The bonfire was still blazing. Sky could see its orange light when she come around to the front of the manor. Her chest tightened with anticipation. As she made her way back down to the beach she thought out how she was going to word her question. She couldn't outright ask him; she got the feeling he would just brush her off. Or look at her. Both seemed to throw her off and she wasn't happy about it.
Back home on Rendes she wasn't the kind of girl who deliberately put herself in trouble; she didn't go searching for fights, but at the same time if fights came to her she refused to back down. This was one of those times. These men had forcefully boarded their ship, they had killed people and kidnapped her for some sick game.
Why am I still around? Dustin didn't seem particularly interested in her, in fact from what she could tell her presence was simply annoying to him. As for the rest of his crew; none of them even really noticed her at all. But that was perhaps due to the fact that Sky had spent all her time up on the poop deck and none of them had really gotten to close to her. Still it wouldn't have been difficult for any of them to act on their own desires and Sky couldn't help but wonder why. These were pirates not gentlemen.
She thought of the way they had helped the townspeople. The compassionate look on Dustin's face when he spoke to the men of the village. Something was odd about these pirates. And Sky was on her way to finding out what it was.
The grass under her feet became sandy as she neared the fire causing her feet to sink in. She could hear music. Happy and fast paced; dancing music. Figures, a mix of the townspeople and the pirates, spun around the fire casting long thin shadows on the surrounding sand. Sky moved towards them and saw that there were many people around the fire that were simply lying on the sand enjoying the joyful atmosphere.
Such a change from what I saw before.
Sky saw that many of the pirates were enjoying all that this small island had to offer. Sky shuddered at the thought of 'pleasing' a man who murders for a living and moved past the tangled bodies farther from the fires heat as they created a heat all their own.
When she was only a few feet from the fire, the heat making blood rise to her face, she saw Thomas sitting next to the frie with a bottle of something in his hands. He noticed her and waved her over. Sky hesitated only for a moment. She scanned the people gathered around the fire and was more deflated than she should have been when she didn't see a certain face amongst them.
Sky plopped down next to Thomas careful to keep her distance from him; he was still a pirate and she had no clue what his intentions were.
"Hello there lass," He gave her a toothy grin that she weakly returned.She watched him as he took a long swig from his bottle then offered it to her. Sky declined; she would not start drinking especially around these men.
"Everyone seems pretty happy considering..." She spoke in a soft voice but loud enough for him to hear.
"We live a dangerous life. If we don't die today it could be tomorrow." He paused to drink some more. "Gotta make the most out of things. Thats why we celebrate everyday we don't die." Sky smiled at the notion as the dancing figures began to spin around one and other. Amongst them was Marle and his lady friend. Both enjoy each other's company.
From her side she heard Thomas chuckle. "The Captain seems to be enjoying himself." He said looking across the fire.
Sky followed his line of sight and what she saw instantly killed her mood. Said captain was lying on the sand closer to the water, his long jacket and hat off and thrown next to him carelessly. He was not alone. At his side was a woman. She was stretched out next to him her head on his chest and was looking up at the dark sky overhead. She was beautiful; her long dark hair fell across Dustin's chest and curled into ringlets at the end. Sky also couldn't help but notice the feminine shape of her body. Cured in all the right places with a narrow him and a delicate face.
Of course he would be lying with her. Sky though more aggressively than she liked. Out of all the women here he had somehow sought out the most pretty one. Or perhaps she sought him out.
Sky watched the lovers with narrow eyes as Dustin ran his fingers through her curls and placed one hand at her hip. Sky felt her chest clench when the woman looked up and grinned a lustful grin. Sky turned away from them as their faces neared each other hating the feeling that crawled its way into her chest.
"Don't think anything of it Lass." She snapped her eyes back to the man next to her. He was watching her face with slight amusement. "The Captain's had a rough couple of days." He explained as if that was his reason for seeking out low company.
She did not reply and instead tried to focus in the sparks ascending from the fire. She had wanted to find him and talk to him. Demand he tell her why, but her ambitions were almost gone now. Suddenly she realised she may not have to ask him; there was a man who knew about Dustins past and he was intoxicated and more likely to talk to her. Sky thought out her question before asking it.
"The King gave orders to kill these people, all of them. Just shoot them as if they were nothing but animals." She said. Thomas's eyes turned to her, "None of you seemed entirely surprised that the navy would slaughter innocents."
"We're not." Thomas's voice was serious but still held a trace of lightness brought on by the alcohol in his blood.
"I guess pirates can't look down on people if they've done worse things." The snide remark was out before she could stop it. Thomas didn't reply for a long time.
"You think us the villains." It wasn't a question and he sound almost upset.
"Aren't you?" Her whole life Sky was taught that the navy protected people. Protected them from pirates. Today she was proven wrong and she was trying to understand it all.
"It depends on what side you're on Lass." Sky couldn't argue with that. "And to be completely on one side you need to know the whole story. Judging from your shock today you do not."
"Then tell me." She urged turning her body to face his. This was it. Sky prepared for what he was going to say. She needed to know why her King would do this.
Thomas looked over to where his captain was then back to her. "I can't Lass." Her heart sank and she wanted to demand why not. "Its something you should ask Dust." Sky looked over to the lovers and felt sick when she saw they were very close together their lips locked and hands roaming over the others body.
"I'd rather not." Sky said, her thoughts coming out. Thomas chuckled able to guess her reason for not wanting to talk to him. He could probably see how red her face even in this poor light.
"He's only human, Lass." An evil, cruel, morally unjust human. Thomas took a long swig and fell back on the sand. He laughed then looked at her. "I think I'll follow my Captain lead. We've been at sea too long." Sky was about to ask what he meant when he suddenly stood up and immediately fell over. "Bloody hell. Why can't the women come to me?" He asked Sky and she felt uneasy. He waited for her to answer.
"Because..." She started, "They want you to make the effort for them?" She had no clue what he expected her to say. Thomas laughed and stood again. He looked around and then made his way to the fire. Sky was worried for a second he would fall into it but when he disappeared around the other side Sky assumed he had found someone to spend the night with.
She sat alone barely in the fires heat feeling cold and alone. Sky kept feeling her eyes drift over to where Dustin was slightly fascinated by the act he was in with the woman. She had seen others engage in the same thing and couldn't help but wonder what if felt like.
Sky tilted her head to the side studying them. When they pulled away the woman grinned up at him and moved her body slightly so that her back was to Sky. Over her shoulder Sky saw Dustin lean down to whisper something in her ear that made her laugh. The tight feeling in Sky grew when he kissed her again his lips leaving her mouth and tailing down the side of her neck. He pulled back for a second and lifted his head. Sky's heart stopped when his gaze landed on her. He paused in his kisses and held her stare an odd look on his face.
Sky quickly looked down at the sand under her and busied her hands by picking it up and watching it fall to the ground. She continued this action for what felt like hours. Her heart refusing to become slow again.
What is wrong with me? She snapped at herself feeling angry. She hadn't got any answers and now he had caught her watching him with some woman. He probably thinks I'm some creep. Sky groaned and threw herself backwards onto the soft cold sand. The fire was ding down and Sky covered her face with her arm.
I need to have a plan. She'd had one before, admittedly it had been ridiculous to begin with; Get on the navy Brig, search for James, take ship to the mainland, search for James, find records, search for James, find what ship he is assigned to, find ship, find James.
What the bloody hell was I thinking? Sky felt worn, like a piece of fabric stretched over a hole bigger than itself. New plan; first things get away from the pirates. Her only way to do that would be to get a group of men from this village to sail the frigates to the mainland and from there she could simply figure out where they held the records for the navy and look for James's name and the vessel he is assigned to. Sky knew it would not be that easy. She didn't even know where those kinds of records were kept and she doubted they would just let her walk in and look at them.
I'll figure that out once I get there.
The fading orange glow and the moon's light cast shadows across her closed eye lids. The sound of the water calmed her thoughts and Sky tried to relax. She knew that all the pirates were 'preoccupied' and now was a good time to get some much needed rest.
Suddenly all the light was gone as if something was in front of it blocking the rays. Sky moved her arm and opened her eyes. It was dark and she waited for her eyes to adjust. From above her she saw the moon; in front of it was a large black smudge and her mind registered what she saw.
A feather? Its bristles were blowing in the wind gently and it took Sky a few seconds to realise that the feather was attached to a hat and under the hat was a face. Gold eyes looked down at her.
Crap.