Aris let out a groan when she heard the crew calling and shouting.<span style="font-style: italic">What possesses them to shout so loudly at this time of day?</span>, she thought as she groggily opened her eyes, and turned over with a huff.<br/><br/>She propped herself up with her arms quite suddenly when she realized, the crow's nest was short one feathered felon. All that accompanied her in that tiny vantage point was Ganelon's crate. "Where could he be? He said it himself, he prefers it up here, so why would he-?" she muttered to herself when she was interrupted by more hollering from below on deck. Aris stood up and glanced down at the fair-sized crowd that had accumulated on the starboard side of the deck. She looked down, confused that all the excitement, then she froze.<br/><br/>There was the Crow, standing on the railing with part of a sail held over his head. Then, he jumped off.<br/><br/>Aris' heart plummeted far faster than the Crow did, but her heart was caught by a voice of  reasoning.<span style="font-style: italic">What are you doing?? He is just another of those bloodthirsty pirates who raided your home and killed everyone, regardless of what happened last night. <span style="text-decoration: underline">He is bad.</span></span>Regardless of what her conscience told her, she found no good reason to give a man the right to throw his only lookout off his ship, even if the Crow wasn't a very good person for the job.<br/><br/>Aris glanced down at the belongings Ganelon left in the Crow's nest. She peeked into the crate and was quickly overcome with shock of how many precious metals and stones there were in that box. She replaced the lid, knowing all too well that Captain Rotter would not be porting any time soon, if at all. The stowaway noticed the grinding stone and picked it up, rolling it in the palm of her hand.<span style="font-style: italic">He won't need it where he is going</span>Aris concluded, and slipped the stone into her loosened corset.<br/><br/>As Aris clambered down the rat lines to the main deck, all she could think of was of what purpose sending Ganelon with a sail off the boat had to do with Rotter. Well, she thought as her boots landed on the hard floor, it's not as if he's is terribly sane.<br/><br/>She could not see a sign on the ill-thinking captain anywhere, there were far too many of his crew on deck. She stood on the tip of her toes, trying to spot him, when she heard a man scoff.<br/><br/>"Well lookie here, the little sparrow was stayin' with the Crow for the evening." Aris turned to see a thin-looking pirate looking her over with beady eyes, and beside him stood a much larger mate with a grim look on his face. Aris glared at the two, growling, "I have no time for you damned pirates, move on!"<br/><br/>"My," the smaller of the two regarded to his companion "She has a sharp tongue for someone who should 'ave been chucked overboard t'day." The other man nodded, still looking at her. "I bet that Queen Efer would prefer te have something more than the Crow to toy with. Efer likes bitches, though this little minx may be a bit feisty."<br/><br/>Aris put her hands to her hips, cocking her head slightly, "You two want to throw me over?" A grin appeared on her lips as she drew a scimitar from its scabbard, "You had better know something more than taunting."<br/><br/>Aris already knew what she would do. Give them a bit of a fight, then, if things got rough, squeeze her way into the crowd. They couldn't possibly fight her then. The large man ran at her while his comrade drew a dagger from its hilt. Aris sidestepped easily, she had no desire to face the wrath of the captain again for hurting another pirate, sticking her foot out. The man went down with a thud.<br/><br/>Her triumph over the larger man was short-lived, as the other man was quick to attack while she was distracted. She felt the dagger dig into the skin right under her left eye, but the pain was quickly subdued by the adrenaline pumping through her as she blocked the man's second attack.<br/>He was fast, but Aris was faster.<br/><br/>The clang of metal against sharp metal rang out over the men's shouts. Her heart was thudding as the two weapons collided once more, each of their users pushing on it with all their might. Aris looked at the pirate right in the eyes, he knew he couldn't win. With one swift motion, she drew her second blade and pressed it against the first into a V. She pulled them apart, sending the dagger flying where it embedded itself into the mast behind them.<br/><br/>Aris pointed a scimitar at the now-weaponless man, grinning slyly. "Do you have any more smart remarks?" The man briefly looked up at her with shock, before a knowing grin spread across his face. He muttered, "Goodnight, princess."<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">THUNK!</span></span><br/><br/>Aris didn't know what hit her. The man who she felled before could have smacked her over the head with a barrel, a sheathed sword, anything. Her scimitars clattered uselessly to the ground. She had a shocked expression on her face as she collapsed to the ground. Consciousness was leaving her, but she remembered what happened next. She felt herself thrown over someone's shoulder like a partly-used sack of grain.<br/><br/>She thought she could hear the crew shouting as the dark fog rolled over her, perhaps it was the ringing in her ears. Or maybe it was the ocean as it swallowed her with its foaming maw.