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There Once Was a Pirate(butterfly0408/Distain2003)

He grabbed her firmly. "Hope you where telling the truth govenor. For her sake. " He pulled her to violently from the house. Once he realized she was going to slow him down he stopped turning he scooped her up onto one shoulder. "RETREAT!" He screamed yelling at every pirate he could see to fall back to the ship. He ordered the few men he trusted to gather everyone they could find. "We are setting sail in 20 minuets get on the ship NOW! "He was moving as fast as he could threw the streets sword in hand. His shoulder bounced into her hips. She could tell this was not the first time he had carried someone this way he put his shoulder exactly in the right spot to not hurt her. His shoulder was right on her hips where her belt would go. He barked out constantly he never stopped yelling ordering the men to get back to the ship or be shot.
 
If only he knew just how close his goal was. He was holding it in his grasp. The whole while that he lugged her along, she never resisted. Not once. She knew better. Knew to bide her time. She'd get away from him soon enough, and he'd be hurting once she got her revenge. She was too busy anyway, looking at all the chaos and destruction the pirates had caused. "You are monsters..." she said shaking her head. "You see what you've done here you bastard? The wounds were only just mended." Blood ran into the streets, families' struggled to save their burning houses. It was hell on earth again, just like 13 years ago. "You'll burn in hell for this."
 
"If not for this for the other things i have done. "He finally had gotten her back to the ship he ran up the gangplank then into his cabbing. Inside was very nice. A large desk with lots of maps a big window looking out the back of the ship. On the wall 7 swords hung There was a small barrel of powder and another of balls for his pistols. A large chest sat at the foot of the bed. He walked over to the bed and tossed her rather roughly into the midst of it. "You will be staying in here." He walked over to the wall taking all the swords off the wall. He piled them up next to the chest before going to get the powder. Once he had accumulated all the weapons in the room he opened the chest it was about half full of treasures. Gold coins gold bars necklaces and other jewelery. He stuffed the swords in and began reloading his pistols. "Don't any ideas about attacking me i don't want to have to kill you. "
 
Laine's eyes scanned the room. He seemed to be reading her mind, for every moment she had a plan cooking in her head, he would take away one of the keys too it. And then her eyes found the bed. The one and ONLY bed in the room, just barely big enough for two if those two slept close. "I'd rather stay in your brig then share the same air as you."
 
He glanced up at her as he locked the chest looking up at her. "If you stay in the brig you will be sharing more than air with bad men. You will be sharing fluids with one. "He spoke grimly because it was truly a grim situation. If he put her below decks she would be raped repeatedly. "Here you will be safe as long as you behave. If you do not... I have a strong hand when it comes to dicipline."He sad that as he stood up walking to the door."If you wish prof of that watch from the window. "He opened the door moving out quickly locking it behind him. Once on decks he yelled to get the ship under way. With in minuets she could feel the ship moving away from the port. "EVERYONE ON DECKS NOW!"

After a couple minuets ever man save one was on the deck of the ship. "Who fired the cannon!" He spoke loudly inspecting every man."Who started lighting fires!" Stephen turned he wished he could find someone who he knew was responsible for the death of some of the women he had seen slain."I was in that mansion when it was shot. Who fired the damn canon!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs."How many times do i have to tell you don't burn cities! It makes it impossible to raid them again any time soon." He was furious he hated these pirates if he didn't need them to get where he was going he would kill them all and start over.
 
Laine did just as he said, watching from within the room. She would need to know her enemy. It was the only way to later defeat him. The moment she felt the ship moving however, she left the one window for another. Laine watched her home fading into the night. The light of the burning buildings lighting up the night. Her heart sank. Once again, she was watching her nightmare unfold from a new angle. How many were dead out there? And would she ever see it again?

Meanwhile, on deck, all the men were silent and still. Some of them knew who the culperates were. Some did not. The ones that knew were not saying a word though. Stephen was captain, but some saw him as soft. Not like his father before him. He had to always be proving himself worthy of being the leader on this ship. This was one of those times.

"Jones set off the cannon," came a voice from the back of the crowd. No one really knew who said it, or if it was even true, but it was really just a test to see how Stephen would use this information.
 
Stephen walked up to Jones staring at him. He did not say a word he grabbed him shoving him towards the rail. In one swift moment he drew his pistol and fired. the bullet struck him in the right shoulder. The impact drove him into the water. It would not kill him but he would drown before he made it to shore with one arm.

"Now who started lighting fires! The one who talks gets Jones share." He growls putting his pistol away. Continued to pace in the crowd watching there faces. "I have these rules for a reason. Jones died because he nearly killed me. Did any of you even try to find Miller? " He growled knowing they did not.
 
The sound of the bullet caught Laine's attention. She went running to the cabin door, even had her hand on the handle ready to burst out and see what was going on. But she stopped herself, just slightly cracking the door to look out and get the first hand look. She missed Jones' demise, as well as Stephen's yelling at them all. She only caught there responses after that.

"Well..."
"Ummm..."
"I couldn't find nothing."
"No body knew the name."

They all seemed to have the same story. Miller was elusive alright. Or at least, he had covered his tracks well when he bought his way into society. There was no memory of what he once was left on the island. Only what he had become. Stephen was the only one with those memories left. Well, him and Laine.

"I saw Georgie light some of the fires! And kill a wench that wouldn't spread her legs too!" Came a voice, not even paying attention to Stephen's Miller problem. The promise of more money was to much to focus on anything else.
 
Stephens heart broke he had not found her. There would be no way he could find him in France. His only hope was that the governor's daughter had the information he needed. He heard the man tell on Georgie. He walked over to Georgie his hand on his ax. "Normally Georgie.... I would ask if this was true. "He paced around him slowly. "But Georgie i have a sickness in this crew."He pulled his ax pistol and buried the but of it into his back severing his spine just above his pelvis. "Im sorry Georgie ... I can not allow this sickness to live." He turned to yell at the crew over Georgie's screams. "From now on if you disobey my orders. You will die. You will be made an example of. "He turned shooting the wounded man in the head mercifully ending his life. "Get that trash off my ship. "He began walking to his quarters again stopping with his hand on the door nob."Nathan I need a count I need to know how many we lost in port." He stepped into the room seeing her there he put his hand on her stomach pushing her gently into the room closing and locking the door behind him. His face was speckled with blood both from the shootings on the ship and the battle in the city. His hands where stained read. His shirt wet in many places. If it where not red it would show the blood of many men." His arm was burning where it had been shot. He opened the window yelling."Send the doc to my quarters. " He slammed it and put the key to the door into his pants pocket. Staring into the eyes of the young woman.
 
((Sorry, it's a part of the net issue I'm having))

The look on Laine's face said it all. She was horrified of him, of what he had done. She had no respect what so ever for him. She just stood there, looking at him, words stuggling to form on her tongue until at last... "You didn't even ask him if it was true. That man could have lied to you! He probably did! You could have just killed an innocent man! If someone told you your own mother had done the deed, would you have killed her as quickly you BEAST!"
 
Her words did not faze him until the moment she mentioned his mother. He was near the bed taking off the spent pistols when she said that. He turned and moved quickly to her grabbing her face roughly pushing her back against the wall his hands squeezing her cheeks. He had always had one hot button and it was mentioning his mother. In a bar 10 years ago he took his first life because a man insulted his mother. "My mother was an inocent! I watched her die in my own arms after a pirate did exactly what that man was accused of. My mother would never harm a soul. She wouldn't even kill mice when they got in our food. NEVER mention my mother and any man on this ship in the same breath again." His eyes said it all he did mean every man even himself.

He was not proud of the things he had done at see but they where what he had to do to survive. "That man was a rapist, a thief, and a murderer just like every man on that serves under me. "He looked into his eyes his anger showing clearly. "He was not an innocent and everyone on this ship knows that they will die for the life that they lead. It is only a matter of time. Killing him saved more lives than i care count. Each man on this crew now knows that I will kill any man who disobeys me." He released her and walked back over to the bed. "You should be grateful that man gave his life to protect you. Those men had not given me there respect and i am certain that they would have broken my rule to come in here and be with you. The 2 lives i took today will ensure my word is law. "
 
((I'm sorry if I'm making this night confusing.))

Laine tried to stay calm during his rant, his sad sob story. In many ways it sounded so much like her own story. There was only one difference. She didn't give in to the evil like this soul clearly had. Whoever the devil he was. And she was ready to tell him so as well.

Her head was spinning in what felt like a dozen different directions. His story. The truth of that man. What he had done to him. What had happened to her town, her home, her father. What was going to happen to her now. She was a woman alone on board a ship of rapists and killers with no one to protect her or even care about what was to become of her. But most of all... the look in his eyes as he looked back into hers. Memories of good times long ago. Of a boy. The man he could have grown to me if he didn't die saving her life.

Laine's eyes started to fill with tears in that moment. NO! He was dead! This was a cruel trick of the mind! She was seeing things! But looking at them again, the trick was still there. They still looked like his. Shutting her eyes tight, she fell to her knees on the floor, her back still against the wall. Her hands came up over her eyes, hiding the tears, "Don't look at me like that! Your eyes! I can't... I can't STAND them!"
 
He glared at her reloading his pistols he thought of a moment on just shooting her. Or giving her to the men. She was right even if he did find the woman he loved she would never take him. He had become just like the animals that took him from her to start with. He finished reloading and took out the keys again he put all his weapons inside the truck and locked it tight. He walked over to her looking at her face. He had no rope in here and he did not feel like leaving. "Go lay down. " He gripped her dress tight the seams moaning against her weight. He pulled her to her feet and to the bed laying her down roughly. A knock on the door spared her from what ever he currently hand planned.

He walked over seeing it was the doctor he nodded. He let him in an locked the door behind him. The doctor was an older man nearing his mid 50's, his face bore the scars of countless naval battles. His eyes where kinder than most men on the ship he had given up killing long ago and instead tried to save the lives of his crew. The Stephen went over to his desk and sat down pulling a flask from his desk he took a long drink before putting it away. "Got a bullet wound in my arm dock nothing major. "The doctor shook his head and set to work patching him up. He was telling him about all the injured that had been brought back to the ship. There where only 5 crew men who had made it back wounded. They where all relatively minor. "Nathan says we lost 10 men out there 15 if you count the wounded. " Stephen nodded glancing at the old man."We should have only lost 13. "He spoke softly He had grown sick of this entire dealing with the crew business. The doc worked in silence for the next 10 minuet patching up his arm as best he could.
 
Laine yelped out as he grabbed her and drug her to the bed. Another yelp as he threw her down upon it. Quickly, she was on the defense! Getting on her back and snapping her legs shut tight, ready to fight him if he was just like the rest of his crew and came after her for his pleasure. Thank the lord for the knock. She clearly let out a sigh of relief.

As he let the Doc work on him, Laine found the time to relax for the first time this entire night. She lay on her side on the bed, watching the two men across the room. She tied to stay focused on them, but her eyelids were heavy. Heavier then she thought originally. By the time the Doc was finishing up on Stephen, she was asleep. Curled into a little ball on the edge of the bed.

The doctor glanced at the sleeping young woman on the bed. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you intend to do with her?"
 
Stephen took a deep breath relaxing now that the doctor was done. "I have not decided yet. I told her father that if i found what i was looking for in France then i would let her go. I know i wont though. "He sighed looking at her again she was a lovely woman if not a pain. "She has a lot of spirit. I could try to do for her what my father did for me. At her age though... "He looked at the doctor with thankful eyes. "Thank you doctor I know you have other to attend to with more grievous wounds. "

The doctor smiled and left the room. Stephen got up and locked the door for the last time tonight. His Nathan would wake him in the morning for breakfast and his shift on the wheel. He moved slowly over to the bed standing on the far side from the young woman. "You better not have a knife hidden in there some where. "He spoke quietly as he stripped down. Whipping the blood from his hands and face. He groaned as he stripped down to his thin shorts under his pants. glanced at her deciding it best if he hid his pants and shirt. He did not want to give her anything she could use to kill him with. He moved slowly to the bed again after putting his things in an empty drawer in his desk. He crawled into bed under the covers groaning in comfort. They where close but the way she had curled up before sleeping gave them some space. Just under a foot of room between them. Not enough for some but enough to keep each other honest.
 
She slept for an hour or so, not moving, not disturbing him any. Until the lantern in the cabin burnt out. Like some kind of sixth sense, she knew. And the panic started to take her over, even in her sleep. Her dreamless sleep was filled with a nightmare. The same one. The memory. The darkness.

"Laine! Get in!"
"Stay with me! Stephen stay with me!"
"Someone has to cover the door Laine! We can't both-"
Pounding on the door! They were coming.
"Laine! IN!"
He pushed her into the hole in the floor. The door closed. A few beams of light between the boards.
"Stay quiet Laine. No matter what you hear!"
The sound of the carpet moving. Darkness.

Fighting.

Struggle.

Darkness.

Closing in!

Can't breath!

The darkness!

At some point, Laine opened her eyes, wild with fear as she sat up in the bed. The cabin was dark. In a moment of panic, she fell out of his bed and ended up sitting in a ball on the ground, gasping for air. She couldn't breath! The darkness was choking her! Stephen! "Help...!"
 
Stephen stirred when she fell of the bed. But he was used to nose in from around the boat while he slept. When she sat up and said help it was as if every muscle in his body sprang to life at once. In the blink of an eye he was on his feet ready to fight. The way she said it that voice mad him think back to the night he was captured. "What is it where are they."He could see faintly from years of moving around below decks of ships at night. He moved around the bed to her side seeing no one else in the room."Why did you scream?"He put his hand on her shoulder."Are you okay? " Her voice just then had set off his old instincts he was trying to protect her again.
 
"Light a candle!" she said very quickly, her knees pulled to her chest, face in her hands. "Light a candle! Please! The dark! I... I can't breath in the dark! Light! LIGHT!" She was frantic, crazed. And only a light would calm her enough to make sense again.
 
He moved quickly Relighting the lantern. He walked back over standing next to her. "Are you okay?"He reached down picking her up carefully putting her on the laying her down."What happened? Why did you call out?"He still assumed she felt something he could not imagine it was just the darkness that made her react so.
 
Laine lay there a few moments, eyes open, watching the flame dance in the lantern. Her breathing slowly returned to normal. Her heart stopped racing. "The dark closes in on me... makes me panic. I stop breathing in the dark." She was a little weary eyed, slipping rapidly back into sleep now that she could breath once again. "I was locked in the dark... four days..." she was close to passing out once more. "Don't let the light go out... please..."
 
Stephen moved and lit the lantern on his desk as well before moving to the bed. He crawled back in he had had a increadably long day and all he wanted was sleep. "Get some sleep. " He said a faint chill in his voice he was hardening back up now that he knew why she screamed. He slipped into the bed next to her laying like he was their shoulder touched. He did not seem to care he turned his head over looking at her. He did a good thing not putting her in the brig they would put out the lights just to mess with her. He nodded, he could not get it out of his head why was she left in the dark for four days. He was going to ask her but sleep over took him before he could.
 
The lanterns remained lit the rest of the night. Laine did not stir again. In fact she slept so deeply that not even when the sun shown through the window nor when Stephen's man came knocking at the door as he had been instructed to do did she wake. She only rolled a little this way or that.

((You just gave me an idea. I have a thing for my characters getting tormented by NPC characters just for her lover to help her heal. How would you like a scene where the crew DOES mess with the lights on her. Maybe not in the brig, but somehow. Hehe.))
 
Stephen stood slowly when his man knocked on the door bringing food for the pair. He was not happy about bringing good food that the men would normally eat for a prisoner but he did as ordered. Stephen walked over setting the food near the table for her figuring she would find it soon enough. Juice , bread , a couple pieces of fruit, and some eggs. It would last a little while before it needed to be eaten. Stephen ate quickly before moving to the window at the back of the ship. he lifted up the seat inside the large bay window and and took out some fresh cloths. Two sets actually a smaller pair of pants and a smaller shirt that he would leave next to her on the bed. For himself he took out another red shirt and black pants. The red shirt had become his signature several years ago.

He slowly left the room and locked the door behind him keeping the only key to that door close to his chest. From the wheel he could see every thing on the deck except a 2 foot area just in front of the wall the with the door to his cabin. He watched both the deck and the sea closely he still did not trust the crew and after killing 2 men in cold blood he did not like the idea of coming up unarmed. This was how he always manned the wheel how ever when he was younger he caught his sword on the wheel and nearly took his own leg off. He never wore a weapon to the wheel again. He set a course to a a few weeks away. It would be his first stop on his trip to France.
 
Laine woke not long after he left the cabin. Perhaps it was the sound of the lock in the door that finally did it, but that didn't matter now. She was up. Took a few moments for her to recall just exactly where she was and how she got here, but it sunk in soon enough as she looked around the cabin and felt the rocking of the ship. She also spotted the food at his desk and could not help herself. She was starving! Rushing over, she took a seat and devoured the food he had left for her. Every last drop of it was soon gone. It was then she noticed the clothing that lay on the bed near where she had been sleeping. Holding the clothing up, it looked a bit older and smaller, but it would still need some adjusting just to make sure the clothing did not fall off her body.

What she needed once she put the clothing on was a belt. Now if she were a belt, where would she be? Took her some searching, but she finally uncovered the hidden chest of clothing under the window seat. Pulling one belt out, she eyed the others.... and got a glimmer of an idea. Pulling a second out, it seemed strong enough. She could use it to chock him. A whole plan formed suddenly in her head. She'd chock him, steal his keys to get herself into his weapons, then when the ship was silent, sneak onto deck steal a lifeboat, and row herself back to shore. The amount of flaws in her plan were great, and so she decided to wait until they were close to land once again before striking, so it would be easier. By then she might know more about this ship and be able to take some money with her.

So she had a plan, now she just needed to bide her time until she could put that plan into motion. In the meantime, it seemed the only thing she could do in his cabin was look at his maps on his desk. And so she sat there and inspected them, wondering what some of the marks he had made here and there meant. They seemed to have been to many places.
 
Stephen watched over the ship form the solitude of the wheel. Most of the men on the ship either where scared more punishment was coming or angry at him for killing their friends for something the deemed not that bad. He stood there in silence save to order work on the ship for course corrections. He could not get over her fear of the dark. That could be a problem the ships movements his lanterns went out regularly. He would figure it out eventually until then he would just light 3. He wanted to get a good nights sleep and he could not to do that with her waking up and screaming.
 
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