"Okay, I'll take one bait bag, four portions of bait and two of the pears."

"THANK YOU! And you know what, I feel like I'll be seeing you again. I'll make a shop membership card just for you! Every time you buy something I'll give you apoint and when you get thirty something good will happen. You have five points now!"

He hands over the items as soon as she gives him the money. "BYE!!"

"Uh, thanks. Bye."

Was that everything? Anna thinks that was everything. Time to find whatsername, Tetra.

"Wow, you're really gonna use that? Whatever, I guess it still counts as a shield. If you're ready to be gone for a good while, let's get to sailing."

"Yeah. Let's go."

They board. The one called Niko seems really happy to have someone with less seniority to him, to boss around.

The islanders are all gathered on the beach, waving and shouting goodbyes as the pirate ship starts to sail off.

Bye, everyone.

"How long are you gonna keep waving at them, you think? Got an estimate?" She leans back over the railing, smug and sarcastic. "Sure you shouldn't go back right now? There's still time, you know. You could swim back from here..."

"I'm not going back."

"Whatever you say. One trip to the Forsaken Fortress, a sister to rescue, all in good fun. We'll probably get to the Fortress tomorrow... But we'll have to wait for night to think about doing anything without getting blown out of the water."

"Fine. I can wait."

She nods and backflips off the railing onto the deck below before going up to the helm and talking to someone else.

Huh. Show-off.

This isn't quite the adventure she had been picturing. Sure, rescuing people from the clutches of evil. But it wasn't supposed to be personal. It wasn't supposed to be her sister. And the captain's condescension! Ugh. Just because she's spent her whole life on Outset Island and not running some pirate crew. Whatever. She could be just as cool if she had the opportunity.

The boat progresses swiftly. The wind blows. The sea salt smells deeper, somehow, out here on the open sea.

It's near sunset, she's probably getting hungry?

Hmm, yeah. Ships have a, what is it, a galley? Can she find the galley?

The galley is not immediately in evidence.

Niko finds her. "You! New swabbie! Except for Captain Tetra rank on this ship goes by seniority. Yes! I'm not the bottom rung on the pirate ladder anymore! Don't worry, being a low level swabbie isn't actually that much work though. You are going to help me cook and do laundry and maybe other things if Miss Tetra or Mudge say so."

"Uh, okay?"

"Hehehe... But first you have to pass the acrobatics test all new pirates must do! It'll probably take you at least a week. In fact, it's so hard if you do it in less than an hour I'll even let you have a piece of treasure. Follow me!"

...That explains the backflip.

Follow follow.

He swaggers down to the cargo hold, full of various probably stolen things like vases, crates of food, boxes of furniture.

There's also a system of platforms and swinging ropes and climbing nets along one side.

"Hit the switch and it lowers the last rope! You need to get to the other side before the buzzer sounds and it goes back up." He demonstrates the whole course, reasonably acrobatically.

"Why do I need to do this?"

"Because I said so! Also, it's good practice for climbing things and running around. If you really plan on going into the Forsaken Fortress all alone... You'll be glad you practiced!"

"All right..." Just like the rocks back home. No problem.

She hits the switch and starts the course. But she doesn't make it to the rope before it goes up.

Niko looks smug. "Try again as much as you want! I don't think you'll make it before the time limit!"

Yeah? Just watch, wise guy.

Switch, jump to first platform, hook the rope with right hand, swing to the net... This time she makes it.