Chapter 7
There will be a question at the end of this chapter that I wish for everyone to answer and it is essential for the plot and story line. Thank you for reading and your participation!
Thank you to Maplesyrup138 and QueenofEpicFail. Seeing you guys favorite and follow my story encouraged me to start typing again and helped me overcome my writers block, this means the world to me so Thank You from the bottom of my heart and let the trickeries of the depths not overcome you but bring you blessings, watch for the twist of a mermaid tail. ;)
"Wake, Wake up." Came a child's voice, soft and melodic as Madeline felt small hands moving her side back and forth. "Town, you promised," Came the voice again.
Madeline sat up and stretched, she smiled softly, like a loving mother, at the small boy and spoke in her quite whispery voice "Yes, we will. But first we must get ready for the day." Madeline began to come through her hair and put two red clips in her hair, which she always wears, to keep the bangs out of her eyes. After she finished with herself she went to Kumajirou and brushed through his hair, though it was useless sense their hair floats in the water.
Once everything was packed the two were ready to depart they swam out of the Kings home and to the market place so Kumajirou could see the town and all he misses out on being locked up in his small home alone. Kumajirou held tight to Madeline's thin arm as she hummed a song happily and thought back to the boy of last night, the one she remembered from her times in the New World waters, the ones that becomes known as America.
~ *leaf picture* ~
Slowly as day turned to night, or even as a day turns to weeks then months, Madeline revealed herself to the small boy with than wavy hair and torn cloths. It all started a few weeks ago, it had been many lunar days sense their first encounter so long ago. The boy had come to see her every day, rain, snow, sunshine, and freezing weather to hot winds, he came; Madeline had decided one day during spring to show herself to the boy so as the young one sat down on the ground and called out "Please don't be afraid. I want to be your friend." As he began messing with some centipede grass that seed head has shot up quite well, slowly Madeline took a deep breath to get her courage and she swam up to him. He stared at her with wide black eyes and a big smile stretched across his face Madeline was scared his cheeks would rip.
She spoke softly to him, both equally filled with astonishment and curiosity, "You have come every day to this small place just to see me. Why have you kept such faith?"
The boy got on his hands and knees and he crawled over to her by the lake side. "I wished to see ya. You're so purrty and I was so sc'red when I first met ya," he was talking fast but stopped here to pause and his face flushed as he looked at her "I wanted to say sorr'a for bein so 'fraid and not properly thanking ya."
The boy pulled out a box and handed it to her "I've kept this with me, hoping to give it to you as a thank you."
Madeline opened the box to reveal red hair clips and she looked at him with confusion "Your hair is a'ways in your face an ya have really purtty eyes and 'm sure when ya swim it's all in your face so I thought this may 'elp ya. They were my ma's before she got Yella Fever."
Madeline stuck it in her hair oddly and the small boy laughed and fixed it for her giggling. Madeline smiled softly "Thank you." The boy's eyes were wide and full of delight, happiness, and many other feelings. Such big, open, trusting, and beautiful eyes as dark brown as the darkest brown kelp.
~ *leaf picture* ~
Madeline looked down at Kumajirou, who stared blackly at her, who reminds her so much of that boy she met so long ago, the happy one who smiled and laughed and brought sun to her life. Yes how closely they resemble each other and how much Kumajirou reminds her of him, so closely alike….but… he is not that boy…not anymore.
"I'm hungry." Kumajirou looked up to Madeline with big black eyes as he said this so Madeline laughed and rubbed his head.
"You're always hungry." She told him sweetly at the same time Madeline was thinking how she can't abandon the boy she grew to love as her own child.
They stopped and ate some clam, a special treat for the two, senses they don't come out together much. Madeline smiled as they finished eating and went out to the stores where Kumajirou ran around looking in the stores and when mer-people came near him he hid behind Madeline all shy like with his big eyes and hands tightly around her waist. He isn't use to others so it's only natural he would be afraid, which was clear when you looked into his eyes, so full of fright.
"Home?" asked the slightly high pitched voice, filled with the smoothest of melodies.
"Home?" asked Madeline quizzically, the strange request puzzled her, but seeing the look in his eyes, and how she has everything she needs so she took the small boy home. Kumajirou couldn't help the feeling of judgment that overcame him. He felt as though everyone was staring at him and he didn't enjoy this feeling, though it was only paranoia, but on instinct he took Madeline's soft hands and held tight to the comfort he loves.
As soon as they were away from the town Kumajirou's grip loosened. This worried Madeline a little, she knew the boy didn't like being around a lot of people, thanks to what happen to his family, but she had hoped he'd been getting over it. A sigh escaped her soft pink lips and soon the two were on Kuma's door entrance and has they entered Madeline looked around the small home. The small meeting area, which is right where you open the door, with a ledge jutting out of the far wall and across from that is a long thin rock; A hole that forks on the right to the kitchen and the left to Kumajirou's room.
The boy left to his room as soon as they go into the home. Madeline started to cleaning and a little ways into it Kumajirou slowly came into the room and coughed lightly, "May I help?" his voice was sweet and soft and Madeline smiled.
"Of course." And they cleaned, though not in silence, laughter and smiles filled the room.
Far away from the little family was a German Albino Pirate who was being unusually quiet. This made his crew a little uneasy, as he stared out into the water over the edge of the ship. How is it such a women could captivate him? Was it her large indigo eyes or her long blonde hair….no...it had to be her soft whispery voice which gives her whole appearance its appeal, the softness of her character. Little does this poor soul know is that this "gentle" creature has her own plan and he is her turn of the key, the final ingredient to a highly dangerous and forbidden spell.
In the United States waters Arthur was raiding a ship from England. It is now captured and Captain Kirkland was talking to the crew and their tied up captain, who is in front of Kirkland and on his knees. Arthur kicked the poor defeated chap in front of his crew and stood on his back with one leg, leaning on his leg with his arm and in the other hand a gun at his head.
"So you wankers ready to listen now?" a cruel smirk formed on his lips, "Now, how about those supplies?" the rest of Arthur's crew laughed as they loaded the cargo onto their ship.
"You're a cruel bastard, attacking a fellow ship." One of the crew men growled out in a moment of courage or stupidity either way he spoke out.
Arthur kicked the captain and walked over to him in strides; he leaned into the sailors face and growled "You are the poor bastard who serves under that God forsaken bitch of a queen." He spat then hit the man across the face and the sailor fail to the ground.
The captain sung out "Long live the Queen!" anger filled Arthur's whole being and he began to shake.
Arthur turned and walked towards his crew in a calm collect manner then turned his head back to them "Give the old lady a message for me will ya" he shot the captain in the head with one shot "tell her little Arty says hi." He went to his ship and soon even his laughter could no longer be heard.
"Captain," came one of the crew members to Arthur "We are over flowed with supplies."
Arthur smiled lightly at the man, "Good, tell all the men to rest and get a round of beers going."
"Aye Aye Sir," the crew man started to leave but turned his brown head of hair back to his trusted captain "Sir, if I may."
Arthur looked quizzical at the man but waved his hand in a gesture for him to go on.
So the man stuttered out "We have an abundance of supplies," he started "we could head back early or sell some of the supplies on land."
Arthur thought this over, then out loud to the crew man "The extra supplies could be used during winter but we could use the money the only question is which can we use more? Johnny?"
Blue eyes looked into bright green. "why not have both?"
Arthur smirked "Now Johnny boy, that's what I like to hear." The shorter man stood up straighter "Look at the maps and tell me which places are closer."
"Aye Aye Sir?" a pause "And the beer?"
"Aye! beers all around! As soon as you find a place let's set sail!" shortly after this explanation from the captain cheers could be heard from below.
Johnny came back up to the captain half-drunk but informed the captain that the capital of the U.S. is closest, so they all set sail with songs rising high into the fall sky.
Madeline sat in the Chamber of Knowledge reading up on spells. The Winter Isosceles, that is the key point in this spell, but it has to be during a full moon just has the sun sets over the water, Transitioning day to night, and hopefully tail to legs.
Madeline study and study the spell looking over any flaws and all she would need. The only thing out of her control is if her Pirate friend got back in time, without him the whole spell would fall apart and fail. By her calculations he should be back by fall and with enough time to complete the spell. It's the beginning of Winter now and next winter on the Isosceles will be the full moon, plenty of time to prepare for the exchange of deals.
Soon it got too dark to see and the angle fish's light was put up to light the path. Well in their cages on the pillars in the hall. Madeline slowly swam to her room and closed her door lightly before setting on her sleeping bed and continued her research. From dusk to dawn to she took notes and over looked everything three or four times.
Gilbert was back in home waters, Germany is a great place but Prussia will always be home. Sneaking in was no easy task but they made it to land quite the distance from civilization, like they do every year sense he became captain of this here awesome ship. The crew took a trip up the mountains careful not to run into anyone. After a 3 mile hike they stopped and set up camp.
"Alright!" Gilbert called his men to attention "I need half of you to hunt und bring vater back to camp und the other half to go to town und get supplies. Ve'll be here for a veek or so." The men said nothing and set out to do their task as their leader walked further up the mountains, as ritual. By now everyone was use to these strange happenings of Gilbert around this time of year.
As the man walked up the path he saw many flowers, hear different birds, and noticed none of them. No, instead he looked at the ground dejectedly with his hands in his pockets. The path came out a clearing where you could see the ocean, a glimpse of freedom never captured, and by the edge a stone with the writing R.I.P. Ludwig Beilschmidt 1728-1740 "geliebten kleinen Bruder" was written under the date and name. Gilbert got down on one knee and looked at the grave resting both arms on his risen knee. "Bruder, tut mir leid" he whispered as a tear slid down his pale cheeks and dripped off his chin, soon more were to follow. The Memory of his beloved little brother's death filled his head.
The night sky has long fallen and the two brother, Gilbert and Ludwig, are on their way to freedom "Hurry bruder, don't fall behind." Gilbert chided as the two hid from view. Gilbert had sat up transportation with a pirate ship that agreed to take them in if Gilbert got them some Gold. Well he has it, quite a bit of it in fact.
A little trip further and the two were near the docks, but by now the fact of Ludwig's escape and Gilbert's disappearance has been made know and knights are all over the docks watching for them, but Gilbert can see the ship so slowly the two go from building corner to barrel hiding and getting closer. Of course this could not successes without trouble, for Ludwig tripped and the guards were alerted to their position. The two ran, Gilbert had Ludwig's hand and was practically dragging the poor boy to the ship, which upon seeing the running boys and guards began preparing to set sail. Gilbert let go and told Ludwig to keep running to the ship no matter what. With little refusal the younger brother kept running as the Older one stopped and threw rocks at the soldiers, he took his dagger from his boot and fought the men, easily winning thanks to his small size and flexibility a few slices behind the knees and of the throats later the three men were dead. Gilbert a few wounds himself, consisting of a deep cut on his upper arm. Quickly the red eyed boy ran to his brother, not noticing the men coming up to the scene, as he ran an arrow flew past him and right into his brother's shoulder. For Gilbert time froze and in slow motion he ran to his brothers side, and just as fast things came to real time.
"Ludwig! Ludwig! Bruder can you hear me? Please bruder answer me." Gilbert was in panic mood, as he ran to him he fell to his knees and pulled out the arrow turning him onto his back.
Ludwig looked at his brother with glistening eyes "Bruder," He coughed "I'm d-dying." Fear seized his brother.
"Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein, nein!" Gilbert didn't feel it but his vision blurred and he saw liquid droplets on to his brothers face.
"Go, bruder. please" with his broken speech Ludwig said a his last thought. "I'm very proud of you bruder but ve all must leave. bruder"
He was cut off by the guards "Halt! Your under arrest." A full unit, or 10 or so, men came running at them.
"Bruder go, und live for both of us." He told his brother in a hurry trying to push him away.
"Nein, I can't leave you!" Gilbert proclaimed as pain swelled in his chest.
"Now!" Ludwig commanded "Please Bruder, Ich liebe dich." And those were his last words. As Gilbert ran to the ship Ludwig closed his icy blue eyes and drew his final breath saying "Farevell bruder."
"I thought I'd find you here." Came a sweet nostalgic voice up beat yet brought down from the moment of truth.
"Margherita Varges, It's been a vhile." Gilberts tone was flat and grave as he was brought out of his flash back by an Italian women with long brown hair and soft features. She's wearing a soft yellow dress with flowers on it.
"It has been a while my friend!" she smiled gently at the man.
"vhy are you here?" he asked her, loving her answer to which she has kept consistent.
The young lady, mid 20, walked over to Gilbert and put a hand on his shoulder "I am a women who fights and lives for love," she put a few brightly colored flowers on Ludwig's grave "and my love is here."
"Tell me again how you und mine bruder met." Gilbert asked.
Margherita sighed lovingly and sat down beside Gilbert "he was a kind person, your fratellino."
In a dark and dusty room was a small girl in a green dress sweeping the floors with a broom too big for her.
"ve, grande sorella, werea are you?" she cried out. "I ama so lonely herea in this strange country. No Pasta, or warmth, or anything fun toa do."
A gruff voice answered "Then vhy are you here?"
The little girl with wide brown eyes and redish brown hair squealed and fell. "D-don't hurta me veee! I'm just a little girl and have done nothing wrong!" she was speaking at light speed as she quivered into a ball with tears in her eyes.
"I can't hurt you! Dummkopf," this caused the girl to wail harder "Look I'm sorry. Please stop with the crying." A Blonde boy maybe two years older in the cell to the right.
"why are you in there? It doesn't look very comfortable." She asked him.
"I asked first." He told her but spoke again any ways "I vas caught stealing und instead of my hand being cut off mine bruder became a slave and heir to the kingdom und I" he paused "Und I am stuck in dis here cell."
The girl pettied him "That's terrible! I'm here because my family died and the people here were nice enough to take me in, but wouldn't take my sorella, my sister, for she is to rude."
"so you're alone?" the boy asked.
"seeee!" there was a moment of silence "I'm Margherita Varges, you can call me Marry." She put her hand through the bar.
The boy took her and shook it firmly "Ludwig Beilschmidt Just call me Ludwig." He informed.
"I like your name mister Ludwig. Can we be friends?"
"Friends?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Marry smiled brightly "Yeah so neither of us get lonely."
"Ja, zat sound good." He smiled softly.
And so over the years the two bonded over the years. One day Marry came to Ludwig in tears.
"Ludwig it's just terrible!" she wailed
"Vhat is wrong?" Ludwig was full of worry and quickly ran over to the bars to see the younger girl.
"the mistress who took me in has arranged a mirage!"
"But you are only 8? Not even a women yet." He told her.
"I know, but they don't care about my age, only what they get out of it!" she told him "But Ludwig I do not love this boy, I do not want to marry him!"
"I'm sure something good vill come of it. At least you'll be taken care of." He told her with a hint or resentment in his voice.
"But Ludwig," she looked at him with a red dusted on her cheeks "I love you. Not him."
Ludwig's face turned a deep shade of red and he looked to the ground "My Margherita Varges, mine feelings have grown for you too."
Margherita looked into Ludwig's eyes "amazing how in such a dark room I could find a light."
"You've been reading stories again Marry." The German boy told the Italian lady.
"Se, but do you not agree?" she asked him.
Even for someone of her age she knew a few things from learning and reading, each day through her days here her speech and understanding has increased.
"Let me zink on dis for a vhile and I'll come up with a solution." Ludwig thought for a while, then Marry did something he didn't expect her to do.
"I just want to be with you." She laid down against the bars and stuck her hand through the bars, Ludwig took it and he too sat down against the bars, there the two slept holding hands.
The next day Ludwig informed Marry that she had a few years before she was to be wed to the farmer's son surly and opportunity will come for them. "You must get more confident und stop letting people pick on you."
"Se, I will try." She told him lightly and began working, cleaning all of the down stairs.
"obviously two years later an opportunity did come for us. You planned your escape." Margherita told Gilbert. "We met the same night you told Ludwig about it."
"But Ludwig that's too dangerous! What if you get hurt?" the small girl fretted.
"Don't vorry," Ludwig took her hand "Vait for me Marry. I'll come back to get you und if I don't come back in time, run, hide. Jest follow your heart and don't do anything vith out love, like you always say. I'll be back for you someday soon."
"Ludwig I can't lose you!" the girl cried "you've been my only friend here! Please don't go."
"you vant lose my if you don't forget me." He told her with his rough German accent. Awkwardly they kissed through the cell bars. A last remembrance of what use to be.
"I've held on to those words throughout these hard years," The young women looked into deep red eye "If I don't forget him, I'll never lose him." tears began to roll down her soft cheeks.
"How could you love someone you hardly knew at zat age." Gilbert asked her.
"He's the only one that respected me and tried to save me." She looked at him "he cared about how I felt. How could I not love him? Tell that Captain of yours, the father figure. How is he?"
"Dead," Gilbert said bluntly as a yellow bird flew down onto his shoulder "hey Gilbird." He turned to the girl after petting his bird "I've been captain of the ship for a few years now."
"Oh, I'm sorry."Silence fell between the two and after a while Margherita then spoke again "do you remember how we met dear Gilbert?"
Yes Gilbert remembers very clearly how all of this came about as well, he remembered how he and Miss Varges first met.
"Son, do you have the Gold." The captain, an old man with a purple hat and coat.
"here sir." Gilbert's voice was dejected and lost in sorrow of his heart, as he handed the bag of gold to the man.
"And your bruder?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the boy, remembering a deal for two new passengers.
"He… he didn't make it." Gilbert spat out, holding back his tears.
"It'll hurt for a vhile boy." The man turned to the crew "This is our new crew member" the man turned to Gilbert.
"Gilbert," he informed then turned to the crew "Gilbert Beilschmidt." He held pride in his voice.
That night the captain and Gilbert talked together in map room. "If you could do one thing, what you it be?"
A fierce look came into Gilbert's red eyes "I vant my bruder's body back und I'll give him a proper grave."
"Vere did you get the gold?" the captain smirked at the boy.
Gilbert smiled "in castle vhere they probably took mine bruder."
"Get me the gold and you get your bruder back. I'll even give you a spot to bury him." with this the Captain and Gilbert shook hands.
After a few weeks of planning and supplying almost all of the crew volunteered to help Gilbert, this surprised him but he soon learned that by joining this crew he joined a family, strange for a pirate ship. Upon further years gilbert will learn that everyone on this ship has lost a family or use to be a slave thanks to the king before Fredrick the Great.
Gilbert and the crew successfully snuck into the castle through the sewers and into the cell room the night they were to steal the gold. Half the crew went to get the gold, which Gilbert gave detailed explanation as too were to go, the other half went in search for his brothers body, all knew what he looked like thanks to Gilbert. They were to meet up at the boat by midnight with or without the body and gold.
As everyone left a slave girl came out to greet Gilbert. "Are you Ludwig's brother?" she asked.
"Who are you?" he asked with sneer as he held a knife to her throat. Nothing can mess up this mission.
"Is Ludwig really dead?" she asked
"Ja, he is." The knife dropped and Gilbert back away, letting the girl come into view,
She is short, with long reddish brown hair and large brown eyes, she looked close to tears, she wore a dirty and torn tan dress. Her face was covered in dirt and her hair was a tangled mess.
"my name is Margherita Varges and I'm in love with your brother." She told him.
"I'm sorry, but it's my fault he's dead." He told her.
"No," she slapped him. "That is partially for holding a knife to my throat. Ludwig wanted freedom just as bad as you. At least you had the gut to take it. Se?"Gilbert nodded lightly while holding his reddening cheek. "Now do you want to know where his body is?"
"ja." He told her and silently followed her. By midnight all of the crew had returned to the ship, Gilbert with his brother and Margherita and the others with gold.
"Who's this?" the captain asked.
"Margherita Varges," she told him "and I wish to bury the one I love."
"You're a little young to be speaking of love." He eyed her.
"You're a little old to be captain of a pirate ship." She sassed back.
The captain smirked "set sail!" soon they were at the mountain and began to trek up it.
"And you remember the rest. Together we buried Ludwig and I've been coming up here every year sense, you every two years." Marry informed Gilbert
"Why did you go back to the castle? Why didn't you stay with us?" Gilbert turned to her wildly.
She smiled gently at him "Because I had no wish to leave the place which was filled with memories of me and Ludwig. Plus I would not fit well with Pirates I'm afraid."
The two sat in silence again as they mulled over their thoughts. After an hour or two of thinking Gilbert looked to the sky and stood "He'd want you to move on."
"I could never forget him." she told him in a quiet voice; filled with the pain of heart break.
Gilbert looked to the sky "Moving on doesn't me forgetting or replacing. It means letting go. Mine Bruder vould vant you to be happy. Don't be afraid to fight."
"Strange he told me the same thing once." Miss Varges stood as well, her long reddish brown hair flipping and twirling as the wind past them on its way to meet the Ocean. Margherita took powerful strides and as she past him she spoke "where's camp?" Gilbert laughed and walked her to the camp site where the other men were sitting around laughing.
Later that night around the fire the men told ghost stories and drank to each other, and their captain's, health.
"Miss Varges," one of the sailors called "vhat have you been up too?"
Her brown eyes looked into her glass of water and after a while she spoke "I'm looking for my sister. We've been separated long enough."
"Come with us." Gilbert said "You could search further if you came with us."
The young women shook her head "I'm afraid I'm not one for the sea." She told him, "But do me a favor will you?"
Gilbert nodded. "if you find my sister tell her, her sorella is looking for her."
"Vhat does she look like?" one of the crew men asked as he ate the deer the others had shot down that evening.
"Why like me veee!" she smiled, getting back into her happy go lucky personality. "We're twins! Only my Sorella is much meaner and loves to cuss!" she giggled
Some of the men were shocked and others laughed. What else could be expected but the unexpected when talking about a Varges? Margherita left with a lamp to lead her path some time during the night, Gilbert sent a few men with her to make she wasn't tracked and got home safe. Everyone slept in peace that night. But Margherita's parting words left Gilbert thinking.
"He'd want you to move on to you know." She told him as she left with the other men.
Gilbert still blamed himself for his brother's death. If he had just dealt with being a slave till Fredrick died so he could be king, then everything would be okay! A shimmering memory of scales and tail flashed into his mind. That's right, if this had not of happened then he would never of met Madeline.
Well he has a week to think things over and even the journey back. Who knows, maybe something new would happen…maybe he'd learn to move on, but the pain of the heart is a hard thing to run from let alone confront.
This I chapter 8! I hope enjoyed and sorry for the long wait! I kind of lost all inspiration but it's back and it's called Ice cream! Yeah so tell me what you think and I'll write faster. Tell me did you like this chapter? Did you see any of this coming? Was it predictable? How can I make Kumajirou more loveable? I NEED YOU TO HELP ME with these things!
Quiz!
Who can guess what happened to Kumajirou in his past? The winner gets a prize.
Well that's it for this chapter. See you all next chapter!
