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[Cuthbert]

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Cuthbert stood on the docks on the Southern end of Magincia, unaware of what had washed up on the beaches and what it meant. He watched the fishmongers and sailors run about, hoisting crates, tossing fish from ship to dock, arguing over the best courses to take from one island to the next. He grinned slightly. A week ago he would never have even thought of coming down to the docks. He had no experience with any of this - boats, fishing, sea life - but his experience on Bella's ship during the Magincian Boat Race had opened him up to the idea of exploring the sea a bit. Ironic, considering they had finished nearly in last place (Thank you, Sid, for managing fewer laps than us, he thought to himself with a laugh) but what really had piqued his interest in boats was the period in which Bella was running around the boat tending to the lines and he had taken over steerage. Piloting that boat... there was just something... "freeing" about it. Something that made him smile. And aye, wasn't he smiling more these days than in the past? Of course. His relationship with Bella, the rebuilding of Magincia, the week-long celebration; all things to smile about. He felt softer, less on edge. Perhaps that was behind him opening up to the idea of having a boat?

"General?"

The words came from behind him and he turned and saw Gerard the Shipwright standing there with a key in his hand.

"We have launched your boat, sir." he said, offering the key out to Cuth.

"Is it as I asked? Not one of the large ships, but a smaller Viking craft?" Cuth took the key and slipped it into his pocket as he spoke.

Gerard nodded enthusiastically "Aye, sir, it is exactly as you asked. And may I say how happy I am that you decided to come down here and take to the sea! Lord Isk and Lady Joanna have boats, and I was always wondering when you.."

Cuth cut him off. "Yes. Thank you, Gerard. Can you point me to my ship?"

Gerard pointed to the next slip over, where a small Viking Ship had been launched. Cuth walked over to the jetty that was next to "his ship" and looked it over. New. Pristine condition. Tillerman at the ready.

Gerard walked over and spoke somewhat timidly, likely worried he was going to be cut off again. "Beggin your pardon, General, but you may want to remove some of your heavy armour... it can get quite hot out on the sea with the sun beating down on you and armour can be quite heavy."

Cuth nodded once. "I will take that into consideration. Thank you, Gerard. I am sure you have other business to attend to. Don't let me keep you."

Sensing that he was being dismissed in the nicest way he was going to receive, Gerard smiled and nodded once to Cuthbert before turning and heading back towards the Shipwrights Guild.

Cuth smiled as he looked over his boat again, marveling at the fact that he was down at the docks, much less about to go out to sea. Never thought I'd be on a boat... he thought to himself as he stepped aboard.


_________________
General Cuthbert
Republic of Magincia [M]

Cuth 10:01 PM: hey man what ended up happening?
Isk 10:02 PM: I killed an orc, the other 4 killed me then they peed on me and the banner.
Cuth 10:03 PM: lmao. okay, so we must get them back
Isk 10:04 PM: I got f**kin peed on. so, yea




Long gone but not forgotten:
Humanis Homepage

[Cuthbert]

---

The salt breeze blew against his face as the Viking vessel pushed it's way through the waves. It was a relatively calm day, light chop on the ocean and not much else. As Cuthbert took in the view he took a slow deep breath in and out. With his exhale, he let most of the tension in his body go, allowing his muscles to relax under his armour. Ah, and Gerard had be right. He didn't need to be wearing all of this out on the open sea. Cuth walked to the front of the boat and opened the latch to the small cargo hold. He removed the bulk of his armour - cape, gorget, tunic, sleeves, gloves and leggings, and tossed them down. His undershirt (a fancy Magincian shirt that displayed his pride and allegiance to the island) he left on, as well as his kilt. Looking down at his battered kilt was almost akin to looking back on his own life. He had worn this item for years, having it patched and re-patched, sewn and re-sewn to the point where he wasn't entirely sure that it hadn't become a new piece of clothing altogether.



With his armour gone the sea air was able to touch his skin, and it invigorated him. He walked to the bow of the ship to allow the full force of the oncoming winds to slip by him. Letting out a long sigh of relief, Cuth said "You know, a man could get used to this..."


_________________
General Cuthbert
Republic of Magincia [M]

Cuth 10:01 PM: hey man what ended up happening?
Isk 10:02 PM: I killed an orc, the other 4 killed me then they peed on me and the banner.
Cuth 10:03 PM: lmao. okay, so we must get them back
Isk 10:04 PM: I got f**kin peed on. so, yea




Long gone but not forgotten:
Humanis Homepage

[Cuthbert]

---

Hearing Cuth speak aloud must have, in some way, suggested to the Tillerman that it was okay to talk - and talk he did. Stories about everything from beating up someone who was impersonating Lord British to meeting a man in Britain who had befriended a ferret. Odd, rambling stories that on a normal day Cuth would have likely found annoying and demand to be stopped. But today was different. Today, for the first time in a long time, he was relaxed. He was enjoying himself. And so he let the man talk. And talk. And talk.



Eventually the Tillerman began to grow quiet, and Cuth took the time to sit down on the deck, propping his back up against the Main Sail (although this boat only had one sail, so it wasn't as though there was much choice). The course that had been plotted for this ride skirted the Valorian Isles, and when Jhelom can into view, Cuth smiled. How long had it been since he had been to Jhelom? Far, far too long, it seemed. There was a period in his life when he spent ALL of his time there. Fighting, training, drinking. First joining the Jhelom Council of Valor, then on to the Hand of Humanis... Ages ago... Cuth sighed and looked back at the Tillerman.

"I'm old. I just realized it. Well, I suppose I didn't JUST realize it, but I was certainly just reminded".

"Ye don't look old t' me, sar!" the Tillerman shouted back over the waves and sea breeze. Cuth smiled at him, accepting the lie kindly, and turned back towards the bow of the boat, allowing the mast to take the bulk of his weight.

"I may nod off here, helmsman" Cuth said "If I do, just continue our course back to Magincia."

"Ar, will do!!" the Tillerman shouted from behind him.

Cuth did, indeed, nod off. And how could he not? A perfect day on the water, the sound of the waves lapping up against the side of the ship, the salt spray... it was the perfect symphony of the sea. It was wonderful.


The only thing that could (and did) disturb it was some time later when the first cannonball was fired over the bow of his boat as a warning shot.
_________________
General Cuthbert
Republic of Magincia [M]

Cuth 10:01 PM: hey man what ended up happening?
Isk 10:02 PM: I killed an orc, the other 4 killed me then they peed on me and the banner.
Cuth 10:03 PM: lmao. okay, so we must get them back
Isk 10:04 PM: I got f**kin peed on. so, yea




Long gone but not forgotten:
Humanis Homepage

[Cuthbert]

---

Cuth snapped out of his sleep, sitting bolt upright and craning his head off to the right, where the shot had originated. A large ship with multiple cannons had drawn up along side them and had fired. Behind those cannons at least a dozen pirates clamored about, cleaning the guns, preparing for another shot. Cuth whirled on his heel to yell at the Tillerman, only to see a second ship coming about behind them, positioning itself to fire on them as well.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE?!?" he screamed at the Tillerman "WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME?"

"I'm sorry, sir! They wasn't flying skull and crossbones when they came up on us!" The Tillerman was absolutely terrified.

"Full sail! Outrun them!" Cuth shouted back.



"Aye, aye, sir!" he said, adjusting the rudder. "It's my fault, I thought they -" the Tillerman's last thought was cut short courtesy of a volley of Grapeshot that tore him to shreds. Cuth turned back towards the pirate ship off his starboard side and tried to wave his arms to signal them, but had to duck quickly as he saw another pirate lighting a cannon fuse. The resulting shot ripped the mast off his boat, and he quickly had to roll out of the way the of large pieces of wood that came raining down on the deck. He completed 3 full rolls and and put his face down on the deck, covering it with his hands to prevent wood splinters from cutting his face and eyes.

Coughing from the smoke but relatively unwounded, Cuth was able to roll onto his back and open his eyes just in time to see 4 or 5 men from the pirate ship swing onto his deck from a series of ropes tied to their own ship.

One with sword in hand stepped forward, leaning over Cuth, putting the blade to his neck and showing a grin composed largely of rotting teeth, save for those few spaces where the tooth had actually fallen out. The bright yellow scarf around his head only served to highlight the blotched, purple sores on his face, some of them open and festering.

"Afternoon, cully" he grinned at Cuth. "Git to yer feet. NOW."
_________________
General Cuthbert
Republic of Magincia [M]

Cuth 10:01 PM: hey man what ended up happening?
Isk 10:02 PM: I killed an orc, the other 4 killed me then they peed on me and the banner.
Cuth 10:03 PM: lmao. okay, so we must get them back
Isk 10:04 PM: I got f**kin peed on. so, yea




Long gone but not forgotten:
Humanis Homepage

[Cuthbert]

---

With the blade still pressed against his throat, Cuth silently and slowly stood up. The pirate in the yellow scarf continued to eye him with his disgusting grin as he barked orders to the other pirates that had come aboard. "Search the hold! Let's see what this bugger's got!"

A few pirates ran to the front of the ship and flipped up the latch to the cargo hold. Inside they found Cuthbert's armour and not much else. "Nothin good in here!" one of them yelled. "Just some fancy armour. No gold, no leather, no metal, not even any rum!!!" The yellow-scarfed pirate's look soured and his toothless grin turned to a sneer. "You weren't even worth our time, cully. Shame for you. Just means I'll be relievin' ya of yer life sooner rather than later."

Cuth's mind raced. He could fight back, but he knew he would be overwhelmed eventually. He could try to jump ship, but they looked to be miles from any land. Perhaps if he...

His train of thought was stopped when one of the pirates going through his cargo hold called out to the pirate with the yellow scarf again. "Hey! Gasher! Come lookit this!" The pirate at the cargo hold was holding up Cuth's Helm, rotating it and eyeing it closely. "The inscription! Read the inscription!" the pirate cried with delight as the yellow scarfed pirate named Gasher walked over and took the helmet from him. Looking at it closely himself, he read the inscription aloud: "Helm of Cuthbert, General of Magincia..." Gasher turned back towards Cuthbert and grinned widely. "Another Magincian brat, eh? Why d'you lubbers think you can sail OUR waters? We taught that last brat a lesson... fiery little girl she was... per'aps we'll do the same with you!" The other pirates laughed behind Gasher as Cuth tried to reason out which "fiery Magincian girl" they might be talking about, and what they had done to her.

Gasher walked back over to Cuth, getting close enough for him to smell the pirate's breath. It was awful, worse than sewage, and Cuth leaned back slightly in hopes of diluting his sudden urge to vomit. When Gasher spoke to him and the full force of his breath hit Cuth's face, it was all he could do to not pass out from the stench. "But I think per'aps we'll keep ye around for a bit. A 'General' such as yerself might bring us some pretty coin! After we get our own worth of work out of ya, a'course! Now MUSH, cully!" Gasher kicked Cuth towards the plank that had been lowered between the pirate ship and his own. His life had been spared, for now. But Cuth knew that harder times were ahead. Being taken prisoner by pirates was far worse than being taken a Prisoner of War, and if he wasn't smart he knew they would simply slit his throat and toss him over the side of the ship. He would stay quiet and do as he was told...for now.
_________________
General Cuthbert
Republic of Magincia [M]

Cuth 10:01 PM: hey man what ended up happening?
Isk 10:02 PM: I killed an orc, the other 4 killed me then they peed on me and the banner.
Cuth 10:03 PM: lmao. okay, so we must get them back
Isk 10:04 PM: I got f**kin peed on. so, yea




Long gone but not forgotten:
Humanis Homepage