Pearl opened her eyes and rolled over to see Maddie sitting on her bed. "Maddie, ye's awake. I's worried bout ye. Ye alright?" She was glad to see that Maddie had made it in to her room and trying to get things for herself, or at least get to places herself.

"Angie Ray and Franz went off to find what Angie Ray had buried out there. Hope they find it soon. They've been gone a while though. Ye don't think..." Pearl stopped herself from saying what was on her mind. She knew Maddie was in stupid love with Franz and didn't want to upset her with the possibility that they had gone off and found the treasure and left them both sitting there waiting while they had taken off with whatever they found.

Pearl sat up and put her arm around Maddie. "They'll be back soon I reckon. Let's go up deck and git us somethin ta eat and we can scan the island from there."

Angie felt a chill run up her spine as the sound of a familiar song drifted to her, and then Franz whispered a warning to her that they were dealing with pirates, probably clued in by the same song she heard.

"Let's hope they're not in da way an we can get our stuff and get outta here," she whispered back to him.

Angie slowed her pace and drew her cutlass, she was taking no chances and did not want to be caught off guard.

A familiar rock jutted up out of the ground in front of Angie and she turned to the west, keeping the flickering of the camp fire on her right shoulder.

Angie slowed to a stop and waited for Franz to reach her, and then crouched down, motioning him to crouch with her, so she could whisper to him and be sure they were not overheard, "The booty is on the other side of that there clearin they're in - sos we're gonna have ta circle round it I guess - just hope we don run into any o'tha boys off to answer nature's call." Angie smirked and grimaced all at once, and then stood back up and began to carefully pick her way around the camp, always keeping the flicker to her right.

Maddied looked down at her feet and her brow furrowed while Pearl had her arm around her. Why weren't they back yet? She knew Franz would never leave her side again and she didn't believe he was the type of man that would take one's treasure as his own. She wasn't sure about Angie Ray as she didn't know this woman at all. Maddie would kill her if she got Franz in to any sort of trouble.

She inched her way off the bed and stood up. Her legs were getting a bit stronger and she wasn't as wobbly as before. She was starting to get hungry and she had seen enough of the lower decks of ships to last her for a while. She wanted to be out in the sun and smell the ocean. She wanted to help and be the pirate that she is.

"Aye Pearl, let's go. I'm sick of seeing nothing but beds and blankets. You're cooking though."

Franz moved with Angie around the encampment, watching for signs of traps or anything else that might be out of place where they stepped. All they needed was to step in some trap and find an arrow through their chest or something.

He heard a noise to their left up ahead and grabbed Angie's arm to stop her. Placing a finger to his lips to shush her, he peered into the brush, trying to see what he had heard, but the brush was too thick.

He motioned for her to stay put, then moving carefully through the brush to his left, he tried to circle around quietly and see if he could find the source of the noise.

Angie was slowly making her way around the camp, keeping an eye out for movement or traps when Franz grabbed her arm and shushed her, and then headed off into the brush to their left.

Angie shrugged and hunkered down in a small bush, keeping an eye in the direction Franz had headed, while listening to the pirates to the right.

It sounded like they were getting nice a drunk, hopefully they would all start passing out soon, that would make retrieving her treasure much easier.

Pearl smiled at Maddie and sat up. She slid her boots back on and stood up. She offered her hand to Maddie, who took it in her own, and helped her up. She walked a few paces and stopped to make sure that Maddie was following her and hadn't fallen or anything. Satisfied that she would make it on her own, Pearl bounded up the steps to the upper deck and then up a second set of steps to stand near the galley. She looked out at the island and saw a small whiff of smoke. She wondered what was going on. She knew she couldn't just up and leave Maddie and Maddie being as stubborn as she was, would want to go too.

She looked down and chuckled as she saw Maddie slowly teetering along and pulling herself up the stairs. She was going to be fine once she got her strength back. "What's that smoke Pearl?", Maddie asked as she pulled herself up to the top of the stairs and leaned against the side to rest. "I don't know Maddie. I hope they ain't in some kind of trouble. We'll keep tabs on it. Come in here and help me find something ta cook.

Moving into the brush a bit more, Franz saw a young pirate relieving himself against a tree. He looked over at Angie, then at the pirate. He couldn't sheath his sword without the metal clanking together, but the pirate hadn't heard or seen him, so he wanted to keep the element of surprise on his side.

Creeping forward as silently as he could, he raised his arm to bring the hilt of his sword down against the pirate's skull, but he stepped on a twig, breaking the silence. The pirate turned, and Franz was on him in an instant, a moment too late as the pirate had cried out, alerting the others to their presence.

Suddenly the woods were crawling with pirates from the camp. Franz had knocked the young pirate unconscious and was able to move into the underbrush, but Angie was exposed where she stood. Franz feared for her safety.

He knew the pirates would know Angie wasn't alone, as she was too far away from the young pirate he'd knocked out. In order to save her, however, he would have to save himself first.

He concealed himself from the other pirates, and hoped against hope, that Angie would be able to do the same, though he knew her chances were not good because of her current location. Having them aware of his presence there did not bode well either, as it would make it more difficult to rescue her, as they would be expecting a rescue attempt. The only thing in their favor, is these pirates didn't know how many of them there were.

He hoped Angie would be smart enough not to divulge any information to them, as he could use this to his advantage. Franz ducked low and made his way deeper into the underbrush and further away from the pirates as quickly as he could. They were making enough noise to cover the sound of his retreat.

Angie watched Franz sneaking up on the young pirate and then he stepped on a branch and the pirate screamed.

Before she really knew what was happening Franz was gone into the underbrush and pirates were swarming around her. She tried to duck down under the bush behind her, but it was too thick, so instead she darted ahead and towards the nearest growling man, slashing at him.

If she didn't die she was going to at least take out as many as she could, hopefully Franz would come back and help her. She clenched her teeth and seethed at being left alone with the swarming men and slashed her fury at Franz out on the advancing pirates.

She had managed to take out at least 3 of them before she was outnumbered and grabbed from behind. A nasty voice growled into her ear 'Yell make a nice toy fer me boys and we'll make sure ya work fer the boys ya done gone an killed'. Stale breath assaulted her nostrils and a sloppy tongue licked the side of her face.

Angie jerked her head away from the tongue and spit on the pirate laughing in front of her, trying desperate to maintain her rage so she didn't break down and cry. *Gotta keep me head about meself iffin I'm gonna escape from these dirtballs* she thought to herself.

Fighting was no longer an option, so Angie allowed herself to be led to the camp, at least she would be able to find out how many of them there were and if they had found her treasure. Now she just needed to figure out how to get away before they killed her, or worse.

Franz had found a perch in some rocks nearby, and watched as the pirates took Angie. He had missed the downing of the first pirate, but from where he was at, he counted at least two that she had taken down before the dog-faced captain had grabbed her from behind.

That was two less men he had to worry about. Franz watched as the pirates combed the area, looking for others that had been with Angie, then dragged off the pirate he'd knocked unconscious. He counted at least five combing the area, plus the one who'd taken Angie. He had his work cut out for him. He wished now he'd driven his sword through the pirate. When the pirate woke up, he was sure to let them know that there was at least one other with Angie on the island.

Franz let out a deep sigh. It would be amazing if Pearl didn't up and leave him and Angie on this island, thinking they had deserted her and Maddie, as this was taking much longer than it should.

The pirates set traps, but from his vantage point, he had seen where they laid each trap. He might just be able to use their traps to his advantage, he decided. Once the pirates returned to their camp, he moved in again, careful to avoid the traps. He inspected each trap to see how it was put together, triggering each trap except the one's that made noise.

Once triggered, he took the traps down, and reset them in his own locations, unbeknown to the pirates. He then moved forward towards the camp, and surveyed it for where they were keeping Angie as well as to get an idea of how many pirates he really was up against. Had there been any left back at the camp when he'd hidden himself?

As he moved around the camp, he noticed three fallen pirates, and was impressed with Angie's fighting skills. She did quite well to take three pirates down before being captured.

He continued his observation of the camp, and debated waiting for nightfall before attacking, but decided that may be too late for Angie. He would have to act, and fast, if he was to prevent these pirates from harming her. Besides, Pearl wasn't going to wait around forever for them.

Back at the camp Angie saw one pirate passed out near the fire and that was about it - apparently all the pirates had been out in the woods looking for her and Franz.

The captain roughly shoved her onto the ground and pushed his blade to the back of her neck while another pirate tied her hands. From her vantage point on the ground Angie could see that they had not disturbed her treasure- it was right where she had left it under the thorn bush and in the rock cluster.

Angie smiled in spite of herself, these were some dumb pirates, not only had they not found her treasure but they didn't take her cutlass away from her. They assumed their knots on her hands were so good that her cutlass would be no good.

'Boys - break out the rum - looks like we got us a good time tonight after all,' the pirate captain called to his remaining men, his foot on Angie's back like she was a prize beast he was posing with. Angie choked back a growl and then noticed Franz's feet beyond the edge of the camp *So tha bastard didn't abandon me yet - guess I may let him live if I survive, she thought to herself*

Suddenly she was hauled to her feet by her arms and hair and thrust at a waiting pirate, who began to drag her towards the edge of camp, for some privacy. Angie scowled at him and dug in her heels, making sure he would not get her where he wanted to easily. She also started planning his death, because she would make sure he died - but first she needed to get her hands loose.

Franz observed the goings on in the camp. He wasn't pleased with how the pirates were treating Angie...it dredged up some unpleasant thoughts about how Maddie had been treated and it infuriated him.

Looking at Angie, he knew from the expression on her face that she had spotted him in the undergrowth. He backed up, knowing if she had spotted him, so could the unconscious pirate if he awoke.

He was in luck, as one of the pirates was dragging Angie towards the edge of camp...alone. Angie was making it difficult for him, slowing him down, which bought Franz some time to move over to that end of the camp.

Backing further into the undergrowth, he turned, and careful to avoid the traps, he made his way around the camp and hid himself behind a tree. Peering around the tree, he realized the pirate was headed right for one of his traps...he would have to act fast if he was to prevent the pirate from alerting the others of the danger they were in.

Moving into position, he pulled his arm back, preparing to swing his sword as soon as the pirate hit the trap.

As they neared the edge of the camp Angie suddenly jumped straight up. Since the pirate had been dragging her with all his weight when she jumped the pirate fell on his back, losing his grip on Angie.

She quickly ran to the fallen pirate and kicked him as hard as she could in the ribs, and then the head - his head made a sickening dull thud when it made contact with her boot and she quickly flopped onto the ground next to him, hoping against hope that the other pirates didn't see what happened.

The kicked man was stunned for the moment, and Angie fumbled behind her for his knife, trying desperately to cut the ropes on her hands before the others noticed she wasn't being raped like they had planned.

Something didn't sit well with Maddie and she couldn't put her finger on it. This island was supposed to be uninhabited, except maybe for a few natives sprinkled here and there but usually they didn't bother with visitors.

She walked in to the galley and started looking around for something to cook or at least toss together. She found some dried meat and a bit of bread. "This'll have to do right now Pearl until I can get a good look and see what we have and what we don't." She handed Pearl some of the jerky and then took a bite of some herself. She looked around a bit more and found a water bag with nothing in it. "Pearl, do we have fresh water somewhere?" Hearing her question Pearl started rummaging around and then ran below deck and back up again. She shook her head that she didn't see any barrels down below. "Well hell Pearl. We can't go any further with no water. I'll stay here if you want to go and grab some. I can shoot anyone that comes by."

Pearl took the meat and tore off a big chunk. She thought about what Maddie had just said while she chewed and swallowed. She was sure Angie Ray had said they had water but maybe Pearl had missed it when she went to check.

Pearl had a bad feeling in her gut about Angie Ray and Franz. She exited the galley without saying a word to Maddie and walked to the edge of the ship and looked out at the island. She breathed a deep sigh and then ran down below deck in to her quarters and retrieved her telescope and ran back up and looked again. Pirates, great.

She walked back in to the galley and stood before Maddie. She knew if they had to make a fast getaway that Maddie was in no condition to raise anchor and shove off. If she stayed on the ship Angie Ray and Franz might be captured or worse. She started tapping on the wooden block of a counter and weighed her options. "Maddie," she said finally. "If it came down to it, could you get us out of here in a hurry?"

Franz tried to see what was happening with Angie, but from his position he didn't have a clear view. He kept his eye on the other pirates in the camp to ensure none of them made their way to help the pirate that was dragging Angie along. He knew it wouldn't be long before another of them came along to take over where this one was to leave off.

Thinking of Angie's safety, he moved around to get a clear view of Angie and the pirate. He noticed the pirate appeared stunned, almost unconscious, and Angie fumbling around behind him, he assumed, trying to cut her ropes on his dagger.

Keeping an eye on the other pirates, sheathing his sword and pulling out his dagger, he crawled through the underbrush as close to the camp as he dared to get and whispered, "Angie, aber was denn!...come on!" He could cut her ropes once she was out of there.

Sliding himself along the ground carefully, just far enough to reach the pirate, he slit the man's throat, then crept back into the underbrush. Once Angie had made it into the underbrush, he sliced the ropes at her wrists and freed her, then guided her past the traps he had set.

Maddie looked at Pearl with surprise when she asked if she could get them out of there in a hurry if left by herself. In her mind she was screaming "Of course not! Look at me!" She did not want to let Pearl down and had started to get worried that Angie and Franz were not back from the island.

She stood with her hand on her hip and looked over at the galley wall and drummed her fingertips on the wooden table. She couldn't do this physically. She wasn't ready. She could barely walk out of her room and up the stairs. What Pearl was asking of her was too much. She shook her head, "I'll try Pearl but I can't guarantee it."

Angie gratefully let Franz drag her into the brush and cut her ropes. She quietly followed him past the traps he had set, glad he was there to guide her. Not willing to speak out loud Angie smiled up at Franz and then crept off into the brush towards the treasure.

There was no way in hell she was going to leave without her target - especially after what they had just been through.

The treasure was actually hidden on the back side of the rock grouping, so she should be able to grab it without being noticed - as long as the pirates didn't notice that the man who was supposed to be teaching her a lesson was dead.

Muttering a silent prayer Angie reached the treasure spot, Franz close behind her, and began moving the small pile of stones that covered the sack.

Seeing what Angie was up to, Franz followed her, worried that the pirates would notice their friend was dead. Surely they would turn their attention there before long when they didn't hear screams coming from Angie.

As Franz noticed Angie moving the stones, he bent down and began to help her remove them from the sack of treasure. Once the treasure was free, he stood up, and allowed Angie to grab it. She had put it there so surely it wasn't too much for her to carry again, but he wanted to keep his hands free to fight, if at all possible, if it came down to it.

Hearing a yell come from one of the pirates, he cursed under his breath. They had spotted the dead pirate and would be out combing the area, looking for him and Angie soon.

He grabbed Angie by the hand and pulled her towards the beach, the opposite direction the pirates had run in. They would have to run through open ground across the beach, and if the pirates were looking that direction, they would be spotted, but they'd have a head start.

He was grateful they hadn't pulled the lifeboat up out of the water too far. Once they reached the lifeboat, they would have to get it into the water quickly.

Pearl nodded in response to Maddie. She knew full well Maddie couldn't get the ship in order fast enough. The girl could barely take three steps without practically teetering over. She admired her spirit and gazed on her with appreciation. "Aye Maddie, let's be hopin that it don' come ta that." Pearl took her hat off and began smoothing her hair with her fingers and gingerly placed her hat back on making sure it was just so. She wandered out of the galley without another word to Maddie and looked on at the island wondering where her crew went and worried that they were in trouble and she wouldn't be able to help them.

When Franz started helping Angie remove the rocks form her sack of goodies she whispered a thanks to him and then she heard some pirates start yelling about the dead man. She cursed along with Franz and then he grabbed her and started pulling her towards the beach.

The bag of goodies was small and not too heavy so Angie threw it over her shoulder and ran, putting a bend in her knees in order to lengthen her stride.

Franz was much taller and a little faster than her, but she did her best to keep up, praying that they would make it across the open beach before the angry pirates finished searching the jungle and headed out that way.

Angie's breath was coming in shorter gasps and her face was burning when the lifeboat came into view, giving her a renewed burst of energy. As she sprinted towards the boat pirates started to stream out of the jungle an onto the beach, "Franz - I can't fight them, I'm too tired. We gotta make it to the boat before they ken catch up. I'll try and help wit rowin but I kent make no promises at this point!"

Once they reached the lifeboat, Franz tugged on it, and got it moving to the water in no time at all. Once he got it into the water, he helped Angie climb in.

"Angie, spektakel machen...row the boat out into the water, where they can't get to you. If you have to, make your way back to the ship. Sei unbesorgt...Don't worry about me!", Franz exclaimed, turning to face the first pirate as he reached the lifeboat.

"Das gehen...Go now!", he ordered Angie, swinging his sword, which clanged against the pirate's own sword. He knew there was no way he could hold off this bunch for long, and he knew his life was forfeit if he had to fend off more than two or three of them at once.

He hoped Angie would heed his words and row out into deep water so he could make his own escape. Cutting down the first pirate, two more came upon him, and he faced the two of them head on, his back to the sea.

Stepping backwards, fending off the pirates, he felt his way, hoping that the ocean floor dropped out beneath him at some point. Finally, he'd found the edge, or hoped he had. If it turned out to be nothing more than a shallow step downwards, he was in trouble.

One of the two pirates swung their sword at him, and the other raised his sword to strike out. Franz lifted his sword defensively, taking a deep breath as he did so, and the two swords crashed together, making a loud clanging sound, then suddenly, Franz dropped out of sight.

Once in the deep water, he dropped his sword and swam under water, out towards the ship, only coming up for air once he felt he was a safe distance out from shore. He knew he'd never make it to the ship, but was hoping Angie was watching and would come for him, or at least wait for him to swim out to the lifeboat. Else he'd have to swim for quite a while, and find a safe place to swim back onto the island, and hope he didn't get sucked into an undercurrent as he did so.

Once he came up for air, Franz looked around for Angie and the lifeboat.

Angie tried to protest "Franz, you can't hold them off on your own . . . " but he was very insistent that she row out to deeper water and so she grabbed the oars and strained against them, trying to urge on her weary arms and body.

Franz was fighting 2 pirates at once when he suddenly dropped out of sight, but by now he was fairly far away and Angie couldn't be sure what had happened to him. She cried out, worried about this man who she was ready to kill earlier, when suddenly his head popped above the water not 10 feet to her left,"Franz, over here, I'll come get ye!"

Angie once again took up the oars and started to row towards Franz, hoping he would be able to row them the rest of the way to the shop, because she was suddenly exhausted.

Pearl paced back and forth on the upper deck unsure of what to do when she spotted movement off in the distance. She pulled the telescope from her pocket and looked out. She began running down the stairs to the main deck screaming "Maddie! Git yer ass out here! They're in trouble! We gots ta move now!" She ran and slid across the deck to the anchor wheel and started pulling.

Maddie dropped everything and on instinct she began to run. Pain screamed up and down her body because it was not ready to be moving like this but she ignored it. She had to help Pearl and if Franz was in trouble she had to help him as much as he had helped her before. She scrambled down the stairs over to the sail rigging and masterfully began untying the ropes to allow the sails to billow and fill in the wind. "Hurry up Pearl! We got to go!"

Pearl was shocked to hear Maddie's voice on deck but she couldn't be happier that she was there. With all of her strength she wound the anchor up and felt the ship start to move. She hoisted the anchor and locked the wheel and ran to steer the boat toward her friends.

Angie was not the first hostage to be kept by the hostile pirates. Closing his eyes, Sariel heard the gutural screams of his foes die, and he thanked his lucky stars. He had been here for a full moon's cycle, and he had felt every part of his body probed and made use of. He didn't dare look at himself, what horrors would be told by th revealing of his flesh? Would all the sins be written in red for everyone to see? He felt better not knowing.

His hand and feet were tied, and the ground was littered with broken glass. Picking up a piece near his feet, he proceeded to cut his own bonds. His fingers were tired and cold, and he cut his own flesh numerous times before he loosen the ropes. Then he pried at the bonds that kept his feet in place, and hurried out of his confinement. He squinted his eyes, unused to the sun, and stole the bag where his possesions had been kept. Reallizing that he was entering the sun in all his naked glory, he stooped up to pick up the cloak that covered the drunken pirate. He swirled it around himself. It was larger than he was used to, so he swung the material that was left over is head, creating a hood for his black curls.

He headed towards the sea. Anything was better than here, in the dusty sands that scorched his bare feet. He could hear yells, and in the distance a boat that dobbered in the water. They were too far away for him to call out, to warn them. he could hear pirates behind him chasing them, and him too. He was unable to warn them that they were taking a more winded path to the sea, that all you had to do was cross the bushes and you would find a shortcut. But nobody knew of this. Only him. Diving into the shortcut, he encountered another bag. It was one you could tie around your hips, and so he did, his hand nimbly tieing the leather straps around his hip and belting it shut. He dug inside the flap, put something in his mouth, and ran off towards the ship. If he missed it, he would die here. He musn't miss it. He wouldn't miss it. He had no choice, and that's when Sariel worked the best. His tired feet flew over the sand, kicking up the grains with bounds at a time. He came out at a cliff that was below the cliff Franz had jumped off. He didn't stop, he wouldn't have been able to either.

He took off the island in a flying leap, which he soon formatted into a dive. Once air had traded places with water, he pushed himself forward, his arms and legs pushing the damn water away. The cloak fell off with his movements, and it was slowing him down anyways. With no clothes to stop him, he knew he would swim faster than Franz, and he swam under the lad. He saw the bottom of a small boat and his hand reached out of the water, his pale piano fingers clasping onto the ledge. He grunted. The boat had been moving towards him, and he almost lost his grip when the boat hit him in the stomach. He let his head rest on the boat tiredly, exhausted. He wasn't sure if he could handle another fight now.

As Angie rowed towards Franz there was suddenly another person in front of her and she rammed them with the boat.

She frantically looked around for Franz and readied to beat off the intruder with the oar if they tried to get into the boat, but they instead just floated there gripping the side of the boat gasping.

"Hey, who are ye and where did ye come from? Gimme a reason to not kill ya right now," Angie practically growled at the man, unsure of herself momentarily but not wanting to show it.