The girl stared at Zarabean on the verge of tears. What Zarabean saw in the girl's eyes was pure misery at its finest. It became clear to him that she didn't want to hurt him or steal Echo from him. Whoever she was, she wasn't a strander or a pirate at heart. She was something else.
A strander barked at her, "Hey! Orders are orders! If you can't follow through on a simple order, we'll toss you off the ship!"
She flinched at the threat and then prepared herself to fight Zarabean. "I'm sorry, ridgerunner... I can't swim."
-
"What do you think their plan is exactly?" Celeste asked Clef, hoping he might have some insight since he used to be a strander.
Clef looked back at Celeste from leaning his back and boot on the main post. "Hard to say. Stranders typically are..." He cut himself off, as if filtering what he wanted to say, "I doubt they'd hurt a baby... At least... I would hope they wouldn't. I would take all of them if they did."
Celeste nodded, looking more worried as they approached the opposing ship. "... What will we do once we get there?"
"Aye, that's what we're tryin' to figure!" Alagatha looked up towards the crow's nest and shouted, "OI, NIBBLE! WHAT'RE SEEIN' UP THERE!?"
"I sssee lotsss of humans on board! I can sssmell the fishiesss smell from here!" Nibble shouted down to Alagatha with a gag.
"ANY SIGHT OF THE BABE AND OUR RIDGEY FRIEND?!" Alagatha shouted up at Nibble again.
"Uhhh... Ah! I sssee them! They're in a cage on the top deck!... But there'sss a big crowd round it!" Nibble looked down at Alagatha and the others. "What'sss the plan?!"
Celeste looked down at the floor. "I... I don't have a plan. I didn't really think this through..."
Clef sighed, "We'll figure it out. All we want to do is get in, get Zarabean and Echo, and get out."
"Aye, but if we dive in now, we would have a brawl. It be hard to be stealthy at sea, maties. We've got ourselves a decent sized ship, we'll be obvious within a few minutes at our speed." Alagatha looked toward Clef and Celeste, waiting a command. "If we keep at it, we might be hit with canons."
"I hate that you're right." Clef folded his arms from his position on the post, "Celeste, if we act in haste... I'm afraid there isn't a stealthy way to do this... But we can't fight either, there's too many."
Celeste looked frustrated but she nodded in understanding, "Then what should we do? Follow them?"
"Aye, we should lessen our speed and follow them at a safe distance. Pray for our friends aboard... and a way to steal the wee babe back." Alagatha responded with gritted teeth.
"Or we could head back to the palace and get soldiers to accompany us." Clef suggested reluctantly. He didn't like the idea of bringing Ramger along but if it meant dealing with him for a short time to rescue Echo and Zarabean, it would be worth it.
Celeste shook her head defiantly at Clef's suggestion, "No, there's no time. If we go back now, we'll lose them. Stay the course and slow the ship down to their pace. We will look for an opening to retrieve my nephew and our friend safely."
Clef nodded to her once more in solemn agreement, "Alright, you heard the Lore Wain."
Alagatha and Nibble made the necessary adjustments to meet Celeste's command.
-
The ruddy-faced girl lunged at Zarabean out of desperation to stay alive rather than hurt him.
Zarabean was swift enough to dodge her but not by much. He quickly realized that the girl's hands were more like talons than they were hands. This made him all the more frightened and motivated to avoid her swings.
This same occurrence happens a few more times before the girl landed a deep scratch on Zarabean's upper arm.
Zarabean hissed at the pain but held Echo tight with determination not to lose him. "Stop!" The ridgerunner shouted, "I will not fight you!"
Tears fell down the girl's face at such a response. "If I stop, I'll die. Please, please just give up the baby..." She responded with a soft whimper in her voice.
Zarabean shook his head, "N-No! He's my friend's nephew!" He shouted sternly before looking at the surrounding stranders watching the brawl. "Zarabean doubts that any of you could care for a baby! After you get rid of Zarabean, how would you keep the child from crying?! Are you not tired of his screaming?!"
The stranders murmured in response Zarabean's offer, as if considering it.
Echo had not stopped crying and screaming since he was first put in the sack. It had become... tiresome for the strander pirates to listen to.
The voice of Captain Sealen Silver-eye cut through the murmuring like a sharp sword. "Ye say ye will watch the babe, eh?! Then ye better get it quiet in five minutes. Then we'll see if we want to keep ye!"
Zarabean swallowed hard as he looked back to Echo, wondering how he could possibly quiet him in a mire five minutes.
That was good! I wonder where they are going... I hope Zarabean can keep Echo quiet!