The pirates, Sky included, helped the townspeople move the bodies away from the dock and dumped them in a mass grave far to the left of the village. After that Sky had spent a long time dry heaving as her empty stomach clenched at the sight of all those men. The villagers who had died were carried off with care up to the cemetery near the manor but at the bottom of the hill. Mr. Rogue had gone into the buildings to tell the people it was alright to come out and Dustin went aboard the frigates Thomas following. Both of them talking in quiet yet restless voices. Two of Dustin's men had died; the one who had spoken against the captain on the long boat over and the man who had gone with Dustin and Mr Rogue.
That meant she was left standing with the other man from her boat. He watched her with curios and worried eyes.
"I'm fine." She assured him feeling uneasy. He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. Sky placed him in his thirties and he had the same sort of look as Lucuss had; blond hair blue eyes. Only his were not innocent and pure. Marle, Thomas had called him.
"You did well." He said before to her moving away to greet his Captain. The three men spoke with their heads bent together and Sky saw the anger and hurt on Dustin's face. Marle said something that made all three sets of eyes turn to her. Sky wanted the ground to open and swallow her up, but instead it remained completely intact and even seemed to hold her in place as the three pirates made their way over to her.
"You should not have been here." The Captain snapped and Sky actually flinched. She thought over her options. Should I tell him the truth? And then let him rip open my throat for almost betraying them to the navy? She knew that wouldn't end well. But the longer she thought about it the more she became angry.
"Excuse me?" She snapped back at him. The Captain didn't even blink. He leaned in so his face we inches from her and spoke slowly a dark fire in his eyes.
"What were you doing here?" Sky's gaze flicked down to his lips and she forced her eye back to his.
"Had I not been here all the townspeople would have been massacred." She pushed at his chest to get him away from her.
"She has a point Captain." Marle said looking at her.
"So what happened?" Thomas asked giving her an option to explain herself before the captain punched her.
"I overheard them talking," Sky explained not really wanting to go further into it.
"And what did they say?" Thomas prompted. Sky looked at him finding it easier to fill her lungs when she wasn't confronted by gold hateful eyes.
"That the king had given the order, and that they were going to blow up the town." She looked back at the captain when he cursed aggressively. "I followed them and when I saw what they were going to do I shot the commodore." She felt wrong for taking another life even if it was to help innocents.
"You still haven't answered me." The Captain growled at her. Sky swallowed, she couldn't tell him her reason for being there.
"Dust, she's had a traumatic day-"
"I don't care what bloody hell kind of a day she's had." The captain whirled on Thomas. He looked back to her his eyes blazing. "You should have been on the Belladonna. Why weren't you."
Sky swallowed. "I was trying to escape." She wasn't really lying. "I thought if I could get on one of the frigates they could take me home."
The others nodded accepting her lie. Dustin did not. "I know you're not telling me something, Sweetheart." He moved his face so close to hers that she could feel his breathe on her eyelashes. "And the only reason you are getting away with it is because I owe you my life." He spoke the words in a very unhappy manner. "Next time you lie to me you will regret it. I promise." He moved away and Sky resisted the urge to shiver.
Mr. Rogue emerged from the buildings and ran towards the group a worried look on his face.
"Captain, there are many who have been injured. Some of them just children." Behind him people were staring to come out from their hiding places and they. The others who had been moving the dead also made their way to the dock.
"Give the signal to the ship." The Captain said. "Bates will have to do the best he can." Sky assumed the 'Bates' was the Belladonna's doctor. Mr. Rogue moved away and Sky heard a crack from behind her. A bright red flare went up into the sky and exploded. It was only minutes later that Sky saw the pirate ship from around the corner. As the dock already held two frigates it was forced to weigh anchor further away from the dock.
"Thank you." Sky jumped as a small hand grabbed hers. It was the boy who had been pulled from her side before. His dark eyes were huge and red from crying. Sky's heart broke. She bent down in front of him.
"You are welcome." The boy smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't act faster." She whispered struggling to contain tears. The boy leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. He ran away before Sky could respond.
"You did the best you could." Thomas was standing behind her. Dustin was talking with two local men. "He is thankful to you also." Thomas followed her line of vision.
"He didn't seem like it." Sky felt the frown on her face.
"He was very impressed with the way you handled it. Angry," Thomas smiled, "But impressed."
"I don't care what he thinks of me." Sky admitted. Thomas' smile turned into a full grin.
"Oh, I'm sure you don't." He said the sarcasm barely poking through his words. He moved away from her and joined his Captain and Sky's frown deepened.
What the hell does that mean? She huffed and saw the pirates were beginning to make their way onto the island. Mr Rogue ran to them and Sky suspected he was explaining what had happened. Sky shut her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts.
The day had not gone according to plan. She had learnt some unsettling things; what was Dustin's reason to seek revenge against the Navy? Why would the King, her King, give an order to murder his loyal subjects? And something that made her feel the most uneasy; how did she fit into all of this?
The townspeople offered to throw them a party in celebration of becoming a Pirate port officially. Sky felt uneasy as the men of the town pulled down the Kings colours and it was replaced with a plain black flag one of the women produced from her home. It was just a black sheet cut into a triangle and put on the rope to be lifted into the sky. Everyone gave out a loud cheer when it reached the top.
Within minutes there was a large bon fire going on the shore line. The people all scurried away into their homes and came out baring mugs and food. The pirates settled on the sand acting perfectly at home. The sun was still high and Sky wondered why on earth they would start partying now. Especially when many of their people had died.
Sky spotted the same woman who had wept over the man the commodore had shot. She was kneeling in front of Marle with her head on the ground as if worshiping him. He looked at her slightly put back and when she leaned forward to kiss him on the check, the same why the boy had done to Sky, he turned bright red.
The woman looked up and saw Sky watching them. She bowed her head again to Marle and made her way over to Sky.
"You are the one who shot him?" She asked her voice dark and smoky. "The commodore?" Sky nodded. And the woman fell to her knees before her. Feeling shocked and uneasy Sky crouched down to her.
"I'm truly sorry for your loss." She said wanting to comfort the woman with a pat or a hug but refrained from doing so.
The woman looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "My brother was a good man." She said some tears falling on her red cheeks. "He would be happy you saved everyone else. I am happy." She said. Sky tried to give her a smile but failed. Her purpose for coming on this island was to help the men who would have cut this woman down.
Sky rose and gave the woman her hand to help her up. She took it and gave it a tender kiss before going back to the bon fire. Sky watched as she sat down next to Marle who looked pleased yet uncomfortable at the same time.
"Are you going to join us?" Thomas asked from behind her.
"No," Sky did not feel like having a good time. It all felt wrong; to be here. Thomas looked like he understood and gave her a pat on the back that did nothing to comfort her.
She walked away from the gathering of people and up to the manor. Dustin had sent two men up to 'deal with it' and when they had come back with blood on their swords she suddenly knew the meaning of the phrase.
Sky reached the front gates of the manor and saw the gate was slightly open. Pushing it she slipped into the front garden. All around her were beautify kept grounds. There was a stone paved path at led up to the front door and around the side of the house. Not wanting to see the horrors of more dead men she bypassed the door and walked slowly down the path and around the side of the house. On one side of her was the tall fence and on the other the two stories of the manor. Sky felt small and trapped between them and was thankful when the back of the house ended and in front of her was the back garden.
It was empty, not that she expected to find anyone, and was covered in small paths and flower beds that held a large assortment of colours. In the middle of the garden was a small pretty pergola also painted white to match the house. Sky followed one of the paths that led off the main one and walked towards it. As she passed she brushed her hands against some of the flower. There were many she'd never seen before and some that were as familiar to her as her own hands.
Her fingers skimmed over the dark purple petals of the morning glory's. Sky smiled at the small flowers thinking of how they used to grow on Rendes. The soil was terrible for them but tucked away from the fishing town was a small meadow her father took her to once. It had been the first time she had ever seen flowers. Tears pricked her eyes.
What I'm I doing? She asked herself and fell to the ground beside the flowers. She wished her brig had never been overrun by pirates. Wished she had never left Rendes. But above all she wished James had never left her. Finally, she let out all the anger, sadness, and helplessness inside her and cried.
She cried until the tears stopped then she stood and yelled at the top of her lungs, screaming out all her questions all her hate to the world. After her throat too sore to scream she kicked up the garden beds rage overcoming her. Exhausted and raw from the pain she felt, Sky stopped, her chest heaving up and down. The sun had disappeared over behind the manor and the sky was turning a brilliant orange. Sky looked down at the destroyed flowers and felt hollowness in her heart.
She had to know why. Why the Belladonna had attacked her ship and why they defended this town when they were meant to be the evil ones. She was going to get her answers and there was only one person who had them.