For The Love Of Red Beard (On Hold)

Chapter II - Menagerie

I didn't know what was more impressive: the animals, or the sheer size of The Queen's Guard.

Every animal from every land seemed to congregate by the left wing of the castle, all caged and looking at us with pleading eyes. We could see them through the gate. Apes, tigers, lions, bears, parrots, people. Only, the people weren't in cages.

They stood flanking the walls of the menagerie, clad in glinting armor as they marched in their perfect, solid lines.

The sun hadn't risen yet -- darkness shrouded us from the eyes of the guards. I looked to Red Beard, watching him size up our competition. As always, I gave a little snort (In my head, of course. Such noise could get us caught before we we're even on the grounds) that said, let's see you get us out of this one, Blackbeard.

But he had a plan, I could already see it in his eyes. He made numbers with his fingers. Five, straight ahead. Seven, to the left, 10 to the right with him. They lined up, Howell, Henry, Edward and Dole queued behind me. We were going straight, then. Straight to our deaths, that would be.

Red Beard led the right troop. On his side of the menagerie, a long line of guards stretched forth. On the left, only one or two were visible.

He motioned to me, a quick wave that said, after you.

So I nodded, beckoning to my men. The five of us crept forth, the bars of the gate standing firmly in our way. Luckily, we pirates were known for our climbing skills. I led the way, careful not to let my sword clink against the metal bars as I scaled the gate.

Hand over hand climbs can be quite dull, but my heart pounded the entire time, for this one. What an important expedition this would be! At last, Red Beard would retire his mission for the Holy Grail and with it, perhaps, his insistent madness.

At the top of the gate, I shimmied my way over the spikes, leaving my feet to hang as my hands slipped down the metal edges on the gates. Howie and Edward did the same; the other two continued to climb hand-under-hand all the way down.

I hadn't raided a castle in nearly a decade. I'd forgotten how noise-sensitive guards could be.

All at once, they rushed toward us -- I didn't know how many. Over the shouting, I heard Red Beard yelling to go. We ran, the five of us, the dreaded clinking of metal armor behind us.

Animals, flashes of them, being shredded behind us by the speed of our feet, their lonely, sad eyes becoming blurs of dark almost-day, hardly seen at all. I heard the guards, could tell how close behind us they ran, but dared not look back. Through the bars on the cages, overlapped by the bars of the gates, I saw Red Beard to the right and Hector leading his pack of six to the left. But we soon passed both troops -- they were caught in battle. We continued to run.

Dread built up in my veins as we darted through the menagerie. Luckily, the Queen's men were bogged down by heavy armor. We remained light and quick. But if -- when -- they caught us, there would be blood.

I heard a bell. An alarm, surely. Oh, there would be more. Always more.

The zoo smelled of manure and hay, a whiff of something else every so often. Blood, sometimes, or strange animal food. The aroma made me sick to my stomach, but I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead. The other gate, right there, right there --

There were four guards on either side of the castle entrance, two more protecting the menagerie exit. We're dead.

"Charge!" I yelled, because what else could we do?

My men fanned out around me. The guards rushed toward us, swords drawn.

Two targeted me. I yanked my sword out of its hilt, feeling my heartbeat thick in my stomach as one armor-clad man ran at me with the hilt of his sword, knocking the wind out of me. Sword to the throat.

I needed this, though. We could not go home empty handed. I parried the sword, catching him off guard enough to kick him in the kneecaps. His partner received a quick slash to the stomach, blade jumping off his metal suit.

But in its wild arc, my sword hit an unexpected target -- blood, the first blood today, from the neck of the guard behind me, locked in battle with Henry.

Energized by this red splotch on my sleeve, I stabbed at the man again, only to be cut in the shoulder by his friend. Aye, what I wouldn't have given for a suit of that armor. But, but. I was swift and nimble; they, clunky and slow.

I knocked the hilt of my sword into the first man, spitting in his face. Fair reciprocation, I thought as he oofed to the floor. Sword swinging in my hand, I vaulted over the second man's shoulder, leaving a long slash of blood dripping behind me from his neck.

The garden looked splendid, but I only had a half-second to take in The Queen's lush roses and vibrant tiger lilies. Beauty is always fleeting, back to the fight for me.

They chased us past the gate (White, rustic, barred, unlocked) Through the garden, through emerald leaves and pastel flowers. I lead the brigade, an inferno of pirate hoots and hollers behind me. I found myself smiling. I love a good heist as much as the next man, save the blood seeping out of my shoulder.

I heard the distinct clock-clunk of Red Beard's wooden leg behind me. I picked up the pace, determined to lead the men into the castle.

There was a piercing noise that became a monotonous drone in my ears -- another alarm, I thought. The men from the front gates would be coming for us soon.

The door, finally. I dove for the handle (Brass, diamond studded) and yanked it open. Red Beard overtook me as I threw myself inside, sprinting past me unwounded and untroubled by his fake leg. I scowled, launching myself into second place, not that it was a race.

But it was, it always was.

Ah, well. I suppose there's a reason why I wasn't made captain.