The Stolen Soul Key

The Cabin

The next day started surprisingly more amicable. Amaya wouldn't say that they had all suddenly become friends over night, but progress had been made. River was back to talking to her like normal, if you could call his easy flirting normal, and he was even making a couple comments to Mizzen.

They weren't actively trying to bite each other's heads off and Amaya considered that progress.

None of them had come up with a plan on what to do. They knew that they needed food, shelter, and water, but that was it. Their only worry at this exact moment is survival. Luckily enough, River came prepared. He had a bag full of canned food and other things that they could easily warm up over a fire. It was like he planned on being gone for awhile, which gave Amaya hope. If he had prepped himself to be gone for a long time, then hopefully that means he has no plans to return to the pirates any time soon.

They weren't close enough yet that she could ask, but maybe they might be soon? He had pried into her personal life enough times that it would only be fair.

Mizzen winces as he walks into a tree branch. "Guys, I think we need to stop for a bit." Exhaustion is written clearly on his face and she couldn't blame him. They had been wandering aimlessly for hours now. It was time for a break.

River sighs as he plants his walking stick firmly into the ground so that it sticks up on its own. "We can't just sit out in the open like this. It's too risky. If Kai sent the crew to come retrieve Amaya from the city, then he probably still has them out here searching for her. We need shelter."

"What's that up there?" Amaya hadn't really focused on what he was saying because something had caught her eye.

About 100 feet in front of them stood a structure. She couldn't see it well enough from where they were standing, but she could see that it has a roof and four walls, which is good enough for her.

Mizzen's entire face brightens as he sees it, "Finally. Let's go."

"Wait!" River rushes forward so that he is standing between them and the structure. "We don't even know who lives there. We can't just walk in."

"We could knock," Amaya shrugs. "You just said we needed shelter. Here's shelter."

He holds up a hand. "Okay, first of all? Don't throw my words back at me. Second, we need a safe shelter. Not some potential murder shack in the woods." His jaw is hard as he glares at the two of them, entirely against her idea.

Mizzen groans as he leans against the tree that smacked him in the face. "Everything could potentially be a murder shack. At least let us check it out."

River's throat bobs as he swallows, "Fine. But I'm leaving you two behind the second some lunatic comes running out of the basement."

"Fine by me," Mizzen says as he brushes past him.

Amaya lightly smiles at him as she starts to follow Mizzen. "You worry too much," she says to River.

He rolls his eyes at her, "Just so you know, I was lying. I'll protect you when we get attacked in there. Probably not Mizzen, though."

She fake gasps at him, "You would leave poor Mizzen behind to fend for himself?"

"Sounds familiar," he replies sourly, all humour now gone from his voice. He pushes ahead of her to walk between her and Mizzen, his way of telling her that he's now done with the conversation.

Amaya mentally slaps herself. That was a stupid thing to say, even for her. This morning had just gone so peacefully between the three of them and she had briefly forgotten that they were supposed to be enemies. She guessed it wasn't so easy for River to forget.