The mournful cry startled her, waking her from her dozing. It was so full of pain that her own heart ached for whoever had unleashed it. As it echoed over the island she recognized in it the voice of the Captain and immediately leapt from the tree in which she had been resting to hurry to his camp. Even before she arrived she knew no one would be there.
Their meager little encampment had been ransacked and destroyed. The tents were beaten, crumpled piles of snapped wood and torn fabric. The remnants of their small fires had been swept through and the burning embers scattered around the site. Evidence of a small skirmish attracted her gaze on the eastern edge of the tiny refuge. From there, a trail of footprints led off down the beach.
It was evident to her that whoever had attacked them was not very smart. Anyone with any intelligence planning such an attack and capture would know to cover their tracks so reinforcements wouldn’t be able to follow. She used it to her advantage and tracked them a mile and a quarter before the trail turned into the woods. They had cut down a path for themselves and made it even easier for her to continue following the remaining half mile to the massive wall that had been built around the large establishment.
Sticking to the shadows, she climbed up a tree at the edge and surveyed the camp. There were at least twenty tents on the inside of the crude barrier and barbarous men and women walking about. From what she could see, the women were preparing a feast as the men set up tables and chairs for the evening meal. Those that weren’t hard at work assisting with the preparations were off sparring or tending to the few children running around.
On the south side, directly opposite from her viewpoint, she noticed a small, rather poorly constructed cage holding several people inside it. When she focused her vision and looked harder she recognized the captives as the pirates. She wasted no time in running over to them. She leapt from branch to branch in the trees around the encampment, purposely dropping a twig here and there to spook the bandits on guard duty.
She stopped just before the makeshift jail cell and slowly moved out from the bushes. “Are you all alright?” she whispered.
The place reeked with a mix of familiar scents she immediately associated with fear. When the men turned around to investigate the source of the voice she could see that some had vomited or urinated themselves. A few had apparently done both. The Captain was positioned in the middle of the group as several of his crew huddled around him, patting him, talking to him and simply trying to be of some comfort.
One man broke from the small cluster and came over toward her after recognizing her as a non-threat. His curly strawberry-blond hair was covered in dust and grime and his blue-gray eyes were puffy and bloodshot. He appeared cleaner than the rest as far as the presence of bodily fluids covering their clothes went, but he was observably the most fatigued. “We’re all a little bit frazzled right now,” he said quietly, the weight of their loss present in his tone. “I’ve been doing my best to calm the men down, but I don’t know how they’ll overcome this.”
Her eyes narrowed and she raised an eyebrow as she asked, “Why is everyone so terrified? I thought pirates were tougher than this. Surely, your pride must be sore from being taken captive, but to wet yourselves from something like this?” Her forehead wrinkled and he assumed she was frowning. “Honestly, I’m a little disappointed in you lot.”
He might have smiled had it not been for the gravity of the situation but instead he shook his head. “It’s much more complicated than that,” he replied. “We have been betrayed. Then on top of that we had to witness the brutal murder of our first mate. It’s hit the captain hard,” he whispered as he glanced back to the group.
The ninja girl sobered up and in a whisper asked, “Would it be disrespectful to ask what happened?”
He hesitated for a moment but she looked sincere enough. “The bandit king ripped him in half. It wasn’t pretty.” He looked over to the fire and added, “Then they burned the body. Most of the men are terrified.”
She wrinkled her nose. She had smelled the foul scent of burning flesh earlier on her way to them but hadn’t been able to place it. “Bastard...” she snarled under her breath.
The Captain finally noticed her presence and he called over to the man with whom she’d been conversing. “Cyril! What’s going on?”
He leapt to his feet. “Sir! The ninja girl is here. Maybe she can help us!” he answered hopefully.
Leo scoffed and turned away from them. “And what can she do? She’s just a lone ninja. There’s no way in hell she can do what a large group of mighty pirates such as ourselves could not.”
She narrowed her eyes at the back of his head before they softened and she rolled them. She sighed, then turned back to Cyril. “I’ll be back,” she whispered to him and then retreated to the shadows once again.
When she had gone, he made his way back over to his captain. “Sir, with all due respect, I think you were too harsh with her.” Leo made no movement whatsoever and gave no indication that he would satisfy the medic with a response. Cyril sighed then shrugged as he continued. “She’s out there and we’re in here. From where I see it, she can do a lot more than we can,” he said, addressing Leo’s previous question.
The Captain continued staring at the fire for a few minutes. “I know you’re right,” he said after a short while. “I just don’t understand her. And my best friend is dead, murdered before my very eyes. I’m stuck in a cage and can’t do anything to avenge him.” The leaping flames reflected in his eyes, giving the illusion that they were actually in them. Cyril felt himself shudder at the sight. “My mind is racing,” Leo continued. “We trusted Rhea and she betrayed us. Quite frankly I’m not so sure I’m willing to trust anyone right now. Especially not some rogue ninja.”
Cyril knelt next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” he began, “but she’s different from most ninjas we’ve ever encountered.” He fell silent for a moment, letting that observation sink in before he asked his next question. “What did she say to you earlier anyway?”
Leo thought back to the conversation they’d had in the clearing. He had prided himself on his ability to see through people who were bullshitting him and judge a person’s worth based on first impressions. She had been genuinely sincere. The brief hug had communicated that to him. “That we can trust her.“ A shadow of a smile flashed across his face as he answered the medic’s question.
Cyril grinned, pleased that his captain was looking hopeful. Mere seconds later, their new friend returned. “Willing to accept my help?” she asked Leo directly.
He nodded. “I’m sorry for being so rude before.”
“Later,” she said, cutting his apology short. “First we’ve got to get you guys out of here.” Captain, medic, and ninja all exchanged affirmative nods. “Alright,” she began, “the camp is roughly eight hundred square yards and by my estimation there are about one hundred fifty bandits. They’re preparing a feast to celebrate your capture.” She paused then added, “You’re quite the celebrity, captain.”
He mock-bowed before composing himself again in seriousness. “There’s no way the ten of us can fight all of them.” The ninja girl cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at him, warning him not to count her out. “Even with eleven,” he said apologetically. They sat a few moments in silence. Suddenly he slammed his fist against the bars in frustration, eliciting laughter from a couple bandits that were wandering past at that moment. They had been left, for the most part, unguarded. There were always a few of the barbarians nearby though, just in case. When they had gone out of ear shot, he whispered, “If we had the rest of the crew, we’d be able to do it.”
“I’ll go get them,” the ninja girl said without hesitation.
The Captain blinked and stared at her, seeming to contemplate it for a moment. Then he frowned and shook his head. “No, they’d never trust you.”
“I can tell them you sent me!” she protested. “What else would I be doing enlisting their help?”
He sighed. “They’d think you were the one who captured me and were simply coming for the rest of them.” He looked down briefly then to Cyril and back to her. “They’d probably kill you in a heartbeat,” he added solemnly.
She furrowed her brow and slumped her shoulders, clearly sulking. “There must be something to get them to trust me without killing me on sight,” She silently cursed the bitter rivalry between sea-farer and land-loper.
Cyril sat in silence as the pirate and ninja contemplated what to do. The Captain was fiddling with the pendant around his neck, as he tended to do when he was thinking deeply about something. It was the only thing he had left of his real parents and it never left his neck. Of course, his crew knew nothing about the secret of his parents, but what they did know was that he had nearly killed a young thief who had attempted to make off with his pendant.
It was black as the obsidian it had been crafted from. There were traces of metal forged within it to make it stronger, but nevertheless it was smooth with no visible imperfections. On the front had been carved a crescent shape and all around the edges was an inscription in characters of a language the Captain and his crew were unfamiliar with.
She watched as he twirled it through his fingers. The light from the fire would catch it and reflect off it every few seconds. To Cyril, she appeared to be eyeing it because she was staring at it with an intense curiosity. “Where did you get that?” she asked hesitantly.
Leo shrugged and replied, “It’s just a keepsake from my parents.” She looked to him for a moment then back to the pendant as he continued to play with it. Her face softened and she wasn’t as focused on it, but still she didn’t take her eyes off it.
The Captain stopped suddenly and looked at it as if for the first time. His eyes brightened and at the same time the ninja girl must have had an idea because they both straightened and exclaimed, “That’s it!”
Cyril looked from one to the other. Leo was clearly excited but the ninja girl seemed slightly confused. “You can take this to them,” he said as he began to pull it over his head.
She blinked back her surprise. “No,” she stammered, “No, I couldn’t. That would never work.”
“It’s alright,” he assured her. “I’ll give you the Code as well.”
It was Cyril’s turn to show astonishment. “But Cap’n, that code’s only meant for pirates! Surely you don’t mean to share that with a ninja?”
Leo flashed a sly grin at his medic. “I do. Besides, weren’t you the one earlier who told me we should trust her?” The young man nodded grimly. “It’s the only way they won’t kill her on sight and you know it.” Cyril glanced to the ninja and saw she was staring at the pendant as though she were hesitant to take it. The Captain pushed it toward her, urging her. “You’re going to need it,” he said.
She sighed and wavered a moment longer before gently taking it. “Should I, you know, wear it?” Leo nodded and she slowly put it over her own head and tucked the pendant in the fabric of her top. Heaving another sigh, she asked, “So what’s this code?”
The Captain leaned forward and motioned for her to do the same. He looked around cautiously to be sure no one was watching or listening. When he was sure they were okay, he whispered it in her ear for her only. She nodded that she understood and stood to leave. “Wait, before you go,” he started, halting her to make sure he wouldn’t forget this time, “what is your name?” She knelt back down and whispered something in his ear before giving him a wink and disappearing into the woods.
Cyril frowned and folded his arms across his chest, indignant that he’d been left out of their private conversation. “What if she doesn’t come back?” he asked sourly.
Leo smiled. “She will,” he said without hesitation. “She will.”
The medic grunted and laid back. “Well then I’m gonna get some rest before our battle tomorrow. I just pray she’s not too late.”
“Don’t worry so much Cyril,” the Captain replied. “You’ll turn that pretty head of yours grey before you turn 30.” The medic stifled a chuckle then rolled over to sleep in the filthy cage. Leo looked into the fire briefly then glanced out to the woods where she had vanished. I know you’ll come back, Kita.
*******
She made her way back to the ransacked camp as quickly as she could. The pendant around her neck made her proud but slightly uncomfortable. Kita knew that having it in her possession was not necessarily in her best interest. It was the emblem of a ninja who belonged to the clan of the Crescent Moon, the most elite ninjas in the world. She herself had been a member of an elite clan, the clan of the Noble Wolf, second only to the Crescent Moon ninjas. But she had shed her clan title when she left and became a rogue. To be wearing an emblem from such a high ranking clan, especially one to which she did not belong, could mean immediate exile, or even death should she be discovered with it.
For the moment she didn’t worry. She had never come across any high ranked ninjas in the area other than herself. In fact, if she encountered any ninjas at all, they were of much lesser clans and simply passing through. They would either assume she belonged to the clan or that she was under the protection of it. Maybe one day I’ll start my own clan, she thought as she made her way to the little camp.
She could see the ship moored not too far out. Even in the dark, she felt she’d be better off swimming to it. Rowing would take longer than necessary and she wasn’t fond of the idea of sitting out in the open on the off chance they saw her coming and mistook her for an enemy before she could get to them for help. No, she would swim.
She moved fast and dove into the warm waters of the bay. Keeping low as long as possible, she only came up for air every couple of minutes. She was nearly 24 years old, but she tended to have the attention span and personality of a 5 year old and normally would have had to focus hard to restrain herself from swimming after the schools of fish and exotic sea creatures all around her. However, the severity of the circumstances kept her determined and focused on her task.
In just ten minutes she reached the starboard side of the ship and climbed the anchor rope up into the belly of the vessel. At this point she realized a minor flaw in her plan; making her presence known without causing a ruckus. She stuck to the shadows, trusting in her ability to remain hidden from sight until she wanted to be seen.
She thought to maybe corner someone wandering off on his own and explain the situation. Unfortunately, most of the crew was asleep, with only the bare minimum awake to stand guard and patrol the ship. It would be easier for her to take any one of these but she wondered if they might raise an alarm when she tried to speak with them.
Just when she had resigned to wait until morning, the second shift watchmen came out to relieve their friends of their posts. One happened to be an older gent who spent the first bit of his shift talking to himself. She watched him for a few minutes when suddenly he looked over at where she was hiding. He smiled and waved. “Don’ worry,” he said gaily, “It’s jes me ‘n Bob here. You kin come out if yeh like.”
Kita looked around nervously. She didn’t see anyone but the old man. “Where’s Bob?” she whispered.
The man stared at her then laughed boisterously as he patted the mast. “Why, this is Bob righ’ here! How kin you nawt see ‘im?” She smiled. So he wasn’t talking to himself earlier, she thought. At least, he doesn’t think so. She chuckled to herself and slowly emerged from the shadows. His jaw dropped slightly as he got a better view of her. “Yer... yer...”
She threw her hands up by her head, showing she had no weapons. “Don’t be alarmed, I’m not here to hurt anyone!”
He nudged the mast with his elbow and grinned from ear to ear. “Bob, we gots a real ninja on our ship!! And she’s a perty one too.” He took off his hat respectfully and inclined his head to her in a small bow. “My name’s Jeremiah!” he said extending his hand to her. “Yeh already met Bob.”
She giggled and offered her hand to him as well. He lightly kissed her fingers and squeezed her hand before taking his hand back. She bowed to him in return for his graciousness and then asked, “Do you think you could take me to whoever is in charge in your captain’s absence? He sent me to get help.”
Jeremiah nodded quickly and took her arm to lead her to the second mate’s cabin. He was a bit shorter than her and she couldn’t help but smile at his eagerness to help. Instinct made her hang back as he woke the second mate. “Lucas! Lucas, come out! I got someone important who needs ta speak with yeh!”
Lucas came out rubbing his eyes until he saw the ninja standing in the hallway. “Jeremiah! There’s a ninja!!” he yelled.
“Yessir!” the old man smiled. “She says she was sent by the cap’n himself!”
“Likely she’s the reason he’s not back with Phineas and the others already!” Leo had warned her, but still Kita had hope that they wouldn’t kill her just yet.
Awwww, your story isn't complete. :( I'm gonna stop reading now, until you put up the rest of this part and part one, cause I don't wanna spoil the story. Hurry up, cause it's a great story!!
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PNB,OM! Part 2: Betrayal blog
