I would like to issue a jumbo-sized apology for the wait. I seriously thought I would have been able to update way before now. The explanation is below for those who wish to read it. If not, skip to the Shout out :)

Okay, so, last week was spring break for me. I went home, which is a vacation in itself, and while I knew I would have a few things to do I didn't realize just how much time it would soak up. I haven't unvield my persona as an FF author to my family yet, so this puts a limit on when I can work on updates. This basically meant the only time I could write was at night, at which point I was very tired and was reduced to a few meager paragraphs at a time, if any. *Sigh*

Again, I apologize, and if I'd known just how little of a 'break' spring break would be I swear there would have been a warning posted.

Shout out to AlchemicAliens, Vintage Sherry, Doodle0505, Mei and Mickey, kassydaPJgeek14, Phantom Ice, kawaiijilli, ZanyAnimeGirl, MiserableOrchid, QuintessentiallyEccentric, Rani-Girl, ElliseTheGuest, Angy, Pugslover, little Miss punk rocker, andi, Cielorea, and RandomGuest!

Enjoy!

Amelia paced the tiny room she'd been shoved into, periodically yanking her hat from her head to jam a hand through her hair. Unlike the Green Revenge, this small ship had no brig. Her current prison seemed to be little more than a cleared store room. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd been dragged below decks, but it felt like forever. What made it worse were the screams she'd heard before the filthy pirate had yanked her down the steep steps. She might not have heard them before, but she recognized him. She'd redoubled her efforts then, only to receive a cuff on the back of her head that made spots dance before her eyes. It had taken a good few minutes, long enough to have the door slammed and latched at her heels, before she could do more than stumble about.

What had Carriedo done to Arthur? That was the main question circling her head. The Spaniard had indicated he'd leave him alive, but it wasn't until Amelia had heard the screams she'd realized the loophole in that statement. Alive did not in the slightest mean unharmed. Her stomach churned as every horror story and report she'd ever come across about pirates surfaced. Carriedo in particular had left a wake of gruesome tales of what he did to traitors or captured enemies.

The room itself was dark, lit only by a sliver of light from beneath the door. Amelia's eyes had long since adjusted, so she noticed immediately when something moved in front of it. She stiffened, easing herself closer to it as quietly as possible. They'd disarmed her, but it wasn't like she'd ever let that stop her before.

The moment the door creaked open Amelia threw herself forward, only to have her first blow caught by the wrist. She was jerked to a halt, held at arm's length with her own arm high enough she was forced to her toes. She snarled every foul name she could remember at Carriedo as he stepped coolly forward, lantern in his free hand. The icily calm look on his face was the only reason she wasn't making use of her free hand. She was a lot of things at the moment, but stupid wasn't one of them.

When she stopped for a breath Carriedo asked lightly, "If you're done I'd like to speak with you."

Amelia stumbled as he thrust her back into the room, yanking the door shut behind him. Once she rightened herself she demanded, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"It doesn't matter what I expect. It's the truth and whether you believe it or not is up to you señorita. The only reason I'm here is to have a few simple questions answered."

The American glowered at him, but folded her arms. "It's not like I'm going anywhere, bastard. Ask away."

To her surprise, his lips twitched upward slightly. "Did you see Lovina aboard Kirkland's ship?"

"I thought my speech would have answered that. By the way, what is it I said?"

Ignoring her question, Carriedo asked, "How was she treated?"

Amelia shrugged stubbornly. "Not bad. Arthur kept her down in the brig with my sister. I would have known if the crew did anything, and I know Arthur didn't do anything."

Carriedo seemed to relax slightly. "This sister of yours, how is it she was a prisoner and you are not?"

"We both got captured. Arthur liked me." She shrugged again. "What do you care?"

"I don't. I simply don't like liars. I don't take pleasure in hurting women, but I do make a point to keep my word once I give it, even to an enemy. If you are lying, about any of this, it won't go well. I don't suppose you're familiar with confessions and forgiveness?"

Amelia glared at him. "I'm not a liar, Carriedo. Speaking of enemies, what did you do with Arthur?"

"He's alive," he said simply. "It's more than the rest of his crew got."

"I heard him screaming you bastard. What did you do?" she demanded angrily. Amelia hoped he didn't catch the slight quiver in her voice.

Carriedo regarded her steadily. "I...relieved him of something. Unfortunately it wasn't something that could simply be cut off, so it was quite painful. But consider it a peace treaty, señorita. I will leave him alone hereafter, if you are telling the truth. I would consider it fair if he did the same."

As he turned to leave, Amelia demanded, "Why? You were going to kill us all. What changed your mind?"

The Spaniard paused. "What does it matter?"

"I want to know what I owe our lives to. Seems fair, doesn't it?"

"Sì, I suppose, but you already know the answer."

Amelia scowled. "No, I don't. Why would I be asking you if I did?"

"Tell me, señorita, what would change the mind of a pirate?"

"Somehow I doubt it was gold that changed your mind," Amelia told him icily.

"No. It was something much more valuable, señorita. I left Kirkland alive because had I not I would have lost it, and because he had it himself."

"Hey!" protested Amelia, lurching forward as he opened the door.

In a flash his sword was out, its point hovering inches from her throat as she jerked to a halt. "Do not test me, señorita. My mercy has a limit."

Amelia held perfectly still as he stepped back out of the room, hooking the lantern on the wall before yanking the door shut, a bolt sliding home. She stepped back, leaning against the wall. Damn it why won't anyone tell me what I said?! she thought angrily.

Three days. Unless she was mistaken it would be three days before they reached New Madrid. Three days until she was let out. Three days until the moment of truth. Amelia prayed they hadn't gotten lucky, that they were still in New Madrid. She had to get away from Carriedo in one piece so she could find Arthur.

Please, please let them still be there, she thought desperately, closing her eyes.

BREAK/BREAK\BREAK

Lovina trudged into the room she shared with Madeline, pushing the door shut and dragging the latch home wearily. Bracing a hand on the wall, she tugged her boots off as she yawned. Once she had one off, she gave her tired foot a brief rub before doing the same to the other.

She pressed her hands to the small of her back when she straightened, groaning. It had been a long day, more so than usual. Bella had had them working since that morning almost non-stop with the recent rush of merchant ships that were in port. Her feet were sore, and so was her throat, which was a change. It was the first time she had ever gotten tired of yelling before.

"How close are we?" she asked, shuffling passed Madeline to their window.

"Closer. Today's bonus helped."

Lovina grunted, lifting the latch so she could push open the heavy window panes. Bracing her hands on the sill, she leaned out, taking a deep breath of the fresh, brisk air. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the contrast to the crowded tavern below.

She was drawing herself back in when Madeline said, "If this rush keeps up, we should have enough in about a week."

Lovina paused. "A week?"

"Give or take."

As wonderful as that was, Lovina found she wasn't as happy as she thought she would be. Why shouldn't she be thrilled? They were getting out, away, going home. She would see Feliciana again, and Nonno. As much as she hated to admit it, she would even be glad to see Ludwig. Lovina wanted to go home...right? No more pirates, no more working in a tavern, no more hard beds...that was good news, right? When she'd first gotten captured Lovina knew she would have leaped at the chance to return home. She thought that was still the case. Yet now that it was in reach, she found herself starting to have doubts.

"Lovina?"

Snapping back to reality, she asked tiredly, "Sì?"

"If you're done, could you please close the window? There's another chill tonight."

Lovina nodded, but took one last look of the horizon. It wasn't that bad here, really. Not as posh as Port Diego, it boasted sprawling streets rather than homes of nobility. The harbor was slightly smaller, and tonight it was particularly crowded.

Frowning, Lovina squinted in the direction of the harbor. "Madeline?"

"Yes?"

"Come here."

It took a moment for the other girl to join her at the window. "What is it?"

"Look."

Madeline leaned out, following Lovina's pointing arm. "The harbor? What's wrong with it?"

"That big ship that's coming in. What kind is it?"

"It...looks like the Green Revenge, only different. Why? Pirates dock here as much as honest folk, remember?"

"Yes, but the guard tower isn't smoking after they pass it," said Lovina quietly.

Madeline went ridged. "What reason would pirates have to attack New Madrid?"

"I don't know, but they have one," said Lovina, yanking the window shut. "Get ready. We're leaving."

"Where?" demanded Madeline as they scrambled to get their footgear back on.

"We'll warn Bella. Maybe it's nothing, but I'd rather not risk it. After that we're going to the blacksmiths."

"Maybe they just have a quarrel with someone docked here," protested the other girl.

"The last time I made an assumption about pirates I ended up a prisoner," snapped Lovina, leading the way out. "If it happens again, I doubt that I will be as lucky as last time. The only pirate who is getting me onto their ship willingly is Antonio. Oi, Lars!"

Madeline twitched as Lovina shoved open the door to the kitchen, bellowing across it with a slightly hoarse voice. The large man immerged from the storeroom, wiping his hands on a towel. "I thought you two were off for the night," he rumbled in a slightly accented voice. Where Bella was slight and not much taller than Lovina in build, Lars was well over six feet in height and broad, strong. Very handy when bar brawls broke out. Madeline had seen him hurl two grown men halfway across the street once. At the same time.

"Pirates in the harbor. Unfriendly ones," said Lovina grimly, tightening her head scarf.

Lars was always rather grim faced, so Madeline didn't see much of a change in expression as he strode over to the window that opened behind the bar. He stuck his head out, and she heard him rumble something to Bella in what she suspected to be their native language. In a heartbeat Bella was bellowing across the tavern, "Everybody out! Either lock yourselves in somewhere or take up arms! Out, out, out! Move it you lazy bums! Someone get to the church, ring the bell!"

Turning back to the other two, Lars regarded them for a moment before reaching into a pocket. He pulled out a ring of keys, tossing them to Lovina. As she fumbled to catch them he said, "You would bite my hand off if I tried to lock you two in here. The blacksmith gets drunk here enough he had an extra set made."

Madeline opened her mouth, but Lovina grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her towards the back door. "Don't talk, move," she hissed. "At least we have a warning this time."

"Port Diego? Don't they have a night watch?"

"I could say the same for New Madrid. The watch is useless," muttered Lovina. She kept going, but it was in Italian, and Madeline guessed it was mostly profanities so she ignored it.

"Why is it most people can go their entire lives without ever meeting a single pirate, but this is the third time in less than a year we've been in a pirate raid?" asked Madeline in a slightly dazed voice.

"This is my third, idiota," snapped Lovina, stopping outside the blacksmith's shop. Fumbling with the keys she continued, "This is only your second."

"Just because I wasn't on the side being invaded does not mean it didn't count. It wasn't any less pleasant."

Lovina muttered a curse as the first key didn't work. She tried the second, jamming it into the lock and turning it sharply. She threw open the door, wrenching the key back out again. "What kind of pirate do you think it will be this time? Portuguese? French?" she ranted, stomping into the shop.

Madeline trailed her, frowning. "I don't understand."

"Every damn time, it's someone from one country or another. England, Spain, Germany," growled Lovina, rummaging around in the dark for a moment. She found a lantern, and set about lighting it. "How long until someone starts ringing that damn bell? Do they want the entire town to still be sleeping when hell breaks loose?"

As if on cue, the heavy tolling of the church bell could be heard. It resounded through the winding streets of New Madrid, loud and clear. Lovina paused, and then kept going. As she located the small stash of freshly made and sharpened swords, another bell began to toll. It sounded closer, no doubt coming from one of the still active guard towers. That one didn't ring for long, but by the time it was cut off another church bell, this one on the opposite side of the town, started to toll.

Well, at least the warning is getting out, thought Madeline grimly as Lovina passed her a sword. She removed the sheath, and after a moment's thought simply let it fall to the floor.

"I don't suppose you have a plan in mind?" she asked wearily as Lovina marched out of the shop.

"If any pirate bastards make a grab for you, run them through," said the Italian, face grim. "It's mostly for defense, though. No way in hell I'm charging into a horde of pirates. Leave the real fighting to the guards, or what's left of them. We find a street and hold our ground."

"And if we can't?"

"We run."

Madeline wasn't completely sure if she liked this plan. Then again, she couldn't come up with anything else better. While she liked the idea of having her back to something, like an ally or the town wall, it also meant they wouldn't be able to run if they had to. If nothing else, at least she was armed for a change. Before she'd been a traveler or a prisoner, and in both cases she'd been a woman. Women didn't get weapons. The idea of taking a human life didn't appeal to her, but Madeline also knew that in a case like this, it was often a situation of kill or be killed.

She was still mauling over this when Lovina stopped in her tracks. Madeline slowed, following her friend's gaze upward. Frowning, she asked, "What is that?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Lovina, scowling. "Aren't you supposed to be crashing a wedding?"

The yellow ball of fluff fluttered down, landing on the finger Lovina reluctantly offered. Madeline stepped forward, peering at it curiously. Once settled, she realized the thing was a yellow canary, a rather small bird that looked decidedly more fluffy than most birds. She wondered if this was just a natural phenomena or if it just meant the bird was well fed.

"What is that?" she asked as Lovina picked at something on its leg.

"Damn thing belongs to that albino pirate. Gilbert, I think."

"The one whose brother is marrying your sister?"

"Sì. Idiota named it Gilbird. I thought it stayed on that damn hat of his." She finally freed the message, fluttering her hand to shake off the bird before unrolling it.

Gilbird hovered for a moment, squawking hoarsely a few times before fluttering over to Madeline. "He's sort of cute, isn't he?"

Lovina grunted, frowning at the slip of paper. Her head snapped up, though, when the other girl gave a muffled shriek. She looked over in time to see Gilbird settle, puffing himself out and closing his eyes as though he intended to take a nap. Madeline's face was bright red, but she made no move do dislodge the bird, despite the fact it's resting place was just below the fabric of her blouse. Lovina could plainly see the puffed up feathers of the bird's head, but nothing else. Apparently Madeline's chest had looked more comfortable than either of their head's, which seemed to be his perch of choice when he was with Gilbert.

"Still think the damn thing is cute?" asked Lovina incredulously.

"Well...he's not scratching me. Or biting me. He might if I try to get him out."

Lovina rolled her eyes, and went back to squinting at the message. It was short, as it's messenger was a rather small bird and she wasn't sure how far he'd had to come, but after a minute she was able to make out the faded ink. 'Estamos llegando Lovi.' Even if she hadn't recognized the fluid scrawl, only three people called her Lovi. Two were back in Port Diego.

Looking over at Gilbird, who had to all appearances gone to sleep in Madeline's bosom, it really hit her. Antonio was coming. He was coming for her. He was coming, and if the canary was any indication, he had Gilbert with him. He knew to send Gilbird to New Madrid, which meant they must have caught up with Kirkland. Lovina tried not to think about that last part too much, deciding to just hope Antonio hadn't gone too far. She'd been reluctant to leave that message, and even then she'd only done so much once she was certain Amelia didn't understand a word of Italian. She'd spent an entire day drilling it into the American's head, and endured just as long being intensely nagged for a translation. She'd refused, and by the time she was done Amelia could do a suitable impression of Lovina in her native language.

"We need to get to a guard tower," she said at last, stuffing the message into a pocket.

Madeline frowned. "But they've passed them. They must be at the walls by now."

"Sì, but those towers have the best vantage point for the sea. They're designed to be held, if done right. Those bastards didn't do a good job, that's how they were taken so easily."

"Why do we need to see the sea? What did that message say?"

Lovina started walking, face grim. "It says more pirates are coming."

"The good kind?"

The Italian actually cracked a small smile at that, her first one in some time. Had it really come down to that? Good pirates and bad pirates? Most people would say there wasn't any such thing as 'good' pirates, and a month ago she'd been one of them.

"Very good. All we have to do is hold out long enough for them to get here."

"Um, Lovina?"

When she looked back, Lovina saw her friend had stopped, face a bit pail. Madeline raised an arm, the one without the sword, and pointed. Lovina turned, following her hand. The base of the island itself was a gentle slope for several miles, and they were far enough into the city that they could actually see over the tops of the walls, if barely. The looming ship was still there, though lights were starting to come to life everywhere, including the docks, as their element of surprise was lost.

It wasn't that Madeline was pointing to, though. No, Lovina followed her hand to the harbor mouth. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw three ships, one large and two small, slipping passed the smoking guard towers.

A wide, genuine smile spread across her face, though she wasn't aware of it. Without turning around she said in a soft voice, "Lui è qui."

Estamos llegando Lovi - We're coming Lovi.

Lui è qui - he's here

[]

Fingers crossed for another update by the end of the week my pretties! (Seriously. In my defense, life is a sadistic witch off her schizophrenic meds.)

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