Ravensblood Forest curse of the black pearl

formation day! single posts welcome <3
map for reference (created w Inkarnate)

@Meredith @Hex @Firefly @Farren @Crowell @Worm

The forest had grown, their borders strengthened. As the sun rose above the twin peaks, a wolf's shadow slipped into a clearing nestled deep into the foothills. The treeline was thinner here, with enough cover to conceal an encampment while allowing sunlight to filter through in glorious beams of warmth.

There were caves here too, where the rise met the jagged slopes of old. Nox had yet to poke more than his head into one, but he reasoned they'd be perfect for denning or storing meats and bounty. 

It was the rocky outcrop above the tunnels that caught his attention most, however, as climbing it revealed a picturesque view of the entire forest. The captain stood there now, drinking in the distant sea and flatlands beyond their claim. With a haunting cry, he beckoned his crew to see it too - to celebrate with him the beginnings of a great venture and a future that was soon to come.

---

Once all had come, the Captain addressed each of their waiting faces with a grin and a lash of his tail. "Make yerselves at home. I wouldn't be standin' here if it weren't for yer support in gettin' this place ship-shape." Blimey, he wasn't the best at speeches.

"Now don't ye be thinkin' I'm goin' soft - there's still room for improvement in all of ye." His gaze flicked to Firefly and Hex, then to those who's sea-legs were a little more...pronounced. "An' what better way to test that than a raid. Let me tell ye, this man here gave us quite the lead." Scanning the crowd for Crowell, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. The wench could have hardly made her trail any more obvious. 

He'd teased it, kept them on edge - but his crew needed blood and now he deemed was the time to strike. "So ready yerselves, sharpen yer wits. We leave in five days!" 

blackbeard appears from the west, carrying with him lingering scent of salt and brine. the smell of the woman he had hunted through their very woodland claim days ago.

the slick remnants of a sneer upon his crooked maw as he slinks from shadowy brush and snow cloaked forest. fiery eyes cast upwards at the silhouette of the captain at his mast.

it brings crowell great amusement.

the greasy bastard offers the little beast a tilt of his head when he acknowledges crowell's slightly selfish efforts, swapping sneer for a smile all too familiar—remainders of a mother both unknowingly share.

meredith lingered at the edge of the gathered crew, sharp eyes scanning the faces before flicking past them, searching. where the hell was crowell? the bastard was never far, always lurking with that smug grin of his. she scowled, jaw tightening as she swept the crowd once more.

his agonizing voice. she scowled.

huffing quietly, she abandoned the search, turning her attention back to nox. her captain had plans, and she wasn’t about to be left in the dark. whatever raid he had in mind, she’d be ready.

Oh, fuck everything and everyone around him. A raid?!

Hex had been keen on raids exactly once in his life—in the post-coital excitement that followed his first liaison with Muskrat. Her talk of plunder had excited him, but when all had worn off, he found her savagery tiresome and not to his taste.

And now, he had stumbled upon yet another wolf set on trouble. 

Of. Fucking. Course.

But where could he go? Definitely not back to Akavir, tail between his legs, for the inevitable "I told you so." Not further up the coast, where the weird sisters could apprehend him. And certainly not to the mountains, where the ghosts of his failures would haunt him for all time.

No, he was stuck between this figurative rock and hard place, and even as he nodded along to Nox's command, his teeth gritted tight enough to crack.

firefly’s ears perked at the captain’s words, his excitement barely contained as his tail gave an eager wag. a raid. his first real taste of pirate life. he wasn’t about to let this chance slip through his paws.  

he shot a glance at the hearty crew, a lopsided grin tugging at his lips. hear that? five days. that’s plenty o’ time to make sure I ain’t the one slowin’ us down. he puffed out his chest, trying to play it cool, though the spark in his eyes betrayed the thrill coursing through him.  

turning back to the captain, he gave a sharp nod. aye, cap’n! i’ll be ready. his voice carried confidence, but deep down, he knew he had work to do. he’d been picking up bits and pieces of the pirate way, but this—this was real. this was the test that would prove if he truly belonged among them.  

with that, he wasted no time. he had skills to hone, wits to sharpen, and a crew to impress. five days. that was all he needed.