Chapter Three: Sasha 'Silver' Arlinwi
Keladry slammed the door to her rooms closed behind her and she paced, hands running through her hair and making it tangle into angry knots. She couldn't believe it, she was just so angry, she wanted to break something. What was she going to do? She had to go and rescue her family, maybe ferry the Yamani's safely to Tortall…but Tortall wasn't their friend was it, no, King Jonathon made that very clear, they weren't worth the trouble 'all he cares about is his war with Scanra.'Kel turned her attention to the door when she heard fast talking and a few people shouting. Glaring at the wood she waited until whoever it was outside. The door flew open and there stood three rather upset and angry Yamani women, followed by a smirking Joren.
"Kel I cannot believe that you DID that! I mean, what were you thinking, talking to the King like that! He could have had you killed, and where would that have gotten us? Were you even thinking?" Keladry glared at Shinko before sighing and sinking into one of the couches. Shinko ran a shaking hand through her long black hair and walked over to Keladry, sitting down next to the irritated and frustrated girl. "I understood that we wouldn't be given help immediately if something like this had happened. Think about it, if the King sent his troops to the Yamani Islands then he would be leaving his lands open for the Scanran's. He was thinking of his own people Kel, otherwise I do believe that he would help us!" Kel knew she was right, and she hated to admit it, but she was still angry at the King because of it.
"He could at least spare a few soldiers, the Yamani's need help Cricket, and whether King Jonathon likes it or not, once the Pirates have secured the Yamani's nothing will stop them from taking over Tortall. He needs to stop it now." Keladry ran and hand over her face tiredly "Before its too late" She whispered, her heart painfully crying out to her captured parents, the killed Emperor and all those Yamani's who were killed, captured or hiding with her siblings. All those people and with no one willing to help them. Well she wasn't going to sit back and wait for something to happen. 'think Kel, come on think! Something about what that mage showed us must be of some importance….but what?'
Getting up from the chair she ignored the other occupants of the room who watched her as she paced, her face deep in thought. The two remaining Yamani ladies quickly took her vacated seat, watching her worriedly. Joren leant against the wall, his own mind thinking of the Mindelan's, the people who used to look after him while his father was on business, the three older brothers he never had who taught him to track, to chase the girls around, how to have fun.
"I need to get to the Yamani capital without danger, so…." Keladry broke off into thought, still trying to piece together what was forming rapidly in her mind "I'll….go as a pirate….aboard the Arlinwi transporter ship. Ha! I knew there was something from that conversation that would be worth something." Kel cried out, her hazel eyes bright. The pirate ship would be easy to find, all she had to do was get the right person drunk and she'd be fine on her own, Pirates didn't desecrate their own. That was a way to get their, and that was all she needed. The Yamani ladies would be fine while they were in Tortall, they would be protected by the foreign affairs law. She would put herself in danger to save who she could. Looking up at the shocked faces she smiled brightly.
"I'll go and pac-"
"What the hell do you mean, you'll go as a pirate?" Joren's voice carried strongly across the room. Kel looked up at him and rolled her eyes
"Exactly what that sentence means. It's the safest way to get to the Yamani's" Joren moved forwards threateningly
"I don't think so! You'll be caught, and you're not going on your own." Keladry smiled
"Does that mean your coming with me Joren of Stone Mountain?" he snarled at her and stormed out the room, she wasn't quite certain why he was so angry. Shrugging she turned to the three women who were bitting their bottom lips and looking uncertainly at her.
"I don't know Kel, this doesn't seem like it will be very safe." Yuki said, her eyes bright with fear for her friend.
"I know, but I have to at least try don't I?" All three women nodded their heads reluctantly and began to plan for how Keladry was to dress, how her mannerisms should change and they planned out possible outcomes of different situations so that if any should arise then Keladry would be ready and able to react quickly enough to save herself.
~
A few hours later
"Do you want us to go with you?" Keladry looked herself over in the full length looking glass that the Yamani ladies had in their rooms, her hair had been cut to shoulder length and had many layers throughout it, giving it a scruffy look, The wound on her cheek had healed leaving a straight white scar. Haname pierced Keladry's ears and pulled two large gold hoops through them. Keladry soothed her hands over the white three quater top that exposed her toned stomach and her shoulders. Her pants were low on her small hips and were black. Her knee high boots were left unpolished as she didn't want people thinking she was rich, a curved sword hung at her side and a black bandanna held her bangs away from her face. The Yamani ladies were pleased with the change and helped Keladry hide a numerous amount of daggers under her clothes.
"It'll be safer if I go alone, and I'll get a lot more information dressed this way. Don't worry, nothing will happen to me alright?" The three Yamani ladies sighed and conceded, smiling gently at Keladry as she moved swiftly towards the door.
"You know, with that scar on your cheek and across your stomach you look like a ruffian. Be careful ok Kel?" Keladry smirked at the three women and bowed low to them
"As you wish, your highness" and she winked playfully at them before closing the door behind her, the laughter from inside following her as she left for her date with the seedy bars of Corus.
Ice blue eyes flashed from a dark alley as Keladry waltzed past before disappearing back into the shadows.
Kel continued on her way, keeping up the swaggering lilt to her walk as to give off a confident air to those around her. She spotted one of the more seedier places and smiled in satisfaction, she would find a pirate ship headed for the Yamani Islands before the night was over. She slammed the door to the inn carelessly open and peered around, there were fifteen men inside, five serving girls, and the bar man. Having counted the odds against her were there to be a brawl and quickly locating all possible exits she walked to the bar and slouched down on one of the stools there. The bar tender smiled at her and she ordered some beer, her eyes darting all over the place trying to find the most likely to have a loose tongue. 'this is going to be a long night.'
~
"So I said t'him, I said, missta! I…don' lika yoar attitude" Keladry rolled her eyes are the man she was sitting with slurred his words together 'damn it! This fricken moron isn't going to tell me anything about pirates, who the hell cares about what he said to his lover. Bah!'
"Who was this again?" Keladry asked in a bored tone. The man stopped talking and stared at her for a long time, his eyes trying to focus on her face.
"Carl, he was my lover…until he decided that he wasn't what he thought he was and went and joined that old scallywag silver." Kel tuned out of what the man was rambling on about for a moment 'silver…silver, now where have I hea-' Keladry grinned and patted the guy on the back, making him spill his beer down the front of his shirt.
"oh, sorry about that, here, let me buy you another one. So tell me, what was so good about this Silver person? Do you know where he is? Maybe we could get your lover back for you." Keladry had no idea what she was going on about, but she was just so excited that this idiotic man might know where she could find Silver and gain passage to the Yamani islands. The drunken man smirked and sluggishly grabbed at his new beer, taking a swig he turned back to Keladry and placed a large had on her shoulder.
"yaor a nice lad," Keladry frowned but allowed it to pass, after all the man was a drunkard. "but I don't think I'll be able to get Carl back, but I do know where Silver is, Carl did say that if I ever needed anything, like money or the likes then I'd just have to go to pier seven and find him, he was such a nice man, I just….why didn't he love me?" Keladry sat back as the man cried like there was no tomorrow, she had all the information that she needed and buying the man one last drink she bid farewell.
Stepping out of the inn she breathed in the cool night air, stretching her muscles she smiled and headed back towards the palace to pack her bags and the inform the Yamani ladies of what had taken place that night. She again missed the cool, blue eyes that watched her from the shadows and picked up her pace just a little, knowing that where she was right at that moment wasn't really a place one wanted to spend a lot of time in.
~
Joren of stone mountain stayed where he was, counted to ten and watched as three burly men stepped out of the inn.
"How much did she find out?" one asked, his eyes following the disappearing form of Keladry
"The location, we'd better hurry and kill her, Silver doesn't want anyone to know." This time it was the third, a man with a scar running down the left side of his face
"What about Carl's guy?" The last asked, his eyes narrowing slightly
"Leave him, by tomorrow he'll have forgotten everything he's said, and we'll be gone." Number one stated, he pulled his sword out of its sheath and moved to follow Keladry. Joren smirked and stepped from the shadows and directly into the men's path.
"Cutthroat would be very displeased with her death." The three men stopped dead in their tracks, their eyes widening. Scar face however got over his shock at hearing the feared pirates name said out loud and sneered.
"Well cutthroat aint here, and you wont be alive long enough to tell him who it was that did away with the girl." Joren watched calmly as the three men circled him, their curved short swords directed at him. He slowly took off his jerkin and shirt to reveal slightly tanned skin encasing pure muscle and a dark tattoo printed on his right shoulder, twin swords crossing each other. The mark of Cutthroat. All three men dropped their swords and knelt on the ground in submission. Joren pulled his shirt and jerkin back on and rolled his neck.
"Take me to Silver"
~
the next day
Keladry stood before pier seven, her eyes trained on the men walking on the deck and up in the ropes and sails, preparing the ship to leave. She grinned, tightened her hold on her bag and walked purposefully towards the gangplank.
"Ho their little missy, where do you think your going?" Keladry glanced at the man and continued to step onto the wooden walkway. "oh no you don't" Strong hands clasped onto her waist and hefted her off of the Gangplank and back onto the pier. Keladry turned to meet the dark skinned Carthakian and growled low in her throat.
"Keep your hands to yourself boy, I have business with Silver." The dark skinned man barked out a laugh and shook his head
"I don't think so little missy. Now run along back to where ever you came from." Keladry sneered at the man and pulled her curved sword from its sheath.
"Let me pass, boy" The Carthakian grinned and pulled his weapon from off his back, the metal bo staff gleamed in the sun. All activity around them stopped as they watched the girl and pirate face off. Keladry lowered her stance, ready for the attack when a booming shout caught their attention
"COOPER, WHAT IN BLAZZERS ARE YA DOIN BOY?" Keladry looked up on deck, there garbed in black and red stood a tall, well built man who sported a growing goatee and flapping brown hair. He looked to be in his mid thirties and the most striking thing about him were his silver eyes. Cooper, the Carthakian who was about to fight Keladry stuttered out his reply
"she ah, said that she, um, what I mean is, er."
"oh shut up, Kel get up here! Took you long enough, were about to set sail." If cooper was surprised then Keladry was struck dumb that the pirate captain knew her name and the fact that she was going to join their crew. Keladry shook her head and ran up the gangplank, making sure to push past Cooper and make him stumble slightly.
She stood before Sasha 'silver' Arlinwi and smiled.
"So, the first mate to the famous Captain James Hook, is here and wanting a position on my ship then? Well, alright then girly, put your bags down in the bunks and get on deck to help set sail. Hop to it!" Keladry held back her surprised look and nodded her head
"Aye Aye Captain" She quickly made her way down the ladder and into the poorly lit cabins, all the while wondering where this fake identity had sprung from. To her knowledge Captain Hook's ships were all destroyed by Tortillian mages when they'd attacked Carthak a while back. Shaking her head once again she set her bags on one of the free top bunks and threw the curtain across the bed to show that it was taken. Tightening her bandanna she quickly made her way up on deck to help set sail.
~
"I'll be fine, don't worry"
"Kel, you don't know the first thing about ships, do you even know how to tie a sail down?" Shinkokami asked, her dark brown eyes wide with worry. Keladry smirked
"had that taken care of on my way home, stopped off at that knowledge mage in the slums and had him give me all the information he had on ships, ropes, the works. So, its all good, nothing will go wrong…I, has anyone seen Joren?" When the ladies turned away Keladry became worried "I wanted to say goodbye, if you know where he is, please tell me." Yuki sighed and looked up at Keladry
"we haven't seen him since you left last night, we sorry Kel." Keladry shrugged and his her tears behind her Yamani mask.
"I'll see you all soon, stay safe." Keladry said, and smiled gently to the girls, giving them all hugs.
"bye"
~
"Kel, I want you up on the Main Top sail, ready to release when I give the order." Keladry nodded her head at the Captain and quickly scaled to ropes, pulling herself up quickly, and passing the others already out on the sails, pulling at the ropes. She pulled herself up and over, making sure that she was holding onto the guide rope. She shimmied along the wire and stood with the others, waiting for the signal.
"WINDS ARE SHARP!" Keladry grinned as the wind blew at her hair and she undid the sail ropes, pulling deftly and moving onto the other, always holding on with one hand, her feet wrapped securely on the wire. The canvas sail unwrapped at the men on deck hulled and slacked on the ropes pulling it up quickly at in sync with the others.
"TAKE US OUT, ALL MEN ON DECK!"
Keladry watched at the others quickly crowded the walk ropes to get down, and felt the sharp tug of the wind on her clothes, the force behind each gust was picking up and the mast was swaying out over the cresting waves. Gripping onto the guide rope tighter Keladry shimmied over to the walk ropes and swung out over to it.
"ALL MEN HOLD TO! MAGES A COMMIN'" Keladry wrapped one arm and leg through the walk ropes and turned to the pier. Standing on the wooden structure were ten mages, a few knights and archers. Keladry sucked in a breath.
"CUTTHROAT! COOPER! CARL! READY YOUR MEN, ROPERS DUCK!" Keladry ducked her head, her muscles locking into place as a volley of arrows and flames flew at the soldiers on the pier from the men on the deck and some who were in the sails.
"ALL MEN ON DECK" Keladry moved as quickly as she could, she could feel arrows whisk past her. She was only ten feet from the deck when a flame arrow sunk into the ropes by her feet, spraying oil and flames to the ropes and her clothes. She breathed in sharply and swung upwards, pulling herself away from the flames.
"FIRE ON THE ROPES," The captains bellows were still taking places, but she had to get away from the fast approaching flames, her hands slipped slightly and Keladry gasped, twisted and flicked out her wrist, tangling it in the walk ropes.
"Damn it" She cursed and positioned herself so that she could cut her wrist free. The flames licked at her boots while the men on deck tried to extinguish them. An arrow whizzed past her head and imbedded in the ropes their, setting them on fire…she was trapped.
"Ooh, shi- CAPTAIN!!!" Her shrill voice carried to the deck and all men turned and looked up. There, just underneath the main top sail was a trapped Keladry, trying desperately to free her hand.
"CUTTHROAT GET HER OUT OF THERE, EVERYONE ELSE PUT OUT THAT DAMNED FIRE, MOVE MOVE MOVE!" Weapons were discarded on the deck as they pulled buckets on ropes out of the galley and threw them overboard to fill them with water. Cutthroat pulled a dagger out of his belt and placed it in his teeth before he pulled himself up onto the opposite walk ropes and almost ran up them to where a coughing, still struggling Kel was.
Keladry turned towards her rescuer and almost fainted at the sight. Before her was a topless, perfect specimen of a man, with white blonde hair and piercing ice blue eyes.
"Joren?" She chocked out, her hazel eyes widening. "what?"
Joren smirked and quickly swung out over the distance and pulled himself behind her. Wrapping his legs through the walk ropes to secure both of them he took his dagger out of his mouth and cut through the walk ropes, pulled her against him and threw the both of them off the burning walk rope and onto the opposite one, safely intact. Keladry turned and looked at her friend with confused eyes.
"What are you doing here, I?"
"I'll put it in simple terms, you are a women, and I don't care if you can fight, you'll kill yourself over something stupid, so…I came along to keep you in line." Keladry frowned
"Excuse me? I will not do something stupid, nor will I get myself killed!" Joren raised an eyebrow and looked at the still burning walk ropes behind Keladry, she coloured slightly "I was fine, I didn't need your help!"
"ah, so that's why you screamed, just to let everyone know that your alright and you weren't about to be bunt to a crisp?" Keladry sighed and looked away.
"ok, so maybe I did need a little help, so what! I'll be fine." Joren smiled and pulled away from Keladry to climb back to the deck
"Of course you will, because I'm here!" Kel rolled her eyes and smiled softly, this was going to be some ship ride to the Yamani Islands, a shirtless Joren, who was acting quite differently to the friend she had read about in her letters. She was going to love it!
Susannah De Silva: So sorry it took so long, flip an egg and call me toast. First off I went on a camp! Oh it was great, I'm going to be doing kick boxing. Then I had to work 9-5 stock taking (fridge magnet that is some heavy lifting) so I was too buggered to be all imaginative. THEN my friggen computer decided to have a spaz at me and kill off the mouse, so that had to be ordered in, those stupid people took forever, then I had to get back into the swing of things so I re-read this fic, and some others, and realised that my idea isn't as original as I thought, so I had to change a few things. Well that was fun to say the least.
Beta Reader: sorry Ruff Collie, I got impatient, and I know you wouldn't check your email everyday, so, next chapter I promise I'll wait until you bete read it :D
Reviewers: thankyou all.
Special mention to: The Blind Assassin, because you make me laugh!!! A tattoo??? What kind?
Love you all :D Next chapter will be up a lot sooner then this one :D oops!
Also forgive me for all gramma and spelling mistakes, I didn't wait for my beta reader :D hahahaha, I'm so evil :D
