The Captain came on deck. He had heard a yell from one of his crewmen—Amy, he was sure—and he was on his way to investigate. Upon reaching the deck, Shadow spotted his crew gathered on the port side, gazing at something in the ocean below.
"What is this about?" He asked, holding his iconic stoic expression. His first mate, Rouge, turned to him to answer; her face paler than it should be. It looks like she's seen a ghost or worse, Kraken, but Shadow couldn't exactly tell.
"Man overboard." She answered with a whisper. Now it was Shadow's turn to go pale.
The black hedgehog shoved his crew aside to make space for himself and looked down at the sea, spotting a tiny, rotting piece of driftwood. Upon that barely floating piece of timber, a blue figure hung on for dear life; shivering from the cold water and no doubt very thirsty from the salt. Shadow turned back to his crew, baring his fangs. It wasn't one of his men, but Shadow wasn't going to let an innocent life go to waste. Never again.
"What are you waiting for?!" He yelled, scarlet eyes practically burning with rage, even though he was more concerned than angry. "Lower a line!"
The crew scrambled off, attempting to locate a spare rope on the ship. Shadow turned back to the figure in the water, watching him struggle to keep his head above water. Then, a wave crashed in. And he was gone.
Shadow panicked. He threw off his red, leather coat and tossed his hat to the side. The black captain stepped away from the railing, putting space between it and himself; preparing a running start. His first mate deduced his actions, but she couldn't stop him. She yelled, and Shadow took off running and leapt over the railing. Falling towards the neverending ocean, the hedgehog pushed himself to form the perfect diving position, despite the resistance in the air. He closed his eyes, picturing his target in his mind, and dove into the ocean with a mighty splash.
Shadow swam down into the depths of the sea, his eyes stinging from the saltiness of the water, but he powered through. He reached his hand out, kicking his legs harder and faster. The black hedgehog gripped the stranger's arm, pulling him away from the hungry abyss that threatened to swallow them whole. Shadow looked up, giving every ounce of energy in his body to bring him and the stranger to the surface. They both needed air.
Shadow kicked his legs, holding the stranger by the arm as he pushed for air. Within moments, the black hedgehog broke through; taking in a big breath of air. The stranger—a blue hedgehog—coughed, expelling the water in his lungs. Shadow looked up at his ship, his crew, disappointed yet not surprised they had not found a rope. The captain swam towards his vessel, tugging the blue hedgehog along with him.
Fortunately, a rope was tossed down by the time Shadow reached the ship. The black hedgehog grabbed the rope and held it tight while holding the blue hedgehog with his other hand.
"Heave!" Shadow heard his crew yell loud and clear.
The rope got tugged by the force of a thousand men—actually, maybe about five or six—and pulled the black hedgehog out of the water. Shadow landed back on the deck of his beloved vessel, salty seawater dripping from his quills and clothes while the stranger beside him kept coughing, shivering and dripping wet also. Amy immediately wrapped both hedgehogs in comfy, warm and dry towels.
"Thank you." The blue hedgehog spoke, his voice weak and trembling. But that didn't stop him. He kept giving his thanks, over and over again.
Shadow looked at the stranger to tell him to save his voice, but the captain's words were lost when his brilliant red eyes looked at the hedgehog before him. Shadow could see him clearly now; his stunning blue quills glowed in the sunlight, peach fur that radiated warmth despite seeming pale from the cold. And his eyes; bright emerald green irises, gazed into the captain, gratitude and relief shining through as clear as day.
Shadow's mouth dropped slightly, yet nothing but gasps of disbelief came from his throat. He quickly shook his head, clearing his thoughts before responding to the blue hedgehog.
"Don't push it."
Stupid.
The blue hedgehog shifted uncomfortably, still wet and cold despite the towel around him. Shadow sighed internally, slapping himself as well for the hell of it. Clearing his throat, he attempted a more friendly approach.
"What's your name?" He asked the hedgehog, getting back on his feet and taking back his coat and hat from Rouge.
"Navy or Pirate?" The blue hedgehog shot back. The entire crew looked at him as if he were a madman. The stranger blinked, glancing at the expressions present on every crew member; disapproval and a hint of fear. Even the captain raised an eyebrow at his response. So, he cleared his throat and answered, properly.
"Goldheart," he said, "my name is Goldheart."
Rouge, despite the initial shock and persistent suspicion, smiled down at the blue hedgehog and pulled him to his feet.
"Welcome to the crew, lad." She said, sending a reassuring smile his way. Goldheart nodded back, a nervous smile creeping through as he shook her hand.
Shadow, on the other hand, retired to his quarters; excusing himself as he needed to chart a course. The crew said nothing, although they were already on a perfectly charted course.
Shadow slammed the door behind him, tossing his coat and hat to his bed while he groaned.
...Goldheart.
This was the beginning of something new. Captain Shadow wasn't exactly sure if he liked the idea of that.
