[a picture of all three their backs to the viewer, leaning against the railing, staring out to sea. 2 poles are spaced between them, atop which hang lanterns]

Up on the mast it’s difficult to hear the conversation so Hood, slips smoothly from his perch and glides the night breeze, gently descending towards the cabin.

“So are we in bother?” asks Nudge.

“That depends entirely on how you conduct yourselves for the next couple of hours. But if you ask me, you’re always going to be in bother. The pair of you are feckless.”

“Right. Erm…I’m Nudge by the way.”

“And I’m Wink,” chimes in Wink.

“I know who you are,” replies Madeleine, letting the silence eat into them, refusing to allow the conversation to normalise into a friendly exchange, for that is not how one stays alive in this game, regardless of how congenial these two might seem. “I know everything about you,” she adds, in a way which sends a shudder down each man’s spine.

“We didn’t think it would be a problem. We always pick stuff up for the Guild this way and no one knows the wiser, so when they asked us, we thought why not? Guild don’t need no service tonight,” says Nudge.

“That’s your problem right there though isn’t it?”

“What’s that then?” asks Wink.

“That you didn’t think. The rules are there for a reason.”

“Yeah but what’s the worst that can happen?” asks Nudge again.

“Well let’s wait and see shall we?”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Hood alights on top of the cabin with the slight clatter of claws. The sound causes Madeleine to turn about slowly. She sees the crow and stares it in the eyes, smiling - seeing her smile reflected silently back. Madeleine chuckles to herself and turns back to the sea. Both Nudge and Wink look at each other, aware of the exchange, totally bamboozled as to what’s going on.

Nudge gathers enough courage to ask the question: “So, err, d’you know that bird then?”

Madeleine smiles, Madeleine always smiles. “In a manner of speaking,” she replies, continuing to chuckle to herself.

Just then, a low sound - a bell - tolls out across the waves. Once, twice, three times but no more.

“That’s our signal,” says Nudge.

“Aye that be it Nudge,” says Wink, “Just need to wait a mo and then keep an eye out for a light,” he says for Madeleine’s benefit, as he walks across the deck to the ship’s bell and rings it twice in response.

“There!” exclaims Nudge, pointing off to the north east, a dim light dipping and bobbing, in and out of sight, as it crests and falls on the waves.

“No need to lift anchor, tide’ll bring it straight to us if we’re patient,” says Wink softly, years of experience allowing him to read the currents.

As good as Wink says, the three of them watch as the light slowly drifts closer and closer towards the starboard bow and the form of a large wooden crate, wrapped in rope materialises, drifting in the darkness.

Madeleine steps back, keeping a careful eye on the pair as they unclip hooked poles from the boat’s sides and carefully manoeuvre the floating cargo along the starboard beam, dragging it to the stern, where Nudge’s strength is brought to bear in hauling it in.

With a final grunt of effort, Nudge lets the cargo drop with a soft thunk onto the deck and sits, his back to the stern, legs spread out, exhausted, his chest heaving from the exertion.

“Now that the two of you have done all the work and that you, dear Nudge, are clearly exhausted, it would be the ideal time to kill you both, wouldn’t you say?” says Madeleine flatly, standing before them.

Wink gulps softly. Nudge pales again, looking horrified.

“Just saying,” chuckles Madeleine. “Now, what have we here? Get the light will you?”

Wink walks nervously over and takes a lantern from one of the poles where they’ve been set.

“Honestly I don’t know,” says Wink.

“We were told just to drag it aboard and then head to the cove, three miles south, said that someone would meet us there an’ take the cargo and give us our coin.” blurts out Nudge, still unsure as to whether Madeleine was joking or not.

Wink holds the lantern forth over the hawser bound crate and the three peer closely at their haul.