It started many years before I was born the story of my life strange as that may sound, my father a large sea otter by the name of Welk who lived in a cave by the sea as a fisherman. The cave itself was carved out of the limestone by wind and water leaving the entrance partially submerged in the foaming seawater. Stalactites hung from the tall ceiling making it near impossible for any large boat to enter the cave but it went deep into the shoreline. It had been a comfortable cave it went so deep that they had six different rooms and all were comfortably furnished. A roof fall in at the back of the cave served as a land entrance steps ran up the sides of the cave wall all the way up to the surface where it came out at the top of the cliffs. My father had lived a peaceful life there with my mother taking from the sea what they needed to eat and that was all they had ever needed or wanted.
A season before I was to be born my father noticed a corsairs ship on the horizon, the Gullseeker it was a boat captained by Clug the Masterful and it landed by the cliffs that very day.
�My father knew the danger that corsairs bring and so he brought up the branches they had saved for firewood and covered the cave entrance with them attempting to conceal there whereabouts. Soon after they heard the ship docking and the crew setting camp. They listened carefully as they heard the corsairs above them stomping away unawares, they had no weapons apart from my fathers fishing knife between them so they wished on keeping concealed, discovery was not a promising option in this scenario so they kept quiet. In spite though a rat soon picked up the branches meaning only for easy firewood but on finding the entrance he called on Clug. Clug took down a small collection of heavily armed crew beasts to reconnoitre the vast cave and soon they found what they were looking for.
�My mother and father were soon discovered defenceless and were taken above to be talked to by Clug himself. �Otter beasts eh well what are you good for sea dog� my father replied as bravely as he could �good at most things but nothing for you corsair I�m no corsair and don�t plan to be either� Clug laughed at this comment and nodded to one of his officers who drew his knife and held it at my mothers throat �now what to you say river dog what are you best at� he smiles slyly and nods towards my mother �or she gets it what will it be�. My father looked around he had no choice �I am a good fisher and I am good at archery that is all�, Clug laughs �he speaks this is good, and we need more archers, if you join us she can go free� my father knew the unrealistic possibility of this comment being truthful but he agrees all the same � I will join for her safety� Clug laughs �for her safety it will be� he turns to the crew member at her throat �put her in the cargo hold some where comfortable for our good friend the archer wife� Clug laughs �Welcome to the crew matey�
The Gullseeker headed out the next day after getting all there supplies from my fathers house. My father started working in the galley as an oar beast until there would be a time for a bow to be needed. �Oar slave yeah you river dog what�s with the slow pace keep up it going to be a long trip at this rate� implied a crewmember � Crowfoot if your mouth was any larger we would have an extra sail go and find something useful to do rather that talking here, like propelling us forwards with that big mouth of yours up on deck� Crowfoot was about to answer but Clug walked down the steps to the galley �how�s my new river dog doing here, I thought I would give you a little present� Welk looked up surprised �a present captain?� �Yes a present, a bow to be exact, all archers need them� Welk smiled �why thank you captain a right pretty bow it is as well� Crow foot who had been watching the whole thing storms off to tell the crew.
�Favouritism that�s what it is new member and he� treated like royalty who here ever got a new weapon from the captain, no one that�s who we need to do something about this sea dog�
I was born just a season later and my father was aloud into the hold for a while to help look after me. I was as I am now a black otter but larger than most babes at that time, I was stubborn to learn and I could soon walk a few feet in only a matter of weeks of my birth my parents were immensely proud.
Late One night about a season after I was born my father was with the crew �I have the best son he is big and strong and only a few months old he can walk well now and even speak some words� �well so what he� a babe� Crowfoot shouted � I have one of my own Crowtooth is his name a small beast but with a strong grip�. � That�s great, I never knew the captain liked babes though he came down to see mine just recently and give it his blessing". This was too much for the crew they knocked Welk out, tied his feet and arms together then chucked him overboard, he was never seen again as the boats waves pushed him under water and he sank quickly into the oceans currents and was swept away from the boat�
Clug was annoyed about Welks murder but he could do nothing to distract from the fact it had been done so he waited and life went on as normal I grew up in the hold and above deck corsair life went on.
Once I was old enough Clug ordered me to be brought up from the hold to his cabin he then asked for privacy �welfo my boy, would you like to learn the corsair life fighting, boating, pillaging, eating and drinking� �yes sir� I answered eagerly to which he laughed heartily for a few minuets �good, good but we must do it in secret if they ever ask what your doing you bring me my meals from now on ok� �yes sir� I answered � well be off with you and come at breakfast tomorrow with my breakfast for that matter you will find it in the food galley the chefs name is Qarts ok� �yes sir� he laughed then let me go I instantly told my mother who was overjoyed.
I trained in the skills of archery both theory and actual practice, the use of a knife it fighting and in simple corsair eating habits, I learned the life of a corsair at every meal time for six seasons always in the captains cabin with plenty of privacy till he thought I was ready to go out and meet the crew.
� This is Welfo son of Welk he is now a member of the crew so watch what you say as he reports to me�
I quickly caught on to the corsair life and enjoyed it mostly, the crew were not so sure about me but they knew I was a valuable fighter. Until one day at meal time I started to walk towards the captains cabin when a crew member stopped me �that�s the captains cabin think your special eh, eat with us� � I was asked to eat with the captain his orders and all that� Suddenly the rat jumped at me I ducked hit him in the back of the head with the hilt of my knife the as he turned dazed I stabbed him in the chest. He fell backwards on to the deck clutching the knife. Loosening his dead grip I pulled my knife from his chest and continued on to eat at the captains table.
�He killed an officer, he killed Crowfoot he should die for that� �the captains probably killed him already� �no there�s too much favouritism between them twill never happen�
I came out of the cabin an officer and I ordered Crowfoots body dumped overboard they muttered but did it all the same but they were not happy I had made my first wrong move.
Soon later a storm blew up and we were all on deck. Gale force winds blew the sail flapping and the ship turned haphazardly side on to the great waves 20 metres above deck soaking all on board and washing off crew who had not got them self�s tied on properly. The wind whipped painfully across the deck chilling all of us till our hands were numb. The captain�s orders were drowned out by the thunder and the wind as we tried to keep the gullseeker afloat. Then there was a cracking noise the main mast was getting stressed by the wind we quickly untied our ropes and tied them onto the decking just in time the mast collapsed and swung round in a loud screech tearing through the decking of the ship trailing ropes and sail. Clug was hooked by on of the ropes and he held his deck rope for dear life as the mast began to sink behind him. The rope strained as the mast anchored the captain getting stretched some people moved forwards to help but the boat unbalanced and they ran back. I drew an arrow and shot the captain�s lifeline the boat swung back to its upright position and the captain was sent under. The crew glared at me but left their grudges till the storm subsided.
The next day the sea was calm and no evidence of a storm could be seen for miles around but the crew were leaderless and the ship was damaged and we desperately needed repairs. We decided to sail for land and drop anchor as soon as it was sighted and so once oar slaves were positioned the crew all went above deck, I was going to follow but they requested I keep an eye on the oar slaves reluctantly I agreed.
� You know what to do first island we land we loose him it�s the least he deserves�
�Soon after we came across a small tropical island, dropping anchor we took the longboats and sailed for the coast. I instinctively began foraging for provisions and any bits of timber that would do for a new mast but I had hardly started to do so when the crew ran back for the longboats and began rowing as fast as they were able I called for them to stop but they began to get out of earshot, it was then I realised they were marooning me for killing the captain.
I searched the island for things I could use for survival by the time night had fallen I had made a reasonable shelter out of driftwood washed on the tide line and broken tree branches. I had berries that I had collected but not much to eat and it was a warm night so I didn�t make a fire in case of attracting possible hostile natives.
�I woke the next morning picked up my knife and bow and searched the island but found no one. Apart from myself the island was uninhabited, I began to refer to it as the Island of the Marooned what it is really called I am still unsure. Once I had fully reconnoitred the island I began sharpening a long stick I had found into a pike and went to try my fishing skills after a few hours of practice swimming around the reefs surrounding the island I picked up a good number of clams and a few fish also. That night I feasted I even lit a fire to cheer my spirits. I continued on this way for a good number of seasons and then I saw it.
A ship was coming over the horizon towards me the sail was billowing full and I worried it could pass me by. Lighting my fire I pushed in my shelter and all the wood I could find to make a big bonfire to get their attention. Then I began swimming towards the ship through the reefs as fast as I could paddle with my paws. I was making good speed when they spotted me and they lowered a rope over the edge to pick me up. I saw the rope ahead and paddled faster yet but then I caught my foot on a piece of coral, I pulled it free but I had done it, a small cut on my foot I knew this area well to be deep enough so I started swimming for my life just as I had guessed a fin appeared behind me as I swam the crew on the ship seeing this started firing arrows at the giant fish. It dived down out of the arrows reach but continued to follow, I dived at the rope that was hoisted up suddenly, just as the shark hit against the hull of the ship dazed. I was now safe from the shark at least.
The ship was the Great Sea Serpent vessel of the Famous captain Dragfleg but yet again I was in the hands of corsairs.
I instantly retold my story to the captain who laughed and instantly made me archer in his crew to my great joy. I began to find out how things worked on the ship and I kept my head down and worked myself to the bone.
After a few seasons we landed on an island for supplies I got my bow and dagger and went on the long boats like the rest of the crew. Once ashore the captain started issuing titles �Clankscar you have the scouts at your command reconnoitre this island then report back, Redscum you have the pike beasts and Welfo you take the archers I�ll have everyone else NOW MOVE!�
After an hour and a half I headed towards the centre of the island only to here screams running silently forwards I viewed large monitor lizards with members of the crew and I was surprised to recognise some other familiar faces including Crowtooth. I immediately ordered the archers to ready fire. Then I fired at the biggest lizard I could see the archers followed suit. We had to move quickly after our first move as already we were in pursuit we ran round the island a few times till we finally exhausted the lizards who were more used to slower travel. We rescued the lizard�s prisoners before they returned and headed for the ship. It didn�t take long to realise the lizards were on our tails though as a long shriek ran through the tropical forest and we ran for the long boats. We reached the long boats just in time but so close that I got a notch cut out of my ear by an angry lizard.
I was much respected by the crew for the first time that night and the feast was wonderfully large the captain even promoted me for heroic efforts to an officer. We sailed of into the night with happier spirits and that�s how it continued for the next season. We did amazingly well a long chain of small-inhabited islands made us rich in plunder we even gained another ship, which the captain offered to me delighted I took him up in the offer.
A few seasons later we had filled both ships with loot and we headed back to a place the captain had told us about for his retirement. The country of mossflower apparently it had plenty of food to last us lifetimes. So we headed to mosssflower in great haste it only took us about a season, which was making good time considering the distance.
On arrival we started work on a wooden fort on the coast, we even paid passing freebooters to help speed up the process once it was done it was a grand site four turrets with one so tall you could see over sixty miles over the ocean a great gate bared entrance to unwelcome visitors.
Only one month after completion of the fort Dragfleg died.
There was turmoil in the camp that should be the next leader I was Dragfleg�s other captain and Crowtooth had some how became his first mate. It was going to have to be a fight to the death.
I armed my self with my bow and knife and waited on Crowtooth in the centre of the camp, he came armed with a metal claw and a scimitar. Suddenly he slashed at me with his scimitar I ducked and grabbed his wrist and he scraped my face with his metal claw I held on through the unbearable pain, thinking quickly I grabbed his other wrist and fell on to my back and kicked out winding him he staggered backwards I drew my bow flicked out an arrow aimed and fired as soon as I could he staggered under the blow I drew another he staggered further as it hit, I drew one more this time I took careful aim he fell dead with a hole in his skull.
The hoard was angry they had preferred Crowtooth he was a true corsair he was no otter he was a rat a common corsair beast. I went back inside collected my stuff then waited for nightfall knowing mutiny plenty of times before. As I crept out of the camp I heard them making plans to assassinate me. I ran of into the night and began looking for a new home when I arrived at the last thing I expected the sentinels.
After that it�s a whole new story, which is yet to be completed as yet I am still living�
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