The Lengthening Shadow

Out on the same open, stormy seas as the Ragsail, another ship had set its sights on Greenbloom Forest. It was called the Vengeful, captained by an evil fox called Uldrich Onefang, one of the most vile corsairs to sail the open ocean. He had one eye, a curved metal fang replacing one of his front teeth, and a rusty iron hook where his right paw once was. After three seasons of coastal raiding, he had set out onto open sea, hoping to catch some unwary sailing ships. He especially hoped to have his lookout sight the Ragsail, because he and Captain Bloodfen had an violent enmity that started with their last encounter; an argument over plunder that had escalated into a full-fledged battle in the cove of the island both the Ragsail and the Vengeful had been docked at.

Now, the story will go back in time to the famous captains’ bloody encounter. In the cove, Uldrich was boarding his ship to make sure the ship was battle-ready for the coming fight against the fox’s rival Alrack, the vile black weasel. He double-checked the preparations with his weasel first mate Zanter. “ Hey, Zanter. Git over ‘ere an’ tell me ’ow ready we are fer battle. Oh, and don’t fergit ter tell the crew ter fight their ‘ardest today. It’s Alrack we’re facin’ this time, not a bunch o’ woodland ninnies”. Then he turned to his advisor, Venge. “Oi, fancybeast, what shid I do ter defeat ’im?”. Venge turned to the fox captain with an expressionless face. “ What should you do, what should you do. Tell me, Captain, what do you think you should do? Blast him with cannonshot? Take his crew hostage? Burn his vessel? Would any of those ideas sound good to a barbaric and heathen leader like you?”.

Uldrich was about to answer when shots rang out from the cove. He ran to investigate, with Venge hard on his heels. The vermin pair ran smack into Zanter, who had run from the ship. “Cap’n, Cap’n, the Ragsail attacked afore we was prepared, Blith’n’Garch ‘ave already been sent ter Hellgates an’ Wertts is wounded. Our mainsail an’ a jib boom are aflame; fire arrows, and they’ve got their cannons firin’ full blast on the Vengeful. I left Vinsley in charge of the ship until we gets back, but I don’t know how long they’ll last”. The fox stormed about the hill they were on, venting his spleen upon his hapless cronies. “ Fools! Blunderers! Useless, snotty-pawed, gutless, craven idiots! Aren’t we fightin’ back?”. Zanter hesitantly answered his Captain. “ Well, I did tell that ferret Vinsley to start firin’.....”. He stopped as Uldrich went into another rage. “ Start? Start? You mean yew haven’t STARTed firing? You mean you damned lumps haven’t STARTed ter fight back yet against Alrack? Oh Hellgates! I best go down there and direct me crew meself. Venge, stay here with Zanter and wait for me to get back”.

About an hour later, Venge and Zanter were joined by Vinsley, the second mate of the Vengeful. The tough ferret sat down panting, bleeding from multiple wounds on his shoulder, arms, and legs. “ The battle’s not not goin’ in our favor. More crewbeasts ‘ave been killed an’ wounded. Six of our ten cannons have been destroyed, two masts ‘ave fallen, and most o’ the ship’s on fire. Cap’n Onefang ’as been wounded, ‘e’s down, his mouth, eye, an’ paw hit by shot from the rifles of Alrack’s crew. Admit it, we’re goin’ to be defeated”.

Venge had to agree with the mate’s logic. “Aye, defeat seems certain, and we might be totally liquidated if we don’t retreat soon. And if Uldrich doesn’t come back soon, we might be left captainless”. The weasel and ferret had to agree with Venge’s words. The advisor was right. After the battle was over, the trio hurried over to find any survivors among the charred wreckage of what had once been the Vengeful. They found pitiful few vermin, but Venge spotted Uldrich lying near a blackened mizzenmast. The ferret advisor examined his leader’s injuries. “ He’s lost his right eye, left paw, and one of his fangs. He’ll live, though”. The three vermin cheered together at the news that their captain was alive. That was how Uldrich gained his deathly hatred of Alrack and earned the name “Onefang”.