Just realized there is no POV for Adalene...sorry bout that if you were waiting for it, but it's the same story, so it doesn't matter too much, right?
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Richard awoke in the morning to the sound of footsteps. Peter was pacing around the ship, trying to come up with a plan to get Alice back.
“Okay…” he mumbled to himself, stopping occasionally to run a hand through his hair, “If we surprise them, maybe we can catch them off guard.”
“Zat von’t vork,” Adalene said, shaking her head, “Zey already know ve are coming. Ze whole point of capturing Alice was to draw us back in, so zey could capture us. Ve don’t have ze element of surprise. No, ve have to go head-on. Attack zem vith full force.”
“But they outnumber us,” Luke added, “We need to use our resources wisely, and then we can take them down.”
“We’re not going to kill anyone, are we?” Helen asked, Richard didn’t even know she was awake.
Luke walked over to Helen, crouching down to where she was sitting. “No, we’re not going to kill anyone. I’d never make you do that, Helen.”
Richard felt slightly jealous, mad that Luke was the one comforting Helen and not him.
“I am fine vith killing zem,” Adalene said matter-of-factly, “I vould like to see zem pay for vat zey’ve done to ze people of zis vorld.”
“Please, don’t.” Peter said, putting a hand on Adalene’s shoulder, “Not all the people of this war are bloodthirsty criminals, some of them could just as well be dragged into this like we are.”
Adalene shrugged, “I do not have ze innocence of you children,” she sighed, “but I vill follow your lead, Peter. I guess maybe zere doesn’t have to be as much death.”
“That’s the spirit,” Peter laughed, patting Adalene on the back, “See? You don’t have to be this brooding, cold, pessimistic queen all the time.”
Adalene rolled her eyes at that. “Vat? You vant me to be bright, happy, and optimistic like Helen?” Adalene pointed to Helen, who was fiddling with the ropes on The Bowen.
“Yes,” Richard agreed, “It might do you some good. I mean, look at me! I’m more optimistic than when we started this quest!”
Luke narrowed his eyes, shrugging in an aloof manner, “I wouldn’t necessarily say that…”
“Just let me have this moment, please.” Richard asked Luke, who nodded and let him continue.
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Peter asked since everybody else seemed to have one.
Richard’s eyes lit up, and he thought of something at that moment. “I might have an idea…”
…
As they sailed back towards the island, Richard ran over the plan again in his mind. It might just work if they ignored a thousand possibilities that it’d go wrong.
“Alright,” Luke said, clapping his hands together, “Adalene and I will distract most of the soldiers, while Richard, Peter, and Helen gather some of the Dueglesteiners who might revolt. If what you say is true, Peter, this might just work. Once we get the others against the Dueglesteiners, Peter, Richard, and Helen will find where Alice is and rescue her.”
“There’s a lot of chances this could go wrong,” Richard said, shaking his head.
“Well, where’s the fun in that?” Peter asked, a smile spreading on his face. Richard was glad to see Peter excited again, but he still had his doubts, even if the idea had been his.
Luke leaned in with the others, his crooked smile causing Richard to smile one of his own. “The more things that could go wrong, the more fun it will be when it goes right.”
Richard continued to smile, once again messing with the bandages around his head. “How can two people be so optimistic about this?” He shook his head, a laugh growing at the back of his throat, “You guys sure to find the fun in everything,”
Peter’s eyes lit up as he remembered something. “I almost forgot! It might not work, but let’s hope it will.”
Richard creased his brow, confused, “Wait, what will work?”
Peter pursed his lips together, and whistled a high note then a low note. Richard was still confused, and for a moment nothing happened.
Then there was a high screech, and a dark shape flew over the sky. There was another screech, and the shape flew closer to the ship, eventually landing on the deck.
Richard’s mouth dropped as he saw the feathered beast sitting on the deck, its wings spread and head held high in a triumphant and dignified look.
It was a giant eagle.
“Wait-you-I don’t understand…You flew that to escape Boromir’s camp?” Richard was practically speechless.
Peter’s smile only grew, and as he walked back towards the eagle, his arms spread, he said, “Say hello to my old friend, Ajax the eagle.”
Peter then turned and said hello to his friend, patting its beak and running his hand through its feathers. “Good to have you back, Ajax.”
Luke approached the eagle cautiously, but eventually put his hand up to touch Ajax’s beak. Richard watched as Ajax closed his eyes and leaned his head into Luke’s hand.
“Last I saw you, Ajax,” Luke started, his voice gentle, “You seemed hurt and skittish.”
Richard decided to brave the beast as well. He tentatively walked up to Ajax, holding his hand out as Luke had. Ajax nuzzled into Richard’s hand as well, and Richard smiled, happy the eagle liked him.
“Well, Ajax should be able to help us,” Peter added, and as they got closer to the island Richard had another idea that involved an animal.
Midnight.
…
Helen screamed in delight as they galloped off the gangplank, Richard holding tight to her waist as they rode onto the island. Helen waved her hands in the air, enjoying the ride more than Richard was.
“Just…be careful!” Richard shouted in her ear, but she seemed to ignore him, instead lightly kicking Midnight’s flank, making him go faster.
Richard nearly fell off the stallion, holding tight onto Helen to make sure he didn’t fall.
“Helen!” Richard insisted, gripping the saddle he was sitting on.
There was a screech above and Ajax swooped down from The Bowen, with Peter on his back, picking up Dueglesteiners and throwing them into the sea.
As they approached some of the oncoming Dueglesteiners, Richard let go of Helen for a moment to reach up and grab one of his short swords on his back. Holding onto Helen with one hand, and the sword in the other, Richard leaned over the side of Midnight and slashed at the Dueglesteiners on the arms, disarming them.
“We have to find some of the younger ones like us!” Richard shouted to Helen, who nodded in approval.
As they got across another part of the island, however, Richard was greeted with a nice surprise.
“What-”
There were tons of Dueglesteiners, but they weren’t attacking Richard. They were charging towards the other Dueglesteiners on the other side of the beach.
“But-we didn’t even have to rally them up!” Richard said in disbelief, watching as they charged toward the other soldiers.
“I guess we didn’t have to,” Helen responded, and Richard could hear the smile on her face.
Helen stopped Midnight, turned him around, and they followed the Dueglesteiners who were revolting against their own men.
The battle didn’t last long, and even though it didn’t go to plan, it was over almost as soon as it started.
Peter jumped down from Ajax, worry coming to his face. “Where’s Alice?”
One of the younger soldiers came forward, not much older than any of them. “She helped me to see how bad this war was,” he said tentatively, “She was hiding in the forest when I last saw her, maybe she’s still there.”
Peter immediately ran for the woods, and Richard, Helen, and the others followed.
“Alice!” Peter called, stumbling through the woods without a second thought about his well-being. “Alice!”
Richard and the others continued the call, yelling for Alice. After a few minutes of searching, Richard heard a rustling in the bushes, then a small voice calling, “Peter?”
Peter ran to the voice, and Alice appeared from out of the bushes. Alice ran to him as well, her arms outstretched.
When they met each other, Peter wrapped his arms around her, and she wrapped her arms around him. Then Peter pulled away from the hug, cupped Alice’s face in his hands, and kissed her.
Helen smiled, and Richard put his arm around her shoulder. Luke was smiling as well, giving Peter a congratulatory look. Even Adalene gave a small smile.
When Peter pulled away from the kiss, he hugged Alice close again, saying, “Oh my god, Alice, I thought I’d lost you.”
“It’s okay,” Alice said back, holding Peter tight, “I’m here.”
Peter pulled her away from the hug again, looking closely at her. “Alice, what happened?”
Alice recounted what had happened to her the day before, how she escaped the other soldiers and somehow convinced one of the boy soldiers to not turn her in and instead to get themselves out of the war. Richard put the pieces together and realized that the boy not only didn’t turn Alice in but also got him and his friends to revolt against the other soldiers.
…
Sometime later, after all the Dueglesteiners who did not revolt were tied up as prisoners, Luke made the decision that it was time to leave.
“Will you be alright without us?” He asked one of the soldiers, who had started a fire.
“We’ll be fine,” he answered, adjusting the sword at his belt, “We had no idea that the children we were assigned to capture were the children of the prophecy. We thought you were criminals!”
Richard thought about that for a moment. “So…you didn’t know who we were? And you know about the prophecy?”
The soldier nodded. “Yes. Although our government tries to make it seem like a crime, truth be told some of us think it is a great thing. I apologize for taking you children into my custody, and that my superior kicked you around so much.”
“Nothing we haven’t handled before,” Peter said, rubbing his head.
“Well I just wanted to say I’m sorry for all we’ve done,” the soldier apologized again, bowing his head in shame.
“So what will you guys do now?” Helen asked.
The Dueglesteiner sighed. “I believe we’ll go back to our homeland. It’s time that we return home and tell the others of the government’s treachery.”
Luke nodded, holding his hand out for the soldier to shake. “Then I hope to see you another time, sir.”
The soldier shook Luke’s hand, nodding. “As do I.”
And so, the six children boarded The Bowen once again, ready to find another adventure...
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