Author's Note: I'm sitting here wishing I was writing this story on some Caribbean beach...sigh. Not going to happen anytime soon for me, unfortunately. Special thanks to Whitecloud, for seeing me out of the Doldrums (a windless passage where boats just flounder because there isn't enough wind to fill the sails), and giving me a great suggestion about what to do with Ichigo and the Vincent. You rock, girlfriend! Thanks to everyone for the great reviews and feedback - I'm so glad you're enjoying this fic - I'm having so much fun writing it. It's almost as good as sitting on a beach on Culebra with a pina colada in hand...almost. Enjoy!-Lex

Chapter Five: By the Board*

Ichigo was tired of being locked in the storeroom, and regularly cursed both Renji and Rukia under his breath. Truthfully, he had known all along that Rukia would not permit him to remain in the Captain's Quarters after his wound had healed, but to be imprisoned below decks, with bags of flour, rice and potatoes too numerous to count, had dealt his ego quite a blow.

Two days of staring at the sacks of food had also gotten Ichigo thinking. It made little sense to him that a pirate ship would be delivering goods. Pirates stole goods from other ships. He had heard no reports of ships carrying foodstuffs being attacked for over a year, but the goods in the Warrior's hold appeared similar to those carried by the many Kuchiki Enterprises ships he had boarded while looking for Rukia. In fact, very little of what he now knew about the Warrior made any sense to him. Why would Rukia, whose family was immensely wealthy, bother stealing anything from another ship - gold, food, or otherwise?

Ichigo heard a key turn in the storeroom door. He had long since decided not to try to escape the ship. They had confiscated his weapon, of course, and, more importantly, he hoped to learn more about the Warrior before returning to his own ship. So he sat, patiently, as the door opened, eager for something or someone to break the monotony.

"Good morning, Captain," he said, smiling at Rukia. She held a tray in her hands with a hot breakfast. "That looks just a tad better than the gruel your first mate brought me yesterday."

"Just repaying you for the meal aboard the Vincent," she said, with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Like new," he replied, getting to work on his breakfast. "All thanks to you, I'm told."

"Good," she replied, ignoring the compliment.

"So when are you going to let me out of here?" he asked, his mouth now full of scrambled eggs and dried ham.

"As soon as you finish your breakfast," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Changed your mind about me, have you?" he said, inhaling the buttered bread.

"No," she replied, simply. "But I need you on deck."

He raised an eyebrow as he rinsed down the remainder of his breakfast with a cup of water. Then, burping unceremoniously, he said, "Need me? What for?"

"I'm sure you can already guess, Captain," she said, with a frown.

"The Vincent has caught up with you," he said, with a hint of a grin. "Damn good officer, that Hisagi. Lucky he hasn't gotten his own command yet. Worth his weight in gold."

"I need you to tell him to back off," she said, evenly.

"Won't happen," he said, wiping his face with the napkin and putting in on top of the now-empty place. "He has his orders." Rukia felt slightly sick to her stomach, having never seen anyone eat so quickly in her life.

"You can change those orders," she said, her frustration with him rising by the second. He was so calm, it was infuriating.

"No, I can't," he replied, with a smile. "You see, I figured I might get caught while following you. I told him not to obey any order I might give him while being held prisoner."

Rukia sighed. This would be a far greater challenge than she had hoped - he was much more intelligent and cunning than she had given him credit, and the thought that he had succeeded in complicating her life both irritated and impressed her. And then there was the question of his remarkable instinct for hunting her down, despite her best efforts to elude him. Had it been just coincidence, or was it something more?

He smiled, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to strangle him or… Out of the jumble of thoughts came one, in particular: she needed to keep him under control, to win his trust, or at a minimum, keep him curious enough not to interfere with their delivery.

"I need you to come with me," she said.

"And what if I refuse?" It was exactly what she had hoped to hear; it was time to cast her line and dangle the bait in front of his nose.

"That would be unfortunate," she said. She held her right hand out and, in it, materialized a sword with a white hilt and silver chain.

"What the hell?" he said, staring at her in shock.

"You were saying, Captain?" she said, smiling at him. "Oh, right. You wanted to know what I would do if you refuse. I suppose you thought I was unarmed."

"How did you…," he spluttered. It took all her self-control not to laugh at him - she had never seen him ruffled before.

"How did I?" she asked, smugly. "But I did nothing, Captain Kurosaki."

"Your sword - where did it come from?"

She tilted her head slightly and studied him. She was enjoying this immensely. "I always carry my sword, Captain," she said coolly.

"You weren't carrying it a minute ago," he said, with a scowl. "Was that some magic trick?"

"Magic?" she laughed. "No, hardly that."

"But I saw…," he began, his eyes narrowed now. He was quickly losing his patience with her ruse.

"You saw it appear in my hand?" she asked, with a grin.

"Yes."

She waived her hand and the sword vanished into thin air. "And you just saw it disappear, too, didn't you?" she asked, her face now serious.

"Yes, I…"

"Just like you saw the Warrior vanish into the storm, Captain?"

"I…well, yes…I suppose so," he was staring at her now, waiting for an explanation.

"You're a fool, Captain Kurosaki, if you think anyone would believe such nonsense," she said. "Now, if you don't mind" - she gestured to the door - "I need us both up on deck."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but he could tell from her expression that she would entertain no more questions. He would get answers, eventually - he would make sure of that. But, for now, he would cooperate. He headed through the door and up the stairs to the main deck of the ship, with her following behind.

When they arrived on deck, Renji was at the wheel, but moved aside when he saw Rukia. He walked over to Ichigo and stood behind him. Ichigo saw no sword at his waist, but he did not doubt that the redhead could easily have summoned one, just like Rukia had.

"What the hell are they?" he wondered, his brain screaming for answers. He understood why she had shown him what she had - she guessed, and correctly so, that he would not risk sinking her ship without answers. He smiled to himself - he had to admit she was impressive. It was just the kind of tactic he'd have used himself, under different circumstances.

"Renji, report," Rukia ordered, as she took the wheel.

"Enemy vessel off our starboard, less than a mile away and closing rapidly," he replied, quickly.

"Raise all the sails," she told him, "we need more speed. I don't want a confrontation here or now." It would be a race, she knew, to their safe haven on La Prière.

"Aye, sir," said Renji, walking down the deck and shouting orders to the crew.

Rukia headed the ship closer to the wind, and Ichigo felt the boat pick up speed. She was fast, he knew, just by the feel of her - faster than the Vincent, even, but for the heavy cargo she held.

"Why are you carrying cargo?" Ichigo asked, as Rukia continued to harden up the boat, artfully steering her as close to the wind as she would go.

"Why would any ship carry cargo, Captain?" she asked him, never taking her eyes of the sails.

"A pirate ship would not," he replied.

"And that is where you have been misinformed," she said, her voice betraying the irritation at the position he had forced her into. "The Warrior is not a pirate ship."

"You could have fooled me," he said, with a chuckle. "Why all the secrecy? Why the guns?"

"I wouldn't tell you, Captain, if my life depended on it," she retorted.

"It may," he replied, brow furrowed, equally annoyed with her.

There was a loud explosion and a large splash off the port bow, as the Vincent fired a warning shot.

"I don't trust you," she rejoined, angrily.

"They're gaining on us," he said. "Maybe it's time you gave me a chance."

"I've given you several," she said, steering the boat slightly off the wind to avoid the reach of the Vincent's cannons. "I haven't been impressed."

"You haven't been honest with me, either, you know," he growled. The Vincent was closing fast now, and he knew it was just a matter of time before the Warrior would be in range of the Vincent's cannons.

Rukia had no intention of telling Ichigo anything about their delivery, but she needed to slow the Vincent down so the Warrior could reach port in one piece. She considered the situation. The weather was perfect – a clear blue sky with no clouds. The ocean was calm and the water warm.

"Renji!" she shouted, making her decision.

"Sir!" he shouted back, arriving by her side in seconds.

"Take our prisoner and dump him overboard."

"Wait…what do you think…?" Ichigo stammered, shocked. He had expected anything but this. Renji had his sword at Ichigo's back even before Ichigo had finished speaking.

"It's a beautiful day for a swim, Captain," Rukia said, with a grin. "Your crew will pick you up, I'm sure, but not before they've slowed down to a crawl."

"But…"

"You do swim, don't you, Captain?" she asked, cutting across him.

"Yes, but…"

"Then I suggest you remove as much of your clothing as possible," she said, laughing and interrupting again. "You could be treading water for a while."

Ichigo scowled at her. Renji prodded him with the tip of his sword and Ichigo pulled his shirt off, tossing it onto the deck. Then, with a growl, he proceeded to remove his boots and toss them aside, as well.

"Not bad, Captain," she said, as he stood, bare-chested before her.

"It's not like it's something you haven't seen before," he fired back at her. Renji shot Rukia a look – which she ignored – and jabbed Ichigo harder in the back.

"Ouch," he said, frowning.

"I'm sure we'll meet again soon, Captain," Rukia said, with a slight nod of her head. "Enjoy your swim." Renji walked Ichigo to the port side of the boat, where one of the crewmen extended a small gangplank.

"Cheers, Kurosaki," said Renji, with an evil smile.

"Bastard," growled Ichigo, darkly, as Renji prodded him onto the narrow wooden walkway.

"Please take care to avoid the sharks," Renji laughed. Then, as Ichigo reached the end of the plank, Renji added, "And if you go anywhere near her again, you're dead, Captain."

Ichigo had not yet formulated a retort when Renji lifted his foot and unceremoniously kicked Ichigo in the derrière. He fell into the clear water with a splash. Renji waited until he saw the orange-haired captain resurface, treading water, then walked back over to Rukia.

"Let's get out of here, Renji," she said, as he approached. "This will only buy us a little time. They'll be back on our tail soon enough. We only have a few more miles until we reach the entry, let's get there before our friends do."

"Aye, aye, sir," he replied, stiffly. She had expected him to leave, to check on the crew or the sails, but he did not move.

"Renji," she asked, "is there something you wish to say?"

"Yes, sir," he answered.

"Then, by all means, say it."

"Sir," he began, "what he said, before, about your having seen…"

Rukia laughed. "I can see where this conversation is going, Renji, and I'd say you're the one treading water now."

"But, it's just that I…"

"I've heard enough, Renji. You're my first mate, not my mother." Her tone was appreciative, but firm. He knew her too well, and he knew when to let something go.

"Yes, sir," he replied, secretly hoping that a stray shark might find its way to the floating navy captain who could still be seen off their stern, orange hair bobbing amongst the waves.

*************************************

"Damn her," thought Ichigo, as he watched the Warrior sail away. The Vincent was just a few hundred yards away now, and he could see Hisagi readying some ropes on her starboard side. It was certainly not the way he had expected to return to his ship. Still, he had to give her credit – her quick thinking had saved the Warrior from being boarded, or worse.

Back on board his own ship several minutes later, soaking wet, Ichigo watched the Warrior fade away over the horizon, near the coast of La Prière. He knew their heading, and he would catch up with them again but, for now, the promise of a hot bath and dry clothing was his first priority.

"You look like a drowned rat, sir," said Hisagi, with a grin, as he handed Ichigo a towel. "Got tired of you, they did?"

"Apparently, the Captain did," laughed Ichigo.

"Didn't like you, did he, sir?" Hisagi asked.

"I thought she liked me fine," he corrected. "I guess I was wrong."

"She?"

"The Kuchiki woman. She's the captain of the Soul Warrior," Ichigo replied, tossing Hisagi the now-damp towel.

"You're joking, sir," Hisagi laughed, shaking his head. "And you invited her for dinner aboard the ship and…"

"She's a damn attractive woman," he retorted, cutting Hisagi off.

"Aye, and a dangerous one, too," smiled Hisagi.

"You should talk," said Ichigo, slightly irritated. "If it weren't for you, we'd have never been invited to the Kuchiki's for dinner."

"Orders, sir?" Hisagi asked, changing the subject.

"Keep following the Warrior. Come get me if you see anything unusual. I'll be in my quarters."

"Aye, sir," said Hisagi, saluting and turning to leave.

"Oh, and Hisagi," add Ichigo. "I'll need another sword for the time being. I seem to have lost mine, temporarily."

"Aye, aye, sir."

Once inside his quarters, Ichigo had the cabin boy pour him a bath. It was the first time he had seen himself in a mirror since he had been injured, and he looked to see what remained of his wound. The skin was completely healed and, had there not been a tiny white line that ran from under his arm to his waist, he would not have believed that he had suffered any injury at all.

Healing abilities far beyond anything he had ever seen before, the way she had merely raised her hand and caused her sword to appear from thin air…

"What the hell are you, Rukia?" he thought, dumbfounded. "And what are you up to?"

*****************************

Rukia breathed a sigh of relief as the Warrior entered the small inlet at the far tip of La Prière. They had lost the Vincent only two hours before, and she knew they had little time to maneuver the ship into the island's center before they would be visible again to their pursuers. She could not risk that.

"Renji," she said, standing at the ship's wheel. "We're going to bring her in a little faster than usual. I'll need your help to pull the sails quickly, or we'll hit the rocks at the entrance."

"Aye, sir," he replied.

"And Renji," she said, "keep an eye on our stern. I don't want the Vincent to see us enter the cove."

"Aye, aye, Captain," said Renji, as he turned back towards the foredeck.

Rukia artfully steered the ship towards a steep cliff face at the other end of the secluded harbor. Jagged rocks rose from the water to the bottom of the cliff, but she did not alter her course.

"We need to be quick about this," she thought, as they glided silently towards the rocks.

"Now, Renji!" she shouted.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" came the reply, and the sails fell in unison.

She handed the wheel to one of the crew nearby, and walked to the bowsprit of the ship. From here, she could see clear to the bottom of the water and the outline of the rocks loomed ahead. She raised both hands before her, palms facing outward, and closed her eyes. Her hands began to glow blue-white, gradually forming what looked like a small cloud of sparkling particles of light which expanded, enveloping the bowsprit and moving forward towards the rock face.

As the light grew in size and the boat continued to move forward, the cloud eventually touched the side of the cliff and it, too, glowed with the same light. Soon, the entire rock formation was covered with the glowing light and, as the boat drew perilously close to the jagged rocks in the water below, the rocks appeared to vanish. Through the haze of silvery white, blue sky was now visible where there had once been solid rock and, as the haze cleared, the outline of a small town could be seen in the distance.

The ship slowed as it came through the opening and into the harbor. On the docks, several people stopped unloading their small boats and waved at the Warrior. Rukia waved back and then walked stepped off the bowsprit as the crew threw the ropes to the people on the docks. Behind them, the cliff had now reappeared and the cloud had vanished.

Rukia breathed a deep sigh of relief. They had finally arrived in Thyilea, the home of her people, secreted and cut off from the rest of the world.

************************************

Ichigo walked down the rocky shore of La Prière towards the place he knew the Warrior to have gone. He had taken a launch from the Vincent and ordered Hisagi to moor the ship in the main shipping port, not wanting to attract the attention of the Warrior's crew.

Looking around the small inlet now, there was no trace of the Warrior, and he wondered silently if Rukia had somehow used magic to transport the ship elsewhere – it was a possibility, although one he did not care to entertain at great length. Rukia's ship had been headed here, to La Prière, of that he had no doubts. It did not make sense that she would have moved the ship somewhere else, when she was so close to delivering the supplies he had seen in the ship's hold. No, the Warrior was here, somewhere, and he was resolved to find her and discover what secrets she held.

An enormous cliff blocked the view of the island beyond the cove. He walked on the jagged rocks that lined the shoreline, leaning against the rock face to steady himself. It was slow going, hot, and the rocks were slippery – he was thankful that he had traded in his uniform for a pair of britches and a plain cotton shirt. After nearly an hour of balancing on the treacherous rocks, he found a smooth boulder and sat down to drink from his canteen.

"Where are you, Rukia?" he wondered, closing his eyes and enjoying the shade of the cliff above him. In spite of himself, he yawned – he had slept little in the past week, and it was finally catching up with him.

Ichigo.

He awoke with a start. Had someone been calling his name?

"I must have been dreaming," he said, aloud. There was no one here, the only sounds were from the sea birds above his head and the water lapping against the rocks.

Ichigo.

This time, he stood up, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist. The feel of the weapon beneath his fingers made him long for his own weapon, which he knew to be on the Warrior. Without it, he felt strangely vulnerable.

"It's only a sword," he told himself.

Ichigo.

He walked over to where he thought he had heard the voice. "Rukia?" he said, frowning. There was no reply.

"Rukia," he said again, louder this time, "is that you?" Again, no answer.

He saw a small crevice in the rock and, drawing his sword, he began to walk towards it. It looked like narrow passageway, a cave which went only about thirty feet or so into the cliff face, and then ended in solid rock.

We have been waiting for you, Ichigo.

"Where are you?" Ichigo demanded, his voice echoing about the crevice.

We are here, Ichigo.

The voice was louder, he was sure of it, here, where the cave ended in rock. Instinctively, he ran his hand along the wall beside him – it felt rough to his touch. He looked behind him, but saw no one.

We are here.

His hand slid from the side of the cave to the flat rock in front of him. It was smoother than the sides, and felt slightly warm to his touch. He blinked as he saw a slightly bluish glow from under his hand, and he was immediately reminded of his father, revealing the trapdoor under the shed outside their house when he was a child. Gingerly, he ran his fingertips over the warm stone towards the center of the passage.

That's right, Ichigo. Here…

"I must be losing my mind," he said to himself, shaking his head. "There's nothing…" He never finished his sentence, because the stone in front of him began to dissolve under his hand. "What the hell…?" he said, astonished.

Where there once had been solid rock, there was now a tunnel and, at its end, sunlight. Had he missed seeing it before? He shook his head in disbelief. "I really need to get some sleep," he told himself, as he stepped past the entrance and began to walk towards the light.

The passage was dry and flat – a welcome relief from the slippery rocks of the cove. It took him only a few minutes to reach the end. Cautiously, he peered out from the tunnel. The bright light momentarily blinded him, and he squinted to adjust his eyes.

For a moment, he thought he was imagining things – he had clearly imagined so many of the strange things he had seen in the past several days. In the middle of a small cove, no, a small lake - it was completely surrounded by land – floated the Soul Warrior. And past the ship, he could see a town, complete with shops, docks, and numerous buildings that appeared to be houses.

"What is this place?" he wondered, incredulously. He had never heard of a settlement on this part of La Prière, especially not one of this size – it was larger than Harbortown, and filled with people.

The crew of the Warrior was unloading supplies onto one of the largest docks. A group of children had gathered around to watch the work, and several townspeople had joined in to help. Ichigo began to walk over towards the town, following a small path along the water over to the edge of the docks opposite the Warrior. It was clear the townspeople he met along the way assumed he was one of the crew, since they said things such as, "We're so glad to see you," "It's been far too long," and, "Things were getting a bit dicey – thank goodness you've come."

As he turned onto the main docks, he kept his head low, hoping that the bandana tied around his head fully covered his orange hair. Several of the Warrior's crew walked towards him, and he stepped into a doorway to avoid being seen.

"We'll be done in a few hours," said one of the crewmen to a townsperson. "Captain's given us a week of shore leave to spend at home. Moira's promised to cook me m' favorite meal tonight. Barely recognize the children now when I see 'em."

"We appreciate what ye're doin', James," the townsperson replied, patting the sailor on the back.

Ichigo slipped back out onto the docks, walking backwards several steps to be sure he wasn't being followed. Then he turned around and starting to walk back in the direction of the Warrior.

"You," came a familiar voice. "Crewman. I need your help with something…" Rukia stopped, mid-sentence, a feeling of dread coming over her like icy water. She pulled him, with surprising strength, into a small alleyway alongside the building.

He smiled at her, expecting to see her scowl in return, but the look she gave him took him by surprise. She was white as a sheet, and he could see true fear in her eyes.

"Ichigo," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "What are you doing here? How did you get past the walls?"

"I followed you," he replied, with a grin. "Not too shabby, don't you think?"

"You have to leave," she said, in barely a whisper, "before they find you."

"And I thought you didn't care about me," he said, turning on the charm. "I was sort of hoping that this time you'd…"

"This is no game, Ichigo," she said, fighting her rising panic. "You must leave. Now. If they find you here, Ichigo, they'll kill you. They'll probably kill us both."

*By the Board: Anything that has gone overboard.