Pirates Return IC

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Daniel watched the hammock wrapped bodies go overboard. How many of these men might still be alive if he had done a better job binding their wounds, or loosening their tourniquets more often? Why wasn't he among them, and would he be better off if he were? Did he really want to be a pirate? The reality of it was quite different than what stories and songs made it out to be. He didn't have much choice in the matter now though. He saw Matty and went over to him, or her.

"Hey Matty, it feels good to be alive, doesn't it? I can't remember if I ever thanked you for helping me get on board. If I haven't yet, thank you. I'm glad I'm here, though I still don't know what my mom thinks about it. She hasn't skinned me alive yet though, so maybe it'll all work out."

Daniel stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet a little. "How's your back feeling?" he suddenly asked.

 

Alexa looked up at Ricardo, eyes cold. "Why is it I can never get a moment's peace after I am asked to inflict pain on someone?"

She sighed and stood up. "What now, Ricardo? And if it involves anything to do with torturing a person for information, tell the Captain to find someone else. One a day is my limit."

 

”Señora, I assure you, it has nothing to do with the captain.” Ricardo told her. “Other than that I suspect he would hope for us to get better along. So, I hope you will accept my apology for how I have been acting. It was never my intention to start things off so badly between us.”

Before she could reply, he hurried to add, “And I was hoping you would have the time to take a look at my shoulder. I did not believe the would to be bad enough to need your attention, but… I was mistaken.”

 

Alexa sighed, and gestured to Ricardo to sit on the bunk and take off his shirt. "Injured during the battle and you didn't come to me sooner? Honestly, some people never learn." Her tone was exasperated and amused.

Cleaning and stitching the injury, Alexa noticed some ugly scarring on his upper right arm. "What happened here? Whatever it was, it wasn't looked after properly."

 

Ricardo grimaced. ”I…. I was shipwrecked, Señora, soon after I received that wound. It was not treated before an infection set in and fever rendered me insensible.”

He did not want to think of the circumstances he’d injured his arm in; he did not want to think of the betrayal, the pain, the long hours spent alone, consumed with pain and fury… not leBihan’s so-called hospitability.

Her hands were strong and sure as they worked on the wound, the stitches small and even. THe precise pain, from her talented touch, was driving Ricardo mad. She had no idea what she was doing to him with her closeness, with her touch… he drew a deep breath, ansd started.

The liquid she’d poured on his wound had a too-familiar scent. The realization ceased some of his ardour, as the old craving raised it’äs ugly head. He gritted his teeth as memories threatened to surface once more.

“Señora, do you accept my apology? I sincerely hope that we could start again.”

 

Did he know? What could he have seen, I thought I was careful... but it doesn't matter, I can't tell anyone else before the captain.

"Aye, me back be fine, thanks. An' I be glad t' see yeh above decks, Daniel, even if I be surprised t' 'ear yeh thanking me fer getting yeh int' battle so quick. Matty thought of something else that might explain Daniel's discomfort and looked at him sharply. "If ye'd never afore been t' sea, that were yer firs' battle... were it also firs' blood fer ye, Daniel? I don' mean 'elpin yer Mum cut off a leg or summat - 'ad ye killed a man afore today?"

 

Daniel looked down at his feet. "No. And today I killed three. I'm glad I did. The first was about to kill me, the second, Bison, and the third, my mom. But it feels different than killing rats or pigs."

He looked into Matty's eyes for a moment, then looked out to sea. "But I've signed the Articles now. I'm a pirate, I guess I'd best get used to killing. It was weird though, how my mom said she enjoyed torturing that Red Hand. I'd never have imagined her capable of doing something like that. I wonder why she wanted me there watching her."

 

"I think... I think she wanted yeh t' see tha' bein' a pirate ain't all treasure an' excitement, like lotsa kids dream aboot. Thar be plenty o' dirt an' blood an' pain an' jus' as much 'ard work as at any job yeh could 'ave on dry land. Da did th' same t' me, see. Them pirates what took us wasn't so bad, long as we was at sea, but when we reached port..." Matty's eyes grew unfocused with the memory, then she shuddered violently. "Wha' they did t' tha' poor girl was... they was worse'n animals, I tell yeh, Daniel, animals."

 

Tying off the last of the stitches, Alexa covered the stitches with a bandage then went to clean her hands. Her back to Ricardo, she considered his words. "Apology, aye."

She turned to face Ricardo again. "One must gain my trust before they may gain forgiveness. I do not trust you. I am grateful, aye, for your actions during the battle, protecting my Daniel, but that still does not mean that I trust you." She picked up a small phial of a clear liquid, and examined it closely.

"Besides I do not trust people who hide things." She looked over at the distracted Ricardo, eyes picking up his discomfort. "There is something you are hiding, Don Ricardo De La Santiago. And that is one of the reasons why I do not trust you."

 

Ricardo winced, as he pulled his bloodstained shirt back on. “Señora, I… I understand. ” He closed his eyes momentarily before he continued. “I hide things, that is true. For the most part, it is for the sake of convenience, but… there are things I am not at liberty to reveal, and thigs… I cannot bear to speak of.”

He gritted his teeth as he finished buttoning his shirt, and approached her. She narrowed her eyes warily, but Ricardo did his best to not to do anything that would cause her to think he had an ulterior motive... no matter how much he wanted to just grab her and throw her down, have his way with her then and there… he bit the inside of his cheek distract himself from the idea as he stopped.

Ricardo smiled softly as he offered her his hand. “Señora Alexa, I will not let convenience keep me from gaining your trust. I am Don Juan Ricardo de la Santiago y Riviera, the former Duque de Alba. It has been a great honour to make your acquaintance, and I hope that you will eventually grace me with your friendship and trust.”

[ August 15, 2005, 02:55: Message edited by: Arabwel ]

 

Alexa took his hand cautiously, then turned back to her worktable. "Well, it is a start. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get some work done, and it's best if I am alone for it."

She glanced around the surgery, noting the chaos that seemed to have taken over. "I must also clear up this mess. If any members of the crew have any injuries that must be tended to, I will deal with them, but I need rest."

 

Ricardo inclined his head slightly before he turned on his heel, leaving the surgery. The touch of her hand on his still lingered, and he knew that if he did not leave her now, he would not be able to control himself. Once, a long time ago, he would not have cared, but now…. He had no desire to be too hasty. He intended to enjoy pursuing her as much as he would eventually enjoy her.

Nevertheless, when he reached his cabin, intending to get rid of his blood-soaked shirt, he found himself too restless, too frustrated to simply leave and go on with his duties. He knew that he could take a few moments to ease this….frustration; the privacy granted to him by his role as the Quartermaster made that easy.

The redhead was not the only one who needed rest, he reflected as he wiped his hands on the ruined shirt; he knew he could use some himself…he knew he still had things he needed to do, but lying down just for a few moments would not detain him too long…

Within minutes, he was asleep.

 

Daniel touched Matty's shoulder. "Well, never-the-less, I'm glad I got myself on board. Even if a pirate's life is not all that the songs make it out to be. I'm here with my mom, and with you." He shifted his feet and put his hands in his pockets.

"You know, it's not easy not having a brother ... or a sister. In street fights it's okay if your siblings get you out of a jam, but it's death itself if you have to go running off to your mommy or daddy. So I got my share of lickings dealt to me over time. Would you consider becoming my blood ... sibling? We could watch out for eachother, with both of us being so young and all. You could teach me all about the work on the ship, and I could teach you ... well, I don't know what I could teach you. But I'd be a great brother to you, that I swear."

Daniel took out a dagger and held it to his palm. "Well, what do you say, Matty?"

 

Matty grinned widely. "Aye, Daniel, 'twould be great ter be yer blood si...sibling." She winked, and his answering smile told her that he understood. Both smiles faded as they quickly nicked their palms with the blade and exchanged blood. "No one better than a brother to watch your back or keep your secrets, eh?" she added quietly, using her real voice.

 

Daniel held her hand tightly to his. "That's right, Matilda," he whispered to her. He let her go. "Goodness, I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to go find an empty space to sling a hammock. Wake me if we get attacked again." He headed down to the crew's quarters.

 

Alistair woke.

He's sure how long he's been sleeping - he must have dozed off while lying on the hammock with it swinging comfortably and rhymatically. He was just having a particularly good dream when a wave bumped into the side of the ship and toppled it a bit heavier than usual, causing something to fall on his face (which turned out to his notebook). Surveying the room groggily he noticed a few crew members, either sleeping, chatting quietly, or eating. Grunting, he fiddled for a cigar, lit it, and was puffing smoke a few seconds later, ignoring the venomous gaze of his fellow shipmates.

He knew full well that if the ship ever had a fire accident, it would probably be blamed on him. With this knowledge happily lodged in his mind, he started humming a song quietly.

 

”Yes, Llamita, cry for me!”

“You’re mine!”

“Who dared to touch you?”

”You will regret ever touching what is mine!”

“No… Llamita! You can't.... I won't let you...”

With a gasp, Ricardo woke. He was covered in sweat, his shoulder hurting as he struggled to awareness. He had not intended to fall asleep… had not intended to dream of her.

He gritted his teeth as he tried to steady his breath, doing his best to drive the memories away. Señora Alexa reminded her of his Llamita so much… so very much. But Alexa was different. Alexa was loyal. She would not betray him… she would not be swayed from him, would not let herself be taken from him!

Bitterly, he thought of his lost one, his little spitfire…. He had never learned why she had let herself be swayed by that rotten cur of a captain, why she had run from him in the first place… although, after knowing leBihan, he believed he had… an insight as to why.

This time, he vowed, he would not make those mistakes. He would introduce Alexa to his particular brand of passion slowly… making sure that she would not be frightened away from him.

 

Somebody crying out woke Daniel up. He felt well rested, so he got out of his hammock and went topside. There were a few men doing what they do with the ropes, but Daniel didn't see anything that was clearly something he should do, and he didn't want to mess the ropes all up, so he went down to the surgery to see if he could help his mom.

She was lying in a chair. Her blanket had slipped off her, so he gently covered her back up. He went around to the men who were still lying around the surgery, recovering from their wounds, checking on them and changing bandages when necessary. Amazingly, no more had died since the last time he had been here. As he came back to the water barrel from giving some of them a drink, he saw that his mom was awake, and was silently watching him.

He took a drink, then put the ladel back in the barrel. "I'm sorry, Mom. I know I shouldn't have come, but you never specifically told me not to. And now I've signed the Articles, so I'm bound to stay. Maybe it would have been better for us all if I stayed at the Kelp, with Bart, but then I'd might never had seen you again, ever. Or worse, I might have seen you hanging in the gibet, or heard that the whole ship went down with the crew. If we're going to die, I'd much prefer to die together."

He stood there waiting, wanting her to give him a hug.

 

Alexa sat up, looking put out. Rest, it seemed, would not be coming to her anytime soon.

"Daniel, lad, the first thing you should have done when you realized you wanted to join a pirate ship was ask me first. It is not a life that I would recomend for a lad of fourteen winters, but it can have its perks." She stood and walked over to her workbench, where several phials of different explosives were resting.

"I became the surgeon on the Marauder because I was seeking revenge for what had been done to me and other women in Freetown. And yes, that's where I met Arvin. The battles we fought, the people I killed... it was not 'fun'. It was horrific, but we all did what we had to in order to survive. I would have hoped that the stories that Arvin and I had told you would have taught you something of that, but it appears that I am to be disappointed."

Looking back at Daniel, her eyes softened. "Lad, I despise torturing people, and yet, as the surgeon, I know what hurts the most. I also wanted you to see that the pirate life is not pretty. It is a harsh lifestyle, always fearing for one's life."

Alexa crouched down in front of Daniel, watching him. "I wish that you had stayed at the Rotten Kelp with Bart. You would have been safe there. Don't worry about your mother, I have been looking out for myself, and my son for many a long year."

A sad smile crossed her features. "If we die together, who will be left to carry on the family line? I am proud of what I have managed to do in Freetown, and I had hoped that you would continue what I have done. But that is not to be."

 

Three Swords sat at the desk in his cabin supping upon a dish of burnt meat of interminable species. He did not care about the taste though, his thoughts lingered on the deaths of the crew - and the cost of replacing them. He'd have to sell the weapons of the Red Hands, he decided, that would bring him profit enough to hire new hands and maybe even bring about a small profit, after all men were cheaper than guns.

Three Swords pushed away the half eaten meal and leaned back in his chair as he rolled a cigarrette. He struck a match and lit the cigarrette, taking a deep draw of the smoke. The taste was bitter and dry, but he enjoyed it the relaxing sensation that poured over his tense body.

He was still thinking on the dead when he heard a shout from on deck "Land ahoy!". Three Swords came to his feet, laying the cigarrette down and strapping on the iron scabbards of his blades. Placing the cigarrette in his mouth, Abbot walked outside, instantly noting the town of Port Royal in the distance. Finishing the cigarrette and throwing the stub over the end of the ship, Three Swords took to the bridge and relieved the man at the helm as they sailed into Port Royal.

Within twenty minutes, they were floating into port. Three Swords noted the huge ship that took birth there, formerly known as the Devestation, the ship that had chased The Violet Marauder across the carribean. It had now been repaired and commissioned to the Navy at Port Royal.

Port Royal was famed for a common resting place for Pirates - the governor himself welcomed their business - and the Navy stationed there were as filthy handed as the pirates themselves. For Three Swords though, it was a good place to hide from the Red Hands for a short while.

The governor had a long going feud with the Red Hands, over a grudge long forgotten by everyone other than the governor and so any man seen with a red hand symbol upon his body were instantly shot or hanged.

Three Swords had a mind to make a visit to the governor to see if he could enlist his help - and that of his navy.

The Pale Horse drifted into port and men threw lines over the side to secure the ship. Gangplanks were thrown down and, as always, men rushed down to find the bars. "You have two days." Three Swords bellowed and followed them down.