The Traitor's Wish
Chapter 14
The Captain's Croc
The weakness of Emma's body was indescribable. Her shoulders burned with an eternal fire from holding up her body. She was lucky they had not dislocated from the weight. She was hanging now, her feet dangled useless to the floor. She just couldn't reach the floor. Her head hung low, staring at the bloodied deck, her blood spilled on a pirate's ship.
She hated him, hated Denson with a burning flame in her heart, but she couldn't escape his prison.
Her back brought stinging tears to her eyes. The skin was barely even there after the damage they had done. The pain pulsed through her torso. She could feel each lash of the whip. They flashed through her mind constantly.
"One."
The crack of the whip.
"Two."
The leather on her back.
"Three."
The hooks left their mark.
On and on it played through her head. "Thirty two." She had passed out then, but on and on they went until fifty was reached.
She had waken up in the middle of the night, screaming out in pain, crying violently from the unbearable pain. She woke Denson. He was furious.
"Raise her higher!" He screamed to someone in the rigging. She couldn't stop her worsening cries and the pain in her arms doubled. Her feet lifting father away from the ground. She wrapped the around the mast hoping for some sort of relief.
"Sleep well, your majesty." She spat at her, returning to his cabin.
The following morning was worse. Without a word, they lowered her to the ground. Her feet hit the floor, and she tried to stand, but she was too weak. She collapsed to the ground, falling on her face. She could feel her arms again. Emma groaned out loud as the stinging raced through them.
Denson stepped towards her, and the eerily silence became to much for her to bear. "String her back up."
The words were a knife to her stomach. Three crew men lifted her and pulled the cords tight again. She faced the mast, unable to see anyone, but he'd fury was enough.
"You coward!" She screamed hysterically.
Denson did not scream back. Emma could see his smirk in her mind. He was winning the fight and he didn't need to scream at her for pleasure. His calm voice sent shivers down her spine. "It's day two princess." He announced with a chuckle. "No ones hear."
"I'm assuming you remember the punishment yesterday?" He asked mockingly. Her face fell, and Emma Swan gave up. This was her end. This pain was too much to bear, she could not handle a repeat of yesterday. It would kill her.
"Fifty lashings Fargo, but first let the crew have a turn." He said, stepping back into the role of Captain of the demons. "Any man who wishes to show their strength, take the whip and show her no mercy!" He shouted, followed by the whoops of the crew.
Emma closed her eyes and prayed to God as the pain tripled with each lash.
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The Jolly Roger made it through the storm with minimal damage. Luck had turned their way as the winds blew in their favor. The ship began to pick up speed as Smee stood at the wheel and Brinley shouted orders to the day crew.
A cry came from the crows nest, "Sails ahead!"
Brinley grabbed the eye glass from his coat pocket and stared in the direction the crewman pointed. He could clearly see the white sails of another ship. The flag was black with two red cutlasses. The Night Spear.
"Aye, it's Denson. Raise the sails! Godspeed men." He shouted.
He met Smee's glance with an understanding. Denson's crew were well opponents, but the ship was no match. The Jolly would be caught up in no time. They needed to prepare an attack.
"I'll check on the Captain." Brinley said. Smee nodded, and he went down the hatch to the captains cabin. Killian was still asleep, but he looked much better now. Brinley shook him, "Cap'n," he said loudly.
Suddenly a loud crack filled the air. The sound of a canon being shot. Killian shot up out of the bed, surprise laced across his face. They hadn't been hit, but Denson was telling them to turn away, or surrender.
"It Denson, sir. His ship's on the horizon." Brinley explained.
Killian got to his feet, grabbing his boots and putting them on quickly, one by one. "How long was I out?" He asked.
"Bout a day. We made good time after the storm, lost just the Mizen sail." He reported.
Killian threw on his long leather coat and grabbed his cutlass, examining the sharp blade. "Prepare the men for an attack. We're grabbing the princess and getting the blazes out of here."
Brinley nodded his respect to the captain. "Thank you for saving my life mate." He said. He may be a crew man first, but Killian was his friend, not just his Captain.
He stepped up deck. The enemy ship was already growing in size. They had just enough time to prepare. Smee gave the call for all hands. Men were shaken awake as the time began running out.
All available weapons were handed out. Everyman had two swords and a dagger hidden somewhere. Few had an old pistol and some had spears. They loaded. The cannons heavily, and Killian came up deck with a determined state in his eyes.
Their was a hush over the ship as her stepped to the wheel. Everyman was on his feet, showing respect to the man who risked his life to save another. Killian feared for Emma. He was terrified he would find her killed at the hands of that wretched traitor. He would kill the man jut for laying a hand on her. He took a deep breathe, and funneled the fear into anger. "Here we are, just meters away from our enemy." He said loudly, "What are we?" He asked calmly. No one gave an answer, so he shouted loudly this time, "What are we!"
Ricker screamed the loudest, "Pirates!" Other shouts joined his triumphantly.
"And what do we Pirates want?" He shouted.
"Treasure, Arrr!" The crew screamed, ready for a fight.
"And Captain Jones's men always get their treasure!" He gave the wheel a hard spin, veering the ship towards their enemy, men rushed to their spots at the canons.
"Run a shot across the bow!" He hollered. One cannon was shot, the warning.
They shot full blast back, all of them missing, but a clear sign of war. Killian braced himself at the wheel. "Fire!" He screamed. The canons flew back as each fired it shot on the enemy. Two hit the stern, but the damage was smaller then he hoped. They loaded again, waiting for the order.
"Fire!" Killian called again as the ship's grew closer. A big, black canon ball flew into the Fore mast of their ship. It creaked as the wood spilt and hit down onto the deck. They were close enough now to see men shuffling around, preparing an attack of their own.
The Jolly shook as canon balls collided with the Main mast, but it did not fall. They had aimed too high.
The crew climbed high up on ropes, shouting and insulting the other ship. Killian grabbed a rope of his own. "Now, men!" The ropes flew across, an men landed on the Night Spear with swords drawn. Killian pushed off with all his strength and looked for Emma as he flew through the air. Just as he landed, his eyes stopped on a beaten figure tied to the mast, and his heart stopped. Her blonde hair was stained red, and the flesh on her back was nothing but charred red pulp. Fury filled every once of him. He drew both swords as he dropped the rope and landed with a thud on the deck. Denson's crew knew who he was. They all hated him almost as much as he loathed them.
He slid a sword through on man, immediately killing him as many rushed to fight him. One man drew his sword from behind him and began to slice through the air behind him, but Easton swung through the air and took the man out with the butt of his cutlass. Killian had no time for thanks, but he made sure after every fight that men got the credit they deserved.
His sword clashed with another, and he spared for only a moment. The smirk on his face grew. He was bored with the fight, so he tossed one sword in the air, still fighting with the other hand as he drew a dagger and hurled it down with the free hand. It met its mark on the man's chest, and Killian caught his sword again. He was Captain Jones, most feted pirate captain, and this was why.
The Jolly was still burning wholes in the side of The Night with her canons, and Killian crew had the men cowering in fear, but something was off. Denson may not be honorable, but he was no such man to hide while his ship sank.
The fight was so easy, it was offer. Some men even jumped ship and began swimming to the nearby Bald Mountain. Killian took this moment to run to Emma. Radley and Wallace rushed to his aid. They didn't know the Princess was his love, but they could see the desperation in his eyes. This was the Captains treasure, not the money they would get from her.
The three off them untied the unconscious Emma, beings ever so gentle with her charred back. The captains cabin door flew open though.
"Get her to the Jolly!" Killian ordered, grabbing a sword from the ground. He stood fearlessly as Captain Denson stepped out. Only he wasn't alone. A shorter figure with shining skin stepped out behind him. They both had their hands raised in surrender. Something was still wrong. Killian could feel it in the pit off his stomach.
When both of them fell to their knees before him, shaking in fear, he chuckled loudly. "Haha, well well Denson. Seems you finally found yourself a cowardly friend just like you. Just who is this crocodile?" He asked mockingly.
An unnatural laugh flowed out of the man as he turned his lizard eyes up to him. Slowly, the man got to his feet with a sickening smile, and with a wave of his hand he and Denson both had swords pointed towards Killian.
He swallowed thickly, "Desperate for a duel mate?" He asked. "I don't see how this is your fight. It's between the so called Captain and I."
His face contorted in anger, "Not my fight? Not my fight!" He screamed like a mad man, "You took my wife!" His sword sliced through the air, and Killian missed his time to dodge. The blade sliced off his hand. The hand fell, with the sword still held tight in its grasp, and he gasped in pain and he fell to the deck.
The crew around him tried to move in, but the short man waved his hand and they all froze. He was a dark sorcerer, Killian thought, had to be. He grabbed a hook off the ship's floor, shoving it were his hand used to be, and he stood to his feet.
"I assure you, crocodile, I've never met your wife," Killian said carefully. The man's temper was short, but if he could aim it t someone else, he could get away safe. "Have a look at the quivering fool beside you." He said, motioning to Denson.
Killian could tell now. It was obvious Denson had done something to this man's wife and was merely trying to avoid his death. The crocodile saw it too. His eyes grew with hatred as he turned away from Killian, charging to the liar.
"You thought you could outwit me? Rumplestiltskin! The dark one! You thought you could outwit a dark one?" He screamed in fury, plunging a hand info Densons chest. The magic he placed on the crew dissipated, and they ran for the ropes. This was their chance. Some jumped into the waters and swam, others grabbed a rope and swung. Killian rushed to Radly, helping him pick up Emma. He wrapped his arms around her and held her over his shoulder, struggling with the new hook. There was no time to be wary of her back. He just wanted off this dreaded boat.
Rumplestiltskin was consumed in his revenge, and Killian swung across, taking his lass to safety. She was here, in his arms out of harms way.
Only she wasn't, Denson had tortured her and he did not get there in time to stop it. His swan was wounded so fiercely.. It was all his fault.
"Smee take the wheel and get us bloody out of here!" He said as soon as all the men landed. A few men lowered ropes for those who swam to climb on, and all of them made it back with minor injuries.
"Dusk crew! Get to work!" Smee called. "Dawn crew, help the Cap'n and the lady! Day crew take you break, but be ready to work by morning." The gears began turning as each man did his part, and the ship left The Night Spear in the distance.
"Darb!" Killian called out for the man. He was the ship's carpenter, doubling as surgeon for the Jolly. "Pearson!" He called. Pearson was just a crewman, but he had experience with herbs. The two men together were his only chance. It was the closest thing he had to a doctor for Emma.
With their help, he carried Emma into his cabin, and laid her back up on his bed. "Do whatever you can." He ordered.
Pearson hesitated, eyeing her back. "Sir, were running low on herbs. Are you sure you want to waste-"
Killian grabbed the man's collar,
"Unless you want to look like her, you better shut your mouth." He threatened.
Pearson looked taken aback. He was one of the men that assumed she was loot. He thought they would trade her in for all the gold they could ever imagine.
Darb stepped between them, "We'll take care of her cap'n." He promised. He'd been on this ship a long time, and he'd seen Killian's lusty eyes for women. This was not the same. He looked at her with a desperation and sadness. The captain just might be in love.
"Anything she needs. She'll have it." He said fiercely, letting go of Pearson and stepping back to the chair at the window. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair as the men examined her back. He gazed down at the shining hook, and grabbed a wrap of cloth from the desk, covering the cut end around of his hand the silver.
"Well, what of it?" He finally asked.
Darb tied her golden curls up out of the way to reveal deep purple bruises all along her shoulders.
Killian's heart broke. He stood and rushed to her side, brushing a finger lightly across the dark skin.
"You've seen this done sir," Darn began. All the faces of those tortured flashed through Killian's mind. He'd done this to people. "They tied her up, her arms took all the weight. He shoulders are in place, but the pressure on the muscles had to strain them." He explained, a look of sympathy on his face. No sweet woman should be treated this way. "We need ice Cap'n."
"Then we'll go to Arrendale." He decided. "Pearson tell the crew. Darb, what else does she need?" He asked. Pearson climbed up the hatch to talk to Smee.
"Her back needs a snow coat, for now we need long strips of cold wet cloth. The cuts aren't too deep, but the cover most of her. It's scab over, but they can't get infected." He warned.
"How do we prevent that?" Killian asked, concern growing.
Darb met his eyes. "Pray to God." He admitted. "I'll give it to ye straight Cap'n. She'll survive, but she may never walk again."
XXX
Well you got a "reunion" but not a reunion. Emma will wake up in the next chapter, probably.. Sorry about that cliff. I need you guys to comment and cot so I know what you like and what you don't. What was your favorite part of this chapter? How about the part that made you cringe? Killian is transforming into Captain Hook now with his new shiny hook. How do you think Emma will react?
Thank you all for reading! You his mean the world to me, and I am so grateful for your votes. I'm gonna do a contest soon, (hopefully) so please follow my account! I'm almost to 300, and if I hit it I'll give you guys a sweet CS moment in all my books ;)
11/2/15 changed Brishen to Pearson to distinguish him from Brinley (pronounced peer-sun)