By Paw and Sail

Chapter 13: Weapon of Choice [Trais]

Three days had passed since the Rastaggur left the harbor on the Iriote Archipelago. Trais was still sensitive to the ship’s perpetual swaying, but his stomach had finally adjusted to the strange sensation.

He was filled with happiness and regret as his eyes swept over the endless stretch of undulating water. The sea still frightened him, but he had started to wonder about what he missed during the last eighteen years.

“How does it feel?”

He turned around to face the captain. Rutt smiled and smacked the cat’s shoulder with his paw.

“You don’t seem as troubled by it now, eh?” he said.

“To be honest, it still feels weird,” Trais said. “I think it’s beautiful, but it’s scary too.”

“That’s how we all feel about it, lad. There ain’t an animal on board that doesn’t fear the sea. That’s why we build ships and set sail, so we don’t have to be afraid.”

Trais smiled as the captain spoke. He enjoyed the rough mannerisms and warm personalities of the Lutes. They were honest and blunt creatures, much like his uncle. Otters weren’t afraid to speak their mind or offer unsolicited opinions.

“Anyway,” Rutt said. “There’s something I wanted to ask ya. I’ve been talking to yer uncle, and he said you are a pretty good shot with stones. That true?”

“Er, well, I’m not particularly good,” Trais said. “I just played with them a bit at home. I used to hunt shore birds around the cliffs outside the harbor sometimes.”

“Did ya bring your sling with ya?”

“Yeah, it’s in the library.”

“Would ya mind going to fetch it real quick? There’s something I wanna talk with you about, and I wanna see your shot.”

“Er, sure. I’ll go get it.”

“Thanks, lad. I’ll be waiting up here for ya.”

Trais trotted towards the open door and hopped down the stairs down the lower deck. He closed his eyes as he reached the bottom, visualizing the path back the library. The interior of the ship was dark, and there were lots of little passages. He had gotten lost on his way to the library several times over the last few days.

Left. Right. Left. Straight. Left.

The cat came to a halt in front of the familiar wooden panel. He pulled on the handle and slid the door open. Zix looked up from his book as Trais entered the room.

“Oh, hello,” he said.

“Hey,” Trais said. “Sorry, I just need to grab something real quick.”

“No problem. I’m immune to distractions and interruptions after spending years on a ship with Torqe.”

Trais laughed as he dug through the clothes in his bag.

His possessions hadn’t been packed properly when he left the harbor, and everything was still disorganized. It took him a few minutes to find his sling, which was hidden inside one of his shirts. He pawed around the bottom until he found the small bag of stones.

Zix watched the cat curiously as he threw the sack back into the corner and headed for the exit.

“So, what are ya up to on deck?” he said.

“Nothing much,” Trais said. “Rutt wanted me to come down and get my sling.”

“Oh? Well, that sounds fun.”