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Bourbon & Rum Pt. IV – Should Have Tested the Crew

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September 29 18xx
Early evening, Nell’s Ship
Somewhere in the middle of nowhere…lot of water.

Nellie stands in the middle of the ship’s deck watching everyone. Bam, the large wolfman she’d acquired from a recent…adventure…is sitting on the stern deck. Every now and then he got an itch and would move about scratching, or he’d shift weight, some movements quick and lurching the ship. Not terribly so, but enough to get the crew mumbling. She made note to see about teaching him to move a bit more subtle.

There was Logan Davies, ambling about the ship checking ropes and things. She’d taken him on the crew because he knew machinery, but no one on her crew had a set skill. All knew a little bit of this and that. Kind of like her, she thought. Jacks of all trades, masters of none. There was Bazarov Kovalevsky, a large bear of a man, great with cannons and made a nice hauler. He was coming her way. “Orders Captain?” she looked from Bam’s fidgeting up to Baz and hmms “Orders…” she thinks a moment then nods “Yea, pretty much same everday ah’d reckon. If it’s broke, fix it. If it’s not, check it isn’t. If it’s shootin at us…shoot back. If it ain’t, then come get me.” He chuckles lightly and nods “Aye Captain.”

She had two others. Nathan Butcher, an older man who knew a lot about ships, and Joseph Lyons much younger who came with him. Lyons didn’t actually know much about the work, but would make a decent lookout while he learned other things, and he could cook. Both were sleeping in the hold waiting for night shift. As was the second captain, sleeping in the cabin.

Her ear turns toward the cabin as she hears movement. Not Captain Ward, she thinks to herself as she hears the familiar hoof on wood “Ashina.” She says it just before Ashina cracks open the cabin door peeking out. “Ya a’ight Ashina?” Ashina cautiously sneaks across the deck, prone to slipping with those hooves on smooth surfaces. She peeks around the mast at Nellie “Um… yes? A bit um… queasy maybe…” Nellie nods and replies “Well if ya gonna hurl…do it over side…” her eyes quickly snapping to Bam as he gets another itch and his violent scratching lurches the boat. She hears a splash and a curse as one of the crew dropped something over the side from the sudden rocking.

Nellie looks over near her at a sleeping wolf and nudges him “Vinur, go see if you can’t talk him into ship manners…” the wolf looks up at her then stands. Nell’s attention shifts to Ashina who had not noticed the normal sized canine laying there until he moved. Startled she’d squeaked and tried to scramble, her hooves slipping, she’d fallen on her face. She flailed and kicked then went still. Bam on the back end laughed hysterically, grunts and growls, but anyone could tell he was very amused. Vinur the wolf looks over at the fallen deer like creature then at Nell then goes about his business. Nell shakes her head and mumbles “You’re all wearin me out an we jus got started…”

Ashina slowly rolls over then sits up pouting, at her fall or Bam’s guffaws, or mix of both and Nell asks her if she’s alright “Um…yes I…slipped…” she answers turning a bright shade of blue, the color purple people go when blushing Nell had learned. Nell just stared at her blankly, she knew if she tried expression, she may laugh herself, adding to Ashina’s embarrassment “That was some slip…” Ashina beyond embarrassed as usual when she takes a tumble replies softly “Um…slippy hooves…”. Nellie nods at her “Mind the rail….” adding as she looks over and Ashina is pulling herself up with the rail “Means don’t be fallin over it…”

Nellie watches Ashina retreat to the hold then looks up at Domino waving her up and the rope ladder dropping. Nellie nods to her then climbs up for her first captain’s meeting.

Part V

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