Oh yeah, btw most of the chapters are gonna be fairly lengthy, have fun!

-Sunny

"Red, Captain? As in the infamous Captain Red that mercilessly raided hundreds of towns and left no survivors?" Were some of the fearful whispers that spread throughout the room. I scowled.

Great, now I have to act the part because of this blithering idiot.

Playing the part of Red was easiest when I was angry, so I took all the negativity that had been building up since Prentice failed to return to ship, coupled it with the usual crankiness that came with exhaustion, and let it cover me like a shroud.

Those around me sensed the change and took steps back.

I've no doubt I didn't look very intimidating to those in the pub, being a teenage girl and everything. In any other situation they would have pointed and laughed about the little girl losing her temper, but Prentice's calling me Red left them all tense and fearful despite my appearance. I was lucky common people tend to be overly superstitious.

My gaze zeroed in on said man and everyone around him scurried away, leaving me a nice dramatic path through the bodies to my drunken target. So I stepped forward, my steps smooth and purposeful as I advanced.

Prentice, being blind drunk as he was, had no clue what was going on and beamed up at me as I approached. "We did good t'day! Fancy s'm ale wit me? Can't say it's good 's th' rum, but-OOF!"

Cue my interrupting with with a blow to the stomach.

To my satisfaction, he slumped over with a wheeze, clutching his stomach. This gave me excellent access to the back of his neck, to which I hit with enough force to send him tumbling into my arms, unconscious. Somehow I managed to pick Prentice up and sling him over my shoulder with barely a grunt, keeping up the powerful, quiet act that was Red.

As I turned to face the exit, I noticed many a patron fearfully shift away from me, though they all kept their eyes glued to me in terrified fascination. I found myself wishing I had grabbed my coat before I left the Solaris. It was an impressive piece of clothing, large and heavy, the type for figures of authority like naval officers. I had mine tailored just for me, so it was a gloriously rich red color with plenty of gold embellishments. I like to wear it around my shoulders when I'm out in town and not heisting with the boys; it makes me look intimidating and feel much safer, particularly from the eyes of gossiping common folk.

Instead I settled with a silent glare around the room, challenging anyone to look me in the eye.

No one did.

Even the buff, burly men who were clearly pirates too, shied away from my gaze. It seems my reputation precedes me more than I thought. I made a mental note to congratulate the crew later for spreading the rumors so well.

As I made my way out of the Tipsy Sailor with Prentice on my shoulder, I caught the eye of the Nightwoman who messed with my hair earlier. She gave a terrified squeak and turned to run, but I caught her arm with my free hand.

"What have I said about looking at me again, wench?" I spat with disgust lacing my tone. Truth be told I was more revolted with myself for acting the way I was than with the Nightwoman herself.

I dragged her out with me as those in the pub watched with sorrowful eyes. However I did not miss the slight relief that flooded their expressions at the fact that it was not them that I was dragging out to be killed, screaming and crying.

Even though we were out of the pub, I kept walking at an even pace, well aware that those in the Tipsy Sailor were still watching my every move.

We had rounded a corner and disappeared from the view of the pub when my shoulder started aching painfully. The wench from the pub wouldn't stop blubbering either, and I was starting to get a headache. She thrashed and tugged, but her efforts were weak, as if she refused to try because she thought she couldn't escape anyway. I found that odd.

Speaking of escaping, what am I going to do with her?

I have a no kill policy, but she couldn't know that. If she did, all the rumors and stories my crew and I had so carefully woven and placed would start to crumble, and Captain Red would merely be a joke. But there was no way I was going to take a life for the sake of a reputation.

I felt my brow crinkle in distress and I roughly tugged on the prostitute's arm. The pain in my shoulder was steadily getting worse, and the wails of the woman I was dragging along were starting to attract attention. Coupled with the headache and stress of what to do with her, it was getting harder and harder to hold up Red's calm mask.

"Oy, pirate!"

I stopped in my tracks, gaze instantly zoning in on the source of a voice with a glare. I just barely kept the surprise from registering on my face as I spotted a familiar man.

His raven black hair was resting in a low bun this time, and he was leaning with his arms crossed against his merchandise wagon a few feet away. His green eyes glinted knowingly as he spoke. "That wench yours? I'd be willing to buy her off ya."

Relief blossomed in my chest and flowed through my veins like a flood. Emperor bless this oddity of a merchant.

I turned my head just enough to see the Nightwoman out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes were shifting back and forth between me and the olive-skinned merchant, wide and wary with hope.

I pretended to give her a critical eye, before giving a haughty huff. "Fine. I couldn't care less."

Still grasping her arm, I brought the woman forward, giving her a hard shove toward the wagon. She stumbled and fell nearly head-first into the wood. The man caught her by her shoulders and steadied her as she sobbed. The merchant had to angle his face upward slightly so as to not impale the wench's head with the toothpick he always seemed to have in his mouth. "Easy there, lass."

The prostitute sunk to the ground, tears streaming down her face as she rushed out dozens of thank yous and blessings.

The merchant with the dark green eyes gave her head a small pat before casually strolling over to me, pulling a leather pouch from his coat pocket along the way.

Prentice was still limp on my shoulder, and I was beginning to lose feeling from his weight. I ground my teeth against the instinctual wince that threatened to emerge as he came to a stop next to me.

"Odd to find you here, Ezra. I thought you said you didn't like to travel?" I managed to quietly grit out.

He gave me an easy, disarming smile. "I heard there was some fine merchandise to be had here in Markeston, so here I am." He gave a slight nod to the lump of pathetic on my shoulder. "Want me to carry 'im for you?"

"Absolutely not." I growled.

"Touchy." He responded, holding out the bag of coins and dropping it into my awaiting palm. He then added in a low voice, "Meeting behind the fishery, yeah?"

I gave him a slight nod before stiffly turning around and walking away.

It wasn't until we were safely around the corner and into the shadows of the backstreets that I finally dropped the act, sagging under Prentice's weight and nearly throwing his head into the wall next to us as I stumbled.

I managed to get to a wooden bench tucked into the side of the street before unceremoniously dumping my cargo onto it with a hiss.

"Kodus you're heavy, Ren. You're gonna get a beer belly from so much of that stupid alcohol." I mumbled, massaging and rolling my shoulder.

His only response is a groan while he rolls right off the bench and lands of the cobblestone with a thump.

If I wasn't so grouchy and tired from the day's event catching up to me, I would've burst into a snickering fit with how ridiculous he looked.

Bending down, I grabbed hold of the colorful cloth he kept tied around his head. I wear one as well, though mine is a dark navy with gold stripes, and it's got small golden disks dangling at the ends. His is a simple violet that matches his eyes.

I used that cloth as leverage to lift his head so I could look into his face. There was no way I could carry him all the way back to the ship, so he needed to at least be conscious enough to use his legs.

I started to regret my decision to knock him out, but then again it was the only way he was going to go quietly. For some reason the idiot gets really attached to his liquor once he's drunk.

A good look and a couple prods at Prentice's face confirmed he was still out cold, so I gently lowered his head back to the ground.

I considered trying to lob him back up onto the bench, but decided I was too tired.

"I'm off to find a bucket, try not to get lost." I said to the unconscious body, who I was half surprised didn't shrivel up from the dryness of that sentence. I briefly had an image of him rolling after me as I headed to the harbor, and I almost chuckled at the thought.

I reached the nearest dock and looked around, there was always a bucket or two laying about .

Sure enough, I found a nice big one next to the water. It was empty, but a sniff had me crinkling my nose in disgust as the strong smell of fish invaded my nostrils. Bet the fishery will smell much worse, I thought bitterly to myself.

With a grunt, I reached down and dipped the bucket into the harbor water, my already sore shoulder moaning in protest as I lugged the load back to Prentice.

Once there, I had to take a moment to be extremely exasperated.

Prentice had regained consciousness while I was away. Which was all well and good, but he also had to go and start drunkenly flirting with what looked to be a servant girl, likely out to run some final errands for her mistress.

The poor thing's face was furiously blushing red, and she was uneasily staring at her feet while twisting her fingers into a knot.

Prentice, you idiot.

Taking it upon myself to save the girl from further harassment, I promptly marched over and tossed the water into Prentice's face, mid-word. His entire front was immediately soaked, and his hair was plastered to his face. He spluttered unflatteringly while the girl took the chance to scamper away.

Using a hand to flip his soaked bangs out of his eyes, Prentice stared uncomprehendingly after the girl and then a little angrily at me, before realization dawned on his face as he undoubtedly remembered what he did at the Tipsy Sailor.

His expression suddenly turned sheepishly apologetic, and he gave me a weak smile. "Sorry?"

I responded with a firm smack upside the head.

Well, at least he was sober enough to feel remorse over it.

"Owww!" He whined, raising his hands up to protect his head from any further blows. I leaned in close and my eyes turned to slits.

"Not only did you go against my orders and neglect to return to ship directly after a heist," I hissed angrily. "But you also went and got your arse drunk, putting yourself in unnecessary danger and making me have to clean up your mess."

I was very close to spitting everywhere, I was so angry. Prentice opened his mouth to protest, but I whipped my arm out and pointed to the harbor. "Get back to the ship. I have have to meet with Ezra thanks to your careless mistakes!" I seethed.

Prentice rubbed the spot where I hit him with a surprised look on his face. "Ezra's here? I thought he didn't-"

"NOW!" I roared. My patience had snapped.

Grumbling, but without further protest, Prentice sped away. His quick strides were a little wobbly, but he would make it back to the Solaris without much trouble.

I watched him go down the street and into the harbor until I could no longer see his form, before turning and walking in a slightly different direction towards the fishery.

I smelled the place before I saw it. As I got closer the smell of fish and blood and guts became almost overwhelming, and I fought back a gag. Disgusting as the area was, it made for a very good place to meet undisturbed.

Ezra was already there, leaning casually against the stone wall with one foot propped up as the toothpick danced in his mouth.

He caught sight of me just as I dug the recently acquired pouch out of my pocket and tossed it to him. After all, the prostitute was never mine to sell in the first place.

The raven-haired merchant caught his money from the air and pocketed it, before turning and leaning against the wall to face me. "Did the kid go back?" He inquired.

"Yes, I sent him back to our ship." I answered curtly, giving him a silent once-over. "Well, hope you enjoy that girl's company." I said with a sigh.

Ezra only gave me a knowing grin.

I huffed. "If you can walk without making a huge nuisance of yourself, you can come with me to get your payment."

I turned around without waiting for his response, eager to get away from the stench of the fishery that threatened to activate my gag reflexes. The sound of my merchant companion's steady gait behind me signaled his following.

Despite the mostly empty streets, we stick to the shadowed alleys. The soldiers could still be looking for me, and walking out in the open would only make their jobs easier. We certainly couldn't have that.

The walking helped clear my head a little, and my anger had mostly cooled by the time we reached the Solaris, walking onto a dark and abandoned deck. So everyone's inside, then.

I wordlessly led Ezra across the deck and opened the door to the Captain's Cabin, entering with him following closely behind.

The boys all sat around the main table, chatting and munching on cheeses and fruit. They only appeared mildly surprised when Ezra walked in after me; we've done this enough times before.

"Evenin' lads." Ezra greeted, a friendly casualness about him.

Stephen leaned back in his chair, draping one arm across the back. "Well, this is certainly a surprise. What could Mayfort possibly have that made you get off your arse and leave Ithadel? If I recall correctly, you never travel if you can help it."

Ezra gave a noncommittal shrug as I crossed the room to where a set of drawers rested, pulling one open and grabbing a small bag of coins. "I'm turnin' over a new leaf, if you will."

At that my crew and I froze mid-motion, giving him the stink eye.

He held up his hands defensively as if he could block our skepticism and gave a slight chuckle. "Now I know that might be hard for you children to believe, but I'm itchin' to get some more coin, and trading only in Ithadel somewhat hinders such a goal.

I couldn't help but snort derisively as I shut the drawer. "I'll believe it when I see it, old man. Ithadel is the trade center of Nephelis, there's no way your goal is hindered."

"Hey, twenty-three is not old. And anyway, I'm here, aren't I?"

"You've been known to travel out of town on extremely rare occasions. This can be labeled as one of them." I replied, crossing back to him.

"Ah, but see," he said, plucking the pouch from my outstretched hand. "That is where you are wrong. As of late, I've been feeling much more motivated to make some extra connections."

He jingled the contents of the pouch for emphasis.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say. Now shoo, we've got more important things to do than tolerate your presence." I said, waving him out of the cabin.

Ezra held a hand up to his heart in mock pain as he strolled back out onto the deck, the toothpick in his teeth bobbing up and down as he spoke. "You wound me, dear Captain."

I remained in the cabin, holding the door open slightly to watch the merchant's departure. I held my own hand up in farewell, adopting a dismissive, but final tone. "Goodbye, Ezra."

He chuckled as he strode down the gangplank. "Always the bossy little captain. Goodnight."

I watched his retreating back until it disappeared into the maze of streets before letting the door swing shut, turning back to my crew.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked, taking my seat at the end of the rectangular table we had and selecting a cluster of grapes to much on. We kept the table in the center of the room, and always stocked with snacks. The large window in the back of the room spanned the entire wall, and looked out to the black night sea. They were draped with rich red velvet curtains that added warmth to the room, along with the few maps and other exotic pictures we had pinned up on the walls. One corner of the room was littered with cloth and sewing supplies, and one of our sets of playing cards was strewn haphazardly on the floor next to a small pile of books.

"Oh, I'm fine. Still a bit cold-"Stephen said, throwing a matching glare my way, to which I gave an innocent shrug-"but otherwise fine."

The other boys all nodded and gave their own versions of assent. Skit, 9-year-old body thoroughly dwarfed by our teenage ones, looked particularly small as he heaved a yawn, resting his head on his arms. I gave him a fond smile, though he couldn't see it through his closed eyes.

Taking a hint from him, I popped I final grape into my mouth and stood up. "I suggest you all get to bed soon, we'll be setting sail early tomorrow morning."

The boys all nodded and got up, while I made my way over to Skit, who already seemed to be sleeping deeply. It's amazing how quickly this kid can conk out.

After a couple gentle, unsuccessful attempts at waking the boy, I simply slid my arms under him and picked him up. He was rather tall for his age, making him very gangly and difficult to keep in my arms despite his light weight.

With our youngest' head managing to stay on my shoulder, I led everyone out on the deck to go to their respective rooms. I entered a hallway, passing my room to Skit's two doors down. I paused there, turning to face the hallway as the guys entered their own rooms. "Prentice."

He looked up from where he had his hand on the knob to his room a few doors down, and obediently walked over to us. He stopped just outside of kicking range, and I slipped into Captain Mode. "As a result of failure to follow orders and violating one of our most important rules, your rum rations are hereby confiscated and your pay suspended until further notice, and you are indefinitely confined to this ship."

He clearly wanted to argue, but exhaustion seemed to win the battle in his head, for he simply gave a resigned, tired nod.

"That is all." I dismissed him, and turned to open the door to Skit's room. Prentice shuffled tiredly back to his own, and I entered Skit's bedroom.

Once inside, I navigated my way through a sea of drawings left on the floor to reach the bed, into which I gently tucked my cargo.

I softly brushed the hair from his eyes, then moved to go out the door. I paused in the doorway, however, looking back to Skit's sleeping form. The glowing lamplight of his room seemed to seep right into his hair, with its soft blond highlights and golden-orange undertones. Looking like the little angel he was, I was filled with one of those strong, sudden desires to protect him like the little brother I never had.

No, that's not quite right. Like the little brother I never knew. I thought as I snuffed the lamp, and shut the door behind me.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Hey! Please feel free to vote, and especially comment on my story! I'd love any feedback you guys could give me, as long as its constructive.

-Sunny