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Post by Captain Hestia Black on Oct 30, 2012 16:24:46 GMT -5
The Forgotten Ilse was shrouded in mist that parted in swirls as the Sea Bitch glided gently through the dark waters. The moon was bright in the sky and had the water been free of mist you could have seen the stars reflected on its surface.
Hestia stood on the bow of the ship her hands clasped behind her back her eyes not really seeing the island as the oil lamps flickered into view. The fight with the Kraken had been costly, not only was her ship so badly damaged they were going to be shore bound for a few weeks but she had lost many of her crew, including her first mate, Dan.
The crew were reflecting her sombre mood, speaking only when they had to. Everyone had loved Dan, and if they hadn’t loved him, they respected him almost as much as they did her. A song sprung to her lips, one that Dan used to sing when he was drunk. Her voice was oft and steady as she sung.
“The King and his men,
Stole the queen from her bed.
And bound in her in her bones.
The seas be ours, and by the powers:
Where we will, we’ll roam.”
A hush had fallen over her crew, so quiet you could hear the waves lapping gently at the sides of the ship. She bowed her head, quelling the wave of emotions before continuing, this time louder than before and one by one, the crew sang with her.
“Yo ho, all together
Hoist the colours high,
Heave ho, thieves and beggars,
never shall we die.”
The journey to Pirate bay had been a tiresome one, with the mast so delicate, Hestia dared not use the sails , and so everyone had been put on shift to row the Sea Bitch to safety. The forgotten bay was so named because the High King and Queen of Enden had forgotten it existed. When they remembered it, it was overrun with pirates and the risk involved with taking it back was not worth what the island would pay in taxes. It was self sufficient growing enough crops to feed its inhabitants and still have a little left over to feed and trade with the pirates.
The crew worked independently of their captain, they knew this drill well enough to do it without commands. The port in Pirates Bay had waters deep enough to dock even the biggest of pirate ships so they were close to land when then anchor dropped. The gang plank slid down connected with the wooden walkway below with a loud thud. The crew assembled on the deck waiting for orders. Hestia drew in a deep breath and moved don from the quarter deck.
“Go. Eat, sleep, fuck. Do whatever you need to, to recover from our ordeal. Be back here at high noon tomorrow and we can start to heal the Bitch”
She caught sight if Aella among the crew, a strange woman that many claimed was unhinged. Hestia believed them, but she also believed there was more to this mad woman than met the eye. That was why she had hired her in the first place.
“Aella!” she called moving down the gangplank with the rest of the crew. “With me.” Hestia had to raise a new first mate, and Aella had proved herself more than once that she was capable, even if a little insane. Once Aella was in tow she led the way to a tavern, picking a quiet table in the corner away from the ruckus (if that was even possible) and waved a serving wench over to order some rum.
At first she said nothing, merely sipped her rum and observed the chaos of the tavern as several fights broke out. “They never would have called me ‘Queen’ if it wasn't for Dan. He started it all. He taught me to fight, he taught me everything from how to tie a knot, to how to read an enemy. Without him I feel...somewhat...incomplete.” she stopped to look at Aella studying the woman carefully, watching her digest her words.
“I want you to be my first mate.”
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Post by Aella Ashwood on Oct 31, 2012 16:39:03 GMT -5
The small cabin was dimly lit, quiet and calm. This was, of course, except for the electric atmosphere which surrounded one particular bunk. A slight crackling interspersed with the occasional pop was subtle could be heard if one listened carefully enough or was close enough to the sleeping woman.
Aella was unaware of this subconscious manifestation of her natural abilities which resulted from times of emotional strain. Unfortunately sleep was no longer the safe haven, the escape from reality it used to be.
Stepping out into the heat of high summer, she didn’t have to try hard to find what she was in search of. They couldn’t be missed in the exquisitely manicured rose garden for the bright sunlight had set their coppery locks the colour of fire.
“They are their mother’s daughters.” Her husband’s voice came from behind and couldn’t help but make her smile.
Suddenly the clear blue sky was overrun with storm clouds. Too quickly in fact to be naturally occurring and immediately Aella knew this was a dream. She had yet to find a way out of her lucid dreams and had learnt, the hard way, to let them play out. They ended so much quicker that way.
The beautiful girls ran toward their parents, they laughed and squealed as the icy rain started to fall. All Aella wanted to do was to hold the two tight two and snuggle close. This was, however, impossible in the land of the living as well as that of dreams. The wind suddenly picked up, it was incredibly strong, too strong for anyone to do anything but watch as the girls were dragged away by the forces of nature. Aella tried with all her might to fight against its strength but it was as fierce as the largest army.
Further away the young children were pulled, through the winding paths of the garden until they reached the grey stone of the wall which separated their property from the lake behind. Panic soared. All of a sudden she was free and running as fast as she possibly could past the hedge sculptures, pink and purple flower beds and stone foundations. They were all meaningless now.
She was almost there, almost in reach of the two things which were the most precious to her. If only she could just catch up.... she could hear their cries and pleads but she knew they were already gone. She wasn’t going to reach them. As they were pulled up like they were attached to invisible wires and carried into the freezing depths by the cruel stream of air, Aella sunk to her knees, overcome by an agony like no physical pain.
Small sparks joined the area surrounding Aella’s bunk. The crackles and pops had increased tenfold in a matter of seconds until they abruptly stopped. Her eyes had shot open but other than that there was no external sign of the internal heartbreak. It took a moment for her heart to cease beating so violently against her ribcage and to slow her breathing.
She stared blankly at the wooden ceiling above while regaining her senses and surroundings. She was on the Sea Bitch, not the grand estate of her husband’s noble family. With one almighty effort, she swung her legs off followed by the rest of her weary frame and the leather boots hit the wooden planks with a dull thud.
One of her fellow shipmates, a young man whose name she didn’t know, poked his head in to say, “we’ve arrived.”
That was all she needed to know. Aella swiftly joined the rest of the motley crew on deck to hear her captain’s orders. She of course would be doing very little of what was suggested by Hestia. Before could even think of what she wanted to do, she was called over to the captain’s side.
She followed her through the streets which were rife with drunks, loud merchants and prostitutes and into a rowdy tavern. They sat and ordered the standard: rum and then she listened carefully as the other woman spoke while cradling the battered old tumbler in her pale hands.
The final words made Aella raise her eyebrows. She looked up into Hestia’s eyes, wondering why such a proposal would be made. The world was done with her, had been years ago. Aella wasn’t mad enough not to know that she was a killing machine, a tool people used to set their plans into action. A leader of people? This was different.
Looking down at the rum once more, she watched as the dark liquid whirled around its glass confines and lapped at the transparent sides. She couldn’t help but respect Hestia and this is what made the woman hesitant; she didn’t want to fail her because of her own short comings and so she asked the question which begged to be answered.
“Why me?”
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Post by Captain Hestia Black on Oct 31, 2012 17:17:45 GMT -5
Hestia gave a small smile as Aella stared into her drink before asking the inevitable question. Why? Why choose Aella Ashwood, the woman who danced on the edge of sanity. No one really knows where she came from, or who she was before she became a pirate. All knew there was darkness in her past that had carved her into what she is.
Hestia took a sip from her rum, relishing in the instant heat that followed it and sat forward. “Well, it’s very simple really. Your good in a fight, you give good commands when they are needed and I know I don’t need to watch your every move. Pirates need strong women in their high ranks and beneath that...” she paused searching for the right word “...fizzing shell of yours is a strong woman.” Satisfied with her words she sat back before adding “And because I trust you not to stick a sword in my back and try to take my ship”
She winked and gave a small smirk; Dan would’ve laughed at her for that, told her to stop trying to sound intelligent, like she’d thought about it. His laugh echoed in her memory and for a moment he could have believed he was there, her smile vanished. He wasn’t there. He was never going to be there again. The hole in her heart ached and she took a gulp of rum to try and fill it. Forcing herself away from it she looked back at Aella. “Are you in?”
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Post by Aella Ashwood on Nov 2, 2012 14:31:08 GMT -5
Half recognisable whispers fluttered around her ears. She quickly turned, setting an auburn strand free from the loose plait, but there was only the chitter chatter of patrons, that’s what she told herself. She knew immediately this was a lie because they were there however, of this she was sure. She looked again, scrutinising her surroundings for a clue but there wasn’t any... there never was.
Returning her attention to the woman in front her, Aella took a sip of the weapons grade rum and paused in thought. The murmurs were still there, distracting her from the important decision which now faced her. Shaking her head, she sighed while continuing to play with the drink.
A strong woman... If only Hestia knew. A flash of a sudden thought caused her heart a slight panic, a panic because she was considering sharing a slice of her past. If they were to be captain and first mate, then a level of trust was needed. Then again these pirates didn’t seem to conform to any codes of conduct which she once lived by.
“As much as you flatter me,” her voice was hesitant; the whispers were still distracting her from the course to take. A ship was the least of Aella’s wishes. She shrugged off the idea for a crew to be responsible for and course of action, a direction to go wasn’t something the woman had.
Again she paused while she attempted to quell an internal struggle which was building. On one hand she wanted to help Hestia who had taken her in when most who cast her away but she knew she could be a liability. She quelled her struggles by leaving it up to her captain who would have a little more information before coming to a decision.
“I’ve only ever know death Hestia, I’m not too good with the living. Are you willing to take that risk?”
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Post by Captain Hestia Black on Nov 2, 2012 15:17:49 GMT -5
Hestia took another gulp of rum, and set the tumble on the table, watching Aella as she turned this way and that searching for things only she could hear, before answering Hestia’s question with another question. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and closed them for a moment instead and took a deep breath. Why couldn’t people just agree with her and make her life easy?
Opening them she smiled. “Aella, I don’t give a shit what you’ve known before you joined my crew. I have judged you from your actions under my command, nothing more. See it as an opportunity to know more than death. An opportunity to make something of this life that was taken from you in your last life.” She drained her tumbler and raised the glass at a passing serving girl who promptly brought her another.
“I am a pirate. Pirates take risks, for better or for worse. I follow my gut instinct and so far it hasn’t failed me, so if you don’t trust yourself, than trust in that and accept the position.” she studied Aella for a moment before adding. “I forewarn you I will be drunk ninety nine percent of the time while we are shore bound and the Bitch is fixed.”
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Post by Aella Ashwood on Nov 8, 2012 17:12:54 GMT -5
Hestia’s straight talking, no nonsense attitude was the perfect antidote to Aella’s doubts and it was then that she realised that they would make a good team. Smiling slightly at the other’s woman’s final statement, she simply replied, “and that’s a change how?”
In the background deep baritone voices were gradually growing louder until there was nothing else to hear but their argument. She turned in her rickety chair to see what was happening. In a dark corner booth two groups of burly sailor type men were face to face and preparing to throw the first punch. Aella rolled her eyes.
Most of the other patrons were ignoring this, knowing that it was safer to stay out of the way rather than to piss off the men. This was until the situation escalated beyond control. Suddenly with an almighty clatter and bang one of the taller men transformed effortlessly into a brown bear, knocking the lantern which had been swinging on the rotting ceiling planks onto the wooden flooring.
Fortunately there was enough damp in the ancient planks for them not to catch alight. That was the least of their problems now because the man in his bear form was bearing down on another man who looked petrified. Aella turned back to look at Hestia with her eyebrows raised.
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Post by Captain Hestia Black on Nov 8, 2012 17:45:24 GMT -5
Hestia gave Aella a mocked looked of surprise and placed her hand on her heart pouting, trying to look as hurt as she possibly could, “Aella, you wound me. I am never drunk at sea.” she picked up her tumble a sly smirk on her face and took a sip, and for the first time, allowing the noise of the tavern into her thoughts. Her eyes settled on the sailors behind Aella her expression darkening as their voices raised.
She sat back observing for a moment. In any other age, this would have been considered normal. This would have been considered something to ignore; to merely turn an eye to a murder committed at the height of emotions, fuelled by the toxin in their blood. That age was coming to an end, the age of war was dawning once more and her deal with the High King meant she needed all hands on deck. She had her plans to turn the deal on the King, but she needed an army to do it.
Aella looked at her, eyebrow raised and Hestia let out a bored sigh. “I hate to break up their fun.” she muttered sarcastically as she set the tumbler on the table and rose, smoothly and made her way to the bear and the terrified man without haste. “Enough!” All eyes were on the fight and a silence so deep that she could hear a drip from one of the barrels behind the bar, settled as she came into sight.
She folded her arms and glared at the two men. “Save your fight, for a real enemy.” she said loud enough for all to hear. The shifter roared at her and she raised an eyebrow at him. “Shift you idiot, I don’t speak bear.” she snapped irritably. The man shifted his cheeks red from rage and alcohol. “He lost a bet. He won’t pay.”
“Did he?” she said, her tone taking that of a mother talking to a toddler “Oh, you poor precious thing! Did you think killing him would get it back? Bless you, how naive.” She rolled her eyes and looked at the terrified man, surveying him carefully, recognising him from so many other situations like this, she gave the bear another patronising look. “Did your friends no warn you about betting with this one?” she said, continuing her mocking tone, a few people round the tavern murmured in agreement, some even dared to chuckle.
Hestia smiled. “You took a risk, it didn’t pay out. It won’t ever pay out. You could kill him but would be nothing but poor blood spilt. Nothing but another man lost from my little empire.” Her mocking tone had gone now, replaced with controlled anger. “All captains gave their word no blood would be spilt until our job was done. That word carries down to you. You spill blood? You pay the high price for it.” One arm unfolded, fire engulfed her hand and danced around it.
“And if I don’t agree with my captain’s word?” he spat back at her.
“Then you are mutinous bastard, and better hope you are capable of killing said captain before you utter such words.” That caught the shifter in his tracks and he deflated, and stepped away. The terrified man through himself and Hestia’s feet sobbing and thanking her, Hestia cracked the back of her hand across his face, disgusted. “Get. Out.” she could not have disruptions like him around when she needed everyone together.
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Post by Aella Ashwood on Nov 8, 2012 18:09:10 GMT -5
Crossing one slim leg over the other, Aella half turned and lent against the back of the chair and watched the scene play out. In the end there was nothing of consequence, a few crossed words and a good telling off from their superior was all. It was rather disappointing to the blood thirsty woman who, secretly, hoped for a more... electric ending.
Suddenly out of the corner of her eye a blaze of red rushed passed into the room at the back. A very familiar shade of red. She quickly tried to shake off the weird sensation the vision had created and so distract herself Aella watched as Hestia finished off her business with the rowdy men. Seconds later it was there again: a beautiful mane of thick, luscious red hair which belonged to a young girl.
The whole scene played out in slow motion, the girl slowly turned to look over her shoulder and was Audra’s blue eyes staring at her. With that she was gone into the next room. Abruptly Aella stood up, almost knocking over the table in the process. Was she dreaming? She only saw the girls in her dreams. How can this be? Was she dreaming now?
The tavern didn’t feel quite right all of sudden. She touched the smooth varnished layer of their table to find it was definitely there or was that just her mind telling her this? Relaying the reality it wanted her to see? A reality she left her heart to. Disorientated but yet sure of one thing, she grabbed onto Hestia who was still finishing off her discussion with the cowering pirate, she whispered urgently, “did you see that girl?”
With that she turned and looked back into the other room, her impossibly grey coloured eyes desperately searching.
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Post by Captain Hestia Black on Nov 8, 2012 18:30:07 GMT -5
Hestia placed a hand gently on the one Aella had wrapped round her arm. Eyes were on her first mate now, accusing eyes, whispers passed behind hands. All knew Aella as the woman only Hestia would take on board; the one who wasn’t quite there. She shot all of them a challenging look, daring them to utter any words about Aella. Sensing Hestia’s warning, they averted their eyes and only when the chatter began again, did the pirate queen look at Aella.
“No, I didn’t.” she said softly, patting Aella’s hand. It wasn’t the first time she had heard Aella ask about a child. Something stirred in Hestia, as she saw the desperation in Aella’s eyes, something akin to pity. She wondered what had been taken from Aella in her past. She itched to ask, but some secrets were best left buried.
Or were they? Perhaps if Hestia really knew what had happened she would better understand Aella, and her flickering state of sanity? She had never been able to bring herself to ask, there was no need for her to know when Aella was just part of the crew, she could let bygones be bygones and happily live in the safe knowledge that Aella would fight when asked. But now?
Turning slowly keeping Aella on her arm Hestia moved back to the table, hoping she could get Aella to sit back down. “Who was she?” she asked hesitantly.
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Post by Aella Ashwood on Nov 13, 2012 16:16:39 GMT -5
It was getting worse, the visions were surfacing into reality and, once the temporary confusion passed and her usual form of sanity came back, she began to worry. The feeling of Hestia on her arm was an anchor in the storm of her whirling emotions and she was thankful for it. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her mind, she looked toward Hestia feeling a little embarrassed. Despite this, her eyes still roamed to the adjoining room.
“I... uh...”
Once all the other emotions cleared she was left with what she was always left with and that was the crushing grief and emptiness. Usually she was allowed the privacy of her bunk to deal with this overwhelming feeling because she only ever saw them in her dreams. This was horrifyingly different.
Unwelcome tears stung her eyes but she ignored them. While her chest heaved with the tiring job of keeping all of this under control, she realised she had no idea how to answer her captain.
“I thought I saw Audra but I was mistaken.” Was all she answered for now, it wasn’t a lie at least.
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