Alexander looked over at Kitty, his eyebrows raised. "You mean...you're afraid of heights?" he asked.
Kitty looked back right into his deep blue eyes. "No, not afraid. More like terrified," she admitted.
"Oh dear, that could pose a definite problem," Alex replied, plainly at odds as to what to do. He thought a moment, then beckoned her to follow, and together they went off to see Amelia.
"Um, Captain? A word with you, please?" Alex said quietly.
Amelia looked over at him keenly. "Yes, Mr. Dalley? What is it?" she demanded, though in a kindly way.
"Well, Ma'am," Alex began, nervously scratching his blonde head ever so slightly. "It appears that Kitty---er, I mean Ms. Petro---is terrified of high places," Alexander informed her.
Amelia arched one slender auburn eyebrow, and looked over at Kitty. She nodded minutely, then chanced a look up towards the crow's nest, and promptly paled and looked away sharply. "Ah, I see," Amelia said wisely. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. You may go about your business then, Mr. Dalley."
"Yes, Ma'am. At once," Alexander answered, and was out of hearing range in a heartbeat.
Kitty looked quizzically over at Amelia, and opened her mouth to speak. Amelia threw up a cautioning hand, urging her to wait. "Not quite yet," she said.
Kitty felt terrible about her stupid fears holding up her training. "Sorry, Amelia. But, I'm just not ready to go up there quite yet. Maybe later I can, after I---let´s say---get a wish fulfilled."
Amelia looked disapprovingly over at Kitty. " I see. You mean you are going to use magic again, am I correct?"
Kitty nodded. "Yep. That´s the only way I can think of. It's either that or else I'll never be able to get up there."
Amelia sighed wearily. "Very well. I suppose we all have our own limitations. Do proceed then...but, if you must, do so discretely, hmm?" she nearly pleaded.
Kitty beamed at her. "Thanks, Amelia!" Kitty said, then turned and murmured something. Her thing gold ring glowed, much brighter than usual. "Whew," Kitty sighed in relief.
"So...just what did you wish for, Kitty?" Amelia asked, curious despite her meager disapproval.
"Oh that. Well, I just wishe I'd become all that I always wanted to be," Kitty answered with a satisfied grin. "See ya!" she quipped before she began sprinting toward the main mast. Amelia watching in awe as the lithe young girl sped toward the main mast's shrouds, most likely to make her way bravely up to the crow's nest. Amelia was therefore suprised when suddenly Kitty reached the main mast---and just continued running. Just kept running...straight up the main mast as if she had magnetic soles on her boots! Kitty run briskly right up the main mast, leaping nimbly over the mains'l platform, alighting once more upon the mast, and from there straight up directly to the crow's nest at the top of the main.
Once there, Kitty stepped over the rail and stood beside the avian lookout, lightly gripping the main mast with one hand. "Hello there, Mr. Horus," she said kindly to the eagle-like being.
Horus politely knuckled his forehead in salute. "Mornin' to you, Ms. Petro," Horus declared, obviously surprised to see her there. "Say, that was a fine bit of quick climbin' you done there, lass."
Kitty smiled, pleased at his praise. "Thanks, it was nothing," she said humbly, yet grinned still. She looked about the small confines of the crow's nest and spotted a painter line. "Well, it was great meeting you, Mr. Horus...but I gotta go," Kitty said by way of farewell, and took hold of the rope, and literally threw herself out from the crow's nest, sliding with confident agility down the rope to land upon the deck with nary a scratch.
Amelia was pleased and impressed, but wondered as she went over to where Kitty stood. "Nicely done, Ms. Petro. But, might I ask why didn't simply do that before, pray?"
Kitty chuckled. "That's easy! Because then I didn't know who you were assigning me as my teacher, silly," Kitty said smiling sweetly. Her expression changed then and became just a bit flinty. "Oh, and by the way, Amelia...just so you've been warned. You try playing matchmaker again between me and Alex and I´ll give you a tail, understand me?" Kitty instructed, pointing a warning finger at Amelia.
"Yes, yes...whatever, Kitty," Amelia said smiling, not taking Kitty's threat all that seriously.
Kitty fumed but chose to say nothing. "So, what now, Captain?" she asked.
"What next, eh?" Amelia repeated. "Ah, I know just the thing, Kitty dear! You're to help our most capable Mr. Dalley prepare and serve our lunch," Amelia commanded.
"Amelia, I'm warning you," Kitty growled quietly.
"Whatever are you worried about?" Amelia asked slyly, then looked into Kitty's blue eyes. They were like shining orbs of fine blue ice...and just about as cold. Amelia blinked and shook her head, realizing that Kitty wouldn't have any problem with her conscience at all in giving her a tail. The very idea of having a tail appalled her, so she stood down from her matchmaker role for the moment. "Oh very well. Do relax, Kitty," Amelia said soothingly. "If you'd rather, you could go and and stand watch with Mr. Arrow. It's his watch now."
"That'll do just nicely, Captain. Thanks," Kitty said, giving her salute and turned and made her way to Arrow on the bridge, whistling all the way.
Arrow spotted Kitty right away as she ascended the stairs to the bridge proper, and he smiled at her. "Good morning, Ms. Petro. I'm afraid I saw everything. So, the Captain's started playing matchmaker again. Only this time with you and young master Dalley she has."
Kitty frowned, and folded her arms across her chest in protest. "I don´t even want to talk about it," Kitty growled at him. She scowled...that is, until she spotted Alex Dalley again on deck. Alex was a definitely one cute felinid fellow. Sixteen years old, and smoothly muscular. He had short, bright blond hair, and a pair of bright blue eyes a girl could simply drown in. She sighed, her eyes dreamy.
Arrow smiled, noticing the subject of Kitty's stare. "Ah, Master Dalley. He is a rather nice young man, and a superb cabin boy," he informed Kitty.
"Watch it, Arrow," Kitty answered, frowning again.
"I'm sorry, Kitty...but it is only the truth. Alexander is a fine young man," he said and laid his huge rock-like hand upon her shoulder.
Kitty smiled at this friendly giant Cragorian. She finally had someone who cared for her, even as a friend. Had she been back home in Norway, she would even now be getting yelled at for not being home on time, and doing everything for her sorry excuse for a family. Then, she gasped softly, remembered something that made her smile brightly. "Arrow...if you'd be so kind to excuse me for a moment?" Kitty asked politely.
"Of course. Be on your way, Miss," Arrow said, nodding and smiling.
Kitty went back inside of Amelia and her quarters. Once inside she went into Amelia's bathroom. She spotted a small glass bottle of shampoo and smiled. She murmured something and an almost identical new bottle appeared in her hand, seemingly out of nowhere. She replaced Amelia's bottle with this one, chuckling to herself in glee. She remembered when she pulled this particular prank on her brother. Of course, that was from before, when he yelled hurtful thing at her each time she said anything to her. But the prank would be wonderful this time too. She was careful to put the new bottle down exactly where Amelia's shampoo had been, then went out laughing at the mental image of Amelia sporting hair dyed bubble gum pink. "Revenge can be sweet," she said to herself and dashed back out to stand her watch with Arrow.