legendarymasterthief :
– Cath let go of his arm immediately. Admittedly, her excuse had been an utterly terrible one, especially to herself; but it was all she had managed to come up with on the spot and now, thanks to Roy as usual, even that flimsy pretence was gone. How could he even still call her a ‘friend’ after just essentially signing her death sentence? For a moment the thief was left utterly speechless - giving the captain and his crew the opportunity to draw their own unfortunate conclusions.
“So, in other words…” - “She followed him all the way here?” - “I bet she has a crush on him.” - “Doesn’t look like it’s mutual though…” - “Now I feel almost bad for her.”
Somehow the entire lot of them seemed very invested in Cath’s ‘unrequited affections’ now, eagerly discussing the matter and giving her hardly any chance to interrupt and deny these absolutely false claims. Well, in a way she did bring this over herself.. But anyway, it still was all Roy’s fault in the first place. He really had to have some kind of grudge against the thief, always showing up to destroy her plans. Honestly, if anyone here should be thrown overboard, it definitely should be him.
“–maybe if she’d dressed a little more femininely–” They were still talking about this?!
“Please stop. Even swimming with the sharks would be more pleasant than this. Just end my life, it’s more merciful than having to listen to this stupid discussion. I am not in love with him, okay?! Stop!” …Did she really just say all that aloud? Yeah, that couldn’t possibly be good. On the upside, the crew had indeed quieted down for the moment. On the downside, this really didn’t help her case at all.
“Girl. You admit it was all lies then?”, the captain now asked, his expression turning ever grimmer. “All right then. Since you’re asking for it anyway - lads, go ahead and fulfil her wish.” …Crap. Sure, escaping from the crew’s grasp would be an easy enough feat to pull off once - but then what? This journey would take quite a while and hoping to avoid running into them for the entire time was just foolish, even with her skills. Sooner or later they’d catch her anyway. This really wasn’t the glorious end Cath had imagined for herself.
∆ ~ When asked about a heroic young general who had saved the land of Elibe, people would say that Roy was a tactical genius, although the boy himself didn’t consider the praises much, believing in what he felt was the right choice in every situation. He was familiar with studies and the experience of war, and even knowing his way of how to speak to others. But when it came to social activities that deemed a bit too personal at times, particularly when it came to women, the young lord wasn’t one to easily pick up on vague messages. And surely, as the sailors spoke so carelessly about a certain mistaken romance, Roy found himself even more puzzled, especially when a suggestion or two were thrown at the thief beside him.
He could put his confusion aside for more important matters, of course. Yes, perhaps he has led Cath into further problems, and yet why was she here in the first place ? Truth be told, his old ally was someone he depended on back in the war with Bern. She proved to be a valuable comrade, but also someone who fought -- and yes stole -- for the sake of those in need to live decent lives. Simply defeating the corrupted king wasn’t enough for those who were victims of greed and slaughter from those who abused their power. Reminded of this, the young lord could remember the first time his eyes were opened to the real struggles of Elibe's people.
The rough sound of the captain’s voice brought Roy back to reality, his gaze widening slightly at the sailors huddling closer to hear more from the captain's orders.
❝ Wait--- wait a moment, ❞ he called out to them in a hurried voice, ❝ She came here for me, didn't she ? If you're in need of more gold for her presence, I can give you what you need. ❞
The captain remained quiet after hearing the youth’s offer, watching him grab the pouch of gold and extending the bag towards him. What came next was the noisy gossiping of the sailors, eager to start the process of fulfilling Cath’s supposed wish.
“ Do you think this would be enough for the trouble the girl caused ? ” the captain asked with a sceptical voice, seemingly unconvinced by Roy’s hope. “ ... All right then, the girl stays, but any more trouble and it’s swimming with the fishes--- including you, lad. ”
A sigh escaped through Roy’s lips and he showed his understanding by nodding.
❝ I will keep that in mind. ❞
