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The sun was stetting in a brilliant red as a lone figure walked up the hill to the long deserted abbey. Smiling as he went, remembering times of his childhood, he glanced around taking in all of the ruins around him. Slowly he worked around to the front of the abbey, overlooking the village of Glastonbury. Here is where they say that King Arthur Pendragon was buried, a place of magic and superstition to most of the villagers. The ones not in the know of things. The legendary king might be truly buried here, he did not know and he cared very little about legends and myth anyhow. That wasn't the reason he had returned here.
He moved to the abbey entrance, to what was known to only a few villagers as the Mustering Stone. A stone marked by the simple fact that the head of the stone was carved into a large Boar. Here was the true hero's of Glastonbury, their names memorialized eternally upon the stone for over a thousand years. He knew them all by name. The first names carved upon the stone by the good friar Excelsius many centuries ago. Bowar and Sixtus the first names and the ones who originaly banded the hero's together. Xaviera, Danae, Elorian, Waltain, Jonn, Buford, Macheath, Earthwulf, Carac, Rhendadd, Frederyck, Lorric, Excelsius, Daylan, Chiaghdin, Nazia, Rickon, Trithnik and Bloodhawk. There were more, but most had faded with time. The incription for these read "Here be the few of humble birth that rose to the challenge to defend the realm with courage and honor. These are the Glastonbury Irregulars."
He touched the names, stopping a moment on the name of Lorric. That was one of his ancestors, he had known that name from tales his father had told him, tales handed down though the centuries. He smiled at the thought. There had been many incarnations of the hero's since those first few, many names below those first, gradually going from faded by time to the more recent crisper carvings. Some of the families had moved on, some simply died out with time, but new families of Glastonbury always sprung up to fill the ranks of hero's when the time called. For each era the Glastonbury hero's called themselves by a different name, but that didn't matter. They were simple villagers with the courage to stand up against invader and oppression alike. They had fought not for nobility or the glory of the king, but for the common folk.
At the bottom, freshly cut into the stone was the name of the latest incarnation. The names still to be added but the name of the latest band of hero's stood proudly out. "Glastonbury Privateers" He gave a chuckle as he looked at it. The carving had cost him a small fortune, owing to the fact that it had to be done in secret by tradition, but then that was only part of the fortune he had spent in the last few weeks. Soon there would be names under the that header, names of those Glastons who would once again show their enemies just what a fight really was.
He stood, adjusting his hat as he heard the footsteps coming up from behind. He moved to the side of the stone, leaning on it as casual as he could. He gave a sharp laugh as he saw who it was.
"Why bugger me topsails! I shoulda know'n ye be tha first one ta show Gabe."
Gabriel frowned back "Stash" he paused to frown deeper, "If I had known it was you that had sent that letter I wouldn't of come."
"Oy, Gabe." Stash gave a look of mock pain. "That any way ta treat a long lost childhood friend?"
"Long...lost?" Gabriel growled "I seem to remember you got lost on purpose! You left us there, in that god forsaken Turkish port! We barley got on board that Indainman, let alone got out of port! Those ruddy Turks were going to make Galley slaves out of us! And You! You were nowhere to be found!"
Stash's grin broadened "I were gettin ye out o' that port mate. I didn abandon ye quite like ye think. I had ta promice a bit o' service ta tha Calif in exchange fer ye freedom."
Gabriel shook his head "Ahh yes, I heard about what service you gave the Calif. You became one of his corsairs, a true Turkish Pirate. You know as a officer of the Royal Navy I have every right to arrest you for piracy. Pray tell, why shouldn't I? There's quite a bounty on you."
They both stopped talking as several more people stepped out of the darkness. With their arrival Gabriel turned and gave Stash a malicious smile.
"Would'n work mate." Stash said giving Gabriel a smirk. "Oy there mates. It do be good ta see ye still kicking."
Connor, Culhan and Lex all glanced at each other in shock. Lex finally turning back. "Stash, what are you doing here? Your a wanted man in England."
Gabriel took a step froward. "And now he's going to make us all rich for his bounty."
Stash, still leaning on the Mustering Stone, smiled. "I told ye mate. It wouldn't work."
"You don't honestly believe any of us are going to help you, and I know you can't take all of us. Your under arrest."
Still smiling, Stash pulled out a parchment from his inside pocket. "I don' think so mate."
Gabriel walked up and took the parchment, opening and reading it. Shocked he looked up at Stash who's smile broadned even more, and looked back to continue reading.
"Well?" Piped Culhan. "What is it?"
"It's a king's pardon." Mumbled Gabriel "We can't touch him. The pirate talked himself into a bloody pardon......" Gabriel still shocked looked at the other Glastons. "not only that, but he's been givin a Letter of Marque and a King's commisson."
"I take it it was you that sent the letter to get us here?" Lex said looking at Stash.
"Aye mate, it was. Ye four be tha first."
Looking slightly confused Culhan asked "The first what?"
Grinning a grin to make the gods weep Stash replied "Why tha first to heed the call of the Boar, o'course!"
All four of the newcomers looked to the mustering stone, their gaze going to the bottom and the newly carved name.
Still staring at the name Connor, the first to speak, asked "And why should we?" He looked up at Stash "The only person the last little adventure you talked us into, was you. Tell us why this will be different?"
Stash seeing that this wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped replied. "Well mate, thats not quite true. It benefited all o' us."
Gabriel snorted "Exactly how did you committing piracy on the Mediterranean benefit us?"
"Well mate, what fortune I made, I used ta buy ye a ship. Ta buy all o' us ships in fact. Not grand frigates mind ye, I had a few ta buy so they be a might small fer now, but I figure we cin work our way up so ta say."
"You mean become pirates." Replied Connor
"I can't go off gallivanting on some adventure, I'm in the Royal Navy!" Interrupted Culhan
Calmly Stash reached into his inner pocket and produced another parchment. With irritation showing Gabriel snapped it up and opened it.
"This gives him the right to attach any naval officer to the Caribbean station. Specifically named are any and all Glastons."
"Not all of us are Navy folk Stash, what about the rest?" Said Lex
Stash glanced to the stone. "Well Mate, those that want are covered by me Letter o' Marque, fer those that aint up ta that? Well there be other opportunities out there, they cin hurt the enemy wit they skills as Freetraders."
The four looked at each other for a bit. Turning back to Stash, Gabriel calmly growled "This isn't going to be like last time Stash. I'm going to be watching you very carefully."
Stash slapped Gabriel on the shoulder and laughed. "Send the word out ta all Glastons mate, sign ye crews and muster ye marksmen. We sail on ta glory!"
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