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Captain Tyre mused over his maps on a hot Sunday afternoon. No one was moving aboard - they were either asleep or ashore. He became aware of a voice in the distance calling, "Hallooo, halloo, can I come aboard?" Striding to the porthole he looked out and saw Tirra Lirra at the bottom of the gang plank. "Come on up," he bellowed and headed for the door. Tirra lirra stepped carefully up the plank and arrived on deck in time for Captain Tyre to greet her with a bear hug that took the breath out of her. "Oh, Cap'n," she giggled, her face crushed to his sweaty t-shirt, "nice to see that you remember me." Captain Tyre looked down into the brown eyes of Tirra Lirra and brushed her curls back from her face. "Well," he said, "I was kind of expecting you. But I wasn't sure what you would look like. In fact I'm still not sure what you look like... you look kind of blurry." "Hmm...," she mused, "I'm often hard to see. But then, you're not so clear yourself. But at least I can tell you are tall." At this Tirra and the Cap'n stopped searching each other's faces and headed for the galley. The Cap'n deftly made four lime daquiris and ushered Tirra out onto the foredeck. They settled into deck chairs on the shady side and sipped their drinks as they watched the seagulls swoop over the bay. The sun fell in the sky, the shadows lengthened and Tirra felt the alcohol warm her cheeks. The Cap'n seemed unaffected and went off to make four more drinks. Tirra sipped her third daquiri and felt especially mellow. "Aaah," she thought, "I should do this more often." Just then another voice was heard calling, 'Halloooo, can I come aboard?" The Cap'n leaped up, a smile in his eyes, this was a voice he knew. He roared as he went towards the gang plank, "Come on, come on!" But he needn't have bothered, because, before he was halfway there Freya appeared around the corner only to disappear into another of those big, hairy bear hugs. Giggling and chuckling, the two walked back to Tirra who smiled at Freya and offered her a daquiri. Freya's eyes lit up. She took the cool glass and settled into a deck chair on the other side of Cap'n Tyre. Cap'n Tyre smiled happily and settled down between the two women. The sky was streaked with purple and orange as the sun set into a bank of clouds. A gust of cooler air wafted across the deck as the three of them watched the sky change and the sea gulls wheel about in the changing air.
From The Seadesk of Capitano Durant Tyre:
Now, then lassie, this do be how it do look ter the eyes o' Cap'n Tyre- ye paints a bootifarl picature with yer wards, lassie, but seldom do sich comes about. Mayhap if it would sits well with me ladylove, then we could tarks about it. But she do be me sun, and me guiriding stars, so I do be very carefuls with her heart, lassie - If i does nart be very carrful, i coulds break her too easy, and she do cause the sun ter rise on the cap'n lass. I don' be unnerstannin' how deep this thing be runnin in her, but i'd be jiggered and hung befare I begans ter share her out.... and if she feels the same abart me, then this idea be tossed to Davey Jone's Locker! I do be geussin it do harve ter be like this, lass- ye must arsk Freya. Her siganatchoor do be right- she do be me gardess and I'll nart be harmin' her. If she do think this ter be a good and fine thing, Then crowds ye on all sails, but untill she do give yea or nay, I'll not be doing arnythins ter hart her... I hopes ye'll resparcitate me view, and be unnerstannin it, lass fer I've no wish ter be insultin' ye er yer fine offer - i thinks i do likes the idee.... But there do be anarther ter ask, and I'll wait on her, iffen yer don't take arffense, lassie. Warmest busses, hugs, and me Best Jamaican ter ye! -Yer Seadog, Durant P. Tyre, Cap'n
Cap'n Tyre do be 6'5"tall Do have black beard, well trimmed. Do have long black locks fer hair. Do have grey eyes, that do be piercing, and can be gentler. He do be 25, an' has a few worry-wrinkles on his brow, but narthing huge... He do wear a black silk shirt, with a large fethahered cap'n's hat. And a large, red overcoatser. he do have big black boots, an' do carry cutlass, dagger, parstol an' most impartently a flask o' jamaican at all times!
Tirra Lirra is 5'5" tall. She has longish wavy auburn hair that is usually messy and often has twigs or leaves caught up in it. She has tawny brown eyes that are soft and caring. She is as old as Gondwanda. She usually wears practical cotton clothes in dull colours for her work in the forests and on the land. For relaxing she likes to slip into cotton dresses with lots of material in the skirt. She doesn't let her teasing tricks interfere with her care of the land. She has a deep empathy with the vegetable world ... and the earth. She is partly earth and vegetable herself.. ...has to confess that she's not too comfortable around birds, and is very happy to make early use of the pigeon provided by the generous Cap'n. ... trims the paper her message is written on, folds it small and pushes it into the pigeon's carrying case... takes bird outside and releases it... bird wanders over to railing, flutters up into nearby hakea and begins to peck at the berries.... *waves and twirls to the tall figure in the red overcoatser*
Tirra lirra looked over her shoulder and smiled right into the piercing grey eyes of the Cap'n. She took from her pocket a picture of a short man with kindly hazel eyes, hairy arms and nubbly feet. She indicated to the Cap'n that this was the paragon of manhood who won her heart many years before and had kept it tucked safely in his pocket all that time. Her warm brown eyes looked happily on the Cap'n and his Goddess, knowing the joys of mutual affection. She would love to introduce Mr Lirra to them sometime, but his lack of fondness for words keeps his attention in other domains. Here is an offering to love .. Hail, Freya, Cap'n Tyre's Goddess!
Hail, Freya, Goddess of Love!
Hail, Freya, Fairy Keeper of Peace!
Hail, Freya, Queen of the Night!
Hail, Freya, Muse Divine!
Hail, Freya, Oh Fey Mystic!
Ever after your loyal champion -
....... Delightfully excruciating don't you think? Hola! hola! Tirra dances in a wild circle on the shore...to the sound of tablas playing in her head... (sighs enviously at the Cap'n's command of dialect) ... tirra fades into the trees, as wood sprites are wont to do ....
-From the seadesk of Captain Durant Tyre- Lassie, I do thankee fer yer kindly wards, and I do be in yer debt fer yer unnerstannin o' me sitteration! I do thinks I will be keeping a tree on the 'Fish fer me freind Tirra when she do whish ter visit, anytime do be good! -Durant Tyre, Cap'n.
-From the seadesk of Captain Durant Tyre- Lass, ye do sound like ye be a fair nymph ter look aparn, and ye do be a true friend ter the Cap'n. I still do be concarned fer yer, as i's do not unnerstan why ye were weepin', but I do be thinkin's on that. I must tell yer this- me access ter th'artikkylate do be in doubt fer a spell, just so ye do be not warryin' fer yer Cap'n. He do be fine, an' the scarvy server will be bein' fixed soon, or they'll be plantry o' keelhaulin's! But i does expect ter be back sooner than later. Takes care of yerself, lassie nymph, and gives yerselfs big bearhuggers and busses from yer beareded seadog! -Durant Tyre,
Aaah, Cap'n, you are, indeed, a fierce but gentle soul. Thankyou for your kind message about worrying absences from the Art. I've just about exceeded my monthly allowance and am trying to restrain myself, so I hope that I won't be there to miss you!! Instead, I have been active in my daily work, looking after the vegetable world. ... Tirra worked her way slowly along the side of the hill - the bush was open here with eucalypts and melaleucas growing out of the sandy soil on the rocky slope. Tirra paused often to stroke a trunk or feel a leaf. She climbed over the rocky outcrops holding on to rocks and branches. The ground was very dry - leaves, twigs and curls of bark crackled under her feet. Although the day was hot, her skin was hardly damp, the air was so dry. She stopped and sat beside a gnarled old banksia - its black twisted branches holding cones of seed pods stood starkly against the hot blue sky. Opening her pack, she took out a bottle of water and drank deeply. She made herself comfortable against the pack and leaned back looking at the pattern of branches against the sky - the black cones of the banksia and the delicate tracery of the grevillea. Her eyes closed as her thoughts wandered through a world of vegetable energy. She gratefully entered into the world of plants - a world that she never left far behind. The air hung still with heat. Nothing stirred. There was no movement, yet there was a hardly-perceptible shift as the grasses and trees seemed to hold more firmly to the sandy soil, their grip on life affirmed. Nothing stirred, yet there was a faint quiver in the air itself. For a moment, the enduring life of the sturdy plants and the slow vibration of the rocks were attuned to the quick airy tune of the light itself. All were aligned to one pulsing rhythm. The rhythm played through the stillness for some minutes then quietly faded to softness leaving a taste, a tinge of difference to endure in the air. After a while, Tirra's eyes opened, she reached languidly for the bottle and drank some more water. She picked up a fallen leaf, crushed it and leaned to smell it. After a while, she stood up, stretched and continued on her way. ....... Now, my bearded seadog, you may be thinking that Tirra is a soft and sentimental creature, but, though this is part of her, she wouldn't want you to be misled into thinking this is all of her. She's also a very practical spirit with courage to spare when required. More of that later... She's been thinking that the Cap'n, too, has other sides to him than the hearty character who romps around on the Blackened Fish.... *waves and twirls around, smiling over her shoulder*
-From the seadesk of Captain Durant Tyre- Tirra me lassie! So, ye thinks there do be more to the ol' Cap'n than he lets ye be seeings, lass? Well, perhaps ye do be righter than I'll be sayin'. But, there do be rhymes and raisins.... or do that be rum and reasons.... fer what the cap'n dos. Lass, when ye bes a Cap'n, ye haves ter look like ye be tougher'n nailers, and harder'n diamondelies afore yer crew'll be obeyin yer orderin' about without arskin ye why an sichlike. So that do be why I tries ter act so narncharlanterly. I do be continnyin' me way of actin fer me crew. But yer right. There do be other sides ter yer friendly Cap'n Tyre. I do be human, lassie. I do hurt when me friends do, an that do make me wishes ter help them. I still don't be knowing why ye were cryin', but i be's tryin ter find an' figger it out. That do not mean i sees yer as a little weepy-babby. Ye do be sterner'n that, lass. It do mean ye be havin' a heart what cans as it do be hurtin, and it do be me place ter help ye finds out how ter be fixin it. Ye do impartent wark wi' yer plant friends, lass, so keeps it up! Big Pyrate huggs an' busses fer ye. Durant Tyre,
Tirra was making her way slowly through the tangled mangroves that bordered the estuary. Some way ahead she saw a break in the dense muddy mangroves where there was a little sandy beach. She came out into the open and was surprised to see a tidy vessel moored near the shore. Taking advantage of the dense shadows of the mangroves, she peered out at the boat standing still on the quiet sea. Suddenly she smiled her wide smile as she recognised the Blackened Fish. This was a surprise! Last she heard it was off Yokohama. She stepped out of the shadows, walked to the waters edge and called "Halloooo there!". A head popped out of a door and shouted back "Hallooo!" "Is the Cap'n aboard?" called Tirra. "He's off looking for water," the voice called back. Tirra settled to wait. After a while, she heard heavy footsteps and curses as the Cap'n and two of his men broke their way through the dense mangroves carrying barrels on their shoulders. When the Cap'n saw Tirra, he dropped his barrel picked her up and swung her around. "Now lassie! what might you be doin here?" he laughed. Tirra giggled into his shoulder, smothered by his hug. "Something was calling me here, but I didn't know it was you." "I was never callin you lassie," he said. "Well, you probably didn't know that you were," she replied, "but something was telling me to come this way. What are you doing here anyway?" The Cap'n gave her some brief details of his piratical activities in the South China Sea, but, keeping his eye on her as he was talking, he decided that it was better not to go into too much detail. He did mention that Old Davey was injured and that he had brought the Blackened Fish up into the estuary to get fresh water and other provisions. And that they hadn't found any fresh water nearby. "I can help with that," said Tirra. She led them back through the mangroves for about half an hour till they thinned into eucalyptus forest. Moving across a slope, she soon found a damp place where the Cap'n's men were able to dig and find water to fill the barrels. Returning to the ship, the Cap'n settled Tirra into a comfortable chair in his cabin, made her a daquiri and poured himself a nip of the Old Jamaica. Tirra curled up happily in the big armchair and looked around. Although she had known the Cap'n for some time, this was the first time she had been in his cabin. She was surprised at how roomy it was - she had thought that ship's cabins were very cramped as a rule. Looking around his cabin, Tirra could see aspects of the Cap'n that didn't normally show behind his hearty exterior. She smiled to herself and wriggled her toes. ....... (Now there's an opportunity if ever I saw one - I invite you to fill in the details of the Cap'n's bookshelf, scientific instruments, musical instruments and collections, etc.) Returns big earth-spirit hugs to the cuddly pirate, even if he thinks her wrists are far too small to give big hugs. *twirls and drops some petals...*
And then the great cyber silence settled over the land and no more was heard. |