Unforgiven Swords: Chapter 9

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Locke Wolff stood under his knees, the hands right in front of his bent legs, and the sword sheathed almost touching his hands.

In the room he was, it was as dark as it could be, as no candle was lit.

Wolff: I don't always do this...

He touched the sword's sheath with his right hand.

Wolff: I need strength. After that hell I witnessed with the RedClaw family, I have to do justice myself, with my sword only, so I beg you, if you're really somewhere, give me the strength I need, so I don't allow any more pirates to escape like that RedClaw... both of the RedClaw.

And then, someone knocked the door.

Wolff: Who is there?

Grainne: (through the door) It's me. Dinner is ready.

Wolff: Sure, I'll be going... Wait, Grainne, come inside.

Grainne: (opens the door) What? Wow, It's really dark here inside.

Wolff: Yes, I like this way... (Stands up) I'm coming to you, daughter,   let's get out of this room.



Grainne: (pointing) There. Ver-Ashtra is that Island there.

Wolff: Kanpare told you that?

Grainne nodded. She and her father ate their dinners outside the ship's interior, looking to the sea and the stars.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Wolff: I know you like Kanpare, but be careful, I know what she's capable of... So how are you going?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: I guess I'm fine... Why are you asking me this, father?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Wolff: I've been too busy with my personal justice. Spending time with you makes me relax. Wish I could say the same of your brother.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">A burst of wind hit them. Grainne shook, and her hat flew behind her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Before she could turn, her father already had the black hat in hands.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Wolff: You really shouldn't wear that... (hands the hat to Grainne) the red of your hair is far too beautiful to be hidden by a hat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: (blushing) I know... (Puts the hat) Everyone says that, but I can't avoid if I like it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Wolff: You can do whatever you want.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: I know. The sea is my mother, right?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Wolff: Yes, it is, Grainne of the Tides. Ever since I found you that day, fished, without any memories aside the sea life you saw, by the passengers of the ship I was into.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: I know, yu already toilkd me that... Father?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Wolff: Yes?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: Are you smiling?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">In fact he was.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The melancholic Unforgiven Sword was smiling with his daughter.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Other melancholic figure, the White Wolf Macabre RedClaw, was also smiling.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen: ... then, Grave simply said "is never enough"! Can you believe in that?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: (smiling) Yes, Karen, I can. Don't mind him, we'll be arriving Ver-Ashtra sooner than it looks like.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen: Are you sure?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: No, to be honest, but I hope we do.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen looked closely to Macabre's face, for several seconds. She rose and eyebrow and held her hips with both hands.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen: Is that you, Alina? Did you do that thing of possession with my uncle?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: No, Karen, I'm me.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen: You are? You look specially happy today.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: I won't deny, I am feeling quite happy today, with Naishi now walking and Ainer bringing his good mood... Besides, you know talking to you is always a pleasure to me.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen: I see...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: (shouting far from them) Wolfy! Where are you? We needmto train!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: If you excuse me...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen: Oh, sure...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen giggled. When Macabre was like that, it felt like they were in their childhood days, when he still remebered how to laugh.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Ver-Ashtra was, indeed, a beautiful place.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Filled with colors in all its nature, the cities were also very big, following the size of the whole island.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grave: Home, sweet, home! Hohoho, I need to see my family, guys. We'll meet later, Macabre.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Karen: He was telling the truth when he said the place was beautiful...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: Indeed... To think it took so little to get here...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Jon: Thanks to my navigation skills.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Alina: Thanks to an Eternal Pose.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Diarmuid: I'm going to write a song named after this place...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: What are we waiting? I didn't recover after so much time to do sightseeing! I don't know about you, but I'm going to have some fun.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">"Two more days stuck in this Island", Grainne thought, looking to a cup filled by half with beer. She never liked alcohol, but Lura insisted for them to go drinking together.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Lura: Tired of here? Are you nodding?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: I was, sorry. Yes, I'm tired of this place... How did you know?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Luta: I may be blind, Grainne, but I know you more than anyone else. You're not the kind of girl that enjoy staying on the same place for more than...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: One and a half week.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Lura: You never get impressed with anything, really, no matter how different it is. I guess that's the price for passing your whole life inside a ship.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Lura drank the last sip that still was inside his cup, and took the one he bought for his sister.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Lura: Why don't you go somewhere else?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: What do you mean?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Lura: The Island is big, but we never got outside of this specific city. Actually, not just you, Let's go both.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: I don't think father would like it...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Lura: You're not a child anymore, sister, he has to learn that.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Grainne: I'm sure he already knew that for a time... You know, you're right. Let's get out of here.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Ainer Grave crossed paths with the brothers, not knowing who they could be.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The revolutionary only thought about seeing his family, and nothing else... Until he noticed the brothers were being followed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">He couldn't know it was the nameless servant Hound, following Lura by order of Locke Wolff, however he could notice it was a distant shadow, covered by an aura of cruelty and mystery.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">And Ainer Grave was too kind to let something like that pass in front of him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi drank one more cup in a long sip.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">It was his third, and the first opponent of the drinking contest gave up.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: That was easy! Now who's the next?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: (next to his chair) I would take it slowly if I were you.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: Slowly? Wolfy, I spent I don't know how many days taking things slowly. Now that I'm finally aweaken, you want me to take things slowly?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: I don't judge you... In fact, I'm going to place a bet over you.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: That's the spirit!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Finally, an opponent beat his hand on the table and sat in front of the RedClaw Pirates first mate.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">And why did it took so long for someone to appear? Because the drinking contests on that bar used much bigger mugs of sake.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">In fact, the mugs were so big that a baby could squeeze his head inside one.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Announcer: Place your bets! The next round is starting!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi smiled.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: (whispering) He seems he could fall after drinking half of a mug. Place a high bet, Wolfy, I'm going to win.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: I was kidding when I said I was going to place a bet on you.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: Really?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: Yes. If being from my family teached me anything, os that you can't predict any result... Specially in Date's case, he's an horrible strategist.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Announcer: Finish your bets! The round os going to start! Naishi the Fool remains, and now he conpetes with... What's the name? Yes, the blond Lura!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The mugs were filled, the announcer gave the signal, and both started to drink.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Hound could intervene whenever he wanted. However, he didn't.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Of course, he recognized Naishi immediately, as well as the White Wolf, but there was no reason to move yet. Because, even though his master had an ideology that moved through acting against the criminals, there was no imminent threath. In fact, the biggest threath would have been to act and having to deal with several of the clients of that place.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">To follow and to wait, that was going to be his work after he dealt with the person following him... That one seemed a strong fellow.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Almost thirty minutes and five mugs later, neither of them had got so drunk after a so short time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: Burp! Giving up yet? (Hiccup) Because I can still drink a loooooot more!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Lura: (facing a wall) What you talk about? Don't judge me just because I'm blind! My other senses are perfect!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: YOU'RE BLIND NOW? Man, don't drink that much, its dangerous to lose your vision drinking...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre: ... Right. I'm going to the restroom, then we are leaving, Naishi. Make sure to not fall while I don't return.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Naishi: Yessir! (Hiccup)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Macabre, as he usually did, sighed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">How could he be the only sensate person in his whole crew, aside from a professional thief?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">Next Chapter