Wenori's thoughts

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Woke up with headache. Seamen looking worse than any I've seen before waking me and others up. Get up! Up to see the Captain!

Up! I went up the stairs, up the stairs. Big dark man without hair, no hair, said he was Barnabus Harrigan, Captain of the Wormwood. Looking around I saw seamen, no, not seamen, pirates, and water, much water, only water, no land. Barney kept talking, much talking. If you kill you get keelhauled. What is keelhauled? Don't ask. No questions. Captain talk, we listen.

Lots of men and women on the ship, but not enough, not enough. Several new, like me. New to the ship. New to the rules. Who can work in the rigging? Climb up to the crow's nest. Up? I will go up. I like up. Quickly up. Hard work climbing. Not good at climbing. Little Birdie is up. Can't see Little Birdie. Can see others not climbing as fast. I shouldn't win. It would be bad to win. Would have to climb all day. Let big blond barbarian win instead. Back down is safe. Back down again. Who can cook? No one, so fattest got picked. Rest will swab. I know swab. Swab is hard work. But I will not fall.

Red head faked fainting. Woman helped her. Woman was priestess. Woman was Sandra Quinn. Sandra was swab. There were many but in the bilge there was only one. Keep away from Jakes Magpie!

Blond Suel barbarian came down from rig. I followed her. She chose her bunk, below. I did too. Important choice. Better than last ship. Then work before food. Work, work, work. Food was fish soup and a whole pint of rum to be drunk. Drink all your rum, they said. Don't give any away. Don't sell and don't gamble with it. I didn't drink. I made sure no one saw when it was lost. I remember pesh. I will avoid drugs, and spirits. I will not get addicted again. Saved some fish for Little Birdie. We met at the bowsprit. I told her I would meet her there as often as I could. We were given keys to sea chests. My own chest, mine. In it I will put all my fine things. So far a mug. Nice mug. No. Not so nice mug. Put it back in belt.

Slept hard. Was tired, very tired. Biscuit for breakfast. Little Birdie liked crumbs very well. Today red head and I chased rats. When we were below she asked if I could keep a secret. I said yes when I remembered the sea chest. I can keep it there. Then her ears grew strange an she got hairier than the worst pirate captain I could imagine. The fur was red like her hair and a tail appeared. Fox. She looked fox-like. Then chased rats. Found rats. Killed rats. Spraying them with cold. Rays of frost. Fox wanted to look in bilge. Bilge forbidden. Keep away. She opened the trapdoor peering down to Jakes Magpie. Talked to him. He said he only took back his things and a few more. Now he chained to mast in bilge. Fox fetched her rum. Gave rum to Magpie. He drank rum. Much rum. I killed rats. Cold rats. Gave cold rats to the cook's assistant. Zyx. Zyx said he'd cook rats.

All gathered on deck. Captain said they will punish Magpie. Magpie bad. Magpie stole. Magpie would be keelhauled. Magpie drunk, but Plugg did not notice. Zyx told Magpie to walk on the hull and try stand tall for the keel. Magpie tied to big rope beneath ship. They started pulling and Magpie went into the water. Scourge happy to pull on rope. Magpie pulled up on other side dead. Rum did not help. No more Magpie. Body thrown into sea.

Later Fox danced and a gnome sang. Gnome not very good singer. Fox good dancer. Blond barbarian played dice. I looked up Zyx. Zyx had cooked rats. Good rat. Spilled my rum without anyone noticing again.

Morning. Up, up, up. On way up, way up, we were blocked by bullies. Bad bullies wanted a fight. A fight they got. A bad fight. Fox first, followed by Blond. Me last behind others. Zyx in kitchen. Fox moved away. Blond struck someone. I though that if the floor was slippery they wouldn't fight. But I wasn't careful. I should always be careful. Careful, careful, careful. Blond ran away and left me. Big fat bald bully came down, came down and attacked me. Me. Attacked me with knife. I didn't attack anyone. Only deck got greased. I bled. I bled a lot. Fox took the knife. I protected myself. Protect with armor. Mind's magic armor. I have to be careful.

Two attackers downed. Fatty wanted to stop fighting, no more fighting. Told him I though him coward. Didn't deny it. Blond stole knives. I looked to my wound. Bad but not worst. Fight over, then up for work, up for work. Late. Tried blend in with the other swabs. Careful not to be noticed. Not careful enough. Should be careful. Attackers late. Two not at all. Said attacked by a witch. They pointed hesitantly. Looked for me. I careful. They found Fox. Pointed at Fox. Mr Plugg angry at Fox. Fox said did not use magic. I think she did when dancing. Not sure. They not sure. Plugg not sure. Scourge not sure. Got angry. Set punishment for Fox. Three lashes of the whip. The late ones six lashes. Scourge looked as continue. Towards me. Wondered how hide wound, hide blood. Fox distracting. Fox got tied up.

Work given. I worked with rope. Fox worked in rope. Worked not with small rope like the one on Fox. Worked with huge rope to anchor. Very heavy, very heavy. Too heavy. Tried hard. Too hard. Tried too hard. Not careful. Passed out. Woken by water. Woken by Blond. Drank a little water. Was late. Was bloody hour. Punishment. I would get lashes, but could not stand, not stand. Hard keep eyes open. Fox took my punishment. I could not see. I lay outside crowd. I only heard. Fox passed out too. For me, for me. Sandra helped. Sandra asked Besmara for help and strength. Got better, but no strength, no strength. Fox better too.

Got help to eat cooked peas. Rested little. Went to quartermaster. Half-orc Cut-Throat Grok. Fox wanted to buy own whip back. And fiddle. Fiddle very good. Grok thought fiddle expensive. Fox said six gold admirals for fiddle and whip. I said shocked at paying five for that bad fiddle, bad fiddle, bad fiddle. Fox got all for six, for six. Blond wanted her pack. Opened and took out bottles of mead, of mead. Got pack for mead. Grok liked getting drunk. Grok not too bad, even though officer. Fox brought fiddle to Cusswell, the hafling strongwoman. Cusswell cussed well. Cusswell asked what she had to do. Fox said play, and Cusswell played. Fox danced. I still very tired, so tired. Spilled rum. No one noticed. Went to sleep early.

Woke better. Much better. Fourth day on Wormwood. Up, up, up. Waiting for job. Mr. Plugg said Jack Scrimshaw bitten in bilge. I've never been bitten there. Something in bilge. Sent Blond, Zyx, Fox, Sandra and me to fix. We went to bilge. Blond and Zyx got weapons. Zyx got lantern too. Zyx went down. Saw rat, saw rat, saw rats. Big rats. Dire rats. Zyx stab in water. Fought rats. Hard to hit in water. Frosty ray not work too good under water. Not work at all. Blond and Fox leaped down. They killed six big dire rats, six rats. Zyx and Blond much hurt, but went up to show good work. Blond said tonight we feast on rat flesh, blond said. Did not come back.

Sandra and me joined Fox in bilge. Looked through bilge. Found leather armor, I found. I cleaned and mended. Fox cleaned, too, she did. I also found mace, heavy mace. Heavy mace was found again. I found three. Fox good friend. Sandra friend. Blond friend. Zyx friend. All had weapons. Give to other friends. Need more friends. Found silver. Dozen silver. Gave some to Fox. Kept five. Cusswell joined. We talked in bilge. I said not pleased with Plugg and Scourge. Did not like officers. Cusswell agreed. I said need to know who to trust, to trust. Cusswell said and who to walk the plank. The plank? Planks everywhere. Cusswell friend too. Got heavy mace. Mace too big for halfling. Cusswell would fix.

Food was rat-stew. Cusswell played fiddle and Fox danced, Fox danced. Sat next to Tilly. Cheered when Tilly cheered. Drank without drinking when Tilly drank. Offered rum to Tilly when no one saw. Tilly got drunk. Tilly got happy. Tilly said I'm her best friend ever. Tilly said loved me. Tilly hug lots. Almost thought Tilly make me sleep with her. But Tilly slept right there. Woke and brought her to her hammock. Wondered if Tilly remember anything at all. Thought Tilly would be sick day after.