A Pirate's Heart

Chapter 5: Captain Will "Cutter" Benson

When she awoke the following morning she noticed that Ansem was no longer in her bed. Panicked and worried that their prisoner had escaped, Andrea rose, tucking the silk sheets around her as she peeked through the door of her bedroom. The familiar glow of the merman's tail calming her rapidly beating heart. Swiftly, she slipped on her clothes, emerging fully clothed in her Captain's garb.

She saw Ansem twirling his finger in the water, softly humming to himself.

"Why didn't you escape last night?" Andrea murmured, making her way to the wash basin, the water cooling her warm skin.

"I saw no reason to escape."

When she looked up at the mirror she noticed a strange mark at the base of her neck. A purple swirl that started at the base of her neck and made it's way behind her ear.

Andrea frowned, the pad of her forefinger tracing over the strange mark.

"It's the mark of a mate," Ansem said behind her, his bright blue eyes looking at her from the mirror.

She turned, a low growl coming from her lips, "I want it off!"

The creature shrugged, "I wouldn't know how to remove it."

Frustrated, Andrea hid the mark behind a lock of black hair before making her ways towards the deck. Thoughts of their night's activities sent blood rushing to her cheeks. Diligently, she made way towards the nearest bucket of rum, sending the fiery liquid down her throat. How could she? How could he?!

"By your leave, Captain, but what's your trouble?" Doc said. He was an elderly gentleman with a scar across his bare and hairy chest. Once a doctor of the British Navy, he was forced to retire from old age. Finding him drunk at the local pub with no family nor fortune made Andrea count her lucky stars for finding an expert surgeon. With his love for the ocean, he readily agreed to join her pirate crew. To her, he was like the father she never had the chance to meet.

"It's nothing Doc, the prisoner is simply grating my nerves," she said taking another sip.

"By my reckoning, it seems you're falling in love lassie," Doc said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Have you gone daft?" she gasped.

Doc rubbed his bearded chin, "I was in love once lassie, hit me out of nowhere. One day I was walking down the street taking in some air and the next a doll simply strolled passed me, twirling one of those frilly things in her hand." A dreamy look settled in his blue eyes, "I loved the lady, courted her and married her," tears glistened in his eyes as she listened, "Until she died at childbirth taking with her my unborn daughter."

Andrea refilled the cup of rum and handed it to Doc who greedily took it. Once he was done he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "What I'm saying Captain is that you should take advantage of the you have with him."

Andrea's lips parted open before she was interrupted.

"Captain!" Peg yelled as he ran towards her, his wooden leg clicking against the deck.
"There's a ship," he said breathlessly, his face pale, "It's Captain Cutter!"

Andrea felt the blood drain from her face, "Tell the men to hoist the sails."

"Hoist the sails!"

"Sparrow!" she cried out.

The blonde boy came out from beneath the deck, "Yes captain!"

She took the diamond encrusted knife from her belt and handed it to him, "Go with the prisoner, stay in there. If you here cannons hitting the deck, throw him out the window."

"But Cap-" Sparrow protested.

"Am I explicit?" Andrea growled.

Sparrow nodded nervously before dashing away.

"Hard to Larboard! (trans: make a left)" Andrea cried to her crew, "And make speed! I didn't get the fastest bloody ship for nothing!"

She grabbed her scope and looked at Captain Cutter's location. Every pirate knew he was a vile man who had no respect for the pirate code. Who never respected the parlay and simply killed with no hesitation. Andrea would know, she had barely escaped his ship with her life before getting her own crew.

She was definitely not going to let him catch up to her men.

He will rue the day his mother ever spawned him.