Not all treasure is silver and gold - Chapter 29

Ahoy me good crew!!

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Ok, the pages can be found here:The Crew of the Black Heart

You got an idea for the pages? Please email me cause they are very welcome! Until then I will leave the pages for what they are! Thanks all so much for everything!

Love, Captain karinvam

Previous Chapters:
Chapter 1 - Pirates!
Chapter 2 - Its all true
Chapter 3 - Yes Captain
Chapter 4 - Never trust a pirate
Chapter 5 - Waking up in hell
Chapter 6 - Not that innocent
Chapter 7 - Right Decision, Wrong Choice
Chapter 8 - Damn him!
Chapter 9 - Missed a spot
Chapter 10 - C'est une belle histoire
Chapter 11 -Kisses and Dramaqueens
Chapter 12 - Damaged
Chapter 13 - Liar
Chapter 14 - Saved to kill you
Chapter 15 - When I need you most
Chapter 16 - No black no white
Chapter 17 - All Better
Chapter 18 - Last night was a lie
Chapter 19 - Todat would be hell
Chapter 20 - It was you
Chapter 21 -You were me
Chapter 22 - Just like me
Chapter 23 - God no...Please no...
Chapter 24 - Together
Chapter 25 - Free
Chapter 26 - Take me home
Chapter 27 - Dream
Chapter 28 - Bedrest

Chapter 29 – Another Option

It was dark below, as I passed the room I had helped Jyrki with the laundry in. My new boots making delightful thuds echoing against the empty hallway leading to the sleeping cabins, and further downstairs.

I remembered the last time I was standing here, hearing the same kind of footsteps coming from the darkness that was below.

I had been with my back to him as his slightly heavier boots had approached me from behind.

It had excited me so, yet my reaction to it had repulsed me.

Not at all how they made me feel now. No repulsion, but a heart wrenching, soul tearing ache of knowing it would all be over soon. How he would never come out of the darkness again to make me tremble all over by a simple whisper.

Now it was my turn to go downstairs and face the darkness.

To see the girl who had wanted to murder me, and almost succeeded in doing so, for simply being a passenger on this ship. Simply being in the presence of the pirates of The Black Heart.

With the only comfort that she would be locked up. Not knowing what else I would find downstairs but her.

Still, going back up did not appeal to me either. In all honesty, I did not dare to follow my Captain into the deck already. It would surely be considered pathetic.

And even though I wished I could, I knew it really was.

Not to mention the way he would treat me differently around his crew. I didn’t think I would be ready for it yet, even though he had explained. Even though I understood.

It would still hurt, and I doubted that would ever change. Wanting to be considered special so desperately as I did. Wanting to mean something to him so badly it hurt even thinking I might not.

I looked down the ladder he had appeared from when he had sneaked up on me. Pressing against me and whispering heatedly into my ear. The memory alone was enough to make me shiver as I remembered the sensation that was his deep, melodic and hypnotizing voice.

But now it was my turn to go downstairs, and I took one look back at the light coming from above before I placed my first foot on the ladder.

Forgetting even my throbbing wound from the excitement and fear rushing trough me as I went.

Slowly and carefully I made my way down the ladder so my eyes could adjust to the darkness surrounding me. Luckily, what had seemed so dark up the ladder did not seem as dark below, as small windows allowed daylight to lighten the room. Even if it was only slightly.

This was almost all the way down at the bottom of the ship, I realized when I could see the water crashing against the wood of the side of it much higher than it did in his room. Still, there was no way this was the bottom of the ship since we were still up so high and away from the breaking waves. Making me realize how incredibly big this ship really was.

How much of it I had not seen yet.

There were doors in the hallway leaving to different rooms again. Storage I assumed, since Migé was the one making most use of these stairs. Many times had I seen him disappear to this part of the deck, and he would always return with food gathered in his arms.

Not to mention bottles with grog, as they so lovingly referred to their alcoholic drinks.

I decided to skip the doors, as I could not imagine they would hide a prisoner in an actual room. They were pirates after all. Luxurious as they might be, they were not big on the hospitality.

Beside that I knew my Captain would probably not appreciate me snooping around without his permission or knowledge, and I had to watch my step to stay on his good side.

At least until they would hand me over. Maybe…just maybe he would decide against it and let me stay. I bit my lip when I realized how incredibly thick I was for thinking such things.

My Captains mind always seemed made up.

The hallway led me to an open space with more ladders going down and upstairs. Doors to different rooms and storage. Once again amazing me how incredibly immense this place was without my knowledge. For the first time I wanted to discover the rest of it completely, yet I decided against it.

Again, not without his permission.

The canons were stored here, I noticed with widening eyes, as they stood heavily and immense on their place. Tied to the walls so it would not shift the weight to one side when the waves would tilt the ship.

Barrels and rope were scattered across the room, among other things. Most of which I did not know what it was, but without a doubt something to do harm with. Other than this, I realized this room was simply used for the canons, and to take out innocent ships sailing by to rob them from their contents.

The smell of gunpowder became stronger as I walked across one of the heavy metallic destroyers and slid one single finger over the broad back. Whincing when I realized what damage such a thing could do.

And how much it had undoubtedly already done.

I shook the nasty thought off of me as I regretted also feeling slightly excited touching such an incredible weapon. Looking trough the hole in the wall it would fire through, as I wondered how far it would shoot a cannonball.

I had never harmed anyone with a weapon, and having the power over many things by simply shooting one of these…..

I was torn from my thought by a slight gasp coming from the dark corner of the room.

A gasp from behind bars. Locked in a cage.

Making me step away form the canon to turn around to identify its maker.

It was her.

**

I had not even noticed the almost cage-like prison in the corner of the room until now.

I had been too taken by the incredible canon to even see her here in the dark.

Hardly being able to make out the ginger hair and green dress curled up on the floor as it was stirring from its obvious recent wakening.

I had woken her from her sleep I realized, as she was now crawling off the filthy, wooden floor. Gasping again as she noticed me here in the room with her.

Nothing but prison bars separating us, I realized. Nothing but bars separating from the woman who wanted me dead, and I took a hasty step back.

Remembering how trusting the innocent looking redhead had almost been the end of me during our last encounter.

She looked paler than last time we met, and her long, ginger hair fell bewildered around her thin face. Her blue and blurry eyes widening as she quickly crawled off the ground. Grabbing the bar to keep her balance as one hand reached for her head.

I remembered how he had hit her over the head with his gun, and realized he could have done some serious damage to the girl when he did.

Still...I had not been the one stabbing people, for no apparent reason.

 “You.”

The thought of how she spat out the word like it was filth in her mouth, and how this did not suit her in this position at all, crossed my mind.

After all, it was me who she had done wrong as she almost killed me, while I had not laid a finger on her in return.

Yet seeing me made her act like it was me who had tried to murder her instead, and I couldn’t help feeling offended by the reaction.

I did not know what I had expected, but it wasn’t this. Remorse was far to be found from her appearance.

She looked underfed, and dirty in her dress, yet she still had a clear fire of hatred burning in her eyes.

All because a pirate was in her presence, or so she thought.

"Hello."

I greeted her politely as I tried to sound confident. Still, I couldn't help stepping back when she grabbed hold of two of the steel bars of her cage.

"What do you want?"

She sneered at me. Letting me know my paid visit wasn't very welcome.

Yet she did not seem surprised at all seeing me standing here with an actual pulse, and so I realized someone had informed her the stabbing wound had not been fatal to me.

I noticed more than just hatred flickering in her gaze as her eyes slid over my waist. Checking for non-present weapons on me, I realized.

I understood now that there was more that she had already been told about the situation we were in.

She knew it was me who would have all the say about her fate.

Even though she hid it well, she was frightened, and this thought made me stand taller on my legs. It was me who had the power, and we were both aware of this.

It was me who would eventually say the last word about her destiny.

“I want nothing from you. But I think you are the one who needs something from me. Isn’t that right?”

I told her bravely in a matter-of-fact manner. Seeing her eyes narrowing and her knuckles turn white around the steel.

“I want nothing from a pirate.”

She sneered at me, as her voice dropped. Staring at me with intense eyes and making me clench my teeth at her naivety. It was obvious she had not been told everything after all. And talking to a real pirate like she was talking to me would have undoubtedly killed her a long time ago.

“Listen….I am not a pirate. Would you stop acting like you understand any of this. Cause you don’t.”

I bit back in my frustration, as I realized how I had snapped at her. Complicated as my life had become, this young, naïve and twisted young woman acted like she had completely figured me out by giving me this title.

Like it would explain it all. Like I would tell her who I was, even if I had been a true pirate. It frustrated me, almost more than the stabbing itself.

She was taken aback by my words, as I saw her forehead wrinkle in a frown caused by confusion. Her fist not clenching the steel as hard as she had done before, and anger seemed replaced by curiosity.

“What….What do you mean you are not a pirate? I asked you before if you were a pirate, and you said yes.”

She asked me with suspicion, and I realized she was right. She had asked me.

And I had confirmed.

Still, now things were different, and I could no longer call myself one of them. I could no longer call myself a pirate.

“I am part of the crew, for now. But I am not a pirate. I am just a cabin boy.”

I avoided her eyes as I spoke the words. Looking at my new boots as I did not want her to see how the words effected me.

“Then why did you lie? For now?….what do you mean? I don’t follow.”

Her questions were picking at my open wounds, and I turned my back to her so she wouldn’t see how much it hurt.

There was not a way I could explain this. Yet I knew it would be hard to hold it all in much longer.

I was so incredibly full of feelings and emotions. Doubts and fears and so much love. And pain. Most of all….heartache.

“I thought….I didn’t know for sure whether I would stay or not.”

“ And now you do?”

I heard her ask behind me, and I thought of the letter. His words when I had asked him if I would be leaving.

“Now I do.”

There was a silence, as I stayed turned to her. Questions hanging in the air between her and me. Knowing it would be a matter of time before they would come out.

“What is your story Bam?”

She asked me quietly, and I closed my eyes.

Realizing what an effort she had made trying to remember the name of the pirate she would have killed.

Clenching my face as I tried to push out the question.

My story, she was asking for my story. I could not just tell her my story. Telling this would be admitting. It would make this all true. All the pain, would be too real.

Yet I knew I owed her an explanation now we had come to this.

I would tell her the truth, yet I would not give it to her whole.

“I am not a pirate. I am a governor’s son and I am held hostage for ransom here. They will hand me over to my family once they receive the money.”

I sounded emotional when I said it, but I knew my broken heart would easily be confused with humiliation.

Not knowing which one she would pick.

There was a gasp, and then again no sound to be made. I finally turned to face her again. If only out of curiosity why she was so silent.

When I saw here, her eyes were widened. Her mouth was open.

She was stunned, and reminded me of a fish. Seeing her without any words to judge me with all of a sudden, did give me an evil thrill.

“Bam….” She searched for words before she found the most uninspiring combination of them all.

“I am so sorry.”

**

Part 2