Numero nueve es...um...here:) Deryn and the Pussycats have now chosen to take Raine aboard a ship. The same ship, soincidentally, that Master Regal chooses to take. Let's see what happens.
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She stared at the ground as they trudged onward, now going toward a dock after clearing the top of the snowy island. They had been so close, so close to eachother...But either he hadn't heard, or he had disregarded it. But if he had ignored it, she knew it wasn't because he didn't care. No, more likely it had been him blowing it off as his imagination. After all, to him she was dead, and dead people don't shout.
Finally, she glanced up, and slowed to a halt, a sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. While she had known where they were going, it hadn't fully registered what that meant. But now, as she gazed upon the large, white sails of an equally large ship, it hit home. They would have to sail.
"Keep moving," snapped a voice beside her. The two men on either side took her arms again, trying to drag her, but she fought back with renewed determination. Deryn turned toward them, having walked on ahead a bit. "What's the problem?", she sighed, exasperatedly.
"She won't move, Deryn," growled David, still trying to tug a very insistant Raine forward.
Deryn clenched her teeth, glancing at the rising sun. They had lost their nightly cover thanks to the Half-Elf's fooling around - dawn was upon them. "I'm warning you, woman," she said, poking her finger into Raine's face. If she had been a bit less dignified, she might have tried to bite her captor. As it was, she simply glared defiantly, her lips pursed. "If you value your life at all, you'll walk, and you'll do it in silence."
"You've already killed me, remember?" Raine replied, sarcastically. "You had me murdered; thrown off the side of a cliff. It seems to me, I have no life to value--" she broke off as David gave her a sharp backhand, sending her sideways and to the ground. She started to push herself back up, but was saved the trouble by Eric's yanking tug. He brought her to her feet, and she knew by the pain in her cheek that she'd have a bruise.
"You do not back-sass me," hissed Deryn.
"It seems to me, I just did. Oh, I'm sorry...I did it again, didn't I?"
The blonde haired woman looked very much as though she'd liked to have throttled the person before her. But the approach of some sailors going to the ship spared Raine any further injury. Instead, the group waited as they passed, and Deryn faced her again. She took off her cloak, and threw it around the hostage's shoulders, pulling up the hood. "There," she said, scowling. "Now, even if Bryant comes by, he won't be able to recognize her. And you." She drew Raine near by the collar. "Not a word if he passes. Are we clear?", she hissed.
"Crystal," said Raine, with more than a touch of sarcasm, and a smile to match her cocky voice.
"Good." While Deryn didn't look altogether convinced, she turned anyway and started once more to walk. As they took the captive's arms to drag her again, she wrenched out of their grasp. "I can walk on my own," she snapped, starting to do just that.
It wasn't as though she really had a choice, now was it? Eyes locked on the ground to avoid looking at the ship or the water surrounding it, Raine chewed on her lip. "Good morning, Lord Bryant," she heard Deryn say with a very fake sense of politeness. Looking up, sure enough there was Regal walking toward the same ship. A slight smile found its way to her features - that meant there was still a chance. If she could get his attention sometime during the trip, without Deryn and her groupies knowing...
But for now, she'd walk in silence, quite naturally, in between David and Eric, with Matthew behind. As she passed, she dipped her head in Regal's general direction as the men did, careful not to let her face show from under the hood. She didn't want to start trouble when it wasn't necessary, she'd have to time this. Raine noticed he gave a more pronounced nod to Matthew, and Matthew bowed his head in something resembling sorrow.
Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. With a scowl, she discretely shoved Matthew sideways into the water surrounding the docks; he had been the one to deliver the news of her "death." She smothered a smirk as she heard a yelp followed very closely by a splash, lowering her eyes to the wooden floor again. Regal made a move as to help him out of the water, but Eric stopped him.
Evidently, he was getting too close to Raine. "Please don't worry about Matthew," he said pleasantly. "He's just clumsy. We'll get him out." The word clumsy was complimented by a two-second glare at the cloaked woman beside him. She shrugged innocently and began walking again.
Regal exchanged a few more words with the two men before he, too, started for the ship. He was walking next to Raine, giving her one curious glance, and she wanted to talk. But Deryn was just a bit ahead, and she stayed silent. Once aboard the ship with all four of her kidnappers - Matthew soaking wet and glaring feverishly at her - she was led below-deck.
Well, at least she would be where she preferred to be while sailing. No view of the water, no view of the rolling deck, no sickening salty breeze. Unfortunately, she didn't have much view of anything. They had bound both her wrists and her ankles, and placed her in a small cabin with a gag as well. The cloak was still on her as a precaution, but Raine didn't think is was very likely anyone would come by her. She'd have to get out of this herself, and find Regal.
She started working viciously at her bonds, closing her eyes, one thought in her head.
Have to find Regal.
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Have to find Regal. Have to get out of this. Will Raine actually get to Regal before the trip is over, and can she do it without Deryn and Co. knowing? You'll just have to find out.
