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The wind howled through the trees, the snow blowing almost horizontally on its descent to earth. In the woods of Southsward stood a small sod and log dwelling blanketed by snow. Inside was a spacious room, its one door and two windows almost covered by the snow. Farther back a hallway branched off into several smaller rooms. A large fire crackled in the fireplace sending out intense heat. Inside was a Holt of otters. The youngest was Rab the only male in the family besides his grandfather. His father had died 3 seasons earlier. Rab's grandfather handed him a small intricately carved box. Upon opening it Rab beheld an exquisite turquoise jewel. Rab carefully inspected this treasure. He noticed it was flat, carved into the shape of a sycamore leaf and strung with a thin cord. Rab looked up at his beaming grandfather and said, "This is the Firjak Greenstone, isn't it grandfather?"
"Yes Rab," his grandfather replied. "This is the stone that was given to me by my father who received it from his..."
A loud "whump" interrupted the conversation. The sound echoed through the room. Another loud "Whump" filled the air. Rab's sisters looked on in horror as the sturdy oaken door shattered. Half a dozen vermin leapt into the room led by a stocky weasel. The weasel was a fearful sight. He carried a straight cutlass, and strapped across his sturdy tawny frame was a brown cutlass belt and sheath. The weasel lunged for the nearest member of the family: one of Rab's sisters. The heavily armed vermin band jumped for the rest of the startled otter family. Rab ran down the hall with a rat on his tail. Suddenly the rat fell as Rab's grandfather appeared, holding a broom. "Quick get in the store room," he whispered urgently. Rab jumped in and shut the door. He was holding the Firjak Greenstone. Quickly he put it on and shoved it inside his tunic. Just then a stoat burst into the room and grabbed him. A struggle ensued-clawing, biting, kicking, but the stronger and heavier stoat prevailed. Quickly the stoat tied him up. Then the weasel came in. "How will he do Stickclaws? " he asked.
"Fine, Taunfang." The stoat replied.
"Good, get him and the others and take them to the ship."
An hour later Rab and his sisters were being led onto the ship. Their home was burning, sending Up a plume of smoke behind them. Stickclaws and two other vermin, a rat and a weasel, were in charge of them. They took the prisoners down into the hold of the ship where they shackled them to a running chain. Then the family was put in the bottom of the ship with its ballast of logs. There were many other prisoners and Rab soon learned that this was the ship Hookprow. Rab vaguely remembered seeing a large hook through the gloom on the front of the ship. From what he gathered, Taunfang, the captain of the ship, rarely made forays so far inland but he was low on rowers due to a large storm that had swamped the ship. Now the pirates were refitting their vessel and intended to sail soon.