|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:47 pm
His second viking was at hand and the male felt a bit better about this one. He had gone out with a different Captain this time and was told to go gather things around the area. An area he somewhat knew to be where his old home was. Did anyone come here anymore? He didn't think so but Bousvor had found him here. Maybe someone else would have wanted to come here to recollect on old times. He knew that he was further away from the party. Just sneak to his old home for a moment. Everyone else was busy in other areas. "Its good ta be back." He muttered to no one in particular as he moved around the sands and over near the dens. His creamy eyes picking up on places he had been and his mind brought about images to recall. "Even if I be 'ere only a second." Eventually Cythraul knew he'd lose the pirate speech when he was with other Vikings and leaving only his speech for either close friends, his cubs, and his mate. His mate who was with cubs! His small bounces made his familiar friend Branderyn heave a sigh. "You know Du Serpentis... it would be great to not be jostled while I an nestled here." She had been tired and also nestled in his mane dozing a little. When she had found out with him that Aruna was going to bear cubs, well... she had stayed up with the happy go lucky male. Trying to calm him and barely got any sleep. A sniff brought about a familiar scent. The smell of the dens. He rounded one of the dens and nearly smacked into another. "Oi, what're ye doin'?! Watch it!" The former Pirate King's First Mate snarled out. The bird flapping her wings to stabilize herself glowered at whomever had bumped into them. A loud squawk coming out as a warning.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:04 pm
They hadn't yet struck out from what were now formerly the Maestros lands. The delay, as it had wound up being, was Whistles getting injured when she and Kleio had gone hunting. Both lionesses had blamed themselves, while both males had assured them it was nobody's fault. It was an accident, and nothing more. Nobody could have predicted, not even Dragon, that there would be a rock right where Whistles stepped as she ran.
He also couldn't, somehow, predict somebody walking into him as he had started out of the den area. "Oy! Ye'd best be watchin' where ye're-!" His words cut off when he saw Cythraul. "Du Serpentis!"
At the surprised yell the dark lion had let out, Kleio hurried out of the dens. While initially she'd stayed with Barnacle and Whistles, out of comfort of being with others, when Dragon had returned, she'd found herself drawn to him more and more. Now, questions be damned, she'd taken to sharing his den.
Really, the only reaction they'd gotten was a knowing look from Whistles.
"Dragon? What's wrong? Why did you-" She stopped when the two dark lions came into view. Her eyebrows went up, before a grin spread on her face. "Du Serpentis! You came back! Where's the Commodore? Is he back, too? Did you find him?" She was practically bouncing with joy. Surely this meant the pride was going to come back, too! She'd be able to find her brothers and sisters and the like, her family, all the lions she'd grown up knowing!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:36 pm
How? What? What was going on here? How had he not noticed a large group of pirates within the dens of Maestros? He had been here a few times. "Branderyn?" Giving a small tiny growl at the bird, she replied by digging her tiny claws into his mane. How did she miss such a thing? There was no way she had missed it. The raven was pretty good about it. Had she not wanted him to know about them being there? Did she think... No no. Put those thoughts to rest. "Dragon. Kleio. Nice ta see ye both are well." He did not answer their question about the Commodore right away. Instead he looked them over, memories flooding back. "Are ye da only one 'ere?" Curious to know who else might still be skulking about. Maybe it wasn't so much skulking since it was their old home. Commodore. "Nay. I 'aven't seen da Commodore about. I dare say he ain't comin' back." The words felt like fire in his throat. He almost wanted to spit ont he ground but he held back. "Its good to be seeing you all again." Branderyn tweeted. The little dark raven was all to happy to see the pirates again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 10:16 pm
Dragon let out a chuckle, smiling as he nodded toward the dens. "Nae, Barnacle and Whistles are here, too. They was hidin' with Kleio while I was wanderin' a bit. Came back and here they were." They'd done some searching, on Dragon's insistence, but they hadn't found anybody else. The fact that Barnacle and Whistles had potentially missed spying Du Serpentis amazed him. Clearly, they hadn't searched quite hard ENOUGH for stragglers.
Kleio's joy was soon begining to dissipate. As the words sank in that the commodore was probably not coming back, her ears folded back. "Not... Not coming back... What about the rest of us, then? What about those that might still be out there? Has nobody gone to LOOK for them?" Clearly somebody came back to look for anybody who remained in the lands, hopeful of guidance. "What do we do now? If the commodore's not coming back... Maybe nobody else is." Where would they go? Surely Barnacle and Dragon's idea of begging the Stormborn to let them in wasn't actually a viable option. Would ANYBODY take in a group of pirates?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 10:49 pm
More of his old pride was here. It wasn't much, a pawful at that, but still better than nothing. "I be glad thar be sum mer pirates about these 'ere lands." His feathered friend gave a squawk at that note. They were a sad bunch the lot of them sitting in the old lands. When he became Captain he was going to have to get more of the pirates and bring them home. Home to him. The dark male came close to Kleio and put a paw around her, shaking Branderyn loose from his mane. The poor bird fluttered near them before landing on the ground. "Iffin' 'e nevar comes back. I be 'ere. Da first mate of his Majesty. And I be tellin' ye. I aim ta be a Captain, of dem filthy Vikings. A pirate amongst 'em. What ye say ye come back wif me. Ye might be seen as lower but I be fightin' anyone who put a paw on ye." No one was going to hurt them. "Then I be granting yer freedom when I can. All I ask of ye is ta come back wif me. And den be Reavers under me. We be pillaging and plundering and taking others fer ourselves. Taking em in our crew."Should he tell them his mate was with cubs? He visibly shuddered. He had left her. Of course he had told her he was going out on aviking. He wouldn't just up and leave her like that but still. He should be there with her, making sure she was ok. How did he become so... domestic. "Tell them Du Serpentis." The little raven looked to Cythraul and the others. Why not tell his friends, his old pride members of his happiness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:44 pm
Dragon's eyes seemed to shine. "What a great bleedin' coincidence!" He sat down, a grin spreading on his face. "We was gonna be headin' that way, anyway! All of us! We just been waylayed while Whistles recovers from a huntin' injury." He rolled his shoulders, still grinning. "Even got at least me an in!" When he hesitated, he felt a nudge. A look to his left earned him the sight of the look Kleio was giving him. They were already this far in the conversation, might as well, right? His gaze returned to Du Serpentis. "I got a brother in the Stormborn. You may've seen him 'round, looks just like me, just..." He rubbed a paw on his chin, one eye closed. "Not as good lookin'."
Beside him, Kleio rolled her eyes, then sat down as well. "I guess it's begging them it is, then." She hadn't particularly WANTED to do that, go to the Stormborn. She still didn't. Gods but she didn't. Her pirate pride, even if she never aspired to be more than a Corsair, told her not to. But she was no fool. She'd grown up in a pride, she had no idea how to survive independently, without a pride's protection. And as Whistles' injury had proven, just a few lions wasn't enough of a pride to do much WITH besides scrape by. They had to go somewhere, and do SOMETHING, to survive. They had to swallow their pride. "Are there any others there already? That we might find solace in the presence of?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 2:11 pm
"Well if ye be 'eadin' dat way. Why don't ye join me then? Whistles and Barnacles be joinin' ya too?" He could see how much Kleio didn't want to do it. He wouldn't join the filthy Vikings either it it hadn't been for Aruná. The little bird reminded him that maybe should tell them. "Me mate, Aruná, she be... wif cubs. We be 'avin' pirates, at least 'alf pirates." Chucking a bit. "I 'aven't seen yer brother Dragon. But I be sure if ye come ye will find 'em. I be tryin' ta bring more in. Iffin' we find some in der we be tryin' ta bring 'em to our side. What ye thinks?"The little raven was glad at least the lion had some sense to tell them. Pirate cubs. It was almost like infiltrating. "It be our new 'ome so no ruckas eh? It be a family at least and more freedoms." At least if they stuck with him. He was a Reaver now. He had at least some weight to his name right? He would get his Captain title one day. Maybe he should start getting back to the warband, he was sure the Captain about was getting ready to leave soon. "I need ye ta make a decision. Is Whistles able ta travel? Or can she lean on Barnacles and ye?" The little bird returned to her companions mane. She had the same idea that they needed to start heading back. "We would need to start moving. I think the Captain may start heading back. We've been gone a bit." Little Branderyn said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 2:11 am
"Aye, Barny and Whistles'll be joining." He perked his ears, slowly grinning. "Well congrats to ya, mate! Cubs're the most wonderful thing to have!" He probably had at least one litter somewhere out there. The lioness he'd helped to the Bahari had certainly been a fun romp, and by the journey's end where they were close enough he felt safe parting ways with her, she'd looked a bit rounder. But they had mutually agreed to part ways, even if she'd been with cubs, because she wasn't keen on living the life of a pirate. She'd probably gone on with a romantic idea of just what pirates WERE.
As much as it left a bad taste in her mouth, Kleio gave a nod of her head. "We can go, and behave." She glanced to the dens. "I think Whistles can travel now. She's not limping as bad, I don't think." Kleio's gaze went to the bird, eyebrows rising. "Oh no, we can't be left behind again!" She gave Pili a shove. "We need to get them both up and moving!" She looked back to Du Serpentis, frowning. "Will they ask questions? About you bringing back pirates as Thralls? Since you're a pirate, yourself." She could certainly imagine WHY it would be suspicious. After all, why would they trust a pirate? Pirates trusted Stormborn as far as they could throw the sea, usually, and you couldn't throw the sea. At least, that was what she'd been TAUGHT.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:51 pm
"Nae. Not many of 'em know me be a pirate. I just be another viking among 'em." The male chuckled. "I 'aven't tried ta make me pirate ness known. Other than me speech. I be workin' on dat part." The male said. "Come get Barnables and Whistles and we be off. I will wait a moment for ye."His friends were coming with them. This might be better for them coming in as they were than to try it another way. He had told Aruná he had been going, how was she going to feel when he brought home pirate thralls? He'd claim them as his own so that no one would be able to hurt them or otherwise. His little bird friend tweeted, "I can't wait to see the pair of them. We'll just be up ahead." Her and Cythraul heading out of the den area to where they would begin the trek back to the warband and then back to Stormborn lands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:21 pm
Dragon started laughing. "I don't think I'd be able to hide what I be! I be a pirate, plain and simple!" It was what he'd grown up with, what he knew. What little he'd known as a cub had made him want to never be solely alone ever again. He gave Cythraul a bow of his head, turning with Kleio. "We'll see ye there." Surely they could make it look convincing as a capture went. It could easily be argued that he'd tricked the group of ex-pirates into servitude and was saving harsh punishments for back in the pride's lands. Regardless of what happened... Pili was eager to get back to being in a pride. "Come on, Kleio, let's be gettin' the others."
"Aye!" She started back to the dens, then gave Pili a slight shove. "And when you're a... Whatever rank that is that lets them travel, you'd best be going to the Bahari to see if that lioness had cubs." Kleio didn't mind. What Pili did before they'd decided to be mates was his own business. She just wanted to know how adorable the cubs were. Or how well they'd grown up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
