The Ninja and the Pirate Ch. 16

16 Unexpected Encounter
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Jingle. Jingle.

Kiku ignored the jingling as he made his way to the upper deck. They had left the port a few days ago and they were on an expedition across the Icy Sea. He didn't see the pirate's purpose of staying in this freezing hell. He made sure he had secured the winter coat he had bought at the market (using the money Arthur had given him) before they had left. He had waited until Matthew was available; he was the only person on the ship (apart from Arthur and Lydia) whom he was comfortable talking to.

He opened the door and made his way to the railing. No one paid him much attention since, by now, the crew knew that he liked to hang out by the railing and just stand there and gaze at the ocean. It was a deep blue color and it was decorated with icebergs. He immediately knew where they were. He had passed here before with the others. This was the place of the Icy Sea that was nicknamed "The Iceberg Circle." The icebergs weren't really forming a circle but to anyone sailing through them it looked as though they were.

"Captain! A merchant ship has been spotted!" Kiku turned and looked up at the crow's nest. Noticing the direction the person was looking at he glanced in that direction. He could see a ship, but without a telescope he couldn't identify where the ship came from. He could tell the ship had come from the East, but it was too far away to see if it was a ship from there.

"Alright people! Get ready we are going to give them a surprise visit." Kiku just glanced in Arthur's direction before turning back to look at the ship. He ignored all the commotion that was happening behind him. As they approached he began studying it trying to see if there was anything on the ship that he could use to identify in which side of the world, and which territory it was built in. He turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Arthur was standing there and he was holding his katana in one hand.

"Here, you might need this. Just don't try anything funny." Arthur calmly spoke as he handed the katana to Kiku. Then he turned and started walking away.

"Wait…" Arthur turned around and stared at Kiku who was glaring at him. "You are asking me to help you in the raid of a ship?"

"I am not asking you to, I am ordering you to help us. Unless you prefer for me to go lock you up in one of the cells for disobeying a direct order from the captain." When Kiku didn't reply Arthur sighed and walked over to him and lifted his chin up. "And I prefer not to chain you in there, love. And after we are done with the raid I'll let you choose anything you want." Arthur added as he looked into Kiku's brown eyes. After a while, Kiku closed his eyes and nodded.

"Good. I'll be back I have to go make sure everyone I ready." Arthur quickly kissed Kiku before leaving. Kiku stared after him, confused about why he gave in that fast. Sighing he turned and looked at the merchant ship they were about to attack. It was hard to tell if they had been spotted already, but he knew by experience that they probably had been spotted already.

Can I even fight with this on? He wondered as he looked down at the warm coat he was wearing. He hoped he could, because he didn't like the idea of having to take it off. Then he looked up as the Mary Celeste fired at the merchant ship. He grabbed onto the railing and noticing something he immediately backed away as the merchant ship fired back. His eyes landed on the familiar flag of the northernmost territory of the Eastern Empire. The flag that was horizontally divided into three colors; white, blue, and red. Then his eyes landed on the ship's name which was written in an icy blue color, медведь.

Why did it have to be one of his ships? That bastard better know what he is doing, or else we are going to be the ones captured instead.

"Attack! Capture the ship!" Kiku jumped as Arthur shouted his commands from right next to him. Then Arthur just wrapped his arm around Kiku's waist and pulled him closer. "Don't worry. We'll only interfere if things start going bad for them. Especially since I know you aren't very keen in participating."

"Of course I am not" That's a ship from my homeland, and I also know who commands it…

"Looks like we didn't have to interfere," Arthur said after a while. Still holding Kiku by the waist he calmly walked to the медведь.

"Iggy! We have caught them. What do we do now?" Alfred asked as Kiku and Arthur stepped aboard the медведь. Kiku's eyes immediately started searching around looking for the captain of the ship. After a while he sensed a pair of eyes on himself and he turned and stared into the icy blue eyes of the ship's captain.

"So I am going to assume the fellow here is the captain, am I right?" Arthur asked as he stood in front of the captain. Arthur received a glare as the person replied in another language he didn't understand.

"He says he is, and what business do you want with the ship." Kiku translated before Arthur could do anything to the captain.

"You speak his language?"

"Yes. It's a language spoken in the northernmost territory of the Eastern Kingdom."

"Can you try negotiating with him then?"

"Привет Сибирь" Kiku murmured as he bent down to be at eye level with the captain.

"Привет хризантема" was the reply Kiku got. "May I ask what you are doing in the company of pirates?"

"I was captured, and my ship was burned. I tried to escape only to be caught once more."

"I see… Ask that bastard what he wants." Kiku nodded and repeated the question to Arthur.

"Tell him if he willingly hands over the cargo nothing will happen to him, his crew, or the ship."

"Well, I don't have to translate to you. I am glad you didn't speak in English to him."

"I know. Why do you have that thing on your ankle?"

"The bastard claims I am his. So he put it on me to emphasize that fact."

"Tell him he can go ahead, but he will suffer greatly if he breaks his word."

"I am a man of my word, you can tell him that. Even you know that my little pet." Arthur replied as he looked at Kiku before turning to his men. "Get the ship's cargo. Make sure you leave nothing behind."

"You heard him."

"I did and if I could I would kill him for calling the emperor's brother that."

"You know I am not his real brother."

"We all know none of you are related to him. But we respect his choice of naming you guys as his siblings."

"When you get back… can you please tell my brother? I am positive the news haven't reached him yet."

"I am positive they haven't. Even we haven't heard of the tragedy that has befallen your ship. And none of the ships we have encountered have so much as mentioned the incident. What do you wish for me to say to him?"

"Tell my brother that I was captured by the man I encountered four to five years ago. He will understand what you mean by that."

"Of course. I will also tell the lord. He might want to help your brother."

"I know he will. Those two are so close." Kiku looked up as Arthur put a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"

"Come, it's time to go." Kiku nodded and stood up. The crew was back aboard the Mary Celeste and they were getting the ship ready so that they could leave.

"Боюсь, что мне пора." Kiku said as Arthur helped him back aboard the Mary Celeste.

"До свидания! Заботиться хризантема" Сибирь called out as the Mary Celeste left leaving the медведь drifting in the Icy Sea.