Serena didn't dare do more than lie on the roof and watch as the men walked away, and she couldn't follow them to learn what they were doing. Soon the two disappeared back into the city on some mission.
There were few people out, so Serena had no trouble climbing back off the roof. She found a slightly covered corner and ate a little food. She would have used a little magic to warm up if she had been braver.
The storm continued to roll in off the sea, and that kept most people indoors. That left her a chance to get closer to the ship and maybe find out what Buffy was doing. Serena still couldn't believe that her friend -- her best friend -- could have turned on them. Even if she was a cat.
The crew on the small ship looked busy despite the weather. Maybe they were just used to being wet and cold -- but Serena certainly didn't see Buffy out in that storm. The cat would be nestled into somewhere warm and with food.
Serena shivered in the rain and her stomach made enough noise that she feared being caught. She had found a little spot out of the wind -- but not the rain -- and watched as carefully as possible. She might not hear as well as Buffy, but she could still make note of things -- like the chest where they stored their swords. One of the men opened the top for a moment and must have checked to make certain it wasn't leaking. He had picked up two of the long-bladed weapons, wiped them off, and put them away. The chest was not locked.
Serena shivered again. Then she saw Buffy walk out under an overhang and look around with a disdainful flick of her tail.
"Where is Vane?" she demanded.
The man by the chest of swords gave an audible sigh as he stood straighter. "Captain Vane went to town on business."
"We were supposed to discuss matters," she all but snarled. Her tail twitched a few more times. "Tell him when he gets back that I am waiting in my .... in his rooms."
Buff turned and sauntered away. The man watched until she must have gone below deck before he turned away.
"She is going to be a problem," someone else said. Serena had not seen him until he stepped out into the open.
"She's the Captain's problem," the man said. "And that's the end of it."
From how the other obeyed, Serena guessed he must be the ship's second in command. No one else spoke at all, and Serena was ready to leave when she spotted Vane and his companion coming back. They were going to pass far too close to where she hid, and she dared not let them see her.
Serena almost used a little magic but realized in time that Buffy would sense it so close. She dropped to her knees and pulled the dark cloak tighter around her instead. She barely breathed, hoping that the two would be in a hurry to get out of the weather.
"We'll head south to summer lands," Vane said suddenly. "Take up some trade shipments again. There is too much work being a pirate, and it has done nothing for my indigestion."
"I told you," the other said. "If we change flags again, we can't come back this way."
"And miss all this lovely weather?" Vane said as they took the gangplank up. "I'll have to survive it somehow."
No one was looking her way. Serena took the opportunity to hurry away, putting a building between them before she slowed. No one had shouted, and Buffy hadn't seen her.
In the late morning, Serena finally dared the rain and wind and took to the sky, heading southward. The winds helped to push her inland, but it was a hard fight to turn her way toward home. She finally dropped to the ground, wrapped her cape around her, and trudged toward home. Walking.
It was a miserable trip.
There were a few others on the muddy road, all of those she met glaring and grumbling. Serena wanted to warn them not to go to Norco, but it was possible that all of them not only knew about the pirates but would also report her. Vane would think she and Buffy were working together, which would put the treacherous cat in danger.
She continued to walk as the night fell, and the fog rolled in as the rain and wind died. The eerie silence filled her with new dread --
A rabbit dashed across the road and startled her so much that she fell, keeping her face out of the mud by inches. She would have been trampled if there had been anything more than a wet bunny.
Serena started to cry --
"No," she said aloud, startling herself as she returned to her feet. "No, I am not a helpless little girl lost in the woods."
With a flick of her right hand, she dispersed all the mud that had started to weigh her down. As she walked, a little touch of magic to her shoes propelled the mud away. Since it was so late, no one else was on the trail. A coyote showed some interest in her until she singed his nose.
The storm died down somewhat, but Serena continued to walk rather than fly. She found no reason to hurry and wake her mother with the bad news. Being a Wise Woman, her mother might have to do something drastic about Buffy, and Serena didn't want to face that possibility. It bothered her just as much as the idea of the pirates raiding Bay Village. At least they would have a warning.
That made her consider flying again, but it was near dawn, and she knew this area. She would be home within the hour.
Mom would figure something out.
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