The Scathed

[angel 4ever]

im with sharky!! ATTACK!!!

ok im good now yay for the chapter!!

[SEAKING23]

Con grats on another chapter.. /clap hope whatever is stopping you from posting and writing stops soon!

[The Stealthy Pirate]

Im with Sharky and Angel there. Attack!!


Great Chapter Crest!! /applaud.

[Crestshot]

Alright alright mates, you can hold off on the for this week. I even have a chapter out early for you! Course, that's a different matter altogether. But before I get chatting too much...

The Caves



Once again, for the second day in a row, there was a crowd huddled near the burned remains of Luckie’s bakery. Kat looked upon the crowd, feeling the buzz of her rum slowly slipping away. As much as she didn’t want a clear, collected head for the battle to come, she knew she needed it. She took that moment as she walked towards the large band of pirates to transform. Hazel eyes hardened, her stance was suddenly more solid, and she brought the image of her sister, beaten and broken inside of a dirty jail cell, to the front of her mind. That would fuel her anger for the hours to come.

She forced herself to the front of the crows. “Shut it, all of you!” she shouted out. Men turned to her with skeptical expressions that Kat brushed away. “So, you all think you’re ready to rid Tortuga of these rats?” A huge roar rose up from the assembled pirates. Kat smiled.

“Well then, mates, let us be gone!”

Her crew helped organize the mob into three groups. Two would head into the ‘secret’ cave forts that the Navy had, storming from both entrances, while the others would head to their official, public headquarters. Those without were given ammunition and swords. No matter what happened tonight, one thing was certain; the Navy would fall.

Kat was examining a sword, the one she had taken from Jenkins, in the center of the hustle and bustle. It was clear that this wasn’t one of the ones the Navy handed out in bulk to their soldiers. The blade was sturdy, yet not heavy, and the hand guard was twisted in an intricate black design. Her hand curled around it solidly. It had probably been made upon his promotion to Captaincy.

A tap on her shoulder startled her out of her musings. She turned, expecting to see some townsman with an idiotic question, but instead was met with the bright violet of her sister’s eyes. Kat’s expression turned into that of a beached fish.

Sarah gave a small, timid smile. “I figured you could use some extra help,” she said.

Kat realized how she looked and closed her mouth. “Of course!” she said, recovering. “You have a cutlass?” Sarah turned to the side a little to show her small blade.

“Let’s not forget the voodoo,” she said, pulling the small doll that somehow held so much power out of her pocket. “Perhaps this small thing will help the tide turn.”

Kat grinned and nodded. “It’s good to have you on our side.” She turned out to the crowd. “Alright gents! Time to head out!” she yelled to everyone. She turned to speak to Sarah over her shoulder. “Stick by me, aye?”

The ragtag band of troops began marching to take back their town. Lawrence, being her most trusted officer, led his men against the Navy main base at the edge of Wildwoods, leaving Kat and Ironhawk with their brigades. Kat moved quickly through the trees in Wildwoods on the other side of the base, leading a group of about 25 men. Her eyes glanced around quickly, taking in every leaf, every twig, and any flash of a red uniform. They were what she estimated as halfway through when a sudden rustling sounded at her left. She motioned to the men behind her to stay silent and still, and began creeping slowly towards the source.

A shot rang through the trees with an ear-deafening intensity. “Who goes there!” a male voice yelled out.

Kat noticed the blood red sticking out in the trees now. She slowly drew her sword so as not to attract attention, and was suddenly glad for the camouflage of her crocodile coat. Her breathing was even as she stared at the bright red, preparing… and then without warning the man just fell to the ground.

Kat looked startlingly back to the group. She hadn’t heard a shot come from them, nor anything else that would signify attack on the man. Then she saw Sarah, her head and shoulders poking out above a bush, her doll in one hand.

She glanced back at her sister in slight shock, then walked over to the man. A pulse in his neck beat against her fingertips. Kat grumbled slightly, then took his bayonet and slung it over her shoulder.

“Come on! Let’s hope we don’t encounter any more of him!” she told the group, and started through the trees again. She moved to be next to Sarah and spoke lowly to her. “You could have killed him, couldn’t you?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you?” Kat demanded, a small fire beginning to burn behind her eyes.

When her sister’s gaze turned to her, Kat could see that the coldness that Sarah’s eyes had always portrayed so well hadn’t disappeared with the blue. “Because I didn’t have to,” she replied curtly. She turned away from Kat as if that was the end of the conversation, and since Kat had no response but to sigh and shake her head, it was. To her, Sarah didn’t understand the implications of not killing that man.

They continued through the woods for the better part of half an hour, eventually coming upon the small mountains that housed the caverns. The woods broke away to a small clearing that was obviously crudely man made. There was a small entrance about three men across, yet tall, that revealed the opening to their promised freedom.

“Are we ready?” she whispered backwards to the group. She heard it pass and spread through the men. A message then rebounded back to her, landing at Sarah’s whisper in her ear.

“Aye.”

A malicious grin flicked onto Kat’s face. She drew her sword without caring about the sound. Bayonets turned towards her as she led her brigade bounding out of the trees. Two shots fired off, but they flew past everyone’s heads. Before they could reload, the mob had reached them, and the two were struck down. Kat silently added two more marks to her mental tallies.

Someone grabbed the torch at the entrance and handed it to Kat. She took it in her left hand, leaving her right free for her sword. With that first step into the caves, the light in her hand prodding the darkness, she knew she had finally reached the point of no return.

Their steps echoed against the stone walls. The first few feet was narrow, but it soon opened to a wide, tall space that Kat figured had been extended with explosives. There was nobody there, however, which was highly unexpected. Kat looked around in confusion, but continued walking. However, they soon came to a fork.

She stared at the two paths for a moment, realizing her plan had not made room for this. The men behind her were rustling nervously, aware that she didn’t know what to do.

A shot echoed suddenly from the path on her left. It seemed to shoot energy behind her. The flame of the torch burned the air next to her face at the speed she was going. She flew past a fallen Navy hat as she began hearing yells from further down the tunnel.

They emerged in another high and wide area of the cave to the sore sight of pirate versus Navy. The second brigade had made it far before Kat’s, and seemed to have been engaged for a while. Bodies littered the floor here and there, red uniforms and dirty, ragged clothes alike. Men lay groaning in pain. She heard Sarah gasp and saw her rush to the nearest man. Voodoo doll in hand, she knelt next to him and began chanting over him, pulling out a bottle whose liquid she forced down the man’s throat.

Kat took her torch and pushed the end of it deep into the sand, effectively putting it out. She then drew her other sword, her original golden handled one, and went charging into the battle. It was easy enough to take out the two men that had been facing away from her with quick stabs into the back, but that soon brought attention to her. A Navy who had been paired up against one man broke off from his fight to try and slice at her head. With two swords, it was simple to parry that away and stab him in the chest. Blood poured from the wound as the man fell to his knees. Another tally.

Her dual wielding made it easy for her to cut through the battle. She slashed and sliced men like Nemesis herself, goddess of vengeance. Men came up to try and stop her, but there was no hope for those poor souls. Kat’s sword was soon dripping in blood.

Tally after tally. Death after death. She passed Luckie, who stood off to the side a little and flung knives into people’s backs. She glanced at Sarah, who was healing a man on the sandy ground, fling a soldier away from her with a flick of her doll. She encountered Charles, tripped onto the ground and about to be struck down.

With only the thought of her brother’s safety, and too far away to meet the soldier with her swords, she spun the bayonet still on her back and pulled the trigger, dropping a sword. The little lead ball had a sure shot into the man’s neck.

Kat suddenly stilled. She realized what she had just done.

The Code was broken.

Anger rushed through her body. “Are we done yet?!” it burst from her in a desperate scream. She scooped up her dropped sword and gripped the handle so hard that her knuckles turned white. “Are we done killing each other yet?!” she shouted as she began moving through the crowd. One man attempted to cleave through her, but she parried away and kicked him down. “Surrender, you Navy dogs! Nobody wants to die, to fight any more, but we shall not leave until we win! There are few of you, yet there is always more of us! There are always pirates!”

Some men had begun to stop their battles and listen to her words. “So surrender! Give up! Conserve your forces and go back to England, where they don’t care if you are ruthless swine! Go back with your heads bowed in defeat, but at least you shall still have your lives!”

She stopped her pacing dead center in the cavern. The fighting had stopped completely now. “So are we done?”

The residents of the room seemed to stare at each other in contemplation. Then, one by one, weapons clattered to the floor. Arms of red uniforms were raised. Kat took great delight in the site.

Her attention suddenly spun to her side, which had shot out in a scream of pain. She sheathed her right sword and touched her hand to her side. It came back bathed in blood.

She fell into the sea of darkness.



Ah, the sea of darkness.

Crest does good? Haha. Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for very long. This chapter had to be posted today for reasons soon to be revealed. Thank you for the reviews! I look forward to seeing what you post next! Thanks for Reading!

- Kat Crestshot

[The Stealthy Pirate]

If Crest dies:


Great Chapter Crest!!!!

[Crestshot]

Hey hey mates! Just want to give a slightly late (for her time at least) birthday shoutout to me mate angel 4ever here on the forums before we start this chapter! Happy birthday, mate! This one is for you!

Trapped



Light slowly slipped between Kat’s eyelids. She felt soft fabric beneath her hands, and she hummed contently as she lightly moved her fingers across it. Her hair was spread oddly across something fluffy underneath her head. She felt as if she was floating on a cloud.

Then reality kicked in.

Her head pounded worse than the worst rum hangover. Her back had a sharp pain in the very center. Most prominent was the red hot sting of her left side. Kat hissed in pain as feeling rushed to her.

“You’re up?” The voice entered her ears as an unrecognizable echo. Her gaze begun to open, then shut again quickly. A cool, wet cloth was placed upon her forehead, making her sigh in relief.

She tried opening her eyes again, slower this time. The light gently filtered in, and it became apparent that she was in her cabin. Her gaze travelled slowly around the room, taking it all in, finally landing on her brother sitting in a chair next to her bed.

“What did I miss?” she rasped to him.

He shrugged. “Not much, really. After you passed out, a few soldiers tried to start the fight up again, but their comrades were unwilling. There were maybe twenty of them left. We didn’t kill any more. They took the bodies of their dead, hopped on one of their ships, and left at dawn.”

“Dawn?” Kat asked. How long have I been out?”

Charles smiled at her. “It’s afternoon of the next day. To be honest, I think Sarah put her sleep spell on you so you might actually heal this time.”

Kat rolled her eyes and gently rubbed at the new bandages on her side. “It certainly doesn’t feel like I healed,” she grumbled. Charles chuckled softly at her.

“She probably did it while we were still in the cave. The moment you fell, she rushed right to your side, doing all sorts of funny things with that doll and pushing a potion into your mouth. Right after she finished with that, she yelled at Chris to grab you and carry you back to the ship. Of course, when we got here, Lawrence nearly had a heart attack at the sight of you. I think Sarah locked him out of the cabin, he was so crazed.”

“Yes, well, wouldn’t want the two of you getting in a fist fight over my unconscious body again, would we?” she said, trying to sit up. Charles had the decency to look sheepish.

“Yah, well…” he muttered. “What’s going on between the two of you anyway?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

She shot him a quick glare, but it quickly softened when she realized the innocence of the question. “There’s nothing 'going on' between us, Charles,” she told him.

He raised his eyebrow in a way that Kat herself did far too often. “Are you certain?” he asked again.

Kat smiled lightly at him, but there was a hint of sadness behind her bright eyes. “Yes, Charles, I’m sure.” She put her arms underneath her and tried to push herself up again, but found that she was unable to do so. “Bloody hell… Charles, will you find Sarah and tell her to come here so I can figure out what she did to me?”

Charles smiled a little at her frustration. “Sure thing, Kat.” Before leaving, he knelt by her bedside and kissed her forehead. “Thank you for saving me. I know what it meant,” he whispered, then exited.

Kat stared blankly where Charles had left. She had forgotten about that, to be honest. All she had remembered was her screaming and ranting through the cave, but hadn’t thought back as to why she had been doing so.

Oh god. The Code…

Sarah ran into the room and quickly slammed the door behind her, breaking Kat's train of thought. “Sarah Crestshot, let me see her!” Lawrence’s voice screamed from outside. A banging on the door accompanied his yells.

Sarah glanced at the wide eyed Kat from her place flat against the door. “Oh good, you are awake,” she said.

“Sarah!” Lawrence roared again.

Sarah rolled her eyes and flung the door open. Lawrence almost fell through, but seemed to get pushed out by an invisible barrier. “She’s breathing, she’s alive, she’s awake! You see her? Good!” The words were said lightning fast and she slammed the door in his face immediately afterwards. Kat heard Lawrence curse.

“Lawrence, will you-” she began to shout, but her side protested to the yelling. She grimaced and gripped it. “Will you tell him to shut up and relax? I’m fine,” she whispered through her pain.

Sarah scoffed softly. “Of course you are,” she muttered, but passed the message on.

“How am I supposed to relax when she almost died again!” he yelled through the door.

“Get out of here, Lawrence!” Kat burst, not bothering to acknowledge the pain in her side. She heard some grumbles from the opposite end of the door, but through the window she saw his bright red head disappear down the steps.

Sarah turned back to her. “Hi.”

Kat glared. “Hi,” she said flatly. “Would you mind telling me why I am physically incapable of getting out of this bed?”

Sarah grinned triumphantly at her. “It’s a little something I discovered. You won’t be able to get out of that bed until you are fully healed, or until I release you.”

Kat kept her glare steady. “Then you should really release me.”

“What, and let you bleed out again?” Sarah scoffed. “No. Sit and heal for a little while.”

Kat let out a huff of frustration. “I do have a ship to run, Sarah!”

“You do have a first mate that can do that for you, Katherine,” she retorted in the same tone.

“Yes, one who is half crazed over concern for my health! He’s in no state to do any sort of leading, so give me back my Captaincy!” Her voice got steadily louder over the course of her tirade, and on the last note, her side violently barraged her with new pain. She gasped again, and Sarah looked at her skeptically.

“It certainly looks like you’re fit for duty,” she said in an uncharacteristically sarcastic manner. “Tomorrow, perhaps, but after all you did yesterday, it’s a wonder you didn’t tear your stomach in two. For once, you’ll listen to me and rest.”

Kat slumped back in the bed, knowing the uselessness of arguing with her sister the voodoo mistress. “Can you at least let Lawrence in? I don’t relish the idea of him laying siege to my cabin for the next 24 hours.”

Sarah sighed. “Fine.” She left the cabin and found Lawrence, removing whatever spell she had placed that had barred his entry. Kat spoke with him briefly about how the battle had gone on his end, and how to prepare for shipping off once she was out of bed. When he tried to interrupt with concerns about her health, she reminded him to stay calm and not worry about her. He grumbled in his way, but accepted.

About an hour after he left, and Kat had stopped struggling against her invisible bonds, Kat began thinking. Sarah and Charles in the Caribbean still irked her some. She didn’t like them getting involved in what she saw as her battles. In her opinion, they didn’t belong out of safe England. Death at every turn was not an inviting prospect that she wanted to witness with them. Besides, she knew that the only reason they had come was to find her. Well, now they had, so that meant they could leave, yes? She fell asleep with these thoughts in mind.

Two days later, her ship was bustling with activity again. Her men had gathered all the supplies from Tortuga Town, and they were due to ship off at any moment. For this, Kat was glad. She had somehow become a celebrity in the town. It was an odd sensation, to say the least. She didn’t like going out there much anymore, and had even forced some of the crew to fetch her special batch of rum for her, rather than getting it herself from Johnny McVane.

Kat positioned herself next to the wheel of her ship. “Hoist anchor!” she yelled. The command echoed down to the crewmates on the anchor. “Release sails!” Again the order spread through the crew. “Hoist the colors, mates and let’s set sail!” she called out with a smile. The crew cheered to have their sea legs back and useful again.

They soon left the Tortuga Bay behind them. “Captain, what be our heading?” Tim called from his place on the wheel.

“Set course for England, mates!” Kat yelled out. A few crew members looked at her in confusion. Charles approached her.

“Kat, England? Why would we go there? What’s the point in leaving the Caribbean?” he asked. Sarah stood by his side.

Kat leveled her gaze upon them. “We’re heading for England so I can drop you two off at home. You found me. You succeeded in your journey. Now it’s time for you two to get back to your lives.”

Charles and Sarah looked at her, and then each other, in clear shock. “What do you mean, ‘drop us off at home’?” Sarah asked. “Why can’t we stay with you?”

Kat glared at her sister. “I am not arguing this, Sarah. This is my life, not yours. We’ll get to England in a few weeks, and then you two will stop this insanity that you’ve been on and return to something safe.”

“You think I want to go back to that, Kat?” Charles demanded of her. “You remember what it’s like there! Not a drop of freedom! Not free wind in your hair, or the free sea foam hitting your face, or the ability to wander wherever you please! I’m not going back there and becoming Father’s pawn for his business!”

“Yes you are.”

“No, I am not!” Charles shouted. “I won’t go back to that messed up, insane, miserable life!”

Kat felt her teeth clench. “It’s better than facing death every day, Charles! I won’t see my brother almost die again!” she yelled in his face.

Charles was about to respond with the same amount of fervor, but a barrel next to them suddenly tipped over. A brown, sticky liquid washed onto the deck, but that wasn’t the only thing. Out tumbled a small girl right onto Kat’s feet, wet all along her side from the rum that had been in the barrel. She smacked the deck with a small “Oof!”

Kat’s eyes widened in both anger and shock, and she drew her sword. “Who in the bloody blazes are you?!” she roared. The girl jumped back from her place at Kat’s legs. She lightly shook her head, and drops of rum flew from the tips of her long, dark auburn hair. Her face turned up towards Kat, and she was shocked by the youth in it. “You can’t be any older than 18!”

The girl let out a small grin. “Hi. I’m Angel,” she said nervously.

Kat glowered down at her. “Just because I asked who you are, doesn’t mean that I actually want to know,” she growled. “And you certainly don’t seem like your namesake if you stowed away on my ship. In fact, just the opposite. I think I was searching more along the lines of why are you here?!” She took a small step back and pointed the sword at her. The girl squeaked and scrambled backwards a little in fear.

“I wanted to join you…” she muttered. “After what you did to them Navy blokes, I figured…” She trailed off.

“You figured what?” Kat asked harshly. “That I would just let you aboard my ship? Sorry, only big girls allowed.” She picked the girl up by the collar of her grimy, rum coated shirt, and forced her to the edge of the ship. “Now, jump.”

“What?!” Angel yelped. Kat noticed her begin to tremble.

“You heard me!” she yelled. “Tortuga isn’t that far away! Jump off, swim back to shore! Just get off of my ship!”

The girl’s breathing began to quicken, and she was quite literally trembling in her boots. She took a small step to the edge of the ship, then quickly jumped back, but she only met Kat’s bracing hand. “I can’t!” she screeched.

Kat put the hand on the small of her back and pushed a little forcefully. “Then open your wings and fly, oh Angelic one!”

“Kat,” a voice said calmly from behind her. She turned to see Luckie standing there, looking solidly into her eyes. “Le’ tha lass stay. She’s jus’ a girl. Ye know how Tortuga can be.”

“Yes, that’s exactly why she’s going there and not here, Luckie,” Kat said. She saw the baker’s eyebrows furrow.

“I’ll take her under me wing, Kat,” she said, trying to reason. “I’ll let her be my responsibility.”

Kat stared at Luckie for a moment, then glanced back at the shivering girl, mulling it over. This was certainly an odd occurrence. However, if Luckie was willing…

Kat took the girl by the collar again and twisted her so that she faced the green haired woman. “Alright then. She’s all yours, Luck,” she said, giving the girl a small push in her direction. She practically ran to Luckie and clutched her tight. Kat hmphed and sheathed her sword, then beckoned to Sarah and Charles to follow her. The three disappeared into her cabin.

“Calm down, lil’ lass, calm down,” Luckie said soothingly, stroking the girl’s hair. “You’ll be fine now. I’m Luckie O’Clover.”

“I’m Angel.”

“Nice to meet ye, Angel.”



Happy Birthday Angel!!!!

Haha, I feel like that chapter went perhaps a little quick, but I got what I needed done. So, thank you for the reviews from YESTERDAY'S chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this one right after it! Thanks for Reading!

- Kat Crestshot

[The Stealthy Pirate]

Great Chapter Crest!!! /applaud.

[angel 4ever]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hip hip hurray for lucky!!! i was saved xD and!! YAY YAY YAY!!!!! the chapter!!!!!! - HUGS CREST- ((((((((((((((((((((((((crest))))))))))))))))))))) ))))) yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay is happy

[Captain Sharktooth]

Yay more chapters! Another good one Crest! Keep em coming!

[Catherine Ironcutter]

Just finished reading all 3 new chapters. Got some chuckles out of parts of them.

Can't wait for the next chapter. And my offer for you to use Emily or Cat as an extra character if you need them still stands

[Jack Shipsteel]

First we suffer a drought, and now we must withstand a flood!

Lots of reading I had to go through Crest. Keep up the great chapters. But don't sprain your fingers trying to keep us satisfied! If that's possible. Ha, I'd laugh if I saw somebody sprain their hand typing. However, th-

-trails off.....

[Crestshot]

Ahoy there, me mates! I've been a little computer silent for the past few days due to personal reasons, but thankfully, I'm able to come back to post this chapter! So, to continue the "flood", as Jackie calls it...

Battle of Wills



“You do not need to stay!” Kat shouted, slamming her hand roughly onto her desk for emphasis. Sarah and Charles stood unmoving at the thwack. “There’s no point to it! You two do not belong in this world! You belong in England, where it is safe!”

Sarah and Charles glanced at each other. “You should stop yelling before you irritate your side,” Sarah said simply.

Kat felt a snarl invade her face. “My side is fine!” she snapped. Her wound responded with a snap of its own, making Kat sink into her desk char.

Sarah gave her an ‘I told you so’ glance. “You shouldn’t lie to yourself, either,” she said, sitting in one of the chairs across from her sister.

Kat rubbed at her stomach gently. She looked at her siblings, at Sarah sitting straight-backed and Charles standing solidly behind her. They were so steadfast against her. She sighed. “Why must you fight me on this?” she asked wearily.

“Because it’s not just your world anymore, Kat,” Charles responded. “For the past few months, this has been my life as well, and there is no way I am just giving it up. I’ve never been happier. There is no way I am going back to tea parties every other day and a suit I can’t breathe in.”

“So you prefer to being broke and half starved?” Kat asked harshly. “That’s what this is, Charles! You want to scrounge for food and live off of rum? You prefer owing everyone a favor, because you didn’t have the power to do anything else on your own? Yes, it sounds absolutely marvelous, doesn’t it?” She asked her last question in a mocking version of her old self, the one these two had grown up with.

Well, she wasn’t that lady anymore, and as much as they claimed that they had grasped this concept, she knew they hadn’t.

“I got lucky. I had breaks. Truly, what you see of me is not what you would call a ‘traditional’ pirate life. Mine is much more glorified.” She stood and begun pacing, as she was prone to do when ranting. “I have met men who would kill you if you looked at them briefly the ‘wrong way’ out of the corner of your eye, and people around you wouldn’t bat an eye if it did happen. I meet men who grew up in pure poverty, in a pig pen, and have no other choice but to try and find a ship and pray that the seas are more merciful. There are people who have had their entire families torn apart by pirates, yet they continue with this life. It is not easy, yet you seem to believe that it is. I am the pirate that only kills when necessary, who has gold stashes on each island, that has respect on these seas after only a few years because I am not traditional. The only ones that I attack are the corrupt and evil, but there is so much out here that is exactly the opposite. And you choose to take this for your own?”

She saw that Sarah and Charles were deep in thought, mulling her words over carefully. They hadn’t expected this lecture, she knew. In fact, she was surprised herself at the words that had spilled out, a torrential flood that wasn’t stopped.
“That should mean we’re just that much safer with you, then,” Sarah finally said. Charles looked agreeable with this answer and nodded.

Kat threw her hands into the air in frustration. “Why can I not get this idea through your hard heads?” she cried.

Sarah rose from her chair and stood in front of Kat to stop her pacing. “Do you remember this, Katherine?” she asked, pulling the doll from her pocket. “And these?” She pointed to her bright violet eyes. “Do you remember what they mean? Sending me back to England would not make either disappear. In fact, if anyone ever found out, it would be straight to a firey, miserable death for me.”

Kat froze. She hadn’t even thought of that. “Here they call it voodoo, but there it is evil, wicked witchcraft. I wouldn’t last long at all,” Sarah said.

“But Sarah,” Kat said, softening as she took her sister’s hand, “I can see it in you the most. You would operate so much better in England. And what about Leonard?”

Sarah scoffed. “My world travelling, married-for-business husband? He doesn’t care. With what I have, this is where I need to be.”

Kat studied her sister for a long moment. She glanced down at the grubby clothes, and the scraggly hair tossed into a haphazard braid, finally landing on the sharp lavender eyes. Perhaps her siblings weren’t the only ones with the illusion of an image long gone.

“Very well,” she murmured. “You may stay,” she told her sister. Sarah responded with a dazzling smile, reflecting her beauty. “You, however.” She turned sharply to Charles’ optimistic face. “You’re going back to England.”

Charles’ hope quickly fell to outrage. “What?!” he shouted. “Sarah gets to stay, but I don’t? How does that make any sense?!”

“Father needs you in England,” Kat said sensibly. “He’s been grooming you for years to take his place in the company someday.”

“Oh, don’t feed me that line, Kat,” he said with disgust. “You don’t give a damn about that company, and you never have!”

“Nevertheless,” she said, trying to play it calm now, “it’s what is needed, for Father at the least.”

“Father wants me to take over about as much as he would like it if he found out you turned pirate!” Charles yelled. “He doesn’t know me! There’s some man over there he took under his wing that he treats as more of a son than me! I’m just an asset to him now, a pawn! I know you remember what that is like.”

Kat winced as she remembered her marriage. She hadn’t gone into that with all of her will, and she regretted not fighting it more. “That was different,” she claimed.

Charles glared intently at her. “What did Sarah say about lying to yourself, Kat?” he asked sharply. Kat returned the glare with as much hostility, her cool façade fading.

“I will be nothing over there. If you insist on me going back, I’ll just find my way onto another ship to the Caribbean. I am stepping into my own now.” He grinned slightly. “Besides, remember who insisted on your learning how to swim before coming here?”

Kat kept her glare strong. “I did not break The Code so you could brush with death again, Charles,” she said quietly, a hint of both anger and hurt behind the words. His grin slipped away again.

The three of them stood in silence as the battle of wills continued. Kat and Charles’ eyes were locked, each warring with the other above words. Internally, Kat was wondering when her brother had grown up as well, turning from a boy tearing the knees of his trousers open or jittering restlessly in the middle of church to a broad shouldered man with a gun at his side.

“Oh Kat, let him stay.” The voice came from the doorway, breaking the silence, and all three turned to it. Lawrence stood there, nonchalantly leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. He looked as if he didn’t have a care in the word, let alone one about butting in on their conversation.

“How long have you been standing there?” Kat asked him.

He shrugged. “Long enough.” He pushed off of the doorframe and walked towards her. “It’s pointless to argue with him, Kat. Stop being all emotional and just think.” He reached up and lightly tapped the side of her head. “He’s going to come back no matter what. Wouldn’t you prefer if it was under your eyes?”

Kat stared him down, angry at him for making her calm down. She preferred staying on the tip of her emotions, with only minimal thought. Things were simpler that way for her. Lawrence, however, knew it, and was far too used to it.

“Oh fine,” she finally muttered. She saw Charles stand a little straighter with hope. Their alike eyes met. “You can stay too.”

She was almost barreled over as Charles charged her in joy. “Thank you so much!” he cried like a child who had gotten a new toy. Kat awkwardly pat him on the back at first, but then shrugged and embraced him tight.

“I hate to break up this little family moment,” Lawrence interjected, “but I didn’t come here just to eavesdrop.” Kat and Charles released each other and paid attention to Lawrence instead. “Jenkins wants to speak to you, Kat.”

She sighed softly. The Navy captain still captured in the bowels of her ship had completely escaped her mind. Her thoughts went briefly to wondering if anyone had been feeding him, but it was a stray string that she didn’t bother to follow. “Sarah, Charles…go do something useful. Lawrence, come with me to see Jenkins. I have a feeling that this will be an interesting conversation.”

And interesting it was. “I want to become a pirate,” were the first words out of Jenkins’ mouth.

Kat’s eyes automatically narrowed. “Why would you want to do that, Captain?” she asked suspiciously.

Jenkins shrugged, as if the question didn’t bother him in the least, but Kat’s sharp eyes caught the tension in his shoulders. “It’s the old adage, isn’t it? If you can’t beat them, join them.”

Kat looked at the man closely. His clothes were covered in grime and filth, he had bags under his eyes, and what was once a neat beard and mustache had become matted and overgrown. He almost looked pirate now, but Kat met his eye, and there was something he was trying to disguise behind it…

‘Lawrence, let him out,” Kat ordered.

Lawrence gave her one of those looks that clearly asked what she was doing. The barest flick of her eyebrows told him that it was fine. She had a reassurance there of herself that he trusted. The entire silent conversation lasted two seconds and completely escaped the attention of Jenkins.

Lawrence hesitantly took the cell keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. They rattled in the lock, and the rusted door creaked as it swung open. “We need to announce to the crew. Up you go, Jenkins.” Kat motioned him towards the stairs, and he slowly walked up. It was clear that he was stiff and that his muscles were stretching after days trapped in the small space, but there was a confidence in his step. Kat intended to soon rid him of that.

“May I have everyone’s attention please!” Kat cried out on the top deck. The entire turned in her direction and fell silent. She let out a small smile. “We have a man here who would like to turn pirate!” she yelled. She turned to the confused Navy captain. “Tell me again your excuse, Kellan Jenkins!”

Jenkins looked uncomfortable being the sudden center of attention, and he was squinting in the sunlight he hadn’t seen for almost a week. “I feel as if it is pointless to keep fighting you,” he said in his clipped accent, trying to portray confidence, but failing with a slight shake to the end of his words. “You are obviously more powerful. I want to be on that side.”

Kat smiled slowly, menacingly. “Liar.”

Jenkins looked shocked and slightly flustered. “What? I’m telling the truth!”

Kat began slowly approaching the man, speaking as she walked. “No you are not, Kellan Jenkins. You believe that you can gain our trust, and then you shall eventually betray us. Do you know how I know this?”

He gulped. “No, I don’t…” he said softly, fear invading his voice.

Kat’s smile grew wider. “Because I have had it happen far too many times before,” she told him. “You see, Jenkins, these experiences have wizened me. I can see your deception in your eyes.” She was still walking him backwards.

His breathing was harsh. “I am not a liar,” he claimed, but he had begun shivering in the sunlight.

“Now, Captain Jenkins, do not be like that. Atone for your sins, and admit it. I’m sure God shall listen some.”

Jenkins shook his head wildly. “This is not the truth…” he whispered in terror.

Kat shrugged. She reached to her hip and slowly drew a black handled sword. “You recognize this, do you not, Captain?” she asked him, holding the blade up. “It is rather finely made, you know. Well balanced, and I am rather fond of this hand guard. Very intricate. Sharp. It is beautiful craftsmanship.”

“That’s mine…” he breathed.

Kat’s smile grew, tipping to one side. “Perhaps once, Captain.” His back hit the rail of the ship, and he gripped it with white knuckles, realizing there was nowhere for him to run. Kat approached him as slowly as she had been, putting her face threateningly close to his. “Shall you atone, Kellan Jenkins?”

He looked at her wide eyed. “No.”

In a move too quick for him to grasp, Kat stepped backwards out of his face, and the blade in her hand sung through the air. There was no help left for the man as it connected with his neck in a fast, fluid motion. Blood spurted out from the wound, creating a few stains on Kat’s clothes. The body began to fall forward towards her, but she pushed the limp shoulder away from her, and the Captain fell like a doll over the railing and into the ocean.

“Pity.”



If someone thinks that last paragraph is a little too much, just tell me and I'll edit.

Of course, even with that, I always appreciate feedback mates! Thank you for the reviews I have gotten this past week! Warms me heart more than rum. Thanks for Reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[Catherine Ironcutter]

Me like. Poor guy. I feel bad for him, in some ways. Great chapter.

[Captain Sharktooth]

Haha, nice chapter Crest. At first when reading it, I was thinking... this won't have any action at all, just more dialogue.

Then that last paragraph. Ooh, Crest, I thought you were a Pirate that only kills when necessary? 0_o

[The Stealthy Pirate]

Good Chapter Crest! I feel bad for the guy...