"My readers will kill them all!"
Who exactly is it that you guys want to die? We have precious few characters left!
Who exactly is it that you guys want to die? We have precious few characters left!
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This is high praise, but I personally don't like margarine. My girlfriend does, so that might explain why she likes meActinguy said:
I told you he should have taken the sword with him
---------------------------
And the anchor slowly began moving up
drip
drip
drip
...
Late Winter, 1085 - Mediterranean Sea
Robert's eyes peered over the side of the deck...all clear. Not a soul to be seen. He gripped the deck with both hands and pulled himself up, landing softly. He crawled along the railing, counting on the shadows to cover his approach. His hands ran along the anchor's chain, sure to not lose it in the darkness of night, until he could reach the pulley system.
But there wasn't one. The chain simply hooked into a metal loop on the deck.
Robert crept back to the side of the ship, placed his feet firmly against the rail, and began to pull the chain with all of his might. It moved an inch...and then he dropped it. He tried a second time...a third. He was strong, but he couldn't lift the anchor on his own.
"Captain!" he hissed over the rail, so as not to alert any pirates that might be on board, "There isn't any way to lift the anchor."
"They must have had a team to pull it," the Captain called back. "It's no use then. You'll have to go on without me."
"I will not. Besides...where would I go? The ship is still anchored down. You stay there..."
"Where would I go?"
"...and I'll be right back."
Robert slowly made his way through the ship, searching for anything that might be useful...while keeping his eyes open for any enemy. The deck was devoid of both people and provisions, so he worked his way down the steps and into a room he didn't recognize from any ship he'd been on previously.
The room ran the entire length of the ship, containing a dozen or so of the same metal balls that the pirates had thrown during the attack. Perfect! He could use it to fight off any pirates that would still be on board. Robert bent over the nearest ball, gripped it with both hands, and lifted...immediately falling backwards.
They were heavier than he had thought. He could lift one, certainly...but it would be a terrible strain, and there would be no way he could actually throw it with enough force to tear off a leg, as the pirates had apparently done.
Perhaps two people were needed to throw the ball at the same time?
The only other item of interest in this room was a series of barrels, each pointing out over the water, toward where Robert imagined his ship had been before it burnt and subsequently sank. The barrels were empty, smelled terribly, and their purpose was baffling. What had these pirates dumped into the ocean right before the attack?
The floor below led first to a large room which apparently served as the sleeping quarters. Robert passed it, uneager to wake any slumbering pirate without a weapon, and instead proceeded directly to the galley.
Though fully stocked with crates and barrels...all of these proved empty. There wasn't a drop of food to be found, save for a few dead rats laid out in a corner. Robert seized a knife from the counter, then backtracked to the sleeping quarters.
But these, too, were empty...and completely bare, but for a few sheets on the ground.
There was but one room left. He placed an ear against the door, listening. Once he was sure no one was moving, he slowly leaned against the door until it opened, his knife ready to strike.
He was in what appeared to be the pirate captain's quarters...but there was no one to attack.
There was only one dark-skinned girl, tied to the bed.
And she was already dead.
Robert's eyes peered over the side of the deck...all clear. Not a soul to be seen. He gripped the deck with both hands and pulled himself up, landing softly. He crawled along the railing, counting on the shadows to cover his approach. His hands ran along the anchor's chain, sure to not lose it in the darkness of night, until he could reach the pulley system.
But there wasn't one. The chain simply hooked into a metal loop on the deck.
Robert crept back to the side of the ship, placed his feet firmly against the rail, and began to pull the chain with all of his might. It moved an inch...and then he dropped it. He tried a second time...a third. He was strong, but he couldn't lift the anchor on his own.
"Captain!" he hissed over the rail, so as not to alert any pirates that might be on board, "There isn't any way to lift the anchor."
"They must have had a team to pull it," the Captain called back. "It's no use then. You'll have to go on without me."
"I will not. Besides...where would I go? The ship is still anchored down. You stay there..."
"Where would I go?"
"...and I'll be right back."
Robert slowly made his way through the ship, searching for anything that might be useful...while keeping his eyes open for any enemy. The deck was devoid of both people and provisions, so he worked his way down the steps and into a room he didn't recognize from any ship he'd been on previously.
The room ran the entire length of the ship, containing a dozen or so of the same metal balls that the pirates had thrown during the attack. Perfect! He could use it to fight off any pirates that would still be on board. Robert bent over the nearest ball, gripped it with both hands, and lifted...immediately falling backwards.
They were heavier than he had thought. He could lift one, certainly...but it would be a terrible strain, and there would be no way he could actually throw it with enough force to tear off a leg, as the pirates had apparently done.
Perhaps two people were needed to throw the ball at the same time?
The only other item of interest in this room was a series of barrels, each pointing out over the water, toward where Robert imagined his ship had been before it burnt and subsequently sank. The barrels were empty, smelled terribly, and their purpose was baffling. What had these pirates dumped into the ocean right before the attack?
The floor below led first to a large room which apparently served as the sleeping quarters. Robert passed it, uneager to wake any slumbering pirate without a weapon, and instead proceeded directly to the galley.
Though fully stocked with crates and barrels...all of these proved empty. There wasn't a drop of food to be found, save for a few dead rats laid out in a corner. Robert seized a knife from the counter, then backtracked to the sleeping quarters.
But these, too, were empty...and completely bare, but for a few sheets on the ground.
There was but one room left. He placed an ear against the door, listening. Once he was sure no one was moving, he slowly leaned against the door until it opened, his knife ready to strike.
He was in what appeared to be the pirate captain's quarters...but there was no one to attack.
There was only one dark-skinned girl, tied to the bed.
And she was already dead.
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There, you heartless bastards.
You've killed a poor, defenseless woman.
Are you happy now?
You've killed a poor, defenseless woman.
Are you happy now?
Well yes, but that has nothing to do with the dead womanActinguy said:There, you heartless bastards.
You've killed a poor, defenseless woman.
Are you happy now?
Good update, I hope we found out soon why the ship is deserted.
That you will, my friend. That you will.
Incidentally, I finally found a layout of a pirate ship (AFTER I needed it, of course), so I'm going back right now to add some flavor to his search of the ship. Will be editted in a second!
Incidentally, I finally found a layout of a pirate ship (AFTER I needed it, of course), so I'm going back right now to add some flavor to his search of the ship. Will be editted in a second!
That was a fantastic edit. I like the complete bafflement of Robert about the cannonballsActinguy said:
I've seen few alive corpses...Enewald said:
I love Robert's reaction towards the canons. I wonder what would happen if someone sent back a TV?
No, no, y'all have this scene wrong. The black-skinned girl tied to a bed is most obviously not dead.
phargle said:
The only reason why you'd know this is because you killed her!
But gratzies for author!
She's obviously dead! She'll just come back to life later on. Anyway, congrats, Actinguy! Also, the cannonball bit was hilarious. Perhaps you need two people to throw them?
Anyway, congrats, Actinguy! Also, the cannonball bit was hilarious. Perhaps you need two people to throw them? 
Congratulations on the award.
Matilda must be stalking the darkness, she's been absent a little too long.
Matilda must be stalking the darkness, she's been absent a little too long.
@Iamwhoa: Why, little ol' Matilda? She's still back in Guines at her sister's wedding, innocently dancing the night away with Osbern, the cousin whom she tried to kill. Nothing else. Honest! *innocent whistle* Unless, of course, you think the dark-skinned dead woman could be Matilda with a bad sunburn. Or, perhaps, Matilda was in the sea, wearing a shark suit?
@LordCowles: Tragically, it would take two people to bring the dead woman back to life.
@Enewald: "Phargle will kill them all!"
@Snugglie: Well it's about damned time! I mean...thanks! My first award! WOO-HOO!
@Phargle: Seriously? Oh...crap. Don't tell anybody! They'll revoke my medical license!
@Snugglie Again: Probably nothing, given there would be no TV stations broadcasting...and no electricity either. ;c)
@Slinky: I agree. I AM awesome!
@ Enewald Again: I live to serve. Just remember, when it's time to vote for bestest AAR ever, who has two thumbs and delivers shark attacks and more dead bodies than you could shake a dead body at? THIS GUY.
@LordCowles: Tragically, it would take two people to bring the dead woman back to life.
@Enewald: "Phargle will kill them all!"
@Snugglie: Well it's about damned time! I mean...thanks! My first award! WOO-HOO!
@Phargle: Seriously? Oh...crap. Don't tell anybody! They'll revoke my medical license!
@Snugglie Again: Probably nothing, given there would be no TV stations broadcasting...and no electricity either. ;c)
@Slinky: I agree. I AM awesome!
@ Enewald Again: I live to serve. Just remember, when it's time to vote for bestest AAR ever, who has two thumbs and delivers shark attacks and more dead bodies than you could shake a dead body at? THIS GUY.
Late Winter, 1085 - Mediterranean Sea
A sail.
With the blankets he'd seen in the sleeping quarters...along with the sheets under the dead woman in the Captain's cabin...he might be able to knot together some sort of sail. They'd be forced to go where the wind took them, of course, but at least that was better than relying on the tide.
Or...was it better than relying on the tide?
Did the tide and the wind go in the same direction?
Actually...Robert had frequently seen waves crashing on the shores of Guines. Were the waves caused by tides?
Did all tides lead to Guines?
In that case...were they better off without a sail, since the wind could lead them out further to sea?
Could the wind lead them out further to sea? Did all wind blow towards land? Were they better off with a sail?
Every ship had sails. And every ship was intended to reach land. So...so sails took you to land. Sails were good.
But...the ship still had sails when it was at land, heading back out to sea. So...so sails could take you out to sea too. So...so sails weren't good.
But...
He could ask Humphrey, of course...but the Captain seemed to think that they need only depend on God, who would make the winds or the tide do whatever it took to get them home. That was fine and well, but if there was one thing Robert had learned after the death of his baby brother, his father, his mother, and his two uncles...to say nothing of the complete collapse of Guines castle...it was that you couldn't always rely on God to make good things happen.
Sometimes...sometimes, you had to make your own fate.
Osbern would know about the wind and the tides. And if he didn't....well, Osbern would probably ask Matilda. She would certainly know.
He had always considered them to be too smart for their own good. Too much time with books, not enough time in the real world. Robert had thought that, just because he was strong and skilled with a sword, he knew all he needed to make it.
But now that he was in the real world...without a sword, and in a situation where brains were more important than strength...Robert was wishing he had learned how to read. The markings were foreign and useless to him, yet his brother could discern their every meaning.
Matilda (a girl!) could actually make the scratchmarks herself.
If he made it home to Guines alive, he resolved to sit down with both of them, and learn everything they know. After all, he too wanted to be a leader one day. Not of Guines, of course...that was the path for Osbern and his future sons. No, Robert was free to cut his own path. To find his own land to rule. Perhaps...perhaps in Jerusalem.
The thought of Jerusalem brought Robert's wandering mind back to the task at hand. If he was to conquer Jerusalem, he needed to get to Jerusalem. And since his only mode of transport right now was the driftwood, Robert would need a sail.
Or...or maybe not a sail.
Well...he could still gather the blankets and bring them to Humphrey. Even if the Captain thought they were better off without the sail, they could still be useful to keep them warm, maybe. Perhaps Robert could even make one of the blankets into some sort of fishing net.
The matter temporarily resolved, Robert crossed himself and said a quick prayer before moving the dead woman from the bed so he could get the sheets...only to remember, of course, that she was still tied to the bed.
Using the knife he'd found in the galley, he cut the ropes on the womans hands and feet, moving her body to the floor. He placed the knife on a table and began gathering up the sheets.
But when he turned to retrieve his knife...it was gone.
And so was the dead woman.
A sail.
With the blankets he'd seen in the sleeping quarters...along with the sheets under the dead woman in the Captain's cabin...he might be able to knot together some sort of sail. They'd be forced to go where the wind took them, of course, but at least that was better than relying on the tide.
Or...was it better than relying on the tide?
Did the tide and the wind go in the same direction?
Actually...Robert had frequently seen waves crashing on the shores of Guines. Were the waves caused by tides?
Did all tides lead to Guines?
In that case...were they better off without a sail, since the wind could lead them out further to sea?
Could the wind lead them out further to sea? Did all wind blow towards land? Were they better off with a sail?
Every ship had sails. And every ship was intended to reach land. So...so sails took you to land. Sails were good.
But...the ship still had sails when it was at land, heading back out to sea. So...so sails could take you out to sea too. So...so sails weren't good.
But...
He could ask Humphrey, of course...but the Captain seemed to think that they need only depend on God, who would make the winds or the tide do whatever it took to get them home. That was fine and well, but if there was one thing Robert had learned after the death of his baby brother, his father, his mother, and his two uncles...to say nothing of the complete collapse of Guines castle...it was that you couldn't always rely on God to make good things happen.
Sometimes...sometimes, you had to make your own fate.
Osbern would know about the wind and the tides. And if he didn't....well, Osbern would probably ask Matilda. She would certainly know.
He had always considered them to be too smart for their own good. Too much time with books, not enough time in the real world. Robert had thought that, just because he was strong and skilled with a sword, he knew all he needed to make it.
But now that he was in the real world...without a sword, and in a situation where brains were more important than strength...Robert was wishing he had learned how to read. The markings were foreign and useless to him, yet his brother could discern their every meaning.
Matilda (a girl!) could actually make the scratchmarks herself.
If he made it home to Guines alive, he resolved to sit down with both of them, and learn everything they know. After all, he too wanted to be a leader one day. Not of Guines, of course...that was the path for Osbern and his future sons. No, Robert was free to cut his own path. To find his own land to rule. Perhaps...perhaps in Jerusalem.
The thought of Jerusalem brought Robert's wandering mind back to the task at hand. If he was to conquer Jerusalem, he needed to get to Jerusalem. And since his only mode of transport right now was the driftwood, Robert would need a sail.
Or...or maybe not a sail.
Well...he could still gather the blankets and bring them to Humphrey. Even if the Captain thought they were better off without the sail, they could still be useful to keep them warm, maybe. Perhaps Robert could even make one of the blankets into some sort of fishing net.
The matter temporarily resolved, Robert crossed himself and said a quick prayer before moving the dead woman from the bed so he could get the sheets...only to remember, of course, that she was still tied to the bed.
Using the knife he'd found in the galley, he cut the ropes on the womans hands and feet, moving her body to the floor. He placed the knife on a table and began gathering up the sheets.
But when he turned to retrieve his knife...it was gone.
And so was the dead woman.
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