Hal stood on the deck of the ship, enjoying the way the sea air ruffled is hair. It was a wonderful day, the sun was shining and the ocean waves glimmered with the light's reflection. Sometimes he regretted leaving behind his father's court and becoming a pirate, but today was not one of those days. With a start he realized that it was his turn to be a lookout, and headed up the rigging to the crows nest, to relieve his friend Poins of his duties.
"Ahoy there," he called up to Poins, letting him know that he was there. Poins waved back, looking happy to see his friend.
The crow's nest was just big enough to fit the two of them, and even then it was a little cramped. Poins angled the telescope to give them more space. "Hal, look through the telescope," he whispered to his friend.
Hal looked through it, at first he could see nothing but the open ocean, but further inspection revealed the outline of a ship ahead of them. "A ship," he exclaimed, feeling slightly nervous. He knew that the reason they were adrift was to rob ships like this, and he had never been a thief. When he and Poins and Falstaff had been friends on land, they had held up travelers for their purses, but he had been still committed to being Harry of the Court, Prince of Wales then, and had always seen that they were repaid in full. Somehow it seemed different this time, robbing for money rather than just the fun of it. He knew that his father would be scandalized if he knew, and though part of him relished that, he didn't want to cut ties with Harry of the Court yet.
"Ay, sweet prince, a ship. Probably will have a great deal of gold and riches aboard," said Poins, mocking his statement of the obvious, by adding his own.
Hal shook his head. "Not a prince anymore," he said, only half-jokingly. "My father took that title back when I spent too much time in your company."
"And tell me, have you regretted it once?" Poins asked, trying to keep the conversation light-hearted. "The way I see it, you've merely traded one kingdom for another. Now you are the prince of the taverns on land and the merchant ships at sea. The riches we take are naught but a royal tax on the the subjects of your kingdom, to be distributed to the deserving, your cabinet of advisors."
"And that would be you, I suppose?" replied Hal.
"Well, do you know any worthier?" retorted Poins. "Would you rather the money go to that knight of sack, Sir John Falstaff, who would only spend it at the nearest tavern?" He laughed at the thought, knowing that the tavern was where all their money ended up no matter who received it. "But again to the ship. My proposition is that we let Falstaff, Bardolph, and Peto rob the true steadfast soldiers of the ship. Then, you and I shall rob the thieves." Seeing Hal look somewhat uncertain, he pressed on with more reasons. "There are disguises aboard the ship, clothes from others robbed, we may conceal our faces behind the helmets meant for soldiers and if we slip away from the fighting, we may conceal ourselves on the other ship, so it looks like we were from there all along." Poins clinched it with this final argument. "Once we have the money, what a jest it will be to see the lies that Falstaff will tell to protect his reputation. The number of soldiers he fought with, the valor he showed, and most of all, the foul trick of sorcery that let these men escape."
"An excellent plan," Hal said. He took a look at the ship again and his face fell. He recognized the flag flying from the mask, one of the many coats of arms he had learned to recognize in his youth. This was the coat of arms of the Percy's the family rising up against the crown. Rising up against his father. A turmoil of emotions hit Hal. This was his chance at redemption. If he captured the uprisers and brought them to his father, he would surely be forgiven, maybe even be the Prince of Wales again. This was his chance, but did he want to take it?