A Pirate's Life For Us

Chapter 8 - If You Don't Love Me Now

"I seek an audience with your captain. There are two fat merchant ships on the horizon, and taking them together will mean a bigger share of booty for all!" Stede really, really tried not to flourish at the end of that, but he couldn't quite resist.

He saw Lucius facepalm out of the corner of his eye. Earlier, the scribe had sucker-punched him and broken his nose, under the excuse that a war wound would bring him more legitimacy.

Stede knew what it was really for, and he couldn't argue that it was well-deserved. It also had the effect of temporarily taking some of the natural sing-song out of his voice.

It also hurt like a bitch. Every now and again, he'd try to breathe and taste the iron of blood in the back of his throat.

For a long moment, there was no reaction from the pirates on his old ship. Then, he heard the sound of feet on planks, and the crowd of bloodthirsty men parted.

It was a good thing the ships were some distance away still, because Stede couldn't hide the delight at seeing Ed standing there.

That delight soon turned to worry as he met the other man's gaze and saw the storm in the other man's dark eyes. The armor of black leather was back, as was a new addition of shadows painted on his face to suggest the beard that he had shaved for Stede.

For a long moment, there was no sound but the wind that lightly tossed Ed's salt and pepper hair. Then he nodded to one of the men, who dropped a heavy plank to close the gap between the ships.

This was a very unsteady situation. The water was relatively calm, but the wind was picking up, and occasionally the two ships would move out of sync, heave, and the plank would come dangerously close to dropping into the sea.

As he approached it, men on either side of the plan steadied it, but it was still a dangerous proposition. Stede swallowed, tried to remind himself that he couldn't show weakness, then started across the plank.

He got halfway across it before the sea began to swell. Stede was forced to drop to his knees and crawl the last few feet in front of both crew.

When he went to stand up, he found Ed looming over him, a dagger in his hand.

At that moment, Stede was terrified he'd misjudged the situation, that it was too late - that Ed was already lost.

That worry seemed to be confirmed when Ed pressed the dagger to his throat and forced him to his feet. Stede followed along with the blade and looked his former co-captain in the eye. He searched his face for signs of the man he knew, but he only saw more of that dark storm up-close - that simmering anger. The Kraken.

"What's your proposal?" Ed growled, keeping the blade pressed against Stede's jugular. "Why do I need...you?"

He spat out that last word in a way that might have well been that dagger twisted right into Stede's heart.

"Well...our...my...ship. It has guns, you see? And that's something you're quite lacking. And as you've spotted the ships first, we can offer you...the entire contents of one of the ships, and a third of what we raid from the other."

That offer caused a murmur to echo through the mercenary pirates standing on deck.

Ed watched him for a moment. Then, "We can discuss your proposal." Slowly, almost like a caress, he slid the dagger away from Stede's throat.

Stede exhaled with a gasp and straightened himself.

Ed turned and walked towards the cabin, the crew once again parting as he moved.

Stede touched a hand to his throat, where there was a small scratch and few tiny pearls of blood. He followed behind Ed into the cabin they once shared.