"No need to apologize,Riley."Lily said shaking her head a bit with a cool smile now as she pulled her hat off and set it on the table next to the wall now."No need at all."She took another swig of her rum before holding it lightly her her hand,swirling the rum around in the glass as she looked up at him."Random thought should be heard,or at least put down on paper,you never know when they could be of use to you.No matter how silly it may seem."She chuckled with a thoughtful grin now."Pretty cool to be Irish then,huh?Well,I think your eye patch is pretty cool,too."She smirked raising her glass to him before gulping down the last of it's contents before setting it back down on the table.She looked to be calming down a bit as the rum started kicking in her system more and the calm,relaxed look on her face made her seem older than she was.

"here's to pretty cool things!" he said and raised his glass along with her then drank half of it. He felt that the rum had started to kick in and he was getting sleepy pretty quickly.
"I do jot down a few random things every now and then" he said nodding at her.

"To pretty cool things."Lily smiled as their glasses touched before nodding a bit.She then ran a hand through her hair,ruffling it up a bit,making it fluff up from how short it was."How much do you jot down?A few sentences,words,or paragraphs?I have whole books filled with my thoughts since I became a captain.I even write my dreams down."She chuckled with a shrug."Some of them actually came in handy for a raid or town."

"I jot down a few sentences. sometimes paragraphs...dreams? why do you jot down dreams?" he asked.
"I always have dreams but I never jot them down....not unless they interest me somehow." he added drinking the rest of his rum with a smirk on his face.

"Why?Because I can and some of them are interesting enough to even be called stories."Lily said shrugging lightly."Interesting or not,dreams are important.Some say they can tell you the future or see what's happening somewhere else in the world.You never really know if that's true or not,but I believe dreams hold a meaning.There are people out there who can desipher dreams and tell you their meaning."She chuckled lightly with a nod.

"I guess you have a point there lily. I hope to meet someone like that so they can explain dreams to me. It seems fascinating no?" he asked. Riley remembered what she had said about his eye patch and smirked, she was not the only person to tell him that, but she was the first female. He began to wonder what she dreamt about and concluded that she would dream of herself and crew raiding and conquering the nation.

"I actually know of a person,but the travel is long by boat and even longer by land."Lily said with a nod as she ran a hand through her hair now to try and slick it down a bit,but to no avail."You wanna know something though,I've known for almost a year now that I was going to meet you."She looked up at him with a small grin now."That's what the dream walker told me after I told him about a frequent dream I was having.He also told me that...."She covered her mouth to try and muffle a giggle at a thought before shaking her head,still grinning.

Riley listened to what she said about knowing someone who could interpret dreams. He grinned and continued to listen to what she said about knowing that they would meet and his grin faded and he got a confused look on his face now.
"You knew we were going to meet for a year now? That's weird but cool...but what else did he tell you?" he asked hearing her muffled giggle.

Lily pulled her hand away to reveal a devilish grin now."It's weird,but I knew the moment I found your ring that today was going to be the day I finally met the mystery man."She said holding up her hand to show him the ring again."That is why I wanted to make sure you're a good fighter,I wanted you to be my rival first to see if you can actually keep up with someone like me."She chuckled now with a shrug."I can't tell you that just yet."She stated lightly.

Riley looked at the ring and sighed mentally. He needed that ring back, and he was going to make sure he got it. He listened quietly to what she said and nodded in approval, what she was saying made sense to him.
"Aww, you can't...that's no fun...I guess I'll have to wait." he answered smirking. In his mind he began to think what else the person had told her and why she couldn't tell him. He thought of Ideas but none made sense so he decided to wait for her to tell him.

"Why ruin a perfectly good surprise?"Lily smirked as she got up and stretched,picking up her hat."I'm grabbing one last bottle of rum and heading back to the ship."She yawned lightly before craking her neck a bit.She turned to him with a shrug."I'll catch you in the morning if you're still around."She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek before heading off tot he bar and grabbing a bottle of rum before heading out the door.She loved leaving people hanging onto moment like this,she glanced back at Riley as she got to the door and waved to him with the bottle of rum in one hand while putting on her hat with the other before turning and walking out.

Riley shrugged.
"Okay...I'll see you when I see you." he replied and was surprised when she kissed his cheek, but he didn't make too much of that and waved to her before she left. After a while of thinking, he grabbed his hat put it on and tapped his eye patch before walking out of the bar and left to the ship. There he met Tobi and noticed that everything was running smoothly.
"We haven't found the ring yet captain." said tobi.
"No need....I found out Lily Selestia has it..." he then explained everything to him and sighed at the end.
"She has it and challenged you? I'm sure you'll get the ring back captain!" replied Tobi.
"Thanks...I have to hit the hay...make sure these med go off to sleep!" he ordered and left to his room to sleep which he did quickly.
Tobi nodded.
"Good night Captain." he said and left to give the crew their orders.

Lily returned to her ship,sipping on the bottle of rum lightly as she walked up onto the deck and smiled looking around.Everything was always kept nice and neat,everything had it's place,even a few passed out crew members."Welcome back,Captain."Bill said as he walked up to her."Sober as ever,huh Bill?"Lily asked with a grin now as he nodded."Have to since the watch are already drunk and out."He smirked looking back at the few crew members."well,I had an interesting night."She showed him the ring."What he said was true then,let's see if this guy can really capture your heart,Captain."Bill said as Lily headed off into her cabin for the night.Bill walked up tot he bow of the deck and looked out at all the other ships docked around them.

The next morning,Lily stepped out of her cabin dress with a black loose shirt with the sleeves cut off and a pair of brown trousers.She stretched a bit,yawning loudly as her boots thudded against the wood of the deck.It was an hour after sun rise and she could hear children giggling from the dock."huh?"She said going over to the side and peering over before smiling."Kids!"She exclaimed as they children looked up and greeted her warmly."We're here for our swordplay lessons,Captain."A few of them chimed in unison."Alrightly then.come on up then.I hope you brought your wooden swords for practice."She chuckled as the ten kids ran up the boarding plank up to the deck,standing at attention as they got infront of Lily.She smirked as she looked at the small group of children,all different ages and sizes.The local street kids without a home or parents to look up to.

Once morning arrived, Rile hesitantly woke up and dressed in his usual outfit. He slipped on his boots and began to brush his hair quickly before putting on his hat and leaving his room to the dinning hall. He heard kids running past the ship and shook his head as he prepared himself some french toast and eggs with bacon then he began to eat. After this he was going to train his fencing skills with his helper. The day seemed like a very boring one for some reason...probably because it was very quiet on the ship.

The sound of children laughing and giggling as they lined up to get ready for their lesson while Lily was docked in town."Okay,children.Today we are going to be learning how to attack and deflect while in combat."Lily said walked back in forth in front of the line of children,"Cooool!"Most of them chimed while others grinned happily,egar to get start."Alright,get into your pairs and get into your fighting stances."She commanded lightly,watching the children pair up,standing a few feet from each other,ready to start."I hope you have been practicing while I have been at sea,because today we are getting everything right on the first try."She snapped her fingers and one of her crew members walked up with a sword at hands."Watch carefully,children.I'm only going to show this once."She smirked as she stood in a fighting stance,pulling out one of her swords before the man lunged at her.She easily blocked his attack,pushed him back,and then attacked,knocking the man to his back with her sword pointed at his throat."Just like that."She chuckled holding out a hand to him and pulling him back up to his feet."Now,let's see you try."She turned to the children before they started going through the same movments as her.She watched them with a proud smile on her face,listening to them trying to sound tough asd they practiced with each other.

Riley sighed once he was finished eating. "I wish it would rain...." he told his friend Toby as he watched him wash the dishes. "Why sir?" he asked him. "It would remind me of my parents, and I'm tired of seeing the sun..." he answered. It was true, Riley was tired of seeing the sun high in the sky...he wanted to feel the rain gently fall to the ground. His thoughts then went back to the ring that belonged to his mother which was now in the hands of the feared Lily. He was a bit angry at the fact that he hadn't gotten it yet, but he hoped to get it soon. "I see sir...well, I'm sure taht it will rain soon enough, the sun can't really shine forever." reassured Toby. "Thanks Toby...I'm glad I can call you a friend." replied Riley. Toby smiled and nodded. As am I sir." he answered.

Lily was rather proud of these children,it wasn't every day you found a group of smart younglings in the pirate capitol.She was sure they would all stick together and form their own pirate crew,sailing the sails and doing as they pleased.She nodded as they continued to pratice with each other,getting every move right.She soon snapped her fingers and they stopped,forming their line once more infront of her."Very good,you have been practicing your agility work I have given you while I was away.Now,there is one last task you have to fulfill before you gradute to real swords."She said,walking back and forth infront of them before stopping infront of the middle of the line."You have to tough it out for the next two months until I return next.If you have survived until then,then I'll give each of you your own custom made sword."She smiled with a nod."That is a promise."She looked at each one of them,each of them had stars in their eyes and smiles bigger than the ocean itself."Now,run along and continue what you do best while I'm gone."She then dismissed the group,watching them all leave.She sighed a bit as she walked over to the guard rail,leaning on it,looking out over the town.Movingher fingers a bit,the ring she had made a deal over,glittered in the sunlight,catching her attention now.She held up her hand and looked at it lightly.It would be ashame to lose it if Riley ever did become strong enough to beat her.At that thought,she chuckled as she turned her back to the railing,leaning against it,looking over her ship and it's crew,whom were hung over from last night,slowing coming up from below deck to start on their daily chores."Ah...What a day to be a pirate."She snickered to herself.

Riley yawned and looked at Toby then around. "Well I'm bored...I think I'll go to the bar...can you make sure that everyone keeps up with their chores Toby?" he asked. Toby nodded and soon, Riley was off on his way back to the bar. Being a pirate was boring right now...nothing to do since the seas seemed very calm.

Lily stretched again,still trying to work out the sluggishness of a hangover.She never showed it,but even she could sucume to the effects of drinking.After cracking her nech,back,and knuckles,she looked out over the dock to see who else was up this morning.She knew not many other pirates would be up and those who were were her favorite targets.

She chuckled leaning on the railing as she spotted Riley coming down from his ship and heading towards the bars."Hey!"She called,trying to get his attention while picking up a thick tin mug to throw at him if he wasn't paying attention.He'd get hell from her if he wasn't,which she was hoping for as a sly grin slowly formed on her face as she took aim.

Tired as he was, Riley just continued to walk over to the bar. He wondered what Lily was up to, but at this point in time he was a bit angry with her because she couldn't just hand over the ring. Didn't she respect the fact that it had a lot of value for him? Sure pirates were mean...but they weren't cruel. They were respectful at times...that's what his parents always told him...but it seemed that Lily didn't fit in that category. He yawned before stretching and continued making his way to the bar entrance. He knew that it would be quiet in the bar or at least a bit calm...and that was good since he needed some time to just drown his worries.

Lily let out a small evil snicker as she threw the mug,nailing Riley in the back of the head."Bulls eye!"She yipped loudly,jumping up a bit."Hey Riley.Rule number four,always bw alert no matter where you are."She shouted to him.She looked over and grabbed a long rope with slack to it,climbing up onto the railing and jumping down,swinging in Riley's direction.Sliding down a she got closer,she let go when she was close enough,doing a somersault in mid air and landing almost next to him."Top of the morning to you,fledgeling."She grinned looking at him.

And now they were bullies too?! This felt just like a normal day at school for some kids. "Ouch! What the He-....whatever." he said and made sure he wasn't bleeding, but he was. "Damn!" he whispered and glared at her. What did she was this early in the day? Didn't she have anything to do. He just sighed and walked along and into the bar where he asked for a wet cloth and some whiskey.

Lily glared at him now and followed after him at a fast pace."Now look here."She growled,grabbing him by the shoulder and roughly jerked him around to face her."Look here,I'm trying to toughen you up and you turn your back on me?I guess you don't want your mother's ring back."She said holding up her hand,showing him the ring she adorned on her finger now."Looks like you'll never get it back if you keep this up."She sneered before turning her back on him and walking out now,not giving him a chance to respond.Slamming open the bar doors,almost breaking them completely off their hinges,she stormed out and back to her ship,hoping some unfortunate fool was stupid enough to get in her way.Her emerald eyes a blaze and glaring at the path infront of her,making all who looked at her scrunch back out of her way in fear for their lives.This town knew all about Lily's hellish temper and no one dared to get in her way.

Riley took the whiskey, drank the whole bottle, payed for it and ran off but she was now too far. "But I DO want the ring lily...." he said quietly. He was so angry at her and at himself that he went back inside the bar and began to drink his feelings away. he wasn't one to drink unless he was very upset or on the verge of tears.

Once Lily boarded her ship,her orders to her crew could almost be heard clear across the town.Making most of them quickly back to their chores,preparing the ship to set sail.She wasn't going to stay put now,her temper was flared and she felt like finding a merchant ship or something to take her anger out on.She walked heavy footed up to the wheel and leaned on the railing infront of it,watching her crew scramble to get everything ready."HURRY UP!!!!"She growled loudly."I want out of here before dark you slugs,I've seen sea turtles move faster than you!"

A few more people started showing up at the bar looking a bit rattle."My god,I've never seen Lily that ticked off before."One of the men said as they sat down not to far from Riley.

"Yea I know,I heard her going off on her crew,I guess they're setting sail sometime today."One of the women said shaking her head."She's a good captain,but once her temper breaks there's no calming her.I wonder how long she's going to be out at sea this time."She sighed shaking her head.

"I don't know,she's usually gone for months at a time and no one ever runs into her or her crew until they dock here again."An older man among the group said shaking his head."I feel sorry for the poor fool who got her riled up.They don't know what kind of hell they've unleashed onto the sea."

"I know."The woman gasped."I've heard stories of the last time someone ticked her off.Lily and her crew nearly wiped out a good ten towns along the shore lines off one of the islands a day's sea travel from here."

"Tell me about it."A younger man sighed."I had a family in one of those towns."He hung his head a bit."I arrived in time to bury them before the voltures could get to their bodies.That woman knows no boundries.She destroys anything in her path like a hurricane."

"No,she has the force of nature behind her.There's no dealing with her at all and trying to stop her is suicide."The bartender said putting their drinks out intfront of the group now."I've watched that girl grow up on these streets.She's tougher than anyone I've ever served over the last forty years."He shook his head."But then again having to grow up at such a young age and having to survive on your own with no friends or family there to help would make you cold and strong as well as heartless,and especially being a female..."He trailed off before going over to serve another customer as the group chattered among themselves now.