Unforgiven Swords: Chapter 14

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 Grainne of the Tides stood where she was.

 She kept observing as Hiruna, looking confused, kept doing… whatever Hiruna was doing…

 Finally, Grainne cleared her throat, and Hiruna, forcing a smile, turned her head to her direction.

 Grainne: (raises an eyebrow) What are you doing, Miss Hiruna?

 Hiruna: Err… I’m just…



 Alina was in panic. Amidst her admiration looking to the mirror, she had to find out the maximum she could, inside Nu’s mind, while talking to that girl that had just shown up.

 In addition, she hated to act under pressure.

 Alina: I’m just… you see… (puts her hands behind her back) Hahahaha! (“What’s here name…? Look into her mind… red hair, about my age…) Grainne! Yes, Grainne! What are you doing here… my dear?

 Grainne: Well… I’ll come back later, after you finish… this…

Alina: No, no, don’t go! (“You idiot! Couldn’t you keep your mouth shut?”) I was not doing anything…

 Grainne: Sure…

 Alina: I’m serious, it’s just that… You see, after you pass a certain age… you have to guarantee that everything is still “up there”, if you know what I mean…

 Grainne: All right! I didn’t need to know that!

 Alina: No, you need. It will happen to you one day, after all.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: Bah! Stop that! Ugh… I’m leaving, Miss Hiruna…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> When the girl turned away, Alina closed the door.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> She smiled and looked herself at the mirror again.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> “That was a master plan, Alina”, she said to herself, “Now all you have to do is discovering a little more about these people looking into this small mind, and following the plan…”

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> She had no idea if that was going to be easy or not.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: So what do I do after I possess Nu’s body? And why her specifically, by the way?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre closed his eyes. He had called Alina to talk privately with him in the kitchen, very soon in the morning, when only both were awaken.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: I choose Hiruna Kanpare Nu after talking with Ainer. The other four may notice you coming, but she does not seem that would notice anything.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: We’re going with the safer option then… Fine, but now, what do I have to do?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Find out how their progress is going. If they have any plan of attack or if they are just waiting. Until this war is over, we can’t allow them to stay one step ahead.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> It wasn’t easy, Alina discovered.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> There was nothing about a plan or anything remotely close inside Nu’s mind.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: Oh damn… (sighs) Grainne, my sweet girl, come here! To think I used to be a respected thief…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: Yes, Miss Hiruna?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: (sits on a chair) What you wanted to say before? Sit, please.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: (sits over Nu’s bed, in front of Alina) Oh, that… There’s something behind you, Miss Hiruna… It’s a black cloak…?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: (“Damn, that’s my body…”) It’s a blanket. Now, speak your mind.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: If you say so… So, I wanted to talk… (blushes) about that thing…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: What thing?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: That thing you mentioned when we were shopping in town... I forgot how you called it, but you said it was essential to make men fall for you.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: Oh! (“… Fine, this was today, so it should be fresh inside here… huh… Found it!) That thing! Haha, Grainne, you’re so young and innocent!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: Stop that! Now what was it?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: Feminine attitude.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: Could you explain me how it is?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina panicked once again.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> She could see recent memories and recurrent aspects that surrounded her victim’s mind quite easily, but to see the definition of a specific concept while having a conversation… that wasn’t going to happen.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: Before that, I think I should ask… What’s your father planning? He seems very tired lately.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: Oh, that… He said that we’re now officially expecting an attack by the RedClaw due to war being declared and such…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: And…?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: He said that even though the pirates were probably be attacking soon enough, we should give the surprise blow.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: What the heck does that mean?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: He really hasn’t told you? He, Hound and Lura are preparing to pursue them right now… I got really mad when they didn’t invite me… Miss Hiruna?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> When Nu’s body fell back on the chair, the black blanket behind her body moved. It moved fast, and soon enough it was already leaving the room and jumping out of the ship.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: What was…? Wait… Black cloak, skull mask… Didn’t father said the pirates had…?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> When she realized that, she took her coat, her hat and her blades, and went quickly after the Cloaked Skull.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The truth was that no one pursued no one.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound waited, leaned on a wall, when he saw the Skull and Grainne jumping out of the ship.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The assassin had saw, because he was always aware of what happened nearby the Swords’ ship, someone spying. Based on information given by Wolff’s Marine contacts, she was most likely the Cloaked Skull, true name unknown. According to a few privileged victims of her robbery, she had the power of possession. That was never confirmed, but Hound had seen many unlikely events to not believe in such a tale. Then, they had only to leave the two women alone and tell a false story to Grainne.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Therefore, when he saw his Master’s daughter leaving after the thief, due to the training he received to see amidst darkness, he followed both.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> He knew he was faster than the girls.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Diarmuid played with his guitar and sang happily, as if nothing had happened the last days.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Strangely enough, everyone was just as unpreoccupied.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Diarmuid: (singing) … and I want it back! I want it back!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Stop for a while, Diarmuid…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Diarmuid: If you do not like the song, just tell it.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: It’s not that… There’s a noise…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Karen: I’m hearing it too… It’s like, huh…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Naishi: Like someone is beating on the wall or the roof.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Jon: Maybe they are steps…?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Everyone stared Jon.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> For once, there was a high chance he was right.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne stopped, tired, on the middle of an empty street.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: Damn… I lost her…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> In fact, she had. She had lost track of Alina DeMasque as soon as the thief stepped over a roof, and followed her path in a higher altitude.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound, however, was right behind her.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina climbed over her destination’s roof.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> She looked back and underneath, to ensure she was alone.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: That was quick… Now, I should warn them…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound: I should tell you that it isn’t going to make any difference…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The thief screamed and fell back, standing the next second and stepping back.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: What?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound: (sitting over the roof) I’m not attacking, even though my master wouldn’t approve, so calm down. There’s no one attacking, in fact. I’m alone here, in peace.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: Do you want me to believe in that?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound: You should, because I could simply kill all of your crew here and now. (Stands up) All I need to do is to talk with your captain and I’ll leave.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left">

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Hey, Jon… You know how to shoot, don’t you?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Jon: Aye, but I need to drink first.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Great. Just take your gun, you don’t need to hit anyone.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Jon: Sure, captain.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: What do you want with Master Macabre?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound: There’s nothing wrong telling you, I guess. You see, I really tried, when I assumed this mask, to follow my master blindly, no matter what, as Hound… The problem is that my ambition is greater than that… I may even follow him, but I can’t, opposite to what I believe, to ignore my principles and my will…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: So you’re leaving the Unforgiven Swords?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound: Only after this is all is over. Right now, I want to give you and your crew a fairer chance to battle us…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> They heard a shot.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Hound: Let us go, before the confusion gets bigger?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Alina: (nodding) Sure.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The next second, they realized it was too late.

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