Re: Chapter 2 - The Patrol
Nearby, Carson and Conner eyed each other, then converged on her at once. Carson's freckled face was set in concern and raging curiousity; Conner displayed more of a poker face, giving her an easy smile that to his credit, was rather dazzeling.
"Oi, Jane," Carson began, "What did you-" he was cut off suddenly as a length of thick iron cord struck his lower back. Before anyone could think or cry out, the three of them were suddenly pushed forcefully together and dragged over the side by a lasso of the cord, splintering the railing. They fell in a heated tangle of limbs and torsos, and Jane felt herself enfolded protectively by both of the boys. They acted instinctivley, and it was best for Jane, who was on the bottom, that they did. With more splintering of wood, they crashed into the deck of another ship. Conner grunted, and Carson screamed. His arm had cusioned Jane's head, stopped it from smashing into the ground, and been broken.
Before any of the could move, all three of them were struck on the head and knocked unconcious.
Back on the ship, Raff, who had been headed their way to intercept the two boys, had seen what happened. He ran to the destroyed rail, leaning far over the edge. "Jane!" he cried, and was about to call for the others when what he was seeing really hit him. A Patrol ship, it's sails black and the weights hanging about it ship intricatly and sinisterly carved, veered out from where it had been hiding benieth them, somehow. "Red alert!" Raff bellowed with enough volume for every ear on the Cloudcutter to ring. "Battlestations! Captain Knight to the deck!" For a split second after his words, there was stunned silence all around; then everyone jumped into action. Alex and his gunners cranked the cannons up onto the deck while every other thing was lashed down.
The Patrol ship angled away from them, making a u-turn to head back to the undertown they had left a few days ago. The Captain burst out of his office, back in his fine clothes, and sprinted for the helm, shouting orders as he ran. Raff told him what had happened as the Captain brought her about.
Captain Knight swore under his breath. "Of all the times for the blasted Patrol to show it's ugly face," he fumed.