It's been about a year since Brett, James, and the rest of their outlaw friends parted ways. Brett's been living on his brother Matt's ship and getting to know his new sister-in-law and his niece and newborn nephew. While Brett has been on the road to getting acquitted and free to live with his family on the seas, James has been trying to get free from his most recent troublesome escapades involving a gang of thieves.
Brett is very close to being counted as a free man in the Isles, but he has eyes on him, making sure that he's as different a man as he appears to be. Things might be difficult for him when he runs into his old friend James again. As much as he'd like to catch up, being seen with a very wanted criminal could put him in some hot water.
Six ships swayed and creaked in the sunny harbor beneath a nearly cloudless sky. The cries of seabirds mingled with the chirping of bluebirds and sparrows nesting in the pines that leaned over the water.
Brett and his four year old niece paused at the tide pools to poke at the sea urchins and giggle at the tiny fish wriggling away from their fingers. He found a tiny crab to drop on her head and she swatted it off, screaming and laughing and jumping up and down. When he wasn’t looking, she promptly made it even when she scooped a fistful of dripping, slimy seaweed down his back.
Brett tackled her into his arms. “Oh, we’re more than even now, little fish.” She screeched with laughter as he blew raspberries on her belly. Brett stopped when he saw her feet. “Now hold on a minute, Miss Annabel! Where’d your shoes go? You had them on when we left.”
She shrugged. “Don’t know. Where are your shoes?”
“My shoes? I never wear any shoes, so I can climb the riggings like a monkey.”
“Exactly. I wanna be a monkey too, Uncle Brett. I wanna climb trees on our adventure.”
Brett was flattered, but he knew that Matt and Ciera wouldn’t be too happy if their daughter came home with cuts and splinters all over her feet. “Now listen, Bell. You are a monkey, but every young monkey needs to wear her shoes until she’s strong enough to do otherwise. Me? At this point I’ve got soles of steel.”
She giggled as she pinched at the hair on his arms. “And the monkey fur to go with it.”
Brett grinned. “Come on, now. Let’s find those shoes.”
Annabel protested, kicking and whimpering over his shoulder, but Brett turned around and retraced their steps until they found her shoes hidden in a crevasse. “Where’s Uncle Ari?” she asked once she had resigned to strapping them back on. “Isn’t he meeting us?”
“Nope, Ari’s ship went on ahead for repairs. It’s just you and me today, kiddo.”
“And her,” Annabel said, with a jut of her chin.
A guard had stepped off the ship and was and picking her way inland across the craggy shore, glancing up every few seconds to make sure Brett was still visible. He felt a familiar jab of annoyance, like a dog jerked taught at the end of its rope, but of course he wasn’t about to let anyone taint his afternoon with Annabel.
“Great!” he said. “Our personal bodyguard is joining the adventure.” He lowered his voice. “To be honest, I was afraid we’d be eaten by griffins, but I think we’ll be okay now.” He waved cheerfully at the guard; she didn’t wave back.
Annabel crinkled her nose. “Griffins don’t live near the ocean!”
“What! Your daddy tell you that? What does he know about griffins? Now, you listen to your Uncle Brett, the man who singlehandedly fought a whole flock of them and lived to tell the tale...”
Hand in hand, they climbed up the rocky shore and into the forest as Brett relayed some riveting nonsense about the great war between griffins and mermen.
“The great Cyreus lifted his silver trident and—”
Brett froze, noticing something strange about the dirt at his feet.
“And what, Uncle Brett? Did he kill Princess Darkwing?”
“Hold on a second. Someone’s just been through here.”
Annabel tugged on his belt, impatient for the story to continue. “It’s probably just a sailor from one of our ships.”
“No, these are hoof prints. Someone on horseback.” Brett’s sixth sense tingled the back of his neck: there was something familiar about these tracks... what was it? Who was it? As he scanned the trees, he noticed that the guard was sticking closer to them now that they had entered the forest.
Annabel got down on her hands and knees to scrutinize the soil and pick off the leaves and twigs just like her uncle was doing. “I don’t know... You sure these aren’t griffin tracks?”
Now it was Annabel’s turn to gasp. “She survived?”
If he was alone, Brett would have followed the tracks, undetected, to spy on the lone rider and satisfy his curiosity, but right now his main priority was Annabel’s safety. There was another thorn in his side: he wasn’t sure how easily he’d be able to snoop with guard cluelessly crashing through the underbrush behind him.
The tracks trickled north, but Brett pointed east, deeper into the forest. “Let’s follow her!”
Soon they came across Princess Darkwing’s lair, an old twisted tree growing impossibly through a narrow crack in a boulder. They knocked on the bark and no one answered, so Brett started climbing the tree to see if it was safe, but more importantly to be absolutely certain the princess wasn’t home and they could explore.
Once he was hidden by the leaves, he paused.
“Is she up there, Uncle Brett?” Annabel’s eager little voice called from below.
“I don’t think so... Wait! Oh no... oh no!” He started shaking the branch violently. “AAAAGGHHH!! PRINCESS DARKWING!”
Last edited by Wolfi on Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Normally when James heard a shout in the middle of the forest he would ignore it. He was within a reasonable distance of a town for sound to carry, and it wasn't unlikely for someone to be out this far. That, and he could usually tell the difference between a cry of pure terror and the cries of people goofing off. But it wasn't the tone or the pitch of the scream that made his heart race and his eyes shoot open.
That voice sounded familiar.
He couldn't make out what exactly had been said, but his curiosity had already won. If it was someone he knew, he would simply confirm it and leave. If it wasn't then he'd do the same. No matter the result it was still a good idea to see what was going on because if they came any closer, he might be meeting them on their terms and not his own.
James looked up at the blue sky as he laid on his back. He was resting under the shade of the trees, stretched out on a rock jutting out of the ground that faced the ocean shore. That was about as close as he planned on getting to the water. He could smell the salty ocean spray from the distance, and that was enough of the ocean for him. Elliot, his horse, stood off to the side with his reins tied to a tree. Elliot snorted when he saw James stir.
"I'll be back in a minute," James promised as he got to his feet, already taking quick and light steps into the forest.
He lifted his feet carefully over the rocky shoreline, staying in the cover of the trees. The rocks were warm from the morning sun and the speckled shade created a repetitive exchange of cool and hot. Things went uphill in the direction he'd heard the scream, so he stayed low to the ground as he climbed and drew closer and paused in the shade of a low-hanging tree when he saw movement up ahead.
There was a little girl at the bottom of a big tall tree. She was looking up it like she was looking at someone. James couldn't see who was in it, but he felt a sinking feeling in his gut.
If someone had been high up in the tree, there was a possibility he was spotted before he'd even found his hiding place.
He stayed still, hoping his presence would be dismissed, forgotten, or at best, undetected in the first place. Hoping for that, though, was a little too optimistic. If he saw any signs that he'd been seen, he'd run for it.
That was his first thought. Annabel. She's all the way down there. All alone. The stranger had been creeping forward exactly toward the twisted tree. Another second, and Annabel could be snatched up as easily as a sack of stickers bars. It gave him such a fright that he lost his balance for a moment and had to scramble back up onto the branch. He squinted through the leaves and branches, but as quickly as the stranger had appeared, he vanished.
Fear twisted his stomach like on the day Adina was kidnapped by mage hunters. He scrambled down the twisted trunk, jumped down the rest of the way, and scooped Annabel into his arms.
Pointing up at the tree, she continued to play into the story, delightedly thinking Brett was still in the act. "Run, Uncle Brett! She's following us!"
"Shhh! Be quiet just a moment, Bell."
He looked around, wishing he had a weapon on him. Shifting Annabel to his hip, he leaned over and picked up a sturdy stick. Where's that guard when I need her?
Cautiously, he crept towards the stranger's hiding place.
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
James stayed still as he caught glimpses of the person in the tree scrambling down. He really wished he could make out more from the distance, but his eyesight was lacking. He could make out a man, leaping down from the tree and scooping up the little girl in his arms. It looked like his cover had been blown. The only reason the man would’ve rushed down so quickly was if he had been spotted - and like any responsible parent or guardian, the man rushed to be with his child.
James decided it wasn’t worth staying to see who it was. It was a man with a little girl, and that in and of itself told him they wouldn’t be much trouble as long as he kept his distance.
James slinked back into the shadows of the trees. Now that the man wasn’t up in the tall, twisted tree, James had a little more cover on the ground to work with. Or at least, that’s what he’d thought.
He heard something from behind him - and if he’d heard it that either meant it was loud or very close. He froze between the cover of two scraggly bushes and slowly turned his head to look through the gaps in the branches.
There was a woman, it looked like. She was a bit far off - so she must’ve crashed through the trees or something. Clearly, stealth wasn’t her goal or her strength. She looked like she was looking up near where the man and girl were.
Was she a family member? A friend? An enemy? None of those things were really his business, but he didn’t know why a someone from the Western Guard would be wandering out here if not to follow a person or look for someone.
He had a creeping feeling in his stomach that things weren’t quite what they seemed. The man at the tree seemed familiar, but James knew that had a higher chance of being a bad thing than good.
He turned to look back at the twisted tree, only to see that the man wasn’t there anymore.
James cursed under his breath and ducked down low. With people coming at him from both sides, the only way out was going to be a very obvious one - running out quickly and giving away his location and presence. He didn’t know if he could manage that in his current state. So instead, he steadied his breath and stayed still, hoping to not be seen as he watched to see if the others would come close.
Brett paused to readjust his hold on Annabel. "Why don't we do a piggy-back ride?" he suggested.
Without hesitation, she swung a leg around his back and hugged him around the neck.
"Not too tight," he croaked.
She grabbed two long tufts of his black hair and gently whipped them like reins. "Go horsey, go!"
Brett winced, both at getting his hair tugged and because Annabel's whisper was a little too loud. "Listen, little one, we have to be absolutely silent or else the griffin will fly away."
She whispered an affirmation in his ear, then she blew air directly into it, and Brett squirmed again, holding back a snort of laughter. "This is a serious mission!" he said.
Quietly and cautiously, he crawled forward through the underbrush, holding the stick out to part branches. He finally heard the guard's boots crunching through the forest, and although she was still some distance away, he knew that if they got into trouble all he'd need to do is cry out and she'd come running, blade in hand. Emboldened, he rose to a crouch and widened his steps. He was getting closer and closer to the guard, who still hadn't spotted him, but still there was no sign of the stranger.
Then he heard something. A rustle in the bushes, straight ahead. Maybe the stranger was trying to slip away. Annabel bouncing on his back, Brett darted forward.
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
James turned away from the guard, who was still a good distance away and searched the forest to see where the man and the child had gone. It wasn't until the man suddenly darted through the trees that James realized just how close he was.
He stared.
His eyes widened as he saw Brett's face come into focus, still with the same long black hair, but now with a beard. The little girl on his shoulders looked like she could've been his own, but James knew that wasn't likely given how old she probably was. She had to have been Matt's daughter. Brett's niece.
James found himself sinking to the ground.
It had only been a few months, maybe a year since he'd last seen Brett and said goodbye, but he didn't know if he could face him like this. He didn't want to, really.
He looked down at the bandage on his hand, poking out from his clothes. He knew his face was bruised, scraped, and there was a gash still healing on his temple. Brett would ask questions. Of course he would ask questions, and James didn't know if he could answer them. That, and it wouldn't just be Brett. Brett's niece was with him, and James didn't want to put either of them in danger by associating with him.
His mind returned to the solider in the forest. Either she was looking for Brett or following him, but James didn't know if it was for good or bad reasons.
Brett was coming closer, and the soldier still looked a little lost, but James felt a different kind of pressure to run away. Not just because there were people, but because there was someone he knew. Someone who would care. Someone who he cared about and didn't want getting dragged into his mess again.
He stayed low and still, holding his breath and hoping that just maybe, Brett would pass him by unnoticed.
The man's face was obscured and he was lying so absolutely still that for a second Brett wondered if the guard had beat him to it and knocked him unconscious. But no, the guard was still walking this way, and the man was probably just doing his best to remain hidden.
Brett was unwilling to sneak up on a stranger when he had Annabel on his back. He didn't want the man to feel threatened and lash out to defend himself, so he decided to say something first, just loud enough for the stranger to hear. "Hey! Who are you?"
There was no answer, but after a tense moment the man reluctantly lifted his head.
Brett and James locked eyes.
Brett's jaw dropped and a wave of emotion crashed over him: warm feelings of surprise and delight mingled with an icy splash of shock and horror. Bruises. Cuts. A big gash on his temple. An old black eye, turned a marbled purple and green. What had happened to him? What had he been through, in between the night he slipped away and now?
"James. James, what...?"
James blushed with embarrassment and lowered his battered face again.
"That's not a griffin," Annabel said.
Brett started; in those long seconds he had forgotten Annabel was there, peering over his shoulder. He had also completely forgotten about the guard, who by that point was practically upon them.
Abruptly shaken out of a state of shock, Brett leaned back so his niece could dismount. "Bell, quick! Go run off in that direction and distract the guard. Don't let her come over here. Quick!"
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
James knew that his currently level of anxiety was irrational. It was only Brett, and Brett wasn't going to hurt him, at least. But he didn't know what to say to him, or how to explain anything, and he didn't know why Brett's niece had to go distract the guard. Was the guard guarding them? Why?
Were his mind not rushing with other emotions he didn't know how to name he probably would've pieced things together faster, but as it stood, he stayed crouched behind the bush. He wanted to say it was only because the guard was drawing near, and he didn't want the guard to see him, but there was a part of him that wanted to hide from Brett too.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. He'd made things complicated. He'd already brought trouble to Brett just by existing.
"You should go with your niece. I shouldn't have snuck up on you."
It was so good to be face to face with his friend again, but it wasn't easy to see James all beat up like this, and to hear his broken voice.
Brett wanted to ask a million questions, but he knew Annabel could only give them a little bit of extra time. He also needed to give James enough buffer to slip away before the guard came back and spotted him. He had to act quickly.
"Don't give me any of that. Fate has brought us back together, don't you agree?"
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
James's mind was running in circles. Brett's niece was off distracting a guard, but for what? Brett clearly didn't see it as a dangerous task to send Annabel off by herself, so the guard was clearly on their side. Brett really must have taken his brother up on finding a way to get acquitted from his crimes. The very thought gave James relief for Brett's sake but also filled him with dread. If the guard was a baby-sitter and there to keep an eye on Brett to make sure he stayed out of trouble, James was the last person Brett would want to be seen with.
His eyes flickered back into the forest. He could see the guard crawling up a rock, and Annabel running towards her. They didn't have much time.
"Fate... is not always that kind," James said quietly, keeping his voice low. "But I am glad to see you. I'm just sorry it's like this."
He didn't have time for many words, so he tried to convey his compassion through an earnest gaze.
"No, I'm sorry. For whatever happened to you." He glanced back at where James was looking and sighed quietly - the guard was scanning the forest, looking displeased and antsy, and mostly ignoring his niece.
"You should get going," he said reluctantly.
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
James kept an eye on the guard as he slowly stood up, taking a small step back so that he was in the shade of the tree. Though he was sad to say goodbye so soon, he felt like he could leave with peace of mind. Brett had been reunited with his family, and a year later, it was still working out. Brett would be okay.
James looked to Brett and gave him the smallest of grins. It was forced, sure, but it was better to feign confidence. He saw the look on Brett's face.
Brett returned the grin, but his was twisted in the tell-tale sign that he was up to something. "I'll be back here at noon." Jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, he began to walk backwards. "I'll meet you at the twisted tree."
He darted off before James could protest.
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
James paused for half a second, but Brett left before he could say anything. He knew that was intentional on Brett's part, but it was also necessary.
James ran carefully through the forest back to his makeshift camp. Noon wasn't that far away, and he knew Brett would be expecting to see him - and while he wanted to meet with Brett again, he didn't know if he could, or if he should. It seemed like too big of a risk for either of them. James didn't know how Brett was planning on losing his tail, and James had his own problems to worry about.
When he slipped through the trees and found Elliot again, he let out a deep sigh. Elliot nickered a greeting.
He patted Elliot on the neck and stroked his nose.
"I wasn't gone that long," he cooed. Elliot's nose pressed into his hand.
"I'm sure it felt longer than it was, though," he said. "It's okay. You're right to worry."
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