Bait for the Albatross

"What on the earth are you doing?" Zato sighed, looking at his little brother, who was cover in the flour. Oku lift his eyes, his grin wide as one of the tiger, though it looked particularly funny since he had just lost both of his front teeth.

"Nothing!" Oku responded, unhelpfully. He had sneaked back to the mother's bakery and was quite clearly stuffing pieces of bread under his shirt.

Zato tilted his head. He wasn't buying it. "What is it?" he asked, trying to snatch the bread back.

Oku huffed, his tiny face turning very, very serious. "It's bait!" He whispered loudly, looking very upset when Zato didn't support his endeavors.

"Bait for what?" Zato asked, but was hushed silent by Oku, as his tiny brother dragged him to the back door.

Oku stepped out, looked around suspiciously, and closed the back door. "For an albatross!" He told as he felt the road was clear.

An Albatross? Little brother wasn't more than a few years younger than his Zato, but Zato still had a feeling this sounds like a terrible idea. "Why?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Unca Gnut told that albatrosses are sooooo big, that they could make a gnome fly!" Oku told enthusiastically. "I'm gonna try that! I get it down with bread, then I take it by ankles and see if it flies!" He was, clearly, very impressed by his plan.

"You are not a gnome," Zato reminded his very-half-elvish brother. "And how do you plan to get down?"

"Well, I'm as small as unca Gnut!" Oku reminded. "And I figure out something."

---

"We figure out something", Zato huffed. He moved his chains, trying to avoid Ripley's case. He had been in the caged few days now, and Ripley wasn't amused.

He could feel her stare behind bars, though. "Well, I'm not so sure," she hissed, trying to keep her voice down so guards wouldn't hear her. "What if they decide that cage isn't enough?"

"Well, that's my problem-" Zato started when upset halfling interrupted him.

"We came here together; we are not going to risk you!" Ripley started, her eyes burning. She looked scared. Ripley was never scared; it felt odd.

"I agreed to be the bait," Zato said slowly. "Stay in the script; we figure this thing out."

Ripley took a deep breath, counting to ten. She turned to leave, but said before going: "Those stories about the crazy ideas of your brother has? I'm starting to think you are even crazier." She huffed and was gone, leaving Zato alone in his cage.

Zato bit his lip. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was trying to ride an albatross. He sighed and closed his eyes. All he could hope was that this bird was strong enough to carry him.