Theodore's P.O.V.
I wasn't sure how to react. Should I... I had no idea. All I knew was that my interpretation on who R.C. was, was wrong, so so wrong.
"Ariela?" I finally breathed; shattering the silence like thin ice.
"So you know who I am. It doesn't make any difference in the situation." She said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders while dropping the low tone she had been mimicking to disguise herself as a man.
"'Doesn't make a difference?' it makes a difference!" my volume grew, "We grew up together! You're like a sister to me! You used to be so close to me and told me everything! I knew you better than I knew myself! Now I find that you were the one threatening your own mother and Danny? Why would you do that? Why would you become this, this..." I fumbled for the right word, looking at her in disgust, "person!?"
Ariela chuckled darkly, "You think just because you grew up with me, you know everything about me? You think my life was all dandies and sunshine. That my life was a blessing? Well, I'd like you to know that it wasn't! I don't care that I threatened to kill Dariela because she doesn't matter to me! She isn't even my real mother!" She snarled angrily.
"What are you talking about?"
"Dariela isn't my mother, she only claimed the title because she found me as a babe abounded on her doorstep. She didn't want to 'hurt my feelings', so she only told me when my actual father came on day and demanded I live with him." She hissed with displeasure.
"You never left Dariela, you've always been living with her." I stated.
"You left when you were a mere adolescent. Of course you wouldn't know if I had left or not. I was with that man for four years before I came back and in those four years he showed me how the world really was. He taught me how to be real." I couldn't believe what she was saying.
"You think this," I pointed in disgust at her, "is real? It isn't. Being a heartless person isn't being real, it's being a coward." I spit at her.
"Being a coward? No, being a coward is like the people who whimper and shake when I even think about looking in their direction. The people who hide away in their little homes when I walk down the street. That's being a coward." She spoke, levelling her gaze at me sharply.
"No being a coward is hiding who you truly are." I said, keeping my gaze on her unwaveringly.
"I've had enough of this conversation. Sam, take Danny over here to a cell," she said with a tinge of frustration in her voice, "and make sure no one comes near her."
"No! Leave her out of this! She had nothing to do with this!" I shouted angrily and hurried towards her.
Ariela stopped me abruptly by pushing her arm out and blocking my way. She then fiercely said, "She's the whole reason why I wanted the scroll."
"Impossible! You didn't even know she existed before you met her a few weeks back."
Ariela bent down and retrieved the scroll from the deck. She gave me a sinister smile before showing me what was on it.
"How?" I whispered, my eyes running over the portrait restlessly.
"About two years ago, a woman appeared at my doorstep, claiming she was a widow because of me, and declared she knew who I was. She threatened my demise, because according to her, my death would not be a good enough retribution. I obviously didn't take the woman seriously, but she kept on with her threats. But the funny thing is, she said that it wouldn't be her who did it. No, she said the person who would, wouldn't be of this time. I brushed the woman's threats off and after she left, I never saw her again, but then a few weeks later, I had stumbled upon something. The woman didn't seem as crazy after that.
I had decided to kill the person out to take my life to ruins before they had the chance. I searched everywhere for a means as to who this person could be. Luck struck me and a man who had heard of my hunt, whispered in my ear an old myth.
Seemingly someone had seen this person and had wanted to paint a portrait of them, even going as far as to scribbling their name onto the page. After the portrait had been painted, it was hidden from all eyes. Once I was able to find the location of the painting and it was obvious I wouldn't be able to reach it, I remembered about your ship and how special it was. I couldn't stop myself from using you.
The irony though, is that the person I had been searching for so desperately, had been right here all this time, even spent a night under my roof. Now that I know it is you," she turned towards Danny with an evil grin, "you'll never have the chance of bringing me to my knees as I'll be keeping you locked up tightly."
Danny's P.O.V.
"I thought you ss-said you w-would k-ki-k, take m-my life, when you f-found me." I stuttered wildly, my face going pale.
"The woman was right, there's no satisfaction in killing anyone." Ariela said darkly with a just as dark, sinister smile on her face.
My hands began shaking, never mind that, all of me began shaking. She wasn't just going to keep me locked up, no, she was going to make the rest of my life, no matter how long, a nightmare.
"I–I... I." I stammered out. Ariela's grin grew at the obvious fright she was causing in me.
"I won't allow you." Theo growled with great promise filling his words.
"How are you going to stop me?" Ariela taunted him, her eyes glowing with derision.
He sprang forwards and held his sword to her throat, "I won't hesitate to take your life, if that's what it takes."
"Oh really?" She asked while quirking an eyebrow.
"Yes." Theo said strongly.
Ariela merely broke into a guffaw and pushed his sword away with confidence, "I thought I was like a sister to you. You wouldn't murder your own sister, would you?"
"You are not my sister, not anymore." Theo said, causing her eyes to widen a fraction. Theo dived at her.
Ariela was quick to step to the side and unsheathe her sword. She brought her sword up in time to block another blow from Theo.
I felt Sam tugging me back, attempting to lead me away while Theo was distracted. My foot shot out in protest and I kicked him hard in his shin.
"Argh!" he yelled angrily and threw me to the deck.
He stomped toward me angrily and kicked me back. He bent down and grabbed me and firmly planted me under his arm. He was easily able to keep me there because of his large frame.
"Put me down!" I yelled, but he ignored me.
Sam came to a stop when Williams and Gibson intercepted his path.
"Let th' lass go." They demanded.
"No."
Now that I think about it, a weird time to really think about it actually, but everyone has been saying 'no' a lot today.
Gibson and Williams looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders and turning away.
What!? They would just leave me and walk away like that?!
Unexpectedly, they whipped back around with both their fists raised and with a strong force, aimed and hit Sam in the schnozzle.
The poor fellow, not really, went staggering back and fell to the deck unconscious with one, well two actually, hits.
Clearly unlike my clumsy self, I landed gracefully on my feet when he let me go. I stared down at my feet in almost astonishment before looking up and grinning broadly at Williams and Gibson.
"Cap'n!"
I turned just in time to see Theo slipping and falling over board.
I snatched a sword up from the deck and sprinted towards Ariela, rage plain on my face.
With a strong slice, I brought my sword down onto her arm. It cut into her flesh but not nearly deep enough. I thrust her legs out from underneath her and she immediately tumbled to the floor.
With my head held high with intimidation and poise, I held the tip of my sword at her gullet. My grip was steady and confident.
"You're leaving... without me." I commanded in a growl and with a strong swing, I slashed at one of her legs, creating a deep wound.
Ariela screeched in pain, but quickly clamped her mouth shut, gritting her teeth tightly together. She roared at me before barking at two of her men to come and assist her.
Once I was sure she was on her ship and would stay there, I quickly rushed over to the banister Theo had fallen over.
"Make sure they set sail!" I yelled to Fisher as I sprinted past him.
My hands latched onto the banister railing and I almost threw myself over from the sudden stop I made. I worriedly searched the waters for a familiar mop of hair. My worry grew when I couldn't seem to be able to find him.
"Theo!?" I called out worriedly.
There was no reply for a while...
"Oi! Dove! Could you throw me some rope?"
I breathed out in relief and held my hand to my chest.
He's okay.
"It's on its way!" I shouted before rushing towards an area which usually held long portions of rope.
I shuffled through the bundle until my hands gripped onto the longest piece of rope I could find.
"Here you go!" With one end secured onto the banister, I threw the other end over board.
"Got it!" He yelled back. I peeked over and watched as he climbed the rope with ease and speed.
Theo reached me in no time and I grabbed onto his arm to help him aboard. He seemed to have slipped because before I knew it, I was laying on the deck on my back with Theo on top of me.
He shot up onto his arms and looked around restlessly.
"Where is she?"
"Hey, she's gone. You can calm down now." I reassured.
He kept most of his weight on his arms as he stared down at me with wide eyes. I stared right back before bursting into giggles. He quickly joined me in my laughing fit.
"This reminds me of the day we first met." Theo commented after he had caught his breath.
"Really? How so?" I inquired.
"Well, the roles are reversed now but you had fallen over board and after I had succeeded in getting you back on board, you had slipped and we ended up in this exact same position." He said with a broad smile.
"True but you got one thing wrong." I pointed out.
"And what's that?" He asked, almost humouring me.
"That wasn't the first time we had met." I said while sticking out my tongue at him.
"Maybe not the first time we met but it was the first time we met." He expressed with adoration for me shining in his eyes.
***
"Come on Lass, you know the song!" Pepper shouted at me as we all gathered around the main deck where we were throwing a small victory celebration.
"We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!"
Theo took me around the waist and spun me around causing me to giggle. He put me back down and took a step back. He gave a bow and offered his hand for me to take for a dance. I playfully bowed back and took his hand without hesitation.
"Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.
We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!
Maraud and embezzle and even hijack.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!..."
Theo spun me around and started leading us away in the dance. We came to a stop at our usual spot.
I gave a thoughtful look to the night sky and wondered what was next? R.C., I mean Ariela, got her treasure and wouldn't be coming back for a while, so what now? My light smile slipped from my lips and I frowned at the stars. I started this journey with a billion questions and yet here at the end of our adventure I sat with even more.
How had someone painted a picture of me when I had only arrived in this time about a month ago? How would they know if I would be Ariela's demise and possibly how could they know my name? Why would they want to paint my picture but then hide it?
One question that had stuck with me throughout this whole adventure:
How did I get here?
"Dove?" Theo called for my attention, "What's wrong?"
I gave a defeated sigh, "It's just that there's so many unanswered questions and I can't seem to find any means as to how get answers to them."
He sent me an understanding smile, "We'll find the answers, Dove. Don't worry."
"We'll?"
"Me, you and my crew, we'll find the answers, don't doubt it." He said confidently and sent me a wink.
"Alright," I said, "but how?"
"We'll go on an adventure." He answered simply.
I spluttered, "We were just on an adventure." I looked at him incredulously.
"Well, then we'll go on another adventure." He said with an excited smile.
I smiled back at him and gave a nod, "Another adventure."
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Sorry to say but this is the end of this book! I really enjoyed writing this book! It was a lot of fun!
Thank you for all your support, comments and votes!
Love you all and may GOD bless!