Everliving: Day 10

Word Count: 60,077

Summary of Events:

Bethania was taken out to the stables to visit and ride her mare by Reynaldo. Quique and the pirates arrived at San Iago, the Ñapesan city on Falidor, and he was sent inside to spy out where they could find horses; he learned that there was a Ñapesan duke also out to find the Fountain of Youth. Bethania was taken to the dinner table by Reynaldo and felt embarrassed about it, so she asked him not to do it again. Under the cover of darkness Quique led the pirates into San Iago to steal some horses he'd found and escape out the city to the south . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"The horses were starting to get stirred up, Quique noticed, as he went to catch another one, which became a little bit more difficult of an exercise. Thankfully he was able to catch a good number of horses still and they soon had a dozen and a half tied to the fence rather restlessly.

Quique then went among the horses and got everyone back because they had enough horses. Captain Sly was quite frustrated that he'd been unable to catch a horse, but Quique soothed him and then got to work helping the men who'd been tasked with tacking up the horses — as they hadn't had the faintest idea how to make heads or tails out of a saddle.

Once all the horses were tacked according to their usage — which took awhile with some of them — Quique had them all tied together in a long chain and took the lead of it, instructing everyone to follow along somewhat close to the side and make sure no horses came untied or anything.

In a long procession that, unfortunately, wasn't quiet, because of the horses' hooves ringing off of the cobblestoned roads, they wound toward the southern exit Quique had found.

"Who goes there?!" came another shout.

"Travellers," Quique replied.

"What are travellers going to do out on a beach out at night?" the questioner demanded.

"Make camp," Quique replied.

"There are hotels in the city," the questioner replied. "And if not, anyone will be willing to take you in."

"Please, we are to meet our ship on the coast early in the morning, it would be much easier if we were to camp on the shore," Quique replied.

"Does your ship not lay in the harbour?" the questioner demanded.

"There is no space in the harbour," Quique replied.

There was a long silence. Quique's heart pounded in his ears.

"What's going on?" Captain Sly hissed.

"They're not letting us leave," Quique replied.

"Make them," Captain Sly hissed.

"I'm trying," Quique replied.

He heard sounds like the gate opening and excitement leapt within him.

"Be on your way then," the questioner called.

Quique sagged with relief and started the horses forward before the questioner could change his mind."