Like terrifying searchlights, luminous pairs of eyes began to appear all around the trapped expedition group. It was clear that they were surrounded, but the stubborn corsairs began to draw their weapons, preparing for combat. Slowly, the attackers materialized from the shadowy bamboo forest. They were all ferrets, fairly tall, all with black paws and a broad black stripe over their bright, shining eyes. None of their eyes shone quite as bright as those of the ferret who had spoken, who was now visible from his hiding place. All the ferrets wore similar garments; loincloths of rough material, assorted belts made of dried hides, jewelry fashioned from teeth and bones. Most had bamboo blowguns thrust through their belts, but they were now ready for melee combat, not a stealth attack. All of the weapons they wielded were made of bone and bamboo. Most carried short bamboo spears with sharpened bone tips, some had long knives of tough bone. The ferret who had spoken, the beast with the brightest eyes, carried what seemed to be a short sword of bone, fashioned from a particularly long femur. It was a truly terrifying sight, as the islanders slowly encircled the corsair intruders. Without warning, the battle commenced. Around the outside of the tightly packed corsair group were the galley slaves, the slightly deranged corsair prisoners who were the rowing power of the Sayladar. All had been issued armaments before the group's departure, and at the opportunity of battle, many had snapped. They had a win-win situation; a chance for slaughter, or a chance to end their pathetic existence. With a bloody roar, the crazed slaves charged the encircling ferrets. Most were simply impaled upon their spears, though some managed to wound their opponents. At they watched all hell break loose, the rest of the crew sprang into action as well. Weapons drawn, the determined corsairs leapt into the fray. Morgan had placed himself near the center of the group, and for the moment the combat had not reached that far into the ranks. It seemed to him that the ferret islanders kept flowing steadily from the forest, it appeared that for every ferret that went down beneath a corsair blade, another had just emerged from the bamboo to take its place. He also realized, with alarm, that the corsair numbers were thinning out drastically, but the number of crewbeast corpses could not come even close to the loss that the mouse Captain could see. Something was very, very wrong here. Soon enough, he found out just why. His sabre drawn, he prepared himself to join the battle taking place all around him, but as he was about to leap into the fight, he stopped against his will. A thin noose of strong twine had been looped about his neck, and he was rapidly being pulled into the dense bamboo jungle. He struggled to no avail, unable to make a sound due to the garrot about his throat. Abruptly, stars burst into his vision, before it all went black.
* * * * * * * *
Morgan awoke to a dull, firey pain in the back of his skull. Instinctively his paw went to touch the area of injury, but he discovered he had been bound. Clenching his teeth against the pain, he opened his eyes and gazed about, trying to make out his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that it was night. His paws were almost numb, tied behind his back, but he could feel sand beneath him. Gradually his blurred vision cleared, he could make out many other prone forms around him in the darkness. They appeared to be on a broad stretch of beach, certainly not the one they had landed on. As he attempted to sit up, Morgan discovered his bonds were attached to a large stake, driven very deep into the sand, so that he could not move very far at all. The moonlight glimmered off the calm, glassy surface of the ocean, lending enough light for the captive corsair to notice that the cliffs, on the opposite side of Morgan from the ocean, were dotted with cave openings. Faint, wavering light could be seen coming from within a few of these gaping mouths in the rock, indicating fire within. The mouse Captain was now a captive, and for what purpose, he knew not. (To be continued..)