Chapter 2

The Gutted Eagle continued at its breakneck pace. It was soon drawing up alongside the Diamond Queen. The searats hurled their grappling hooks at the merchant ship, yelling the most inappropriate phrases when the hooks were whipped out of their hands.

Captain Varo Huska watched the problem with eyes that burned like fire. He had been outsmarted! They would need to slow down if they wanted their grappling hooks to catch. He began hollering at his crew.

"C'mon, you lazy scumbags! Slow us up! Lower the broadsail!" He grabbed an unfortunate rat by the scruff of his neck. "Why didn't you tell me that we was goin' too fast!" he yelled at the rodent, his eyes bloodshot with insanity. Before the rat could answer, Varo slew him with a quick thrust of his scimitar. He then turned to the Queen, praying that they would not take advantage of the situation.

Roranwatched impassively as the Eagle drew nearer. However, his mood immediately changed when he saw that the searat's grappling hooks couldn't hook on to his ship.

"Yes! They can't get us!" He then turned to his crew and began rapidly issuing orders. "Quickly, mates! Drop starboard anchor! Release port sail! Hold the tiller steady to port!" The crew followed his orders without question. They knew that their lives depended on it.

Roran leapt in the air for joy as his plan began to work. The Diamond Queen, listed heavily to port side, and then began turning to port. At first it was a slow, gradual turn. However, once the port broadsail caught the wind, the Queen swung around like a top. It had soon turned 90 degrees. Roran ordered the starboard sail released, and the Queen took off, away from the straggling Gutted Eagle.

Aboard the Eagle, Varo Huska was in a murderous temper. In his view, it was his dimwitted crew's fault that the Queen had managed to give them the slip once more. He had locked himself in his cabin, and had told the crew that he would personally tear to pieces anybeast who disturbed him.

Varo gazed at the scroll that he had laid out on his table. Varo's father, Bane, had gained possession of it only after much toil and battle. Bane had been unable to make neither head nor tail of it. However, he could see that the scroll was valuable. So, he wisely kept it safe for many years. Bane had given the scroll to his only son, Varo, just before leaving by ship to sail to the West, where, it was said, there were settlements of goodbeasts who had never heard of war, just sitting there and waiting to be conquered. It was also said that those same settlements possessed vast amounts of treasure.

Varo studied the scroll, trying to make sense of it. On the top of the weathered parchment, a large, gleaming jewel was depicted. The fox captain stared greedily at the gem for a moment, before lowering his gaze to the puzzling part of the scroll. It was obviously a riddle, but as to what it meant, Varo had absolutely no idea. The enscription read:

If you seek treasure, read on.

The place where treasure lies is BELL BARED WAY,

Where the bell rings everyday.

To help you with what I just said,

I give you ANTS DIE for 'instead'.

Below these words was a picture of a group of trees, with the words 'MOOSE SWORD FLOWS' written next to them. Varo gaped at the sheet. It made no sense whatsoever! Who ever heard of a 'bell bared way'? And what was that nonsense about a 'moose sword flows'? The fox looked at the 4th line of the riddle. It said that it would help him… and yet, all it did was make him get more confused.

A knock on the door interrupted the captain's thoughts. Furiously, he grabbed his scimitar and flung open the door, ready to skewer the beast that had dared to disturb him. He saw his first-mate, Deadeye, cowering against the wall, his one good eye looking everywhere but in Varo's eyes. Before the fox could cut him open, however, Deadeye had begun to talk. It took Varo a moment to understand what the rat was saying, as he was quaking so much.

"S-sir – the Eagle, er – Queen Gut – er Diamond Eag – Queen Diamond – the s-ship isn't m-m-moving, s-sir!" he stuttered incoherently.

"Wot do you mean the ship isn't moving!" demanded Varo. He could see over the railing; they were definitely cruising.

"N-not us, cap'n," said Deadeye, gaining confidence as his superior lowered his weapon. "The Diamond Queen, cap'n. It looks like their mainmast has cracked. They're just riding the waves."

"Show me," the fox commanded. He followed Deadeye to the prow, where the rat pointed out the battered Queen. It certainly did look as if they had broken their mast. That was the only explanation. Varo began to smile. "And the storm is starting to die down. Perfect!"