5. Escape Time
Alaina was returned to her cell minutes after the winding up of the conversation, leaving the Captain to sit in his chair and bite his nails in thought. The sun outside was setting slowly over the horizon, orange glows filling his office.
He realises that he needed to sort something out. He'd made a promise to let Alaina go at the next island, but he needed to keep her under high alert. Something about the way she'd spoken before had him on edge; he didn't truly believe that she was telling the absolute truth. Plus the fact where she'd been eagerly looking over the map had him wondering as well. She wanted to be let off on an island and she wasn't even fussed which one. She could end up anywhere! Didn't she have family to get back to?
The reason he'd wanted to keep her on the ship had him just wanting to find out why she'd wandered onto his ship. But now... now he had a feeling that there was more too it and his plans were changed.
The Captain rolls over in bed, groaning with his head pounding and thumping from the nightmares that he'd experienced throughout the night. The sunshine steaming through the windows has him realising that it was morning and that he needed to get out of bed.
"Morning."
At the sound of a voice nearby the Captain opens his eyes only to be welcomed with Cain's blue eyes in his face. The Captain freaks out and immediately springs backwards, leaving him slipping off the edge of the bed. Before he knew it he was on the ground with the covers wrapped around him.
"Damn it Cain!"
The Captain says from the ground, his head now spinning from the fast awakening. Cain only laughs and walks around the bed to stand above the Captain.
"You okay down there Captain?"
"No," the Captain says with a grumble.
"Need help?" Cain asks, extending his arm out for him to take. The Captain rolls his eyes before clasping his hand within Cain's and shortly being pulled up from the ground.
"Why the sudden surprise?" the Captain asks as he pushes the blankets away from his feet in able to untangle himself.
"We've reached land sir," Cain says with a smile on his face.
The Captain looks up at Cain. His heart sinks slightly as he realises that the moment had come quicker than expected.
"Have you told her yet?" the Captain asks.
"No," Cain says. "But I can if you want?"
"No, don't. I need to do a few things first."
Cain raises an eyebrow. "Such as?"
"Such as taking the day to explore this place. I need to know that I'm letting her off in a safe area, otherwise we'll wait it out."
"So you actually care about her?"
"Of course I do," the Captain says, taken aback. "I care about anyone who enters my ship."
"Then... should I prepare to make land?"
"Sure," the Captain says. "I'll take you and a few other men in case. Tell half a dozen other men to go down and gather resources."
"Aye," Cain says. "When will we leave?"
"As soon as possible," the Captain says, already walking over to his wardrobe and pulling on random clothes. He grabs out a baggy white shirt which he puts over his head and a pair of black baggy pants with a pair of black shiny boots.
"Aye sir," Cain says.
Seconds later the sound of the door closing to the Captain's bedroom is heard. The Captain walks over to his mirror and inspects his face. His black hair was hanging in his blue eyes which had bags hanging underneath his eye sockets. His eyes look slightly reddened from the restless sleep and his hair was everywhere. Running a hand through his hair he tries to flatten it as much as he could before he turns away from the mirror and walks towards the door.
All of a sudden his nerves were bubbling up. He had no idea where they'd landed but he couldn't wait to find out where and the location destination scenery. Hopefully it was a deserted island.
The Captain appears on desk moments later to find a few of his men already scrambling around the deck in order to get ready to make contact. The sun was rising over the horizon quickly, it's rays of sunshine shining over the island in the short distance. From here the Captain couldn't see any signs of life, but figured that there may be a village further in as a form of protection on their part.
"Sir."
The Captain turns around to find one of his crew mates standing there with ropes in his hands.
"Aye?" the Captain responds.
"Should I wrap her up with us on the boats?"
"No, we'll be leaving her on the ship for now. Just set anchor and prepare the boats for the destination."
"Aye sir," the crew mate says, nodding his head he wanders off, yelling the orders he'd just been given to the crew on deck.
"SET ANCHOR! PREPARE THE BOATS FOR SHORE!"
The Captain watches as two of his crew throw the heavy anchor overboard, the ship swaying slighting from the weight lifting off its decks. The thud is radiated up the rope and across the ships wooden surface, making the Captain take in the moment. He always got nervous about venturing across a new island. He never knew what he'd find. Would he find dragons, goblins, villagers a kingdom?
At the thought of finding a kingdom a smile creeps its way across his lips. He loved visiting kingdoms. It reminded him of his old home, back when he'd have to wait hand and foot on his mother in order to keep alive. That was till the pirates had come to town and changed his life completely – literally.
"Aye, the joys of adventuring."
The boat rocks up on the waves upon the shore an hour later. One of the crew mates jumps out of boat they'd taken in order to get to shore in order to drag it up to the shore. Minutes later the Captain was jumping over the boats edge and onto the sandy ground.
"I love sand," Cain says as he jumps over the edge as well. The Captain turns to look at his best mate with a questioning eyebrow raise. Cain only shrugs in response.
"Right then, I suppose we better get going. We'll all meet back her at dusk."
"Aye Cap'tn," the crew say in unison.
"Cain, Henry and Marcus, you're all with me. The rest of you are getting recourses for the ride."
"Aye."
Cain grabs his sword from his sword belt and waves it around in the air carelessly, his hand moving it within his grasp in an odd fashion. It spins willingly within the palm of his hand and the Captain watches in awe. He'd always wanted to do cool hand tricks with a sword, but had never grasped the skills. Cain, however was a fine fighter when it came to swords.
"Shall we?" the Captain says, spreading his arm out towards the forest that laid ahead.
"Aye," Cain says, the sword swinging stopping and coming to lay in a position in his hand. He grasps the hilt of the sword tightly before walking across the beach and into the dark forest.
The Captain looks up at the trees that he was about to go into, tall and lanky with their branches spreading wide. Darkness envelopes the whole setting with nothing but the sight of scrub, trees and branches hanging in their way.
"Well this'll be fun," Cain says, striding into the forest without any delays. He slashes his sword around, cutting anything that got in his way to create a clear pathway.
"I can feel the heat in the forest getting warmer," Henry says.
The Captain was minutes into the walk and was already regretting wearing a long sleeve white shirt with black pants and black boots as the weather on this island was really warm. Sweat was flowing down his face and as he turns around to look at Henry, he realises both Henry and Marcus were feeling the same way.
"Yeah well let's hope that this forest isn't too long and there is something on the other side. Otherwise we might just be cutting into forest for nothing," Cain says.
The Captain silently wishes that he was right. Cutting through vines and hot weather only to be driven to the other side of the island would really agitate the Captain.
Suddenly a peculiar noise radiates itself around them, causing the Captain to look upwards. Above them was the blue sky moving across the clear surrounding, a few birds flying off into the clearing.
"Let's just make this quick," the Captain says.
Alaina sits down in her cell, the cold bars lying against her face. The weather was heating her cell up slowly and she was feeling really hot in her gear. She was still in the clothes she'd been captured in – a pair of pants with a long shirt. She wishes that she could take it off, but didn't really want to be caught naked by the Captain. Though what she'd heard of the Captain had her realising that he wouldn't mind.
The soft rocking of the ship makes Alaina feel slightly sea sick. This was why she'd never wanted to take a ship before, because she always got a little nauseous from the movement ships made. But sadly, taking a ship was the only way to get across the seas and to her home she'd been taken away from. It was just fortunate enough that it was the pirate ship she'd wanted to get onto.
A noise from down the hallway makes Alaina sit up right. Greg comes tottering down the hallway, a rusty tray in the palms of his hands. Alaina grumbles silently to herself, the thought of food making her feel even more nauseous.
"Here is ye breakfast, mam," Greg says. He puts the tray down on the ground and then stands back upright again in order to unlock the cell.
Alaina instantly thinks of a plan. It wasn't much, but she knew it might be enough to get out of this cell.
Hopefully that Cain guy's not at the end...
Hopefully, Alaina thinks.
Alaina starts to stand up and moves backwards from the bars in order to allow Greg into the cell. She watches his movements carefully, taking in some of the instructions she'd been given. Once Greg was inside he closes the cell door, puts the keys into his pocket and then comes over to place the tray before Alaina's feet. He then stands up straight in order to give her a crooked-toothed smile.
"Enjoy," Greg says, the smile getting wider.
Alaina simply nods and looks down at the tray of food. Some sort of mashed up substance was in a bowl, with bottled water – most likely drawn from the ocean – was situated on the tray as well. Alaina tries to get a better look at the tray. It had dents already implanted into the surface with a golden, rusty look to it.
Before she could back out of her plan she bents down quickly, grabs the tray, leaving the food to scatter around the place, and then holds the tray up as a weapon. Greg, who was halfway to the cell door was already turned around with a gun in his hands.
Damn it...
"Ye don't think we haven't had capturers before?" Greg says with a laugh.
Alaina stands still, the tray in her arms and raised. What was she going to do now? She could try to risk getting shot and still hit the guy, but even if he fired at her the gun shot would surely ring out and alarm someone.
"I... I was just-"
"I've been hit over the back of the head before mate," Greg says in his old croaky voice.
Alaina looks around the place, avoiding the eye contact to the gun. She didn't want to see that thing aimed at her, especially when she'd had guns aimed and shot at her before. So instead, Alaina lowers the tray and drops it on the ground.
"I'm sorry, it's just really hot in here," Alaina says.
Greg looks over her, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. Seconds later he lowers the gun and nods simply before turning around to walk back out of the cell. Smiling, Alaina picks up the tray and moves forward to hit him on the back of the head. Greg falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes, leaving Alaina to grab his keys and rush out into the hallway. She silently hopes that she hasn't killed the guy...
Once outside and in the hallway and ventures down them, crawling along each wall and peeking around every corner in case any pirates came looking for the source of the noise. Luckily there was so sight of Cain when she'd gotten outside, so she was able to try and get to the deck without any problems.
Once she was at the staircase she'd only walked up last night she quickly runs up them, opens the door and walks out onto the deck. Pirates were scattered everywhere and her heart stops in her chest.
Damn it!
Things could never just be easy could they? Alaina looks around the area from behind the partly opened door that she was hidden behind. The pirates were busy keeping the deck clean and some where even practising their swordsman skills.
Could she jump over board? Would they follow her? But where would she go?
Alaina tries to rack her brain quickly for a way to get out of this. So quickly, without her brain really realising what it was doing, she shoves the door open and rushes outside. Pirates immediately look over at her, some standing still at the shocking sight of her, others already gathering their weapons and aiming them at her. Alaina swerves to the right as soon as she was out the door and flings herself over the ships edge.
"STOP HER!"
One of the pirates say, but they were unable to catch her before she was plummeting towards the ocean below. Alaina flies and sores through the air ungracefully. Her arms were flapping around wildly and her hair was flying upwards. The only thing she was able to see before she hit the water was the island.
Seconds later water was rushing up around her. She hadn't anticipated the impact of the water as it rushes up around her, suffocating her lungs. Her breathing was cut short as the water floods its way into her mouth, leaving her lungs to choke. Her hair had made its way around her face making her blind within the water. Her arms and legs were kicking out at anything, begging to get to the surface. But she had no idea which direction it was in.
It felt like ages till Alaina hit the surface of the water, her mouth opening wide to breath in the air. She wipes her hair from her face and the salty water from her stinging eyes.
"Ow," Alaina says as the salt stings the backs of her eyelids.
"ALAINA!"
Alaina looks up to find the pirates looking over the edge and down at her. Alaina doesn't think before she starts swimming off towards the shore. Her clothes were heavy and dragging her down, causing her movements to look uncoordinated. Eventually she comes up with her own swimming action which eventually gets her on her way towards the island.
See, that wasn't so bad.
Alaina thinks but before she could get her hopes up she starts to swim as quickly as she possibly could. Her arms were unable to meet the surface and come back down into the water due to her sleeves being soaked, so she tries to use them underwater instead.
Looking over her shoulder she notices that a few of the pirates were already getting undressed in order to jump in after her. Swallowing down her fears she swims as hard as her arms and legs could carry her through the salty ocean water.
This was not going to be fun....
Alaina reaches the shore on her hands and knees, her whole body soaked from head to toe. Her eyes were still stinging from the sea salt that had made its way into her eyes and her hair felt knotty. After Alaina coughs up the excess water from her lungs she gazes upwards to find a great big forest staring back at her.
"STAY THERE!"
Alaina looks behind her only to find the pirates in the boat a few metres from the shore. Before she could blink she gets up and rushes off into the forest, her clothes still dripping water everywhere. She is instantly welcomed with vines hitting her in the face and scrubs scratching at her heels.
Run, just run!
The voice in her mind says, urging her to just keep running. She instantly runs into the forest, no plan in mind. She knew she didn't have a weapon or anything to keep her safe but she didn't care, she just needed to get away from the pirates.
kl#_