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Date: 07-27-09
Poster: Segan Quinn
Post # 1
It
had been a long day as he helped Grandmama out at the manor. Only male
around to do all the things she'd only trust to a family member than the help
hired for the horses she had at her disposal. Finally he escaped after
dinner. He had still to tell her about some of the jobs he might take
on, although it would not do to tell her of the Caribbean one -- the most
dangerous of the three. He had time to to decide if he would take it on and
if he did he would let them know then rather than speculation. They did know that he was taking
on more jobs, so far down the coast either. All in time. Tonight
was perfect to start his journal as he had the ancient leather bound
with him.
A log of events under Segan Diarmait Quinn. Starting from the age of fifteen
when I trained as a warrior with my brother Eion, who was sixteen, under
Laird MacCarthaigh. Our brother Conor join us for the last two years
at the age of fifteen to sixteen.
That was all he got to start on the page but it was said something was
better than nothing to help put ones thoughts to paper and not staring
at a blank one. The Thistle had proven not to be a good place and so he
set out to find a place like he had in Eire, something of his own and
secluded from the outside world. It had been a search he put off but
there was a thick cove of trees not far from where Clearview manor
was yet not on its lands. No ones lands that he could tell except the
forest. Little did he know what dimension he really stepped into, being allowed without his knowing. Unseen eyes watching. It had been perfect.
At first he wasn't sure how he'd get through the thick brush to even
reach the edge of the trees beyond until he came upon a deer trail
which he followed in. There was a strange feel as he reached the edge of
this small woods, as if the air itself had changed. Perhaps it was
because it was cooler inside, the outer trees of oaks with firs between
to fill in the spaces but inside it was birch trees, the white so in
contrast it had him coming up short and staring. It was a beautiful
sight and he also noticed it was not dark within as it seemed at the
outer perimeter of trees. There was a ground covering of mostly clover,
shamrocks, of a large variety he'd never seen before, not even in Eire.
There was a great oak in the center with grass around its thick roots,
most extending above the ground at the base, that would be a perfect
seat. So he took it up, back against the oak and the root at that spot
like a seat, setting him up enough his legs were perpendicular and his
feet on the ground, or partial root actually. He opened up his
journal, took out the ink and pen and started writing, continuing the
stories.
Those were grueling years in training at that young age when muscles
had not been developed though the potential there with our physiques. Both
myself and my brother Eion, before Conor joined us, would go for the few
hours of sleep at night, bone weary covered in sweat, sometimes
blood after a particular battle fought in the ongoing Reign of
Terror. It was not often we got to bathe for the workout that was
constant and we both swore that once we were on our own we would bathe
every day to make up for these years of blood, sweat and even tears,
though most of those went unshed. Pain from various wounds, friends and
comrades lost, taken from us at such a young age, all for the Cause..
It was wonder my brother and I had survived to see our twenties.
Luckily Conor only spent a year in service of the Laird. In that it was
a blessing. Both myself and Eion had done well, excellent
truth be told, but when that day came to move on, it was not a path
I wish to stay on as my focus. Those nights I laid awake unable to sleep
for the aches or wounds sustained, I would set my mind to other thoughts
to keep from the pain and anguish. Those thoughts left me with a
growing need, a wanderlust, to see more of the world. The best way
to achieve this would be to sign onto a ship. Find a good captain to
sail under. So when that faithful day came our services ended with the
Laird, I chose to move on while Eion chose to stay with the man. During
this time our mother had died and so I went back home to spend time with
the rest of my family until I could find this good captain.
How I acquired the Anaconda:
This is where I lost contact with Eion as he set off to many
places as a mercenary, sending money home and eventually making his
own group of friends. At first it bothered me to lose that tightly
bound brothership with Eion developed over the past four years but I
knew in me heart, I needed to find me own path as did Conor. Conor
had returned home and set to becoming an apprentice for a saddle maker
he had always admire. Father had one son content where he was and there
if needed. I felt an extra at home at that time with idle
hands and a destiny waiting. My younger sisters were as a family set
apart that my father belonged more to along with Grandmother. The girls
needed far more protection and nurturing than I did. Not that
I despised any but accepted it as it was. I set things in order with
Father and Grandmama before taking what few possessions I had along with
enough coin to set out into the World with the promise I would keep
in contact, this coming more from Grandmama than my father, although I
knew he wished it as much just not the kind to express it like Grandmama.
I landed me feet in Dublin on that faithful day in May, a pub called the
Shipwreck I had taken to in the seedier side of the Bay. A pub that
offered some food but more was the cheap ale that attracted sailors and
Captains alike to its dank rooms. It was a honeycomb of such niches with
room-size halls between where many took a chair or bench around
scattered tables. Fights broke out constantly of which some ended in
deaths having the gossoons come running who were set to
patrol the piers only adding more mayhem when they entered to clean
up the mess. Me method of madness was that in such a place I would learn
of the various types of captains to choose from to get assigned to their
ship. It was an eye opener and educational place to be rolled up into one
as I kept to meself.
I was beginning to become discouraged after two weeks and not getting
anywhere. I heard on one captain that might be worth serving but the man
never came to this pub. He preferred the Gully Maid on the other side of
the port. A place I decided I would head for come the morrow night. So
there I sat having me two pints for the evening, which would last me well
over two hours, not wishing to be getting drunk like the others when I
noticed a mon look'in me over. I suppose I should have left me whiskers
grow instead of shaving them each day leaving a smooth jaw and much
younger looking than even my nineteen years. He was with two others who
glanced me way as well and only made me realize just how alone I was.
This wasn't looking good. It became a worse scenario when they got up
and were over, two of his men to flank me on either side while what
appeared to be their captain dragged a chair over to sit in front of me,
blocking me off complete. I was made sure to notice the glint of steel
as their hands rested near their long knife. Still I appeared nonplused
though my pulse was racing. I pretended not to notice the weapons giving off the idea I was as naive as I probably looked to
them. I notice there was another with them hanging back with a
slight frown. So he didn't approve of whatever these three others were
about.
All this had been taken in for a split second before the one right of
the Captain spoke up. "Me Captain 'ere bae t'inking ye'd make 'im a
better cabin boy fer 'im wit' yea fair looks, so yea will bae coming
nicely now wit' us. When he went to take hold of his arm as he rose, I
was up slamming my right hook into his jaw. Had the man collapsing as
the other two were up. I took advantage of the opening, though I would
be hard press if the fourth decided to join in. My knives appeared in me
hand as they were quickly drawn from the backside of me britches. I was much
taller than the three they found as I stood and not any skinny lad in
spite of me looks. "It will be a cold day in 'ell," was all I
growled out as I was around fast behind the Captain with me knife to his
throat, "give it up o' 'e dies." But the mate didn't give it
up lunging at me and at this point I could not see where the fourth had
gotten to. The slitting of the Captain's throat was quick and
efficient as he dropped so I could plunge my knife into the heart of the
other, his knife missing by inches to leave a slice to me shoulder that
was luckily not too deep. I swung around as the man collapsed in against me to
use as a shield against the fourth but he stood there with a grin on his
face, hands out to his side in indication he had no intention on
fighting me, instead his words surprised me, "I 'ope you will be
needing a good first mate on your ship the Anaconda, Captain."
-tbc- |
