As the nighttime came, Madison was still in the corner of the cell, all curled up like a ball and trying to stay awake. She was even keeping her guards up and felt like her nails are ready to scratch like a wild animal will attack. But as the hours have gone by, the crazy sailor didn't come.
"I'm telling you, imbecile," Madison muttered under breath and have her hateful eyes ready to glare, "When you come near me, I'll attack and kill you."
Madison waited for him to come but still nothing. Which was good and started to relax until...
"THREE!" two voices shouted.
Madison's eyes popped out as she heard them. It was Miguel and Tulio. She remembered that they accidently stowed away in barrels on the ship when they were getting away from the guards until the two were caught as they got out. Madison quickly got to where the entrance is and try to listen, but the words sounded mumbling until she heard footsteps.
Madison quickly moved back to the other side to get out of the way and as the cell door opened from above, Tulio and Miguel have just dropped by.
"We meet again... primo." she spoke.
The men looked up to see her with eyes wide open.
"It's you!" Miguel exclaimed.
Madison shushed him to be quiet and pointed up as to the sailors would hear.
The two quickly got up and walked towards her.
"How the heck did you get here? Don't tell me you stowaway." Tulio spoke in a lower tone.
"Nope. Kidnapped." she answered.
"Kidnapped? By Cortés?" Miguel asked.
"Nope. The same sailor you saved me from before. I don't know how he found me when I was away, but he just carried me and put me in this cell." she said as she looked at them but then looked Miguel, "I... I do want to thank you for saving me."
"It was my pleasure, but it looks like you need saving again."
"Pretty much." Madison replied, "But I'm worried about that sailor coming back."
"No worries. I'll come up with a plan. Just give me time to think." said Tulio and starts pacing.
"Does he... always come up with plans?" Madison asked as she looked at Miguel.
"Always does. Even some that are successful." He answered as he looked at her, "I'm Miguel by the way. And that's my partner, Tulio."
"Madison." she introduced, "But most people called me Maddie."
"Madison?" Tulio spoke as he looked at her. "Very odd name." he said and continued thinking.
"I take it you're not from Spain but from the English." said Miguel and Madison nod her head, "What's an English girl like you doing in Spain?"
"I have my own freedom." Madison smirked, "To go to any places I dream of going."
"You're an adventurer." Miguel beamed.
"That's right."
"Incredible. I've always wanted an adventure but..."
"Not like this?" Madison asked as she was referring to the cell.
"Yeah. Not like this." Miguel looked at the cell entry and sigh. "Hope we get out of here. I do not want to be put to death."
"I'm hoping that creep won't come back to me."
"Fear not, fair princesa . I shall protect you." he said as he acted like a hero and Madison giggled.
"I appreciate that, Miguel. But I think he won't be coming back. Hope he was drunk and got overboard, or the ship left him."
"You sounded so dark." he chuckled.
"Hey! Would you two stopped talking. I'm trying to think!" said Tulio and then he starts pounding his head on the beam.
"Is he...?"
"Don't worry about him." said Miguel, "You probably should rest. It's for the best."
Madison nodded her head and sat at a shadowy corner. She rests her head on the floor and let her eyes closed until she was now asleep.
Days have past, as the ship kept on sailing, Madison felt the morning day have already come but then heard banging. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was still in the cell. She moved her eyes to see Tulio still banging on the beam. Don't know how long he's been doing that as he tries to come up with a plan until she noticed something. She remembered she always sleep at the other side of the corner and not at the light where cell door is plus she was lying down on something.
She slightly moved her head a little and her eyes grew wide as she saw something red. It was Miguel's shirt. Madison slowly moved her head saw Miguel sleeping. She slowly lifted her head up and carefully move back from him. Madison looked at him with shock and felt her face was blushing. How in the world did she got close to him?
Suddenly, an apple dropped by through the cell door and landed on Miguel's chest. He woke up when he felt it until he noticed Madison beside him.
"Buenos días, princesa." he spoke to her with a smile.
"Morning." she reply to him.
"Sleep alright?"
Madison nods her head but then looked at Tulio as he kept on banging his head.
"Miguel, would you tell him to stop? He's making me worry when he keeps doing that?"
"Don't worry, I got this."
Miguel crawled towards him as he still had the apple in his hand. Looking at his partner as he kept on banging, trying to think.
"So, uh, how's the- how's the escape plan coming?" he asked.
Tulio stopped and then turned to face Miguel.
"All right. All right. Wait! I'm getting something." he answered and banged on the beam again until he stopped as he got something.
Madison quickly sat beside with Miguel as the two-start listening to Tulio's plan.
"Okay! Here's the plan. In the dead of night, you two and I grab some provisions, hijack one of those long boats, and then we row back to Spain like there's no mañana!"
'That's it?' Madison thought as she heard the plan.
"Back to Spain, yeah?" Miguel asked.
"Yeah."
"In a rowboat?"
"You got it!"
"Great. Sensational. And that-that's your plan, is it?"
"That's pretty much it." Tulio answered.
Miguel looked at him for a moment and smiled.
"Well, I like it. So, how do we get on deck?"
Tulio try to think for a moment until he spoke...
"In the dead of night, you two and I grab some provisions, hijack one of those longboats..."
Miguel and Madison frowned as they looked at each other and looked back at him.
"Great..." Miguel muttered.
"Tulio, you're repeating." said Madison.
"Okay, what's your idea, smart guy?" Tulio asked his partner and then looked at Madison, "Got any ideas as well?"
"Don't look at me!" said Madison as she was in defense.
"Don't ask me that as well! You're the one with the plans." said Miguel until he heard a neigh and the gears in his mind start working as he looks up, "Wait, I-I have an idea. Give me a boost."
Madison moved back away as she watched them do their work. Tulio lifted Miguel by his legs and listened as Miguel got his hands through the bars with an apple in his hand.
"Hey, Altivo. Altivo." Miguel whispered and heard the sound of hooves. "You want a nice apple? Come and get it."
Tulio and Madison looked at each other and the girl looked up as she saw the horse.
"You have to do a trick for me first." Miguel continued whispering, "All you have to do is find a pry bar. A long piece of iron with a hooky thing at the end."
"Miguel, you're talking to a horse!" Tulio muttered but Miguel didn't hear him.
"That's it, Altivo, find the pry bar."
"Yes, find the prybar." the blackhaired man mocked, "He can't understand "pry bar." He's a dumb horse. There's no way-"
Suddenly, something dropped to the floor. All three looked down to see a ring of keys that Altivo brought.
"Well, it's not a pry bar."
"But that could work." said Madison.
Later that night, all three finally got out of the cell. Miguel quietly closed the bar door without making a sound while Tulio was gathering supplies in a boat. Madison, who got her satchel ready, have gathered many foods that her bag can hold. She can feel the weight in it, but she has been carried heavy things back at her home. While Tulio helped her get in the boat along with him, the two looked to see Miguel petting Altivo.
"For Pete's sake, Miguel, he's a ruthless warhorse, not a poodle." Tulio spoke in a hushed tone, "Come on, before he licks you to death."
While Miguel finally got on and helped Tulio lower the boat down, the horse starts winning and neighed.
"Shh, shh. Shh. Quiet, please." Miguel shushed him.
"What's the matter with him?" Tulio questioned and Miguel remembered something.
"Oh, he wants his apple."
"You could have given to him sooner." Madison whispered.
"Give it to him before he wakes the whole ship!" said Tulio.
Miguel quickly gave Tulio the apple and looked at the horse along with Madison.
"Fetch!" said Tulio and threw the apple in the air past Altivo, "Now let's go quickly."
Madison watched the two lower the boat down until all three heard a swoosh and a splash. The trio looked at each other, wondering what that was until something big dropped past them with a huge splash. They looked down to see Altivo in the sea, trying to swim.
"Altivo! I'm coming! " Miguel shouted and dived off the boat.
"Miguel!" Madison and Tulio shouted and screamed as the boat fall into the air and landed on the water.
Tulio grabbed the oars and rowed straight towards Miguel and Altivo.
"Miguel! Have you lost your mind?"
"Watch out!" Madison exclaimed as she pointed up.
Miguel and Tulio looked up to see a ship coming back.
"Holy ship!" Tulio spoke.
As the ship went pass by, the wave made the boat tilt and knocked over the two off the boat.
Madison was under the water, trying to swim up but felt her satchel being heavy along with her dress. She saw Miguel and Tulio looking at her trying to reach for her. The girl struggled and tried to swim towards them, but the heaviness was pulling her down. Suddenly, the necklace started to glow. The men noticed it and it wasn't coming from the moon's rays but as the glow grew bright and faded, the two exclaimed under water as they saw Madison with a tail. Madison quickly swam towards them, all three popped their heads out of the water as they were under the boat.
Altivo popped out, whinnying for his dear life as he was struggling to swim and hitting the crates.
"Loop the rope under the horse!" Tulio shouted.
"Yes!" said Miguel and dive down with the rope.
Madison watched Tulio go under to help his partner while she stayed with Altivo.
"It's alright boy. We're going to get you out." she said as she was talking to the horse.
Suddenly, she felt a wave coming and Madison held onto the horse. The wave hit and tilt the boat again, but the rope Tulio and Miguel used have pulled her and Altivo over and they finally got on the boat.
Madison was on the horse but as she saw the men coming out of the water with a crate, the necklace glowed and made the tail turned back into her olive-green dress. She quickly got off of Altivo and helped them get on.
"Are you guys alright?" Madison asked in concern.
"We're fine." Miguel answered as he was catching his breath.
"Did any of the supplies make it?" Tulio asked as he was breathing for air.
Miguel and Madison looked to the direction where the supplies were, but the blonde man answered...
"Well, uh, yes and no." he answered as he was looking at Altivo, eating some of the food supplies.
"Oh, great!" Tulio shout in frustration.
"At least I save some, but it might not be enough." said Madison as she patted her satchel.
"See Tulio, look on the positive side. At least things can't get..."
The sound of thunder crashed, and rain came pouring down, causing Madison to flinch as she hated rain.
"Excuse me. Were you going to say "worse"?" Tulio asked as he looked at Miguel.
"No." Miguel answered.
"No?"
"No."
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely not. I've revised the whole thing."
"Okay, we're at least in a rowboat."
"We're in a rowboat, exactly. You miss nothing."
Madison looked at the two as they talk but knew they'll ask questions about her soon. She felt going to sleep but can't with this rain. This will be rough for a few days on rowing but know very soon, they'll be on land.
To Be Continued...