The Quest, or perhaps The Task Set Before Her Part 23

(Sorry for taking longer than expected. I have to set aside time to write, and certain Thwap House threads keep taking away my time. Anyway......enjoy the beginning of the end)

Frieda took all this in with wide eyes. Nothing was making sense. What is the pirate who took Jeddi doing here? Where was Jeddi? Why is Andy here? Why does he have Jeddi's pack? What was going on?

But none of those questions were answered.

Frieda quickly felt two pains. A harsh shove near her shoulder blades and a sharp kick in her back. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Frieda lay face-first in the sand. Rolling over onto her side, she spluttered, trying to expel the sand from her mouth. Two strong arms reached down and picked her up, placing her on her feet. She turned and saw the old pirate beside her.

"Are ye alright, Frieda?" He asked.

Stunned that he knew her name, Frieda stammered, "Ye-...yeah...I, I'm alright." Staring up at him, she asked the first question she thought of. "Where is Jeddi?"

Peleg grinned. "Ye'll see soon enough, but right now we have a show to watch." He pointed at Seassa, who was rifling through the pack that Andy had thrown at her. Seassa's muttering drifted towards them on the morning breeze.

"Where is it?" She whispered to herself. In a matter of seconds, Seassa threw the pack on the ground and pointed her sword directly at Peleg. "You lying prig!"

"I am no liar!" Peleg retorted, a playful grin crossing his mouth. "I never said the book was in there. Ye're just angry at yerself for makin' a bad deal."

A growl escaped Seassa's lips as she sprung forward, slashing at Peleg's chest. Like an expert swordsman, Peleg maneuvered around her. He drew his sword and blocked her next thrust. Peleg's buccaneers disembarked the ship and rushed at Seassa's army. The sounds of shouts, cries, and metal upon metal filled the air.

"Andy!" Peleg yelled. "Now!"

While the Battle on the Shores of Castle Rock was being fought, Andy grabbed Frieda's hand and pulled her away towards a giant rock resting on the beach. They had to leap over fallen bodies and duck beneath flying arrows. Once they reached the rock, Andy gently pushed Frieda behind it.

"What is going on?" Frieda asked as Andy cut the ropes tied around her wrists.

"A diversion," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Frieda paused and looked at Andy. This wasn't the same man she'd seen only a week ago. Something was different. His hair was cut nice and clean, and his beard was shaved, but that wasn't it. No, the change was in his eyes. They were crystal clear. Filled with peace. There were no dark corners anymore. Andy caught sight of her looking intently at him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked concerned.

"Ah, umm...no." Frieda cleared her throat. "No, nothing's wrong."

"Good cause this battle isn't over yet." Reaching into his boot, Andy pulled out two daggers. Handing both to Frieda, he said, "Jeddi told me you were an excellent swordswoman. There were no extra swords, but he said that you could use two daggers in a pinch."

"Thank you, Andy," Frieda said, taking the weapons. Their eyes met for a brief moment, filling the air with awkwardness. Andy noticed that even with sand in her auburn hair, Frieda was still rather beautiful. Frieda on the other hand thought Andy was not bad looking.

Breaking the awkward silence, Andy said, "You...you're welcome." He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Umm, we got to go. We're running out of time. Jeddi needs our help."

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@Darth Pip Defender of Emus @Leeli Iggyfeather (ᛋᛟᚾᚷ ᛗᚨᛁᛞᛖᚾ) @Oskar (ᛞᚨᚾᛁᛖᛚ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚡᛁᚴᛁᚾᚷ) @Johannes the Warden (Mordecai) @Janna The Heart @Not Andrew Peterson @Azog the Moderator