Ladorak to see how the stoat responded.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jun 18, 2012 12:14:52 GMT -5
"It is a very necessary thing." Ladorak responded, nodding at Carrow. "You can't let them treat you with disrespect, after all. An officer will always come out on top if he knows what he's doing." the stoat paused here, thinking of Jal Waters briefly, but fortunately, that was a fluke. Of those flogged on the Agamemnon, it was usually for fighting, and occasionally for drunkenness. Willard had, in the end, been the only other crew member aside from Spender to show disrespect and contempt for authority, and both had paid for it.
Thinking on Thomas Troubridge now, Ladorak doubted that Carrow would actually meet him while at sea. Ladorak would most likely be dining on the Culloden, or Troubridge on the Agamemnon, but that didn't lend itself to mingling with the regular crew, though the stoat had to admit that Carrow's chances were better than most. As a quartermaster, he was around the Captain's station more often than not. If Captain Troubridge did come aboard, then Ladorak would be more than happy to introduce him to Carrow.
"Well good. I'm glad to hear that." the stoat replied with a nod. "I'm pleased to know that I've played a part in you finding your niche here so to speak, and enjoying your service in the navy. It is certainly the career of a lifetime, I'll say that. You'll form bonds with some of your crew that could last a lifetime, and I feel certain they will." he told Carrow with a smile, knowing full well that his ward in particular was one such beast Carrow would be particularly close to throughout his life.
"Is there anything else you wanted to ask me, or anything I need to further elaborate on, or have I satisfied your rather healthy curiosity?" he asked, smile still upon his face as he looked down at the mouse.
Caden was actually already on the upper gun deck waiting for Selvis by the time the weasel finally came down from his talk with the boatswain. He'd had plenty of time to make it down to the orlop deck, retrieve his kit, and head up to the upper gun deck. He chose to position himself near the battery he now commanded. He began unpacking the kit in between two guns, and setting up as best he could on the gun carriage of one of the 18 pounders.
"Selvis!" Caden called out to him, waving. "Over here!" he said, motioning with his paw to the long tailed weasel. "I'm a bit forward!"
He was closer to the bow now, and just a bit aft of the sick berth, on the starboard side of the ship. "I was just setting up when I saw you come down." Caden said. He was a little nervous about practicing in front of Selvis, as he knew the weasel was far better at his tricks than the albino was, but Caden was neverthless hoping to give it his best and not make too much of a fool of himself, if he could help it.
"So I think I've got a few tricks we can try out, though I'm still getting it all down. There's so much to take in, after all." He stated, rubbing the back of his neck. He took out the pocket watch as well, though wasn't sure if he'd be making use of that this time around. He set it down along with everything else that was resting on the gun carriage, and nervously rubbed his paws together, giving the weasel a smile. "So! Did you want to show me anything before we got started, or should I just... you know... get started?" he asked, noting that Ocean was nearby as well.
The ermine had taken a few moments to do his business in the ship's chains, and once he'd relieved himself, he'd come back down to the upper gun deck, where he'd mostly watched Caden setting up.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jun 19, 2012 11:46:23 GMT -5
"I can't fathom why anybeast would want to disrespect you, sir," Carrow responded dismissively. "I've said before that you're quite a fair captain, certainly in comparison to others that I've heard tell of. It's surely not too much to ask to want a tight ship, after all. You're reasonable, too: there haven't been too many times when you've needed to carry out punishments, but the punishment definitely fit the infraction on each occasion." Of course, the creatures he had in mind were both around no longer.
He found himself filled with curiosity about what sort of creature Troubridge was, and more importantly, what he was like. It would certainly be interesting to meet somebeast like him, and even if the mouse was currently unaware of how the arrangements for that meeting planned out, he was still hoping he'd be able to make the captain of the HMS Culloden's acquaintance. It'd be an experience, that was for sure; he'd never met another naval Captain before, after all.
"I think I already have, sir," Carrow responded softly, smiling a little as the stoat referred to the bonds one could make with their fellow crewbeasts. "I have a number of very close friends here on the ship, but one in particular, and it's quite possible that you and I could have the same creature in mind. I think that not being able to see him as much has made me appreciate his friendship more. I seem to get that way around my friends sometimes; if I see them all the time, I'm worried I might start taking them for granted," he admitted, his voice softening further as he blushed.
"I try to be the best friend that I can to all my companions, all the same, but, you know..." The field mouse wrung his paws in a slightly anxious manner. "Sometimes I feel like perhaps I'm not doing enough for them. It's tough for me to admit that, but... I had to tell somebeast eventually," he said bashfully, looking back up at Ladorak for a moment. "I needed to get it off my chest. I know I shouldn't feel inadequate, but sometimes I do..."
A thoughtful look crossed his features when he'd finished speaking, and it remained there as Ladorak asked him if there was anything else he wanted to know about the stoat's life. "There's nothing too pressing on my mind, sir. I would think you've actually been quite thorough in telling me about your life, but... there is actually one thing I would like to ask. What achievement are you most proud of in your life thus far, sir? Are there any experiences that you treasure?," he asked curiously.
--
Selvis's ears perked up when he heard Caden's voice, and he turned around to see the albino pine marten waving at him. His eyes lit up as he jogged over to meet his friend, smiling as he noted that his fellow mustelid was already fully set up. It came as little surprise to the weasel, who had been speaking to Jal King for the last little while, but it seemed that Caden had moved quickly all the same, and from that he could deduce that his friend was rather eager to show him the tricks that he had been working on. It was no wonder; Selvis remembered Caden being thrilled by his prestidigitation trick back in October, and now he wondered what it was that Caden had up his sleeve, either literally or figuratively speaking.
The longtail observed the kit that his albino friend had set up, smiling as he noted that Caden seemed to be getting use out of a few of the same things that he himself did. When it came to things like this, the two didn't just seem to have a fascination with the tricks themselves in common. "I thought you might have been, actually - I certainly got drawn into a lengthy enough discussion with our boatswain!," he said, grinning. "It was very interesting, as well - I learned a number of things about him I had previously been unaware of... but I think I'll save such talk for later on. I'm more interested right now in seeing what you can do!"
He heard his friend's comments on how there was so much of this to take in, and he nodded understandingly. "Well, you know what they say, Caden: practice makes perfect," the weasel responded simply. "I recall you being quite impressed by the show I put on for yourself and Carrow last year, but it's not like I learned all those things overnight. I've come to think of you as my protegé in this respect, actually, and you'll definitely be able to improve," he assured his companion. "I started taking an interest in things like this because it was rather amusing and fun, and you'll find this enjoyable as well, I'm sure," he said, chuckling a little.
Selvis had of course noticed the pocket watch that the kit had contained, and his eyes sparkled a little as he saw it. While he was unsure whether Caden would opt to use that, he knew that it would certainly be interesting if he did. He had experience with that, on both sides of the watch, as it were, and so too did Carrow. "I can't think of anything right now that can't wait. You go right ahead, mate," the longtail told Caden, curiosity audible in his voice. "More than anything, I want to see what you've picked up since you started practicing."
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jun 19, 2012 23:51:18 GMT -5
Ladorak could only speculate himself... but ultimately, there was just no pleasing some beasts, and that was a fact of life. Not everyone would agree with what you did, even if you did the best you could at the time.
"Well in regards that yes... I would say that not seeing one as often as you'd like makes you appreciate them more... though it can work in reverse too. Seeing them a lot can often strengthen your bond as well. I think it works just as easily either way. To be honest..." he paused here, biting his lower lip. "I always wondered if I promoted Caden too fast. Taking him away from his friends like that... the arrangement seems to be working but... I still question it sometimes. Did I move too rapidly? Could I have left him with more time to settle in before making my move? I suppose there's nothing to do but see it out at this juncture. I just hope you don't miss him TOO much. I assigned him to command your sub-division after all, so you almost always see him when working, and I would imagine the same could be said for your leisure time as well." Ladorak admitted.
"Hmmm... my proudest moment?" he asked. Those were few and far between. Most of his life he looked back on with a modicum of regret here and there. He had very few things he figured he could brag about, at least compared to other captains. But at least this answer was incredibly easy for him, because there was one thing that stuck out above everything else.
"I would say my proudest moment would be my adoption of Caden, and my retrieval of him from the Imperium." Ladorak outright declared. "No other real way to look at it. Getting Caden out of there was the start of things at least starting to turn around for me. Of all the instances in my life... it wasn't becoming captain for the first time... or becoming captain of the Skeered. Not even the Agamemnon. Yes... getting Caden into my life was the single best decision I've ever made. I have never regretted that once, despite the initial rockiness of the relationship." he told the mouse.
"Kind of ironic that we've once again come back to him in this conversation, but it's pretty unavoidable in this instance." the stoat chuckled. "So yes, there you have it. Bringing Caden into my household would be it." He nodded here, folding his arms across his chest now as an assured look crossed his face.
"Well OK." Caden responded nervously, giving an uncertain nod. He just had to hope he could pull this one off. "Well then... let's get down to business." He took the card deck into his paws, shuffling it now and cutting it a few times for good measure. "This is one I've somewhat been working on. It's a difficult trick I admit... and probably stupid of me to be trying to master it early but... I want to tackle one of the bigger things right off the bat. So... without further ado..." he said, confidence growing slightly.
He continued shuffling, and then spread the deck out in his paw in front of Selvis. "Go ahead and pick a card. Don't let me see it. Memorize it, and then place it back in the deck. Once you do... I'll take it from there." he said, smirking. He only hoped he could pull this off. He looked around him for a moment, and then noticed it.
"Ah wait! In order for this to work properly... follow me." he said, motioning with his paw for the two to follow after him. He headed for the bulkheads that separated the gun deck from the wardroom. They weren't allowed back there of course, but the bulkheads contained glass windows, which was exactly what Caden wanted. Stopping just shy of the entrance to the wardroom now, he once again fanned the cards out for Selvis. "OK... for real this time." he said, unable to suppress a grin.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jun 20, 2012 18:54:39 GMT -5
"I don't think there's any need for you to question it, sir," Carrow responded brightly, smiling. "There were always going to be pros and cons to promotions being rewarded on the ship. Caden may have increased responsibilities and less time for his friends, but I'm sure he's making the most of the time he does have. The same can be said for me. I don't regret taking the promotion in the slightest; you may recall that I was surprised even to be offered it at the time, but I've gotten used to things. Every single creature on this ship has had to make some form of sacrifice to get here.
"Selvis left an entire life behind him that he may never get the chance to revisit; Caden left the home you had established for him; Elle ran away from hers; and I just needed to get out, leaving the sole good thing about my old life behind. We've all had to give up things to get here, and likewise with myself and Caden being promoted. We've all had to make changes, but well, fundamentally speaking, change is good. I like my new position. It does come with drawbacks - and I'll admit that there are times when I miss Caden a whole lot, and Selvis too - but I can't really help that. I've just become very attached to them, and very fond of them too. It's not like it's too much for me to pawdle. You needn't worry, sir. I just deal with these things the best I can," he assured the mustelid.
He listened as Ladorak revealed the moment in his life of which he was most proud, and he smiled when, once again, his albino marten friend was mentioned. "I'm sure you haven't, sir," the mouse responded softly, smiling as he thought about what it must have been like. "Considering the circumstances under which Caden was adopted, the 'rockiness', as you put it, would seem to have been pretty much unavoidable. I don't remember very much about the time after Archie took me in, but from what she told me, we only got on marginally better. I liked having somebeast there to care for me, but in the beginning I spoke very little, and as the first year went on I became gradually more quiet until I was basically mute. It took a complete emotional collapse for me to come out of that," he told the stoat.
"Things soon got better once I started to recover, though, and now we're on the best of terms. Caden told me what he was like initially, and I could scarcely believe it! It's like he's a completely different creature these days, and no doubt you were the one responsible for that. I can see why he took to you, though, because, well..." He swallowed. "I was gonna have to admit this sometime, as you've been filling that role in his life for years, but... to me, you're like the father that I never really had. By the time I'd really started to become cognisant of who Jerris was, he was taken from me. I've needed somebeast else like that ever since then. Archie had friends who helped, and she did a wonderful job of being my adoptive mother, far better than one would have expected from somebeast her age, but something else was missing from my life back home."
The rodent had needed to get this off his chest. He had promised himself he wouldn't cry, but he had to wipe away the tears that pooled in the corners of his eyes before he could fully compose himself. The field mouse smiled up at Ladorak. "Now it's like I DO have a Mum and Dad again... a few brothers... and even a sister. What I'm trying to say is that I've come to think of the crew on the Agamemnon as my immediate family. I just... thought you might like to know this, sir. Likewise, when I met Caden, things started to turn around in my life... so we have that in common," he said with a small chuckle.
--
Selvis was well able to pick up on the nerves in his friend's voice. He thought this was all very natural and normal; from what he could remember of the first time he'd tried doing magic tricks in front of another creature, it hadn't gone well. He had been nervous back then, too, and that the pine marten was having a similar reaction didn't surprise him. He nodded as Caden outlined the trick he would be doing, keeping an eye on the card deck as it was shuffled. It was always interesting to see how others approached their tricks, after all.
"If it's difficult, and you're trying it for your first time, that tells me you at least have confidence in your own abilities," Selvis responded when Caden said it was probably stupid of him trying to master the trick early. "It shows you've got ambition as well. Starting small and working one's way up to bigger things is one way to go about it, but you know how to push yourself. I must admit that I'm getting rather intrigued by all this now," he revealed to his fellow mustelid, smiling.
Selvis watched as the deck of cards was spread out before him. The longtail studied it a bit, enjoying being in the position of not knowing how the trick was going to work, for once. He listened to the pine marten's instructions and nodded slightly. He realised that what the albino was planning was probably more of a step up from the similar trick he had pulled on him back when he had performed in October; the set-up was the same, but he knew himself that that trick had been relatively easy to get a hang of.
He was just about to pick a card when Caden seemed to notice something, and it was then that the weasel realised that there was more to this trick than he had initially suspected. He tagged along behind the pine marten when beckoned, a noticeably curious look on his features as he found himself being led to the bulkheads. The longtail was well able to put two and two together in most situations, but he tried to keep his mind, which had been conditioned into figuring out tricks like these, oblivious to any indicators and just enjoy the thrill.
He nodded once again as his paw hovered over the cards, waving back and forth over them as he hesitated briefly, trying to reach a decision. Eventually, he plucked one out of the deck, and turned it so that the suit and number were both hidden from Caden's view. It was an 8 of diamonds. He studied it for a few seconds before nodding again and placing it back in the deck, smiling also as he noted his friend's confident words. He was eager to see what Caden would do next.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jun 21, 2012 12:51:56 GMT -5
Ladorak nodded at the mention of change being brought about with time. Yes... that was certainly true. One had to say goodbye to well established friends, but it was never a permanent goodbye. Caden still saw Selvis quite often during work, and on leisure time the whole group tended to stick together.
Things were rarely constant throughout life, and that was just the way things were. The stoat knew that from experience. With Carrow's new job, he had to work away from the others for the most part, but could see them on his leisure time as well. And their career would be a long one... of that the stoat had no doubt whatsoever. They would be together for a long time, if they could help it. You couldn't always transfer to the ship of your choice, but with Ladorak's guidance, he intended to ensure they almost always served with him and with each other.
The stoat felt incredibly humbled when Carrow actually brought forth his views of Ladorak as a foster father. He blushed here, and looked down, studying the planking on the deck through his monocled eye as the mouse told him how he felt, and indeed, how he viewed the crew of the Agamemnon. The stoat nodded here and there, smiling occasionally. "Well thank you, Carrow. I try to be the 'father' of the ship when I can. I know that legally I am Caden's guardian, and I also know that I don't exactly live close to Muggidrear but... you are always welcome at the Fugate homestead, if you ever get the desire to visit. In fact, I WAS thinking about possibly taking up residence at Muggidrear upon my return to Welkin, if my finances allow it." he told the mouse.
"That's still up in the air of course, but it's one thing I'm considering. Would certainly bring us closer together if I do end up doing that." the stoat stated with a smile as he looked up now. As it stood, Burnham Thorpe was about four or so days by stage, so it wasn't exactly close to Welkin's capital, but it could've been far worse as well.
"But thank you, for saying so. You are part of the extended family, I think." he said, giving the mouse a warm nod. "Caden's close friends are always welcome in the Fugate household." he cracked another smile here, and patted the mouse on the back. "So thanks a lot, Carrow. It means a lot to me to know that I'm respected not just on the ship, but in my personal life as well." the stoat was sincere, and thoroughly humbled by the mouse's words as well as glad to hear them as he placed his paws in his pockets. He did try after all, and it was nice to know that every so often your efforts were paying off.
Caden couldn't help but grin as Selvis placed the card back into the deck. Already the marten was running things over in his mind. He was fairly confident he could get this to work, and Selvis too seemed to be eager to see just what the albino had up his sleeve.
"And now... rather than shuffling them, as it's not that kind of trick... I'm going to do... THIS!" And without warning, Caden flung the deck of cards right at one of the windows that looking into the wardroom with a great snap of his arm. They smacked audibly against the glass, and flew off in various directions, though fortunately, didn't scatter too far. The problem with this trick was that it was messy... but the payoff was that it was highly impressive.
Stuck face up against the glass was a single card... jack of clubs. Now... this MAY have seemed disappointing to Selvis, but the trick wasn't over yet. "Selvis could you please go and retrieve that card that's stuck to the glass?" he asked his weasel friend now. The REAL trick was yet to come. When Selvis peeled that card away from the window, he would be in for a huge surprise. Stuck directly behind the jack of clubs on the OTHER side of the glass (in the wardroom itself) would be the 8 of diamonds.
Caden eagerly awaited with bated breath and racing heart for Selvis to take what was clearly NOT his card off the glass and see what lay directly on the other side... if he'd done the trick right... the 8 of diamonds would be there, stuck to the pane of glass, but clearly on the other side of the window as well.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jun 22, 2012 10:41:02 GMT -5
Carrow smiled slightly as he saw Ladorak blush. The mouse could recognise bashfulness in others quite easily, as he was prone to being the exact same way himself. "You do a good job with it, sir. I know you have to be a Captain first, and everything else second, but I can understand why. You want to be more than just that, I can tell - we're a part of your life, and you're a part of ours. I'm sure there are others in your position who would prefer to keep themselves to themselves and not interact with their crew much... but not you. You're different, and I'm sure we're all quite grateful for that!"
The field mouse's smile widened when the mustelid Captain brought up the idea of him possibly visiting his (and Caden's) home once they were back in Welkin. "I know it'd be an effort for me to get to your place, but don't think for a second that something like that would put me off visiting if I ever got the opportunity! To get to see you and Caden at home for a little while would be worth all the travelling I'd need to do, there's no question about that."
His eyebrows rose when Ladorak mentioned the possibility of moving to Muggidrear. "That would certainly make things easier if you were able to manage such a thing, yes - I'm right behind you on that idea, for obvious reasons," he said with a chuckle. "I'm well aware that if things go awry for Selvis, he'll be living with you two, wherever that may be. This works out better for the three of us, though, as it'd be easier for us to stick together," he told the stoat.
Carrow was still smiling as Ladorak gave him a pat on the back. He'd been holding that little speech in for a while, and was actually surprised at how coherent he had sounded. He sometimes had trouble properly expressing intense feelings like that, but now it was out in the open, and Ladorak had reacted in the way he did, he could be more confident about opening up about things like this in future. "You're quite welcome, sir. You're not just respected on here, you know - you're loved by more creatures than you may realise," he admitted to the mustelid, beaming up at him as their eyes met for a moment.
"Now you mention your home, actually, I feel like I must ask about it a little. I seem to be filled with curiosity today, but well, you can see why," he quipped, chuckling again. "What is Burnham Thorpe like?," he enquired, eagerness showing in his voice. His own residence in Muggidrear hadn't really been anything to write home about, though he knew that Archie's circumstances had changed slightly. Ladorak's, on the other paw, sounded fascinating.
--
Selvis was indeed eager to find out where this led, and he found himself on tenterhooks as he waited for Caden's next move. He had long since given up trying to guess where the marten was headed, but his fellow mustelid's next move caught him by surprise. He flung the cards right at one of the windows, and Selvis smiled a little as he saw most of the deck scatter off in various directions. He didn't notice the card stuck to the glass for a moment, however.
Caden asked him to retrieve it, and the longtail nodded, going over to the window. He could see the jack of clubs, but he wasn't disappointed by this; quite the opposite in fact. He was now even more intrigued than before. Where had his 8 of diamonds gone? Fascinated by all this, the weasel peeled away the jack of clubs from one side of the window... and his breath caught in his throat, blue eyes widening, transfixed by the sight that met them - there was his card, behind the jack of clubs... IN the wardroom itself!
Selvis was not a creature whom words failed too often, but this was one of those timed. His jaw dropped so far that he was at risk of dislocating it; he was completely stunned by what he had just seen, and his response to that was to applaud the trick whilst he thought of something to say. Once he'd recovered from his shock, the weasel grinned from ear to ear, visibly impressed by what he'd seen. the weasel had witnessed and performed plenty of tricks in his lifetime, but never one like that.
"Well, I have to paw it to you, Caden: you really DID pull that off! That was quite unlike anything I had seen before! I can see what you meant about it being difficult - from what I saw, that trick requires a strong throw and a good sense of timing, but you managed it brilliantly, Caden the Colossal!" The longtail chuckled as he reciprocated for the 'stage name' the pine marten had bestowed upon him last year. "That was only your first time performing in front of anybeast, right? Well done!," he praised him, still grinning.
"Now, I know magicians aren't meant to reveal their secrets, but you see, you and I have this in common, so I was thinking that maybe we could teach each other some different tricks. For one thing, it means I'd let you in on how I managed to bedazzle you with my show a while back!," he said, chuckling! "How about it, then? You seem to be coming along quite well with this, so I just thought I'd ask. Ahh, I like this. You have your magic, Carrow has his hypnotism, and I'm lucky enough to be able to dabble in both! Between the three of us we wouldn't have too much trouble with a larger audience," he said, smiling as he thought of it.
|
|