Of Sport and Profit (SOLO)

[jdd2035]

The crew on board the Peregrine had now began to get busy, shark skin was sold by the pound but it needed to be removed from the shark with care. The first thing that needed to be done was for the sharks to be hoisted on the deck, to do so a line was fastened around the sharks tail and the entire creature was hoisted out of the water. Gaff's and boarding hooks were hooked into the sharks mouth to pull them aboard.

As the first gaff was hooked into the hammer heads mouth the shark came back to life and bit down hard on the gaff and began thrashing about sending the deck crew stumbling about before it flopped on deck and started to jump around snapping at the crew. "Lance that bugger! Haul him off the deck!" The leader of the deck crew ordered.

Eventually the hammer head was finally and truly dead and the crew could set to work skinning the creature. From its bottom jaw to its ventral tail fin a slit was cut allowing the viscera to easily be removed leaving meat, bones and skin to be processed. Additional slits were cut along the fins intersecting with the main cut and then carefully the skin was removed from the meat expanding from every cut before it came off in one whole piece. The skin was set aside for more delicate hands to scrape the pieces of meat and fat off the skin and then have it slathered in tannin the acidic by product of acorns, which turns the skin to tanned hide.

The meat was next unlike fish which only have to be filleted sharks have different cuts of meat including steaks, fillet's, and the tail made a good roast even if it all did taste fishy. The meat would be pickled or smoked or at least salted leaving the boiled jaw bone to be displayed on the side of the Peregrine. Anything that couldn't be eaten or used was dropped over the side.

As sharks were hauled in by the boats others were dropped over the side in a medium paced rhythm until sunset. Seagulls, albatrosses, puffins and other sea birds began feasting as did bull sharks, dog fish, and other scavengers looking for a free easy meal.

By the end of the day the crew was tired, happy and sitting pretty on several bails of shark skins. It was time Cain thought for his crew to hunt bigger pray!

[jdd2035]

Cain split the two Firestorm brothers crews to assist between Mr. Agons and his own hunting crews. Two boats to one whale was always a good idea and for the bigger one it would be upwards of all four to one whale. Cain looked over the pod and selected a large killer whale out of the pod a big bull "follow that one! Stretch it out!" he ordered and both his cutter and Rizlands boats began chasing the orca at an angle.

As Cain's cutter closed in on the massive bull killer whale Cain rose hefted his harpoon and threw it letting it fly in a high arc and it drove it self all the way to the haft into the killer whale. The killer whale performed a rolling turn and charged the cutter pulling fathoms of line came hissing through the eye of the rope guide and then went slack as the orca charged Cain's boat. The killer whale hit the cutter causing it to capsize the line attached to the the killer whale wrapped around Cains leg and he was pulled under.

The killer whale decided to dive with Cain attached as the experienced sea captain maintained his composure. The problem at hand was that he could not hold his breath as long as the killer whale, even a wounded one. The solution was easy in theory just grab another breath but in practice nearly forty feet below the surface now it was quite tricky. Reaching into the rope that worked as his belt he retrieved a knife and began cutting at the line binding his leg. The line gave way and Cain scrambled back to the surface. After a rasping gasp for air precious air he looked around and gathered a count of his personal crew.

Two of his rowers were being helped by Rizland Firestorm and his crew while the other two rowers and MR. Grimhand were already working to right the cutter. Cain swam to his cutter and ordered "Heave! Heave like your lives depend on it!" cause in all honesty their lives all depended on it.

The killer whale came around for another charge "harpoon!" Cain shouted over to the near by Firestorms boat, Rizland pitched over a harpoon and immediately upon catching the harpoon Cain rifled it at the charging bull killer well. The spear struck home and forced the whale into retreat dragging the Firestorms boat along with it while Cains rowers got back into position, retrieved their oars and started pulling towards the killer whale.