The Highwind

Sora had spotted the boy as soon as he came in. It wasn't the hair – it looked almost white in the lamplight, but it was silver, or the piercing blue-green eyes that sparkled like the sea. And it wasn't the sheer size of his arms, though they were comparable to an oarsman.

It was the way he had wrinkled his nose at the heady smell of alcohol that sat over the whole tavern like a fog. The way he stood – upright and stiff, moving out of everyone's way without being shoved. Both showed that he didn't belong here – he didn't even look old enough to be let into a pub.

Not that Sora was either, but Sora had hardly had what most folks would call a proper upbringing. He'd earnt his right to sit here at the tavern with men three times his weight with a bottle of rum and a sign that read 'crew wanted.' In fact, it was spelt 'krew wanted,' and he suspected he'd written the 'd' backwards, but he figured enough people would get the point.

This boy was clearly a posh one. He'd watched the boy lurk around the edges of the pub, never making eye contact with anyone for more than a moment. His hands were tight on the neck of his cloak in an almost comic way of hiding his face from everyone. On the run, Sora thought. He'd seen that expression before and it always made his stomach twinge. To have something to run from – that was the dream.

So, he'd watched the boy, because he was more entertaining than watching men arm wrestle, or try to flirt with the maid behind the bar. (Though sometimes she did whallop them one, and that never got tiring to watch.)

And then the boy's eyes skimmed over him. Skimmed back. He looked – actually looked at Sora for more than a second, where most of the other men would curl their lip or raise their eyebrow. Sora could feel his lips curved upwards in a smile.

The boy didn't smile back, but he did fight his way through the crowd and over to Sora's table in the corner. His eyes dropped down to the wax paper sign propped up between two empty tankards.

"You're looking for a crew?" he asked, in the breathless tone of someone needing a quick getaway. Sora stopped himself from grinning – he hadn't even made an effort to disguise his posh voice.

"That's what the sign says." Sora replied, but with a lopsided grin and a wink.

The boy wet his lips. Glanced away. Glanced back with a determined face – like he was determined to ignore that wink. "How soon do you set sail?"

"If you join up, we can get going straight away."

The boy nodded and slid into the booth next to him. That made Sora pause. The kid may have been asking for it – he practically screamed 'I'm rich and desperate, scam me,' but he wasn't about to take advantage of him.

"Understand, I can't pay you nothing. Not until we find treasure," he said. The boy should have been asking more questions before he signed up for a voyage to who knew where. Running – desperation – Sora wondered what that felt like. To have something worth running away from.

"That's fine." The boy nodded out at the rest of the pub. "Which one is yours?"

"Eh?"

"Which one is your crew?" the boy repeated.

"Here," Sora gestured at the booth, still smiling, like it was completely normal. He was wondering how long it would be before they got to this.

The boy blinked at him. He looked from him, to Donald, to Goofy, and back at Sora. His features twisted into something between anger and disgust.

"Are you drunk?" he asked.

"Not at all," Sora said. "This is my crew, and you'd never hope to sail with finer men."

"Men?" the boy repeated, incredulously. "They're not men!"

Some of the burlier guys and gals frowned over at them for the noise, but once they saw Sora, they rolled their eyes and turned back to their conversation.

Sora frowned, but he knew it was more of a pout. "And how many sea voyages have you been on?"

The boy blinked. "Well, none."

"Exactly. These two have been on more adventures than you, and that makes them men of the sea in my book."

"You should learn to read that book," the boy said scathingly. "You can't bring a duck and a – a –"

"Goofy's a dog," Sora said. He scratched Goofy behind a scruffy ear and Goofy panted appreciatively.

"I've never seen a dog like that."

"That's because he's an old sea dog." It was simple logic, really. He couldn't understand everyone's confusion at Goofy.

"And you think you can sail a boat between the two of us, a dog and a duck?" The boy frowned at him, and put his hands on the table, pushing himself upwards.

Sora turned to Goofy so that the boy couldn't see Sora's scowl. He had known the boy would react that way – everyone always did, but he had really been hoping that this time would be different. He had liked this one – had liked that he was young and on the run. That he wanted to be anywhere but here, because Sora was like that too. He needed to be anywhere but here – to find something worth running from or worth running too. And this kid might have been posh, but he was pretty and easily flustered and Sora was already imagining getting to know him more. Could he be heartbroken over a five-minute encounter?

Goofy seemed to sense his annoyance. The huge wolfhound – well wolfhound cross, but Sora didn't know crossed with what – gave his cheek a snuffle. He sneezed against him and Sora couldn't help it – he laughed, hooking an arm around Goofy's neck and scratching his huge head with both hands. Donald shuffled his feathers, looking as reproachful as a duck could, before sticking his beak in the air and pretending that he hadn't seen this display of affection. It only made Sora's grin widen.

The boy was still standing at the table.

Sora looked up and saw him staring at him, slightly open mouthed. His green eyes glinted in the dim light of the pub. There were only a few hanging lanterns, casting a golden, flickering light over them and casting dark shadows over the boy's pale skin. When their eyes met, he shut his mouth and stared at the alcohol puddled floor, his cheeks tinged pink. It gave Sora an inkling of what the boy was running from – if he hadn't been able to guess anyway.

"My ship ain't that big yet," Sora said. He wanted this one to come with them. "We could manage it easy. And I'm the only one here setting sail tomorrow morning. Everyone else here says there'll be a storm this week – they want to wait it out."

Slowly, the boy eased himself back into the booth. He stared at the grubby floor for a long time, before he looked up at Sora. His eyes caught the lamplight again, in just the right way, and Sora could see it then. Those eyes held the sparkle of the sea in them and persuaded his breath to stay stuck in his throat.

"You're going tomorrow?" he asked, quietly.

Sora nodded. He put his other arm around Goofy, leaning on the dog.

"Even though there's going to be a storm?"

"A storm sounds like a good adventure."

The boy shook his head. "You're crazy."

"Maybe," Sora said, feeling his smile return. "But you're coming with me."

"I never said that." The boy looked around the pub a final time. Looking for other options and met only with scowls from men twice the size of him.

Sora grinned. "But you are."

The boy sighed. He gave a final, final glance around the pub only to see a collection of thugs drinking themselves sick, then nodded. Sora beamed at him. He was positively glowing. Yes, he liked this one – this one he could have a real adventure with.

"Sora," he said, finally untangling himself from Goofy, and sticking his hand out across the table. "Captain Sora."

"Captain of a small boat, a dog and a duck."

"And you."

The boy's hand lingered just a second longer than it should have. He had a firm grip, though his skin was smooth. Not used to a day's work.

"I'm Riku." He was smiling – a small, gentle smile that was a good fit on his face.

There was a loud and indignant quack. Goofy had the habit of sniffing Donald's tail feathers, and hadn't quite got the message that it was unwanted attention. Donald had turned and was snapping at the huge dog with a bright orange beak.

"Hey – hey, you two –" Sora pulled Goofy away, trying to calm Donald down with an outstretched hand. It was a mistake – that duck had an unstoppable temper, and he bit at Sora's fingers too.

He cursed and put his attacked appendages into his mouth.

But then he heard laughter.

He looked up to see Riku, a hand clasped over his mouth to muffle the noise, laughing.

It brought the grin back to his face. He was laughing too, and yes –

Sora knew this was going to be an adventure.

Riku stared at the boy sat across from him. The boy who had definitely made a conscious effort to make his fingertips feel as much of Riku's palm as possible before he pulled away. His hands were rough and firm – they didn't match the softness that was the rest of him. This boy with skin that just glowed brown – like he had absorbed the sun and was just beaming it out of him. This boy with hair that stuck up in a thousand different directions and a crooked smile and the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Eyes like a cloudless sky. Maybe bluer than that.

Sora. Captain Sora.

He was wrestling his beast of a dog further into the booth so that he could plant himself between it and the duck. Riku had never seen a dog like that – lanky and black and shaggy, with a long, almost crooked snout. It's eyes were so blank – Riku could almost believe that it was once intelligent, but had given up all of its wisdom to save humanity.

The duck was a lot more normal looking – a plain white mallard, with beady eyes. It was an angry little thing.

How was this trio even allowed in here?

Sora was watching him, one hand still buried in Goofy's fur. His head was tilted to the side and his mouth was slightly open – Riku could see a gleam of white teeth.

"So, Riku," Sora said. He let the name drip from his tongue like it was made of honey. "Why are you in such a hurry to get away?"

His gut clenched and his heart jerked in his chest like it was trying to jump overboard. But he had always had a knack for cards – hopefully he had a half-decent poker face to match.

"I'm not," he lied. He had to be out of here, tomorrow. That was all that mattered.

Sora's head tilted further, like he was trying to copy Goofy. His crooked smile lifted up again. Was it a requirement of being a pirate to have a crooked grin?

"I know the look of a boy on the run."

"And - are you?" Riku asked.

And Sora laughed. Laughter seemed to come as easily as breathing to him. It was a careless sound.

"Me? Never?"

"Aren't you supposed to be?" Riku leant across the table, let his long hair fall forward like a curtain. He had lost the ribbon tying it back before he had even step foot in here, but there were men with longer hair milling around. "Isn't piracy supposed to be illegal?"

Sora leant forward too, blue eyes glittering. "Only if you get caught."

That made Riku's mouth twitch. He leant back to hide it – to hide his clothes.

"Most people don't want to sail right into a storm," Sora continued. "Not unless they're in a hurry to escape something."

He'd been too obvious. He knew he had, and now he'd been caught. He sat there, staring at Sora and trying to think of an excuse. Tried to think of anything but the truth, but this boy wouldn't believe any of them. He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst this people – none of them would believe Riku if he said he was a thief or a murderer.

"You don't have to say," Sora said. Donald ruffled his feathers next to him, squatting down, and Sora's fingers skimmed over his folded feathers. The duck gave an appreciative quack and half closed its eyes. "But I need to know if you can't stick around England."

"No. I can't."

Sora nodded.

Goofy was taking an interest in Riku now, leaning his long neck around the table and snorting through his huge black nose at him. He hadn't much experience with dogs, so he awkwardly patted Goofy's head in the hopes it would appease him and make him turn away.

It only encouraged him. He sniffed Riku's palm and then pressed his cold nose against it. Riku let him stay there, turning back to Sora.

"Why are you sailing into a storm?"

Sora glanced around at the noisy tavern. Everyone seemed caught up in their own tiny bubbles – not even looking at them. Then he leant his head forward and lowered his voice.

"They say there's treasure in the eye of a storm." And at Riku's blank look, he continued. "Blessed treasure – with heavenly power – that can perform miracles."

It sounded like a load of old rubbish to Riku. The kind of things young boys tell each other about a lump at the end of the garden that turns out to be the stump of a rose bush. But Sora's eyes were shining. Well – he certainly didn't act his age. There was no way he was old enough to be in here either, and he looked too baby faced to be on his own. Maybe he was just a boy playing at being a Captain. Maybe his parents would come along and Riku would be out of a ship.

"I don't suppose anyone knows what this treasure is?"

Sora shrugged. He was still bright and eager. "Some say a staff, some say a box – all of the stories differ. But the miracles part is true."

"And, of course, there's the glory that comes along with finding it." It was obvious to Riku that the main reward was reputation. Reputation and honour, the two most important things to a man, according to his mother. His mother was always right.

Sora's gaze drew distant then. Seemed to fix on something behind Riku.

Then he took a breath. "Something like that."

He had a habit of dropping his 't's and making Riku painfully aware of every one he pronounced. Painfully aware of just how much he didn't fit in here.

Then Sora was back – the same bubbly grinning boy that he had been thirty seconds ago. No, not boy. Pirate. This boy was a pirate, even if he didn't look like one.

"We'll sleep on my ship tonight, aye?"

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Is it just a canoe with a flagpole sticking out of it?"

It was easy to tease him, actually. It was easy to talk to this boy. He had never felt like that. There had never been anyone he felt this at ease with. And this was a boy he had known for five minutes. A pirate he had known for five minutes.

A pirate who was pouting at him – blowing his cheeks out and pursing his lips. It was utterly childish, and yet Riku could feel his breath hitching at the sight.

"My ship is a beauty," Sora said. "A lady of the sea."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"What are you going to give me when you're wrong, Riii-kuuu?" Sora drew out the name, leaning forwards again and resting his cheek in his hand. Impossibly blue eyes studied Riku's face, and smiled at what they saw there.

"I - I don't have any money on me." It was true. If he didn't have any money, he couldn't be robbed of it.

The pout deepened. "What about a favour, then?"

Riku's heart dropped. "A favour?"

That was the one thing Sora seemed oblivious to. He pointed at Riku, still grinning from ear to ear. "If you lose, you have to swab the deck for a week!"

The duck quacked loudly, and Sora turned to it.

"I am not just saying that because I don't want to!"

The duck quacked indignantly again, giving another snap at Sora's fingers.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "You...can talk to them?"

"Well, no." He crossed his arms over his chest and leant back against the booth. "But it's more fun to pretend that I can."

It was Riku's turn to lean forward, examining the boy for red-rimmed eyes and slurred speech. "And you're sure you're not drunk."

"Can't afford it." At Sora's words, Goofy sneezed, abandoning Riku's limp hand to poke at Sora's side. "Well, apart from this one. But that's the only one I had, I swear." Goofy's nose poked him again. "And, we have a bottle of brandy eft, but that's for a special occasion."

"Like finding treasure?" Riku guessed.

"Oh, aye." It seemed like Sora, the duck and the dog were looking him up and down as one. "You'll fit in just fine."

Heat crawled up his neck and cheeks and he looked away. There was a moment of silence, and then he couldn't resist it – he looked back at Sora. The pirate was staring at him again – seeming to take in every detail as if they would never see each other again.

The moment dragged on and Riku's heart began racing. He needed to break this – think of something to say – one of them had to say something – they couldn't just stare like this. In public.

Sora's hands slammed down on the table. The duck squawked indignantly, ruffling it's feathers, and Goofy's ears went back.

"Right – let's head off. Big day tomorrow!" Sora scooped a still protesting Donald up in one hand, and tugged Goofy down from the booth by his collar with the other.

Riku followed, worming his way around people covered in grime, blood, and beer, until they were out in the night air.

Bristol looked beautiful at night. It was still Summer and the night sky was dark blue, speckled with stars. The streetlamps had been lit casting bright yellow against blue so that the wet flagstones glowed. The air was warm, but not humid, and the seagulls cawed to each other from the tops of the buildings.

The river lapped at the hulls of the ships as they passed; they were all lined up like children waiting to go into assembly. Huge things with spidery masts and vast hulls watched them as they walked by, their boots tapping loudly against the stones.

Sora stopped in front of a ship, tugging a piece of wood he'd kept on the side of the dock and flopping it across to it. It wobbled alarmingly and creaked in protest when he stood on it.

Riku looked up, and realised that he would be swabbing the deck for a good week. It was a fine ship – with two tall masts and a sizeable deck. It was painted a bright red, rimmed with gold, which made it very handsome indeed. This was a Brig – and he couldn't believe that the two of them would be able to sail it on their own.

"Are you coming?" Sora called. He was hopping down onto the deck, letting Donald go as he did. Goofy was plodding up the makeshift gangplank as though this was all normal.

Riku paused. Was he? He didn't know this boy. This was a stupid decision. It was a really, really stupid thing to do. To go sailing into the eye of a storm on a huge ship with a mad boy, a duck and a dog.

But he'd have to wait a week otherwise. And he was no fool – he knew that not a lot of crews would want a sixteen year old who'd never worked a day in his life. He was useless to anyone else. This might be his only chance to get away.

And he had to get away. Now. No matter what. No matter if this was the stupidest thing he'd ever done. Maybe he needed to be a bit stupid. His mother wouldn't have approved – which only confirmed that he was doing the right thing.

"I'll hold it for you if you're scared." Sora's teeth glinted in the moonlight.

"I'm not scared." It was as much for himself as it was for Sora.

Riku stepped onto the gangplank. It creaked and groaned at every move he made and he took large, leaping steps to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Then he was standing on the deck. The deck of a swaying ship, with water lapping at the sides. There was the sudden urge to laugh. This was happening. He was doing this. Riku was running away.

Sora grunted as he pulled the gangplank up behind them, cutting them off securely from the rest of the dock.

"Is there something you'd like to say about my Highwind?" He wiped dirt from his hands onto tight breeches. Riku tore his gaze away, back at the stars.

"I've seen bigger," Riku shrugged.

Sora scoffed. "Like you've ever been on another - your legs are wobbling like a jellyfish."

Riku put a hand on the railing to steady himself, concentrating on making his legs stop shaking.

"Don't worry, you'll get your sea legs as you're cleaning my deck for me." Sora was already treading across the boards as though it was simple to the back of the ship.

This was a very bad idea, Riku decided. Why had be ever thought that it was a good idea to be on a ship? He'd never been on one before and he couldn't even standon one when it was safely docked.

Goofy nudged past him, and Donald was fluttering after Sora, so he followed the two animals. It took him twice as long to get over to the cabin door. An empty lantern hung by the door. The wick in the candle inside had been swallowed by the wax.

"There's enough room for us both in here," Sora's voice called from inside, echoing like he was already deep in the belly of the ship.

Riku stepped in just as a match fizzed to life. There was a collection of tall candles sat on a scrubbed wooden table, surrounded by torn maps and a broken compass. Two sorry-looking chairs flanked it, trembling in the middle of the room. There was a wide window at one end, letting the starlight drift through the glass. Clothes fell out of a large trunk sat under the window, and were scattered around the floor with books and maps. There were two hammocks - one hung either side of the room. The one on the left had two large lumps of hay underneath it - which Donald and Goofy settled themselves into without question.

Two hammocks. If Sora hadn't been expecting company - he had wanted it.

"There's not much point inyou sleeping down in the hold all by yourself," Sora said, sitting on the left hammock and making it swing alarmingly. He was already kicking his boots off by the heel, stretching his arms up and yawning. "You don't mind, do you?"

Riku did mind. He minded very much. He was used to sharing a room - but not with a pirate, a dog and a duck. The situation was bizarre, and this boy was pretty, and he should just leave. He should forget about all of this and just go home.

But then he thought of returning to his mother. He thought of returning for the Summer break. July and August.

It was unthinkable.

Riku sat down on the hammock and started untying his own boot laces.

He looked up again to see Sora staring at him, from over the candle. It made his hair and eyelashes look inky black, and his skin glow gold like an apparition.

"You sure about this?"

Riku took a breath. There was no turning back now. "Yes."

"Aye." For just a moment, Sora paused. Then he grinned, and winked, and said, "goodnight."

The candle was blown out, leaving them in silvery darkness.

Riku lay back in the hammock, his heart racing out of his chest as he heard Sora pad back to his own hammock and get in. The smell of smoke was drifting in the air, like a blown-out birthday candle. That wink. That crooked smile. Riku was playing with fire. He should have chosen a large crew, with people who wouldn't look twice at him, who were beaten and bloodied so they looked more like oddly shaped vegetables than people. Not the pretty boy who talked to his pets and winked at Riku. It was just asking for trouble.

Now that he lay down, covering himself over as best as he could with his cloak and the musty blanket left there, he couldn't believe this was happening. He had really done it – he had ran. And he wasn't going back. He actually dared to escape. And was playing with fire as soon as he did.

But this was better than a crew of mean, twisted people. Surely it would be. They would look for him on the big ships, not a small brig sailed by a boy no one seemed to look twice at. This was anonymity. He would just have to ignore Sora's – everything.

The barely formed plan in his mind lulled him into a half-sleep. The hammock rocked gently with the lull of the river and it was absurdly comforting. Sora's heavy breathing on the other side of the cabin was calming too, in a way.

Then he felt something small jump in the hammock with him.

He froze. Tiny feet were scurrying up him – catching him in the sensitive areas of his stomach. Something small, with a long tail.

"Sora," he hissed. "Sora!"

"Mmm?" He heard Sora shuffle in his hammock, and yawn loudly.

"There's a rat."

"What?"

"A rat. There's a rat in my hammock. Aren't they only supposed to be in the bilge?"

"Only the lowliest rats. The peasant rats. And there are no rats in my bilge, thank you very much," Sora grumbled, and then there was another fizz as he lit a match. He stepped closer to Riku and he gritted his teeth as he looked down at the small creature on his chest. "Oh, it's just the King."

Riku blinked at the mouse. It sat on him comfortably, tail curled around it like a tiny pink sausage. It's feet were the same pink. The rest of it was as black as soot – including it's gleaming eyes.

"The King?" he repeated. He hoped his voice didn't sound like a squeak – it wasn't like he was a lady who had found a mouse in her teacup.

"King Mickey." Sora scratched the mouse behind a large, papery ear and it squeaked appreciatively. "He must have taken a liking to you."

The mouse was already curling up on Riku's chest – just over his heart. It would have been easy to move – to sit up and push the tiny creature off of him, but he couldn't bring himself to. It's heart was over his heart, thrumming away at one hundred times faster than his.

"He's a mouse, not a rat," Sora said, wiggling the match in the air to extinguish it.

"That's okay then," Riku muttered.

Sora yawned loudly again – Riku could see his silhouette stretching up. "Well, yeah."

He was breathing heavily again within moments. Underneath him, Goofy was snoring loudly, and Donald was making strange, quivery sounds.

King Mickey was the only one who slept silently. A warm weight on Riku, that was actually comforting. For some reason, he felt like this tiny mouse understood everything, and was telling him to stay. It was telling him he had to do this. He had to run. And Sora was the best choice.

That was probably just wishful thinking.