Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed.
WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD
Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:
Chapter 35: Little White Lie
"You ready?" Ace was asking their newest recruit.
He'd gotten a late start on the day, much to his dismay, and much to the amusement of his crew. The Spades had all jeered and made snappy little remarks about him taking Shiori to bed with him last night. He assured them that nothing happened. Not that they believed him. He decided that it didn't really matter.
"We've already made so much progress," Artemis was saying... "Mitch-san is being a little bitch about it, but... I'm sure I can have us out of here in a jiffy!"
She smiled. And it was terrifying. So many rows of sharp teeth...
"Sounds good. Carry on then."
"Not so fast!" She proceeded to shove several various papers into his hands. She pointed to a spot on one of them. "I need someone to look over these charts and tell me if they're okay. Do these look right to you? Is this where you said that... Ah fucking hell, I can't think of the name of it... That little port town you guys recently departed from. Was it near here?"
"I uhh... I have no idea what you're talking about. I never was the best navigator, I'm just the Captain."
"Well I need to know!" She huffed, clearly exasperated. One dark sandpapery hand rested on her hip. "Where's Hoko-san?"
Ace pointed vaguely in the direction he thought the burly man had gone. She flounced off in that direction, disappearing. With so much going on all at once, it was difficult to keep track of any one person. Mitch had gone off to one side with Walter, muttering something about 'getting out of there' and 'doing some fishing to relax'.
He sighed to himself. Typical. It was normal for them to be wary of any outsiders they took in. Especially those that so readily joined them on their journey, like she had. What they didn't seem to think of was that without her, they would have no way out of this horrible place. And the Marines would have undoubtedly gotten to them long ago if it hadn't been for her interference.
"I wonder why it is that we haven't seen anymore Marine ships..." He muttered under his breath, scratching his head.
"They'd have to be crazy as all fuck to follow us here!" Artemis came up behind him, laughing. "If the coral reefs didn't get them, the debris from those who came before, or the rocks along the way would. Or they'd just get plain fucking lost in the maze! And even if they managed to somehow make it through all of that, we'd still give 'em hell once they caught up."
Apparently she'd found Hoko. He was right behind her. He marched over to the helm, adjusting the steering only very slightly. Then he began looking over the charts carefully.
"Guess you're right... That we would, that we would, haha!" He clapped her on the shoulder. "I'll leave it to you then, Miss Navigator."
"Aye aye Captain!" She saluted him in a playful fashion, laughing.
"And Hoko-san..."
"Hm?" He looked up from the sea charts he was now perusing over.
Ace drew in a breath. It was now or never. "Show her the map and inform her where we're going. And why."
Although this was actually somewhat of a big deal, one wouldn't have guessed it from their nonchalant mood and the easy shrug their shoulders exchanged. Artemis was confused, but interested nonetheless. She sat on a barrel just a few feet away from their former navigator, swinging her bare feet and looking on with renewed interest, while waiting to hear whatever he had to say.
"I'll get right on it boss." Hoko replied, scratching his beard in a bored fashion.
Many hours later, Artemis had led them through the maze and back into open water. Aside from the occasional icebergs they had to maneuver around, things were much smoother now. In truth, she did not regret her decision to help the Spade Pirates with their endeavors... And although it was borderline insulting, it hadn't necessarily been such a bad thing that they'd chosen to fish her up from the briny deep.
After all, she had been curious about them too. Now that she was getting to know everyone, things were getting a lot more interesting. If they'd been bad people, she would not have hesitated to try to fight them, or just elude them altogether, but... They seemed nice enough. They kept her fed and were willing to put a roof over her head, plus they'd promised to pay her for her work. All in all, it wasn't a very bad deal.
Despite being out of the Dread Coral Maze, they were now in danger of hitting the numerous icebergs that they passed by. The shark girl did her best to ensure that they steered The Royal far out of the way of them. The northern seas were treacherous this time of year. Luckily, she was able to use the sonar microchip she'd been implanted with to detect just how big an obstacle was, even when the majority of it remained underwater.
She hadn't really reacted when Hoko had let her in on their little secret. They were Pirates, so it was to be expected that they'd come out this way searching for treasure. She'd responded with a shrug, and let it go. It wasn't her business. She was assured her pay no matter what, so what did it matter where they were headed? It wasn't like she'd tell anyone. She had no one to tell, and even if she did, it's not like they would be able to venture way out here anyway.
She'd been checking for their destination for a while now, picking up the spyglass to glance through it every now and then. It just so happened that in the midst of her ponderings, she spotted something through it this time. It was small from this distance, a mere dot on the horizon, but it was there.
"We've arrived!" She called down to the rest of the crew, watching their faces light up instantly. "Land ho!"
Although it was a cheesy thing to say, it got the job done. They seemed to all come alive, one by one. Every hand on deck was working to steer them closer toward the island in the distance.
Meanwhile, Shiori was recovering from her second consecutive hangover. She'd awoken bright and early that morning, in Ace's bed. At least she hadn't been so drunk that she blacked out. Remembering everything that had happened the previous night, she was humiliated all over again just replaying the events in her mind. That was when she'd heard their navigator call out that she'd sighted land.
'No, not right now... Not while I feel like this... Ohhh...' She groaned inwardly.
Although it had dulled, the pain was still immense... Shiori was resting her chin on the railing that ran along one side of the Royal. Her arms were draped over it on either side, and that was all that was holding her up. Her knees just barely scraped the deck, her legs hanging uselessly to either side, stretched out behind her.
Awkwardly pulling herself up from her lazy position, the Valkyrie stiffened when she heard footsteps approaching.
"We're here," Ace explained to her, his voice even and gentle. He patted her back and began rubbing it lightly, in an effort to make her feel better. "We need you on deck. Sorry, but I figure since this is mostly your deal, that you'd want the honor of taking the first steps onto the island."
She only nodded, trying not to lean too much on the railing. The surf nearby the island was horribly high. Every time they hit another wave, she would feel slightly more sick.
"Sorry, I'm n-not used to getting seasick. It's never happened until now."
"It's okay." He smiled, helping her toward the main deck by letting her lean on him.
She looked up at him and returned his smile as they walked. 'This is kind of nice...'
'Glad you're having fun!' She heard Vanora quip, from somewhere near the crowd of Pirates that had gathered on deck.
Shiori shot her a glare as soon as they were in sight.
She waited to see what the others would do, but most were either scurrying about the ship making preparations, or staring nervously in the direction of the mass of land they were fast approaching. She and Ace went over to the helm, in case they were needed.
The shark girl was currently squinting and looking through a bronze metallic spyglass. It was aimed toward the island, and everything seemed alright, at first. She noticed what looked like another ship pulling up slowly along one side of the snowy island. The closer they drew near, the more it occurred to her that they might have company.
"What is that?" Artemis suddenly stopped what she was doing, and placed it on a nearby barrel. "Another ship?" She began climbing up the rope ladder that led to the crow's nest. "I need a better look!"
Mitch grabbed the spyglass from where she'd discarded it. He gazed through it as well, slowly becoming overwhelmed by a look of awe. He then dropped the valuable tool hastily, as if it were cursed.
"It's..." He hesitated, noticing that many of the Spades were looking at him expectantly, their Captain included. "It's the Eyphah Maura!"
Immediately, Ace's eyes widened, his face visibly paled, and he took off running. Where, he did not know, but... For several minutes, the ship erupted in a mass panic at the mere mention of that name.
"What do you mean? What's going on?" Shiori was dumbstruck.
She did not understand what was happening, but the implications that it was something bad began to sink in almost immediately. It was a given, seeing how upset everyone was. She shrank into her fleece jacket, putting her hands into the large pocket at the front and trying to figure out what was going on.
"You got me..." Artemis shrugged, coming back down from her latest vantage point. "I have no clue what the bloody hell's going on anymore. I give up!"
With an irritated scowl, the shark girl walked into the galley, muttering something about needing a drink. She'd left them to sort it out.
"This is not good! Very not good!" Haji was mumbling, trying to hide himself behind one of the smaller crates they had on board.
Walter had raced across to the front of the ship too. "It's her! She's found us..."
"Who?" Shiori was beginning to become annoyed. "A-alright, enough is enough! Just what is going on here?!"
She shouted at Ace, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt the next time he ran past. The bright yellow material stretched, but surprisingly it didn't rip. It halted him in his steps, and he turned to her.
"That ship belongs to..." He hesitated, not wanting to say any names. "An old enemy of ours. You might say they have a vendetta against us. We need to... Damn it, we can't set foot on this island! We have to get out of here."
"And where you have us go? Back through the coral maze?!"
Ace blinked. He'd never really seen her get angry at him like this. He had to get a grip. "Alright, okay... We did come all this way, but-"
"Why don't we just go the fuck around it?" Artemis had appeared behind him, a drink in her hand and none to offer anyone else. "To the other side or something? I'm sure we could pull that off." She took a deep swig.
The Captain stared at her blankly. "Yes, do that."
"Well it's better than leaving, after we've come all this way... I'd swim over and get more information, but the waters here are uncomfortably cold." As if to emphasize her point, a shiver ran through her.
Despite being a bit more chilled than she was used to, the shark girl navigated the ship to the far side of the island with practiced ease. Even she was in warmer clothes now, donning a thick black knit coat. The others were doing their best to keep a mass panic from breaking out. The only ones who were even remotely unphased by it were Shiori and Artemis. They didn't know what the Eyphah Maura was, or why they should fear it. To them, it seemed like the Spade Pirates were acting ridiculous. But it worried Shiori a bit. If even someone as rational as Walter was panicking, that meant whatever they were up against couldn't be good.
"Any idea where we go from here?" Artemis demanded, showing Shiori the charts she'd drawn up. But they all looked like gibberish to her, and she could only shrug. "Didn't they give you any instructions for what to do once you got here?"
"Ahh, n-no..." She seemed to look to Ace, with a certain hesitance behind her words.
"It's okay," He assured her, even though he didn't feel very sure of things himself at the present time. "You can tell her everything you told me. She's one of us now, same as you."
"Alright, well... When Bay-sama gave me the map, she only s-said that I should look for the ice sword. I have no idea how to go about finding it or anything though. To tell you the t-truth, I never really thought I'd make it this far..."
"So we're basically going to be exploring this blind, huh?"
Shiori nodded.
With Hoko's help, the new navigator managed to pull their ship into a small inlet that seemed to pass through the west side of the island. They'd originally approached it from the east, but that was a no-go, thanks to the Eyphah Maura's unwarranted presence.
Ace had hurried off to make sure things were going smoothly. They were preparing the ship to be moored to some of the trees on the strange island. It should further conceal it from the prying eyes of their enemies, or anyone else who might want to find them.
"How they even found this place at all is a complete mystery to me..." Artemis complained. "Without a map, I mean... It would be next to impossible, wouldn't it?"
Hoko only shrugged. "I dunno... Your guess is as good as mine."
"Are you absolutely sure there's only one map?" She demanded, shaking the fading piece of parchment at Shiori.
"That's what I was t-told, yes... I'm sorry?"
Her platinum locks whipped about in the wind, as they made a sharp turn and sailed a little deeper into the inlet. She could hear the vicious wind howling in her ears. The chill was already setting in.
Artemis sighed. "Don't be fucking sorry. You've done nothing wrong. Maybe those other Pirates just got lucky somehow."
"Those aren't just any old Pirates," Hoko lowered his voice to make sure no one else heard them. "They're the Scarlet Pirates... Our hated enemies. We'd do well to steer clear of them while we're here."
The two girls nodded in tandem.
"I see..." Shiori looked up, her rosy eyes now full of purpose. "So we get in, find the treasure and the sword, and get out before we run into trouble, yeah?"
"That's the plan," Ace agreed. "But things hardly ever go according to plan..."
Despite how unsettling it was, they soon began to explore the island. The first thing they'd noticed was the large plume of smoke on the far side, a sure sign that the enemy ship was indeed moored there and that a camp had been set up. Ace was normally very brave, but right now, he seemed to be the most nervous of them all. It was completely out of character for him and his crew took note.
There was a grim silence that had settled over most of the crew. They'd done their best to secure their ship and scout the immediate area surrounding them. It was getting late, so there was little doubt that they would be spending the night somewhere close by, since they wouldn't be able to make much progress before nightfall.
The second thing they'd noticed was an enormous mountainous area deep within the heart of the forest. It towered over everything, and seemed to have at least a few caves and rocky crevasses in it.
"If there's treasure anywhere on this entire cursed island," Mitch was saying, pointing to the top of it as their group walked. "It's likely to be there. I'm sure they would've figured that out too though."
"Who are they, anyway?" Shiori asked, fidgeting with the hem of her jacket, not used to wearing her new clothes yet. "I mean really?"
None of them were broken in yet. It was annoying. And it also annoyed her the way everyone was being so secretive about everything lately. What was the Eyphah Maura and why was it even significant? The Ace she knew wouldn't have been afraid of anything, he would have welcomed danger with open arms. And in the end, he would've managed to kick it's ass too!
"The Scarlet Pirates... They-"
"Don't." Ace interrupted him, sitting down by the pile of wood they'd managed to gather. "Don't you dare!"
Mitch immediately stopped talking. He shrugged, walking away to help the others with carrying their supplies. Ace had declared that only he, Shiori, Haji, and Walter, would come with them. They'd left the others back at the ship, including Artemis. She might have been a good asset to them, with her abilities, but the cold would get to her long before it would touch any of them. It wasn't safe. Shiori had even left Vanora back on board with the others, after talking with her about it, for similar reasons.
Plus, someone had to stay behind to look after the ship. The more of their crew they left behind to defend it, the better off they would all be, in the long run. The ones exploring the island could have more peace of mind that way too. If they found anything significant or that they couldn't handle, they were supposed to fall back and signal for backup using some flares.
"Why are you acting like this?" The Valkyrie confronted him, her face slowly twisting into a scowl. "I don't get what the big deal is. I've never even heard of these people before. Everyone is all hush-hush about it, and I'm s-sick of it! Are they really that dangerous that we can't even speak of them?"
He looked at her, their eyes meeting for the first time in a while. Her heart rate increased, though she wasn't sure why... He grabbed her wrist, narrowing his eyes.
"You have no idea how much of a threat they can be. Especially to you. If you see any of them while we're here, leave. Run. Do whatever you can to get away, and don't look back."
"But-" She began to protest.
"Promise me! Promise me you'll run away. Do not confront them, don't even try."
Ace let her go then, although she was shaken.
"A-alright..."
As far as their Captain was concerned, the conversation was more than over. He turned to light the small camp fire they'd made. The Spades were more than aware that the smoke could alert the others to their location, but the island was so big that it would take them several days to reach one another. And there was still a chance that they might not even notice. It was a secluded place, after all. It's not like they'd be looking for other crews.
Shiori sat on an overturned log, watching the flames flare up, twisting from his palms into a beautiful shape, before dying down once they had ignited everything. The fire continued to burn, slowly consuming the sparse kindling it had been provided with. She watched the twigs wither under the intense heat.
The first night had been a fair one... They'd spent the night in individual sleeping bags they'd brought along, spread out by the fire for what little warmth it offered. The ground was cold, due to the recently fallen snow that littered the soil and stiffened the foliage. Luckily, they had been designed for optimal insulation, even in intense conditions like their group was facing.
"What's this island called, anyway?" Haji asked, using a machete to cut a path through the dense vegetation.
"Aisurashi Island..." Ace told him.
"Let me get this straight. We're exploring a place- mostly blind and without many supplies, mind you- called 'Ice Storm Island'?" Mitch raised an eyebrow. "Not sure I like the sound of that. Who's idea was this again?"
Walter shrugged. He'd been very quiet this whole trip. It was good to have a medic with them in case something went wrong, but it made them wonder why he wasn't saying much.
"It was mine," Shiori growled. She was sick of walking. They'd been trudging through the snow all day... "And it's just a name."
The four of them followed Haji further through the woods. They were all freezing and no one wanted to say anything much. It would only cause more bickering. Presently, their spirits were nearly as bitter as the biting cold. Every few steps, they would have to stop, as their vertically-challenged friend would have to take long enough to use his weapon to chop down another bit of vegetation that stood in their way. He was very short, so the others would always have to duck down to avoid low-hanging branches that he wasn't able to get to. They didn't mind though.
To say they were traveling through a forest was a massive understatement... The strange plants that grew there made it look more like a jungle than anything. It was strange, because the trees and bushes weren't deadened by the heavy frost. It was like they were frozen in time, green as ever.
Little flakes of frost hung in the air, and Shiori instinctively moved a little closer to Ace for warmth. He was always warm... It was just his nature. He hadn't even bothered to bundle up very much yet, wearing just his favorite plain yellow shirt. He had at least traded in his shorts for a proper pair of pants, but they looked admittedly strange on him. Shiori herself had chosen to bring a big fluffy gray and white jacket, which should keep her warm enough, along with the pair of worn light blue denim jeans she'd gotten back at the last port.
"At this rate, we're never going to find anything..." Mitch muttered under his breath, sighing. Even he pulled his jacket tighter around himself, when another gust of wind blew through.
And then Walter did speak. "Why'd you even come along if all you were going to do is complain the entire time? You could make yourself useful by grabbing a machete too, you know." He appeared to be quite cozy in his long trench coat.
"Oh, so Mr. Doctor finally has something to say!" He spat. "Like I'm going to freeze my hands off just to save all your sorry asses. If I-"
"Stop." Ace's voice had not raised one octave in pitch... But what he lacked in volume, he definitely made up for in emphasis. "Both of you. Haji-san, please give Mitch-san one of your spare swords until he learns to be respectful of his fellow crew mates."
"Sure thing!"
The little man reached for the sash that was tied around his waist, securing all kinds of weapons, some of which dragged the ground... He tossed one to Mitch, who cursed, but managed to catch it before it cut him. Despite the glare he shot his Captain, he began helping Haji cut a path for them. At least now they could straighten their backs a little more as they went along. Their little group carried on like this for quite a while...
"It's not like we even know which way to go for sure. We should probably head over toward the center of the island first, things look less dense over there and-"
"No, we should just cut a straight path from here to that big mountain..." Ace argued. "There will be less chance that we'll be seen that way."
"Wouldn't it a-also make it easier for that other crew to find us though?" Shiori wondered, thinking out loud.
She knew they weren't supposed to talk about it, but it felt like something that should be brought up anyway. She still did not miss the way Ace tensed up at the mere mention of the other crew that was likely to be there.
"Not really. This way, we can rush in, grab the goodies, and rush back out again. Simple."
"That seems way too easy..." She shook her head, her snowy hair swaying as she did so.
"Doesn't it though?" Ace grinned, seeming to think it was a very cunning plan.
The small group continued to walk on in silence. It had been a while since they'd last stopped for rations. Shiori's stomach growled, but she ignored it, trudging on through the pain. She was used to going hungry and was no stranger to the familiar hollow feeling that plagued her empty belly.
"We should stop and make camp soon," Walter warned them, struggling to walk through the thickening snow. "It's going to get dark and it will be even colder tonight."
"How do you know?" Mitch challenged, while sticking his sword into the ground hastily. Haji glared at the way he leaned on it afterward, but said nothing.
"It appears that you're ready for a break. Tired already? Or just a wimp?" The doctor also send him a death-glare.
"Don't pick at him, Walter-kun..." Shiori advised. She was sick of everyone's bickering too. "We're all on the same crew."
"I wasn't. I was only pointing out that-"
A brisk howling sound interrupted their chatter. Everyone froze, listening. Eyes darted around, watching for any sign of trouble. It almost sounded like wolves, but it was different, more eerie somehow... And louder, deeper... Ace shifted his weight, looking this way and that. They didn't see anything, and it didn't happen again, so after a few minutes, the tension faded.
"Wh-what was that?" The girl was the first to speak.
"I don't know," Ace shrugged. "You know more about this damned island than any of us do, remember? Anyway, Walter-kun is right... We need to start setting up camp."
"Here?" Mitch made a face, his features twisting in disgust.
"Yeah. I don't know where is safest, we haven't figured that out yet. So here will have to do."
"I could see if I could catch something for us for dinner...?" Haji offered.
"Mitch-kun, start gathering firewood. Shiori-chan, can you go with Haji?" She nodded at their Captain's words. "Walter-kun, help me unpack everything and clear a place for the bonfire."
No one argued. They were all too tired and worn out with exhaustion for that. They just set out to do as they'd been told. At least they had a leader with them to help keep things organized. Shiori didn't know what they'd do without Ace.
'Or what I'd do without him, for that matter...' She mused, already leaving most of her stuff behind and following Haji through the woods.
The more she looked at the trees and dense vegetation, with huge green leaves, and fresh vines hanging everywhere, the more she came to realize that this was definitely not a forest. It was a jungle... They hadn't really encountered much in the way of potential food except for the occasional rabbit, but even those were few and far between. She didn't like the thought of having to eat an animal's flesh. Things were dire right now though, and their ration supply was gradually dwindling down.
"What kind of tracks are these?" She pointed to the ground, where several footprints were visible. They seemed to cut across the path that the two Pirates were walking.
"I'm not sure," Haji narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing them carefully. "But they look bigger than a rabbit's. Let's go." He now wore an excited grin.
To say that he was bloodthirsty would have been an understatement. Several weeks cooped up on the ship had made most of them bored and anxious.
The Valkyrie followed him, content to go along with whatever hunting plans he might have in mind. They went a few more steps before they heard something rustling around in the bushes. The pair tensed up, waiting while holding their breath... For so long, neither moved.
A pure white snow fox stepped forward from the underbrush, and it's fur bristled the moment it caught sight of them. It froze in it's tracks. Shiori stood very still. She took a minute to appreciate it's beauty, seeing that it's footprints matched the ones that they'd seen earlier. Then she saw Haji taking out a dagger from his turban, the wrap only letting a single blade emerge from it. He knew his gear inside out, and knew exactly how to get just the one he wanted. He began to creep closer to the animal, taking it step by frozen step.
"No!" Shiori screamed, lunging forward when she realized what was about to happen. "You can't kill it!"
She wrapped her body around it protectively. The fox didn't seem to understand what she was driving at, and it began to growl menacingly.
"What are you doing?! Do you want us all to starve to death?" He scowled at her, but let the hand that held the dagger fall to his side anyway.
"S-sorry, but... We can't eat such a beautiful creature! It would be so wrong. Please, let's keep looking?"
She looked at the fox's snarling face, feeling its warm breath fanning her face, and pulling away a bit. She knew that it might bite her, but in her opinion, that would still be better than the alternative... When she moved off of it, the stunning creature darted back into the woods, disappearing into the bushes opposite them.
"We're never going to find anything to eat, at this rate..." Haji grumbled, but he kept walking. He'd decided that today was that fox's lucky day.
"M-maybe we can find something else to eat. That way, you won't have to kill anything."
"The next thing I find, I kill." He made a sawing motion over his neck with the back of the dagger's blade. "No arguing."
"Okay, sorry..."
Shiori looked down at her feet as they continued walking. She knew she'd probably just screwed up big time. It would have been an easy kill, since they'd caught it off guard like they had. And she was sure Mitch and Ace would be out for blood once they found out what she had just done... But she'd felt so sad for the poor animal, and wasn't willing to stand by while something was being killed for her sake, even if was for survival reasons.
Haji muttered something to himself about how he should have left her back at the camp. Otherwise, he said nothing to her. They went past a long stretch of the dense snowy jungle. Right now, she almost wished that she had the power to clear all of the snow away, instead of only creating more.
She heard water running, but it was moving very slowly. It still caught their attention enough for both of them to silently make their way over toward it. What they found there wasn't too much of a surprise, but it somehow managed to stun them anyway. Icy cold water flowed around tiny islands covered with trees, grass, and reeds. It was like a half-frozen swamp of some kind.
"There should be fish there..." Shiori pointed out, stopping at the bank when she spotted something else. That was when she got excited. "And look! Berries! I think this kind is safe to eat, but we could pick some and then ask Walter-kun if they're safe when we get back. He should know for sure."
Without waiting for an answer, she was already picked them. Haji only nodded, not seeing any need in stopping her. It was a good idea. He ventured forward, taking a look at the strange new terrain and contemplating a way to get through it.
Shiori watched him from a distance. The little light blue berries squished in her hands as she picked them, staining them like ink. She put as many as she could into her bag, before she had to stop to warm up her hands. She knew she should have probably worn gloves to pick them, but there wasn't time for that, and it's not like she had any handy anyway.
Haji had taken down a long, slim tree branch, and fashioned it into a spear by tying a dagger to one end. He had plenty more to replace it if the first one ended up failing or coming detached somehow. Which was good, since he'd rather not go into the water after it. Not in these freezing temperatures...
"Aha!" He let out a glad cry once he'd managed to spear a fresh fish. "Gotcha!" The trout flailed on the end of his makeshift spear, the dagger's tip gleaming from its belly.
"That's so barbaric..." Shiori said sadly, although she continued picking berries.
"It may be barbaric, but it's what's gonna feed us tonight." He replied, pausing to string up the fish, before going after another...
Once they both had enough, they decided to head to where the others were waiting. Since they hadn't ventured all that far from camp, it was a fairly short walk back. Haji wasn't too prideful, but he was pleased with himself for having caught so many fish for them. It would be a surprise, since he knew the others were expecting them to bring back game.
When they returned, they saw that all was well. The Valkyrie let out a sigh of relief, at the sight of Ace and the others warming themselves by the fire he'd recently made.
"Did you get anything good?" Ace eyed the string of fish that Haji struggled to carry.
"I'm not sure," The little man seemed nervous, as he delivered his catch to his Captain. "But I got some fish, if that's good enough? They're a little on the small side, we didn't..." He hesitated, noticing how Shiori started fidgeting more the moment he began. "We didn't come across any game on the way."
'Why did he lie for me?' She wondered, tensing up even more, if that were possible.
"I found some berries," The albino girl managed, showing them to everyone before depositing the scrap of cloth in Walter's lap. "I'm not sure if they're edible or not?"
"These are hackleberries, if I'm not mistaken..." He muttered, with a slight nod. "They are a little sour, but... They'll do nicely and should even pair well with the trout Haji-san caught."
"I see... I'm glad then." She smiled.
While Ace was busy cleaning and preparing the fish, she dug out her sleeping bag and started to get everything ready for the long night ahead. For some reason, she didn't want to seem too obvious by sleeping right next to him. It might make things weird. So she put her bag between Haji's and Walter's, completely avoiding Ace's. She didn't want to be too close to Mitch either, due to his foul mood. He wasn't helping get the food ready, but he was making sure the fire they'd built didn't go out, so it was better than nothing.
"This should turn out really good!" Ace was bragging on their good luck. "You two did awesome! I wasn't even expecting you to find anything, so even if it's small, it's still pretty great." His smile could have easily lit up the entire world.
'At the end of the day, I guess it's the little things that matter most.' Shiori smirked to herself.
It wasn't long before the delicious smell of food being cooked wafted through the air. They were glad they'd thought to bring along some cooking utensils, despite trying to travel lightly. The truth was, they really didn't have a clue how long it would take to find what they'd come for. Or if they'd even find it at all... They might even have to be out here for months, if things took a turn for the worse.
When dinner was ready, Ace gave everyone their fair share. They ate in silence, just appreciating the warmth of the fire glowing in their faces and the fish, accented with berries, filling their empty stomachs. Even after the small meal, they were still hungry, but at least it was enough to placate them for the time being.
Oddly, Mitch was the one who broke the silence this time. "So I've been thinking about it and..." He hesitated, waiting until he had everyone's attention, most especially Ace's. "I don't want a share of the treasure when we find it."
"Why not?" If he was surprised, he didn't show it. Ace held a steady poker face the entire time, although he did seem curious what his first mate had to say. He turned to him, his lips tight and face blank.
"I want my share to be invested back in the ship and crew. It's my right to deny it if I want. And I won't have any arguing about it. So that's that."
"That's what I like about you. Even if you get angry for a while, you're still loyal to the bitter end." He shook his head in disbelief.
"We should get some rest," Walter advised, wisely. "We'll need it."
The others nodded and each muttered their agreement. Shiori turned down her sleeping bag, content to settle into it, despite the encroaching cold. The darkness spread over them, which only served to make it much worse.
She wasn't sure what to make of Mitch's declaration. Did he expect others to do the same? He certainly hadn't seemed like it. And she had, in fact, already forfeited her own rights to whatever treasure the island might hold. She was only after the sword she'd been promised. Maybe it was his way of apologizing, but if the legendary treasure was as large as they'd expected, then it was a pretty big sacrifice to make when a simple apology would have more than sufficed.
She mulled it all over as she closed her eyes, trying desperately to fall asleep in spite of the many different worries that still plagued her. Just as she'd begun to drift off, some footsteps near their camp caused her eyes to shoot open.
"Wh-what was that?" She asked timidly, trying to alert the others without the intruder hearing them.
"What was what?" Walter sat up to look around.
"Huh?" Mitch and Haji raised their heads up.
"I heard something. I think someone's out there..."
"If you're scared," Ace chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "You can always come sleep over here by me."
He was joking, but she shot him a glare anyway. Mitch laughed openly at his antics, shaking his head in partial disbelief. She really didn't have an answer for him, so she waited to see if whoever was making the little rustling noises would come any closer. They didn't... At first.
She shifted around in her sleeping bag, intent on scooting closer to the fire. In spite of her worry about the strange sounds near their camp, she was getting too cold. And despite being built for it, the air here was so chilling that it was making even her shiver. The others realized that she was right when they also heard some movement nearby, and Ace was putting a finger to his lips to shush everyone. Just when she started to get up, something moved again, encircling their camp without coming any closer. Whoever it was, they were nearest to her, and closing in...
"What-"
Before she could get the sentence out, a dazzling solid white fox dashed out of the underbrush. It stood in the middle of their encampment, glancing over each of them, and staring her down. In its powerful jaws, the arctic fox held a single snow bunny... Freshly killed. It placed it down right beside her, using its nose to push it toward her.
"I..." Shiori sucked in a breath, unsure of what to do. "Thank you..." She sighed in relief, nodding her head to the fox regally and watching in amusement as it did the same. "And you're welcome, little friend."
The others could only stare on in amazement. The fox vanished back into the crystalline coated jungle just as mysteriously as it had appeared, leaving them all to wonder whether they'd really seen it at all.
"That girl is a witch..." Mitch muttered, once again shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Has to be."
"What was that all about?" Ace chuckled, his eyes sparkling in the dim glow of the bonfire.
"I guess he was just saying thank you for something that happened earlier." She replied, not wanting to give away Haji's little white lie. It wouldn't be right to get him in trouble with his Captain.
"This will make a nice breakfast for us tomorrow," He got up to secure the freshly killed rabbit. "Not much, but at least it's food."
She nodding, rolling over and trying to get some rest so she could keep up her strength. They had a long journey ahead...
A/N: That's it for this chapter! So things are getting pretty crazy, now that they've made it to their destination... Everything will really pick up in the next chapter, and it's full of action and a little more awkward romance, so I hope you're ready for that. Thanks for the words of encouragement, and recent subscriptions to this story. It's what keeps me going. And thank you for 100 reviews, omg! I never thought this story would get that many, I'm so happy! :D
-Kaline