Hey guys!! Happy Easter! Hope you all enjoying some chocolate! Anyways, apologies for the quality of writing, will come back look through it tomorrow and possibly fix it up a little, if I even get time? Anyways, hope it didn't turn out too terrible, but barely had time to write this week.
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A day after the shipwreck 1718.
By the Chowan River, under the soft lavender hue of the dusky early morning sky.
A black bird crows above him.
Teach hears the crack of sticks, and an eerie breeze tickles his face. A prickly sensation lingers over his skin, his insides tensing. Somehow he could already sense he was being watched. He twists his gaze up to the man he'd traveled with, his good friend Black Caesar, who'd accompanied him on their rough trek to bury their loot... but it's too late... she already held him by a spear, pressed to Caesar's back. Teach shoots a hand to his holster, flicking out his gun, not hesitating to click back the trigger, and swinging it out to aim it at the woman that stood before him.
His chest heaves, bleeding with heat, heart pounding deep within his chest... not at all because he was scared... but because he was facing her again.
She looked exactly the way he'd seen her last- exquisite... she was majestic, mysterious... she stood beside her golden coated stallion, her trusted old friend... her long black hair flowing smoothly, lifting with the slightest breeze, cascading beside her shoulders... she wore a tan dress with many stitches and painted designs that decorated the colorful fringe across her chest.
He knew she didn't understand his language, but somehow he felt like she could understand his spirit and read his soul entirely.
He heaves out a deep breath, gaze traveling from the woman that stood before him, to his friend. Silently, and confused, his gaze flickers back to her... somehow he knew they would meet again... that she would eventually find him. He didn't think it would be here... It happened that it would be the day he'd had to be burying his mound of treasure from his fleet- and he almost felt the urge to laugh at the irony. He'd been kneeled on the dirt, beside an old oak tree, close to the river on the fringe of the outer banks, a tree that held a prominent design of deeply intertwining branches, that stood over a dry patch of land, near the murky swamp water. The tree held a distinctive look... an almost eerie, troubled essence came from it, Teach could not explain... like within its twisting branches and towering force it held some sort of energy Teach could feel emanating from it. He'd named it the devils tree.
Here she was... standing right in front of him with those fierce eyes. His hand trembles around his gun, thumb readied. "Ya gonna kill 'im, aye?" He mumbles. He'd seen what her tribe had done a couple of months back when they'd first encountered them, and it wouldn't surprise him if she was just as fierce as the rest of her people.
She doesn't respond, just stands there fearlessly, staring at him fiercely. Teach couldn't tell she'd ever even blinked.
Caesar's breath grows quicker, blinking his eyes rapidly, anxious, not knowing his fate, but he couldn't speak either. "He be me frien'- ya hear? What ya want?"
She remains silent, and Teach feels like the only way he would be communicating with her would be through their eyes. He takes a moment to read her. "Ya want gold?" he laughs. "That what ya want?- Las?" he laughs again.
She flicks her hair to the side and whistles, and within a minute a large dog appears out from within the scraggly bush and trees, appearing to stand at her side, tongue licking its mouth. The dog slinks around, watching Teach's movements. He appeared large enough to be a wolf, Teach considers.
Teach lowered onto both knees, putting his hands up, surrendering his gun in the air, even if he knew he could have up handed the situation- but he'd felt he'd wanted to be the first to show he was willing to give in, and call for a chance of a peace between them.
For the first time, Teach see's a flinch to her reaction he hadn't seen before, some tension seeping away from her face, and his lips curl up into a faint smile, exposing a slight bit of his golden teeth.
"Ya 'ave us darl. Now... why don't ya put down ye weapon, sweet'eart?" His face crinkles with curiosity as he waits on her to respond. Teach gazes at her inquisitively... he hadn't noticed the fresh fleshy wound to her leg. "Ya coulda use me 'elp... I can 'elp ya stitch that wound up, ya know? las?... we may just need each other, what da ya say?"
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"Kie where are you taking me?" Rafe grunts, his breath growing heavier as they climb a narrow set of sandy steps that wind behind the markets. Kiara was quite a distance ahead of him. It was pissing him off how she was pushing on so fast- making it her mission to be rushing up ahead of him, and while not responding at all to what he'd ask. He'd had to pick up his pace to not be left behind. In long strides he was soon practically by her side- knowing she was most likely purposely trying to to lose him, or at least that's how he'd felt... she wasn't making anything clear at this point. He jogs up the rest of the narrow path until his arm is slightly brushing to her back, making sure she knew he was close, stringing close enough behind so she got the point that he had no intention of losing her- that she wouldn't be getting far without him. He wasn't going to be left behind, and he wasn't just going to let her disappear from his sight. The narrow passageway winded up the back of a tall stone building, and around, becoming narrower and tighter, and more secluded. "Kie?" he swings his gaze around, brows pinched together- taking in his surroundings, vigilantly.
When she doesn't respond, he'd become fed up, and stops her this time, tugging her by her arm, slowing her down.
Kiara pulls her arm back firmly, tossing a hard look back, her face fierce with anger. She dismisses the way his face tenses, mirroring her reaction too. He glares back- his eyes burning a darker shade of blue and becoming sharper as his piercing gaze narrows on her. Ignoring it, she pushes on. "You wanted to find out, Rafe- right? So, what are you complaining about- that's what I'm doing- it's where I'm taking you-" she stops abruptly in front of a green metallic door. Sliding it open, she takes one step in before turning to him with an indecisive look, assessing him first. "Y-you, ahhh... you can wait out here-" she instructs.
"Mmm- nah- I don't think so-" he argues back, reaching over to take her wrist, his warm hand wrapping about her lower arm-
"Rafe-" she warns, trying to break from his grip, and then someone appears at the entrance, and Kiara immediately turns, bowing her greetings to the elderly man, saying a few words to him politely. Rafe let's go, hand dropping away to his side, darting a confused look between the two. The elderly man's eyes scour over Rafe, taking him in, and then widen when they return back to Kiara. Her awkward smile disappears- "Sir Salmi, this is Rafe. It's ok- I know him... I'm back to collect a couple of things. I won't be long- maybe only a couple of minutes-"
"Kiara come inside- quick-" he persists, motioning with his hand hurriedly for her to come into the old house. Without giving her time to explain, or give a proper reply, the small man adorned in a kaftan, urges Rafe to come in too, practically cramming the pair together by his guiding arms, pressing Rafe up against Kie as he steers them in. Rafe practically topples over into the entrance hallway, trying to create space for Kiara who'd been giving him a fierce look to back away, and the door is suddenly being pulled closed behind them.
Kiara gives the man a strange look. "He can not be waiting outside-" he insists, his tone hushed. "I do not wish for 'them' to be coming knocking on my door, again, Kiara." his tone is urgent but kind and pleading. "You and your friends know this- and you are all welcome here but you can not bring trouble to my home. They can not know I'm helping you- I was harassed in the markets just earlier today, my dear... by some men I have never seen before. And they were not kind, nor did they dress in uniform." he huffs with stress, his face contorting with worry.
Kiara's shoulders stiffen, struggling to accept that this was his response, or that she'd had no way of keeping a distance from Rafe while he trailed along closely everywhere with her, further risking exposing what the pogues had been up to- especially to a man they very clearly were distrustful of... what the hell was she doing?
But she knew she practically had no choice. She nods, gives the man a look of understanding, and smiles thankfully. "Sorry, sir Salmi. Thank you- you've been so much help to us- we're eternally grateful. We promise we won't be long-" She says as she starts off up some stairs that lead up to a second level of the house from off the entry hallway.
"Your friend can go up with you-" he presses, pressuring Rafe to follow Kiara up the staircase.
Hesitantly, she pauses, debating if it was worth the time trying to reason with this man that had treated them like family since they'd arrived... Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she decides to show him respect by not questioning him, while trying to calm the panic in her mind- the idea of Rafe following her up to their room was a disaster- the pogues were going to kill her- her gaze flits back up and she preserves up the rest of steps leading up to the second level, proceeding quickly without looking back or waiting for Rafe.
As she reaches the top, there is only one door toward the left hand corner of the landing, which she opens and immediately enters and disappears into.
Confused, Rafe lingers behind, scouring his surroundings. He'd taken his time climbing the rest of the steps, taking his time to take in the photos framed on the walls, or the ancient looking ornaments hanging in the room below. As he'd slowly reached the top, his eyes come to the only door on that level. His gaze narrows onto the open door, wondering why Kiara had decided to bring him here- of all places- why this old little house? What did any of this have to do with why the pogues were here?
Stepping inside, his gaze trails along the room curiously, questions creasing his face, taking in the sight of carved designs and painted wood and cultured decorations.
When his eyes reach Kie he finds her eyes latched on him with a deep frown. It was clear she was suspicious of him, Rafe could tell, but even he couldn't really blame her... She didn't trust him, so she had quickly hidden all that belonged to the pogues before he had stepped inside- any thing the pogues would find could potentially jeopardize what they had been doing in Morocco. Nothing of theirs could end up in the wrong hands... and Rafe was those kinds of wrong hands, Kiara knew, and so she was quick to act.
She resumes back to moving about the room, searching through and under things. He swallows and frowns, wondering why she was so frenzied around him, lifting things up furiously, and mumbling to herself heatedly. She'd held something clasped tightly in her palm that seemed to be what she'd been looking for, and then she just stood there in the middle of a room full of luggage and a clutter of an assortment of items and books, and bunk beds lining the walls, glaring at him.
"Turn around." she demands. He swallows thickly, taking his time to turn halfway, rubbing the back of his head, anxiously reading her first before he had done so... a fleeting glimpse tells him exactly what she was getting ready to do- he notices her kneeling next a luggage bag, picking through some clothes, before throwing a couple on the bed. He shifts himself all the way round, his strong shoulders shielding her view, preventing him from looking, and he lowers his gaze to the ground.
"What are you doing?" he questions, knowing exactly what she was doing but not knowing why.
"Close your eyes..." she orders. "Just don't look, ok?- I said don't look..." she instructs again firmly when she finds his eyes flitting over his shoulder her way- "I swear- if you do, you're done- Rafe? ok?" she snaps.
Rafe snorts. "Yeah, right, Kie. Ok." a humored smile rolls over his lips. He tips his chin up with a proud look. "Relax..." he opens his eyes briefly, holding his smug smile. "Why would I look, huh? I'm not gonna do that, alright? Got my word." he laughs.
She hmphfs at him, as she slides off her robe.
"I mean, I thought you'd bring me here for a reason, not this-"
"I need to change, ok? They would recognise me the minute I'd walk out there."
The realization suddenly clicks, and he hadn't known why he hadn't thought of it earlier.
"So this is where your staying, hmm? This your room?-"
"It's not my room." she corrects him, as she slides off her harem pants, letting it pool at her feet. In her hand she'd held a key which she silently uses to unlock a drawer. She carefully places the scroll down beside a book in the drawer. The book held the accounts the pogues kept of what they'd gathered during their trip- a journal, really. She'd carried the scroll between the bands of her pants, having kept it tucked safely there, ready to be looked through later and analyzed with the others. When Rafe hears the faint click of the drawer being closed, he curiously slides a fleetingly quick glance, and she catches him- she picks up a book and tosses it straight at his head-
"What the actual fuck!" he snaps, and turns the whole way round, his eyes piercing at her- finding she's in nothing but her black bra and lacy black underwear, and his brows dip, drinking the sight of her in. He catches the sight of her body and the embarrassment flushed over her face, mixed with sheer frustrated anger building up pretty quickly. He drops his gaze away instantly, but they come back up and linger, flickering, on the smooth expanse of her bare skin. Trailing over the dips of her hips and thighs, they travel over to her flat stomach that glistening with a sheen of sweat that had probably produced after the rushed trek they'd just made... the melting away of sweat over her bare body was intoxicating his mind, making his pulse race- he wondered if she tasted as good as liquor if he'd lick the sweat rolling off her bare body and taste it off her abdomen, tracing his tongue along her navel... the rush of thought was too late for him to stop-
"Turn around!" she demands in a furious tone, snapping him out of his thoughts. While she attempts to cover herself with her arms, his eyes twinkle up at her briefly before he turns himself.
Heat spreads to his cheeks... his veins were already scolding hot... The image of her body was going to drive him insane- he knew it- it would remain stuck there undoubtly on his mind for some time, he knew he had no way out- and he was fucked.
He'd made an oath to himself a long while ago he'd stop thinking of her like that- what would be the point when she was a want he could never have anyway... so why put himself through the torment of more pain... he'd gone through enough.
But it wouldn't stop, his mind would play over and over how she'd looked incredible from head to toe to torment him more- knowing exactly he couldn't ever have the things he wanted from her... he wasn't going to admit how thoughts of her were already starting to make him hard. He needs to drown down those thoughts quickly, squeezing them out of his head- he squeezes his eyes shut, and tries to focus on something else... She'd looked fucking incredible- shit- no he had to get that out of his head!- but, fuck, she always did... his head was doing him wrong in so many ways, it was a battle... He has to get her silky, smooth, moist skin, her bare smooth curves, the dip of her thighs between her legs, the contours of her entire slender body- out of his head- otherwise it would destroy him-
"Fuck-" he complains, and grimances, and then proceeds to fake it had been directed at the impact the book made to his head. He knew he needed to deflect some tension that had been made of the situation between the two anyway. He rests a hand over the area of his head where it was still slightly throbbing with pain from where the book had slammed into him. "Why'd you do that-" he grunts hoarsely, exaggerating how it hurt... but it was nothing compared to the flood of thoughts that was inundating his mind that was causing him real pain.
"I warned you, didn't I." she snaps back. Kiara quickly slides on her tight black jean shorts, huffing as she struggles to pull them on- all the frustration and anger coursing through her was insane by this point. Her gaze flickers to him furiously. "Why the hell did you turn?!" her tone is exasperated.
He groans, running a hand over his face. Rafe is reminded how Kie could be so soft and so beautiful, but brutal toward him all at the same- "Kie- it's nothing, alright? It's not like you ever cover up much anyway-"
"What?!-" she spits, infuriated more, feeling like she could hurl another book at him. "You know what-" she raises her arms, in defeat, too tired to argue. "I don't even freakin care anymore-" she scoffs. "I told you not to look, ok? and you did-" she argues "-god, like why can't you just listen, Rafe?- maybe do something right for once and maybe something good will come out of it-" she snaps, not caring if she was shoving her top on a little rougher than she'd intended to.
Rafe's jaw clenches, frustrated. "Alright- ok- stop, Kie- alright?... please- I'm sorry, ok?- there..." Kiara rolls her eyes at his lame attempt at an apology. "Are you done?"
She snatches her phone angrily off a stand, replacing it with the key, burging past him as she exits the door furiously. She rushes down the stairs, and wanders down a corridor, where Rafe couldn't see her but could hear her voice echoing clearly from within the room. Speaking to the elderly man, he waits at the landing for her to return. As he'd been standing at the landing... he captures the sight of movement of someone else crossing the same floor... a girl, wearing a maroon robe and scarf partially covering her face. Slowing down, her gaze held a glint of something Rafe couldn't quite put his finger on, like she'd been deeply concentrated on what Kiara had been communicating with the man. Her brown eyes suddenly come up to find him and notices how he watches her suspiciously. Her smile awkwardly widens, but the expression hits Rafe as odd. Kiara narrowly passes her by, squeezing past and giving her a warm gentle smile before politely bowing- "Sorry, Aleah, I hope you don't mind me rushing through. Got a few things to do- but good news- your room will be all yours again in a few days." Kiara says sweetly, before she turns to face Rafe. She is instantly by the front door, and he doesn't waste time following her out, not wanting to risk her trying to vanish on him again.
"Where are we going- Kie?" he demands.
God, the pogues are going to hate her... they will eternally not forgive her- and may literally end her for all this. She returns a look back at him, worry formed on her features. "We're going to meet with the pogues."