Pirates: A new beginning

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Alexa felt something move within her as she listened to Arvin's words. That he had lost his love, and his dream because of Black Pete touched her. She felt even more confused now, though, as his words seemed to imply that he had found someone to spend his future with.

"I... I see. You are lucky then, that you can lay this to rest, and perhaps have a future." She rested a hand over her belly, where she knew the child was growing, and looked to the horizion.

"My future was destroyed the moment I was captured. No one wants to be with a woman who has been used as I was. No one wants to raise a bastard child. I won't be able to return to my medicine or explosives once the babe is born."

 

Lucky to have a future? what?

Arvin replayed what he had said in his mind. up 'till now, he had said that, without even realising it. As he thought on that, and everything else, he realised what he was feeling. He cared... It all made sense to him now.

Turning to look at Alexa, he felt the words come easily, now he knew what he felt.

"Not everyone be thinkin' like that. Not everyone be so... blind. Last night, I felt something more fer ye, and this morn' it be clear as the day. I care about ye, and when I spoke of finding someone to share a future with, it was ye that I spoke of."

Turning around completely, he looked Alexa in the eyes.

"Ye've seen me, ye've seen me scars, that years o' pirating be giving me. Ye think that I care about scars? ye think that I care about 'damage'? What happened to ye be someone else's fault, not yers. Yer still someone that can be cared fer, and someone that can care. As fer the babe, it dont matter. A child is not its father. After all this... I dont know. Neither of us may be alive. But if we be... I dont know, maybe I'd retire, pass the ship to Sol, and seek those dreams. And if I be doin' that, I'd like it to be with ye."

 

Arvin cared about her? Wanted to seek his dreams with her?

Alexa stood still, staring at Arvin in shock. That was the last thing she expected to hear from him. She realised that he was waiting for an answer.

Touching his arm gently, Alexa spoke softly. "You truly mean that? I... I know not what to say. I believe I would like that, but...." Breaking off, she looked at Pete's ship. "How do I know that you will not turn into someone like the man who captured me? You ran a man through, then asked me to torture him. That is something that he would have done. I do not know if I could handle that."

 

As Alexa voiced her doubts, he felt a fist squeeze his heart. The worst thing was, he could see the truth in it. He was pretty brutal at times, and he had done some things, things that would give a child nightmares. Was he that kind of man?

He tried to think of a rebuttal, but he had none to give. Sighing, he lowered his head, and leaned on the rail. When he spoke again, it was almost a whisper.

"What ye be sayin' of me... tis true. I have done things... things that men shouldnt do. I'll not pretend to be a good man, I'm not. But I'm not.." Arvin spat on the deck. "... like THEM. I never WANT to hurt people. Well... ok, sometimes I do. But not without cause. What that man did to ye... I could never do. I hurt people who get in me way, or who just wont give up their cargo. I do it because it's necessary, not desired. With Jean, he challenged me authority here. He questioned me lead. I HAD to kill him, and make an example of him. I HAD to show strength, fer that be what is respected most.

As fer Pete... I have a temper, aye, and I've had 15 years bad blood, to deal with. Not only does he have Liza's blood on his hands, but he took half me crew. I'd sailed with some of them fer years. I OWE him, and anyone with him, a debt of pain. But that be necessary too. I owe it to the dead, I owe it to those who lost friends, and I owe it to all, to get them gold. I dont enjoy causing pain, dont ye see, I just get bound to it, out of necessity."

Looking up at Alexa, he felt his hopes crumble. How could he explain himself? He turned away, realising that he never could. In the end, he was probably as bad as she feared.

[ November 01, 2004, 00:10: Message edited by: Takara ]

 

Alexa winced as Arvin turned away from her. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she needed know what kind of a person he was. She rested a hand on his shoulder, gently turning him to face her.

"Arvin, don't think I don't understand. Last night showed me that you did have another side, a kind and caring side. I was just concerned that your brutal side was stronger." She squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Do you think that as a doctor, I am gentle? Sometimes it is not possible for me. Especially when the choice is between my patient living a life in agony or dying quickly, painlessly. I have killed out of necessity as well. Do you think that I enjoyed it?"

 

The coin's dance across Reeves' knuckles was becoming erratic. He had not wanted to be picked for the boarding party; he did not want to be involved in the battle. The risk of someone recognizing him...

He breathed in deeply, trying to drive the impending tremors away. Breathe in, breathe out. Smell the salt in the air... feel the sun... hear the wind...

Hear the captain talking to the sawbones.

His ears perking up,as he concentrated on the snatches of conversation he could hear; they were most enlightening. The captain seemed to think that the sawbones was special; and the girl seemed to be in… a delicate condition.

Reeves smiled coldly. He now knew what his prize would be.

 

Why him?! This was not good! The man with the giant tulwar had chosen him, Lark, to be on the boarding crew! It was not right. How was he meant to fight against his own men? How would he get out of it? Just then, the problem got worse. Reeves! The man had chosen Reeves too! This was really, really bad!

This was the first major problem….well, the first problem at all… that Lark had been confronted by. And there didn’t seem to be a solution… yet. What had he done, volunteering to go aboard the Marauder?

He needed a way out. A plan… or better yet, an excuse.

 

When dawn lightened the sky enough, Marius could see that his plan was falling into place. He was trailing the Marauder by a little more than cannon range, and Pete was the same distance ahead of his foe. Good. Dispelling rage without bloodshed was the order of the day - there would be plenty of opportunity for slaughter later, after they'd captured the prize.

And after they'd captured the prize and he'd recouped his investment in Pete's new ship, Marius really didn't care what the two old enemies did to each other.

 

Looking at Alexa, he could barely keep it together. His nerves were frayed, and he was feeling shakey.

"When I killed out of necessity, it weren't the sick, it weren't the dyin'. They were normal people, who were stupid enough to get in me way. But I NEVER liked it. When I started piratin', I came up with a good plan. When we boarded ships, we fought like sharks, yes, and if people wouldnt give up their cargo, we killed 'em. Soon, our ship became known fer its brutality, and struck fear. The merchant vessels knew we werent to be messed with. But I also be comin' up with another plan. If they didnt fight, if they gave up, we looted their ship, aye, but we let them go. We left them alive. True, we became well known, since we be reported to the Spanish, and the English, but we also became known to go easy, if ye didnt fight us.

Every ship we be tryin' to take... they be tryin' te run. And when they couldnt run, they only half tried to fight. Sometimes not even then. I swear, a few times... when they realised they couldnt be runnin' from us, they actually dropped sail, and let us board... no resistance. You know why? because word got out that they would be left alive, if they be doin' that. It was good fer us, since we lost less men, and it made things easier. That's what sort o' man I be! I dont like the killin', I'd rather avoid it, but I'm not afraid to use it. Not fer one minute.

People like Pete... they NEVER understood that. It's 'Dead men tell no tales'. If they all be dead, then no-one know that it be them that did it, or someone to come after them.

What ye be seein' in me o' late... that not be me! That be how I deal with those scum, who NEVER understood piracy. The ones who enjoy the killin'. Ye fight fire with fire, fer that be all they be understandin'. And they be bringin' out me nasty side. Ye not be seein' how I be, when this ship be lootin' as normal."

Looking out accross the sea, he watched as the sun was starting to come up. He just hoped that Alexa would understand.

[ November 01, 2004, 19:18: Message edited by: Takara ]

 

As Alexa listened to Arvin, she heard the conviction in his voice as he spoke of what he did. Deep down, she knew that he was not like the other people who usually frequented Freetown.

She gazed out at the sunrise and felt a smile creep across her face. The first true smile in well over a month. "Arvin, I do understand. I had heard tales around Freetown of this ship, the ship that let merchants go if they did not fight. I always respected that." She looked at Arvin and repeated her words.

"I do understand."

 

Hearing her words... Arvin felt something jump inside him. With the sun rising, it gave a nice backdrop to Alexa, and really complimented her flame red hair. As she smiled, he felt like the block of ice that had been coating his heart slowly began to melt. Her smile suited her features well, and conveyed true warmth.

As he looked into her eyes, he felt... happy. The past few years had been a dark time for him, and now... there seemed to be some light at last. As she said "I do understand", he put his hand on her arm. Putting his other hand on her waist, he drew her in close. Standing there, he whispered a short thank you. Raising one hand to her face, he gently brushed a few wisps of hair away from her eyes, and softly ran the hand down her cheek. Then, he leaned down, and went to kiss her.

Just then, a shout came down from the stern.

"Cap'n! We be havin' a ship to the aft!"

[ November 01, 2004, 21:22: Message edited by: Takara ]

 

Lark was up early, as soon as the sun came up. Dawn. He clipped his swords to his belt and went for a short walk to investigate the ship further. Along the way, he stopped, and saw somehting he didn't like. Marius was coming! Today was the day, and Lark still didn't have plan! He rushed back to his sleeping quarters, trying not to draw attention to himself. Maybe he could hide out, avoid the battle. Maybe.

 

Hearing the words from the stern, Alexa started swearing to herself. Of course something would have to happen. That's the way her luck always went. One of her hands clasped the hand touching her cheek, and she squeezed it gently. They would have to continue this another time.

She looked up at Arvin regretfully, and stepped away from him. As much as she wished her luck had been different, she knew that the time was not right. In her heart, she knew that it was time for him to be what he was. No... what he needed to be.

 

As Diego heard the lookout cry:

"Ship Ahoy! coming in from Aft"

After hearing this, Diego rushed to the stern, took out his looking glass, and took a closer look at the ship.

"Something just isnt right about this" muttered Diego, to himself.

He rushed up the stairs to find Arvin and Alexa talking.

"Sir, ship spotted behind us, there flying a flag similar to Black Petes, shall we turn and engage?"

 

Feeling torn... he looked at Alexa. Why did this have to happen now?! As she stepped away, he could almost curse in frustration. As Diego stepped up, he sighed, and turned.

"A flag similar to Pete's ye say!? What devilry be this?"

Taking the spyglass from Diego, Arvin ran to the stern. Extending it, he surveyed the ship behind. True enough, she was flying a similar flag. Thinking back on Colin's story, and what Pete had said, that time in his cabin, he realised that this was 'Marius' coming to play.

"Mr. Jenks? can we be outrunnin' them? The Marauder be fast, but stuck between two ships... I dont be knowin'."

Looking at the way the wind was blowing, he replied, "No Cap'n, we'd have to tack into the wind, and we be in cannon range of both 'ere that time."

So he couldnt run... could he fight?

"Diego.... yer crew. Can ye manage a two pronged fight? We might be able to use our speed, but caught like this... we be takin' damage. And a lot of it. Many men will die."

Waiting for Diego's answer, he looked back at the ship behind. As he watched, a white pennent got run up the pole, and a longboat was being lowered into the sea.

 

"It all depends, sir, if we can knock out any cannons, or take down a mast with our first volley, and ill also need some more gunners to help manage the other side, but yes, it is possible, but it doesnt look like its going to come to that, sir, if they want Parley"

Diego took back the spyglass and had another look at the ship behind them. The ship behind was alot larger than the Violet Marauder, Diego estimated around 12 guns per side.

"Sir, i would see what they say in Parley, becuase theres not much chance of taking that ship alone, almost impossible really with two ships attacking, so i reccomend trying to be peaceful"

 

Marius made sure to hold the distance between the Devastation and the Marauder as the longboat made the crossing. Through his spyglass, he could see his man being taken aboard, could see the open blades in the hands of the men who lined the deck, could see the pistols pointed at the rowers who waited in the longboat...

*****

Other than to scan for the Captain, Mr. Mullen ignored the men arrayed around him on the Marauder. Spotting the face he was looking for, he sketched a bow.

"Captain Arvin de Grath? I bring you a message from Captain Marius van der Grise of the Devastation. He wishes to pay you his respects, and parley with you about a venture that would be to your mutual profit."

 

Looking the man up and down, he tried to get the measure of him. Hardly a fighter by the looks of it. More likely a functionary. His pretty little bow saw to that. Stepping forward, he walked right up to the man.

"Wants to parlay does he? And where would this be? On board his ship no doubt. So... what make ye think that I'll be swannin' over to yer ship? When I get there, how do I know that I wont be spending a few delightful hours in yer cells. With Pete with ye..." Arvin spat as he mentioned the name, "... I'm not going to trust yer 'Marius' further than I can be throwin' Mr. Jenks."

 

Diego lent over to Arvin, to whisper privatley in his ear.
"Are you sure thats the right desicion captain? Not that im questioning you, its just there ship could, most probable, blow us out of the water, although as i said before, it depends on the accuracy of the shots, but a 12 gunner, against and 5 gunner, we dont stand that big a chance."

 

"Captain, you know the Code does not permit such behavior. Captain van der Grise would never sully a flag of parley. He wishes to share a meal with you and discuss a business venture, nothing more. Captain Cuttiford will not be present for this meeting - the arrangements will be between you and Captain van der Grise alone.

"Not only will I stay here as hostage against your safe return, but Captain van der Grise bids me to give you this gift as a token of the riches that are yet to come."

Mr. Mullen carefully produced a small box. As he opened his coat all could see that he bore no weapons of any kind. Within the box, nestled in gleaming emerald silk, was a band of woven gold studded with twelve large, matched pearls. A gasp went up from those who could see it.

"That's right," Mr. Mullen said with a nod. "The marriage-band of the Rani of Persia. It's yours, for the price of a meal."