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P** art Four: "The Turning of the Tide"**

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If there was anything that was a solid gold rule about pirating the Waiting Sea, it was that underestimating the enemy was a fool's choice. And now, with his crew half blinded by exploding powders, with a human frigate quickly closing in on his galleon's position from out of nowhere, Captain Snide was beginning to understand that his brief, overconfident moment of wasted words with the otters of the Bessy was going to cost him dearly today.

Already, with the blinding explosives used up and wearing off, it was becoming clear that ten of the fifty corsairs at the ferret lord's command had been killed off by the sea otters that were supposedly their prey. As for why Captain Snide himself wasn't unfortunately one of the ten pirates lying dead on the deck at the moment was simply because of his familiarity with human tactics. Five times he'd had battles with humans. Five times he'd come to learn their ways.

Thus, due to those five times in his past, when the otters had begun throwing up the watermelon sized, human branded explosives filled with blasting powder moments ago, the ferret lord had instantly recognized the incoming attack. In turn, with a snarl, after having tried to warn the rest of his idiot crew, he'd closed his eyes tight.

Next, after the blinding blasts had gone off, as the otters had begun to make their silent raid against the handicapped cutthroats through the resulting smoke, a young otter male had decided to go for Snide first. What the brave otter warrior youth in question hadn't predicted was that Snide wasn't at all blind to his surroundings but very aware. And when he was targeted by the otter, the cruel pirate lord heartlessly cut down the poor soul with a swift swish, flick along with stab of his stolen silver rapier.

Yet, as his followers were being cut down by the sea dogs, as he was busy defending himself from attackers that were supposed to be his prey, Snide's mind wasn't focused on what was happening on his vessel's deck. No, he was focusing on the real threat heading towards his Mercury; the majestic, blue-white, swift human ship closing in from the south.

This would be the sixth time those messengers of Norlinth were coming to end the Mercury captain's fun. This would be the sixth time his luck, his ingenuity, would be put to the test. Either way, immediately after having stabbed through another courageous otter - an inspiring maiden no more than in her mid-twenties - trying to bring him down amid all of the chaos around him, the black ferret dashed up onto the upper deck, seized hold of the alarm bell above the ship wheel and began ringing it with all of his fervor.

"C'mon, all of ye' scum below decks!" Snide roared above the din of the battle happening between the raiding sea otters and his blinded crew, addressing the minions he had below deck watching over the slaves, "All hands on deck, you wretches! All hands on deck, I say!"

When a third otter engaged Snide, he came to find that she was bit trickier than his last two opponents. Deftly twirling a stone loaded sling in her left hand and a deadly coral knife in her right, the she-otter that was his foe was slick, lethal along with daring. It also didn't help the pirate lord that she was, despite her older age of maybe being in her mid-forties, quite the striking creature in looks. Her beauty was, annoyingly, a distraction on his part.

Then, with a jolt, Snide suddenly recognized who he was fighting; she was the sea dog who had told him his reign would end today! Ha ha, what a coincidence that she was fighting him now. Well, come on then. It was time for her to make her words come true!

"Har har, me beauty! If'n I'm to die today, if my reign is to be put to an end this day, all yer pals are goin' to have to try harder than this!" Mercury's captain laughed aloud, sidestepping the she-otter's stab, ducking her sling swipe, then advancing on her with his rapier blade flashing here and there and everywhere in brilliant glints of white, "But then again, ye' and yer otter mates aren't plannin' to be the ones to take down this ol' ferret, are ye'? Nah, you're hopin' it'll be those flat faced humans over yonder yer' in league with, eh?"

From the start, after having seen them throw human branded explosives onto his ship, after having heard a human vessel was coming to engage his own, Snide had pretty much come to understand within moments what was happening; the Mercury had carelessly taken the Bessy as bait and the human ship yonder had snuck into the fray undetected while the opportunity was ripe. At this very moment, the humans and sea otters were allies. The devils!

Well, it was a brilliant plan, truly. Yet, the ferret lord wasn't one to give up. Not after twenty-five years of success. If he was to go down to the gates of Helnoth to meet demons and the like at the bottom of the Waiting Sea, he was going to take as many unfortunate souls with him in the process!

"Maybe that's the plan, aye, to let those humans take yer head. Perhaps that was what was agreed by me and the captain of the Valiant..." The older she-otter growled back at the pirate lord, her bronze colored eyes alight with menacing fire and her fangs showing in the dying afternoon light, "But by Helnoth, scum, I, Fauna of the Surfla, would be more than happy to end your pirating days here and now! RAGH!"

With a nimble dodge backwards, sweeping his head aside just as her sling swung towards his skull, Snide tripped his she-otter nemesis who fell forward, rolled back onto her feet, then turned to lunge again. The only problem was that she was stabbed once by Snide's rapier, slashed across the chest next and then nicked on the nose by his third swipe. In turn, bleeding a bit, the fuming sea otter maiden had no other choice but to turn tail and dive off into the sea as her foe advanced on her.

"RAGH yourself, sea doggess." Snide sneered, feeling good about having shown up his would be killer before turning his attention upwards towards the crow nest, "CLUNY! Hear yer cap'n, sea rat!"

There was a moment where no one responded to the ferret lord. Then, the face of Cluny appeared over the railing of the crow's nest. The sea rat hollered back to his leader, "Aye, sir! I hear ye'."

"As you should. Listen, I want you to try to befuddle those flat faces comin' towards me ship. If you don't have any cloth up there at hand, tear off a piece of the sail closest to ye'. Then begin waving that in the direction of our human enemies like no tomorrow. Give 'em the impression that we're surrendering. Work on their sense of honor."

"Yarr, what'd ye' say, cap'n? We're surrenderin'?"

"NO, idiot, we're not surrenderin' to those flat faced northerners! That would mean the gallows for all of us, ye' nit-wit." Snide yelled, pounding his fist on the railing before him while feeling very impatient, "No, just like we did with the last human customers who came our way last year, we're puttin' on a face like we want to surrender. Us lookin' like we're giving up will keep these approaching humans from hitting us with everything they've got. Not that they would hit us hard right now, seeing as we have slaves and all that they could harm in the process."

"Righto, cap'n. Them humans won't fire on us." Cluny sneered evilly, his face cracking into a grin, "They don't want to hurt our _live_cargo, will they?"

"Exactly, rat face. Either way, when we've got 'em close enough, we'll give the humans a fight they won't soon forget!" Snide bellowed, stepping down off of the upper deck onto the lower deck as his crew was beginning to wrest back control of the deck from the sea otters of the Bessy, "For now, you scumbags that are my crew need to quit bein' shown up like fish in a barrel and get to cutting throats!"

As a she-otter sought to jump overboard into the sea below to escape the no longer blind corsairs around her, she was sharply lashed in the back by Snide's whip while passing. Of course, although crying out in pain, the wounded sea doggess still made it into the water but not without having left the ferret lord feeling high and mighty, whirling his personal whip in his hands.

"See? Like all dogs out there in the world, a sea dog yelps too when beaten." Snide cackled, whipping his favorite whip around his head with a wicked grin, "Now if anymore of those said sea dogs try to come back up onto our vessel, I want you to beat em' down nice an' proper, you idiots. Show 'em just who they're messin' with today. Brine, Hisko, get yer' ugly mugs below decks and start dragging slaves up here. Humans are on the way and slaves are goin' to be our best ticket to getting' out of this here mess. Move, ye' fools! Move yer'selves!"

Yet, listening to the newest orders issued by Snide, as the pirates began doing what they were told at hasty speed aboard the Mercury, there was something that hadn't been noticed by anyone. Not even Captain Snide had detected during the battling that several sea otters had grabbed up pirate rags and dressed themselves up for the believable roles of pirates. No one had seen the said grandly costumed otters, led by Bessy's wild looking captain, then break Jenna free from the main mast just before the end of the raid as well as had her lead them into the slave holds below.

And so, as "Brine" - a fat, ugly, brownish-grey stoat - and "Hisko" - a gruff, lean yet empty headed, red fox - unwittingly descended the stairs into the slave quarters with several followers following them to acquire slaves as hostages against the nearing humans, they couldn't have even begun to realize that most every slave had already been freed by Jenna's sea dog rescuers.

What was more unbelievable for Brine, Hisko as well as their fellow corsairs was when they entered the slave hold, saw the slaves furiously awaiting them... and were instantly grabbed, drug yelling into the begrudging mobs along with bluntly beaten into oblivion by fists, feet plus whatever else was at hand. No corsair was dealt a swift death. They were given the proper, torturous beating that they'd given the Mercury slaves. It was the beginning of sweet, sweet justice.

"Hmf, can't say that that was the best way of sending any good Felldewan to the realm of Helnoth." Bessy's wild whiskered captain sniffed after the ugly deaths of Brine as well as Hisko, adjusting his fish scale vest after having shed his pirate outfit in the meantime, "Then again, these weren't good Felldewans, were they? A slaver is a slaver in this ol' otter's opinion. And every slaver on this damned ship deserves what's comin' to 'em today. Ain't that right, me beauty of a daughter?"

Coralpaw, who was actually Bessy's wild looking captain's daughter, agreed whole heartedly with her father while hugging him tightly with tears coursing down her relieved face, "That's exactly right father! I don't like being so cruel to another mortal like this but these pirates we're dealing with will show us no mercy. Thus, we cannot show them any in turn."

"Har har, well said, Coralpaw, me girl. Well said." Bessy's captain sniffed, trying to do his best not to cry at having finally regained his daughter from the grasp of the Waiting Sea's worst pirate lord, "But there's no time for tears from anyone. Especially not from ye', dearest. Now tell me, my little starfish, is this wolfess here a friend of yours? She said she was your mate up on deck and that you needed help. So, I cut 'er loose and brought 'er along for ye' to confirm for me."

"Yes, father! This she-wolf is Jenna of the Lokien. She's more than friend of mine, though. She's my best friend! She's been my best friend since we first met." Coralpaw instantly as well as joyfully explained for Jenna, introducing the ebony wolfess to her father who looked eternally grateful to the she-wolf, "Mind, she's been a bit hot headed like all wolves and can't take my advice from time to time but she's a seasoned warrior. She's protected me since I got trapped on this vessel a month ago."

"Is that right?" Bessy's captain wondered, taking Jenna's hand into his own and giving it a good, firm, powerful shake with his well-muscled arm, "Truly, ye' have my gratitude fer lookin' out fer my little otterling's safety these last few days, Jenna. I go by the name of Coralhan, if ye' please. Tis' a great pleasure to make ye' acquaintance. Although I wish we could have met on, er, better terms than these at the moment."

"I am happy to finally meet you, Coralhan, sir." Jenna said with a smile, having known about Bessy's good captain for a long while beforehand thanks to his daughter having always talked about him in the past, "And I know what you mean about our current terms at the moment. I wish we could have met for the first time on a happier occasion. What is going on right now? What's the plan? I heard that humans are comin' to our rescue form the south?"

"That's right." Coralhan began, looking up at the roof of the slave hold where the upper deck was thumping with activity above, "Listen, me'self and the otters I brought with me are brave and all. However, we can't take on all of Snide's rotten crew. Thus, we have to hold all of you slaves down here until the Valiant arrives and - Hey, Kelpstripe, you rogue! How are ye' doin, ye' ripper-snapper?"

For the first time since the attack on mercury had begun, Kelpstripe finally shoved his way through the crowded slaves to the front where he stood with Jenna. Although having been aboard the Mercury being starved for a month, the young he-otter was still a lean, powerful, healthy, inky black furred, white under bellied, bronze eyed, handsome lad with a curiously green stripe running down his spine.

Either way, starved or not, Kelpstripe had been more than ready for forever to take a crack at the slavers above on deck. Really, to be honest, as Jenna had come to know him, he was mostly looking tough at the moment not because he hated the slavers. It was his attempt at trying to impress Coralpaw who eyed him with forced patience. Yet, where Coralpaw looked at Kelpstripe with patience, her father eyed him with mock gladness.

"Oi, Kelpstripe, laddo, I asked ye' a question!" Coralhan barked, smacking the younger otter male who had just entered the scene so boldly, "How are ye' doin?"

"Better than some can say." Was Kelpstripe's blunt reply, not having enjoyed getting hit like a cub, "Well, actually, I was doin' better before I saw yer ugly mug show up, old 'un."

At this, while keeping a false smile of gladness, handing his dagger to his curious daughter, Coralhan suddenly launched forward onto Kelpstripe with super speed. As the slaves made room, as Coralpaw tried to separate them, as Jenna tried to understand what was going on, the two otter males - old and young, muscles bulging, curses being said - wrestled for dominance on the slave hold floor while snarling insults at one another.

"Kelpstripe, ye' stupid, empty headed, no good, short tailed, runny nosed rip! It's because of ye' that my daughter went and got 'erself caught by these slavers in the first place', ain't it?!"

"As a matter of fact, old 'un, yer daughter was venturin' off her own when I saw here swimmin' out into the big blue last month. Seein' as you weren't around to keep her safe, I tagged along to make sure she would be okay. If anythin', you owe me thanks right about now!"

"Thanks? I owe ye' thanks, rebel? Why, what I owe ye' is a tail yankin' and nothing more! Even with ye' watchin' over her, my little starfish still got caught by these here cutthroats. Not only that, you went and got captured yer'self which, in turn, made yer mother, Fauna, come lookin' fer a fight with me clan cuz' she suspected ye' wasn't comin' home because ye' was kidnapped by my daughter! Kidnapped? Feh, how ridiculous! It woulda been you, not my daughter, who would have done any kidnappin' of any kind!"

"Hah, fine, I'll admit it. I was smitten by your daughter last month, old head! I've been smitten with her for longer than last month, you know. She and I have been friends since puphood. That's why I tagged after her. That's why I got captured with her. That's why I've been protecting her on this ship while you've been off searching the rest of the sea for the past month!" Kelpstripe shouted, fury evident in his voice yet sincere too, "And I don't care what our clans have got to say about it, I'm not goin' anywhere without Coralpaw. She's mine. I'm hers. So there!"

"Honestly, you two!" Coralpaw snarled, trying to grab onto the tossing forms of the he-otters on the slave hold floor, "You're both grown-ups here, not otterlings! Father, Kelpstripe is right. I got him and me into this mess. It was me that's made you come looking for us for the last month... I brought him out into the blue to talk with him about some things and that was when..."

"That was when we got interrupted!" Kelpstripe snarled, pushing Coralhan off of him defiantly, "Just before we were about to kiss and say that we were each other one and only! Just like we promised we would when we were pups!"

The whole situation had gone from saving the slaves aboard the Mercury to getting involved with whole dramatic love shared between two young otter lovers from rivaling clans? Jenna, who was doing her best to keep up with everything, immediately stepped in between Coralhan as well as Kelpstripe when they looked ready to go back to harming each other again.

"Gentle otters, please, we don't have time for this!" The night black wolfess finally snarled with her sharp fangs visible, suddenly allowing her warrior spirit to take hold of the event at hand, "If you both haven't noticed we're stuck below decks in the worst pirate ship sailing the Waiting Sea. We have innocent lives at stake here in need of rescue. Now, Coralhan, Kelpstripe, I know that you both care about Coralpaw... but think of her safety at the moment. Think of all of our safety. More than ever, we all need to band together now, not dwell on the past. We all need to know what's going to happen with the humans coming this way."

There was a pause of stillness in the slave hold. Then, straightening up, dusting himself off, Bessy's captain cracked his neck before admitting humbly, "Aye, yer right, Jenna of Lokien. Tis' my bad in letting my anger get the best of me there."

Next, rubbing his neck humbly, Coralhan admitted to Coralpaw's lover, "I owe ye' an apology, Kelpstripe, laddo. I've always seen yer vow to my daughter comin' since the both of ye' were little. Er, it's just that yer mother... well, I've had to deal with miserable her ever since you went and disappeared. I'm sure you know how she gets all of the time, being her son and all. I just had to vent my own fumes after having spent way too long a time with 'er during the last month."

"Hmf, I know what to expect from my mother after all of this is done and finished; lecture after lecture after lecture." Kelpstripe stated, looking confident about the situation at hand. He shook hands with Coralpaw's father, forgiving the older otter for the wrestling a moment ago, "Still, if I manage to crack enough skulls up on deck, well, she might go a bit easier on me. And if she doesn't, hmf, all she does is blow steam every minute of every day. You've just got to learn to not take her seriously."

"Hah! Ye've just got learn to not take her seriously. Do ye hear that, lads? That's easier said than done, boyo." Coralhan chuckled, earning nods from his fellow otter warriors as he looked to them, "Ain't that right, mates? Especially when yer' stuck on a tightly packed schooner for thirty days in a row with only a few feet dividing ye' from her constant yammering. Har har!"

"MOVING ON!" Jenna cut in next with a growl, growing irritated that she hadn't at all heard anything yet about what was going on with the current attack against Mercury, "Coralhan, sir, what is going on? Are you with the humans coming to attack Captain Snide? What are we supposed to be doing down here?"

"Aye, lassy, me'self and me warrior mates here with ye' are in league with the humans comin' this way." Bessy's captain explained next, taking the hint that he'd best start explaining things before Jenna started nipping him with her fangs, "And as for what those humans want you, the slaves, to do is quite simple. You're doin' it right now, truth be told."

"We are?" Jenna questioned beck, "What are we doing that's going along with the plan?"

"Staying outta' the way, that's what." Coralhan said, signaling for his warrior companions to get to work securing the area which they swiftly did within the blink of an eye, "Listen, me'self and my boys from the Bessy were only meant to be a distraction for Captain Snide so that the Valiant could come up on him without fail. Seeing as that's worked thus far, now I have to keep you slaves from falling into any hostage situation. If the Mercury doesn't have any hostages to bargain with, the humans can easily board and do the pleasure of putting an end to her."

Wait. That was it? That was the plan? The slaves were to stay down here in the hold out of the way while the fighting was finished by the humans? They weren't going to be able to get back at their abusers with swords in hand?

At once, at realizing that she was going to have to stay below decks while the real fighting happened above her, Jenna's warrior blood ignited. Many an idea of her going against the plan formed in her mind, in turn. For if she took a blade now, if she took off into battle above, she could very well slay a slaver or two. Not only that but for many long years she'd been treated lower than dirt by Snide. And now, when that dirty ferret's time of judgment had come, she wasn't going to be the one to stick a sword through his heart? Ridiculous!

Yet, as her thoughts raced with indignation that she was being forced to stay out of the fighting on the upper deck, Jenna was brought back to reality when Coralpaw gently touched her paw next. Instantly, when having been told they were to stay out of the way of the raiding humans, the she-otter had seen the hateful light shining in the she-wolf's eyes.

Thus, to keep things from spinning out of control, in an attempt to try to bring the wolfess in with the rest of the hiding slaves, Coralpaw pulled Jenna into a soft embrace while the world transpired around them.

"Jenna, it's okay. It's going to be alright. We're going to be free, don't you see?" The sea otter maiden soothingly said, hugging her wolfess friend tighter, "I... I know that it feels like we're powerless at the moment down here by doing nothing but we're also helping our rescuers by staying out of their way. What would we accomplish by trying to fight now with no weapons? What good would we be in becoming hostages for Snide to use against our approaching saviors?"

There was wisdom in Coralpaw's words. Truly, there were. Nevertheless, even when she knew she had to go along with the plan at the moment and keep Snide from taking any hostages form the slave holds, Jenna was determined more than ever to be the one to run Mercury's captain through today.

Truly, after having endured him and his ilk for so long, the wolfess would not be denied the privilege of bringing Snide Hu'lark, the almighty corsair lord of the Waiting Sea. For all of the slaves upon this ship who had suffered under him, Jenna would be the one to end Snide's live. On that, as she secured the area with Coralhan's mates, the ebony she-wolf promised herself.

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"What's the damned hold up in bringing up some hostages from the holds below?!" Snide cursed aloud, whipping his lethal whip dangerously while looking down upon the cutthroat ferret reporting to him, "What do you mean that you can't get any of those servants of mine up here?"

"Cap'n, they're free down there! I don't know how but all of the slaves have broken out of their chains and are loose below deck." The ferret pirate reporting for duty squeaked fearfully, watching his captain's whip anxiously, "It's true, sir, I swear. I went down with me mates, Ferin and Coolint, and saw the slaves beat 'em bloody well to death on the floor. I only managed to get back here with my skin - OUCH!!!"

With a crack of his whip, Snide struck the lowly pirate before him a sharp lashing. Then, turning away from his howling victim, shoving aside whoever got in his way, the ferret lord looked sternly out to the south where the human ship - still a blue-white vessel shining awesomely against the golden dawn's light - was steadily catching up with his own.

For a long moment, thinking deeply to himself in the fading afternoon light, Mercury's captain stared hard at the frigate pursuing him. He wondered if maybe today... would be his last day pirating after twenty-five years?

Five times before now, he'd won over the humans of Norlinth, the goddess's chosen keepers of the peace, the best warriors in this world. Now, during his sixth time against them, these certain humans who were obviously allies of the attacking sea otters might very well be the ones to take him down. Yet, if that were to be the case, if he were to finally meet his end on this day, Snide would not go down surrendering. No, rather, he would give the world of Felldew something to remember for ages to come; his bloody name!

If only the ferret pirate lord could acquire at least one hostage for the coming battle against the humans. One hostage, only one, be it one of the sea otters harassing his crew or one of his now freed slaves, would make this situation that much easier for Snide to deal with. For if there was anything that humans listened to, it was negotiation over an innocent life. If there was anything that those flat faces of Norlinth hated most, it was seeing an innocent being threatened and they couldn't do anything about it.

Yet, there was no such innocent life in Snide's grasp at the moment. He had no way, no slave at sword point, to keep the approaching humans from eventually raiding his beloved ship. This time, unlike every other situation in the past, he was going to have to try to out sail his foes. That or try to fight his way through this bind.

And as for him attempting to out sail his hunters, that option became impossible for the golden eyed ferret captain. Of course, with his ship being bigger if not heavier, Snide knew he wasn't outrunning his pursuer to the south. He was going to have to face them eventually. However, next instant, it became plain to the rest of Mercury's crew that they were going to have to stand and fight their human opponents. Such a thing became plain when there was a dull "boom" like a thunder crack from the south, a whirling scream of some wicked projectile cutting through the air and then, with a mighty roar of shattering wood, the main mast of their vessel shattered into hundreds of splinters!

Two iron balls linked together with chains - a chain shot, if one knew about it aboard the Mercury - had been fired precisely from the Valiant to the south. The shot in question had impressively streaked hundreds of feet over open water past the sails of the aft mast at the back of the Mercury and clean through the body of her main mast which, with Cluny screaming with panic in his crow's nest, groaned from side to side... before crashing downwards to the right!

As timber flew through the air, as its sails broke free from their rigging, with pirates scattering in every direction for safety, while Snide watched impassively from the upper deck with his lethal whip clutched tightly in his white knuckled claws, the formerly firm, thick, main mast - cleaved in two by the human's chain shot - of the Mercury collapsed with a tremendous din until it slammed with an explosion of water into the Waiting Sea.

Now, with the forward and back sails being the only means of catching wind, with the main sails actually acting as hazards by dipping in the ocean, the humans were rapidly nearing. Snide's time was over. His crew was doomed to face justice.

"Hmf. Humans and their all so powerful technology." Snide sniffed, turning away from the destruction caused to his vessel thanks no doubt to the mysterious yet dangerous "technology" of Norlinthian humans he had come to be familiar with during his years as a pirate. Only they, the messengers of the north, could wield fire and steel like the dragons of Dragon Roost. "Fine. You have my attention now, flat faces. Here I am. Here is my crew. Here is my ship. Come and get us. Come and sink us to the depths of the sea if ye' can. We're waiting fer ye'."

Then, suddenly whipping out his rapier, easily jumping onto the railing of the upper deck so that he could look out over his disorganized followers, the ferret lord cried out coldly, "If every one of ye' sea scum value yer hides this day, ye'll get me some hostages from out of the holds below yer feet!"

Wild, a fierce light shining in his maddened eyes, pointing his sword towards the slave hold below, Snide hollered at his frozen followers, "Go on! Go get me some means to holding off these humans! Go get me some tender slaves to cut up for our approaching audience, har har!"

Under the command of their captain, the uncertainty of the pirates shattered instantly. Raising pikes, unsheathing swords, getting arrows ready, Mercury's corsairs thundered over the deck towards the stairs leading down to the slaves who, doing their best to remain brave, did their best to hold the doors shut as wave after wave of pirate scum slammed, hacked along with smashed against the only way in and out; the boarded, reinforced, nailed shut door.

"Hurry up, humans." Coralhan sniffed, blowing a piece of wood off of his whiskers as an axe smashed into the door from the other side. In the background, Kelpstripe held Coralpaw close while Jenna, cutlass in her paws, readied for trouble. "Captain Michael, matey, ye' gotta sail faster than yer goin' mate. You're missin' out on one hell of a party. Come on, come on."