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The Ferryman smoked his old pipe, smoke billowing as he exhales while looking around. He thought back to the conversation he had earlier with some tall man.
"I'll pay you handsomely if you can find me this child" The tall man holds out a picture of a young boy.
The Ferryman looks at the image then eyes the tall man. "Why are ya intent on having this boy back may I ask?"
"The less you know the better" The tall man growled. "Look, just find the boy and bring it back to me, he is very important"
The Ferryman hums as he looked over the image one more before pocketing it. "I'll see if I can find yer boy"
"See that you do" The tall man scowled as the shorter sailor left.
As he walked away for the building he blew a small whistle, after a few seconds a hawk landed on the mans shoulder. He pulls a paper for his coat and writes something down before tying it to the birds leg. " I'll be a few days so make sure this gets to the crew back on the ship. I'm sure they'll enjoy a few days on land before we sail again" The hawk flaps its wings before taking off. With another puff of his pipe he wandered the streets, night time was more preferable, less noise and easier to see the shadows of the homeless wander by.
He spots an old man bundled up by a fire, as he walks by he kneels by the old man. "Have ya seen some wee ones scamper about this night sir?"
The old man taps his chin and ponders. " I have seen a small group of kids take shelter near that fancy place over there" The old man points a bony finger towards a fancy restaurant, seems like a likely place for children to get food from the scraps thrown away, if he could hazard a guess the boy might be hiding there.
"Many thanks sir" He takes out a small pouch of coins "For yer troubles"
the old man looked in the pouch and his eyes widened "Oh thank you for your kindness!"
With a nod and a small, tired smile he heads towards the fancy place, his first thought is going towards the back of the place where all the trash is kept, pausing when he heard movement. Quietly he moves, moving ever closer, he peeks and finds just the rats. With a huff he leaves the area to continue his search. He looked back to the photo of the boy with odd colored eyes, he seemed normal and figured that it was just a father trying to have his son found.... But then why ask an old trader and not the police? With a puff of his pipe again he went back to wandering the streets, the boy was young and couldn't have gotten too far. The more he searched the more he pondered over the request.
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A week, it had been a bloody week of trying to find this kid and frankly it was abit annoying. He had work to do not look after some famous mans lost kid. Then a sound caught his attention, like children whispering to one another. He peeks around the corner and sees some children, two in yellow raincoats, one in a blue shirt, one he's looking for and....He narrows his eyes for a moment, for a second he could have sworn he saw another person behind the smaller girl. But once he blinked they were gone. "Hm..." He tries to listen closer without being spotted.
"Since people have seen RK steal we'll have to try a different approach. Six will play on the act of lost scared child and then I'll come running and saying my sister was lost. Then while the person is distracted by me talking Mono you can sneak behind and take some of their money." Rain suggests.
"That'd be a smart plan if the person ye target was stupid enough to fall for it" A voice says behind them.
Six stood in front of Mono and growled at the ferryman, RK and Raine were quick to do the same. Mono was shaking.
He huffed as he looked at the kids, he pulls a picture from his pocket to look at it. "Well Well"
"Who the heck are you"
"And why are you here"
"I'm supposed to be retrieving that little boy behind ye all are guarding" The man points to Mono
Six bristled and snarled at the man, if he wanted Mono it's over her dead body.
"But.... While I had been looking for ye I couldn't help wonderin somethin" He kneels down. " Do any of ye have a home to go to?"
"No" RK mumbles.
"Never had chance for one" Raine comments, eyes averted and her hands clenched into fists.
"Hm..." He inhales before breathing out. "You, young boy" He motions to Mono.
Mono looked at him confused but hesitantly stepped beside Six.
"Do you want to go back to yer home?"
Mono went stiff for a moment before shaking his head.
"I see.... Well, how bout I make ye all an offer, living on the streets isn't some way for a group of young kids to live... So.. I'll offer you to work on me ship"
"Work for you?" RK looks skeptical. "Why would you offer that to a bunch of kids?"
"I've had a habit of bringing aboard wee ones onto me ship, they do some work, have a place to sleep, and grow into having the strongest sea legs around if I do say so myself" He puffed his chest.
"So instead of taking our friend, you're gonna have us live on a boat" Raine squints. "Why? Is whoever asked you to get Mono paying you?"
"I was offered yes, but see, I'm not heartless, I have had my fair share of runaways wish they were anywhere else. So why not give you something to do?"
"....One minute"
"Take yer time" He steps back as the kids talk among themselves.
"Do we trust this guy?"
"I dunno, this seems like an offer handed on a silver platter, its weird"
Six looked to her shadow who had been oddly silent. Their eyes intent on the ferryman, like they somehow knew the man.
"It doesn't hurt to try...."
Raine looked to the shadow "Are you sure?"
"I can't quite figure out why but... something about him feels familiar, I dunno why though"
"Well... If you think so..."
They turn to look back at the man. "OK Mr... We'll give you a chance, but if you're leading us into a trap I swear you'll regret it" Raine glares
The man looks at them and chuckled. " Of course, and tell yer little specter friend they can come along"
"How did you-"
"Come along now, you'll get to meet the crew and have a good meal" The man got to his feet and started walking.
The kids scrambled a moment before running after him, Mono held onto Six's hand as they catch up.
As they followed the man they hear singing.
"There once was a ship that put to sea and the name of the ship was the billy o'tea"
They silently listened to the man sing as they travel. Six grew confused when Shadow was mumbling the same lyrics the old mans sang.
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When it was close ot the morning they were at the docks where a large trading ship was docked.
A young man hoped down form the ship. "Captain, we got your note awhile ago, what kept ya?" He raised an eyebrow and saw the kids behind him. " Get yerself some new stowaways sir?"
"Ah you know me, a bleedin heart to the end with the little scamps with no homes"
"That be true sir, well all aboard youngins, the nomes will show ya around as we prepare to set sail!" The boy gets back on the ship.
Raine is the first to get on board, then RK, finally Mono and Six, the ship wasn't a large one but it didn't have a crew to match it.
"We'll have ya all ship shape in now time!" The Ferryman said as he steps aboard, his hawk landing on his arm.
Shadow was sitting on the edge of the ship, looking out to the sea in deep thought, things flashed before their eyes, they hold their head and grumble as memories blip in and out of existence in their mind, its always someone yelling, something glinting in the light, and it always end with the smell of blood.
The kids were observing as the ship busied itself until they looked over the edge, the dock they were on getting further away from them as the ship drifts out to sea.