Nicki went about whacking into the undergrowth until his arm started to feel numb. He stopped and checked his compass. Then he frowned. He had forgotten to check it before venturing into the trees. Now he was lost. Great. He shoved the compass back in his belt and turned to make his way back along the trail he had hacked out. Hopefully the crew had dispersed by now and wouldn't be nearby to question why he had come back so soon.

He came out onto the sand and looked around. The four were nowhere in sight, and Jozo hadn't come back yet with another boat. That was odd. He squinted out at the ship anchored in the water and....wait...what the bloody hell! It was traveling away! Nicki ran out as far as he could into the water, though he knew it wouldn't do any good.

"JOZO, TURN TA BLOODY SHIP 'ROUND, YA BASTARD!" Nicki screamed at the receding vessel.

Andrew looked up sharply hearing Nicki's voice screaming and she spun on her heal looking down the length of the beach. Why is he back out on the sand? She raised her head to look in the direction that his head was pointed. Oh no...Jozo. The ship was leaving.

Andrew frowned, why on Earth would Jozo commit mutiny. She thought the crew liked Nicki, and there was the thrill of treasure to be found on the island. Why would they give that up? Cautiously she thought about running back down the beach, but what good would that do?

Nicki finally came back out of the water completely soaked and radiating with a furious aura. He went over to the treeline and turned to plop down against a sappling with a squish of his sodden clothes. He jerked his hat off and threw it to the side, then shrugged off the large coat. What use were they right now anyway? Besides, he had work to do if he was going to get off this island, and the oversized coat and hat would only slow him down.

Then he suddenly rembered the four who had come to the island as well. He stood again and looked around, catching sight of Amelia. "Oi, Andru'. Where's be ta other men?" he called.

"I don't know." She called back skidding off the rocks and jogging back to him. "I headed down the shore to investigate before heading into the trees. Felt it'd be more productive." She shrugged coming to a stop before him. Her eyes skimmed the discarded hat and coat. interesting...

"Ya think they's out there with Jozo marooning us?" She thought deftly about Bartleby and wondered if he would say anything.

(sorry can't get the cooks name right for some reason...)

"Cuddave," Nicki replied bitterly with a sigh. "Welt, I's has work ta get ta ifs we's gonna get 'tof 'ere. Ya helpin'?" Any thought of treasure or adventure had completely left his mind. He was far more focused on getting his ship back as soon as possible. And doing away with Jozo, even if he had to kill the bastard.

"'coure I am Nicki." She grinned brightly. "I'm still your cabin boy 'til port." She gave a wicked smile than asked, "What can I help with though, a'int got meself a sword."

Nicki walked over to the tree he had sat against, patting the trunk. "Me father met Injuns years back. Say's thay 'ollow out big trees fo' boats." He reached into his belt, bringing out a dagger and flipping it a few times in the air with a smile. He glanced to Amelia. "Ta only troubles be fellin' ta tree."

"Well that's easy, you just burn the base through." She blinked, where in the world am i pulling that information from. She tried to remember, tried to think back to before she was sailing on the sea and realized something with a jolt of sadness. I don't remember what my family actually looks like. The sadness showed on her face and she tried to cover it up. Well, she knew she was educated, maybe it was something else she'd been taught.

"Either way, let's take down a tree." She bit her lip suddenly. "Actually.... are we going to be able to make it in one day?"

"Prolly not, but ta sooner we's start, ta bettar," Nicki answered with a smile. He went back briefly into the trees and found two sticks and some dead leaves to use for a fire. He sat down beside the tree, facing its base, and set the dry leaves on one side. "We's ged ta fire goin' 'ere, then's we light ta ovar side." He held the sticks in a cross pattern over the leaves and began to rub them together.

Amelia bit her lip. "I'm going to find something to put water in, just in case the fire spread to where we don't want it. And if it takes to long, we might want to make some kind of shelter." She looked out across the beach and looked for anything that might help. She ran down to a large turtle shell which she grabbed and filled with water. Good its not leaking out of some random hole. It didn't hold a great amount of water, but it would work. She carried it back to Nicki.

"I don know how ta make a fire." She admitted.

"Nawt ta worry o' tha'. Father taught me ta when's I be a child," Nicki replied. Sure enough, sparks soon appeard and landed on the leaves. He quickly leaned down and blew softly on them until a small fire began to appear. His eyes brightened and he turned to Amelia. "Quicks, get's so' more," he ordered.

"uh uh. get more what? Leaves?" Andrew was going to try her best, but honestly, she had no idea what she was doing at this. Just incase she reached into the brush near by and pulled out some dead leaves and snapped twigs that were there.

"Ummm, here?" She extended her hands full of what she'd grabbed, uncertainly towards Nicki.

Nicki took them and surrounded the little fire with them. It started to burn brighter and spread to the new material. He held out his hand again. "Keep goin', we's need ta cover ta 'hole trunk." He kept his face close to the little fire, blowing on it whenever needed.

Andrew nodded starting to rummage for dry leaves and small twigs bringing them back to him every time she got a large armful. "I sure hope dis works Nicki." She took a brief pause when the ring was almost a full circle around the trunk to look out at the water. The ship was quite aways away now. She would bite her lip because she was still Nicki's cabin boy, but she really had a feeling that the boat wouldn't be of much use at that point.


She got back to work piling up the leaves and twigs until there was a nice fire going.

Nicki finally stood up to look around the tree at their handiwork. He grinned and rubbed his hands together in glee. "We's havin' luck on tar side. Caz up wit tha' bastard in no time." Then he paused in thought. He looked around, then back at Amelia. "We's can curve so' oars fro' what's we's get outta ta rest o' ta tree, bu'...." He paced in a circle for a moment, muttering. He kicked at plant absently in thought.

"What's ta do fo' sails?" Nicki said to himself. Oars would be useful, just in case, but if they were going to have to travel far to get the ship back, he need sails for speed.

Andrew bit her lip in thought. "If there's some big palm leaves you could piece dem togeter somehow. Maybe vines or somethin' " She still had her doubts on this working at all, but again, she still had the mentality that this was her captain and she would do as he said. In the back of her mind she still wondered what Barnelby was doing. Would he notice that they left or was he also in on this?

Nicki clapped his hands together. "Great idear Andru'! I's puttin' ya on it ride away," he answered. She was a woman, so she could sew them together far faster than he could. He then went and gathered some more leaves and other debris and threw it around the tree for the fire. It needed to grow a lot hotter in order to weaken the tree.

Andrew mentally smacked her head. Like she could sew well, just cause she was a female. She made a face at him behind his back than went out in search of large palm leaves and something that she could use to twine them together. Finding a large group of palms she scurried up the tree detaching the leaves, taking only a few from each tree so that it could still grow properly.

The leaves she plucked would float gently to the ground where she would collect them and take them to the beach a little later. But from this height she could also look out across the water and see the ship getting smaller and smaller as it went away. "great..."

Back on the ground she collected the leafs in a huge pile and carried them down to the sand. Than back up into the dense trees to find a vine and something for a needle.

It took her a lot longer to collect these but eventually she was back on the beach and began stitching the leaves together to make a sail.

Nicki was still feeding the fire when she returned. The flames rose up nearly a foot all around the base now. He stepped back every once in a while to get away from the heat. Coupled with the bright sun, building a fire may not have been the best idea. It sure beat trying to hack at the tree though.

She was sitting in plain sight of the tree that Nicki had picked to burn down, but she was out of the tree line and down on the beach. It just happened to be a very nice alcove so to speak where the tree line curved in and there was a peninsula of sand into the sea of trees. She looked up briefly to brush sweat off her forehead before adjusting the hat back down onto her head. In that time she turned to glance at how the fire was going.

It looked like it was still under control at least. Maybe she should ask?

She shrugged and bent back over the sail that was being very crudely made. It would take awhile. Possibly as long as the tree would take to burn down.

Nicki finally stood back to let the fire burn. He had a good deal of fuel piled around the tree that would take a while to burn out. He stretched a bit before looking around to Amelia. He then looked to the water and was instantly overcome with the want to just jump right in. That wouldn't be fair to Amelia though. Plus, now wasn't the time to be enjoying their situation. They had Jozo to catch, and as soon as possible. He turned away from the water and folded his arms as he watched the fire.

Amelia was getting hot sitting out on the warm sand in the sun, and was rather jealous that Nicki could be in the shade. She didn't think about the heat that would be coming off the fire at all. She just knew that she was getting thirsty, and that she was hot, but needed to work out on the beach where there was more space to build the sail.

She hesitated than took off her boots to see if that would help with the heat even in the slightest. Not much, and she grimaced slightly with a pink tint to her cheeks at what she could do to cool off. Gingerly she fingered the buttons on her shirt, she could at least open the front, even if she didn't take it off completely. She glanced back at Nicki who looked so proud with his arms crossed as he watched the fire blaze with his handiwork.

Lightly she laughed than turned away unbuttoning the front to welcome the cool air in and at least add a little bit more comfort. After all she was facing away from him, he wouldn't see.

Nicki caught her change in position out of the corner of his eye and looked over. She was facing away from him, but he could clearly tell what she was doing. He blushed and turned his attention back to the fire. The fact that he was all alone on this beach with her was becoming uncomfortably apparent. Besides, what was she laughing at? Him? Had he given away his thoughts so easily? And what the hell was with this anxious feeling all of a sudden!

Her laughing ended leaving a smile on her face. Nicki was her best friend and she was glad of it. She stitched onward into the crude sail looking up every so often at the distance of the ship on the horizon. Shaking her head sadly she had a feeling that they would never catch up. They had needed to be in the water an hour ago at least, and there was still the rest of the island boat to form.

The thought slowed her work as she felt defeated, but Nicki was counting on her to help him catch Jozo.

Nicki finally gave in to his secret curiosity with a huff. Images of what lay under her now half open shirt plagued his mind. Even if he might not be able to see much, he had to at least sneak a peek. The thought was driving him crazy. As casually as he could manage he turned and walked until he was sure he was right in front of her. He swallowed nervously and slowly looked back to glance at her.