Chapter Seven: Lines Drawn

Heart:

The next day or so passed by rather quietly. Her song seemed to pause for the time being, giving Duke and I both time to heal up and rest. Though I had been teased for ending up in his quarters after my initial protesting.

"I guess you couldn't resist after all?" Silver teased.

Then Saffire nudged him in the ribs while giving a nod of understanding to me.

"So what are we sailing after anyway Captain?" Diana then asked curiously.

Duke gave a confident smile before pulling a map from his coat breast pocket. Unferling it revealed a chart of a planet rather small in size compared to others around it.

"Entirely made of gems and minerals, this planet is said to hold enchanted items, jewelry, cloaks, blades. If the legends are true there should be something for everyone here to take to their liking," Duke said.

"Even Miss Flashblade?" Silver enquired.

"If she likes," Duke confirmed with a nod to me.

"Something like that would be guarded," I mentioned, "And well sought after."

"Ya see this treasure is a well kept secret. With everyone huntin' for Treasure Planet we have the upper hand. Let the go after their gold while we seek this out," Duke explained, "But we will need ta be prepared for the dangers around the planet itself."

"Such as?" Trent prompted.

"Stories an' songs mention a creature sleeping on one of it's moons, hoarding the treasure as a part of it's nest," Duke told us, "We will need ta be ready for a possible fight."

"Is it really worth the risk?" I asked, "Your crew and your ship could-"

"Heart, ya do remember we're pirates? We're capable, trust me," Duke assured me.

"You're not having second thoughts about joining our crew are you?" Saffire questioned.

I shook my head, "No. I know you're capable, I guess this is all still a bit new to me is all. I'll do what I can to help prepare though."

I then looked over the map a bit closer, taking note of pieces scribed over areas of it.

"May I take a closer look?" I requested as Duke stepped to the side to let me stand in front of it.

"Somethin' up?" He asked looking over my shoulder while grasping it carefully.

Without answering I looked over it before glancing up at the stars above us. Taking note of the positions of galaxies and planets I then refocused on the map. My hand ran carefully over notes marked well before Duke's were added. Something about this, felt familiar?

"We're on the outskirts of the map here, the very edge of the star system, but we're close to veering to far to the left," I mentioned as I looked up to see how the positions differed for us and where the map lined up.

Duke tilted his head to see how I was looking at it. As he did this he gripped it excitedly as he proclaimed, "I adore those sapphire eyes of yours!"

He then gave a nod to Saffire who quickly went to the wheel of the ship, "She's right. We need to turn to the right a bit!"

"Got it Captain!" Saffire confirmed as she followed his order.

Duke then glanced at me, "Ya have an eye for maps?"

"Well, back home I studied art, which includes landscapes and mapping to a degree. When doing so you train your eyes to notice things like that," I explained while looking over the parchment still.

"We may have our guide then," he said to me as he kept his hand on my shoulder.

"I need some time to really study it though before I can guide us much further," I told him.

"Take all the time ya need, I trust it is safe in your hands sweetheart," he told me.

So over the course of that day and the next I did just that. I poured over the map and took down what notes I could. Some of the ink had worn off, leaving spaces in words here and there. I took down Duke's notes as well that were a bit clearer.

Late into that second night Duke had been looking over notes while sitting on the bed nearby. He noticed me using what fresh paper I had to start drawing newer versions of the map. As I worked on this I kept my finished pieces together to form some sort of guide.

"Have ya taken a break lately?" Duke asked me while looking up.

He had noticed me flexing my left hand to relax it a little bit.

"We don't know when her song will continue again. She's been awfully quiet the last few nights. I can take a break once this is figured out," I told him.

"Heart, if ya run yourself down ya won't have the energy ta deal with her," he argued.

Getting up from the bed he then walked over to look over what all I had done so far. I had continued drawing the next piece to what seemed to be a more detailed puzzle than we had guessed. Not just the chart itself, but books going over the star systems and planets it mentioned were also put to use.

"What else do ya draw?" He asked curiously.

For some reason I froze at this question. When I didn't answer Duke crouched down beside the chair I was in and opened a drawer to the desk. After rumaging through some things he pulled out a book. It was a bit bigger than a typical reading book with several blank pages inside of it, if not all of them. It's black hard cover kept the pages inside safe as it clamped shut in his hand at first. I couldn't help but notice as he flipped through the pages quickly and then nodded his head. Then he stood up and offered it to me, "Here. Draw ta your heart's content angel."

"Are...are you sure Captain?" I enquired as he placed it on the desk beside my left hand.

"Of course I'm sure," he insisted.

"Th-Thank you Duke," I said to him before opening the cover.

"It's my pleasure lady Heart," he replied with a bow of his head.

Then he walked back over to the bed. After a bit longer he gathered his papers and stretched into a yawn.

Duke:

I looked over to find Heart still working away somehow. Yet when I did I saw her excitedly using the book I had given her already. I wondered what she was drawing, but felt I should let her be. In a way it was soothing to watch her so contently working at something because she simply wanted to again.

"Try ta get some sleep okay sweetheart?" I suggested quietly before lowering the light near the bed.

"I will," she said while focusing the desk lamp onto her paper.

However, hours later when I awoke I found this to be partially true. I could hear her breathing as she dreamt nearby, but not as close as beside me in the bed. Propping myself up a bit I found her still sitting at the desk, but slumped over using her arm as a pillow. I shook my head as I got up and walked over to her. Beside her I couldn't help but glance at what she had been working so hard on. Moving her hand slightly I found a drawing of two young drakes smiling from the page they were on.

"Aw sweetheart, I'm sorry," I sighed as I then turned out the light at the desk.

With the room mostly black around us I carefully lifted her up into my arms. Then I walked her back over to the bed and set her down on it. Once on the bed she curled up a bit, tucking her knees close to her chest. In my chest my heart melted slightly while I pulled a blanket over her. Then I crept carefully into the bed on the outer side with her turning in her sleep towards the cabin wall.

As she did this I felt a tear in me begin to form. With her back to me I fought the urge to reach out and turn her back towards me. Guilt helped me resist.

"Ya miss them don't ya?" I asked knowing the answer as she slept still.

"I promise we'll find them soon," I told her sleeping form, "But while you're here..." I wasn't sure what I was trying to tell her.

Heart:

The following night while looking over what I had put together thus far Duke entered what was now our shared cabin at this point.

"Captain," I started as I focused on the planet we were searching for, "What are you hoping to find there?"

Duke strolled over to the desk I was working at, drawing out pieces but in larger scale. As I worked on the one for the planet itself something caught my eye. While the rest of the ink on the map had been the usual black, there was something odd in texture to a piece of the paper. As I ran my finger over it I felt that as though ink had rubbed against my skin.

"Do you have anything for invisible ink?" I asked.

Duke obliged by pulling out a glass vile and brush tucked away in his desk. Taking the brush carefully I washed it over the spot I had grazed. In seconds it dried, pulling up the letters once hidden away, as well as the sketch of a blue heart pendant beside it.

"Is that what you're hoping to find?" I enquired glancing up at him.

"How did ya...?"

"Again, I trained myself in art when I was back on Puck World. My family saw I loved drawing and encouraged it. I was redrawing some of these images, causing me to tilt the original in different directions to make sure I got every needed detail," I explained, "As I did my hand caught the texture of ink under it's thumb."

"What is it?" I then asked.

"It's said ta ward off spells for it's wearer. I thought perhaps if I got a hold of it I could use it ta break the curse followin' me," he told me.

"I see. So that's why you're looking for this planet," I said.

"There's other treasures there said to be kept with it. My crew can take the rest for all I care. I jus' need that piece," he said, "An' hopefully it works an' I can help ya find your brothers finally."

Hearing this I couldn't help but feel a bit taken back. With a quick breath I looked up at him, "Is that so Captain?"

"Was it not the agreement? Once I am free of her song you were ta find your brothers and reunite with them?" He enquired.

"It was," I agreed.

"I guess we'd better enjoy one another's company while we can then," he commented.

"What will you do after all of this Captain?" I then asked him, avoiding his suggestion once again.

I paused in my drawing to look up at him. I watched as he strolled over to the cabin window. A short, quiet chuckle was barely caught in his throat, "Ya know sweetheart, for once I don't know."

"Are you feeling well?"

"I believe so," he said.

"I'm sure you'll go on adventuring won't you? Finding vast treasures, charming wandering hearts along the way?" I guessed.

"Most of what ya said sounds about right," he admitted.

"Most?" I raised a brow at this.

He turned towards me, "Heart, does sayin' that last part bother ya?"

I proceeded to draw again in an attempt to avoid this question. Focusing on my work I tried to make it appear that I didn't wish to talk. He didn't give up until I answered.

"Captain, what you decide to do is up to you. Charm every girl you come across, break heart after heart if you want. Just leave mine alone!" I requested without daring to look at him.

Why was I getting so frustrated? Why did the idea of leaving worry me? I wasn't meant to leave my brothers in the first place. I should have been thrilled that there was a goal to reach for to bring this all to an end. I then got up from the desk and hastily left the room. I didn't dare try to look back at him.

Stepping out onto the deck I was met with sea of stars around us and overhead. Silver and Diana were up in the crow's nest while Saffire remained at the wheel. I guessed Trent was below deck in the galley. Unable to clear my head I found myself climbing up to the beam Duke and I had star gazed while sitting on not that long ago.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked while looking up at the stars and planets.

Before I could ponder this for much longer something strange caught my eye. Among the stars to the north east of us I thought I saw shifting scenery. Focusing on it I soon realized there was something cloaked by the surrounding space that was coming right towards us.

"Silver!" I called up to him, "Diana!"

"What is it Heart?" Silver asked.

"Look to the-!"

Before I could finish a canon was shot out as a blast flew towards our ship. The beam hit our side, burning away at the bow. From this the ship shook while I was trying to get to my feet. I tried to brace myself, but a second impact made my grip loosen on the beam as I tried to reach for the rope to climb down from. Somehow I managed to catch the rope ladder in my hand to keep from falling. Though as I tried to climb up onto it a third hit crashed into the ship.

"Who are they?" I questioned while looking to see the cloaked ship now waving it's black flag.

By now our crew had started on the defensive. Duke was at the helm telling the others their orders. I managed to climb down and ask for my orders.

"Keep the map safe!" He ordered directly, "Stay in the cabin an' we'll take care of this!"

"I can fight too!" I protested.

"With what?" He questioned.

"Heart, I need ya ta do this. I know who this is an' they'll be lookin' for that map, trust me. We'll keep them away from ya!" He insisted, "I'm countin' on ya!"

Before I could move a chuckle could be heard as we turned to see the falcon from the portrait sneering at us. He stood on the side of our ship after having jumped from his now hovering above us.

"It's been a long time hasn't it dear boy?" He taunted looking straight at Duke.

"Not long enough Falcone," Duke retorted while stepping in front of me.

"Come now Duke, you're not still sore from our last match are you?" Falcone mocked while making note of Duke's eyepatch, "I could take the other one if you want."

He then took notice of me standing behind Duke.

"This child is all you could find to replace me?" Falcone scoffed.

"I didn't need ta replace a back stabbin' cretin like you!" Duke replied, "Now get off of my ship!"

"I'd be happy to leave this smoldering piece of wood once I have what I came here for!" The falcon insisted while drawing his saber.

Duke already had his drawn.

"I'm countin' on ya Heart," he breathed quickly before stepping forward to meet this challenge.

With a nod I turned and ran to the cabin. Once inside I started gathering my notes together, the maps I had redrawn, everything with my own drawings to be hidden away. Then I started rolling up the original chart when I paused to look over it quickly.

Duke:

As Heart had turned to leave Falcone had tried to lunge forward. I swiftly stepped to the side and pushed forward to block his blade. While we fought my crew began firing back at his ship.

"So who is that girl Duke?" He taunted.

"That's none of your concern Falcone!" I warned.

"So defensive aren't we dear boy? Has someone finally managed to anchor you to them?" He mocked, "What a shame, and here I thought you'd roam free of chains until the day you died?"

I didn't answer this time. Instead I focused on the fight as Falcone slashed at me. Again I blocked him and began pushing him back.

Yet as I had him backed up against the rail behind him I thought I heard a melody in the air.

"No...not now..." I shook my head before glancing back at the cabin, "Heart, please stay safe."

My heart is peirced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold

At this chorus I felt all sense of why I was fighting slip away. My aim as I slashed at Falcone shifted unbalanced. My concerns fought to stay in the forefront of my head. Stepping to the side I managed to avoid Falcone's blade as he struck at me. Instinct kicked in as I tried to fend him off. My crew around me did what they could as well to fend off his ship still trying to imitate us.

However as I lunged forward I felt my sense of self now fading from me. Why was I fighting? Who was here that was worth defending? If I gave him what he wanted he would leave and I could sail to the one calling for me. Isn't that what I wanted to do? Before I could ponder this further I was knocked into a wall and everything went black.

Heart:

From within the cabin I had heard her song returning after her long rest. Tucking the map into my vest pocket now I tried to look around for a way to defend myself. On the wall I found a blade hung up by two hooks. It was all I could think to grab as I waited for the fight to find me.

Suddenly a blade from the other side carved three solid slashes in the door. Right after it landed upon the floor when kicked in. The doorway then revealed Falcone as he stepped into the cabin with his saber in hand.

I backed up away from him with the sword held in warning towards him, "Get out!"

"I will once I have what I need," he assured me while he stepped closer.

"Back off creep!" I growled while holding my ground.

"Where is the map? Tell me that and I won't have any reason to be here," he assured me.

"It's hidden away!" I told him quickly, "Why would the Captain entrust me with something like that? He probably has it stashed somewhere!"

"Well then," Falcone snickered, "If you don't know I think I know how I can get it."

He grinned wickedly as he looked over me, "I'll offer him a trade. The map for your life brat!"

"You're assuming I can't fight you!" I said with my temper rising.

"I know you've never held a blade before in your life!" He mocked as he stepped closer.

I tried to step back until I was against the wall. I made sure to keep his attention on me rather than anywhere else in the room.

Suddenly he lunged forward and I was forced to step to the side. Swinging the blade he quickly twisted it out of my hand before grabbing for me. He caught hold of my vest front and held me up.

"Let go of me you sorry excuse for a pirate!" I ordered while trying to kick and struggle.

Falcone forcibly spun me around to where he could pull me against him and slipped his saber against my throat. There he held it and snickered, "That's enough wench! One wrong move and Duke will have to find a new heart to torment now won't he?"

Unable to fight back any further he marched me out to the deck. The crew all paused seeing me being held hostage in Falcone's grip. Yet I found Duke was not among them. That is until I looked to the ground near the wall of the cabin. My heart leapt to my throat as I found him lying still on the ground

"Duke!" I called to him, "Duke wake up!"

Falcone snickered, "Don't worry little girl, I'll let him live. I need him alive to find out where that map is anyway!"

"Let her go Falcone! She has nothing to do with your fake rivalry!" Saffire shouted.

"Perhaps not, but she will help me none the less. Tell your captain he has one hour to decide her fate. Either he gives me the map or I slit her throat!" Falcone ordered before stepping back with me.

"Duke! Duke please wake up!" I begged as I was pulled away.

Before I could resist any further I was pulled up onto his ship hovering above us still.

"Well child the stakes have been given, let's see what Duke values more shall we?" He taunted with a fixed glare as he spun me back around, holding me by my wrist in a vice grip, and gave a taunting laugh.

The falcon then looked me up and down in contempt.

"Though if you were to ask me I would keep the map. There's nothing special about a little human wench like you!" He scoffed, "Is he running out of women to dance with and desperate?"

At this I swung my leg out, kicking him hard in the ribs. Upon impact he doubled over, dropping me in the process. Scrambling to my feet I made a dash for the side of the ship to try and get away. Just as I went to look over to figure out where to go I felt him grip my shoulder as he pulled me back.

"You have a bit of fire in you do you?" He taunted as he held me in place.

"You're a coward!" I spat wth venom in my eyes.

He rewarded me by striking my face, knocking me back with the force of his hand. I in turn glared at him, masking that I was trying not to shake in front of him

"You're only proving me right!" I assured, "You're barely a pirate! You're just a thug aren't you?! You think you're any rival compared to Duke?"

"Duke is a mere boy chasing dreams and adventure without understanding what he could really be!" Falcone scoffed while looming over me, "Who has ever heard of a pirate or thief with a code?"

"It must be working, because I had heard of Duke back home. Your name I hadn't heard of once until now!" I taunted him.

His beak twisted into a scowl as he stepped over me. He leaned close with a glare in his dark eyes, "I am the one that took his eye, and when I'm done I'll take his life with it! And if you don't hold your tounge I'll take yours with it!"

"Don't touch her!" His voice rang from behind Falcone with a firmness to it.

Looking up over Falcone's shoulder I saw Duke standing on the rail of the ship. His saber drawn he focused on the threat before him.

"I won't as long as you have what I want," Falcone assured while turning to him.

"Sorry ta disappoint ya, but I'll be leavin' with both her an' the map," Duke told him.

"You think I'm kidding do you Duke? I'm not like you, I don't have a silly code to uphold!" Falcone warned as he drew his blaster and aimed it straight at me.

"Let her go Falcone, she has nothin' ta do with this," Duke said calmly.

"Then why should it matter if her blood is spilt?" He asked as he placed his finger over the trigger.

I froze with fear gripping my chest. Duke looked over at me and seemed to take notice of my cheek as it began to bruise.

"You're nothin' but a coward!" Duke growled.

"I guess you really don't care if she dies then!" Falcone snarled.

"Heart, give it ta him!" Duke said suddenly.

I looked to him a little startled.

"Duke, the treasure you're looking for-!"

"Isn't worth your life!" He pushed firmly.

With a sigh he said, "We'll figure somethin' else out."

I bit my lower lip nervously before taking a deep breath. Then I slowly got up and slipped my hand into my vest pocket. Pulling out the map I then said, "You let us both go safely, and allow our ship time to leave."

"What's to stop me from saying no?"

In my hand, tucked beside the map was a match that I made sure to show him, "I'll torch it!"

Falcone froze as I confirmed, "If you shoot now I'll light it up!"

With a glare easing into a scoff and a smirk he said, "Fine then. Have it your way. I can track him down for his blood another day I suppose!"

I was then allowed to walk over to Duke. Keeping the map and match in my hands I watched Falcone carefully. Duke then slipped an arm around my waist as he gripped the rope he had climbed up from our ship with. With a nod of his head I tossed the map onto the deck of the ship and we quickly dropped without Duke giving a warning. I instinctively threw my arms around his neck as I hung on for dear life. Glancing up at him I noticed a smirk on his face as he noticed this, "Missed me?"

Once on the deck of our ship again Duke gave the order to Saffire to get out of sight of Falcone's ship.

"We need to find the nearest port for repairs Captain!" Diana reported.

"That's fine, jus' get us out of here for now!" He ordered.

With some resistance the ship finally responded to the commands being given to it. Behind us Falcone's masked ship fell out of sight.

"So it's a race now," Duke sighed from beside me as we watched this together.

Glancing at him I mentioned, "It's not hopeless Captain, we still have the maps I made."

"That's why I said it's a race," he said.

"Well even with this detour, I don't think it'll be all that close," I then said with a smirk of my own curvinng my lips.

"What makes ya say that?" He questioned.

Not saying a word I lead him to the desk in the cabin. He looked to me a bit surprised to see the mess of ink staining some of the sides of where the map had once rested upon it. There were also bits of shredded pieces of it scattered about the desk. When he saw this I strolled around it to open the drawer to retrieve the book he'd given me. Opening it I revealed the maps I had made tucked safely behind my drawings.

"As I said, it won't even be close," I said to him.

"Heart?" He breathed in disbelief before smiling.

"I swore I would break you free of this, and I meant it," I reminded him.

Then I thought back to the moments on Falcone's ship.

"I know you knew about these, but you didn't know about the destroyed map," I realized.

Duke shook his head, "No."

"For all you knew you could have lost this chance, your salvation from her song?"

"As I said, it wasn't worth your life love," he repeated.

"Love?"

He had only called me that when he was exhausted before, and I hadn't given it much thought before.

"I'm sorry Miss Flashblade," he quickly said, "I guess it slipped."

I tried to give a light laugh to shake it off. However he then brushed his hand over the bruise of my cheek, "I should really kill him for this. He's nothin' but a coward an' brute, a sorry excuse for a man let alone a pirate."

"Were ya scared?"

"A bit," I admitted.

"Odd, I thought you were quite brave all things considered," he mentioned still holding my cheek gently against the palm of his velvet hand.

Then he gave a soft, charming smile, "So you had heard of me before all of this?"

"I did."

"What do ya think now knowin' the man himself as opposed to a poster?"

I bit my lower lip, trying to hold in what I wanted to say to him. My thoughts were suddenly betraying me with him close like this again.

"You didn't wait the full hour," I mentioned quickly.

"As soon as I came to Saffire told me an' I went after ya. I didn't really think about it," he told me.

He then repeated his question, "Heart, what do ya think of me now that ya know me?"

He was leaning quite close to me.

"When we met I tried to draw a line in a way. I had heard of you as I said, I knew you were a pirate and a charmer. I didn't want to be the next victim of a shattered heart," I told him before I caught myself shaking.

"Darlin' can't ya see by now that I couldn't do that to ya?" He asked me when he noticed.

"So once more, what do ya think?" He enquired earnestly.

I heard myself saying with a breath, "You keep crossing that line."

He smiled still as he leaned forward and kissed my cheek now.

"Like that," I said softly.

"Then I guess my next question is," he started as he slipped his free hand up along my back to pull me close to him, "How do ya feel about me then darlin'?"

I froze with my heart pounding hard against my chest. How was it that after just over a short time he felt so familiar to me? How he looked at me? How he held me?

"Those posters didn't warn me how handsome you really are," I couldn't help but tell him, encouraging him to slip his hand gently from my cheek to beneath my chin.

"Is that so?" He asked me with a confident smirk on his face.

"Captain-"

"Please use my name darlin'," he begged with a soft chuckle as he leaned closer to me.

"Duke...I..." the words stuck to my throat, afraid of what might change.

"I think it's about time I stole your first real kiss?"

Before I could resist, speak, or answer in any way a burst of an engine erupted outside the cabin. Duke gave a frustrated sigh before brushing my cheek once more instead and pulling away.

"Sorry sweetheart," he said before going to see what had happened.

I bit my lip while taking a deep breath again. Releasing it didn't cool me down any as I looked into the mirror. My face nearly matched my hair. I tried to shake it off, knowing there were more pressing matters to tend to. Yet the shaking in my knees made it difficult to follow him at first. With another deep breath I found my composure and followed him while redrawing the line for myself.

No matter what happened, I would be going back with my brothers. No matter what I thought of him he was still a thief and a pirate wasn't he? With or without a code. No matter how I felt for him just moments ago, I had to keep myself from crossing that line. For both of our sakes, right?