User blog:Wolf985/A Tale of Two Rogues Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Clarice was awakened by Nathaniel's snoring. She rolled over in the small bunk and opened her eyes. She saw him sitting at his desk slumped forward on top of a map he must've been working on late last night. Clarice got up out of bed and decided to get dressed for the day. She dressed in knee length black trousers and a light green tunic. She left the cabin quickly and stepped out onto the deck. As she began walking towards the other end of the ship she spied a little male sea otter following her. She turned around and placed her paws on her hips. "Are you following me?" she asked him.

The tiny otter shook his head. "I no bes follerin you. I was just..um."

"What's your name?" Clarice asked.

"Canvas. My pa and my brothers work on the ship. they say Canvas is too likkle to work." Canvas looked sad.

"Well, you must know your way around the ship. could you show me the way to the galley. Some breakfast would be nice."

He saluted her. "Foller me!" he said instantly cheered up.

Clarice followed him to the galley where a thin female sea otter was laboring over a cauldron of stew. "Auntie Will! The Capn's mate wants Brekkist!" yelled canvas.

Clarice growled inwardly at the little sea otter. She was not Nathaniel's mate. The thin sea otter turned around and wiped her paws on her apron. "Oh, hello...Um, I'm sorry i don't know your name."

"My name is Clarice Consfortingtam. He called you Will, I'm assuming that's your name."

"What, oh no," she shook her head. "Will is just a nick name. My name is Willow Halloway. My husband Jem steers the ship."

Willow grabbed a bowl and filled it up with steaming hot soup and gave it to Clarice with a peice of fresh bread. "Canvas," Called Willow, "Could you go back above deck. Perhaps you could go help Jem or annoy Jenner. I would like to talk about grownupstuff with miss Clarice."

Canvas left leaving the two females alone. Willow waited patiently while Clarice ate. Clarice ate quickly and when finished said, "That was wonderful Willow. Thank you."

Willow blushed, "You're welcome. So...How did you and the captain meet?" She asked.

Clarice hesitated before answering, "well...um, He came up to me at this tavern and offered to buy me a drink. I said sure. When my comrade came back to the table he saw Nathaniel and they got into a fight. I stood up to defend Nathaniel and then we....Kind..Got together. Then when i found that he had left me during the night my comrade and I continued on our mission to Redwall."

Willow nodded in understanding. "What happened after that?"

"Abot five weeks later i found out that i was pregnant and on my last mission to Redwall i gave birth to a baby girl. That's why i'm here now. We agreed to go get her."

"Did you abandon her?"

"No. I was taken away from her by force of the Long Patrol. Evidently they don't like their officers having children with sea rogues they barely know."

Willow's eyes filled with sadness. "That's awful. I wish I could say that i've lived only a peaceful life, but that would be a lie. I know the cruelness of this world all to well." she said.

Willow shook her head and gripped her apron tightly. "I was a slave most of my life. It hurts to go into detail about it, but let's just say the scars will never leave me. Physically and mentally."

She lifted up her blouse to expose her back. Clarice gasped and placed a paw over her mouth. There were many crisscrossed silvery scars all over her back. She lowered her blouse again to hide the old wounds. "I still have nightmares about the guards who whipped me, and about the night of my mothers death. She didn't deserve to die that night."