Moondog
I now am known these days as Moondog the Master Gunner of the Crimson Storm and the most salty dog pirate in these vast dangerous seas of our time but there was a time when I was a well respected sheriff of an area in South Wales. Ah but I am getting ahead of myself to tell you who I am now I have to tell whence I came and the many roads I have traveled to arrive here. I was born Jonathan Le Bon son of Mary and Henry Le Bon of Cardiff, Wales. My mother grew up in this area of Wales while my father was from another area. As I grew, it became apparent that I would have to strike out on my own to create my own life. My parents were good people but very strong and domineering. If I stayed where I had grown, up I would always be their son and I wanted more than that much more. The area near the sea was a definite draw for me there were so many new things to learn and experience especially the women. Now mind you when I was a young man I was very good-looking and very appealing to the ladies and I soon learned how to charm the ladies out of their precious virtue without getting caught. Well not getting caught most of the time there was that one time when I was not so lucky. The King had named me the sheriff, and he had begun to really depend on my assistance. Betrothing his sister to me insuring me as Sheriff. She was rather simple, older, and her appetite in the bedchambers was wanting. Keeping her happy kept the king happy. Trust is earned, and I had the King’s completely. What he did not realize was just how promiscuous his daughters and his wife were. It was very easy to convince his virtuous daughters to spend time alone with me. The King as trusting, as he was, never realized that I was having wonderful time with each of his daughters, that when he arranged the marriages of his virginal daughters that he was committing fraud. This was a wonderful time and became even more wondrous when the King took a new Queen. Oh what a beautiful woman she was and so very willing to spend time with the sheriff. We took walks in the woods, horseback rides in the country and found any other way possible to be together and alone. The King never suspected that the protection I was offering to keep his bride safe was only protection from villains not his trusted friend. Then one night it all came crashing down when the King decided to turn in early after one of his endless parties. You see he normally stayed at his parties until the wee hours of the morning so the queen and I thought we were safe to meet in the King’s quarters. Oh my was she fascinatingly wild that night, I think it was the excitement of being so bad right under the King’s nose so to speak that pushed her to be so wild and free and of course being the gentleman that I am I had to naturally travel along for the ride. It was right at the peak of her wildness that the King returned to find us a bit indisposed. During the commotion between the King and his queen, I slid out the side door and out of the castle as fast as I could before the King remembered who had been in the room with his queen. As drunk as he was, didn’t get a good look at who was bedding the Queen. His sister, my beloved wife to be, caught the “grim”, and past days later. Now there was nothing keeping me in the King’s employment, his daughters having been dispatched to be wed to nobles to get their support, it was time to find a new place to be, far away from the King as possible, and as fast as I could travel the better.
I left the King, the castle and his queen behind and traveled quickly and silently as far from that kingdom as I could. I soon found myself along the coast in a small town; the name escapes me to this day. It was here that I would begin to travel a new road, for it was in a local pub that I met a man by the name of Moon, Captain Full Moon of the Rising. It seemed that this captain was getting ready to set sail for the new world and he asked me if I wanted to join his ship. I thanked him and told him I would let him know, the next night. I never did see him again as I was not ready to set sail upon the sea and the King’s men had arrived in the small town that night. I quickly left that town, traveled to the south, and soon decided I needed to leave this area so I joined up with another ship, the “Isabella”, to travel to Spain and from there I planned to travel the areas along the Mediterranean Sea. This soon proved to be a major mistake as the ship I was on was not in good favor of the Spanish Armada. We were soon on the run and farther out to sea than I was comfortable this chase went on for some time but as with all chases, the current chase to come to a quick end when the Spanish attacked. During the ensuing battle, I hid until the noise stopped and then I slowly made my way above decks to be quickly grabbed from behind, I was the only survivor in fact as the Spanish had killed all the crew members as pirates. I was going to be killed and quick if not for my fast thinking and sliver tongued ways. I convinced the captain he would get more from me if I were kept alive and so I told him how the King was searching for me and had even put a price on my head if returned alive. I was quickly chained up as a prisoner in the smelly dank hull below deck and we were soon off again. A few weeks pasted and from the sounds coming from above we were again chasing another ship. Then late one night there was this horrific boom from nearby and then lots of noise up on decks, I could tell that we had been boarded and the battle was on decks. The battle was fierce but soon ended. As I lay there below decks, I was hoping that someone would find me and maybe I would be released. Soon I saw the hairy legs of my kilt wearing guard, the lousy lot of a pirate came below decks with a sword to his back and many others behind him. Apparently, the ship had been captured and there was a new Captain. He was making any Spanish survivors his prisoner and apparently, my jailer was the only survivor. The new Captain said his name was Captain David Morgan and asked who I might be and why I was down here in chains, I explained how I had come to be here and Captain Morgan asked me if I wanted to join his crew or stay here with my jailor. That was a very easy answer I would join this new crew I said and he, Captain Morgan would never be sorry, but had one request. As I was being released, my jailor swung his foot around and caught me right in the jaw; I just looked at the Captain and asked if I could borrow the sword he was holding for just a moment, as my request. Captain Morgan thought for a moment, then smiled and said sure, as he handed me his sword. I quickly turned and ran that miserable jailer of mine right through the middle, telling him to wait in hell, as I gladly send many more of his kind to see him. With that, I then handed the sword back to Captain Morgan. As you see Captain Morgan Sir, I’m fair with a word, but better with a cannon, know how to take out a crew, and leave the ship intact. He just gave a quick nod, looked around and said, “Well I guess we will not be needing those chains for awhile, why don’t you men throw that trash over board”. From that day, I have been a member of the Crimson Storm as the Master Gunner. I still look forward to our coming adventures and my fun with the ladies or maybe one day there will be just one special lady??... Who knows it could happen.
Many years have past, and the ladies just can’t be won so easily as before. One port we landed proved very promising. We had re-supplied and sold off booty from some plundered ships, and ships we captured to me skills earning me Master gunner aboard the ship, when a lady caught my eye, or should I say I caught hers. Now, the new adventures are just beginning with her at my side and in my heart. With something to live for will make my focus finer, me senses sharper, and a port fonder then any in the lands I’ll ever travel. There is another story for another time…
