Pirates of the Tall Tall Trees...

[karenee]

This story is a completely random beginning, as is the title. Pirates are upon so many minds these days (due to media beyond our control) that I thought, "Why not see what happens if I just start writing a pirate story?"

Now come up with your own pirate for this crew and let's launch an adventure guaranteed to make Cuddles wish he'd never been handed over as cabin boy to the great ship Hack and Hew'em.

____

"Aaaaargh!" Cuddles jumped out of the tree onto the head of his unsuspecting prey, knocking it to the ground in an unwieldy lump. He realised they were now rolling, far more rapidly than he'd expected, toward the edge of the dune and exposure to the pirate crew. Pummeling the bulging mannequin, he fought to release himself from the entangling sleeves in time to avoid losing what was left of his reputation.

"Ahoy, Cuddles!" Burly Rawhide's voice could only be unwelcome at such a moment.

Flushing bright red, Cuddles staggered to his feet and looked around to assess the damage.

Burly's head rose over the edge of the dune as he strode into sight. "What's this?" He kicked at the clothes, then chuckled at Cuddles' expression. "Ah, what you don't want talked of, hmm? One a the crew said you're for fightin', boy. This true?"

Hope erased Cuddles' confusion. "I want it, Burly. Are you sayin' I can?"

"I'll test ye, boy, once we're aboard. Now finish what I told ye to and no more fightin' shirts what need washin." Burly chuckled as he turned away.

Collecting the scattered laundry, Cuddles did his best not to let his hopes climb too high. "Just testing, Burly said. I've not got my hand on a sword yet." But he couldn't help but feel hopeful.

[Gwalchmai]

[Yep, can't say I've ever done this so please be patient. However I think I caught on well enough, so heres the swordmaster of the crew. And I'm sorry, but I am personally so enthralled with the sword I had to make a character based on it ]

Cuddles came out onto the beach in a mad rush of youthful enthusiasm. Of course bearing on the side of ingnorance, he decided it best to gather up all the clothes at once and make but a single trip. However, it cost him his vission.

Then, out of the sandy beach came a burst of sand that both surprised Cuddles and set him a tumbling down. Were they under attack? Or maybe something of the supernatural sort? Alas, Cuddles was not so lucky.

A roar of laughter arose from none other than Jack Trist, the resident swordmaster aboard the Hack and Hew'em.

"Ach! Cuddles ye are too much! Ye beg and beg to learn the trade of blade and blood but how can ye manage that if the mere sight of a wee blade such as that sends ye on yer backside!"

Eyes round as the gentle moon quickly scan the beach once more to see a sliver of a dagger stuck in the sand. Is it true? Is this the test the Burly spoke of?

"Now gather up your things lad and be quick about it. We set sail as soon as ye can stumble back on board. It takes more than quick steel to make a pirate. Bye th' bye, is me shirt whiter than this here beach as I asked?"

"Ye.. yes sir!" exaspurated Cuddles.

"Good lad. Now don't forget that blade, ye'll need it for the test to come. Ya, I said move it!"

So strode off Jack followed by an over burrdened cabin boy with a new glint of steel about him.

[CynanMachae]

Once on board, Cuddles pulled the clothes below deck for sorting. Struggling through the sleeping quarters, he heard the call for departure and felt the tug of the ship as it drew away from the shore. He smiled to himself as he thought of the next few days and weeks, out on the open sea.

A long boot slipped from a hammock and sent Cuddles to the floor, and the clothes flying in all directions. There came a sniggering, wheezy laugh and the head of Slater Bradley appeared in view.

"You have got to keep those eyes of yours open, my son," He said in his crisp English accent. "Watch where you are going, or you will never make a good pirate."

"Is this a conspiracy?" Cuddles wondered aloud. "Anyway, I ain't your son, and I need to get through."

Slater was tall and thin, with sinewy limbs, curly hair and a trim goatee. He smiled cruelly.

"Good thing. I think I would have to kill you."

Cuddles gathered up the clothes and hurried off.

[karenee]

With the laundry stowed and his beach-laundry-vacation over, Cuddles hurried through the ship to the galley. A mound of vegetables and salted beef awaited his attention. As he helped Scalder prepare the meal he daydreamed about the great feats he'd perform once he knew how to handle a sword.

In the midst of a glorious battle, with him proudly saving the entire crew by slaying a twelve-headed monster, Scalder batted him over the head with a beefy fist. Cuddles gulped, then grinned up at the man. "Sorry, Scalder. I'm to learn the sword!"

"Finish cutting the beef and save the dreams for sleep, Boy. Captain wants to eat early, as there looks to be a squall blowing up ahead." Scalder winked and turned back to his pots.

[CynanMachae]

Cuddles pounded the broad knife down repeatedly, beheading and dismembering soldiers of the Royal Navy as he diced the meat. After some time Scalder turned.

"Stars, boy! The meat has done ye no wrong!"

Cuddles smirked.

"Sorry, I suppose I just got a little carried away."

"I suppose." Scalder wiped his hands with a towell. "Just wait 'till our next raid is over, and if ye make it out alive, you'll be thinking twice about wanting to be above deck."

[Gwalchmai]

"CUDDLES!" belaboured some poor soul.

Surprised once more, he spun off his chopping duties waving his cooking knife in front of him. Prepared for any enemy thrust. However, he was met instead the glaring gaze of Burly Rawhide.

"Lad, ye must learn to settle yer nerves. We all are in this venture together. Besides, the only times ye should be jumpy is when theres loot on board or ye be asleep, as we have neither, relax." said Burly sternly.

"Aye aye sir." replied Cuddles disheartedly.

"Now lad, Jack awaits for ye at the crows nest for your first test and lesson in the arts ye crave most. Now off with ye! Time is of the essense for the storm is almost upon us!"

"But the meal sir--"

"Away I said! The cook has his duties and now so do you!" shouted Burly able to hide his smile amoung the tangles of his beard.

"Yes sir!" and with that, Cuddles dashed off to join up with Jack.

[karenee]

Half-way up to the crows nest, Cuddles froze. He'd had to climb it once before when first permitted onboard, but at that time the ship lay at anchor and the day had been calm. After passing the test he'd sworn never to climb to the top again.

"Up, Boy!" Jack peered down at Cuddles. "Not afraid are you?"

Gulping, Cuddles looked up, trying to ignore the sway of the mast as wind blasted through his tunic. "Coming!"

[CynanMachae]

It seemed an eternity before he reached the top, though in fact he had scrambled up rather quickly, if not awkwardly. He felt Jack's strong hands grabbing his shoulders as he pulled himself into the crow's nest. Standing, he brushed off his shirt.

"Now that wasn't so bad, aye?" Jack winked broadly. He pointed towards the horizon. "How long until the storm is upon us?" He asked. Cuddles peered across the water at the massing black clouds rolling their way.

"I suppose," he thought out loud, "we're moving towards it at an angle, and it's headed in our direction, it could be..."

"We'll be in it within the hour." Jack interrupted. "And we must prepare." He turned and pointed again, this time out across the mast. "Test number one, boy! See that rope there? Bring it to me."

Cuddles looked in horror at the rope end dangling on the mast, about twenty feet away. "You want me to get it?"

"Aye, that's what I said. You must be sure of your feet, lad."

Cuddles looked down over the ship, stretching out sixty feet below. Drawing in his breath, he clmbed unsteadily over the rim of the nest and took hold of the sail...

[Gwalchmai]

Slowly, he inched his way toward the stray rope. Already, most of the sail had been brought in, only that last rope remained. And steadily the winds increased.

"Move it lad! As I said, we don't have all day for this simple task!" roared Jack.

They shout broke Cuddles out of his timidness and with all speed he moved toward the rope. Hand over hand and foot over foot he moved with all determination. Finally he was almost there. Just a little bit more. At that moment the wind let him have it.

In the middle of a hand over hand, a sudden gust of cold sea air blew square upon him. For a moment he hung there between life and death unsure of which way he was to go when the wind made the choice for him.

It finished it's work with one more gust that completly knocked Cuddles off his perch. As he started to fall, his arms went wild grooping for some sort of hold. When to Cuddles relief, he managed to catch the rope he was previously using to support his feet.

Through all this, not a sound did Cuddles utter but now he let lose with, "I'm sorry Jack! I failed!"

But to Cuddles surprise, Jack only grinned and leaped out of the crow's nest and moved in a flat out run toward Cuddles across the sail beam.

[karenee]

"Aye, Boy!" He hauled Cuddles up beside him. "Ye've got guts to face y'r fears, and that's what counts. Now ye must hurry down 'n serve up so everyone can eat."

Battling his trembling arms, Cuddles crawled back down the mast, hoping Jack wouldn't see the fear still choking him as he climbed. As his foot touched the deck, those in watching distance gave a rousing cheer by way of encouragement.

But Old Scar merely glared at him from beneath bushy brows as he tied off a rope, snorting before turning away. Somehow, the excitement of being cheered by the crew deflated in the face of this evident lack of appreciation for Cuddles' feat.

[CynanMachae]

***

The storm arrived much sooner than anyone would have liked, but the crew had spent years on the sea and handled the ship with ease. Cuddles scrambled about, helping tie the contents of the Hack and Hew'em with rope. The pirates worked in unison, each man doing his part. Rain fell hard upon the ship; wind whipped over the deck with astonishing force. Throughout the night the crew battled the storm.

A red sun rose the next morning over a battered yet victorious vessel. Cuddles, who had spent the greater part of the night above deck, lay in his hammock, sound asleep, not to be woken by the greatest clamor.

The ship sliced on through the ocean, making its way towards Portertown, a small coastal city notorious for the harboringof pirate ships. There, the crew of the Hack and Hew'em could make repairs and restock the goods. For before the season was gone, they were to make an attempt at the grandest raid ever to be witnessed on the seven seas, and unbeknownst Cuddles, it was during that time that he was to learn a lesson that no man can teach.

[karenee]

Cuddles bounced out of the boat, clutching his first pay ever, and dashed for the markets before anyone could come up with something for him to do. He fully intended to find the best parrot in town before the end of the hour. "If I have a parrot, I'll be more of a pirate," he mumbled as he studied the motley assortment of stalls and shops before him. "Everyone knows the best pirates have parrots." He hesitated. "I wonder why everyone knows it?"

A racous croak startled him out of his musings. "Awk! A coin for a lamp, sir! I got's me best! Awk!"

[CynanMachae]

Cuddles turned to see the brightest parrot he had ever encountered, leaning from its perch just a few inches from his face.

"Awk! A coin for a lamp! S'all it takes!"

"Thankee, I don't need a lamp, though." Cuddles said. Turning to go, he looked for others from the ship.

He felt a tug on his shoulder, and then he was yanked roughly around. He found himself staring into one beady eye, surrounded by scraggly hair and a deep scar. The man bared his blackened, stubbly teeth.

"My parrot wants ye te buy a lamp!" He growled. "If I were ye, I'd do as he says!"

[Gwalchmai]

The Old Sea Dog stared down on poor Cuddles using all his intimidation to sway the coin away from the weak knee'd cabin boy and into his own purse.

Buisness had been tough lately. For the past few months, the Spainards had been waging a ruthless campaign against piracy and all her cohorts. Where once the looting of a single ship was enough to keep a man holed up in Tortuga for months at a time, now would barely cover three nights lodging in a barn, with the horses.

But "Seahorse" was an old hand at piracy and knew there was more than one way to turn a profit. Before the boy he managed to cohorce a fisherman from his skiff and two ladies from their inheritance with nothing more than a well used cooking kettle and a pair of scissors. This was going to be a good day.

In response to Seahorse's comment about the parrot, Cuddles stood his ground and asked the question anyone would ask and what Seahorse was expecting. "And if I don't do as the parrot says, then what?"

"Only one way to find out lad," voiced Seahorse in a low monotone voice. His eyes narrowing down to two black slits challanging Cuddles to back his claim. All was going according to plan. In his mind he was already halfway to the nearest pub, that is until he felt the sword point at his back.

[CynanMachae]

The fright in Cuddles' wide eyes was replaced with relief as Jack and Slater appeared behind the man. Seahorse turned and attempted a friendly smile at Cuddles' rescuers.

"Gentlemen," he said, "I'll be assuming this is yer boy?"

"You would do well to back away from him." Slater suggested. Seahorse complied with a bow.

Cuddles puffed out his chest ever so slightly as the old pirate sank away. Who could be safer in a place crowded with soul-less pirates than the man who had Jack Trist and Slater Bradley at his side? He nodded at them thankfully. Slater said nothing, turning and strolling off down the road. Jack placed a hand on Cuddles' shoulder.

"Mayhaps that old fool was right," he said. "I've no doubt you're brave soul, Cuddles, but there are some places not everyone can go. This place is dangerous, and even more so for a young lad. Could be that you should just wait on the ship until it comes time to go."