For The Price Of Freedom [Dorra] [MILITARY BASE]

[Andorra]

It was incredible how fast one's life can change in a few months.

Anaïs had been a normal farm girl raised ignorant and sheltered from the limitless world months ago, but now. Now she was looking at prison. For piracy. Farm girl was understandably distressed.

How did it come to this? Simple, her normal life was trampled by the whim of persistent thieves, her family growing steadily poor. After seeing her family struggle just to feed her siblings, she left to find a solution. A normal job, like the hostess employment that only lasted for a few weeks, was not good enough as it barely paid for her rent in a cheap hotel. That money was never going to find a way back to her family. She needed a better living, one that preferably rewarded vast riches that would save her family immediately. But those were only fairytales, right?

One day at work, the ramblings of an old sailor reached her optimistic and desperate ears, a tale of unimaginable treasure. It was said to be sought after only the most powerful and bloodthirsty of pirates. Anaïs was neither powerful nor bloodthirsty, but it was too late. She grew too enamored with the tale, surely it would save her family! That night she laid awake, unable to fall asleep. It was the only chance she had. Her family wouldn't like her becoming a pirate, but she had promised herself that she would save them and make them happy again. She would no go back on her word.

She packed her things and wandered off into the night, searching for a crew to join.

After a few days of tireless searching, she finally stumbled upon a hearty captain, who immediately felt sorry for the poor girl. She begged him for a job on his ship, any job at all. Luckily for her, the man was not one to take advantage of a desperate girl (very, very lucky) and he allowed her to join his small, but hard working crew. They too were after the treasure, and she made fast friends working just as hard as any other.

But those times would come to an end.

One murky night, her crew was attacked by the military; raining down upon their ship like massive raindrops in a storm. The military did not attack by the sea, but by the air, in massive technologically superior zeppelins that overpowered Anaïs' crew easily. Her crew tried to put up a good fight, but they were seized after only an hours worth of battle. Surprised to find such a young girl amongst the scurvy men, they assumed she was just a whore hired to service the men. Anaïs was taken along with them.

The rest of her crew was thrown into several cells, but Anaïs was singled out; as they were not sure if she was a prostitute, a member of the crew, or perhaps kidnapped and forced to do God-knows-what. Anaïs, cringing at the suggestions, denied over and over that she had been kidnapped, and certainly wasn't a...a...

She confessed that she was indeed a pirate, which resulted in hard looks and scoffs of disappointment.

She was then thrown into a private cell. She couldn't help but shake throughout the trip, thinking about what they would do to her. Would she go to prison until she was forty? Or...or would they execute her.... l-line her up against a wall...and s-shoot...

Her chest burst with pain, a somehow familiar, horrific pain. Hot white, pulsating, heavy. She fell to the floor, screaming. The military doctor looked over her, confused because there was no reason for her to be in pain. She remained in the medical ward for the remainder of the trip. Eventually the pain subdued, and after she rested for a while, she looked out the window. They were close to what she assumed was the base, as the zeppelin began to descend.

The base was stationed on the largest island that Anaïs had ever seen. The walls were long a sturdy, forming an octagon shape around the island. About twenty or so ports strutted out from the walls, each for either zeppelins and ships. In the middle of the octagon was a tall, metal fortress, looming above the walls surrounding it. Floodlights were situated all over the building, always moving and keeping an eye out for trouble. She saw tiny military men outside the fortress performing their everyday duties of line practice, holding their guns on their left side. Fear blossomed in her stomach, and by the time the zeppelin landed in one of the ports, she was a trembling mess.

She was once again separated from her crew, because she was unique to them, what with her age and her medical trouble, and quite possibly her gender as well. She was led to a holding cell, her surroundings dull, yet menacing. She sat in the dark alone for what felt like an eternity.

After a few hours passed, they opened her cell, and she was lead to the man in charge of prisoners. The office he was in was a tad more welcoming than the rest of the place. There was another man in the room, facing away from her; he had a ponytail and large, but gentle hands. He was scribbling on paperwork at his superior's desk. The guard who led her stepped back, standing near the door in order to keep her from bolting out.

The man in charge looked up from his paperwork, noticing that she had arrived. "Ah. You're the girl everyone is talking about?" he said, rubbing his temple.

After being addressed, Anaïs shook more, crossing her arms over her chest and holding her elbows. A defensive stance. She could only managing small, pathetic peeps of noise. She didn't dare look him in the eye.

"Jesus, she's really supposed to be a pirate? Are you sure she didn't just say so because she was scared?"

The man behind her piped up. "Yessir, she said she was sir. Don't think she would admit to being a pirate if she wasn't."

The man in charge sighed. "Ahhh, what are we going to do with you then? You can't be older than sixteen...."

She was seventeen but this was not the time to correct him.

"The public will have our heads if we don't treat this with caution...." He stared at the man writing at his desk, frowning. "Afonso, for God's sake, you don't need to sign it so fancy, just scribble the signatures and be done with it."

The man who was writing twitched slightly, his shoulders tensing up. He finished writing with a hard thud with the pen. He started gathering up a few things, his demeanor annoyed.

The man in charge sighed again. "What is the world coming to, when girls like this are associated with the trash of the seas? We can't just let her go...."

Anaïs shut her eyes tight, biting down on her lip. What was going to happen to her?

The man named Afonso turned to walk out.

[here is the reference to the military base!! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fort-Jefferson_Dry-Tortugas.jpg IF YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE THE BASE LET ME KNOW BECAUSE I WAS JUST GUESSING FOR THE PURPOSE OF STARTING THE THREAD!!]

[Portugal]

To say Afonso was irritated would be an understatement as he sat in his superiors office, doing his best not to slouch despite how tempting it was. Along with pouting, Afonso had the large, childish urge to just pout. He refrained from doing that however, nodding along whenever it looked like his superior wanted to see if he was paying attention.

The only thought that ran through his mind was that this was not fair. Not fair at all. His left eye throbbed like a dull reminder beneath the white bandages, his hands forming fists against his knees as he fought down the urge to touch the injury. After he was done here he would have to report to the infirmary – they had said the bandages could be removed soon. And while Afonso was not looking forward to the hideous scar he was going to have, nor the fact he would be blind in one eye, he was excited to get the itchy bandages off.

Initially when he had received the wound (well when he’d regained consciousness and was actually lucid enough to know what was going on) he had expected to be discharged. It had made sense to him, especially upon learning he would lose his sight (and he still wasn’t pleased, nor alright with that fact). Instead though they had told him he would simply be transferred. A desk job of some sorts, he had expected bitterly…

Oh how he wished that was the case. Scowling he looked at the paper work in front of him, finalizing the transfer. He was going to be placed on a pira- privateer ship (or something, admittedly he hadn’t been paying that much attention) as a liaison of sorts…

To Afonso it felt like he was becoming a glorified babysitter. Why in the world were they choosing to do this instead of discharging him? He understood he was rather useless now but… This was ridiculous.

Stewing in his thoughts he scowled down at the paper work, before picking up his pen to proceed in signing. His head was starting to ache, that couple with the dull pain of his eye was not putting him in a better mood. Not by a long shot.

He didn’t glance up when the door opened, and only half paid attention to the conversation being had behind him. Something about a girl being a pirate. Why would they be surprised? Countless of people seemed to be turning to piracy these days. It wasn’t-

”Afonso, for God’s sake, you don’t need to sign it so fancy, just scribble the signatures and be done with it.”[/b] His shoulders stiffened at the admonishment; and had anyone been paying attention would have seen a moment later Afonso giving into his childish thoughts. Mimicking his superior. A scowl then formed, and forgetting all previous lessons in penmanship that had been drilled into his skull by Mamãe. Slamming the pen down with a bit more force than needed he picked up the file that would have more details on his transfer, rising to his feet.

He turned to walk out, frown firmly in place. It was then that his eyes landed on the young girl they had brought in.

A sharp pain. Afonso couldn’t fight down the gasp, dropping the folder as he stumbled back a step. One hand reaching out to steady himself on the desk while the other rose to hold his head, his one good eye squeezing shut – odd images flying through his head faster than he could comprehend them.

”Irmãzinha… Alive… Protect her.” Disjointed words echoed in his mind, in a voice eerily like his own. Not that they made any sense. None of these episodes tended too, Afonso had just learned to bear with them. Though, admittedly, they had never been this bad before.

When the pain and barrage of unclear images faded, and Afonso was willing to risk opening his eye, he was met with the concerned face of his superior. Forcing a shaky smile he released his iron grip on the desk, letting his hand drop to the side. ”Sorry, sir. My head just hurts a bit.”

”You’re as pale as a sheet Afonso.” That drew a sheepish laugh from him as he scratched his cheek. The superior looked unamused, arms crossed over his chest. ”Go get some rest.”

”Yes sir.” He saluted again, a bit weaker then he would have liked. His eyes shifted to look at the young girl again, and he was sure he saw concern on her face. He quickly shrugged off the notion it was for him, she was probably worried about what was going to happen… And Afonso couldn’t help but worry as well, stomach churning. ”If you don’t mind me asking, sir, what’s going to happen to her?”

His superior sighed, rubbing his temple.”As of now, I’m not sure. I suppose she’ll just have to go back to her cell until we decide.”

”I’ll escort her back!” He shifted, just slightly, at the three surprised gazes that turned on him. ”I mean… I have to… Pass by that area to get to the infirmary?”

His superior stared at him as if he’d grown three heads. Afonso forced his smile again. In the end the man just sighed, but consented. The worried knot in his stomach eased slightly as he escorted the girl out of the office, glancing over his shoulder as they walked down the hall before at her. She looked so frightened. Afonso couldn’t help but reach out, patting her shoulder. ”You’ll be alright.”[/size]

[Andorra]

When Anaïs opened her eyes again and saw Afonso's face, it was as if she turned into a deer caught in the headlights. She froze, with her mouth slightly ajar. Her heart began to beat faster and faster, and she had to fight back the urge to hug the man she just met. She didn't know him. But she had to. Her heart ached as she looked at his face, even more so as he was injured. That wasn't right. He shouldn't be hurt. It wasn't fair, he's such a kind, gentle broth-

A intense headache burrowed into her skull, with a force that nearly knocked her over. She had to endure as best she could. She shut her eyes tight, and waited for the decision, willing away anything else. It didn't work at all.

Before she knew it, the decision was still undecided, and she was being led to her cell again. Her headache did not go away, and continued to burn at her temples. Afonso was leading her away this time however, and it was a small, but appreciated comfort. Honestly, it was difficult not to just grasp at his shirt like a small child, but she didn't know why she had that urge. He was military. Certainly kind, but his people were the ones taking away her crew and probably locking them up. She had no reason to trust him. But, looking at his back, and how tall he was, it was so nostalgic that it made her headache worse.

"You'll be alright." he said comfortingly. Under normal circumstances she would say 'thank you,' but instead, she crumpled to the floor, clutching her head.

"I-I'm sorry....but my head really hurts..." She said this weakly, leaning against the wall. She shook slightly. "I don't want to go back to that cell...I-I know how that sounds...but please." She attempted a smile. "There's no where I can r-run to."

[Portugal]

His one eye widened. Standing stock still he wasn’t sure how to react to the fact that she was now crumpled on the floor, leaning against the wall. Her apology though made his heart ache. Shaking his head he knelt in front of her, reaching out to ruffle her hair. An action he did not complete, his hand lowering back to his side. ”It’s alright, don’t apologize. I know how bad headaches can get.”

After all, his head was still reeling. She looked so absolutely miserable as she sat there and he almost regretted offering to bring her back to her cell as she spoke. Of course she didn’t want to go back, he didn’t blame her.

Afonso couldn’t help but wonder if they had made a mistake. This girl did not look like a pirate. She was too innocent. Her attempt at a smile… His heart broke, eyes sliding away. ”I’m sorry. I have to bring you back there…”

Though his superior hadn’t said he had to take her back immediately… Smiling he stood, offering her his hand. ”But we can walk around for a bit if you’d like.”

It was inevitable for her to return to the cell but… But if Afonso could put it off for a little while.

[Andorra]

Her smile faded when he said he had to take her back. She stared at the hand he offered, not sure if she should take it. The hand of her jailor. But again, she couldn't help but trust him, against the odds. In fact, it was true to say she felt completely safe with him. She had a feeling that he would protect her no matter what. She took his hand.

"A-alright..." she stood up slowly, being pulled gently by Afonso.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, many questions tugging at Anaïs' mind. Like, who are you exactly, and why are you so familiar? She shook her head. Those questions were too weird, they made no sense. She already knew they didn't know what was going to happen to her, so it was pointless to ask. But what about her crew? Their fates seemed to be sealed already.

"U-um...can I ask you something?" She bit her lip. "What is going to happen to my crew?" She was scared to ask the next question. "W-will they be imprisoned, o-or..." She struggled with the last word. "E-e-executed?"

[Portugal]

He tried to ignore the way her smile faded when he spoke, only a little relieved that she took his hand. Pulling her up he offered her another, hopefully reassuring smile, letting go of her hand as they began walking again.

Afonso shouldn’t care about what happened to her. She was a pirate, a criminal. So why did he feel like just taking her hand and running? Why did he feel like he should be offering her a piggy back ride, telling her that everything would be alright and take her far away from here? Why did he feel like he knew her? Like he should be lecturing her about how dangerous it was to be on a pirate ship?

Well, that question was a bit obvious. Not that he needed to lecture her. It was obvious how dangerous it was now.

Her questions drew him out of his musing. It took everything in his power to stop himself from just reaching out and hugging her right then and there. Instead he looked away. ”Honestly? I’m not sure… I’ve been a bit out of the loop recently.” He gestured towards the bandages, in case it hadn’t been obvious enough. ”But, I don’t think they’ll be executed.”

Afonso prayed he was right in his assumption.

[Andorra]

"I-I see." She couldn't help but look disappointed, however she felt devastated on the inside. This was the very first time she had been in a situation that was absolutely hopeless. Her family, there was a chance, a chance that relied on her, but here? What could she do? What could be done? Perhaps if this was a novel, she could somehow break her crew out of prison in an epic battle of wit. Or maybe if she had powers of some kind.

But this wasn't a book. This wasn't fantasy. This was reality.

And she didn't know what was going to happen to her friends.

Throwing a fit wouldn't help, nor screaming nor crying. She had to use every fiber of her being to hold back, to not break down. She needed something to occupy her thoughts, anything, while she calmed down and thought up a rational plan. She blinked at Afonso's injury.

"Uhm, I know it isn't any of my business but...may I ask how you got injured?" Maybe this would help.

[Portugal]

The disappointed look made his stomach churn for reasons he didn’t understand. He just didn’t like seeing her upset, it made his heart ache. But there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. The life of a pirate came with risks. She should have realized this could happen when she joined a pirate crew…

Just thinking that though made him feel sick. Why in the world did she even join up with pirates?

”Uhm, I know this isn’t any of my business but… May I ask how you got injured? The smile faded into a dark scowl. Afonso’s shoulders stiffened just slightly at the question. She was right, it wasn’t any of her business. She had no right to ask, to know and –

And he was being childish again. Joining the military came with risks too. He knew that. ”A pirate got lucky – caught me off guard.” Idly he reached up, brushing his fingers against the white bandages, the scowl still firmly in place. ”Doctors said I’ll be blind out of it…”[/color]

[Andorra]

"Ah..." She raised her fingers to her mouth, covering it so that he could not see it quiver. "That's terrible...I'm so sorry."
No, no that wasn't fair! Why did he have to go blind on one eye because of that? Because of a pirate? Guilt tugged away at her stomach, even if it was not her that hurt him. But she was a pirate, a consented scum of the Sea and Sky, a criminal. She had to accept who she was. But it was hard. It was hard to see the pain and devastation her companions can cause, hell what she could cause. She could avoid it as much as possible, but how long would that last? But they were good people too, right?

She closed her eyes. She had been holding back her worries for so long, it was about time to let it out.

"I didn't...I knew what being a pirate could be like!" she blurted out. "I know that it's dangerous, and I know that they can do terrible things! But but, my crew....they are good people! Really, they are! They are kind and compassionate and I lived with them for a month!" She leaned against the wall, running her fingers through her bangs. "But I just...I didn't think we'd get arrested...I didn't think. I had no idea that it could be this painful, and I don't know what's worse, having a kind crew showing you that pirates are not all that bad or actually being that bad! But I don't have a choice! I chose to be a pirate for a reason, an important reason! More important than my life. " She wiped her eyes. "Why is it so confusing and hard? I've always worked hard and things worked out! I worked hard, but things have only gotten worse! Why??"

[Portugal]

He waved his hand at the apology. ”There’s no need for you to apologize. It wasn’t you or your crew who caught me off-guard.” There was a part of him who wanted to say it was not one’s fault but his own – for allowing himself to be distracted. A small part, one that he pushed away because Afonso still very much wanted to blame the pirates who had attacked him.

He glanced at her, wondering again how she could be a pirate when the mere thought of what happened to him seemed to upset her so. Then she began to speak, catching Afonso unprepared. All he could do was look at her as she spoke. He sighed at the thought of her crew, all locked away in cells somewhere on the base. A part of him was convinced as well that she was speaking the truth, that there was no way that she could be lying.

It didn’t stop his frown from deepening, his arms cross over his chest as he faced her fully. ”You never thought you could be arrested? Were you so sheltered that you forgot pirates are criminals regardless of how kind they are. Meu Deus!” It felt like he was lecturing a younger sibling for breaking a toy, not someone for being a pirate. Taking a deep breath he shook his head, looking at her with a stern look. The look softened however as he looked at her, looked how upset she was, the way she was wiping her eyes. His tone softened as he shook his head again. ”There are other options then becoming a pirate. You could join a merchant ship, it isn’t a pirate life but it’s a choice, and a job.”

Afonso began to wonder how much trouble he would be if he just… Turned a blind eye and let her go. [/color]

[Andorra]

She kept her head bowed as Afonso lectured her, feeling much smaller and younger than she really was. It was like when her father lectured her, but perhaps different still. She wasn't entirely sure, but it felt like an older sibling was telling her off. Her gut told her it was the truth, but she still couldn't truly believe it.

But, by the end of his lecture, when he mentioned merchant ships and other things that would be better for her, she felt a twinge of anger in her stomach. A spark of rebellion. Again, as if a younger sibling decided to disobey their elder, God knows she knew what that was like, having a handful of younger siblings. Her instincts told her to obey, hang her head lower and say sorry over and over, but she couldn't let it go. Merchant ship, merchant ship. As if it were that easy.

"U-uhm..." she began, her voice trembling at first. "I appreciate that you are concerned about me...but you don't know everything." She blinked, taken aback by her own words. The fire of her rebellion didn't go out, and thus she continued. "I know that I forgot what it meant to be a pirate when I met my crew, but," her voice grew steadily more confident, "do you really think I'm stupid enough to become something feared without thinking it through? I would have gladly joined a merchant ship, truly, but a merchant ship wouldn't dare seek what I seek. Only pirates do. Only they can." She looked at him with confident, blazing eyes. "I have something I must do, sir. It's everything to me. And I won't run away from it, or back down. So please don't say there is something better for me when you don't know what I need."

In the back of her mind, her memories were flaring, responding to a familiar conversation to this. The figures were the same, the content vastly different, but the tone was almost identical.

---

"France is my brother too." the girl said calmly, hiding her fear. "He needs all the help he can get. My help. I won't abandon him."

The man said nothing. He looked exactly like Afonso minus the head injury. The girl was the twin of Anaïs. He looked at her with pained eyes, tears streaming down his face.

She smiled at him sadly. "I know you want to protect me. It's your right as an older brother. But, I have to grow up one day. I can't stay in my mountains forever. I have been there for too long. You know how long I've been there." She laughed bitterly. "Everyone forgets just how old I really am."

"You could die. Other nations have. Do you realize that? Do you really understand? Why can't you just stay neutral, like Spain!?" He was desperate, and grasping for straws.

"I know. But I can't stay neutral. I can't keep hiding. I have a duty as a country to protect my people and family. What do you think will happen if we lose? I'll become the property of Germany, or whoever Germany decides to give me to. I can't stand the idea of my people being subjugated to that. So I will fight." Her eyes were confident and blazing.

He covered his face and uttered curses in Portuguese, as well as prayers. She went over to him and hugged him tight.

"I'm a bad sister, I know. Who could have seen that of all things?" She smiled, and bit back tears. "I just hope you find it in your heart to forgive me, brother."

---

Anaïs smiled at him, as warm as she could. "I hope you can forgive me, but I am a pirate to the end, until I do what I need to do. I'm sorry, but that is just who I am."

[Portugal]

For a long moment Afonso just stood there completely dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, before promptly closing it. Opened it again, hand raised in a gesture, but soon closed his mouth again, dropping his hand to his side. He must have looked ridiculous, but the Portuguese man hardly cared as her words repeated themselves in his mind.

Did she even know what she was saying? What in the world could be so dangerous?

”If only pirates are brave enough to seek it then you should steer clear of it irmãzinha.” The words left his mouth before he could even think them over. He shook his head, leaning against a wall, the heels of his hands pressed against his forehead in frustration. Because he wasn’t angry. He should be, or at least a sane part of him felt he should be. Here he was trying to warn her about just how dangerous all this was because he really didn’t think she realized it.

Plus did she know how reckless some merchants could be? Surely if it was something she thought pirates would only dare seek it had to be valuable. Right up the alley of some merchants he had encountered in the past.

All in all, Afonso should be angry. But he wasn’t. Afonso was just frustrated. Incredibly so. He just barely managed to resist dragging his hands down his face (the bandages reminding him that wouldn’t be a smart move) as he thought all this over. Ignoring the pain in his skull and the strange déjà vu. ”Why don’t any of you ever listen to me?” Was mumbled beneath his breath, though he didn’t notice.

The déjà vu flared. It was all so familiar.

”You could die. Do you even realize that? Do you understand? Why can’t…” He trailed off, shaking his head and releasing a heavy sigh before fixing her with a look that could only be described as grumpy. Something saved only for younger siblings. ”Why am I even bothering. Nothing’s getting through that thick skull of yours.”

He glanced at her, at the warm smile that hadn’t seemed to falter. The determination. Shaking his head again, with a bit of affection he pushed off the wall, beginning to walk forward. ”Senhorta Pirata Rainha, if I can’t change your mind, I’m going to have to take you back to your cell.”

That was the last thing he wanted to do. After all, the odds of her being stuck in prison for the rest of her life was high. She was too young for that.

For a long while they walked down the halls in silence. Both stewing in their own respective thoughts. Afonso tried to think up arguments that could convince his superiors to let her go.

But if they did she would just go off and join another crew no doubt. Continue down this dangerous path after some mysterious treasure. That was also something Afonso didn’t like either. But it was something she would do regardless.

Wait. He halted abruptly, good eye widening as a thought struck him. ”Anaïs… How do you feel about privateer ships?”

Afonso had a sinking suspicion he was going to be in a lot of trouble somewhere down the line.[/color]

[Andorra]

Her expression barely changed as he ranted at her, a flicker of sadness and a bit of guilt mixed into the confidence and determination. By all means, Afonso was right. How could she of all people survive something like this? It was a dangerous road; the possibility of being killed was high to almost inevitable. But even still, she had to. It was out of the question for her.

She said nothing to him in reply; she had already said everything she needed to. She stopped smiling when he told her he had to take her to her cell. The question was, what to do now? If she faced the consequences, there was a very good chance she would go to prison for the rest of her life. If she ran, she shuddered at the thought, where would she go? This fortress was in the middle of nowhere. Running away...it was cowardly and it meant she would have to abandon her crew. But her true goal and her purpose of it all could never be achieved if she stayed.

What Afonso said changed everything.

"P-privateers?" Pirate ships under government control. She had considered that option, however decided against it because for one, there was no guarantee that they would be after the treasure, and secondly, they were under government control, which meant that obtaining at the very least a bit of the treasure would be almost impossible.

But this situation was different. If Afonso was offering her a position on a privateer ship, she still had a chance with the treasure, and she could get off this base. If the ship she joined wasn't after the treasure, she could run. She had to take it. "I- are you...offering a position on one?"

[Portugal]

”I- are you… Offering a position on one?” Anaïs’s question almost made Afonso laugh. Shaking his head he allowed a soft sigh to slip past his lips. He wouldn’t mind legally offering her a position. But it would take a long time – no doubt – to even convince his superiors to listen to him before he could even propose the idea. Even if the military had shown her with a bit of kindness (or pity, though he wouldn’t admit that out loud) she was still a pirate. She couldn’t be treated differently they would say. Nor could she be released and placed on a privateer ship. Even under supervision.

He watched her expression fall. ”I can’t technically offer you one but… I do have an idea. You have to trust me though.”

She had no reason to trust him. If anything she should be distrusting of anything coming out of his mouth. Suspicious. Regardless he found himself praying that she would trust him as he thought up any way to sneak her off the base without drawing suspicion. [/color]

[Andorra]

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, quite bluntly. There really was no reason for it, except maybe he was just a super nice guy. While that could be the case, it seemed that he was putting himself at risk the way he talked. If so, why help her at all?

Did he feel the nagging sense of familiarity as well?

"Uhm, could I ask you one more favour? Before we go? I'd like...to write my captain a note...to apologize and...hope that I will see him again," she asked this while shuffling her feet and looking at the ground.

Luckily, Afonso did comply. He handed her a note pad and a pen. She sat down against the wall, and scribbled her letter as fast as she could.

Dear Captain,
I don't know if this will give you any comfort, or help you at all. But I found a way out of this place. But sir, I am lost. I know it's what I have to do, but I have to leave you and everyone behind. What can I say to you that will justify my actions?
I cannot in good conscious just simply forget. Meeting you and the crew was...is one of the happiest moments of my life. You taught me adventure and that strength is something only you can measure for yourself. But I am lost sir...because I don't know what will happen to you. I am told it is unlikely that they will kill you, because you are not a huge offender. I am praying that they will let you go.
You know how much I need to continue on. To find the treasure. I hope that my assumption that you would tell me to go is correct. So please, forgive me, but I am going. Please tell everyone that I will never forget them, and that you and the rest, are always in my thoughts. Thank you for everything, and I pray that I will meet you again.
Anaïs Castillo

She wiped away some newly formed tears, and handed the letter to Afonso. He tucked it away in his pocket, and they left to implement the first step of the plan. Whatever it was.