Chapter Five: Pirates, Princesses and random acts of kindness

'Vaan!'

The loud, unmistakable crack of a gun shot rang out among the near silent hiss of hot desert air through dry palm throngs and the slither of the sandsea.

This would not have been unusual had their party been in battle with Urutan or Ironbeaks or the like. Nor would it have been unusual had Balthier been the one to fire the shot.

The fact that the party was setting up camp, not in a combat situation, and Balthier was not the one firing his gun meant that the circumstance was unusual indeed.

The Princess shot him a dark look as he hauled himself to his feet and went to investigate the sound. He noticed that Fran's left ear twitched as he passed her, a sure sign that she knew what was afoot.

A little ways from the safe spot the party had staked out for their camp, just outside the entrance to Raithwalls Tomb, Balthier found Vaan and Penelo. Surprise, surprise.

'What are they doing?'

The Princess's whispered hiss informed him that she had taken it upon herself to investigate as well.

' Target practice would be my guess.'

With his gun, taken without permission. Or, remembering the expression on Fran's face, without his permission.

' Did you know of this?'

' No, Princess.'

He watched as Vaan lined up a series of rocks, fragments of bone and assorted desert detritus along the top of a large bounder, Penelo, holding Vega with difficulty tried to line up the shot.

She fired and he watched with high amusement as the recoil sent the little girl flying backwards onto her pert backside in the sand. The shot went wide forcing Vaan to duck for his life.

' Penelo!'

'It's not my fault! It's the gun!'

Balthier reached out an arm to stop the Princess striding forward, she turned to give him one of her better icy looks.

'Unhand me.'

Sighing he let go with a slight, ironic bow, 'Let them have their fun, Princess.'

'Here, Penelo, I'll show you.'

Vaan strolled forward and took Vega from Penelo, who immediately began massaging her aching arm and shoulders. Vaan fiddled with the gun for a moment, causing Balthier to wince.

'There goes the focusing, he'll be lucky to hit anything at all, now.'

'How can you be so calm about this? Did they not steal your gun?'

Balthier merely shrugged, trying not to chuckle at the Princess, really she was going to have to learn to relax a little or she would never see twenty.

' I'm sure they'd call it burrowing, Princess.'

Balthier grinned as Vaan took his shot, which went wild immediately, ricocheting off the sheer cliff face. The rebound, worse because of Vaan's tampering, sent him staggering back a few paces and very nearly onto his posterior as well.

'Ha! How'd you like that, Mr I'm- going- to- be- a- sky- pirate-Vaan. You couldn't hit the broadside of an airship!'

Deciding now was a good time to make his entrance, before Vaan did irreparable damage to the Vega, Balthier stepped forward, aware of the Princess at his heels.

' I'd have to agree with Penelo, Vaan, you won't make sky pirate with aim like that.'

Both Vaan and Penelo spun on their heels, identical looks of surprise and guilt painting their faces.

' Balthier!' Penelo shot a look at Vaan and then dashed up to him, ' I'm sorry, we were just practicing, Fran said it would be alright.'

' Did she now?' Balthier mused. 'Well then I suppose I can have no objection, can I?'

Walking over he held out a hand for the Vega, which Vaan gave up to him with something like relief. Beginning to re-calibrate the gun Balthier glanced at both Vaan and Penelo, curiously the Princess remained on the scene, for some reason.

' May I ask why you wanted to 'practice' with my gun?'

'It was Penelo's idea.' Vaan shrugged, ' I like swords better anyway.'

Balthier raised an eyebrow to Penelo who was blushing furiously, 'Oh? What idea was that?'

Penelo hopped from one foot to another and tugged on her pigtails. Her embarrassment was quite endearing. Her words streamed out of her in a jumbled rush.

' I was talking to Fran about learning better magicks, so I could do better supporting the party. I wanted to learn how to use a bow but she said it would be too much for me.'

Balthier nodded, 'Say no more.'

Finishing re-setting the Vega so it was actually workable he smiled at Penelo trying to put the girl at ease. He wondered why the blonde girl hadn't just asked him to teach her, but then watching her blush so charmingly as he smiled at her, he supposed he could guess.

'Vega is perhaps a little too much for a beginner, you should have asked for the Altair, it's lighter, less recoil after firing.'

' Oh-um, right. Thanks.' Penelo looked down at her booted feet.

Trying not to laugh at the poor girl, who really was adorable, he loaded the Vega and gently manoeuvred the girls arms to hold the gun more sensibly.

'Here, hold her like this, put your right hand on the barrel here, let your whole body absorb the recoil.'

The girl, pliant in his arms did as instructed, the blush fading as she concentrated on getting it right. He had to admire the girl for that.

'Now,' He turned the girl back to the row of untouched targets Vaan had laid out on the rock, ' Visualise a single target, just one, and ignore everything else in your peripheral vision.'

' A-Hum.' She murmured distractedly, squinting fiercely over to the rock, her concentrated look alone should have been enough to obliterate her target.

Balthier gently, carefully, positioned himself behind the girl and stretched out a hand to cover her left hand on the trigger, she was so focused she didn't flinch at the contact as he manipulated the trigger for her.

' Ooofff.'

Penelo staggered back into his body, which kept her from falling and he reached out to keep her from dropping the Vega. Vaan started clapping enthusiastically as he bounded over to pick up what was left of the bleached white Ironbeak skull Penelo had targeted.

' Congratulations, you made the shot.'

Balthier stepped back from the girl who looked delighted as Vaan ran over to show her the shattered skull.

Satisfied that his good deed for the day was now done Balthier turned back towards the camp, only to see the Princess giving him a quizzical look. It was a tad less judgemental than her usual glower, at any rate.

' Something wrong Princess?'

Falling into step beside him she watched him with those cool, clear eyes of hers. 'That was kind of you, helping Penelo.'

'No need to sound so surprised Princess.'

She continued to watch him, looking almost irritated now as if she took offence at his kindness, which really, wasn't so very great.

' It does not seem very pirate like behaviour, is all.'

He couldn't help his smirk, ah-ha, the Princess really was the epitome of narrow-minded blue-blooded superiority wasn't she?

' The occupation of sky pirate and acts of random kindness are not mutually exclusive, Princess.'

' Nor are pirates known for their altruism, it is hardly a common characteristic of those who make a living stealing from others.'

His smirk broadened, the Princess was so prickly it was quite fun to talk to her. Even the most innocuous of statements could upset her.

' Ah, but Princess I am hardly a common pirate.'

A very unladylike snort of derision was all the answer he got to that as the Princess stalked off towards her favoured protector, the equally prejudiced Captain Vossler. Balthier returned the Vega to his pack and caught Fran watching him.

' It is as well I didn't leave the Altair back on the Strahl.' He commented lightly. Fran nodded though he saw the spark of warmth in her eyes.

When Vaan and Penelo returned, Vaan still carrying what was left of the skull and dragging a bashful Penelo over to Basch to show it off, Balthier took the opportunity to slip the Altair and some spare shot into the girls pack.

The Princess had a point of course; piracy did not lend itself to acts of compassion and kindness to others. Nor, Balthier suspected, did his own character, so any opportunity he had to go against the grain and do something nice he would seize without hesitation. Especially when that little act of random kindness brought Fran's secret smile to the fore.