England [p]

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    Ash bounded through the night reaching the docks by first light (that rhymed :I). She checked all the routes quickly, she saw the boat and ran onto it, they wouldn't leave for an hour. "Leen?" She called out. The broad shouldered tom walked out, his eyes were like Ash's except green. Ash gave him a small glimpse of her right eye. He gave her a glimpse of his left, his golden earring flashing. "I didn't recognize you without your feathers, here let me," he mewed. He brought the white, silver, and black festhers over and placed them in the bottom left corner of her left ear. "Thank you Leen," she murmured, the feel of having her beaded feathers back comforting. She moved her fur out of place, the navy marks gone. She smiled.

    Recluse followed her close by. He hoped that tom didn't detect him, though if he was to be honest he feared Ash's scolding more then the tom's claws. The masculine tabby tom just needed to wait 'til the right moment to hop in the boat with them... He didn't know where they were going, but he had nobody, and there was no way he was going to lose his new... friend? He wasn't sure what to call her, because she certainly didn't see him as a friend.

    Leen smiled. He then scowled the small boat was filled with cats. "Let's be off all you landlubbers, we have enough fare to carry ten cats, we got nine and a tenth don't seem to be coming!" He yowled. He tipped his head to Ashton and meowed, "To your post, Ash." Ash laughed and nodded, "Aye, aye, Cap'n Leen." She launched up onto the mast and hung off the cargo nest while she unfurled the sail.

    Recluse's eyes widened as the boat was about to take off. "You're not leaving me here!" Recluse thought, and in a moment of sudden impulse he leaped. Barely managing to get on, he looked around at the staring cats. Somehow, he knew he wasn't welcome. Shaking his head, he walked up to Ash. "I told you, I am going to be your friend." The assertive tone in Recluse's voice was menacing at first glance, but even Recluse knew they could push him off and let him drown if they wanted.

    Ash rolled her eyes, "Then, welcome to the the Raid." Leen gave Recluse a suspicious look, "Ash who is this tom? I suspect my Leader brought a capable cat to join the Raid Ship," he meowed. "Of course your Raid Leader brought a capable cat." She snatched Recluse up and put him by her on the mast by herself, "He'll be a mast helper and fish boy!" The whole crew laughed.

    Recluse glared at the laughing cats. He didn't quite understand much of this, but he at least got the understanding he'd be working. "Whatever," he thought. "I can work, but anymore taunting and I'll scratch these cats' eyes out." He remembered his short time of inprisonment in Bloodclan, and closed his eyes. "No way am I ever going to tell anyone of that." He glanced at Ash. Was this really the same insecure feline he met at the gathering? She seemed light-hearted and happy now. What made her act so differently now?

    Ash nodded to Leen, "Recluse, you've got to fish for the crew when we get to Northwind Island." Leen went belowdeck to grab one of the fresh mice they had caught earlier. Murmurs filled his ears, "Who's this cat Ash brought?" "What's with the new fish-boy?" Leen growled at the toms talking, "Ash knows what she's doing."

    Recluse nodded. He had never actaully caught fish before, remembering when his mother had caught him one he had hated the taste of it. Still, he wouldn't tell her that. He had gotten himself into this, and now he was going to do everything it took to show he deserved to stay. Still, he had to ask. "Umm, so... where are we heading?" He tried to ask quietly, but by the sound of their laughter Recluse guessed the rest of the crew heard him. He was obviously embarrased, but he wasn't going to show it. He asked the question seriously, to show he wasn't afraid of their taunts.

    "You mousebrained fishheads! Shut up and let the tom talk," Ash yowled, they instantly stopped. She grabbed a rope and swung in front of him hanging from the rope, "We're going Home, to England, and to HQ." The crew shouted agreement. She smirked as a tom in the crow's nest shouted, "Northwind Island ahead!" Ash laughed, "Hold onto your fur boys cause here comes the North Wind!" At the end of her words the ship blasted southward and toward the islands, propelled by the strong north winds.

    Recluse watched her, surprised. He knew he should be frozen in fear... He was leaving his home! He might never see his mother again, the one person who he cared for... Yet, somehow he was more interested in watching the ship gain wind and feeling wind blow through his fur. He looked at Ash, and wondered if she'd miss her siblings... Now that he thought of it, how long would they stay in England? But instead of asking, he silently watched them come closer to islands, very far in the distance but with every minute they were a mile closer to them.

    Half a mile from the islands Ash yowled, "Anchors out!" She swung down and pushed the lever with the toms until the anchor fell and stopped the ship. They laughed. "Now boys, shall we get to the islands?" Leen asked. He grabbed Ash and flung her overboard. Ash plummeted and sunk below the surface. Leen laughed. The toms laughed with him.

    Recluse froze. He glanced at the other toms. They all seemed very relaxed. Was now the right time to say he couldn't swim? Not only that, but certainly it wasn't safe to swim regardless, with such cold weather... certainly the water had to twice as cold. Recluse backed a little away from the group of toms, not too excited about being thrown into the depths of the water.


    Ooc: Now we're just flat out torturing Recluse :P *Calls PETA*

    I'm pretty sure I just saw a mega evolved pikachu in a wrestling suit, with a mega raichu by it.... {scarred for life}


    Ash popped up, the water below her filled with fish and coral, she saw the cowering Recluse. "You do know we're off the coast of Africa, correct?"

    "H-how would I know that?" spat Recluse, looking at the water. He saw the other crew members eye him, and he felt like this was a test... Would he jump or not? Recluse sighed, closing his eyes and jumped. Panicing, he tried to swim, his eyes wide with fear. He grabbed unto a floating branch, relying on it to stay afloat. "Stupid fish-cats!" he shouted to the laughing cats above.

    Ash yowled for silence, her eyes intense on the toms, "Shut the bloody hell up!" She glared at the toms, "Remember when you fishheads were wee kits just learning how to swim." She grabbed Recluse and helped him swim to an island.

    Recluse let her lead him without protest. He wanted to say alot to her, but couldn't find the right words. He wanted to ask her a thousand questions, but knew all of them would seem intrusive. Reaching the shore, he at least managed to look at her and say "Thanks." He felt embarrased, as she had compared him to a kit, but he was also thankful to her... but what could he say besides "thanks"? Maybe apologize? Nothing seemed quite appropriate.

    Recluse smiled, a little amused at her strange accent she suddenly adopted. "So, is this your real voice, or was the voice you used at the gathering real?" He watched the other cats swim to shore easily, and felt nervous. Still, he doubted any of those cats would dare try anything while their captain was around... though it was strange, realizing this seemingly cool-headed cat was captain of a ship. Suddenly, the words she spoke earlier came into his head. "I am neither cool or hot-headed." He saw she didn't fit under one or the other certainly, but he doubted she was as indifferent as she had wanted him to believe earlier.

    "It 'tis my realest voice, I used the other as an alias to hide this one," she mewed. Leen swam up to them, "Ashton, Mangle got his tail stuck on some coral, again." Ashton sighed, "How in the name of the Stars did he do it this time." Ashton ran and leaped several fox lengths to swim out to Mangle. The long furred tom struggled until Ashton undid his fur. "Go and see the rest of your crew, Sir Mangle," Ashton meowed before she swam away. She shook her pelt when she got back up on the island. She got a long palm leaf and made a hammock, the other crew members did as well. She caught a fish and ate, she caught one for Recluse as well. "I could see you didn't know how to fish by the way you moved," her eyes twinkled as she said the words. Leen ate along with the crew. "The Raid ship should hold 'til first light, then we leave," Ashton meowed. She tilted her head and smiled. Her eyes betraying her happiness with her crew. "Now, Mangle and Tommy, get the bonfire started!" She smiled as the toms formed a large bonfire and they sang a sea shanty. Ash laughed with the others after the ending. She invited Recluse to have a bit of fun. As the moon rose to it's highest point. "Nightfall men, hit your hammocks," Ash meowed. The toms walked to their hammocks and climbed in them. The gentle snoring of them filled the air, Ash remained awake, patrolling the perimeter for enemies. She saw a cream lump wash up on the shore, she ran over and saw it was a she-cat. "Malrissia!" Ash ran over to her cousin and helped her up. She brought her to her hammock and murmured, "Sleep Malrissia."