Flotsam & Jetsam

Firesprite

Vicariously Alive
Joined
Feb 7, 2000
Posts
3,141
Although the storm raged strong about us, I stood firm, my hands on the wheel of the pirate ship Chance.
The waves pounding heavily, steering us off course, and the wind was howling like a banshee.
I looked and I saw an albatross struggling against the wind, trying to advance, but as tossed about as we were. Suddenly a lightning bolt ripped through the darkening sky, taking the albatross from the sky. My heart plummeted with it. That was the darkest omen to any sailor, I only hoped I was the sole witness to it.

I was Jasmine Goldtaker born and bred to be a pirate, the daughter of a pirate, the heart of a pirate. The captain of Chance and a small fleet of other vessels.

Darkness decended over us quickly, rain, wind and waves slashing our decks, tossing my people about as they tried to hold Chance together against the storm.

I couldn't hear the lookout in the crows nest call, and it was too late when I heard the pounding waves on rocks.

With a curse I tried to bring the Chance about but it was too late.
A crunch and rending scream of wood as the Chance struck and held on the rocks. The jolt knocked me off my feet and against the rail as I sought for purchace with bare feet and hands, my trousers blowing and wet, slapping my legs in the wind.
With another curse directed at the storm and then myself, a massive wave swept Chance up from the rock, swamped her deck and smashed her down again.

My handhold not secure on the rail I was lost in the wave, seperated from my safety and very nearly my life. relaxing with the water in the way my father taught me, I popped back to the surface and found I was not far from a beach, glowing whitely in the dim moonlight.

I swam towards shore.
 
Elyas Macherin

Making my way back to my duties aft of where the captain strained against the wheel, and sighing contentedly with the feeling of the warm meal in my belly from the galley, I glanced upward in time to see a great bolt of light shatter the heavens. Stumbling forward, blinded by the intensity, my hand closed on the railing just as a great wave overtook us, and we were dashed upon the looming rocks. I clung to the sodden wood, bits of it slivering under my nails from my paniced deathgrip, and listened to the cries of my friends as they were swept from the deck. I blinked, screaming, as the stark outline of an albatross, transfixed by that great bolt of lightning, remained etched upon my retinas.

Another wave came over the railing, and I saw our great captain, who had led us to victory and fortune time and again, swept over the rail. With the wave came a great surge, and we were ground into the merciless rocks. I finally lost my hold as the ship began to come apart around me, and was flung headlong into the dark water. Flailing about, I managed to get one arm over a floating plank, and draped myself over it, just in time.

From nowhere, a wave-ridden section of the hull looms before me. I have only enough time to scream, before the wave sweeps us together, and consciousness flees me.

Feeling and seeing nothing, I am swept into shore, where I lie limp and bleeding from the impact to my skull upon the white sands.
 
Pain was such a lucritive term. Really it was, could you honestly put something into words when it shoots up your back, or brings the sweet taste of blood to your mouth. Pain, it's a word for those who don't have it. It's a word like cancer, sneaky and seductive in it's name. Cancer is a word people use when they don't have it, if you have cancer, you don't say it, you just feel it.
This he just felt.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He had been in the crow's nest. Honestly, it seemed like the safest place to be on the ship. That was until some idiot decided to crash them right into the rocks. He held on as tight as he could, and actually had beaten it. The mison mast is the thing that gave way, not him. He fell. It felt like a hudnred feet, but it was probably only fifteen or more. It didn't matter to him though.
The rock cut into his side. He saw flashes of red and white as he bounced, literally bounced like a fucking rubber ball into the ocean.
A warm stinging sensation hit his side, which surprised him since it all felt numb. He winced, as he bobbed to the surface. The sour taste of blood came to his mouth, which he spit out.
Something fell on his tongue. He moved it around in his mouth.
A tooth, a fucking tooth.
Oh, he'd have to write a stern letter to someone about this. His head seemed like it was going to split in two. Spitting the tooth out, he simply stayed there in the water.
"LOOK OUT!"
The ship lurched toward the rocks again, trying to jump over them. Later, when he had time to think, Kristan would have sworn that it looked like the ship was humping those rocks. He was doing a pretty good job too, making her squeal with delight.
Wood began swirling over, barrels and planks and masts. He grabbed onto what he could for support.
Everything hurt, he glanced over. There, shore. It had to be, rocks didn't grow in the middle of the ocean for no reason.
He used his good side to paddle with, making short movements. The cold wind blew hard, but the huge waves made it actually very easy.
Falling on the cold black sand, he lay there, completely spent. Bleeding from at least three different places, he simply looked up at the sky, exhausted beyond himself.
"HA HAAAA!" he yelled, feeling his side twitch in pain, "Not this time death, not this time. Go fuck your mother, I'm not going anywhere!"
After a while, the rain stopped, and some starts began to peek out. He didn't see that though, he had already passed out from the pain.
 
Jasmine Goldtaker, Captain of the Chance

The storm still raging, I staggered ashore and fell down gasping and panting from the effort of the swim. Despair filled me, I could still hear the thunderous roar of my ship against the rocks, I could see her breaking up before my very eyes.

Movement on the beach drew my eyes and I was relieved to see I was not the only one to reach the shore alive. Stumbling to the body I saw it was Elyas Macherin, my second in command, but unconcious, probably wounded, I thought, but there wasn't much I could do in this dark storm for him. Grabbing him under the arms I dragged him higher up the beach, above the high-tide mark, where he would be a little safer.
Glancing back towards the waves I heard a shout ""HA HAAAA!Not this time death, not this time. Go fuck your mother, I'm not going anywhere!" and I had to grin - I knew that voice, Kristan, the lookout, had one of the foulest mouths of any sailor I knew. I trudged back down to the water and found him passed out, so I hauled him too up the beach. Almost unnoticed the rain stopped, and the wind slowed. A few stars began to show on dawns horizion

Making a quick foray into the thick trees surrounding the beach I found some kindling wood, kept dry by the huge trees. Bringing an armload down to where my two unconcious men-folk lay, I quickly had a fire lit from the flint and steel out of my belt-pouch. I built it up big in the hopes that any other sailors washed ashore would see its light and gather around.
Making a mental note to scour the shoreline when the sun was fully up for any useable debris, I sunk down into a dreamless sleep.


OOC: BlazeofLife, is the name of your character from the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan? Awesome books :)
 
OOC: Firesprite

yeah it is, more or less. I played with the last name a bit. I love that series too. Have you ever read The Sword of Truth series, by Terry Goodkind? It's good too, in the same style and magnitude as The Wheel of Time.

I'll post more IC later, good thread so far.
 
Jasmine

Blinking sand from her eyes, Jasmine woke slowly to dawns first rays bleeding over the horizion.

With a sigh she pulled her weary body up, tossed a few more sticks of wood on the smuldering embers of her fire and went to check on her injured crew. Elyas' head wound was crusted with sand, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped, and though he was still unconcious, he seemed to be breathing easily. Kristan looked to be in much worse shape, cuts showed a livid red on his face over the beginnings of a fine bruise. His side was what worried, his shirt was soaked red with blood, dried and plastering the fabric to his skin. Jasmine knew it would be better not to touch it until she had something to wrap it with after she cleaned the wound to stop infection.

Hearing strange thuds coming from near the water she made her way down there.
Miraculously Jasmine saw the distinctive chest, still whole, from the ship medic's quarters washing in and out with the lapping waves. A plank from the Chance's decking floating beside it, thudding regularly against the chest. Thanking the gods of sea and sky for small mercies, she hurriedly retrieved the chest, praying to see the medic nearby too.
 
Kristan limped over to the shore, watching the ship. It had already sunk, the only thing keeping it visible was there fact that the waves kept knocking it into those rocks.
Wood splintered every time, and he heard a most unpleasent sound when the two ground against each others.
His hand held his side. The blood had stopped, but he was more worried about his ribs. They were sore, very sore. He qinced, pressing into them just a little bit.
No, not broken. Cracked maybe, but not broken.
Thank the good lord for small favors.
Dragging his carcass down to the captain, he motioned at what was left of the ship.
"If we intend to be here awhile, we should get a small raft and grab as much supplies as we can. It won't all be as lucky to run up here to shore."
Kristan helped her push it up as much as he could. He used his good side to move it along. He stopped though, seeing that he had opened an old wound.
"Fuck. I'm worse to you than a rat stuck in an outhouse. I'm sorry captain."
He nearly plopped down, breathing in heavily. His strength seemed gone for some reason. He spat out a couple of curses, before simply lamenting to just lay there back at camp and let the pain course through his veins.
He would live, he was too old and too ignorant to let some silly thing like a rock kill him.
 
Elyas Macherin

Opening his eys slowly, and blinking to rid them of the coarse sand, he waits for his vision to clear. Taking a deep breath, he feels a faint ache in his skull, but otherwise everything seems to working properly. Gradually becoming aware of his surroundings, he glances around, and notices how far he lies from the water's edge, and the campfire built up beside him.
So, I'm not alone, he thinks. At least some of the others must have made it off the ship with me, and apparently they've been busy while I was passed out.
Grabbing his cutlass where it lies at his side, he stands slowly, then finding that his skull is feeling better, moves more quickly. In the distance, he hears the faint sound of voices, and he begins to trudge amicably toward them.
He soon finds himself at the crest of a large sand dune. Spread out before him, where the water laps at the shore, he sees what remains of his once-proud ship scattered like so much flotsam. And amid it all, two welcome figures.
So, the captain survived. I should've known that something as simple as a shipwreck could never kill her. She's too damn stubborn. And Kristan? The storm probably spit him back out when it heard him cursing. Nothing could be bad enough to finish someone that foul-mouthed. He shakes his head wryly.
Suddenly, he saw Kristan slump to the ground, and fall back against the sand. His mind filled with possibilites and questions, he races across the sand to where his captain stands. Saluting quickly, he leans down to check the lookouts wounds, casting a questioning glance at Jasmine as he does so.
 
Jasmine

Seeing the question in Elays' eyes Jasmine briefly told of what she knew of Kirstans injuries. Kneeling beside the medical chest sje wrenched the lid open, grateful that it was built to withstand the worst that could be thrown of it. Rifiling through the supplies Jasmine found clean bandaging and a bottle of brandy.

Lifting out an empty jug Jasmine looked to see if Kirstan needed any help. Everything seemed under control so she began to make her way along the beach looking for a freshwater stream. She was sure she had seen the glint of water on the distant mountan, and hoping the stream curved down towards the beach, she thought she would be able to find the outlet and trace it till it was fresh again.

"I am going to see if I can find fresh water," she said. "If you are able to, please start to gather in what you can salvage from what has floated in to shore. I won't be long, and I will try to find something to eat too. Call out if you need me."
 
Kristan bent up, putting his hand back in the sand to hold himself steady. He looked over at the other survivor. Ellis? Evan? Something like that. He didn't make friends easily.
Quickly he opened the trunk, grabbing a small canteen of water, he took a good drink. It flew in the air as he passed it to the Evan.
"Don't drink it all, Captain might not find some water. Then we'll be right fucked, won't we?"
He smiled in spite of himself.
"That ship is still afloat. If you want to risk it, I think we could gather enough wood and make a small raft. We might get some supplies out of the cabin, maybe even the hull if she ain't fucked up too much."
He leaned heavily to the side, "I couldn't do much though. I'd help you as much as I could. You can guarantee that."
He studied the man before him.
 
Jasmine

Walking. Putting one foot in front of the other. It was all she could do to remain on her feet. Every step seemed to be more effort than it was worth and she began to wonder why she even bothered. Squinting into the sun she saw it had hardly moved. The storm and the swim had taken all of her energy and she knew that if she didn't get some water soon she would become very seriously dehydrated. Not that she wasnt dehydrated already!

The air was thick with the fresh clean smell of the lush jungle. In the distance was the slight crik crik of frogs. The white sand burned underfoot. With a start Jasmine realized - where there are frogs, there is water.. luching into a staggering run she headed towards them.

The stream burbled up at her. Clear and blue it chuckled as it meandered its way down to meet the sea. Falling flat on the ground Jasmine dunked her head in, washing the salt and sand from her eyes and the persperation from her lip before drinking long and deep.

Taking the jug she had brought from the beach, she rinsed it and filled it. As it was filling she saw a flickering under a small overhang underwater. With delight she recognised a fish, and a large one at that. Slowly and carefully she slipped her hand into the water, relaxed, her fingers curled slightly under. Ever so slowly she brought her hand up from behind the fish, her fingers brushing its belly. Flipping it out of the water in one motion she flicked it onto the bank. Taking her beltknife she peirced its skull behind the eye, killing it instantly. With economical movements she gutted it and strung it on a stick to be taken back to the beach. After a very short time three other fish joined the first on the stick, and Jasmine knew she could delay no longer in returning to her crew.

On the walk back to her crew, Jasmine felt increasingly uncomfortable. She felt as if something were following her, but every time she turned around there was nothing there.
The walk back seemed both longer and shorter than the walk to the stream had been. Longer because of the feeling of being followed and the awkward burden of the jug and fish, and shorter because she had more energy and it turned out she wasn't that far away after all. Emerging from the outskirts of the jungle she called out to her crew.

"I have water and fish!"
 
Kristan ducked, as another wave passed over him. He held onto the poorly made raft for dear life. It came up with the wave, threatened to fall apart, then plummeted down the other side. Opening his eyes, he began swimming once more.
His legs kicked frantically, watching the next approaching wave. Since tide was out, they were become less and less frequent, but that didn't mean they were a simple picnic. His side already ached teribly, any minute feeling like it would burst open.
The raft was nothing more than a huge barrel with a few woodboards tied to it. It barely floated in the sea.
His eyes closed, as the wave came at him onces more. A crashing sound filled his ears as the wave passed under him. The raft floated down the other side. Once more he ventured to the ship.
Once there, he grabbed a rope hanging from the side. With a quick tie to his make shift, raft, he used all of his strength to climb up it. Luckily his hands were ok, muttering a few curses, he finally got aboard.
A wave crached the ship against the rocks once more. Kristan tried to keep his footing, but lost. He fell to the deck, hurling across towards the other side. Grabbing onto the side rail was the only thing that saved him.
His side screamed in pain, but he couldn't do a thing about it. Grinding his teeth against each other, he waited until the pain passed. Once it did he crawled to a standing position. Holding onto the railing, he made his way to the stairs.
Down below, it was dark. Only a hole from the side gave any light into the place. He didn't need it, he knew exactly where he was going.
A chicken was bathing itself in a small puddle of water. Kristan kicked it out of his way, going into the kitchen. There, he grabbed a burlap sack and filled it with anything and everything that didn't look spoiled. He grabbed cheese, bread, dried meats, potatos, biscuits, some fruits and vegetables, flour, sugar, coffee. Then he moved onto pots, pans, plates, silverware, knives, anything that wasn't bolted down to the kitchen itself. With that, he went down one more floor.
There's what he wanted. Necro, a beaufitul black stallion. He was standing in about three feet of water. He neighed happily, stepping into the water as he saw Kristan.
"That's right boy, I wouldn't forget you."
The hole in the side was much wider now. It looked just big enough for a horse to fit out, things seemed to be looking up for him. He went upstairs, grabbing the chicken he had kicked earlier. He stuffed it in the bag, it squawked, but he didn't care.
Grabbing Necro's reigns, he motioned for the horse to follow him. He did, make careful steps in the deep water. At the hole, water would flow in and out from time to time, as waves still kept pounding the poor ship.
He wished he could get more things, beds, pillows, weapons, but it didn't look like that was happening. For now, his side hurt too much just to swim back.
He had to though. Pushing the horse through, his held onto the side, directing him back to the raft. It was now destroyed, the only thing left was the barrel, bobbing up and down in the sea waves.
He grabbed it, and showed Necro the shore. At once the horse was moving, and Kristan smiled, holding the burlap sack filled with goodies. He just held onto the reigns as the horse made his way to shore. Easier than he thought. The waves were at their back, and helped them immensely. In a few minutes they were back to the sandy shore.
The horse got out of the water, shaking himself off. Kristan shook off the burlap sack, feeling inside. The chicken flew out, landing on the ground and running like mad. The sack was relatively dry, only the bottom had a little water in it. He moved back to their makeshift camp, seeing that the captain had arrived back.
"Got a few presents for you," he said, dropping the sack in front of her. As he did so, he laid down in the shade, letting the pain he had fought back finally come. It hurt, badly, and he could feel his side burning once more.
Blood seeped through the poorly made bandage. He couldn't breath in as hard as he wanted, the pain seeped through his entire body.
Necro was off grazing, and the chicken was nearh im, pecking through the sand. It was the best thing he had done in a while.
"Fuck," he said, letting his hand go through his hair.
 
Shannis Highgale

Shannis retched, halfway between spitting and coughing, then moved painfully onwards. Her head ached with memories of the watery hell she'd been in.

To the east, verdant jungle. Hypnotic visions of serpents under oilcloth, poison and sudden fangs in darkness. To the west.. ocean. Shannis shivered.

It had seemed like such a good idea to run away to sea. Stowing away on board a pirate ship... what could be more exciting? And for the first few days, it had indeed been very thrilling to scramble into the galley from the casks she was hiding among, to grab a piece of cheese and bread and then run back again. It soon got boring. And if there was anything Shannis Highgale hated, it was boredom. She kicked rather petulantly at the sand beneath her worn shoes.

The storm, now that had been exciting. She'd even risked going on deck to get a better view, in the reasonable expectation that she wouldn't be noticed in the turmoil. It only stopped being fun after the mast split and the ship impaled itself on the rocks.

Shannis trudged onwards until looking up, she noticed three figures, standing in some sort of makeshift campsite. The stowaway immedietely cheered up, waving happilly and shouting across the length of shore that separated them. Granted, she hadn't strictly speaking been supposed to be on the
Chance but Shannis was sure they could all rise above petty details like that when faced with a hostile situation such as the one they were in now.

Shannis Highgale was a slim, rather forlorn figure surrounded by empty sand on the beach. She was of an indeterminate age between seventeen and twenty, and dressed in loose fitting boy's clothes (currently soaking wet). A short shock of spiky red hair protruded from her head like a halo.

'I'm Shannis', she observed politely to the first person to look up, 'What a nice campsite'
 
Jasmine

Looking up from the cooking fish Jasmine spied a wet and bedraggled figure coming up the beach. With a frown she tried to place the face. Maybe I got hit on the head? she thought. Who is she?

As the figure came closer Jasmine realized her memory was not failing her - she truly did not know who this was. Pieces clicked into place. This was a stowaway. The cook had been complaining about cheese and other foods disappearing from the galley, but Jasmine had just put it down to a crew member pilfering extra rations. But what was she to do now? The ship was destroyed and they were being forced to live by their wits untill they found their way off this cursed shore.

Jasmine regarded the newcomer with a wary eye. With a nod at Shannis' greeting Jasmine sternly told her "You will work off your passage on our ship to pay like any other passenger. Even if a passenger ship were destroyed as ours is, the passenger would not have his money returned. For being a stowaway you will work it off three times over. You will be watched untill you can be trusted to keep your word. You will share in any work that is to be done and you will share any food you gather and any water you get. In return we will share the work, food, water and shelter with you. If you disobey there will be severe penalties, just as if you were a crew on my ship. If you run away I will consider it mutiny and the penalty for mutiny is death. Do you agree with these terms?"
 
Elyas Macherin

Elyas glanced up at the ragged figure approaching as his captain spoke. She was ragged, her clothing torn and patched and her red hair scattered around her head like a halo, but she seemed all right. Running a callused hand through his own disheveled locks, he grinned wryly. We probably don't look much better to her, he thought. She's actually pretty brave to approach us like this.
Rising, he put one arm around the new arrival and guided her into their makeshift campsite. He made certain that she was settled comfortably, and handed her the canteen.
Looking back at Jasmine, he narrowed his eyes reprovingly. "Come on captain, she's in the same boat we are, now. We're the only chance she's got. You think she's really going to run? Where would she go? What would she do? Ease off a little. We're all stuck here for a while, and we're all going to have to learn to live with each other. Besides, she'll work if she wants to eat, and I'm sure she would have paid for passage if she could. I even bet she's sorry for stowing away. Right?"
He glanced at the girl where she sat, shivering, and winked conspiratorily.
 
Kristan leaned over, looking at the Elanor character with shady eyes.
"Are you trying to disobey the Captain's orders? Just because we got shipwrecked doesn't mean we're now all just friends and buddies. We have to maintain order to survive. She's the Captain, and whatever she says, goes."
He gave the woman a look over, didn't look like she'd be able to help much. Yet, with himself in his condition, he doubted if he couldn't do much until he had healed fully himself. A constant ache was now in his side, making even breathing now a hard chore. He shouldn't have gone to that ship alone... hell he shouldn't have gone at all.
Kristan sat up, looking at the water. They had been travelling for so long, and with the storm blowng them every which way, it was nearly impossible to figure out where they were. Some tropical island though? Perhaps the Sandwhich Islands. He had always wanted to go there.
People say the women walk around naked like the day they were born. He had always wanted to see that. Grab him a couple of naked women and settle down in a nice tropical place like this.
Right now, he was more interested in survival.
 
Jasmine

Nodding agreement with Kristan Jasmine looked at Elyas as he spoke. Jasmine cooly arched an eyebrow at him. "Elyas, while you are in my company, I am still the Captain. I will listen to suggestions and will work as hard as any crew member, but we are and will remain a crew until we are able to make port or return to civilization. I will hear no more about being "sorry" or making allowances just because we are no longer on the Chance. What a sorry pirate you are, did that blow to your head make your mind soft? Were she found while we were still under sail she would be fighting off your lusting hands, not sheltering under your wing."

Turning back to the girl she again addressed her "Well Shannis, do you agree to my terms?
 
Elyas Macherin

Suitably chastised, Elyas leans back to await the new arrival's answer.

OOC:

Wow, we need to get some kind of action going here, the attention span of the group en-mass seems to be waning to the point of nihilism. I'll keep bumping this post to the top, but we need something to start happening if we want this to last.
Anybody have any ideas?
 
Jasmine

looking up suddenly, head cocked, Jasmine frowned.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, "I'm sure I heard it when I was getting the water but I'm not sure.. I thought it might have been the waves, but it seems too human... it sounds like.. wailing?"
 
LakeWinds - a hawk

Eyes fixed on the ground, LakeWinds soared the wind currents over the island. Catching an updraft, he let the wind take him higher, faster.

A sound traveled on the wind, high and strangly disturbing. A sound reminicent of a feeling he had once - a feeling of loss. The loss he felt when his mate was killed while hunting. A sharp stick had shot from the ground below and pierced her. She had plummeted to the earth with a deathly shriek, and he hadn't seen her since.

The sound pulled him on, towards the cave pocked cliffs on the side of the mountain. Gliding silently, he investigated.

A human, reeking of fox blood sat at a cave entrance.

Veering away from this strange sight, LakeWinds flew towards the clean smell of the sea.
 
"Well, shit. Haven't even set us up a proper camp and we're already going to go wander off for strange sounds. What kind of fucked..."
But he paused, hearing against the ocean's roar. There was something else there, he could just make it out. It did sound somewhat human though. If not human, at least something alive.
"Is it another crew member?" He tried to pinpoint the sound, "It sounds like it's coming from inland. Someone's hurt."
He whistled, as Kojack trotted over, "Does someone want to go look? I would do so myself but in my condition I couldn't travel for very long. Don't worry about Kojack, he looks mean and onry but he's one of the kindest rides you'll ever take, I promise you."
The horse nodded his head, as if to agree.
 
Jasmine

Jasmine sighed "Practical as always, you are right. we need to make camp before we begin explorations."

Putting words to action Jasmine walked back to the tide line, picking up more of the wreckage and hauling it up to the fireside.
Crates, canvas, wooden chests full of their plunder, a crate with live chickens. Looking toward the forest she saw some horses lingering at the edge. With rope that she'd salvaged Jasmine roped together the four tired but well trained horses that had stayed near where they had landed. With a smile she had gentle words for her own mount, pleased he'd survived the wreck. Storm Runner whickered into her shoulder, comforted. Returning them to the campsite, she tethered them to a tree in a small grove of grass.

Moving further down, to the curve of the bay she began to come across the bodies. Human and livestock, lying on the sand. Opal, with his quick laughter and easy jests, Comfrey with his fiddle to pass the night watch, Marlin, with only nine fingers after an accident with a pulley. Tears came to her eyes at the waste of these lives. They had to be buried before the remaining crew did anything else.

Picking her way back to the camp, she looked over what the others had salvaged, seeing what they could use as a litter to transport the bodies.
 
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