Chapter 3

"Nate! Nate slow down. I don't even see them!" I try to calm my frantic brother pacing back and forth on the ship's deck.

"No, no! They were there! Howell saw them off the bow! Six of them! One with bright red hair!" he snarls. "There! There!" and with a bang he shoots off his brand new gun he bought off the Black Market. "Damn! I missed! I need more practice!" sweat clings onto his ragged black hair and drips down the sides of his face. His golden eyes darting side to side, wildly looking for the invisible creatures. He lets out a yell of angry frustration and shoots off his gun again in the air.

"Nate! Stop! Please. You're shooting at nothing." I grab his arm and push it down. "Howell probably saw them and they saw us so they ran away. Please calm down."

Panting, he looks me in the eyes and I see his twisted pain. I feel it too, the same deep pain that we share. The loss of a man that we looked up to be our father for too short of years. I try to pull him into a hug but he violently shoves me away and storms off to his quarters. I sigh and look at the crew who are standing around, unsure of their orders.

"Howell. Tell the men to start going north. Look out for anyone and follow any leads if you must, alright?" I order. "Lets go to Greensburg then we'll-"

"Oy! Charlie! A bloody man! Right where Nate shot!" one of the crewmen yells out.

Nate suddenly stops at the door of his room and with a crooked smile on his face, he laughs and looks at me."Alright men! FOLLOW HIM. Full speed ahead. The winds are in our favor today! Ye heard me! Get a move on you dogs!" he roars.

The men shout and cheer while all scrambling to their places. Howell is yelling out orders left and right but keeping an eye on me. He knows the effects of this war on me. I hate this war with all my heart.

"Let's go grab our prize." Nate smirks.

I turn on my heel and head back towards my quarters. Nate's hand grasps my arm and I wrench away from his touch like he has a disease. I ignore his calls for me as my bottom lip starts to quiver. I cry so rarely and I didn't want anyone to see me. Captain Black Blood said crying is a weakness that anyone can grab ahold and use it as a weapon against you..

"Charlie. Where in the bloody hell do you think you're going?" Nate growls.

I don't dare to face him. Instead I continue to ignore him and keep walking. By the time I reach my room my tears have spilled over my eyes and running down freely on my cheeks. I crash down onto my bed face-down trying to block out the sounds of the men scrambling around on deck and the muffled commands of my brother. The smell of lavender is gone and I am only left with the painful reminder of the past.

The look in his golden eyes didn't contain joy or happiness anymore. Only filled with a frighteningly powerful desire to live up to Black Blood's legacy. Nate has already been doing more than enough. I scream into my pillow in frustration and agony. Wishing things were back to normal. Where Captain Nate was only my brother Nate. He's so cruel now with his mind glued onto nothing else but being the best. He's forgotten about me. I feel the ship start to rock left and right more heavily now. I can tell we're in open sea chasing nothing more but a delusional dream. I fear for his sanity and I fear for his life. I let the rocking ship and the sounds of the waves lure me to sleep. My sobs fade away as I close my eyes and feel myself drift away in the peaceful bliss of sleep.

**

"Charlie. 'Tis time to wake and eat yer breakfast now lass." I flutter open my heavy eye lids and see Howell standing over me. "Good mornin'. Nate is waiting o'er at the dining hall." I guess I had slept all day and night. I wondered what happened yesterday. If Nate ever got his prize...

"Okay, Howell. Can you fetch me my black boots? I'll get up in a sec." I stretch and yawn, rubbing my eyes. Daylight is shining through my windows and I see we are still at open sea. I dress in a red blouse with dark brown trousers and slip over my knee high boots. I figure we will be docking somewhere and Nate will want me to rob another home. It'd be nice to leave the ship behind for awhile. I've always liked being alone sometimes.

Sighing, I wave Howell goodbye and tell him thanks for tiding up my room before closing the door behind me. Heading towards the dining room, I find it strange that I do not run into anyone on the way. I shrug and assume everyone is up on deck. Finally I reach the room and the smell of scrambled eggs and fresh bread is heavenly. I enter the grand dining room and see Nate happily eating his food. He looks up, smiles, and wildly gestures for me to sit across from him. Puzzled I do what he says and sit directly across from him. A bowl of fresh strawberries with three freshly baked butter rolls are placed in front of me.

"Yer eggs will be comin' up lass." our cook says.

"Thanks." I grab a roll and stuff it hungrily into my mouth. I realize I still hadn't eaten since the night before. "You seem... happier Nate..." I cautiously point out. I don't want to say the wrong thing to set him off again. He almost looks like his old self again, almost, not quite.

He lets out a giggle and looks at me with a wide grin. "Well... When we were at that small town of Fiona... I received a letter my dear sister!" He grabs his glass of wine and gulps it down.

"Umm.. from who? And.. are- are you drunk?"

"No! Of course I'm not Charlie! But the letter was from Captain Tobias Bridge! You met him once at nobel Bellwood's ball we attended two summers ago, remember? You danced with his son." he says too gleefully.

"I vaguely remember. I do remember his son stealing a kiss from me at the ball's end!" That night was amazing up until I met Tobias' son. He was a good looking man and he sure as hell knew it. I remember his blonde hair styled perfectly and his suit was made to show off his muscles. He danced too well, talked too sweet, and even smelled too good! He was a pig! A stunningly, handsome pig. He disgusts me. I wrinkle my nose, remembering the scent of his too strong cologne. "What was his name again? Started with a j?"

"Johnny Bridge! Yes my dear sister!" He claps his hands. "What do you think of him? He seemed to fancy you at the ball." he smiles wickedly and raises his eyebrows.

"Alright. Seriously, you're scaring me Nate..." I trail off. Studying my brother's wild smile. Then it hits me. Hits me hard right in the stomach. I lurch out of my seat so fast, my chair gets knocked to the ground with a loud clash. "NO NATE! No. I refuse! No, no, no, no, no!" I yell.

He laughs and leans back into his chair crossing his arms behind his head. "Why the hell not Charlie? He's rich! Filthy rich!" he cackles.

Rich? Rich? Like that will ever make me change my mind!

"No!" I roar. "Never!" I shake my head madly left and right. At that moment our chef walks back in with my eggs and I scoop them in my hand and fling them at Nate. "NO!"

"Charlie that is enough! Im sorry, she's in a bit of a crazy mood today." he chuckles to the chef.

"YOU'RE THE CRAZY ONE NATE!" I scream in anger. I am certainly not crazy!

"Okay, okay, my Charlie Bear. Hear me please. Please sit." a sudden change in his mood, I decide to listen and pick up my tipped over chair and sit down, still fuming from his insane plan. "Darling sister... he isn't a pirate. He got away from this... life and made something of it! You- you can get away from this! He's already accepted and-"

I fill up with even more absolute rage. Already accepted!? What!? "Are you mad? I don't even know him! I danced with him once! He's a pig Nate! He's probably slept will hundreds of girls and left half of them pregnant and alone! And what is this nonsense about 'getting away from this life'? Its our life! Ours! I love it! What has you thinking this way?" I cry out in aguish. "Besides.. he didn't ask me." I pout.

"Charlie! I am shocked at your language! But please, can you let me finish?" Still pouting I nod and a sad smile is plastered on his face as he walks over to me and kisses me lightly on the cheek.

"I do not wish this life for you anymore. It is not fit for a beautiful young girl like you Charlie Bear. It is my job to keep you safe and giving you another life that is not the pirate life is exactly how I plan to do so."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise and turn to look at him, "And... Johnny Bridge, you think, can do that for me? He's a spoiled, sniveling, pig! Does he even know how to protect himself? Not to mention me!" I put my face in my hands and groan out loud. "I'm sorry but no Nate. No."

Puffing out his chest, he turns serious again. "I don't think you have a choice!"

"Bloody hell I don't have a choice! I'll slice his throat if he so much comes near me!" I threaten. He walks back over to his seat and stares hard into my eyes.

"Charlie that is enough. Just meet with him and see. Like you said... you do not even know the-" he pauses, "pig. So give him a chance." he pleads.

"Nate. I say no. I absolutely refuse." I'm standing my ground. Slightly amused at his bewildered expression on his face up until he explodes...

"YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED TO JOHNNY BRIDGE AND THAT IS FINAL!" he screams at me.

"Who are you to control my life! You're my brother, not my father Nate!" I spit out. With that I storm off. I've lost my appetite completely. I will not succumb to marriage with that oaf! I slam the dining room door behind me but I faintly hear Nate yelling that we are on our way to meet with them for dinner in Greensburg. Tonight. Lovely.