The Journey Around The World, In Order To Save Spring

Something Seems Familial

There, on the horizon, was a small ship. Well, it was small in comparison with theirs, but in reality, it was actually medium-sized. It was a 200-burthen frigate and Amaruq easily recognised it as a pirate ship based on the Jolly Roger it was flying at full mast. He jumped down from the crow's nest and headed to the black wolf. "Where's Atsuguk?" He asked the other male. "I think he went to spend a penny," Taggak answered. Amaruq then ran towards the stairs and rushed below deck, with Taggak following suit. They went to their room, opening the door to see the grey and white furred wolf dumping a bucket into the sea. "What?" He asked. "There's a pirate attack! Didn't you hear me?" Amaruq asked back. "No, I must have been, uh, really focused," he answered timidly as he looked away.

"Now what do we do?" Amaruq asked. They were in their first maritime vessel war. The only experience they had regarding violence on boats were when they went seal hunting on kayaks. Suffice to say, those two were quite different in regards to everything besides being on the ocean. "We fight. What else do we do?" Taggak said and he was right. They couldn't let some salty oppressors take over this ship! Think of the merchants! Think of the merchandise. It's settled. They would fight and they would fight until they couldn't anymore. "Uhh... guys? Guys!" Atsuguk suddenly exclaimed. "What?" Amaruq nearly yelled.

"DUCK!" Just as the teen yelled that, the whole room exploded to bits, knocking the three back against the three walls that remained. It was to no surprise, that the cannonball attack knocked them out cold. Amaruq just hoped he didn't dream of that weirdo wolf again.

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The slow dregs of unconsciousness cleared from Taggak's mind. He groaned as he opened his eyes. He looked at the deck of the ship he was on. It looked different somehow. Plus, he was tied to the main mast of the ship with thick rope. He had a feeling they were not on the merchant galleon anymore. He felt somebody stroke his belly fur, so he looked down and saw a peach-coloured hand on it. "Mmm... your fur is so soft today, Atâtak. Like cotton..." he heard his teammate mumble beside him. His cheeks grew hot as he shook his body as best he could to wake his friend up. "Wake up!" He exclaimed, which seemed to do the trick. "Huh? Where am I? Why are we tied up?" The other asked groggily, his eyes still half-lidded.

"If you don't notice, we're not on the merchant ship anymore," Taggak said. That woke him up quick. "What? Oh no," the alien said. Atsuguk took the opportunity to speak up. "And we're not alone," he told his friends. "Well, well, well. It looks like our little guests have finally woken up," a gruff voice said. The two looked up to see a rugged black wolf dressed in fancy pirate attire. Behind him were his crew. "Wh-who are you?" Amaruq asked hastily. "Who is he? What kind o' question is that?" One of the other pirates asked back. "Why it's the infamous Cap'n Blackfur o' course. Who doesn't know him?" He asked no one in particular. Captain Blackfur? Amaruq felt as if he'd read that name before.

"Let's have a look at our captives, shall we?" Blackfur suggested before doing so. First, he looked at Amaruq. "It seems we have ourselves a naked mole rat," he said and Amaruq had never felt more offended in his life. "A pretty boy!" Blackfur proclaimed next which made Atsuguk want to sink into the ropes that held him and never return. "And... what's this? A doppelgänger?" He asked as he scrutinised Taggak. Both of them looked strikingly similar, especially since they were both onyx. The pirates around them raised a ruckus. "Impostor! Charlatan!" They cried out. "Enough! Silence!" He shut them up. Then he turned his attentions to his captive.

"I want to know who this ripoff be..." he said menacingly. "What's yer name, boy?" He asked, his pointy cutlass below the other's chin. The younger male remained silent, however. "What be the matter? Cat got your tongue?", the pirate said, poking his weapon harder. "Taggak! His name is Taggak!" Amaruq blurted out. "Oh? Ye be letting yer matey answer for ye?" He asked, amused. Amaruq couldn't bear it if his friend was sliced to mincemeat. Especially if he could easily stop it.

He tried to look, but he couldn't see Taggak's face from the low angle he held his head at. "Works for me. And what does it mean?" He continued asking Amaruq. Amaruq had to think at that. He remembered his dad telling him this when they were first introduced. "Uh, shadow! It means shadow in Inuktitut," he said as it clicked into his mind. "Ah. So ye be known for yer colour. Just like me," he stated. "And how, might I ask, did ye come to have yer complexion?" He pursued the matter. "What? Of course he got his fur from his parents. Duh. It's a no-brainer," Amaruq answered, with more sass than appropriate for the situation. The captain growled.

"I meant how it be possible when I have personally hunted down every last member of me family, the only wolves in the world who have ever had any black fur!" He snapped. It was true. He had did so. At least, he thought he did. No one else could look this special, except for him. "Where did you say you scurvy dogs came from?" He asked, suddenly calm again. "Uhh... we didn't. But! We're from the Northwest Territories, Canada," Amaruq answered helpfully. The captain had a wistful look to him. Like he was reminiscing about something from decades ago. "Aye. I remember now. The last ones I eliminated were me cousin and his wife. Back in the Amundsen Gulf more than 20 years ago," he recalled distantly.

That got a reaction out of Taggak. His eyes were as wide as saucers as his mind was blown. "Wait, wait, wait. What?" Amaruq asked. He was confused as heck. "I remember me cousin's lady being with pup the weeks before I sent them to Davy Jones' locker. Her belly wasn't as big then. Should've known she had whelped," the captain mused. Amaruq tried to piece everything together. "So that makes you..." he said. "Aye. His first cousin, once removed," the pirate captain finished steadily.