Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 01:21:58 -0400 From: "~CK~" Subject: INT: The Adventurers(A call to arms) "Stop running Tali! It's no use you little brat, we'll catch you eventually." The screeching calls rang out behind the young girl, but she never looked back. She darted left and ran down along a dim alley, which opened up onto the docks. The pungent smell of fish and salt brine assaulted her nose. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, he lungs slammed inside her chest, threatening to burst. From overhead she head the familiar caw of her companion, and a minute later, he alighted onto her shoulder. "See them anywhere behind us Onyx?" The raven, ruffled his inky feathers, and blinked his amber eyes twice in response." "Well we gotta git outta here, cause I know they're not just gonna let me slip away that easy. Not when they were raking in all them coppers on my sightings. I just don't know where we can hold up for the night. Can't go to Tess's, that'd be the first place they'd look, and I don't want um draggin' her inta it. Maybe we can..." Tali's musings were interrupted by a loud squawk from Onyx. "It's them ain't it, there coming!" The obsidian bird took to the sky, and headed toward the docks. "I see where yer headed mate, and I'm followin' '" The young girl took off, darting toward the waterfront. She weaved her way between barrels and other miscellaneous cargo, that was waiting it be loaded on various ships in the harbor. For a moment she thought she was in the clear, until she heard the rough gravely voice of her previous captor. "I saw her go this way Maxine." Tali's heart began to pound in her chest, and a deep panic began to rise up in her gut and spread through her chest. She was trapped. She was at the end of the dock, with nowhere to go, but the dark stale water of the harbor. Suddenly a vision exploded in her mind, and her eyes jerked to the large frigate rocking lightly on the water beside her. On the rail of the nearside, Onyx sat calling to her. Tali glanced around quickly, then ran to the edge of the water, beside where the ship was moored. "There's no way on." She sent the silent message to her avian companion. "Yes, there is. Look harder." Tali saw the thick ropes that ran from the ship harnessing it to the dock. "I'll never make it." "You can do it. Just concentrate on me. You can do this." Tali took a deep breath and reached out for the rope. The thick knotted material bit into her palm, but she grasped more firmly and gently swung out onto it. After she had inched her way along a bit, she pulled up her legs and placed her left knee over the rope, and crossed her right ankle over the left. Bit by bit she inched her way closer to the ship. After ten minutes or so she was almost there. For some unknown reason she glanced down at the water below. It was lay dusky and forbidding below her. As she paused to peer down her right leg entwined from the left and she nearly lost her grip. "Ahhhh!" "Concentrate. You can do it. It's not much further." Came the soft encouraging words of Onyx. Finally after much labor she made it to the ship's edge, and pulled herself on board. Tali ducked down below the edge of the deck and peeked out the hole where the rope slid into the ship. She could see Brutus pushing his way through the dockside cargo. "I don't know where she got to Maxine. Slippery little ell that one. " "We ain't got all night. So we best be findin her or Snickus is gonna 'ave our heads." "Well I think she gave us the slip, Maxine. I say we go over ta The Rusty Nail and 'ave us a few pints. Then look around agin. She ain't liken to be too far from 'ere." The muscle-bound giant pushed aside an empty crate, and a few rats went scurrying. "I don't see the harm in it Brutus. First one's on you." "Bugger that..." Soon the voices faded off. And Tali turned back to Onyx, who had alighted onto her shoulder once again. "Wheww. That was jes to close. Well I guess we stay 'ere for the night mate. Mebe we can even sign onta one of these ships what's heading out tomorrow. I don't suppose they'd be wantin' a girl though. Well I can't be thinkin on that right now. I'm to worn out. Tali reached up a hand and stroked the Raven's silky feathers. "You is me best pal Onyx. It's just you..." The young girl yawned and her head fell back against a large coil of rope. "...and me." The jet bird rubbed his head along his young mistresses cheek, and flew up to perch on the rail of the upper deck. he glanced around and cocked his head, listening. Hearing nothing out of the ordinary, he fluffed up his feathers and tucked his beak under his wing. They were safe...for now. ~CK~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* My idea is this: The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him. At that point, he's in business. ~Berryman~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*