"What makes you think I found Raz and the others already?" Deelah blinked her eyes, feigning innocence. She bit the tip of her tongue. This stopped her from talking more about her bluff. Bringing them was her mission and this intruder needed to disappear.
No way would she let him take it from her.
Scrooge raised a skeptical eyebrow. The lens of his glasses glared under the sun, "Then, who took care of the Nocti back in the first tower?"
"Me, of course." The Pirate Queen scoffed with a flip of her hair.
The Shadow Prince remained unconvinced. He found four scenes in that area— 1) the pile of broken arrows at the top of the tower, 2) the unconscious men near the ladder, 3) more of them at the tower's base, and 4) the three archers in the forest.
Based on his calculations, he deduced that the ambush happened while the target/s were in the tower. A path from the top, to the base and to the forest seemed like the cleanest route. There were also more broken arrows than whole ones. It meant that someone stayed long enough near that window to cut them apart.
Only one person came to Scrooge's mind as a suspect.
"You do know I can recognize Raz's work anywhere." The Shadow Prince reminded Deelah. He tucked his hands inside the pockets of his trousers, smirking, "Unless you miraculously achieved excellent agility with blades."
The Pirate Queen hung her head and glared at the tree branches. If only this stingy blueberry had lesser talent and skills then, she could use her rank against him. Unfortunately, since he came from direct orders of the Captain—and did everything by the book—he currently had the upper hand.
"Fine, fine," the Pirate Queen raised her hands in surrender, muttering, "We did meet up in the first tower but we have separated."
The corner of Scrooge's lips twinged, "Did you have a disagreement? I would expect better from you as second-in-command."
Deelah crossed her arms over her chest. She shook her head, "Why do I even bother trying to bait you? They're in an inn. I'm here to pick up the Crown Prince"
The Shadow Prince closed his eyes, facial muscles twitching. He pointed his face to one side as the scowl deepened. It was his signature look of disbelief laced with ridicule. The habit appeared whenever he heard something ridiculous.
Then, he scoffed and faced the Pirate Queen with mocking eyes, "And why are you chasing after him? He is none of our concern. He is not an official client."
He placed emphasis on the last two statements, taking his time with each syllable.
There it was. The retort Deelah predicted. She licked her lips, clicking her tongue. How should she explain the situation to the Ice Cold Blueberry? No matter how she turned and flipped her statements, she could already hear him shot them down.
"He is not Captain's client." The Pirate Queen corrected, "But he is for Raz, Maia and Cleon. Captain's orders or not, the Phantom Pirate name has been entangled with the Crown Prince. Now, we could either walk away and leave him or we can make sure he gets back safe."
"Safe?!" Scrooge exclaimed. His voice became sharp as knives, "What is 'safe'? That man has already committed a grave crime by sending an imposter to the Sol Palace. The moment his knight stepped foot and declared himself as the Crown Prince, they both signed death warrants. It would only be a matter of time before they are discovered."
He stepped closer, sneering, "After all... Sir Hayden would not marry the Princess, would he?"
Deelah clamped her mouth shut. She exhaled sharply through her nose. Nothing about the Shadow Prince made her like him… but she knew he was right. The Crown Prince and his Knight had created a mess. Nevertheless, she couldn't blame them for resorting to this method.
"Scrooge, I just think you don't understand why people stake their lives for the ones they love," she began to say, "Even more so, for a chance to recover someone they lost."
Both the plan and the execution were questionable. It had holes, many of them. There were better solutions but they worked with what they had and what they wanted. From there, they already accepted the consequences. A prince that had been cooped up inside the castle desired to take matters in his own hands.
He would not be able to sit still and wait longer.
He, himself, needed to take action…
… and his Knight, a loyal friend, supported him in it.
"Also, we know the situation better than they do." The Pirate Queen added. She dropped her tone to a whisper, "We have the bigger picture in this. They can't see what we do. You and I both know that if they learned what we kept secret, things wouldn't turn out this way."
Scrooge waved his hand, brushing away her words. His manner of speech turned severe, "The point of them being secret is to protect them. If we act like we know things, we will be discovered. The best way is to stay out of it. Hence, why this mission should not have been accepted in the first place."
Deelah unfolded her arms. Her hands itched to wring his neck and snap it in half. She could almost imagine herself doing it. That had been the agreement when they had the discussion. The best way for them to stay low had been to appear oblivious and ignorant. They wouldn't be able to step on anyone's business or toes. Thus, the majority of others would also leave them alone.
The problem rested in the fact that it was outdated. Times and circumstances had changed. It wouldn't be right to go back when the situation already became this way.
"Again, Scrooge," the Pirate Queen called out, "We're only to escort the Prince safely. Our arrangement had been to bring him back to the Ytle Ship together."
"Then, why are you running after him?"
"Because he misunderstood—"
"So he left on his own accord?" The Shadow Prince indicated, his patience wearing thin, "That should showcase his decision, should it not? Instead of taking our side, he ventured on his own. He broke the unapproved contract and it is now null."
Deelah bit her lip. She regretted saying anything.
"The best course of action right now is to rejoin Raz and the others." Scrooge concluded.
The Pirate Queen gave him a look, "Why don't you go ahead while I settle things with the Prince?"
"Dee—"
"That's an order, sergeant." She spoke firmly, pointing a finger at him, "Captain Croc's orders was to end the mission and to bring the group back. That group does not include me. If I leave to do things on my own, that would be reflected as MY disobedience to the Captain. You and the others will be unscathed."
It couldn't be helped anymore. She'd have to act alone from here. If the events in the first tower would be repeated, the Prince would be in grave danger. Official mission or not, she couldn't turn a blind eye and neither could the others.
They had something, he didn't.
Compassion.
"Are we clear on that, Scrooge?" Deelah added when he didn't say anything, "If it ticks you off so much, you can even tell the Captain about it yourself when you see him. I'll confirm it when I get back."
The Shadow Prince frowned disapprovingly. He wrapped a hand around the hilt of his sword, gripping it tight. It took all of his strength to not attack the shapeshifter. He initially intended to drag them all to the ship, especially her. He hoped the Captain would open his eyes and find faults in her authority.
Alas, she still held a position as second-in-command. She had no reason to follow his orders—only the Captain's which she already chose to ignore. Whatever consequences that lay ahead would be between them and out of his hands.
Hopefully, it would lean towards his desired outcome.
"Fine." Scrooge sighed reluctantly with a hiss, "I'll take the others while you do your defiance. May the Captain have mercy on you."
The Pirate Queen simply rolled her eyes. She turned around, heading for the tower. She didn't bother to exchange farewells. He didn't deserve one. Besides, when it came to that blueberry, only Raz knew how to deal with him since they practically grew up together.
Only she and Captain Croc developed the patience for it.
Deelah stopped in her tracks, her back becoming rigid. The Shadow Prince had stepped around halfway when he noticed her change in demeanor. They both stood still and listened to the air. A gust of wind flew by. Branches swayed from it, startling birds in their nests.
Above them all, the sound of horses rose. Their cries and hooves pierced through the air. Their figures came around the tower and darted to another part of the Ahana Forest. Bags and satchels clopped against their sides. The passengers crouched low, their eyes hovering over the horses' heads.
Like a burst, they vanished as soon as they emerged.
The Pirate Queen blinked.
"Did I just see two horses, two men and a woman?"