Swords & Claws - A pirate's tale [for EbonyFox]

[Silvery_Lady]

The cheetah woman leaded him away, watching over her shoulder if the boy was following her, and she grinned at his question.
-There are a few rules, but not many. We are pirates, after all...but be careful, cub. The Captain it's a quite strict person, when it comes to punishments.- she warned him -So, let's start with the bases: when an order is given to you, obey it. You don't disrespect the Captain and the first officer. You don't steal from the other members of the crew. Drinking alcohol and playing dices and cards if forbidden most of the time. The Captain can make an exception from time to time, but it won't happen often.- she concluded, showing him the way to the stairs -I'll show you your berth, come with me. Oh, and by the way, you can call me Claire...for now.-

They reached the crew's dormitory, walking slowly and wagging her tail around.
-As for the chastisements, since you were asking before, i'll tell you this: if you don't behave yourself, you better be ready to bare your back and your ass for a good thrashing.- the female voice explained him, nonchalantly -Because if you refuse to submit at that, the Captain will throw you in the cell...or overboard.-
Claire gave him an amused gaze.
-Any question, cub?-

[EbonyFox]

Koti followed the cheetah anthro without protest, keeping up with her. Showing respect would be easy enough, but he couldn't know just what, exactly, he'd be orderedto do. There were bound to be a few duties he wouldn't agree with, but apparently he would have no choice. As for who the first officer is, he had no idea: but now didn't seem the right time to ask.

Stealing, however.. The jaguar was rather good at pickpocketing, and more. No one ever caught him on land: why would it be any different out at sea? Still, Koti wasn't foolish, he wasn't going to break the rules so soon. Doing duties onboard wasn't the best situation he could hope for, or second-best, but staying busy and with available food outweighed being jailed or thrown into the sea.

"That all seems fair, but, um.. I don't like alcohol, and I never liked dice. You can tell the Captain he doesn't need to worry." He stood by a bed in the berth, looking round. "If I do anything like drink or gamble, or steal, I'll get whipped? I won't get sent to a corner, will I?" Awkwardly he laughed, trying to lighten the mood and failing. Clearing his throat, Koti tried not to think about a whip at his back, let alone his backside.

"Sure, I have a question.. A few. Why do you keep calling me a cub, and when can I eat?" He managed a small grin, looking up at Claire. "I haven't eaten since I left the dock."

[Silvery_Lady]

Claire was discreetly observing him, analyzing his body language to build her own idea about him...after all, the first impression was often correct.
And, for now, the young jaguar was looking like a smart and sassy kid, a potential great addition to the crew, assuming that he would obey her orders...that was the real question.

-I will.- she assured him about warning the Captain, about the dice&alcohol matter, smiling sarcastically -As for the rest, you better stop mocking and don't give us ideas. If you mouth off with the wrong person, you actually could end with your nose in a corner on the main deck, for everyone to see. A little bit of embarrassment can be useful from time to time, with kids of your age.- she added, laughing and walking forward -So, my advice is to not push the Captain's patience, if you don't want trouble.-

When they finally reached the crew's dormitory and he asked her those last questions, the cheetah woman smiled at him, showing her white fangs.
-You are the youngest cabin boy that i ever had on board and i like to give nicknames to the people. On top of that, i'm older, stronger and way more dangerous than you are, so i will call you as i please...got it, cub?- she told him, making him understand that was not going to have a discussion about that -As for the food, you should wait dinner time like everyone else, but due to the circumstances i will make an exception, this time. Come with me to the kitchen, i'll find something for you.- she concluded, leading him away along the corridor -Oh, another thing...if i catch you pilfering food from the pantry, you will skip meals for three days.- she warned the youngster.

[EbonyFox]

Koti had already formed an idea of how this ship was managed, and it wasn't an entirely positive thought. It didn't mean he'd be finding an excuse to disband: he'd waited so long for a chance like this to come along, he couldn't just leave now that he was safe! Or really, as safe as he could be, at a time like this. Working hard on an unknown ship was far better than on land, where work wasn't guaranteed: much like food and shelter.


"I just got here, Claire! Why would I want to mouth off to anyone right now?" Koti snorted loudly, his muzzle wrinkled as if he'd just smelled something less-than-pleasant "I don't want to get on the captain's bad side…." Quickly, he mumbled low to himself, "He doesn't have much, from what I can tell."

He had to admit, the look of the ship was actually quite nice, Nicer than he had anticipated, after hearing numerous tales at the tavern. Koti gave a low whistle as he looked round, then giving Claire a quick look to show that he wasn't mocking her again or anything of the sort.

"So.. I'm young, and weak, if that's what you're getting at. 'Cub' suits me perfect, then." Koti's tone was serious, as was the look on his face. He'd heard worse nicknames before, and he much preferred 'cub'. He wasn't enamoured with it, but it was tolerable, for now.

The jaguar's mood brightened when dinner was mentioned again: without hesitation he shadowed the cheetah woman, his ears pricked forwards and his pace fast. Visions of different food flooded his mind, and he had a hard time trying not to get his hopes up. For all he knew, food on board a ship was jus what they said it was: salted meat and rock-hard biscuits, and… lots and lots of liquor.

A little preoccupied, Koti almost missed what Claire said about food theft. He blinked, and paused in mid-stride. "Three whole days, you're sure? Is that for anything that anyone could steal from the kitchen, or just… certain things?" For one, if someone took a biscuit or something, who'd notice and care? What difference would it make, compared to taking a slab of pork or something?

[Silvery_Lady]

She kept walking on, her tail waving behind her slender figure as she moved.
-Well, because you are smart and a bit cocky, i can tell just looking at you.- she responded him, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice -Like most of teens, after all. As for the the rest...- she suddenly turned her head to give him a menacing grin, winking at him -...you don't know the Captain, trust me. And i have a perfect hearing, by the way.-

After showing the kid where he was going to sleep, Claire started to lead him to the kitchen.
-Yeah, it suits you perfectly.- she confirmed about his new nickname -Besides, everyone on board have one. When the crew thinks that i can't hear, they call me Ironpaw...or something way less flattering, depending from the situation.-
She laughed, like if she didn't cared at all.

Once they had reached the end of the corridor, a pleasant smell of roasted meat started to fill the air and the cheetah woman showed him two doors.
-That one is the pantry. Only the Captain and the cook have the key.- Claire informed the boy -The other one, is the kitchen...like your nose can tell you.-
At Koti's last question, she looked at him, but now she was looking suddenly serious.
-It doesn't matter if you steal a slice of bread or a whole barrel of rum, the punishment will be the same. It's not about the value of the food, it's about trust. On a ship, you MUST trust your companions or it's impossible to survive...do you understand me, cub?- she asked, staring at him right into his eyes -It's very important.- she concluded, before that her hand went to the doorknob.
The sarcastic smile showed up on her face one more a second later.
-Now let's find you something to eat...you'll need strengths to work. Come with me.-
And so, they entered.



(OOC - I was thinking, if it's ok to you, that maybe we can skip a couple of days ahead, I doubt very much that he would misbehave on the first days XD
We can move a bit forward, having him a bit more confident and play his first "wrongdoing", anything you like, and so he will discover that he had bet on the wrong cat ;-P
You choose!)

[EbonyFox]

Koti hesitated, wanting to stay in the room a while longer- but ultimately he decided it was a better idea to continue following Claire.

"You can tell all that?" He grinned in return, but his grin faded when Claire announced that she had heard his earlier comment. The jaguar's ears flattened for a moment, and he avoided the cheetah's gaze. "'Course I don't.. What I meant was- uh.." He quickly gave up on thinking of an excuse, and stayed quiet. Claire didn't sound very fussed about his comment.. which had to be a good sign. Didn't it?

At the very least, this opportunity allowed him to plan for the future: to not make such comments again in Claire's presence, that is. Everywhere else and with others would probably be fine.

He liked the look of the berth; the hammock that was now his looked big, but bigger was better than smaller. It'd be a nice change from what he was used to, back at port. Koti memorised his sleeping area and trailed after Claire into the galley. While it wasn't full of extravagant smells, it was still different from the tavern where he used to work.

"Ironpaw, huh. That… isn't what I'd call you." He glanced to the cheetah woman, a faint smirk on his face. "I'd call you Claire, and nothing else." Koti shrugged, his gaze drifting away from Claire, almost bored. "…don't think I can think of anything better than Ironpaw, anyway." Which wasn't true, of course, but Claire didn't need to know that.

The smell of roasted meat was all-consuming. it took all of Koti's willpower not to speed ahead of Claire, even though he wouldn't be putting his paws all over what wasn't his. The temptation was still there, and so he had to linger behind Claire, with his arms folded across his chest.

"Pantry, off-limits. Got it. The kitchen smells just as nice, but it still has rules, yeah?" The young jaguar unconsciously licked his lips, his mind split between what could be in the pantry, and what was in the kitchen.

"I can get that. Trust is important, 'specially in a place like a ship. Having a thief on board won't help anybody." On land, it was a different matter entirely, for food could be replaced. Out on the ocean, if the food supply was not equally shared— what could be done about it?

He didn't dare break eyecontact with Claire until she finished speaking, at which point he eagerly followed her into the kitchen, ready for his first meal-at-sea. "I won't disappoint you, Claire! Can I choose anything I want, or is there a menu?"

————————— One week later ———————————

Koti's first week on board the Red Jewel was hard for a newcomer like him. While he was good at listening, he wasn't so good at actually following through with what he was told. That is, he understood what was needed.. but he liked to change things up a bit, to add some personal twists to an errand. If he thought a knot was tight enough, he left it at that. If he thought he could post-pone mending the caulking in the deck planks, he found something else to tend to.

For the most part, Koti did not get in the way of the other crew members, and he didn't ask too many questions. Which, naturally, meant he kept to himself and didn't ask for advice. The last thing he needed was to be seen and treated more like a hopeless seaman, unable to do anything without supervision.

That was asking for trouble, and Koti would soon find himself in such a state. For starters, he had been ordered to feed the ship's livestock, which numbered a couple goats and chickens. He remembered the food, but he forgot about the water. His next task had been to assist a few deckhands with checking the rigging, something that Koti wasn't very fond of. Koti did as much as he felt he could, and then disappeared into the gallery. Tired and sore, the jaguar helped himself to a small meal.. except 'small' wasn't quite accurate.

Instead of one biscuit, Koti took three: one looked irregular, so he assumed no one would miss it. As for meat, Koti took a slice of salted meat that was a little bigger than usual, even though he knew the taste wouldn't improve. He didn't take a thick slice; it was just wider than normal.

The whole lot tasted as salty as it could possibly be, so before he even got halfway through his meal, Koti had to leave his food where he'd been hiding— behind some barrels on the orlop deck — and had to dash back to the galley to fetch some drinking water. He hadn't spoken much to the Captain since his first day, and while Koti had met Claire more often, the two of them couldn't ignore their duties. There was always something to do on board.

[Silvery_Lady]

-Oh, we will see about that...life is full of surprises.- she responded him with a little smile, with the expression of someone who know something more than what was shown, when he announced that he was going to call her Claire and nothing else -The kitchen is Off Limits just like the pantry, for you. And there is no menu, where do you think you are? This is a pirate ship, not some stupid noble's vessel. For now i'll give you some bread and a slice of salted meat. You will have to wait for dinner like everybody else, for the rest, cub.- Claire informed the boy, allowing him to enter the kitchen, following him inside -And watch your mouth with the cook, he has a really bad temper...- she concluded, introducing him to a ruffled parrot man, with green feathers and only one yellow eye.
A black patch covered the other.
-He's Copper.- she whispered to the kid -Don't ask him how he lost the eye, if you don't want to be stab with a fork.-

————————— One week later ———————————

The days passed by and everything was going like usual, more or less.
Logan was still pretending to be the Captain, even if no one had actually called him that, and Claire was still playing around the ship, like if she was a normal sailor...even if, in fact, she wasn't really working on anything.
And that was because she was, actually, just following Koti and checking on him way more often than the kid could have noticed.
The cheetah was very good at spying people and quite often she was climbing on the rigging to observe the cub behaviour from there, unseen.
And, even if she had decided to let it pass a couple of small infractions and careless mistakes, like the poor thirsty goats, when, one afternoon, she saw from the quarterdeck the kid running away from behind the barrels piled up in one corner of the orlop deck , something like a bell rang into her head.
She frowned a bit, pointing out the scene to Logan, who was next to her.
-Have you seen that?- she asked -Doesn't seem a bit...suspicious, to you?-
The huge lion man nodded slowly.
-Well, he's young...you should have expected some sort of trick, sooner or later.- he said -Let's have a look, anyway.-
So, while Koti was downstairs to satisfy his need of water, the two big cats reached his hiding, and what she saw there, well....made her withdrawing her lips, uncovering the fangs in an angry grimace.
-...let's wait for him.- she said with a growl, before jumping up, sitting on the barrels, in some sort of an ambush.

When Koti got back on the deck, Claire was still sat on the barrels's pile like if it was a throne and Logan was next to her, standing with his muscular arms crossed over his wide chest.
Both had a severe expression drew over their faces.
It was the man who called him, with his deep and calm voice.
-Come over here, cub. Right now.- he ordered, staring him from above -...nothing to say to us?- he inquired, giving him the chance to admit his fault.
Claire, meanwhile, was observing the scene silently, for now, her long tail tapping nervously on the wood of the barrels and her hears pinned against the head in a clear sign of rage, like if she was ready to attack some prey.

[EbonyFox]

Normally, Koti was fairly good at staying hidden amongst a crowd. Being on board a ship was much, much different to a port town: there was a lot to become accustomed to, and a lot for Koti to miss. Such as who was watching whom and when. He didn't give much thought as to the Captain watching his every movement, mainly because the Captain had more important ways to occupy his time. What would the big lion anthro gain from spying on Koti?

It did not take much time for the jaguar to drink his fill of water, the taste of salted meat quickly disappearing. He had a quick look at the liquor supply, his nose wrinkling at the strong smell of rum. Liquor wasn't for him, but he still wanted to try it, at least once. It wouuld be better than him lying about it in the future, should any of the crew question him.

When he returned to his eating spot, he didn't expect to see the lion and his first mate there, waiting. Koti's ears lowered and his long tail began to flick fast. "Wh, what's going on..? " The jaguar felt his fur stand on end, his whiskers twitching as he stared at the two big cats. If this was on land, Koti would have run when he first caught sight of the two, but at sea there was nowhere for him to run.

Reluctantly, Koti stepped towards the lion man, his heart pounding. "N-no, I don't think so.. I came to.. eat my.."

[Silvery_Lady]

The lion raised an eyebrow when the younger feline started to excuse himself, clearly trying to talk his way out of the situation he was into.
-Well, we were hoping that you could tell us what was going on.- he said, his manly and deep voice sounding all over the deck -...yes? Eating your...what?- he added then, this time a bit more annoyed -The food we found behind the barrel, it's your meal? It's not lunch time, where did you get it?- the lion inquired again -And if you have nothing to hide, why were you hiding there, cub?-
His golden eyes were fixed on Koti's face, staring at him like if he could see right into his head.

But then, at that point, something happened.
-Enough.- Claire's voice interrupted the interrogatory, as she jumped down, next to Logan...and this time she was looking really pissed off.
Her usual sarcastic expression had been replaced with a serious one, her ears were flat, pinned against her head in an irritated pose and she was looking straight at the young jaguar.
A moment later her hand went to Logan's wrist and she quickly untied the knot she had made, freeing him from the red neckerchief and putting that away, in her pocket.
The lion rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
-Oh, thanks to the Gods.- he muttered, earning a glance from the cheetah.
-Sorry, Kid.- she told him, with a quick grin -Now you can go back to work. You have been goofing around for a week, time to bring your ass back to where it belongs. Go check the crew, Logan.- she ordered, delivering him a friendly pat on his backside, pushing him away.
-I was not fooling around, i was playing your comedy.- the lion protested, but when she sent him away with that gesture, he laughed -Yes, ma'am.- and then he simply walked away, leaving alone the other two.

And so, Claire focused once more on Koti.
-So...i think it's time for us to have a little chat, now that i have observed you during a week.- she said, sternly.

[EbonyFox]

"You asked, a-and I said-" Koti clrnched his jaw shut and glanced away from Logan, his brow furrowed. " was eating lunch, yes... I wanted to eat." Food had often been hard to come by, he couldn't just skip a meal and know his next one would be available. Sharing food was difficult for him, but he had yet to become overly possessive over it. He looked up to meet the lion's gaze, and Koti's ears flattened further.

He went to say something, but Claire's sudden outburst surprised him. Koti looked to her, and in an instant he was sorry he hadn't found a better hiding spot: or eaten his food quicker.

Claire's tone of voice and expression were anything but a good sign. For a second, the jaguar wanted to bolt from the scene, despite knowing it would be useless. He obviously hadn't meant to get caught, and he hadn't wanted to be caught by the likes of Claire, who had to be the true Captain. Koti didn't fully understand the red material, it had to be some kind of stupid game the two cats played.

Clenching his fists by his sides, Koti felt a growl beginning low in his throat. Fighting the urge to snarl and lash out, he faced Claire, albeit he did take a step or two backwards. "A chat? About what, exactly? You know what I've done,or didn't do, right? What good will a talk do?" Claire's reveal as the true Captain should have come as a surprise to Koti. In reality, the jaguar was indeed surprised, but he could not accept the truth so easily. The red neckerchief was a clue to Claire and Logan's arrangement, Koti could at least guess that much, but it didn't make it easier for him to accept Claire's 'new' role'.

He wanted to ask her on why she had played this game with him, but instead, he felt inclined to try and postpone punishment. He knew full well that he'd done something wrong, but in his opinion, there is a lot worse he could do: taking a piece of meat that was barely bigger than usual couldn't hurt anyone. It wasn't as if he'd poisoned the food, or thrown it into the sea, or set the galley on fire. Koti honestly didn't think anyone would have noticed the extra food he took, half of which he'd already eaten.

Acting calm and indifferent to Claire was the best Koti could do for now. With any luck, he'd be able to convince the cheetah woman that he would never steal again, let alone skip feeding the ship's livestock. After all, what sort of ship life is it, if the Captain punished their crew for every little wrong-doing?