The Scathed

[angel 4ever]

-looks at watch- hmmm batteries dead *changes batteries waits more *

[Captain Sharktooth]

^^^^^ Haha, Crest hurry mate!

[Crestshot]

Impatient bunch, ain't ya? Though, I can't really blame you... all things aside, I do have a chapter for you, late as it is. So, finally...

Conscience



The entire island of Tortuga was abuzz the next morning. What was once a symbol of tyranny and injustice was now just a smoking pile of scraps. People began having a huge revel around it, dancing and singing, and one man tried to bring a pig to roast over the embers before they were all shooed away by the Navy. The jail may have been gone, but the Navy still held some power, if only through brute force.

Kat looked out on the chaos that was Tortuga from the deck of her ship, sensing the extra hint of joy in the air. Tortuga felt like a pirate port again, rather than a barely constrained rebellion held in the palm of fear. It was an exhilarating feeling.

Charles came up to her side to stare out on the town with her. “It’s odd,” he told her. “I’ve been here for two months, and I’ve seen how this place changes in the blink of an eye, but never quite like this. There’s just something different that I can’t put my finger on.”

Kat smiled. “That’s freedom, Charles. It’s Tortuga reverting back to what it once was.”

Charles chuckled, leaning over the railing. “I like it. It’s threatening, yet fun, and so much different from London.”

Kat let out a short, barking laugh. “What were you expecting, tea and crumpets?” she teased him lightly. “Not a chance, mate. There’s a new adventure with every coming wave.”

“Adventure…” Charles murmured, and Kat could see it in his eyes; dreams of riches and fantasy, a near-death experience at every turn. She knew it was the life he had always wanted, yet had always been held back from, being the only son. He saw Tortuga as his golden opportunity.

Kat swallowed her thoughts on his future for another time. “So, you know a few people in town from your time here, yes?” Charles nodded. “Good. You probably know more than I do. Go find people that would be willing to come to the meeting tonight. Take Ironhawk with you. His huge presence should intimidate anyone to come.”

Charles laughed as he looked over to the bulky man. “You got it, Kat,” he said. Kat saw him walk over to the blonde and talk to him briefly, motioning towards the town, and the two soon left the ship.

Her side shot with pain like a bolt of lightning, then suddenly was gone. She grimaced and gasped at the suddenness of it. Unfortunately enough, her coat was still in her cabin, with the rum inside the pocket. She just brushed it off and grabbed a lantern to go and pay a quick visit to Jenkins.

No others accompanied her down this time. The lantern created deep, unreal depths in the darkness. It was cool in the brig, away from the bright Caribbean sun. She came upon Jenkins shivering in the cell.

“Good morning, Captain Jenkins,” Kat said, her tone matching the cool atmosphere. “You’ll be glad to see that I have something for you.” She opened the iron door and tossed a loaf of bread to the ground. “It’s not very good, considering you burnt down the town’s best bakery. It was only a stroke of luck that its baker didn’t light with it.” Jenkins glared up at her with his small, dark eyes as he grabbed for the loaf.

“Where is your companion, Jenkins?” Kat asked, glancing around the small, dirty cell. She slowly reached for her sword, listening intently for the slightest sound. Men pounded on the top deck, regular creaks and groans emanated like usual from the Mercenary, but there… right there was a small shuffle, a creak out of place. Jenkins’ eyes glanced somewhere to her right, and Kat knew.

A metallic crash echoed through the small space as Kat’s sword me the old rusted one rushing at her. From the corner of her eye, she saw the frustrated look on Jenkins’ face. She turned her attentions back to the officer. “I already have a deep slice on my left. You think I want a matching one on my right?” she growled at him.

The battle didn’t last long at all. Kat slashed at a bag lying on the ground and coffee beans came spilling out. They fell to the floor in a shower and got tangled under the officer’s feet. He fell to the floor with a crash, and Kat pointed her sword down at him menacingly.

“Damn it McKinnon!” Jenkins screamed, but Kat ignored him.

“Don’t make me kill you, lad,” she whispered, the flickering light of the lantern making her seem even more threatening.

“Please… I have a wife…” he whimpered in terror. Kat automatically felt pity for the man, but she kept her mask on. She remembered waiting at home for a husband in danger on the battlefield.

“Killing me will do you no good, Jenkins,” she said harshly. “The revolution is already set. Your prison is gone, and your ridiculous headquarters will be as well. Unless, of course, you agree to my proposition.”

“I shall not!” Jenkins yelled in fury. “The Crown is the all-powerful! A small port such as this is but a dot on the uncharted maps!”

“Then why is there such fear in your eyes, Captain?” Kat spoke lowly.

The two met in a silent battle of wills, only to be shattered by the man still lying on the ground. “For the love of God, Captain, take the deal!” McKinnon cried, his breathing shallow as he looked at the sharp tip of Kat’s blade. She looked at Jenkins directly, her sword still staying strong. Jenkins just shook his head in a violent ‘No’.

Kat’s eyes darkened, then she nodded. “Very well.” She kicked the cell door tightly closed, hearing it screech as metal crushed against metal. As she leaned down to take McKinnon by the arm and drag him out of the brig, she shouted to Jenkins, “I hope you don’t mind the death of one more of your men, Captain!”

McKinnon began kicking and screaming to try and get away, but Kat pressed her thumb to that spot in the crook of his elbow, and he immediately fell to his knees. “Don’t make me really kill you, lad,” she muttered in his ear. He was quiet the rest of the way up.

“Lawrence, I need you!” she yelled as they entered the sunlight. Her red-headed first mate popped up to attention from where he had been apparently been asleep against a barrel. His tricorne had fallen clumsily over his eyes and he hastily straightened it as he spoke.

“What do you-” he stopped suddenly when he caught the site of Kat grasping McKinnon firmly by the arm. “Kat…” he said slowly. “Why is the Navy man up here?”

Kat just nodded towards her quarters and felt Lawrence’s presence as he followed her up. He opened the door for her and Kat shoved McKinnon inside. The man stood there fearfully, looking cautiously at the dagger Lawrence had just drawn. Kat, on the other hand, sheathed her sword. She looked up at the soldier with some disdain. “Well don’t just stand there like a petrified piece of wood. Sit,” she said, pointing to one of her small wooden chairs. He sat down slowly, carefully, and Kat followed his line of vision. “Lawrence, put it away,” she said. “He’s less a prisoner and more of a… guest, now.” Lawrence reluctantly hooked the dagger back onto his belt.

“Now, Mr. McKinnon, the only reason you’re not dead yet is because you seem to have something your captain sorely lacks.” She put her hands on the back of the chair and leaned over him. “A conscience. You actually care for the potential lives to be lost. Of course, I’m certain there’s a significant amount of care for your own life in there as well, but we’ll let that slide.”

“Now, my friend, if you want your fellow soldiers, and yourself, to live, you will have to follow my instructions to the letter. I am willing to let you go back to your headquarters, where I am sure everyone is running around frantic, trying to figure out what to do with all the rampant pirates. Here is where you inform them that Captain Jenkins died aboard the pirate ship, yet you managed to escape. However you want to tell them you escaped is of your choosing. This is where you inform them that as he died of mortal injuries in the brig, he ordered you to escape and tell everyone to abandon Tortuga. You must get this point across to them, Mr. McKinnon, otherwise they will all die. For tomorrow night, there will be an organized raid on any Navy base here on the island, whether it be the building in Tortuga town or your ‘secretive’ little caves. And believe me, McKinnon, it won’t just be my crew ensuring your destruction. If you want everyone to live, or at least most of them, for I can’t assure anyone’s lives, you will get them out of port by tomorrow evening. To be frank, getting them out tonight would be all the better for you, as I can’t control the riots that will happen after this evening. Savvy?”

McKinnon gulped, but he nodded. “Yes. Yes, I understand, Captain Crestshot,” he said with fear in his voice.

Kat nodded in return. “Good lad. And don’t even think about trying any funny business, McKinnon. We’ve got the entirety of Tortuga behind our backs, and we’ll be watching you.”

She took his arm firmly again and hauled him out of his chair. “Now, Lawrence, will you grab that bag right there?” Kat asked him, pointing to a small sack she usually put rum in. He tossed it over to her and she shoved it over McKinnon’s head, despite his yelp of protest. “Sorry mate, gotta make it convincing. And remember, you did try to kill me more than once.” She motioned to Lawrence to take his other side, and the two led McKinnon out of the cabin.

“You only get what’s coming to you!” Kat shouted to the world as they entered open air. “Draw your dagger,” she hissed to Lawrence. They began marching McKinnon down the plank to Kat’s cry of “Your blood isn’t good enough to be spilled on my ship!” The crew just watched in awe.

Kat led the two men far away from the town and into a dark corner of the swamp. She stopped, slowly looked around, the whipped the bag off of McKinnon’s head and kicked him to the ground. Her and Lawrence took off at a spring away from the man. “I never said I’d make it easy, lad!” she yelled back to him, laughing. In only a moment, her and Lawrence were gone. McKinnon grumbled as he picked himself off the ground and began trying to find his way back to the town.




Oooh, you can just feel the suspense rising now can't you? (Joke from my play... ha.)

Anyway, my apologies on the lateness of this, mates. I'm afraid real life is really kicking me up and down lately. Inspiration to write has been on and off, at best. Nevertheless, we are coming upon a part of the story that I have been waiting on since the beginning (and yes, by the beginning I mean Her Beginning) in the next couple of weeks. So keep an eye on that horizon, aye? Thanks for reviewing, and Thanks for Reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[Captain Del]

I can feel the suspense and tension ever building, Crest. This is the reason why everybody is so anxious for the next chapter - your story is very open ended, suspenseful, and of all things, intent and gripping. I really am waiting to see you release all your potential in to what you have in store, which I know will be more than enough to stun and shock - more than usual, of course

[Catherine Ironcutter]

Loved the chapter, now I shall sit and lurk until later this week, when you post the next chapter

[Captain Sharktooth]

Another great Chapter! The only downside is that you make it so suspenseful!

[The Stealthy Pirate]

As always Crest, a good chapter, look i know i havent posted here yet, but this is really good, do you think you could great a new member of the crew named Henry McBones? i think he would be a good addition

[Crestshot]

Trust me, mates, I am very much aware that my concentration on The Scathed has been sorely lacking. I don't think I've properly posted on a Friday in three weeks or more. For this, I give my formal apology, and offer this chance to explain myself.

First off, the current plot line we are in, the revolution of Tortuga, was not in my original plot. Actually, we've really strayed from my original plan. What happened is that after Sarah was captured, I had this image of Kat walking slowly and calmly away from the huge explosion of the jail in retribution for the Navy's actions. Kat wasn't lying when she asked Lawrence, "Feel like doing something stupid?" While I always kind of write from the top of my head, never quite sure what's going to flow out, I usually have a much better idea of where I'm going. All of this - Jenkins and McKinnon, Kat's slash in her side, even Luckie's bakery burning down - has just been... coming out. One thing leads to another, and another, with only a single end intent in mind, and no real motives on how it will all turn out for each individual character. It's just a matter of making it interesting along the way.

Second off, my state of mind from the writings of Solomon or the Muertos moon, or even the beginnings of Luckie O'Clover (Thanks again to the both of you) is much different from my mindset now, in many different ways. Mostly... I'm happier than I have been in a long time. It may sound odd, but my writing deteriorates the happier I am overall. I remember this time a few years ago where I started a story called Just in Case. Definitely not my best work, but when I wrote it.. well, I wrote it at a time when my life was hell. When my life started getting better, I stopped finding inspiration for the story, and eventually abandoned it. It's difficult to write drama in a time when your life is like a comedy.

Make no mistake, there is no way I will be abandoning The Scathed. I'm far too invested in it, and I want to see it through as much as you all do. It's just at something of a standstill at the moment. I want to see what my imagination pops out as much as the rest of you. Now it's just a matter of wooing my Muse back to me.

-Kat Crestshot

[The Stealthy Pirate]

so....after that slightly formal apology, where is the chapter? (not trying to be rude)

[Captain Sharktooth]

^^^^ If you read..... She said her story is at a standstill, just be patient and wait.

[angel 4ever]

we shall see when crest is kinda gloomy again gloomy crest is fun too ya know! haha right when it gets good u get happy haha thats ok we will wait crest

[Captain Sharktooth]

I thunk a thought!

We could all do something to make her really sad! That way, we get to have more chapters to read... Yay!

/evilgrin

[angel 4ever]

haha thats what i been trying to do for weeks now xD

[Crestshot]

Hello my friends. After my severe case of almost month long writer's block, the author has returned! And at the realization that today is the one year Anniversary of Her Beginning, I decided to post my long awaited chapter today. So, thank you if you are still reading this for putting up with my little bout of insanity. I told you I wouldn't be abandoning this story. Now enough chat! You all are anxious, so for you, at last...

Prepare



“Alright, listen up! Listen up!” Kat yelled from her perch in front of the burned remains of Luckie’s shop. The large group of people in front of her were all wandering aimlessly or chatting with friends, not a single one of them paying attention to the point of the gathering. She sighed and nodded to Ironhawk, who lit the cannon just behind him. Kat took great joy out of watching the entire crowd jump at the resounding bang.

“Now that you all are half-deaf, pay attention!” Kat yelled. “You are all here because you absolutely despise this Navy control, yes?” Mutters and a few yells rose up from the crowd, all in approval. “Good! And how many of you are drunk right now?” A large roar came up from the crowd this time. Kat couldn’t help but chuckle. “Even better. Now, here’s a plan that I’m positive all of you would like. What we do is-”

“Why should we listen to you!” a voice cried. “You’re nothing but a woman posing as a captain! You fancy yourself better than us!”

Kat looked around the crowd, stepping down from the box she had been perched on. The crowd seemed to point her in the right direction as they all faced where the voice came from. She walked through them slowly, looking carefully for the source, until a gnarled old hand grabbed her arm. “Why should we follow you?” an old man growled.

Kat ripped her arm away from him. “Why should you follow me!” she yelled out. “That is what the old man asks. Why follow a stupid little woman; he puts the idea in your minds. Well mates, it’s not that I fancy myself better than you!” She ran, parting the crowd and leaped up to her stand. “It’s that I know I am.”

Words of disapproval were flung up at her like rotten tomatoes, and she just absorbed them until the crowd stilled. “Think! For once, use your drunken, rum buzzed heads and think! I am the only one who has even managed to put a dent in the forces here! Doesn’t that make you think that I have the slightest idea of what I’m doing?

“Now listen, and listen carefully. The Navy are almost out of here. Most, if not all of them, should be gone by tomorrow evening. However, if they are not, I propose a full raid on them! Get rid of them for good!” Cheers were coming periodically from the drunken crowd at her words. “If you want to join, sharpen your weapons, and meet back here at dusk tomorrow!” She ended her speech there and leapt off of her box to minor applause and a few riled up pirates. If she had accomplished anything here, if she had swayed anyone to her side, that was all she could ask for.

At dawn the next morning, there were Navy soldiers at the docks, loading all they could as quickly as they could into one of their sloops. Kat watched silently from the window of her cabin as crates and barrels were all tossed hastily onto the ship. Odd, though. Tortuga had far more forces than would fit into that small sloop. She made a quick decision and walked out to the dock.

“You there!” she called to the first soldier she came upon. He turned, and at the sight of her, immediately moved his hand closer to his cutlass. Kat, however, pretended not to notice. “Can you direct me towards Mr. McKinnon?” The man glared at her for a moment, then pointed a thumb behind his back. Kat looked over his shoulder to see McKinnon organizing some of the men. She passed by the soldier with a harsh shoulder bump, and reveled in the glare that followed her back.

“Surely you can’t fit all of your men on that ship, Mr. McKinnon!” she said loudly. McKinnon visibly flinched and turned slowly to face her.

“Good morning, Captain Crestshot,” the man said quietly.

Kat crossed her arm and leveled him with a glare. “Well, McKinnon, is everyone leaving, or did your force shrink in half overnight?”

He wrung his hands nervously, twisting them around and around each other. “Some of us are leaving, but a few didn’t believe my message. They’re staying to try and hold our spot here.”

Kat felt her gaze darken. “They have made their choice, then. Tonight, they are dead.” She began to walk away, but McKinnon grabbed her arm.

“Please, have mercy!” he pleaded with her.

Kat turned her head slowly so that a sliver of her profile was visible. “I have given all the mercy I could have, Mr. McKinnon. I have given as many chances for life as I could afford. You and your Navy should have realized in a town of anarchy, you could not hold power for long.” She tore her arm away from the groveling man. “The only one who may give mercy now is God, and I don’t think he’s listening to either group of sinners.”

With that she ran, up from the docks, up towards the town. But her still injured side, which she seemed to forget had been cut open only three days before, tormented her, and she was forced to slow. She leaned up against a nearby tree, panting and wondering what was wrong with her.

“Voodoo is strong, Kat, but it does not give complete healing,” a soft, lightly teasing voice said from the other side of the tree. Kat turned her body to see Fabiola sitting on a low branch, smiling her mystic smile. “You try too hard, and too fast, my friend.” She let herself fall from the branch and onto the ground next to Kat. “Now, let me see this.” She reached for the bottom of the puffy white shirt Kat had taken to wearing since her traditional green had been sliced, and Kat’s trust in Fabiola was so strong, she just let her.

Kat hadn’t looked at it closely in days, not since it had actually happened. She heard Fabiola tsk at her when she looked down at the wound. It was an angry red around the edges, and the slice itself still looked deep. “Honestly, Kat. It is a wonder you are still standing,” Fabiola said. “Come to my cart. I shall help heal it more, past the pure voodoo.”

Kat followed the gypsy further up the path to where her small camp resided. A small fire burned, as usual, with a pot of some mysterious substance boiling over it. She entered the clearing after Fabiola and immediately noticed her sister sitting with her legs folded under her on the grassy ground.

“Sarah? What are you doing here?” Kat asked, standing over her.

Sarah glanced up from intently watching the pot. “Fabiola has been helping me with a few voodoo things,” she replied with a small smile. Kat could see that behind it, for once, Sarah was content. Perhaps it was the new bright violet of her eyes… the bright color that so resembled Fabiola’s…

“The voodoo,” she said quietly.

“Hmm?” Sarah asked, not hearing Kat’s soft words.

Kat spoke louder, explaining herself. “Your eyes. They changed after the fight with Jenkins. It must be because of-”

“The voodoo,” Sarah finished for her. “Yes, Fabiola explained that to me.”

“Yes, it has taken full residence,” Fabiola said, approaching the sisters. “Here, take this.” She handed a paste to her, and Kat had been through this enough times to know to apply it to the area of the wound.

“Residence?” Kat asked as she spread the medicine around.

From the corner of her eye, Kat saw the two exchange a glance. Sarah began smiling. “It means I finally accepted it,” she said.

Kat flicked her eyes towards them, seeing the peace there. It was odd. She could really do nothing more but nod at Sarah’s statement. There was nothing for her to say to this new presence in her.

Fabiola finally spoke to break the silence. “What are you going to do about tonight, Kat?”

The young woman’s eyes darkened, and she bowed her head slightly. “I must keep to my word. I may be pirate, but if I do anything with the truth and a pure heart, it is this. They did not believe the words of warning I sent them, and for that, they make their own graves.”

Sarah looked upon her sister with unease. “Katherine, must you really? Isn’t there another-”

“No, there is no other way, Sarah!” Kat bit out. “There is no other way, for not only I have given every chance for some semblance of peace that I thought possible, there is one crucial fact that you constantly seem to forget!” She stood. “I am not Katherine. I am a pirate. I am a ruthless, thieving, selfish scoundrel who is somehow trying to free this small dingy port in the middle of a sea I didn’t even know five years ago. And I shall free it by any means necessary.”

Sarah looked shocked into silence. It was Fabiola, who had heard outbursts like this before, that spoke up.

“Kat, sit. The herbs need to work, or you shall not heal. You know this.”

“No, Fabiola,” Kat said with a shake of her head. “There is too much to do. I must prepare for tonight.”

She turned to her sister. “I don’t expect you to be there. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. But, I would feel better with you at my side. We’re meeting at the remains of Luckie’s bakery just before nightfall, if you do.” She turned away and walked out into the woods, feeling the medicine on her side burn slowly in protest of her movement.

“She is going to kill herself with all of this one day,” she heard Fabiola say sadly to her departing back. Kat had no choice but to let the words bounce off of her and continue through the dense trees.

She spent the rest of the day with Lawrence, organizing the crew into groups to lead the assault, gathering weapons and ammunition for those who would show that night, and drinking far too much rum. Near the end of the day, Lawrence had to forcibly remove it from her hands.

“Lawrence, give it back!” she yelled, running after him. He charged up the steps at the stern, leaping over some crates in the way. Kat launched herself towards him, her hands slamming down on the crate that separated them. Lawrence held it out to her tauntingly.

“You want it?” He tossed it into the air behind him and caught it with his other hand. “Well too bad! You’ve had far too much rum today! Your mind has no chance of being clear tonight at this rate!”

Kat quite literally growled at him. “Give. It. Back!” she screamed at him, beginning to turn red around the edges.

Lawrence eyed her critically with a raised eyebrow. “You know what?” He offered the bottle out to her again, but when she reached for it, he tossed it to the side and off the ship. The splash echoed ominously. “No.”

There was a silence for a moment. The entire crew watched with wide eyes as Kat steadily turned redder and redder, finally stabilizing at roughly the shade of a Navy flag. “You did not just throw my rum into the water, did you Mr. Mcrage?” she hissed, the sound carrying across the boat. Lawrence just folded his arms and nodded.

She rushed at him, smacking and hitting and kicking every part of him that she could reach. He accepted a few hits, then began grabbing at her hands to try and stop her.

“Why did you do that?!” she yelled at him, punctuating each word with a hit. “It wasn’t doing any harm!” She was forcing him to step back and back until his back met with a railing.

HE finally got a grip on her hands and stilled her movements. “Because maybe now you’ll get your head back from wherever the hell it’s been all day!” he roared directly into her face.

They both stood there a moment, glaring at each other, until Kat ripped her hands from Lawrence’s grip. “You are my first mate, Mcrage, or do you forget that?” she asked, pointing a slightly shaking finger at him.

“Oh believe me, I remember,” he replied haughtily. “That means it’s my duty to tell you when you’re being a total drunkard and moron when you have things that need to be done. Do you recall that part of my job description?”

Kat continued to glare at him, as if searching for a specific weakness in his iron will. She found none, however, and huffily turned on the spot and began walking away from him. “You’re on my list, Mcrage!” she called backwards to him.

“So long as I get my point across,” he replied. He watched as Kat walked off the ship, then let out a small chuckle. “Come on all! Time to get started!”



I'm very much aware how overdue this chapter is, and yet I still leave you without the climax.

I want to thank those of you who are reading this after my almost month long silence. I think my Muse came running and gave me a swift kick in the behind. So thank you for holding on tight, mates. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Even WITH the threats to make me sad so I will be inspired to write. :P

So, you know how it is mates! I look forward to reviews, whether it be good or whether it be attacking me for not posting in so long. Thanks for Reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[Captain Sharktooth]

Attack! That is for not posting in a long time.

Good as usual Crest! I applaud. /clap