The Scathed

[Catherine Ironcutter]

Oh that was mean. Although I did fall for the outline spoiler. Heh.

Haha, here's a few bottles of special Em's Rum to make up for the bottles I took. I'm good with waiting. I know the chapter will be awesome.

[Captain Sharktooth]

Hmph, you got me. Nice work there. /clap

I'm fine with waiting, as long as it is epic, 0_o got that!

[Robert Ironcastle]

Originally Posted by Captain Sharktooth

Hmph, you got me. Nice work there. /clap

I'm fine with waiting, as long as it is epic, 0_o got that!

I'll have to agree with Sharky here.

[Crestshot]

It's been quite a while, hasn't it mates? But I happen to still be alive and... well, we'll just say I'm alive, haha. Somehow, along the course of the past two months, I was able to get a chapter all written and such. Incredible, huh? I'm wishing none of you gave up hope on me. As it is, perhaps you should go back and re-read the last chapter... just as a refresher, ha. But, without further ado (other than my rambling of course) I give you...

Captain



The days after that saw Kat locked in her cabin even more than before. This time, however, there were no furious screams at crew members to avoid it, or really any words at all. When Lawrence went up to see her, expecting another fight over leadership, he merely walked in to see her sitting in a chair, hunched over and staring at the wall. She didn’t even acknowledge his entrance, even after a quiet, worried murmuring of her name. He slowly backed out of the room and shut the door with a quiet click, feeling as if he was intruding on some private train of thought.

The crew questioned him on her behaviors again, curious as to where their yelling, yet jovial captain had disappeared to this time. Lawrence held no answers other than to try and send Sarah, then Charles, then Luckie up to her, but all came back with the same response.

“It’s like she’s not there.”

After three days of becoming exasperated with worry, Lawrence decided to try again, not caring what tactics he had to use to get her out of this state. He marched up there with purpose and flung the door open, hoping to grab some of her attention.

Well, she had changed chairs, at least. Though he wasn’t overly fond of the rum bottle in her hand.

“Kat?” he asked quietly. He crept over to her and gently shook her shoulder. “Kaaat,” he said, drawing out the name annoyingly. Her only response was to move the rum bottle to her lips for another sip of rum.

He grunted in frustration and moved to kneel in front of her chair. “Will you bloody see me!” he demanded, gripping her arms tightly. He finally felt as if she was coming back when she flinched in pain.

“Get off,” she croaked, her voice cracking from obvious lack of use. He immediately let go of her arms and stared at her for a moment. There was hope, expectancy of something else from her in his eyes, but she gave him nothing, instead turning back to stare at the wall.

He sighed. “What’s wrong with you this time?” he asked, a hint of exhaustion in his voice. It felt as if this happened many times before, and the game was getting old.

Kat took another sip of the rum before letting her voice vibrate again. “It was smoke,” she said cryptically.

Lawrence’s brow furrowed. “Smoke?” he asked, wondering if she had finally lost it. “When was there smoke?”

“Smoke, Lawrence, grenades,” Kat told him, pushing the words forward as if he were an idiot. “It wasn’t an explosive, it was just…smoke.” She sighed. “And it was stupid.”

Lawrence thought a moment, then his eyes widened in realization. “The EITC ship.”

Kat tilted her bottle towards him in acknowledgement. “Now you get it.” She muttered lower, as if to herself, “Stupid idea, is what it was.”

Lawrence was unsure of the importance of this. “Why didn’t you just leave a normal one then?” he asked in confusion.

Kat’s gaze turned back to the faraway stare at the wall. “Because I wanted him to get away,” she whispered. “I couldn’t…” She swallowed. “I couldn’t kill him right then, but god, do I regret that decision.”

Lawrence was silent as he absorbed what she was telling him. Knowing Kat, he knew that he had to sway her from thinking about anything other than her crew. “What ever happened to leaving it behind you?” he asked, anger beginning to invade his voice, but he didn’t wait for an answer. “You have a crew out there waiting on orders from their captain, and I shouldn’t have to remind you that’s you. Get out of your slump, and get out there and give them a mission!”

“A mission,” Kat murmured. She was thinking actively now. “A mission!” She snapped her fingers and launched out of her chair, the bottle of rum tumbling carelessly to the ground. Lawrence moved to pick it up off the carpet while Kat sped to the door. She flung it open with vigor and called up into the rigging.

“Goldeagle! Get down here!”

A brown head peeked over the side of the crow’s nest. “Aye, Captain!” a woman’s voice yelled back, with just the slightest tremble as if fearing she had done something wrong. She swung her legs out of the basked and scrambled down faster than any other crew member could, meeting Kat at her doorway in seconds. “Something the matter, ma’m?”

“Not at all, Emily,” Kat said. She ignored Lawrence’s skeptical snort in the background. “Come in for a moment.”

Kat had found Emily Goldeagle on her first trip to Padres del Fuego, just after she had gotten the Mercenary. She was part of the original crew, and had been a loyal rigger since the very beginning. That, however, wasn’t the only thing the woman was good at.

“You just might know these waters better than I do, Ms. Goldeagle. I’ve never really roamed the Hinterseas; never had the opportunity.” She led Emily across the room to her maps. “These are likely far from accurate as well. I bought them off an old, shady dealer. So tell me, Ms. Goldeagle… where would the closest Navy friendly port be?”

Emily walked closer to the wall that mapped out a good portion of the Caribbean. She narrowed into the Hinterseas, bringing her fingers up to gently stroke the paper. “Here,” she said, her hand settling just east of a wild island and north of Padres. “The Navy has a fort here, one most of the Caribbean hasn’t caught onto yet.”

“How do you know?” Kat asked.

Emily turned to her with a grin. “When you live on Padres for a while, it’s not difficult to notice the sheer amount of supplies they pull from there. Not to mention a group of us went out and followed one of the ships. We were curious as to what was going on, naturally.” She sighed. “The place is huge. Truly a feat, and an expensive one, by the Royal Navy. It’s a small island with huge towers, higher than twice the height of the Mercenary’s masts. Definitely intimidating. My group and I practically fled at the sight.” She looked up at her captain suspiciously. “Ma’m, you aren’t thinking…”

“Thank you, Ms. Goldeagle, that will be all,” Kat quietly interrupted.

Worry crossed Emily’s face. “Captain, I must insist-”

“I said that will be all,” Kat said, placing a firm hand on Emily’s shoulder and directing her towards the door. “To your duties.” Emily looked displeased, but followed her orders obediently.

When the door closed with a click, it seemed to echo, but she knew better. Kat reached into her pocket for the source of the sound. Her fingers came in contact with a cool metal, and the chittering stopped the moment they wrapped around the object. Out of her pocket came the compass that would not point North, but to what she most desired. After months of spinning aimlessly, round and round, the arrow finally stood steady. And slowly, Kat felt a grin spread on her face, and the glint returned to her eye.

“We have a new heading.”

“You can’t be serious,” Lawrence scoffed. His arms were crossed and he was staring at her disapprovingly.

“What?” she asked innocently. Lawrence tapped his foot in impatience.

“Kingshead,” he said. “The mythical bastion of the Hinterseas that you plan on going after.”

“Think about it Lawrence,” Kat said, walking to him. “Think about what we can get if we defeat Kingshead. Not just the riches that are no doubt held there, but think about being known! The crew of the Lightning Mercenary will go down in Pirate Lore!”

“But that’s not what you’re looking for,” he said, pushing past the gibberish she was throwing at him. “You are going to risk the lives of your crew for a revenge that is better left behind. That is not your responsibility as Captain!”

“My responsibility as Captain is to lead my crew!” she pushed back. “I decide what adventures we undertake, and I weigh the risks that go with them!”

“Well you’re not weighing them very well, are you?” he asked without the opportunity for answer. “You’re not thinking with your head. You’re not even thinking with your heart!” He got very close, so that they were toe to toe and growled at her. “You are thinking with that red hot rage in your soul. That is not what you should be using when you make decisions using your power!”

“I don’t care Lawrence!” she burst out to him. “This is important! I have to get rid of this... this blemish on my past! Wouldn’t you do the same if you ever met the man that betrayed you on that merchant ship?”

This comment made Lawrence pause. The fire of fight faded ever so slightly from his green orbs. He took a step back from her, suddenly aware of how close they had gotten to each other during their argument. With a sigh, he wearily rubbed his eyes. “You won’t give up on this, will you?”

“You know I won’t.”

“Aye…” There was silence for a moment as Lawrence thought, and Kat waited for his response. She already knew what it would be.

“Fine. I may as well back you up on this,” he told her. He began walking to her door to join the crew again. “But you’re the one that has to tell your sister about this insanity.” He opened the door and made his way into the Caribbean sun. Kat eagerly followed.

“Mates! We have our heading!”



Good enough for you mates? Perhaps a little too short after I've been keeping you in suspense for 2 months, but I promise, I do have a chapter half written after this one, and my school year is almost up, so.... Free Crest pretty soon.

Thank you to Emily Goldeagle for letting me steal her.

So, for those of you still lurking around this dusty old story, Comments? Concerns? Reasons to yell at me for being gone so long? I'm here. Haha, Thanks for reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[The Stealthy Pirate]

WHY THE- oh I suppose I should get to the comments. Right, right.

Anyway, Great chapter mate!

[SEAKING23]

Great chapter! 'nuff said.

[Captain Sharktooth]

Ooh, I like it. I wonder what your crew will find at Kingshead....

[Catherine Ironcutter]

Haha. Awesome chapter. We're attacking Kingshead... whee! I of course, shall take on Remington and win

[Robert Ironcastle]

Oohh yay.New chapter.Cliffhanger for next one...ugh.But still,new chapter.Bottles of rum heading your way.Shhh,they're Sharky's.

[Crestshot]

I should really get better about this, huh mates? I keep saying it'll pick up, and then it neeeeeever happens... I'll try not to make that mistake this time, haha. Thank you everyone who has still been reading my story, even through all of my various silent bumps, and thank all to those who review, whether it be here on the thread or via other communications! So, the ranting stops... HERE!

Kingshead




“You’re completely bonkers.” Kat sighed at the statement she must have heard at least fifty times over the past three days. The majority of them had come from the brother standing next to her.

“I know Charles,” she said again turning to the grinning youth. “I know.”

He just grinned wider, and Kat felt irritation shoot through her at his boyish attitude. “Don’t you have something better to do? There’s plenty of rum for you to get drunk off of.”

Charles’ face brightened ever so slightly, but the glee already on his face almost disguised the flash. “You give me permission to break into the rum store?” he asked excitedly.

Kat sighed. “As your sister… god yes.” Then she thought a moment. “As your captain, don’t tell anyone else.” Charles ran off into the hold with more energy than Kat could even imagine at this point. “And grab me a bottle!” she called after him.

“You wouldn’t be so stressed if you just gave up this wild idea, you know.” Lawrence’s voice came from behind her. She wearily turned to him.

“I must. You know that.”

“Yah, yah, I know,” he said, brushing the statement off. “It doesn’t hurt to try and give my side of the argument again, though, does it?”

“Land ho!” Emily’s call came from the crow’s nest. “Kingshead fort, dead ahead!”

Lawrence and Kat exchanged a glance. He got closer to her and placed his hands over hers on the wheel. “You go change and get ready,” he told her with tenderness in his eyes. “I’ve got the wheel.” Kat marveled at that look for a moment, but sense returned to her, and she walked off. She wondered how he had been so vehement and argumentative about Kingshead just a moment before, and then so calm and… reverent. It didn’t occupy her mind for long, however. She had to force herself to remember the mission at hand.

It unnerved her to not cinch her cutlass around her waist, but she knew the necessity of keeping it behind. Instead, various daggers were tucked into her coat, and two smoke bombs next to them. A small pistol with only three shots sat in the left side of her coat, in case she needed to quickly draw it, but she prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

She exited the cabin, and much to her surprise, found Lawrence leaning on the wall outside. He lightly grabbed her arm, preventing her from traveling further out to the ship.

“Can we talk for a moment?” Something shadowy darted behind his green eyes, something of worry and fear. She glanced out to the rest of the ship, figuring they would be fine a few minutes more.

“What about?”

Lawrence removed his hat from his head and toyed with it, twirling it in his hands. “We’re about to do something very stupid and dangerous storming this fort, you know. I’m done arguing about it,” he said, seeing her about to protest, “but I still want to talk to you before we go.” He sighed lightly and placed the hat back on his head before taking her hand. Kat was taken aback by the gesture, and she was sure it showed on her face. “Kat… how long have we been dancing around each other? Three years? It’s too long.” He bravely stepped closer, cautious, as if she was some wild horse. “Before we go in there and face death and odds greater than ever before, let me in.” His hand reached up to her face, stroking lightly. “Just let me in.”

Kat’s mouth was open, gaping at him. “Lawrence…” Her mind raced, wondering, wanting to let those words become true, but she forced herself to smile, to put on the mask for the one person she never wanted to. “Lawrence, we’ll be fine. It’s nothing we haven’t faced before. You’re just worrying too much. It's turning you into a sap.” She took her hand from his, feeling the chill of the wind invade. “We’ll talk after we survive this thing.”

“But Kat…” he began, but she held up a hand to stop him.

“After. I promise.” She walked away from him, knowing the implications of what she had just done.

She let the crew spread the word that Lawrence would be acting captain onshore, rather than gathering them all on deck. They were all busy hiding certain wares in secret compartment, in case the Navy decided to take interest and arrest them. Kat took her time in moving from place to place, overseeing the actions of her crew, while keeping an eye, yet evading the man who would soon be taking control of her ship.

Kat gave no loud, eloquent, motivational speeches this time. There was no need for it. Her crew knew why they were there, even if it was not voiced aloud. They stayed at their stations, preparing to port, yet not knowing what to expect.

The ship slowly made its way to the wooden dock of Kingshead, the battlements shadowing them with their sheer height. Through the tall brown doors up the wood and stone dock emerged a stream of red coats that lined up on the planks, awaiting the arrival of the Mercenary. Kat felt herself tense in anticipation, her eyes flicking among those that stood there, searching for a familiar, broad face, but none jumped out at her. Instead, her gaze settled on a ship on the opposite side of the dock. There sat a tattered galleon, its sails missing and its hull torn in places. She knew without it being said that it was the EITC ship she had left dead in the water a few days before. He was here.

The ship stilled next to the dock, and the Navy soldiers shimmied stiffly towards it. As the plank clattered down, wood on wood, the soldiers had no qualms about walking right up it. The crew found bayonets pointed in their faces as one man walked calmly among his soldiers. “State your business!” he barked out, his beady eyes flicking around, obviously searching for the captain.

Kat stood behind Lawrence as he stepped forward, separating himself from the crowd of the crew. Many of the bayonets turned towards him, but he regarded the weapons coldly. “I am Joseph Dumas, captain of this ship,” he told the commander. “We are merely a merchant ship blown off course, so we bode no threat to your or your…” he glanced up at the shadowy walls, “fortress. I ask that your men stand down against my peaceful ones.”

The commander approached Lawrence slowly. Kat was proud to see him not make the most miniscule movement away from the officer. He met the gaze fully as he spoke again. “Please.”

The redcoat studied her first mate for a moment longer, then seemed to shrug. “Weapons away, gentlemen,” he said, facing away from Lawrence. He glanced over his shoulder again. “Welcome to Kingshead, Captain Dumas. It is my hope that you will not need to stay with us long.” He walked down the gangplank to the man that stood there. “Mr. Scern!” The man snapped his legs and arms together in true naval fashion and stood at attention. “See to it that our guests are properly attended to.” He spared one last look towards the Mercenary and those residing onboard before walking back up to the wooden double doors.

Scern now boarded the ship, observing the ragtag crew with a sneer. “This lot looks no better than pirates.” His eyes slid over each member slowly, but paused on Angel standing half behind Luckie. One side of his mouth tipped up nastily. “Some of them, at least.” Angel’s brown eyes fell further behind Luckie as she shied away from the leering man.

“Well, in any case,” the man continued, turning to face the crew, a medal on his uniform reflecting sunlight into Kat’s eye, “It is my duty to make sure that you all stay in your proper place while you reside here. I see no reason for anyone to leave this ship unless you are assisting with your own repairs. This is a fort, not a playground. I don’t expect you to be here long, so let’s make this as bearable as possible, yes?”

Lawrence coughed, bringing Scern’s attention to him. “You say there is no need for the crew to be off ship, yes?” His gaze momentarily flicked to Kat, and she suddenly understood what he was doing. “I mean, believe me sir, we want to spend as little time here as is humanely possible so we may continue on our business.”

Scern sniffed condescendingly at him. “I don’t believe there was much need to clarify, Captain Dumas.” He turned on his heel and walked off the ship, the other soldiers in tow, sparing one last sadistic glance towards Angel.

When Kat was certain they had left, she turned to Lawrence. “So what shall my role be if I am not part of the crew?”

“Well your first role is that of the Captain, yes?” he said. “That’s not necessarily considered part of the crew. And I that doesn’t work, there’s always our usual backup plan.”

Kat raised her eyebrow. “You mean that of your wife?” Lawrence nodded. She rolled her eyes. “That will do. All that’s left to do is wait for the opportune moment.” She walked to the edge of the ship, leaning out over the water that separated it from the dock. The walls of the fort stood menacingly above her, threatening to capture her very soul.

She shook off the ominous feeling. Her imagination was running wild now that she had the fort and Randolph right under her nose. She called Lawrence to her side. “Soon, they will have us walk up to the fort so we can gather supplies to fix the ship. We’ll both have to go, with you as Captain and I as part of your ‘crew,’ but the majority I think should stay behind and be prepared to ready the ship, just in case.”

“Just in case?” Lawrence looked at her sideways with confusion evident.

“Just in case we need to make a quick escape.” She looked down at the waters moving below her feet. “This is an assassination after all.” She pushed herself off of the edge of the ship and glanced around at her crew. Most were just lounging around on deck, unsure of what to do. Luckie and Angel chatted to one side of her, the young girl visibly shaken by Scern. Her brow furrowed and she sighed. She had begun to second guess their coming here, but there was no use dwelling on it. All she could do now was hope the same thing everyone else was; that they would all be gone from here quickly.

“Be sure to spread word around to the crew that at the first sign of smoke during our journey, they had best prepare the ship for departure.” She glared at the British flag hanging from the top of the fort. “I’ll not be making the same mistake of a giant speech in plain view of the enemy.”



I keep leaving you with cliffhangers. I think it's just a habit by this point.

Well, mates, perhaps not what you were expecting/wanting after a 2ish (or is it 3ish? I forget) week delay, but it's also one of the reasons why it took so long to write. Transitions are always the most difficult, for some reason.

Anyway. Tired ramblings aside, please, tell me what you thought! Who knows how comments can influence the outcome of the story, aye? It's like the experiment if you simply observe it, the conclusion is different than if the phenomena had been left on it's own. Good god, I think too much and use too many big words when I'm tired...here you go mates! Keep popping in for my random postings! Haha, Thanks for reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[The Stealthy Pirate]

Great chapter Crest (again)!!

[SEAKING23]

What Stealth said! Can't wait till the next one.

[Dippy ~ Emily]

Great story, Kat! I read 'Her Beginning' and all of the chapters in here yesterday and then another great chapter comes along today! Perfect.

You're an amazing writer! Each chapter was fantastic! I wish Kat would just let Lawrence in!

[Catherine Ironcutter]

Does this have a happy ending? Please tell me it has a happy ending. - casually pulls out big scary sword-

Hahah, great chapter. I liked.

[Captain Sharktooth]

No! Happy endings are weak, don't listen to Em! :P

Anyways, that chapter was good, especially for a transition, I can't wait for the next chapter!!