User blog:Mossrose/A Squirrel's Tail

Prologue: The Shipwreck

 * The force of the gale was intense, wreaking considerable damage upon the ship in the ocean far below.
 * A battle was going on, Captain Cossan Birchbark knew, between ship and storm. Outside his cabin he could already hear the ship breaking up in the lashing seas. The battle was almost over, and not in his favour.
 * The squirrel rushed to the deck of his beleaguered vessel just as a massive bolt of lighting struck the main-mast, causing the great ship to shudder from prow to stern. Cossan leapt nimbly out of the way as the disengaged topsail crashed to the broken deck before him, then cautiously made his way toward the for'ard cabin.
 * This particular storm had lasted twelve days yet, and one thing any experienced captain knew was sometimes a beast had to leave his ship behind. The battle was lost. Throwing caution to the winds, he broke into a haphazard run to the for'ard cabin.
 * Once safely inside, Cossan drew his sword and began beating out a clamourous alarm on a selection of copper pots, much to the relief of his weary crew.
 * "The time has come. Get the lifeboats ready, Jasher! Every-beast! Abandon ship! Abandon sh-" The squirrel's shout was cut off short as the entire vessel struck a jagged, half-submerged rock, sending loose objects and crewmembers flying.
 * Any semblance of order became chaos after a lantern was flung forcefully from its iron ring into the midst of the cabin, setting a small blaze, which became an inferno as it devoured a spilled grog on the room floor.
 * As crew-beasts jostled and pushed in their panicked rush to escape the burning cabin, two young creatures were forgotten and left inside.
 * Soon lifeboats were splashing into the rough seas, and still the forgotten young ones sat silent in the corner of the room, motionless with terror.
 * They were at the mercy of the Western Sea.