FicWad

The next night, Quinn was on watch at the same time, again with Saoirse. They were about halfway through the watch when Quinn heard a splash from the other side of the ship, the side facing the water. She looked over at Saoirse to make sure she had heard it as well, but she had already rushed over and was peering over the side.

Suddenly, Saoirse jumped back as an arrow flew up from the side.

“We’re under attack!” she bellowed as the first figure clambered over the railing of the ship.

Saoirse’s sword was out in a flash, but so was theirs. In the meagre light from the ship’s lanterns, Quinn could hardly see who it was.

More figures came over the sides and still no one had come from the forecastle. Quinn was frozen in place, her sword and dagger still in her belt.

Saoirse had a moment to glance back at her. “Quinn!” she shouted. “We’re under attack!”

There was no panic in her eyes, not even fear. They glinted with the same excitement Quinn had seen in Blake’s eyes and Jukes’s eyes. And somehow, that was what unfroze her and set her sprinting down the steps. There were figures all over the deck. They had swords and daggers and other blades that glinted in the low light.

Quinn pulled out her dagger, but she knew she was no match for these people. They had trained their whole lives, and she had had one day of training in total.

But she did not have to fight them. She just had to get to the forecastle.

So, Quinn ran, not at the attackers, but straight across the deck to the front of the ship. They had not been expecting that move, so she got about halfway before there was someone in my way.

They lunged forward with their sword – a real sword – and she managed to duck out of the way, almost stumbling. She ducked around a particularly big guy with a mace-looking weapon and tumbled down the steps into the sailor’s quarters.

“We’re under attack!” she hollered, stumbling into as many hammocks as she could see in the darkness. There were thumps and groans as people woke, but they were almost immediately awake. Before a single attacker got down the stairs, there were crewmembers there to meet them.

Once she was sure everyone was awake, Quinn steeled herself and ran up the steps behind the others. The main deck was utter chaos. Metal clashed. People yelled. Bodies tumbled and bumped into each other. She hesitated at the top of the steps and was pushed out of the way by the person behind her.

Quinn recognized faces in the mess. Saoirse, her hair flying behind her. Cai’s brother, whose name she had forgotten, his mouth open in a yell. Looking up, Quinn saw a girl, no older than fifteen, up in the rigging, ready to strike from above.

A blade swung at her from out of nowhere and she stumbled back into the wall. The blade embedded itself in the wood of the steps and its wielder tried to pull it out. She recognized him as the son of Frollo. It was the Innocents.

Seeing that he was distracted, Quinn stomped on his foot and then plowed her shoulder into him as hard as she could. He stumbled backwards and before she could go for him, Sheela was there. She wielded a broadsword that looked extremely heavy. She lunged at him and he backed up, using his momentum against him, she kicked him in the chest, and he fell against the railing. He stood there for a moment before losing his balance and falling overboard.

There was a loud splash and Sheela turned to Quinn. “Go get Jax.”

“But –”

“You’re no use here yet,” Sheela snapped. “That’s an order.”

Quinn nodded and quickly made her way to the gangplank, dodging blades and people as well as she could. An elbow sent her tumbling to the ground and she ended up half-crawling most of the way.

Except the gangplank was not there. In the chaos of the fight, it had been knocked down and it floated in the water, way down below.

The only other things connecting the ship to the dock were ropes.

“Oh, this is a terrible idea,” Quinn muttered to herself as she put her sword back in her belt. She clambered over the railing, finding footholds a little way down the side of the ship, and shuffled her way over to a rope. Taking a deep breath, she slung her legs around it. Then she gripped it in her hands and let herself hang under it.

No tree-climbing could have prepared her for this. The rope swung more than any branch had and she felt the blood rushing to her head. But she kept slowly going hand-over-hand and leg-over-leg down the rope.

At last, her feet felt the wood of the dock and Quinn managed to scramble up onto the wood, exhausted.

But her task was not done yet, and she picked herself up and ran as fast as she could. Her lungs were burning by the time she reached the pawnshop. Panting, she began to bang on the door. “Jax! Jax!”

She heard footsteps on the stairs and a moment later the door opened.

“Quinn?” Jax said, a little bleary-eyed. “What the hell?”

“Under attack,” she panted.

“Who?” Jax asked, grabbing a sword from a nearby table. “The Queens? The Innocents?”

“Innocents,” she said. “I saw Frollo’s son.”

“Jax?”

They both looked into the shop. Jade stood at the bottom of the stairs, trying to pull on a jacket and her second boot at the same time.

“You stay here, Jade,” Jax said.

She frowned but did not protest.

He turned to Quinn. “Go get the twins and Hugo.”

“I don’t know whe –” She stopped herself. She was a member of the Crew now she could figure it out. “Yes, captain.”

He grinned and ran out into the night.

“You don’t know where they live,” Jade said, coming to stand beside her, smiling slightly. “I do.”

Quinn looked at her. She was really young. But she did know the neighbourhood and it would take ages for her to find the right places on her own. She sighed. “As long as your brother doesn’t find out,” she conceded.

Jade grinned and grabbed a small sword from a rack on the wall. “Let’s go.”

•••

They ran through the dark streets, dodging people. Jade was fast and even though she was smaller than Quinn, she almost had a hard time keeping pup. Quinn followed her as they took sharp turns and ran through narrow alleyways.

Jade stopped in front of a house with a faint light coming from under the door, so she knocked.

The door opened and a middle-aged man with greying red hair looked out. “Jade?”

“We need Hugo,” Jade said quickly.

“Harper too?” His voice was smooth and deceptively kind.

“No,” Quinn said quickly. “Just Hugo.”

He looked over at her and Quinn tried not to squirm under his gaze. “Hugo!” he hollered back into the house. “And who are you?”

“Quinn,” she said. “New recruit.” They don’t care about parentage, she reminded herself.

He nodded, and footsteps bounded down the stairs. Hugo appeared at the door, fully suited up.

“What’s going on?” he asked, his eyes glinting with what seemed to be excitement as he looked at them.

“Innocents attacked the ship,” Quinn said, copying the short, matter-of-fact way people had been speaking all night.

He nodded. “Well, let’s get the twins and finish them off!”



Soon, all five of them were running through the night, dodging people and cutting through abandoned buildings. Quinn was starting to feel a little winded, but the others seemed fine, so she did not let on. She had always been fairly athletic, but this was more activity than she was used to.

Finally, they were back at the ship, but everything was quiet. The gangplank was still missing, but the deck was empty.

“Where’d they go?” Quinn asked, looking to the others for an explanation.

“We missed it,” said Hugo disappointedly.

“Hey!” hollered Nia. “Hey?”

No one on deck. Not even someone on watch.

Suddenly, something passed behind them and they all spun around. Everybody’s weapons were out, and Quinn quickly followed suit. They searched their surroundings for any danger.

“There’s no one on the ship,” Nabil said quietly.

“Could the Innocents have taken it?” Quinn asked.

Jade shook her head. “No way, even with just the ship’s crew, we have more fighters.”

“Unless they made an alliance,” Nia suggested.

Jade snorted. “They’re all so high and mighty, they’d never stoop to ally with anyone.”

Hugo looked over at Quinn. “Are you sure it was the Innocents?”

She nodded. “I recognized Frollo’s son.”

Suddenly, a maniacal laugh echoed around them and Quinn froze, feeling panic spread over her. For the first time, she saw fear in the faces of her companions. Nabil’s breath hitched.

“Everyone get in a circle,” Nia ordered. “We can’t leave our backs exposed.”

They obeyed her and all peered into the darkness, ready for an attack. Quinn felt her spine prickle.

“Do you think it’s –” Hugo started, but Jade shushed him.

The laugh sounded again, possibly closer this time, but it was hard to tell.

“There!” Nia whispered and they all turned to look. In an alleyway, there was a figure – only a silhouette really, since it was lighted from the back. Hair stuck up in spikes and a rapier glinted in the grungy streetlights.

“Harriet,” breathed Jade, but before Quinn could ask who that was, she attacked with a screech no less frightening than her laugh. And she was fast. While everyone Quinn had seen fight on this island had been a competent to skilled fighter, she put them all to shame.

She took on all five of them at the same time, spinning and slashing, occasionally sending that chilling laugh echoing out over the water. Nia and Nabil moved in cooperating motions; Jade darted in and out whenever she saw an opening; Hugo slashed and hacked. Quinn tried to stay out of their way and not get killed while also trying not to be entirely useless.

Yet she withstood them all, her bright – almost mad – eyes flashing and her long red coat whipping about as she moved. She was graceful, beautiful, and utterly terrifying.

And Quinn wanted to be her.



They were going to lose the fight. It was ridiculous that the five of them could not match – let alone defeat – one person, but it was true. Hugo cried out in pain as Harriet’s blade slashed his arm. Jade’s attacks were getting slower and Quinn could tell they were all getting tired.

Although Quinn was the oldest in the group, she was the least experienced and doubted they would listen if she called a retreat. But what else could they do?

“We need to retreat,” Quinn hissed to Jade when she found herself beside her for a moment. Jade darted in but her short blade did not allow her very much reach. Using her attack on the one side, Quinn quickly slipped around Harriet, thinking to catch her off-guard. She did not and was thrown to the ground.

Jade pulled her up, nodded and called, “Full retreat!”

She was the youngest of all of them, not even a full member of the Crew, yet her voice carried such confidence and authority that she was immediately obeyed. Hugo, Nia, and Nabil stopped their attack and joined them as they sprinted towards the pawnshop.

Quinn hoped that maybe Harriet had tired as well, not daring a glance behind.

They reached the shop, and all tumbled inside, Nia locking the door behind. “She didn’t follow us,” she said, looking through the glass.

“Who is that?” Quinn asked, out of breath.

“Harriet,” said Nabil, as though it was obvious, which it probably was to someone who had grown up here. “Bit of a legend.”

“I didn’t quite believe she was real,” said Hugo. “Hardly anyone ever sees her, and it’s hard to stay hidden on an island this small.”

Harriet. The red coat. The crazy behaviour. She must be the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, Quinn realized.

“What do we do now?” asked Hugo.

Quinn looked around at the group, wondering who technically the leader in this case was. She was the oldest, but the newest recruit. Jade was a Powder Monkey, the youngest, but held a certain amount of authority. Nia was practical, Nabil was thoughtful, and Hugo itching for a fight.

“I say we go out and find the Crew,” said Nia. “They’re clearly not on the ship –”

“Unless they’re being held captive,” interrupted Nabil quietly.

All eyes turned to him.

“Wouldn’t they have someone on watch?” asked Jade.

“Why do you think Harriet attacked us?” Nabil countered.

“But the Innocents would never join forces with any of us, much less Harriet, she’s a loose cannon.”

“Maybe they’re desperate,” Quinn said. “Desperate people do stupid things.” She had wanted to stay silent and let them talk and not intrude, but she was a part of the Crew now.

None of them argued with her, just all nodded solemnly.

“How will we ever get past her then?” asked Hugo.

“The Innocents boarded the ship from the water,” Quinn said.

Nia nodded and added. “We could swim out and do the same, avoiding her.”



Quinn was trembling all over when they left through the back door of the shop. Harriet’s laugh and wide eyes had terrified her more than anything in her life. But the rest did not seem to be as affected; Nia’s jaw was set, her twin brother at her side. Hugo gripped his sword tightly as he took up the rear and Jade’s eyes darted around. They were tense, ready, but not scared. So, Quinn took a breath and tried to calm her racing heart.

Once they were sure they were out of sight of Harriet, they clambered down the docks and quietly made their way through the shallows underneath. Some light from the moon peeked in through the spaces between the slats of wood, casting light stripes on everyone. But it was still very dark, and Quinn could not shake the feeling that they were not alone.

As they neared the ship, the water got deeper until they had to start swimming. Above, Quinn heard someone pacing in front of the ship. Nia gestured for them all to be quiet.

They were beside the ship now and all came together around one of the supports for the docks.

Nia made gestures explaining that they would go one at a time and swim around the ship and congregate on the other side. Hugo, the strongest swimmer, went first. His jaw was set in determination, he glanced up to make sure Harriet was facing the other way and then quietly dove beneath the dark water. He did not resurface until he had reached the bow of the ship and quickly disappeared on the other side.

Nabil went next, followed by Nia. Once they were out of sight, Quinn turned to Jade and pointed for her to go back to the shop.

She shook her head and started to swim out from under the dock. Quinn grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. The splashes that ensued from the struggle were louder than she had expected, and she froze. Her grip on Jade lessened and she was soon out of reach.

Quinn sighed and closed her eyes. She knew she was more experienced than her, but she was a kid!

Once Jade was out of sight, Quinn followed, trying to swim as quietly as she could. Her arms and legs were beginning to ache, and the water was very cold, but she managed to get to the bow without incident. She glanced once behind her to ensure that Harriet had not seen her and made her way to the others, holding onto the side of the ship.

Nabil, Nia, Hugo, and Jade were discussing strategy as Quinn came to the group. “Jade,” she whispered. “You need to go back.”

She turned to her. “I’m here now, going back would risk getting caught by Harriet.”

“But your brother –”

“Rules are meant to be broken,” Jade interrupted.

And that seemed to be the end of it. Nia, Nabil, and Hugo were more focused on their plan and did not seem very concerned about Jade’s presence.

“So, what’s the plan?” Quinn asked.

Nia shrugged. “We get aboard and try to free them.”

“They’re probably being held in the brig,” Hugo said.

“Way at the bottom of the ship,” Nabil added helpfully.

Quinn looked up the side of the ship. It looked a lot taller from this vantage point.

Nia started climbing first, finding hand– and footholds along the side of the ship. The rest followed with Hugo taking up the rear. They soon came to the gun ports – where the cannons would be shot from. Nia peeked in carefully and, finding the coast clear, signalled to the others. One by one, they managed to slip inside, squeezing past the cold metal of the cannons.

It was dim inside had to squint to see the others. They tried to move quietly over the wooden floor but the water dripping from them did not help.

Footsteps sounded from below, coming up the steps, and they all scrambled back, splitting up to hide behind two cannons.

Two figures emerged from the hold. “…change sides eventually,” one was saying. “Then we’ll be able to face Maleficent at last.”

The other person merely nodded as they made their way to the steps to the main deck.

“Come on, Gareth,” the first said cheerfully. “Why are you so subdued?”

“If we fail, our fathers –” His voice was quiet, cautious.

“We won’t fail,” the first one snapped. “It’ll be fine.”

The voices retreated as they went up the steps. Quinn breathed out a sigh of relief as they quietly started towards the steps down again. Before they descended the steps, Nabil looked down, carefully sticking his head down the entrance so he could see the brig.

After coming back up, he whispered. “One guard – Florian.”

Hugo nodded. “He’s good, but we can take him.”

“We have the element of surprise,” Nia said.

“We have to be quiet about it though,” Quinn whispered. They all looked at her, but she continued. “If the rest hear us, we’re screwed.”

Nabil nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe we need a subtler approach, a way to incapacitate him without causing a ruckus.”

“I’m good at climbing,” Quinn whispered. “I could climb along the roof.”

“Do you know how to knock someone out?” Jade asked.

“I’m sure it can’t be that hard.”



Quinn regretted saying anything as soon as she swung herself into the hold, her dagger snug in her belt. There were a lot fewer handholds than she had hoped for. But she nimbly made her way, slowly and trying to stay as close to the ceiling as she could.

Fortunately, the hold was dimly lit and had a fairly high ceiling.

The cells were at the far end of the hold and Quinn could see Florian walking in front of them. She could pick out a few members of the Crew in the cells but could not see Jax.

As she neared them, she only moved when Florian had his back to her, hoping that he would be less likely to see her if she stayed still. Sheela spotted her when she reached the first cell. Her eyes widened and then she quickly looked down to not draw any attention to her.

Florian was walking back towards her and Quinn froze. If there was any time he would see her, it would be now. She would be fine as long as he did not look up.

Sheela realized this as well, so she spoke up. “Hey, Florian, how does your father justify working with Harriet and his whole innocent ‘I-did-nothing-wrong’ thing?”

Florian stopped in front of her cell, just a little too far for Quinn to be able to reach. She inched farther as he spoke. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” She was almost there. “She is merely a means to an end.”

Wham! Quinn whacked Florian over the head with the butt of her dagger with as much force as she could muster from her position, and to her relief, he crumpled to the ground. Quinn grinned and dropped to the ground gracefully. She fumbled through Florian’s pockets until she found the keys and quickly unlocked the cell doors.

Nia, Nabil, Hugo and Jade, seeing the coast was clear, came down quietly.

“Where’s Jax?” Jade asked.

“They have him up in his cabin,” Cai said.

Quinn felt a little disappointed. She had hoped that Jax had seen what she had done. She found a part of herself wanting to impress him.

They all looked a little beat up, bruises and cuts here and here, but not terrible. Except for Seamus, who leant against Blake and held his hand to his gut, his shirt soaked with blood.

Quinn approached him in concern, but Blake stepped in front of her. “What do you want?”

“I know how to treat wounds,” she said. “I just want to help.” It was a bit of an exaggeration. Quinn had taken first aid classes – they were part of the training given to all Sherwood kids.

Blake looked at her for a long moment, but finally his concern won over his mistrust.

“You need to lay him down,” Quinn said. “And I need bandages or just strips of cloth, and alcohol if you have any, otherwise just water.”

Blake looked at the other Sailors. “Well,” he said. “Get to it, quietly.”

They scrambled off quietly, while the others prepared for their attack. Blake laid Seamus down carefully on the ground. Quinn knelt beside him and Blake did the same. Holding Seamus’ free hand.

Hugo returned with some scraps of cloth and Nabil with a bottle of rum. “Do you need help?” Nabil asked when he handed it to her.

Quinn shook her head. “You can join the others.” She carefully peeled Seamus’ shirt from the wound. It was not bleeding very much anymore, which was a good sign. As she cleaned the blood from around it, she said, “You can go too, Blake. I’ve got this.”

“And if the fighting moves down here, you’ll be Seamus’ only defence. I don’t think so.”

Quinn glanced up at him, then continued her work, smiling a little to herself.

•••

About fifteen minutes later, after sounds of a skirmish abovedecks, footsteps sounded on the steps. Blake immediately stood, jumping in front of them, brandishing his sword, but it was Jax who appeared.

He looked a little worse for wear, but not too injured, judging by the spring in his step. He looked at their odd trio with amusement.

As he approached, he nodded in greeting to Blake, clapping his shoulder. Then he knelt on the other side of Seamus. “So,” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me you were good at this?”

“I, uh,” Quinn said. “I didn’t think I could be of a whole lot of help because I don’t have a lot of experience.” She looked at him meaningfully and he nodded.

“Well, you’re going to get more experience. The Crew needs a ship’s surgeon and you’ll do nicely,” he said, touching her arm briefly. “Also, good job getting everyone here, you’re well on the way to proving yourself.”

Quinn smiled for a few seconds too long after Jax had left and quickly focused on her task at hand. This was really not the time to catch feelings.