Scarlet's First Adventure

     Scarlet tacked up the newest postcard she’d received from her sister and brother on the wall. This one was from Shenkuu. Dred and Forest traveled all over the world. The only place the starry xweetok had ever been was the Haunted Woods, Terror Mountain, and the ruins of Geraptiku, but they didn’t really count, and she wasn’t really allowed there.

      Her mother was always warning her to stay away from there, but she couldn’t help herself. There was so much for her to explore, especially the old tomb. She’d found all the traps, and even made friend with the ghost hissi that haunted it. Unfortunately, Geraptiku had few secrets for her to learn.

      She sighed as she laid on her bed, looking at the various postcards that now covered her walls. Each one described the fabulous cuisine for Steel, the art for Tenz, the plants for Bandy, the various machinery for Jungle, travel for Kookie, and for Scarlet there was the always information about who discovered the land and what the terrain was like. She knew it was a weird question and all her brother and sisters’ requests made sense, but it was what she was interested in. At least they always let her keep the postcards to hang on her wall after everyone got to read them of course.

      Forest and Dred were the first ones in the family to leave the island other than their mom, who regularly visited Neopia Central. No one else seemed interested, they were all perfectly content to stay on the island. So why wasn’t she content here?

      “There’s a new postcard from Forest and Dred!” She sat up quickly almost falling off the bed. There was new card already? The last one arrived only two days ago. Scarlet slid off her bed and slid across the floor to her door, grabbing her plushie Anubis as went out the door.

      “Woah,”

      “Dred?!” Scarlet crashed into her maraquan eyrie older brother as she slid off the end of the banister, knocking him to the floor. “but mom said-?”

      “Oof, what has Steel been feeding you,” Dred asked, laughing, as she climbed off him, and pulled him to his feet.

      “Forest!” She threw herself at her sister Forest who stood in the doorway. The mutant aisha caught her just in time and managed to keep her balance.

      “Well hi Scarlet, missed us huh?” She laughed, as the others came down the stairs to similarly greeted their home come siblings.

      ---

      “That was great Steel, really,” Dred patted his stomach as he complimented his older brother. The darigan poogle smiled as he cleared the table. Steel was the oldest of in the family, and the best cook.

      “Not to exotic for you?” Steel teased. “We’ve really enjoyed the recipes you’ve sent us. Some of the ingredients have been hard to find, but mom is great at finding deals at the marketplace. I thought you might enjoy some island food though after all those months at sea and traveling the world.”

      “Tell me more about the flying ships!” Jungle begged. The young meerca was an inventor. Despite being the youngest of the 8 siblings, she was by far the smartest. “I bet if I got the right materials, I could build one.”

      “I’m sorry, Jungle,” Forest laughed. “but I honestly didn’t spend much time studying the mechanics of them. That was supposed to be Dred’s job, but he was too busy stuffing himself at the exotic foods store. They have some very strange but interesting dishes there. We are quite partial to them. You’d like it there Kookie, being able to fly is a big advantage being so high in the mountains.”

      Scarlet listened for a few minutes longer before getting up to help Steel bring the dishes into the kitchen. She could hear Dred and Forest sharing more details of their latest trip in the dining room. She sighed as she put the dishes beside the sink.

      “What’s the matter?” Steel asked as he turned on the faucet.

      “Huh? What? Nothing, why would anything be the matter? Dred and Forest are home,” Scarlet replied. “There is nothing the matter.”

      “Really,” Steel asked one eyebrow raised. “You know I’d almost believe you if you didn’t say nothing seven times.”

      “I only said nothing twice,” Scarlet defended as Dred came into the room.

      “What no-Am I interrupting?” Dred asked suspiciously. Looking at his two siblings. Steel’s arms were crossed, and he was leaning against the counter. Scarlet had her arms behind her back, but her tail was swishing, giving away her true feelings.

      “No,” She denied.

      “Right,” Steel said again as he opened the fridge. He pulled out two pies. “I even made you and Forest’s favorite disgusting seaweed pie when you are done getting the truth out of Scarlet.”

      “There is nothing to get out of me!” She denied again, trying to follow him out of the kitchen but Dred blocked her path.

      “Spill little sister,” Dred said, pushing her toward a chair. “What is this all about?”

      “There is nothing to spill,” She denied again. Dred sat down across from her with his arms crossed and waited. “Okay, okay, I-I just want, I want to go with you and Forest when you leave!” She covered her mouth as soon as she finished saying it. Dred laughed and moved her paw away from her mouth with his own.

      “Why would you want to hide that?” Dred asked.

      “Because if mom and the others found out I wanted to leave they’d be crushed,” She said looking down at the table, ashamed.

      “Well it's not like you won’t ever come back, Forest and I do all the time,” Dred told her putting one paw on her shoulder. “Sure everyone was sad when we left, I know you were, but it makes up happy. Forest has never been happier, and that’s what you want for us isn’t it?”

      “Well of course, I want you guys to be happy!” Scarlet replied.

      “Then why wouldn’t we want you to be happy?” Dred replied. “Besides if you don’t like its not like you can’t come home.”

      “I guess not.”

      ---

      “Don’t forget to wash behind your ears, and brush your teeth, and don’t- “

      “Mom, I won’t,” Scarlet protested, wiggling out her hug. If she started crying, then Scarlet would to. “I’m just riding with them to Krawk Island, then coming home.”

      “I know I just, aw, I’m going to miss you!”

      “Don’t worry, mom, we’ll take good care of her,” Dred promised hugging their mom. Forest hugged her too, before wrapping one arm around Scarlet.

      “Come on, we’d better get going the longer we take the harder it will be,” Forest murmured to her sister. Scarlet nodded in agreement. Their mom was never good with long goodbyes. “Dred, cast off.”

     ---

      It took a little while to get used to the swaying of the ship, but her sea legs came quickly. Dred showed her the crow’s nest and their faerie pteri figure head. He even let her climb out on it with his telescope. Forest let her stay in her cabin and the galley.

      When they were to busy to show her around Scarlet explored the ship herself. Soon she knew the small ship as well as her siblings and been nipped numerous times by the various cofferlings that lived in her sister’s ship. She’d made friends with all but her sister’s favorite, who at least had stopped biting her, but it did spit at her occasionally. By the time they reached Krawk Island Scarlet felt like a bon a fide pirate.

      She began to dress like one, talk like one, and she felt like one. Scarlet felt like maybe she’d found what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, until they landed on Krawk Island.

      ---

      “Did you know there was smugglers cove?” Scarlet giggled conspiratorially to Forest and Dred one night when she met them at the Golden Dubloon for dinner one night.

      “Yes we did,” Derd confirmed with a smile. He waved for a waitress to come to their table. Forest exchanged a look with their brother.

      “What other trouble have you gotten into?” Forest asked.

      “Not much, but I can’t go to the Swashbuckler’s Academy any more, I’ve trained out of it,” She answered. “I’ve seen the whole island…”

      “Yes it sounds like it,” Dred replied as the wocky waitress arrived at their table. “Three Thornberry Fruit Grog, two seaweed pie and Scarlet? Scarlet?”

      “Scarlet, what do you want to eat?” Forest snapped her fingers in front of her sister’s face. Scarlet was staring out the window.

      “Oh, um, sorry, sea taco please,” She replied shaking her head. The waitress nodded and left the table.

      “Alright, what’s on your mind?” Dred asked.

      “How do you and Steel always do that,” Scarlet protested. Forest silently pointed to her sister's tail that was sweeping a nice pile of dust on either side of her on the floor.

      “Oh,” She shrugged sheepishly. “I just, well, I’ve seen almost everything on the island.” She traced the shape of the island on the tabletop.

      “Yes, and?” Dred prompted.

      “And I, I want to see more,” Scarlet answered. “And-I, I want to share it too! I wish I had some paper, I’d draw it all for you. I know where everything is. I know all the beaches like the back of my own paw. I could draw Mystery Island too.”

      “I bet you could,” Forest replied, with a smile. “So why don’t you?”

      “Why don’t I what?” Scarlet asked, looking up confused.

      “Well, where do you think maps come from, someone has to make them,” Dred answered, pulling out one he had in his pocket to show her. She looked it over. It was Krawk Island alright, but it wasn’t as detailed as she would have done. The beaches weren’t very detailed, and key was lacking some very important details.

      “Yeah, but I’ve only been few places, I don’t think that’d take me very long…” She frowned.

      “No, it wouldn’t but it would certainly take you longer if you explored other places,” Forest suggested.

      “Other places?” Scarlet asked.

      “Yes, other places, like Shenkuu or Altador,” Dred suggested.

      “But what about mom?” Scarlet protested.

      “What about mom?” Forest asked. “Mom wants you to be happy.”

      “Yeah,” Scarlet replied thoughtfully. “But I should finish the maps I can make first, when I get home.”

      “Of course,” Dred agreed, but they both knew that this wouldn’t be Scarlet’s last adventure. She was going to be the greatest adventurer since Brucey B!

           The End.