Deepwater's Daughter

Chapter 21

"How well do these things see in the dark?" Kasey asked. He lay, reclining in the gap between the foremost bench and the prow of the skiff, his face and uniform dappled with the shadow of the leaves that partially blocked the setting sun.

"I don't know," Ysara admitted. Her tail was starting to cramp, still coiled tightly in the little space between the benches as they sat, awaiting sunset, the balloon above nestled beneath the branches of a massive tree, a short distance into the forest from the edge of the island.

"Shoo!" Geffen hissed, trying to scare away one of the little red-furred monkeys that had crossed a branch to investigate the strange flying boat. The monkey ignored him and jumped to the nearest gunwale, causing the skiff to sway a little more.

Ysara clicked her tongue, offering the monkey a piece of sugar cream candy from her bag. The little creature accepted it without hesitation, showing no fear at all, and Ysara smiled as she watched the monkey devour the treat.

"Don't feed it!" Geffen sighed, "We'll never be rid of it now."

"She's not hurting anything," Ysara giggled as the monkey jumped to her, looking for more candy in her bag. She lifted it at arm's length and the monkey chittered anxiously as it wrapped its long tail around her forearm.

"Well, the captain doesn't allow pets on board," Geffen muttered.

"Can I hold her?" Plec asked, her big eyes wide.

"Put out your hands, like this," Ysara said, stretching her free hand out in a cupping motion.

Plec did as instructed, but the monkey only eyed her warily as it kept trying to reach for Ysara's bag with its long, skinny arms.

"Here," Ysara laughed, pulling another sugar cream from its jar and passing it to Plec.

The mouse girl held the candy up between her fingers and whistled.

"Shh!" Kasey scolded her.

"Sorry," Plec said, cringing as she glanced back at the grenadier.

The monkey took advantage of Plec's distraction to leap onto her head and snatch the candy from her grasp.

"Ah!" Plec yelped as she nearly fell off her bench in surprise, and the monkey grabbed one of her ears to steady itself.

Geffen caught her by the fabric strap on the shoulder of her coveralls and pulled her up again.

"Get it off!" Plec cried as the monkey wrapped its tail around her eyes, squeezing her ear hard with one paw as it stuffed the candy in its mouth with the other.

Ysara reached to help, but Kasey had already rolled to his hooves and seized the monkey by the scruff of its neck.

Plec gave a strangled snort as her ear snapped free of the monkey's grip.

"Don't hurt it!" Ysara gasped, but the grenadier simply turned and tossed the little creature back into the thick leaves of the tree.

Ysara watched as the little monkey tumbled down a few branches before catching itself and scrambling away into the canopy, chattering angrily.

She scowled at the satyr, but Kasey had already resumed his vigil at the prow.

Plec sat, stroking her ear, with a hurt look on her face. "I don't want a monkey anymore," she said.

"I had one when I was little," Ysara said, settling back onto her bench.

"What'd you name it?" Plec asked, seemingly recovered from her injury.