Adventures On The Abecean Sea, Sometimes It Doesn't Pay To Stowaway Options

[haute ecole rider]

You are taking the existing lore and twisting it to your own ends, may the Nine protect us all!

"Twisting" is right, in more ways than one! And Amen!

[minque]

Yay!! More Kitty-sweetness...I must say I already love Shivani, clever and shrewd....still adorable. My my I really like this...

[mALX]

@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank You Hauty! Now that is what I want to hear!
***
@ Treydog - ARGH, you updated your message and I almost missed all those kind words (and barks) !! Thank you so much Treydog! When I first saw that RP on the other site, these ideas (and more) popped into my head, lol. Not being familiar with how RP's work, I was afraid I would be run out for trying to use them, lol.
***
@ Acadian - Thank you so much Acadian! I noticed you always like stories with lots of food details, lol. I was getting hungry thinking about steaks on the grill myself! ROFL !!!
***
@ Destri Melarg - ROFL!! ...Er...you mean like...how I may or may not have done in Maxical's story? Er...I prefer to think of it as...explaining how it REALLY went down! ROFL !!! Thank you so much Destri!
***
@ Hauty Again - Let me see if I can school an innocent look on my face while I respond...
***
@ Minque - Thank you very much Minque! I wish my Maxical could be playing this one, she is so perfect for this story, and I had her in mind when I thought of doing it...but I didn't want her in two ongoing fanfics at the same time. I am having to picture Maxical in my mind doing these things, write about them, then substitute Shivani's name in (since Maxical is laying half dead in Janus Hassildor's bed in Skingrad as this is being written, lol).
***
@ EVERYONE - New Chapter Up On Both Maxical And On Here!!

[Winter Wolf]

Minque has seen nothing yet!!!!!. Just wait until her other kitty gets here.
The comment about 'the nine protecting us all' is well and truly deserved!!

Great chapter mALX. The way that you underlay all of your writing with that mischievous humor is second to none. It is always a pleasure to read. More, more!!

This post has been edited by Winter Wolf: Mar 19 2010, 05:53 AM

[mALX]

Minque has seen nothing yet!!!!!. Just wait until her other kitty gets here.
The comment about 'the nine protecting us all' is well and truly deserved!!

Great chapter mALX. The way that you underlay all of your writing with that mischievous humor is second to none. It is always a pleasure to read. More, more!!

I'm working on bringing Maxical Wolf, lol. I am editing what I can out of it to make it more move-able. Thank you so much for your kind words!!! You ROCK !!!

[mALX]

Chapter 3: The Black…Er…White?…Flag


The Black Flag gleamed and glistened as it cut through the calm waters like a shark, charging across the coast of Hammerfell by dint of clinging close enough to the shore to not make an easy target for Commodore Fasil Umbranox and his Navy that took pleasure in stalking Captain Dugal.

They had rounded Hnea Rax the night of the storm, and had just now breezed by Helgathe. The weather had stayed fair, but with a decent wind; enough that they would be in Daggerfall well before morning if they could keep up this clip. Today the sun shone down on the ship, reflecting off the high polish of all the metalwork.

Captain Dugal spat on the deck, and instantly fifteen men were fighting each other to swab the spot clean. What had at first seemed a blessing, the men all eager to work…had now become a curse. They cleaned the ship so well that it could no longer slide unnoticed through the waters and creep up on other ships, or avoid enemies bent on destroying them. Why it even glistened in the moonlight now! Yet, somehow he was not prepared to tell them to stop working so hard. There had to be a way around this, give them something else to do.

He had caught the men tying themselves to the bow and slipping along the side of the ship in motion to scrape the barnacles off the hull and had to put a stop to that. Twice he had caught them tying off the Crow’s nest to scrub down the sails. He had never had a crew so eager to work, nor even heard of any.

“Ship Ahoy!” The cry came from the Crow’s nest. Now that might give them something to do and wear them down, plus garner some booty at the same time. One could never do too much looting.

“Blow alongside ‘er!”

“Aye Aye Captain.”

“It’s an escort Captain! I can see the Galleon on the other side of the Frigate!” The lookout called.

Captain Dugal’s eyes lit with greed. “Gold. There’ll be plenty of gold then, if they have an escort. Man your stations, all hands on deck!”

“Aye Aye Captain!”

They furled their flags and lowered them quickly, raising the flag of the Imperial Navy till they got in closer. Their pirate flag was tied into place, ready to hoist when they pulled alongside.

“AVAST!” They shouted.

Surprisingly the Frigate dropped it’s sails, as did the Galleon; not even trying to run. Captain Dugal was used to seeing whole crews leap into the water when they saw the Black Flag coming, the reputation of his Sabres went well before them. But to drop their sails and tie up before they arrived? He signaled to raise the large black banner that let the other ship know they were being attacked as they pulled alongside.

The deck was alive with men, so eager for movement that they could not even stand still long enough to wait till the ship was brought along side. Several climbed up on the boom of the Main and walked across it, then leaped on board the other ship as the Black Flag tied up to it.

For some reason the men on the Frigate did not start fighting right away, even with the Captain of that boat standing right on the deck. Stunned, Captain Dugal boarded the other ship and walked up to the Captain of it.

“I’m Captain Torradan ap Dugal, these are my Red Sabres. We are here to lighten your load. Givin’ up so easy won’t stop us from takin’ these here boats off your hands now, but if ye’ are smart we may let ye’ live to work on my crew. How ’bout it, Matey?”

The Captain laughed. “You had better not pull into port dressed like that, they’ll have your hide. Were you out to sea so long you outgrew your uniform?”

“Are ye’ daft man? I just told you we are here to lighten your load! Now start emptyin’ yer coffers up to me!” Captain Dugal stared hard at the other Captain to see if he had maybe imbibed too freely.

The Captain laughed again. “I don’t know how you got those costumes for your men, or why you are playing this prank, but you’ve had your fun. Why did you really want us, can we be of assistance to you?”

“I’m telling you how you can ’be of assistance’ to me! Empty your coffers, man! And make it quick ’fore I forge a new hole in you!” Captain Dugal roared.

“You’ve had your fun, now what do you want?” The Captain asked, showing irritation.

“Are you telling me you don’t believe I’m Captain Dugal, nor these the Red Sabres?” Captain Dugal’s face was beginning to purple with anger.

“I’ve seen the Black Flag, Captain Dugal’s ship before. It lives up to his name. Your ship could be called the ’White Flag’ maybe. It’s cleaner than any Imperial Navy ship I’ve ever seen. Now what can I do for you, Captain? I’m a busy man. I have to escort this Galleon laden with gold to Winterhold.”

Captain Dugal turned around and looked at the Black Flag. It was immaculate, gleaming in the sun like a new ship. All the woodwork had been varnished and polished to a high sheen, the metalwork shone brilliantly in the sun, all the lines were scrubbed till they contrasted pure white against the teak decks. Even the anchor chain glistened like expensive jewelry. It really didn’t look like the Black Flag anymore.

He glanced around, his men had surrounded the crew, but none of the captured crew was scared or fighting them, they were TALKING! Gossiping like wenches! He had to think for a minute. This was most dissatisfactory. He was used to rousing fear or a fight, now that was a satisfactory response. What should he do now?

“Yeah, you are right, we are supposed to take over that Galleon and relieve you of your post temporarily. The war and all, ye’ know. By order of Uriel Septim VII himself I hereby take charge of these two ships. We could use the extra manpower though, to maneuver them, if your crew want to stay on board and help. We‘ll be dropping you off at Daggerfall to return to your post.”

Somehow just taking the ships without a fight felt…cheap. It was too easy. Nothing felt right about it. Captain Dugal would rather have lost crew members in a big battle than for it to go this easy, but to just start slicing away at them while they sat there grinning, it just wouldn’t sit well with him. Still, he sensed trouble, and his inner warnings were rarely wrong. They had kept him alive all these years, and right now they were going off like a channel buoy in a hurricane.

The Captains and First Mates of both the Galleon and Frigate were brought aboard the Black Flag and treated as guests. Captain Dugal found his stomach souring and churning at the thought, he may as well pull out doilies. It was unmanning to not kill them or hold them captive at least.

The crew were put to work transferring the gold and wine over to the Black Flag, and two Red Sabre were positioned on each of the other boats to take over for the Captains and First Mates. Captain Dugal divided his crew to place a division of his own men on each boat as well, taking equal portions of men off the other ships to work on the Black Flag.

This seemed to cause a disturbance among the crew members. Surprised, because till now they had been overly biddable, Captain Dugal went on deck to see what the problem was.

“What in blue blazes is goin’ on here?” He bellowed. The fighting stopped and his crew all turned to face him, their eyes a mixture of belligerence and desperation.

The divisions from the other ships had set to work, and were watching the fighting with leery eyes from a distance as they coiled the lines and lay them up to set sail again.

In unison they began shouting again. “I’m not leaving the Black Flag! Let someone else go to the other ships! I don’t want to go!”

Captain Dugal raised his hand, and they fell silent once again.

“Are ye’ men disobeying a direct order? I didna’ ask ye’ to go. Now git yer carcasses on them ships so we can set sail ‘fore I send ye‘ there at the end of my sword!”

The crew members were looking back and forth amongst themselves, and then in a rush they stepped forward. “If we has to go, then let us take the cook and we’ll send one from the other ships here!”

At that the Black Flag crew members that had been selected to stay aboard her ran up. “Nae, the cook stays here.”

“Have ye’ all gone daft? Now git to yer assigned stations. The cook stays here.”

With a bad grace and much cursing the men leaped over to the other ships, but kept casting desperate glances back to the Black Flag.


***

A squall was brewing off the Eltheric Ocean and moving fast toward the trio of ships as it neared Dragon Grove. It would be a huge risk to try and reach the Iliac Bay in a storm of this magnitude. A shelf of rock lay just under the surface at the mouth of the bay, and had taken down even experienced sailors that had underestimated the deadliness of it. It was said the witches of that area had put a curse on it. It may be superstition, but Captain Dugal had seen some he knew, knew how good they were; but they had died to the shoals at the mouth of that bay. He would not chance it. He called the order to the other ships to turn back around. They would have to seek shelter in the shallow cove they had passed a ways back. It was a risk as well, but not nearly as bad as forging ahead would be.

***

This post has been edited by mALX: Apr 6 2010, 12:13 AM

[haute ecole rider]

I am editing what I can out of it to make it more move-able.

Oh, no, mALX! Don't touch Maxical's Arcane University antics!

Or her "rescue" of a certain ingrate from a certain location (with the subsequent invasion of mice)!

Or . . . or . . . or . . .!

I'll shut up now. I believe I have said too much!

[Acadian]

Avast me hearties! What's that Khajiit been putting in their food?

A light, fun romp!

[Winter Wolf]

We always think of pirate captains as being very scary and dangerous people. The scene with his men gossiping behind him like wenches showed us all that it is only the strength in numbers and speed that gave the pirates their advantage. Very humorous!!

The cook stays here. I love it!!

Oh, I did take a sneak peek at the latest albino khajiit, my head is spinning.
Rumpleteaser and the Count of Kvatch. Wow!!!!!!!

This post has been edited by Winter Wolf: Mar 21 2010, 04:17 AM

[Destri Melarg]

mALX, you have an absolute gift for crafting a situation that leads to the one moment when you are able to skewer a character so thoroughly and effectively that one can not look upon that character again without laughing. This time your target is Cap'n Dugal, and by the time the poor man has been thoroughly mALXed we can't help but pity him, even while we are laughing.

It was unmanning to not kill them or hold them captive at least.

Brilliant!

[mALX]

@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank you so much Hauty! I plan to leave all the good stuff, lol. Those are my favorite chapters too.
***
@ Acadian - Thank you so much Acadian! And you are right, I plan to just keep this a light romp - just need to get that pirate story out of my system, lol.
***
@ Winter Wolf - Oh, I love that new Avatar, it looks more like you!
Thank you very much Wolf! - On Maxical, Rumple and I planned that since early December - then Maxical died and everything got delayed! Lol.
***
@ Destri Melarg - Thank you very much Destri! I feel sorry for everyone on the ship, lol. No one is sacred in my stories, as you know, lol. (not even the heroes) - I plan to keep this short and light so I can concentrate on getting Maxical up on here, but I just had to get it out of my system or it would keep egging at me, lol. Thank you Destri!

[Olen]

I've just realised I haven't commented here yet.

I love this piece, the light tone and quick pace sit well with it and it has some great moments. And it's so different. A romp like this is exactly what I need after trying to edit some of my own stuff...

Great piece and I await the arrival of this mysterious Maxical with eagerness.

This post has been edited by Olen: Mar 22 2010, 08:14 PM

[mALX]

I've just realised I haven't commented here yet.

I love this piece, the light tone and quick pace sit well with it and it has some great moments. And it's so different. A romp like this is exactly what I need after trying to edit some of my own stuff...

Great piece and I await the arrival of this mysterious Maxical with eagerness.

Thank you very much! The idea hit me for it, and I was debating bringing Maxical here at the time, so thought I would go for it, lol. I appreciate your kind words a lot!


Maxical is here - well, one chapter of her. I am editing out all the slow stuff and just bringing her highlights over, it was way too long to drag the whole story over here.

[mALX]

Chapter 4: The Squall And The Brawl



Captain Dugal leaned over the charts for that cove. There were some shoals, and it was shallow. If he was quick enough to outrun the storm there was a small channel they could find shelter in. There was only a two foot draft between the keel of his ship and the bottom of the channel, the storm may blow that two foot down and they would run aground. It may be safer to anchor just offshore and ride it out.

As he was making a decision on which course to take his eye caught the two cooks walking down the passageway talking.

“John!” Captain Dugal called. They kept walking and talking as if they hadn’t heard him. “John!” He tried again. Were they deaf? He stepped quickly up behind them and grabbed them both by the shoulder.

“Are ye’ two deaf? I called ye!” He roared.

“Sorry sir!” They said in unison.

“Now ye’ both listen to me good. Today was the closest I’ve ever come to having a mutiny an’ it was over the two of ye’. I won’t have no trouble, ye’ hear? I‘ll go back to eatin‘ swill an‘ the two of ye‘ will be off at the next port.”

“Did we do something wrong sir?” Shivani asked, trying to make her voice sound like a deck hand she had heard.

“Ye’ cook too good. The men are fightin’ , not obeyin’ orders over yer cookin’. An‘ it‘s too hearty, the men are too full of energy. They clean till I don‘t know me own ship.”

“They’ll kill us if it ain’t good.” Shivani imitated his slang.

“Well I may kill ye’ if my crew mutinies over yer cookin’”

Both Shivani and John’s eyes got large. “What should we do sir?”

He pointed at Evil John. “Git to the pantry and kill some rats. Ye start servin’ em’ ratmeat stew. That ought to do it.”

“Yes sir.” Shivani said. Evil John looked sick.



***

“Look John. They are still eating the stew like it’s delicious. What are we going to do?” Shivani watched the men emptying their bowls and going back for more.

“I told you not to use that recipe you found.” John chewed his lip like he was thinking. “Hey, maybe we should start spitting in it.”

“The recipe was from Ocato, who would think it would be good? And I’m not going to spit in it, you do it.” Shivani watched another tar digging in the pot to refill his bowl.

“I have a problem making spit” John declared, folding his arms.

“So do I. What should we do? We have to do something.” Shivani elbowed John. “That is his third bowl.”

“They’ve all been doing that. When we first left Anvil they would come back for seconds in about eight hours. Now they are back in less than two hours. I’ve heard them sneaking into the galley at night to see if there is any more left. If there isn’t they get into a terrible state. It’s like they are addicted to your stew.” John mused aloud.

“That’s it John! You’re a genius!” Shivani hugged him and John pushed her off.

“Hey! Watch it, will you? What are you talking about?” John shook Shivani off him.

She flushed, realizing she had almost blown her cover. “Drugs! We will drug the stew so they get sick off it instead of loving it!”

“What kind of drugs?” John looked intrigued.

“I don’t know. We will need to find the sick bay and sneak in it when no one is around. We can’t do anything about tonight, but tomorrow's stew…that is if we can find any drugs.” Shivani looked around. “Let’s leave clean-up till later, since they are still coming and going. We need to scout out that sick bay. Do you know where it is?”

“No, we can just look in every cabin and if there are drugs, grab them. Don’t forget when we tie off that we can check out the other ships for drugs too.” John held up a large empty potato sack.

“You are a genius John, I never would have thought of that. That sack will be perfect.”



***

“Good grief, help me pull this sack John, it is too heavy for one person.” Shivani was grunting dragging the heavy potato sack full of drugs they had taken from the cabins. “And we haven’t even found the sick bay yet! I wonder what all these are? Do you think this is that Skooma they are smuggling?”

“I don’t know. Still, we should do the other ships while we are tied up close tonight. We won’t be able to get back to them later, and may need it.” John said, grunting as he helped Shivani tug the sack into the galley.

“Get the rest of that leftover stew. Lets start putting stuff in it now, that will give us a head start on tomorrow.“ Shivani started opening bottles while John dumped them in the pot and stirred.

“It looks too watery, we better add something to thicken it, or cover up the taste in case the drugs make it taste funny.” John suggested. The stew was almost clear.

“You’re right John. Good thing you’re here, you are the brains of this operation.” Shivani said, digging in the pantry for anything to add to the stew. “Here, put this in it.”

“Horse radish?”

“Yes, it will cover up the taste of anything. Now let‘s dump these empty bottles over the transom while we are still moving. The storm should blow them away.”



***

The storm had blown them quickly to the cove. Dropping the sails the crew had rowed carefully up the channel to a sheltered spot and tied the three ships together.

John and Shivani crept into the galley and grabbed the potato sacks.

“Look John, the stew is half-way down again. We better hurry.”

“Where did you hide the rest of the drugs we didn’t use?”

“I slid them into the guest quarters those other Captains are staying in while they were in with Captain Dugal.” Shivani whispered. “Let’s get out of here.”

They had barely set foot on the frigate when John clapped his hand over her mouth and pulled her down behind the dinghy. Shivani froze. The crew members that had been forced off ship were creeping over to the Black Flag. The noise of the storm approaching covered any sound they made. Just as Shivani started to rise again she caught site of the old Black Flag crew creeping off the Galleon. She ducked back down and waited. Just like the others before them, this crew slid silently down the main hatchway.

“Come on John. We better sneak down the forward hatch so no one will see us.”

When they had filled both sacks and their pockets up they started back creeping across the plank. Suddenly they heard shouting coming from the main hatchway.

“Quick John, climb down and hide on the transom. They must have discovered we were drugging them.” Shivani pushed him. “Forget the potato sack, just get down there.” She shoved the sacks under the dinghy that covered the stern, then shot around and dropped into the water, pulling herself up on the transom beside John. They pressed themselves against the hull as tightly as possible.

The shouting grew louder, the men were barreling up out of the hatchway and onto the decks. Shivani heard swords clashing and the twang of a bow. She looked at John and he shrugged. There was an all out battle going down on the decks of the Black Flag.



***

“What in the Blue Blazes be goin’ on here!” Captain Dugal bellowed, pulling his large bulk up through the hatchway.

As he climbed out he saw three crew members that he distinctly ordered onto the Galleon and Frigate. They were swinging down off the stays for the main mast, flipping through the air as if they were shot from cannons.

“Sir! These men were caught stealing some of our stew!” A deckhand yelled as he let loose an arrow with a loud twang.

“Yer fightin’ over stew? Have ye’ all gone DAFT?” It’s made with rats, ye want rat meat that bad go git down to the hold and kill some ye’…”

“TWANG”

“Git yer own stew, ye got no business on the Black Flag no more, ye been reassigned, ye bastards!”

“TWANG”

“Did ye hear me? I’m your Captain, and I told ye to stop fightin’ over the damn stew! I’ll throw ye’ all in the brig!”

“TWANG”

“SABRES! Git yer carcasses up here and give these men a taste of who their Captain is.”

“TWANG”

“I’ll teach you to steal my stew you sorry…”

“TWANG”

The clash of swords was getting too close, and Captain Dugal skirted over to the side. One look at the men told him they were high as the crow’s nest on some drug. Their eyes were as round as saucers and not a pupil to be found. Their actions were so jittery it was amazing they could fight at all. Instead they seemed to be in a frenzy of some sort, shaking uncontrollably but still agitated over a stew? What was wrong with these men? It must be that the drugs they were on made them lose their minds.



Screenies:


Black Flag/White Flag:

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images0...bb5591d6bd0.jpg


The Storm:

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images0...ee1dba2333d.jpg



The Fight:


http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images0...72949e0310a.jpg


http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images0...a5b3b8236a4.jpg


http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images0...07dbb46c07c.jpg


The Dead:

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images0...50437da504f.jpg



The Cove:

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images0...dc18840703c.jpg

This post has been edited by mALX: Apr 6 2010, 12:14 AM

[D.Foxy]

We already have a haute ecole to ride,

HEY! How'd ya know I won't buck ya off!

Oh, you mean in the EQUESTRIAN mode.

Geesh! I'm turning into a certain vulpine commentator!

My dear girl, you are NOT me. You spelled 'buck' with a 'b'.

[haute ecole rider]

I think I know where this is going!

What they need in the stew is some apomorphine. That'll make 'em puke! (It's what we give dogs to make them throw up the bag of dark chocolate chips they ate, and the wife's diamond wedding ring, and the Lady Godiva chocolate, and the pan of extra-chocolate fudge brownies.)

Poor Cap'n Dugal! I feel sorry for him!

[D.Foxy]

Fighting over RAT STEW....

mALX you MINX!!!

[Acadian]

I wonder if Shivani used an ETN recipe for squirrel stew and simply subbed in the rats? Lol.

Another light hearted romp. Shivani is def Maxical's Mom.

[mALX]

@ Foxy - Woo Hoo! I know what you were going to say! ROFL!

** Fighting over rat stew - but it was made with Ocato's family recipe! (I threw that in there for Treydog, or any Maxical reader who may recognize it, lol).

***
@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank you so much Hauty! GAAAAK! * mALX puked reading graphic comment * ROFL! Just kidding. I appreciate you a lot Hauty!
***
@ Acadian - Thank you so much Acadian! Yes, it seems that way, doesn't it? ROFL !!! No, she used Ocato's family recipe for rat stew from the Maxical story that was inspired by Treydog's badge for the injured guards during "The Mission" - ROFL !!! (not that anyone will remember it, I think it was chapter 26 or something, ROFL !!! )

[Olen]

Solid update, I can't see the idea of drugging them ending well, and when they do get kicked off the boat there's going to be a major hangover.

Hmm rat stew... I think the canteen I go to could do with that recipe...