Shipwrecked and Stranded XVII

Wisabu stepped out the back door sadly.  She had given the girls the evening off.  She wasn’t very happy with Romulus’s ideas for this crew.  He was getting a bit too intrusive.  If they had landed up anywhere else, she wouldn’t have minded in the slightest.  But here, it seemed almost cruel to take advantage of these people, who lacked weapons and the skill to use them.  Yet they seemed so much smarter than even the most sharp tongued politician she’d met in her day.  She was beginning to have second thoughts.

Wisabu checked on the tiny little garden that had been here on their arrival, she had already harvested the best of the crop a few days ago yet the plants already had new, almost ripe vegetables on vine and branch.  Another thing about this place, the plants seemed so familiar yet so different.  Wisabu wasn’t daft, she knew when something was up.  A sharp breeze from inland brought the smell of sweet grass and blooming flowers.  Wisabu smelt change on those winds, but she couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.

She walked a bit farther to the tiny orchard the former Inn had.  Its stunted trees grew with fruit from all over the globe, she had seen oranges, as well as mangoes, papaya and star fruit, all growing in amongst, apples, pears and cherries.  It was very odd.

Wisabu plucked a rip apple from its branch and bit into it succulently.  It was so good to taste fresh fruit.  She licked her lips in appreciation of the fruit and continued her walk.  She felt relaxed and calm, almost normal, until…

Wisabu turned on a dime and blocked the long blade of a glaive that was trying to slink its way around her throat with her belt knife.  “Yell have to do better than that chil’.”  She said in her Southern drawl as the lad who tried to capture her pulled his weapon back to a fighting stance.  

“I already did.”  Sil informed the woman with a snarl.  Wisabu felt a dagger slide up against her throat and the poke of more weapons prods in her back.

“Drop it.”  Whispered a surprisingly familiar voice in her ear.  The larger woman knew when she was beaten.  She dropped her belt knife and held up her arms.

“Ye win chil’, I’ll come quietly.”  Wisabu said as Konna walked her slowly back into the trees, Sil a breath behind her, disguising their escape.  When he left it was as if there had never been a squabble.  Even the knife was gone.

Wisabu was led blindfolded to a clearing about a half-mile’s walk from the orchard if her counting was right.  She was seated rather gruffly onto the hard ground and could feel the heat of a fire.  Her eyes were uncovered and she looked into the face of the lad who’d attacked her before.  Behind her she saw the awfully familiar face of…

“Konna!”  The woman cried attempting to rise to hug the girl, but the mystery man pushed her back down.  “I thought ye’d died chil’ I was so worried.”  She said, tears coming to her uncovered eyes.

“And I would have if it hadn’t been for Sil.”  She said acidly at first, but at the mention of the lad’s name her voice became soft and sentimental.  Wisabu gasped.

“Ye love him chil’!”  Wisabu smiled happily.  At least one of them was happy.  Konna couldn’t help but grin.

“You always could read me like a book.”  Konna said in resignation.  Those words broke the tension and Sil sat down across from the fat cook.

“Look we’re breaking everyone out of that Inn and taking the Pirates into custody.”  he explained.

“Are ye police?”  The woman asked.  Sil shook his head.

“No but we have a plan.”  He said.  “And we need your help.  Both Konna and Rebecca said that you were the kindest of these pirates.”  Sil said patting the woman’s unbound hand.

Wisabu nodded.  Here was the change she’d smelled.  “I only went with those brutes cause they said I was to comply or they’d gut me.  I wanted nothing to do with the killing and enslaving.  I just wanted meh life.”  Konna nodded.  A shadow detached itself from the gloom and walked into the light.  It was Rebecca.  She smiled at the older woman and put a calming hand on her shoulder.

“I knew you were a good person the moment I met you.”  She said happily.  “When you saved me from the brutality that first time I knew you were different.”  Sil and Konna nodded.

“Alright here’s the plan…”  Sil began to draw a map of the Inn in the dirt.  As the girls and Wisabu listened to Sil’s plan they smiled, this was a good one.