Foxee
Chaos Lieutenant
Posts: 208
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Post by Foxee on Aug 22, 2007 14:35:32 GMT -5
Joss grimaced a little as she stepped into the cold water and grasped a dimly-seen hand that extended to help her over the side of the boat. Her skirts hampered her even more now that the hems were wet.
Nonetheless someone helped Joss over the side and she stood in the boat, swaying unsteadily.
The person who'd helped her aboard propelled her to a bench like seat and she thumped down, losing her balance as much as sitting.
She thought she heard a muffled chuckle and the hand that grasped hers was withdrawn. The shadowy figure gave her a slight bow and went away, presumably to help others.
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Post by jessimyre on Aug 22, 2007 17:48:35 GMT -5
Hattie hastily tied a firm knot in the makeshift bandage and offered an arm for the injured girl. The others were waiting for them. Before she knew it, they were all crowded into the ship's boat and quietly, they were on their way through the choppy water toward the dark, towering bulk of the ship. Hattie looked up at it as they drew near, afraid, excited and aware of many dark shapes moving about on deck.
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Post by blossom on Aug 23, 2007 7:56:31 GMT -5
Belle tried not to lean too much on the other girl as she limped down the beach, not wanting to seem too injured in case they decided she was too much of a liability. But as soon as she stepped into the sea, the icy water numbed her ankle through the bandage and the pain was forgotten. A hiss escaped through her teeth.
The numbness in turn was forgotten as they neared the ship, the towering silhouette looming over them like a monstrous deep-sea creature. Belle found herself swallowing nervously, eyes widening. Watching the dark shadows scrambling on the deck she wondered if one was Robert. The chances weren't likely, but ...
Belle glanced down. Even if Robert was on board, it wasn't likely that the pirates would readily accept her. She grimaced, the expression contorting her already ugly features, wondering how she and the other escapees would have to prove themselves.
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Post by Kage Chaos on Aug 23, 2007 12:30:51 GMT -5
Noros sat silently and waited as they neared the ship. It was one of the larger ships he had seen during his planning to leave the country, though due to the dark, he couldn't tell if it was moreso designed for smuggling or for battle. He assumed both, being as pirate stories often included battles as a step after smuggling, but he wasn't sure how much of the stories he'd heard were fact, and how much were fiction.
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Post by jessimyre on Aug 23, 2007 19:00:01 GMT -5
Ropes were lowered and hushed orders given. Hattie was hastily hauled onto deck and she stood, uncertain and nervous among the pirates. Soon a couple of the other girls joined her and unconciously she moved closer to them, the only sort of friends she had. She stared around in the dark, making out dim shapes, and the smell of the unwashed. Not a single lantern was lit - not giving out the position of the ship.
They were away from the prison but how safe were they? She glanced around for the Pirate boy who had helped them as the last of the boat's occupants appeared over the rail and the order was given to raise the boat.
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Post by twilightblade on Aug 24, 2007 15:48:54 GMT -5
Alois stepped close to the others and waved for them to follow as she led the way down the deck toward the captain's cabin. Even as she walked, the sailors around her were preparing the ship to put out to sea. It was about time, actually, given what was happening in the town.
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Post by Kage Chaos on Aug 24, 2007 16:05:48 GMT -5
Noros was the last to get off the smaller boat and board the pirates' ship. The pirates were clever enough to keep the lanterns out while doing their business, and they were even rather quiet about getting the ship prepared to depart.
Noros only had a small amount of time to look around before the pirate who had led them there began to lead them somewhere. Probably to the Captain's quarters, Noros thought to himself.
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Post by blossom on Aug 25, 2007 6:48:22 GMT -5
Belle followed slowly, trying not to make her limp obvious but still trying to keep up. Which, it turned out, was difficult. It didn't help that while she walked she was surreptiously looking around for Robert, though it was hard to really make out any faces in this darkness.
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Post by jessimyre on Aug 27, 2007 18:08:16 GMT -5
Hattie followed the group, arms hugging herself. She noticed the other girl still limping and so offered her arm as support. All the girls would need each other, she felt it even more so when she realised a couple of the pirates were leering at them unpleasantly. It would not do to appear a weak or easy target.
The cabin door amidships banged open and they ducked through the low doorway into the dimly lit space beyond. It was here, Hattie had her first glimpse of their captain and the person whom now held their lives in his hands. Hattie shuddered, rearranging her features to not show the fear she felt. She stood taller, and raised her head. A fighter born she prepared herself for whatever may come.
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Post by twilightblade on Aug 28, 2007 20:04:36 GMT -5
(Ohh, wouldn't it be fun to have Belle's brother Robert be the captain? Would make it so easy...and such a touching scene! lol)
"Cap'n--," Alois started to speak, but was cut off by the captain's raised hand.
She hesitated, then drew to the side at his gesture.
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Post by jessimyre on Aug 28, 2007 20:44:49 GMT -5
(oohhh yes!! What do you think, Blossom?)
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Foxee
Chaos Lieutenant
Posts: 208
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Post by Foxee on Aug 28, 2007 21:29:13 GMT -5
Joss pressed into the cabin with the other girls, seeing their half-remembered faces for the first time since the prison. Then the pirate boy was stepping aside, eyes down, and Joss got her first curious look at the captain of the pirate ship.
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Post by blossom on Aug 29, 2007 6:36:38 GMT -5
(LOL, that would be great!)
Belle accepted the other girl's arm gratefully, and leaned on her as they stood in the Captain's cabin. She couldn't really make him out behind the pirate boy; all she saw was a tall frame and a mess of dark hair. Then he moved into the light and a pair of familiar eyes looked into hers, widening with surprise.
"Cap'n --" the pirate boy started, but Robert raised a hand to silence him. The pirate boy seemed to hesitate, and then stepped to one side so Robert - The Captain - was facing his sister.
Belle stared at her brother, shock making her speechless. Before she knew it he had crossed the few spaces between them and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
"Bells!" He sounded as surprised as she felt. Grabbing her shoulders he pushed her back to look at her. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"
"R-Robert .." Belle found her voice at least, "You're the captain!?"
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Post by Kage Chaos on Aug 29, 2007 9:20:48 GMT -5
Noros watched as the two shared a moment, and raised an eyebrow to no one but himself.
She's related to the captain? What luck! he thought, At least I don't have to worry about owing a favor to a pirate.
He grinned at the thought.
Less to worry about, at least...
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Post by jessimyre on Sept 1, 2007 18:50:10 GMT -5
Hattie was amazed, the other girl from the prison, her brother was the pirate Captain? She relaxed a little, if that was the case, she knew they were safe for now. Pirates had a code of honour... of sorts. It would not do to hurt anyone in the Captain's favour.
The strain of the last twelve hours was taking its toll. Hattie hadn't eaten for at least two days, and her body had been running on adrenalin for one of them. Her legs gave out and she sank onto the floor, shaking and head spinning. She screwed up her eyes in partial fury, not wanting to appear so weak.
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Post by twilightblade on Sept 1, 2007 19:25:20 GMT -5
Alois swallowed hard and stared as her Captain, the strong, cool man who had no heart, showed intense emotion...for all that it was still restrained. She looked at Belle, then back to her Captain, and back to Belle....and...
She was distracted as Hattie sank to her knees on the floor, showing all the signs of exhaustion and pain. She shook her head to get her pure astonishment shoved to the side and slipped over to the girl, dropping down beside her.
"Ya'l raigh'?"
You all right?
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Post by jessimyre on Sept 2, 2007 2:49:33 GMT -5
"I, uh." Hattie stammered. She swallowed hard, trying to regain control of her shivering body. She rubbed at her face and took a few deep breaths. She felt sick. She opened her eyes again, and the world spun around her.
"D'you have something to eat?" she asked before she passed out completely, her scrawney, weightless frame sprawled on the cabin floor.
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Post by twilightblade on Sept 2, 2007 4:38:02 GMT -5
Alois hissed. "Tae 'ell wit' all'es 'em scummers!" She scooped Hattie up without a glance at the Captain and carried the girl to the nearest cot and laid her down. Her accent thickened her muttering as she wet a rag and laid it on Hattie's forehead and then stroked another wet cloth down her arms and hands. "Na' ah shre' o' care 'n 'em. Le' 'er die, 'ey would. Tae 'ell wit' tha' Guv'nor!"
To hell with all of them guards! Not a shred of care in them. Let her die, they would. To hell with that Governer!
She lapsed into her native tongue, the flowing words humming from her lips like angry bees as she tended to Hattie.
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Post by blossom on Sept 2, 2007 13:25:30 GMT -5
"Yeah ..." Robert looked somewhat sheepish.
"Why didn't you tell -" Belle began, before the girl who had helped her collapsed beside them. They looked around, but the pirate boy who had helped them was already at her side, scooping her up and placing her on a cot. The cause of the girl's faint appeared to be lack of food; Robert turned, now cool and serious, every inch the pirate captain, and mutter something to one of the other men in the room. He dashed away to find food for them all.
"Damned governor," Robert hissed vehemently, turning back to watch the pirate boy caring for the girl.
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Post by Kage Chaos on Sept 2, 2007 23:22:27 GMT -5
Noros simply watched as the girl, Hattie, collapsed from starvation. He'd never had to deal with that before. Although he was often hungry, he'd always been able to escape from the prison and steal a bit of food before being "caught" again.
Basically, the prison had been his home for much of his life. The fact that the guards never killed him was mainly due to luck, and of course the fact that they thought he was actually trying. It had been a game between him and the guards, and to their knowledge, they had always won, but Noros knew otherwise.
Noros shook his head to release the memories of his years spent in the city, at least for the moment. He walked over and kneeled next to the cot where Hattie lay unconscious. He muttered to himself aloud, but barely audible, "I guess you got out of that prison one way or another, even if it wasn't me who helped you out."
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Foxee
Chaos Lieutenant
Posts: 208
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Post by Foxee on Sept 3, 2007 12:23:42 GMT -5
Joss's eyes were narrow and her lips were tight, she made her way to the cot, gently lifting a the girl's scrawny wrist. It felt like a baby bird, light bones with the life-beat fluttering inside.
"She can't be given much at first, nor anything heavy." Joss cautioned.
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Post by twilightblade on Sept 7, 2007 13:25:07 GMT -5
Alois glanced sharply at Noros for a moment, then nodded at Joss's words. "M' mates s'ould 'ave sum stew redy. Ah be'a gettin' sum brot' from 'em."
My mates should have some stew ready. I'll be getting some broth from them.
Alois turned to go out, finally stealing a glance at the Captain.
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Post by blossom on Sept 7, 2007 13:47:11 GMT -5
"She'll be all right." Robert laid a hand on Belle's shoulder, drawing her back as she moved to go over to the girl. "My lads'll take good care of her."
"But ..." Belle glanced over at her. The girl had been so kind to her.
"You don't want to crowd her. You can check on her later. We need to talk."
Belle glanced from him to her unconscious friend and back again, and nodded. "We should."
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Post by Kage Chaos on Sept 9, 2007 2:19:59 GMT -5
Noros moved away from Hattie and sat on the floor, leaning against a nearby wall. He sighed a sigh of what he thought must be tiredness. He hadn't slept in a while, and he wasn't sure how long.
He looked in turn at each of those who he'd accompanied from the prison onto the ship. All of them were each reacting in their different ways.
Part of him wanted to get to know each of them, and part of him felt the need to live out his freedom to its fullest. It would be a difficult decision, but from the looks of things, he'd have plenty of time to think it over.
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Post by jessimyre on Sept 9, 2007 6:32:32 GMT -5
When Hattie came to, there was a lithe, slender figure sitting nearby. She could smell food, a stew of sorts which made her stomach contract in hunger. She felt light headed and disoriented. The ship moved beneith her, and she was very aware of the creaks and groans, and the distant sound of voices.
She sat up and put a hand to her head, waiting for the world to stop spinning.
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