The pirate hideout
Origins of this plot
I recieved an official mod-bomb from Peg here detailing what I can discover/do in these threads.
This particular thread has Winston uncover the initial finding that there is a pirate child-napping plot afoot!
This particular thread has Winston uncover the initial finding that there is a pirate child-napping plot afoot!
Some stories start in small beginnings, others in grand explosions... This ferret's story might be thought to have started a long time ago, but some aspects of life are more complex than these simplistic points of view portray. Who is to say that beginnings should only happen once... Who is to say that all things that begin are not already there? Here in this place, begun a story that would birth a new Winston. Not better, certainly different... perhaps not good.
In that alleyway, Winston stared over at the unconscious man, his thoughts already beginning to betray him as his short patience forced him to reconsider his choices.
Approaching from the shadows behind him,
Felicity
floated up beside the ferret, like a cloud of dust that swirled around in the wind
. That it was probably a wisp, he was sure, but which one exactly didn't become apparent until it decided to take the form of the sharp-eyed girl."Oh, Felicity, 'ow did yuh find meh?"
"Joe sent me. He said you were about to do something stupid and that I should come and make sure you don't die."
stealth chew
from his pack
and ate it.Winston shrugged.
"'im's nat wrang..."
The girl crouched down, looking over at the man in the alleyway.
"So... What's ARE you doing?"
He gestured towards the pirate, glad to have a little company, someone he knew might well out-sneak him if she were of a mind to.
"'e's a pirate, he stole de baby, we nocked 'im out an' now we es gonna fallow 'im back tuh es nefarious den af iniquity and den tell de guards where et es."
"OK."
Just then, the pirate stirred...
"UUUuuhhhhhhgggg... Wha..."
"Shit! What?!"
"Gorram Cadouri rat! Uuhhgg."
Winston crouched low, scurrying along the ally behind him, keeping back to ensure he was not seen.
Felicity dusted once more and drifted discretely along the floor behind them.
Tailing him as best he could, using his diminutive stature to his advantage, he advanced carefully as they moved through the streets. The criminal did not seem to bothered about being seen once he was a short distance from the ally at first and the urgency within his he walk before was replaced with a tension that Winston could not really pin down.
The man was not taking any chances, as he circled, doubled back on himself and constantly kept looking over his shoulder and making sudden changes in direction. The duo nearly lost him at one point as the winding route through the deserted parts of the docks, that passed by the same spot a second time in ten bits. Were it not for Winston spotting the gate swinging and the prints in the mud, they might have walked right past.
He appeared to have entered a warehouse in a run-down area. It was pretty quiet, but Winston could see a look-out atop the roof. He could not make out much detail, but he decided that at long last they might have found the hideout, as he hung back a little to find a sheltered approach.
Moving forward, he traversed the muddy path, trying not to leave any obvious tracks as he approached the structure.
He paused to listen for the sound of men... There were none.
Felicity's dust floated around the corner and settled around the ferret.
"Me gonna goh en."
Squeezing through the gap, followed by the dusted wisp, he made his ferity path into the gloom.
The warehouse was cold, damp and steeped in the stench of rotten fish guts. He crunched up his nose in disgust.
"You'll be glad yuh don't 'ave a nose."
The place appeared to be abandoned, but that could not be true, right? There would be signs of people moving through somewhere, surly. He set about sneaking slowly forward, listening out for any sign of activity as he went. It was still dishearteningly quiet and the bustle of ‘baddies’ was distinctly lacking.
It felt like every corner of the building was a long, slow, deadly crawl as he moved forwards avoiding making noise that might attract attention. He eventually reached a boarded up window near where his quarry had vaniashed. From the inside, it was obviously hinged to allow it to swing open to the outside and there were the scuff marks of people's feet passing through all over the place...
"Dogs..."
"Gonna need tuh be carful. Yuh dustin' might nat cot et."
another chew
. This one would stop the dogs tracking his scent, if they become a problem... He started to wonder if his should armour up... He was not going to get into trouble and the armour might stop him squeezing through the small gaps.Felicity was content for now to remain harmlessly swarm like as she hung back in the shadows, floating on the wind. It was a jarring experience as Joe popped back into being beside him. He jumped as the Diri appeared so suddenly before him.
"By Yaralon's noose Joe... Geeze..."
The spirit, invisible as he was, chuckled apologetically.
"Sorry,
Angela
and the baby
are safe in Chest
.""She says not to do anything dangerous."
The ferret pulled an 'oh well' face as he re-composed himself again.
"We are following these..."
Joe frowned,
taking a moment concentrate
. "There's magic somewhere Winston... It's UUUgggghhhh...."
"Crap! Ouch... Winston, there's something here. Something powerful. We should leave. Live and let the ferret not die. That's what I always say."
"Uh-hu. An' wat duh me always say."
"Yeah, that. Nothing. You just do it anyway. Nearly die. Act all suprised and lament on how lovely it would have been to have a helmet and then start baking cakes for... HAY! Wait UP!"
It was only as he finally approaches what appeared to be an empty room that they finally started to hear something. It was faint, but unmistakable... it was crying. The ferret looked into the room cautiously...
The pirates were no joke. He knew that. Despite the combined power of Vega, Kisaik, Jasper, Sweetsong itself and the rest of Sweetsong the pirates had been well equipped and more deadly than imagination could even begin to conceive... He could not face something like THAT... But he could not just LEAVE. Not when there was CRYING going on. If someone was activily in danger, he had to find out who, right?
"I REALLY think we should go now, Winston. No joking around OK?"
Winston plucked at something on the floor where the footprints stopped, gingerly lifting something less than an inch.
"Felicity, would yuh mind checking inside far meh?"
A few moments later, she returned from a grate mounted to one side of the room and made her way out of the room into the hall.
Sharing a glance, Winston and Joe made their way out after her to find out what was going on.
Continued here.
All template credit, love and admiration goes to Kisaik
