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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Oct 10, 2003 22:29:34 GMT -5
All right...I'm going to put in some of my poetry,even though the stuff some of you guys have up is a million times better...if you like what I have,I might dig some of my old stuff out of the huge piles of paper that is my room...
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"Beautiful"
The eagle flies,as diamonds appear in the twilight The sea and sky blend into one The wavecaps foam beneath clouds of white Water glitters in the sun All this I have seen,and this is beautiful.
They say the sea is too rough,the sky Too proud,too far away from earthly things They say now that it is a sin to fly They have cut the eagle's wings. And now,they say,it is beautiful.
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Post by Jack Sparrow on Oct 13, 2003 18:42:55 GMT -5
:claps:
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 1, 2003 22:37:32 GMT -5
:smirks faintly:
"Echoes"
I see you again- Hear your laugh, See your face, Smell your hair, But you aren't here You are gone- An echo, A ripple in eternity Echoing forever in the stillness, In the emptiness that I have become.
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Post by Maria Maharet/Turner on Dec 1, 2003 22:54:57 GMT -5
you're a good poet Emma
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 1, 2003 23:07:52 GMT -5
Thanks,Maria...
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 11, 2003 23:21:29 GMT -5
All right...some one : pokes Will viciously:Wanted me to post a bit of story I was telling them about.I'm warning anyone who reads this,before they do,that it's seriously depressing,and if you have developed an emotional attatchent to Emma or Rick,you most likely won't like the second part.At all.That being said...This begins when Emma is 26,Captain of her own ship (Commandeered,of course.Rick gets to be first mate.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Emma MacKinnon pulled herself up straight,holding on to the gunwall with both hands.She made her way across the deck,then sank down with her back to the mast and her head in her hands."My God,"she muttered weakly."When was th' last time I got bloody seasick?'S got t'ave been years ago..."She closed her eyes,waiting for the spinning sensation to stop,then struggled to her feet again.It was early in the morning,and her turn to steer the ship,so she leaned on the helm for balance.She was relieved to find that her sense of navigation hadn't been weakened by whatever had made her sick.She was feeling better now,anyway...only slightly dizzy.
A few hours later,when the sun was higher in the sky and most of the crew was finally about,Emma was feeling fine.She could barely even remember the episode from earlier that morning.
"Good morning,Emma,"came a voice beside her.Rick kissed her softly on the ear.
"Mornin',love."Emma sighed,slightly,then called out to one of the sailors."Smith,take th' helm f'r a bit,a'righ'?"She passed the wheel off to the man,then turned to her husband."Rick...we need teh talk.Alone."
Rick raised an eyebrow questioningly at Emma,but nodded."Righ'...we'll talk up'n th' crows nest."
"All righ'."She climbed up into the rigging,not feeling the wind in her hair or the ropes in her hands,instead thinking of what it was she was going to have to say.For a brief moment,she considered making something else up,but there was no use hiding it.Someone was bound to guess eventually,and Rick had a right to know at any rate.She climbed into the crow's nest,then waited,catching her breath as Rick came and sat by her in the cramped area.She gave him a small smile."Eh,Rick?Remember when we used teh talk like this all th' time?Up'n yer da's ship?"
"Aye...I think we fit'n tight places better then..."He smirked.
"An' here we are...a ship'f our own...sittin' up 'ere like we did when we were only kids..."
He sighed."Emma...ye're stallin'.What is it ye wanted teh tell me?"
Emma shifted uncomfortably,then leaned in close to him and whispered something.He jerked back in surprise,paling slightly.
"Ye...ye're kiddin'.'Ow long?"
"A couple'f weeks."
"An' ye didn' tell me anythin' before?"
She seemed slightly defensive now."I...I wasn' sure b'fore,Rick.I didn' want teh tell anyone anythin' too soon."
Rick sighed,then took one of her hands and gave it a slight squeeze."What makes ye so sure now?"
"When was th' las' time ye heard tell of me bein' seasick?An' ye know I didn' 'ave anythin' teh drink las' night..."
He leaned his head back,eyes closed for a moment.Then he looked up at her and smiled weakly."Emma..."
(All right,mates...I don't think any of you are going to like this,but...20 years later)
"Oh,God...no,please...Rick,say somethin'!"
"Come out from there,Hawkins...we've got you surrounded!There's no escape this time!"
"Rick...Rick,please...talk to me..."
"Em...Emma?I'm....sorry..."
"No!Please,no,say something!Rick...oh,my God...Rick...please...No...Rick..."
"In the name of the Law,come out,Hawkins!"
"Ye jus' don't get it,do ye?It's not bloody 'Awkins,"said a slightly trembling voice."It 'asn't been 'Awkins f'r twenty-four years!"With a slight grunt,a woman came out from beneath the body on the ground,which had been lying over her like a shield.Her hair was long,past her waist,mostly a reddish brown,but with streaks of grey beginning to intermingle with the normal color.Her cheeks were flushed,and there was a strange light in her bluegreen eyes.She wore a pair of black trousers ripped off at the knee,black knee-high boots,a shirt that had once been white,a black bandanna,and innumerable little trinkets and bits of colored cloth.She lay the body reverently on the ground,stroking a still-warm cheek,her face etched in pain.
"Hawkins was me maiden name,"she said,her voice uncharacteristically soft."It's MacKinnon."She held the limp body close to her and wept as blood soaked through her sleeves.The Navy looked on,not sure of what to do.
Emma stood,looking resolute.She strode over to the highest-ranking officer present."So...clap me in irons,eh?Do what ye will,there's nothin' yeh c'n do that'll 'urt me now.But before ye do,I 'ave one thing teh say."
The officer raised an eyebrow."Which is?"
Suddenly,he found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol."Tell Ol' Hobb I'mm be comin' shortly."She pulled the trigger. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Adaryn Katrina MacKinnon frowned."This's takin' far too long.I'm goin' in after 'em,"she said shortly to the crew.She walked quickly down the gangplank and along the docks to the fort.The entire fort must have gone to witness the execution,because Adaryn encountered no resistance.Nor was any knowledge of the fort's layout necessary;she simply followed the shouting.
She walked into a courtyard and was mildly surprised to see only two people standing-her mother,and a Navy officer.As Adaryn watched,Emma shoved a knife through the man.He fell back.
"Mum!"
Emma looked up,her face streaked with tears and blood.
"Where's Da',what's takin' so long?"
"Your....your father..."Emma fell to her knees,more tears splashing down her face."Your father is in a place where I'll be joinin' 'im soon enough..."Again she stood,putting the knife in a small sheath in her sleeve.She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder."Th'ship's yours now.Th' will's sewn inteh the matress."
"What?What're ye talkin' abou',mum,ye're not 'urt bad..."
"No..."Emma walked over to one of the bodies on the ground,the only one not wearing a uniform.His long,black hair was streaked in places with grey and tinted with blood.His eyes were closed as if in sleep,but Adaryn knew them to be bright green,with a laughing light that nothing could dull.But she recognized now that the light would never return to those eyes.His white shirt was stained a deep red.Emma knelt beside him,pressing her lips for a moment against his,then looked up to her daughter.
"Give 'em Hell f'r me,lass...sail on."One last time,she readied her pistol.She pointed the barrel directly at her own heart.
Adaryn's eyes went wide with realization."Mum,no,don't-"
A shot rang out,and one more corpse slumped onto the blood-soaked earth.
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Post by Will Turner on Dec 11, 2003 23:51:58 GMT -5
*Grins and pokes massivly back.* Thank ye for posting it so I could read it! It was deffinantly a good story, very moving.
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 12, 2003 22:55:53 GMT -5
:Smirks at Will: Oh,stop it,you... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adaryn stood,frozen with shock.For a long time,she didn't move,simply stared at her parents,not feeling the sun's dying rays or the wind in her long,jet black hair.Again and again the scene repeated itself in her bluegreen eyes,until they were as cold and desolate as she felt.
She was snapped out of her trance by the sound of footsteps behind her.She turned,drawing her sword.It was a beautiful blade,one that her parents had given her when she had turned sixteen.It was slightly longer than average,with an edge fit to cut silk and a beautifully engraved golden hilt.What made it even more special was that her mother and father had bought it,right and proper.They could easily have stolen it,but it meant more this way,and they had known that.Its hilt was as firm as ever in her hand,and somehow it helped her,gave her something unchanging to hold onto in her spinning world.She didn't even flinch as she saw the three Navy officers come into the courtyard.
"All righ',so the Comodorre sent us to see where everyone-Oh,my God!"The men gaped at the grisly scene before them-their fallen comrades,and the two pirates,and standing over them a young woman,her raven hair drifting in the wind."Y-You!Young lady!I'm afraid we're going to have to place you under arrest!"
Adaryn gave a short,harsh laugh."T'what end,mate?Ye can't prove anythin' against me.My sword is clean."
Another of the men,slightly taller than the last,stepped forward."We'll see about that.Dressed like that,sword and all,and standing in the midst of fallen Navymen?We'll see you hanged for piracy,if nothing else,I'll bet my life."
"I'd suggest you don't.It seems te me ye've got plenty te live for...a job...p'r'aps ye've got a wife?Little ones?I don' doubt they still need ye aroun',an' I don' plan on killin' ye.She stepped slowly towards the officers."There's been enough blood spilled today."She was nearly face to face with one of the men now.All three of them seemed transfixed on the girl,though most likely not for the reason men usually stared at her.Suddenly,she brought her hand up,knocking the tall man in the temple with the pommel."Bloody Navy idiots," she said as she knocked out the other two,then grabbed a rope from nearby and began tying them up.
When she was done with this task,she stood for a moment.The sun was setting,and she would definitely want the crew-her crew now,she reminded herself-out of the port in a few hours.With a glance at her mother and father,she took off back towards the docks.She encountered no one once again.The rest of the Navymen must be off duty,she thought,and most respectable people were at home with their families.After a few minutes,she arrived,panting at the ship-the old Striker,her parents' pride and joy."'Ey!"She called to the crew.Immediately they came to the gunwall,peering down at the girl who was still trying to absorb the news that she was their captain."I...I need two of ye teh come with me.Smith and Roper."Two men grabbed onto ropes,swinging down onto the dock beside Adaryn,one of them around forty,the other perhaps twenty-five."Th' rest of ye...get th' ship ready teh leave."She looked at them as if to say "That's an order,"then turned,sprinting back to the fort,the two men beside her.Their footsteps rang out in the empty streets,making Adaryn worried that someone would come to see who was making all the racket,but no one did.Finally,they got to the fort.
Smith looked around as they tried to find the courtyard."What's all this abou',Adaryn?Where're yer parents?"She simply gave him a sad look.
"'Ere we are..."She nodded her head towards the courtyard that had apparently become a battlefield."I'm not leavin' Mum an' Dad 'ere f'r th' blasted Navy teh do what they will..."She finally allowed herself to approach the bodies,stroking back her father's long,black hair,messy even now.She clenched her eyes shut,fighting back the tears.She was a Captain now.Her crew couldn't see her vulnerable,whether or not they knew she was their captain.When she spoke again,her voice was much softer than usual,though her rough blended accent was still there."Smith,ye take Da'.Roper,carry Mum."She stood,then waited for the crewmen to pick up the bodies.
One last time,Adaryn gazed around the area.She strode over to a body,one that seemed to be missing most of the head,and judging by the uniform a high-ranking officer-she wasn't quite sure what.Leaning down,she took his sword,then set off again for the docks,this time at a walk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Here they come!"One of the things unique about Emma and Rick's crew was that several of the crew members were women.Most of the crew was still male,but the ladies on board were treated no differently than the men.If it had been otherwise,Emma most likely would have caused some sort of misfortune to conveniently befall Rick.At the moment,the girl sitting balanced precariously on the gunwall was a young woman by the name of Felicity Johnson,a British country girl who had read a few too many pirate stories and run off in search of adventure.At first,Rick had feared that she would prove too prone to fantasies and romanticizations to survive a day on the streets of Tortuga,but under Emma's guidance she had blossomed into a really bad egg.
"Adaryn!"Called Felicity,who was about the same age as the Captain's daughter."What--Oh,my God,"she breathed.Adaryn came up the gangplank,followed by the two men,each carrying a painfully familiar body."Is...is that..."
"Drop canvas and wiegh anchor,we're gettin' out'f 'ere!"The new Captain turned to the two men."Put them on the bed in their cabin,lads."She watched the crew go quickly about their work.No one who didn't do thier share of work efficiently stayed long on the Striker.The dock began pulling out of view slowly,and before long Port Fidelity looked no larger than the young woman's hand.As the sun finally sank beneath the waves,she took a final look at the island,and vowed silently never to go there again.
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 14, 2003 19:22:45 GMT -5
Adaryn walked into the cabin,glancing back at the crew.Those who were not working,and some of those who were,stared at her,but coughed and immediately made themselves appear busy.She groaned slightly,closing the door of her parents' cabin behind her and barring it.She leaned her back against the door,and ran a hand through her hair."'Ow'm I ever gonna get used te this?"
When she had taken a few moments to prepare herself mentally,she walked over to the bed.As she had asked,the two crewmen had put her parents down there,arms flat at their sides.They looked so peaceful,perhaps more so than she had ever seen them in life.She had often seen them happy,laughing,smiling at life's little ironies as they calmly weathered any storms life threw at them.But there had always been that spark of chaos that would not go away,a mischief that the years had been utterly unable to take from their spirits.
She sat on the edge of the bed,taking up Emma's hand.It was the same hand which had rocked her to sleep as a baby,held her on her knee while she told her stories,protected her from everything as long as she could remember.And now it was so cold.Adaryn studied her mother's face.It was dark in color,both tanned and smudged with dirt and soot and blood.Somehow to her it had always been so soft,framed with long,auburn hair with beads and feathers and tiny trinkets braided into it,and a worn black bandanna,a moon-and-stars pattern barely recognizable on it.Yet she had always commanded so much respect from her crew...she had been brilliant,amazing,if a bit mad.
Her eyes turned to Rick.Her father.Tears filled her bright bluegreen eyes as she remembered him in life-intelligent,funny,loving,fiercely protective of his wife and daughter.She remembered how when she was younger,he and her mother had taught her to fight by having practice fights with one another,allowing her to see the way their minds worked,and which strategies were useful in what situation.His patience and planning and thoughtfulness complemented Emma's energy and recklessness so well that it was no wonder they had survived so long.After all,many pirates didn't last more than a few years before being captured and hung,or drowned,or marooned,or killed by bounty hunters or fellow pirates.
And yet....it all seemed so short,now that they were gone.Adaryn bit her lip,trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill over her face,smoothing back her father's long black hair,so similar to her own.
Th'ship's yours now.Th' will's sewn inteh the matress.
Adaryn jerked slightly as she heard her mother's voice.She stared for a moment at Emma before returning to reason.That was just a memory..."Right...th' will..."Taking a knife from her belt,she sliced open the matress in the few inches between her mother and father.She moved aside a layer of stuffing,and there was a letter,with a hawk stamped into the sealing wax.Gently,she pulled it out,then covered up the hole in the matress and stepped back reverently.She sat at the desk by the large row of windows,looking out at the sea,the will on the desk before her,trying to decide whether or not to open it yet.
A knock came on the door."Yes?"
"Adaryn,what's our course?"It was Felicity.Adaryn glanced at the chart on the desk beside the will.
"North-east-north."
"Aye aye!"Footsteps,and she said no more.Adaryn sighed,putting her head in her hands,letting her fingers run through her hair as she lay her head on the desk.She would have to address the crew in the morning...it could wait until then.For now,she wanted to be alone with her thoughts.
How could this have happened?Things had happened before...navy captures,jailbreaks,interrupted hangings even.But they had never been hurt.What had happened?She supposed she would never know,since all the people who had been there were dead.Her father had been to sneak in,shoot the hangman,cut Mother loose,and get out as fast as they could.Where had the plan gone wrong?
They couldn't really be gone...
Adaryn sighed,standing.The crew was all abed now,except for those assigned night watch.Looking around,she unlatched the cabin door and walked onto the deck.The wind was bitingly cold,and she wished she had her father's long captain's coat to keep her warm.Instead she bit her lip and ignored it,beginning her ascent up the rigging towards the crow's nest.She climbed up and up.Somehow she got the feeling that the climb was not usually this long.At long last,she reached the top,and heaved herself into the crow's nest.
And there were her parents,seated on the ground.
They looked younger.Some of the trinkets her mother had weren't there,and her father's hair was all black once more.Adaryn stared for a moment at her smiling parents,then threw herself around Rick's neck,sobbing.
"Shhhh....shhh...i's all righ',little one."He rubbed her back softly,and Emma put an arm around the both of them,humming softly.Adaryn stopped crying abruptly,feeling foolish.She sat back,and her father took off his coat,handing it to her."Put it on...no sense in ye catchin' cold,now is there?"
"I...I'm sorry,"she said softly."I...I just thought that..."
"We know,"said her mother.Her bluegreen eyes were soft,happy."There's somethin' I need te tell ye...
Emma placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder."This had teh happen sometime,love,"she said quietly."Best that it 'appened now y're old enough te take care o' yerself.Yer father an' I always knew th' risks of this life,Adaryn.It's a choice.We 'ave a great deal of freedom,an' a lot of joy c'n come from it...But it's not without sacrifices.Ye're never truly safe,no matter who ye are,no matter what ye've done,fate makes fools of us all.An' bein' on our line of work,ye make a lot'f enemies,an' rare's th' one who'll hesitate te kill ye when 'e gets th' chance.It's dangerous.We always knew that.We always knew this time would come.Ye understand?"
The younger woman nodded,still looking doubtful.Emma smiled sorrowfully.
"Jus' keep it all in perspective,"said Rick.He gave his daughter a wink."Th' sea c'n make the biggest man a speck o' dust,but no man c'n make ye feel small unless ye let 'em.Don' let anyone push ye around,an' ye'll get along jus' fine."
"But...but what if I'm notstrong enough?What'f They push me around whether or not I let 'em?"
"Ye'll be fine,Adaryn..."Emma stood,offering her hand to Rick,who took it and rose to his feet as well."Ye're strong as long as ye remember 'ow strong ye are..."
Adaryn got up quickly."Wait!Where are you-"
Before her eyes,her parents faded into nothing,and she was standing alone in the crow's nest,her father's coat still wrapped around her.
She jerked her head up suddenly.It was morning,and the sunlight was streaming through the window onto her face.She sighed.It had been so lifelike...well,it was morning.She'd have to go talk to the crew now.Resignedly,she tucked the will into her sleeve and began walking towards the door.Halfway across the room,she froze,realizing something.
On her back,with the holes sewn up and the blood washed out,was a long,dark blue sea coat.
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Post by Saber & Kat Tompson on Dec 22, 2003 15:40:07 GMT -5
*sobs hystricly* Emma! HOw could you! *is crying her eyes out* please dont let that ever happen...*sob* I dont think I could ever write a story where Saber dies...just take care of yourself mate *sniff*
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Dec 22, 2003 19:31:51 GMT -5
:sighs:See,Will...this is why I didn't wanna post it!I've gone and made Saber cry now!:hugs Saber: You should have seen how much I was crying when I wrote it,mate...I was just sitting there,"Nooooo!Oh,my God,they killed Rick!Noooo....*sobchokesniffle*"
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Jan 12, 2004 23:17:25 GMT -5
(2 years later)
Adaryn blinked,her eyes fighting against the dim morning light of Tortuga.She moaned slightly,then sat up,stretching.Her bare feet touched the dirt floor beside her small bed,and she shuffled over to the window.It was pretty early,she still had a while before her employer would call for her.
Putting on a bodice,an apron, and a skirt over her chemise,she snuck out the back door of the tavern,going back to the alley behind it."Good morning,"she whispered.There was a kitten sitting there,no more than three months old and looking very underfed.She pulled a small bottle of milk and a saucer from her apron,pouring some out and putting it on the ground.The kitten lapped it up eagerly.Adaryn sat back against the back wall of the tavern with a sigh.She stroked the kitten's ears as it drank.
"Ye're just like me,ye know.Lost yer mum an' dad...jus' barely makin' it...tryin' te s'rvive..."The kitten finished drinking and curled up in the young woman's lap,purring as she continued to stroke its ears and talk to it quietly."Sometimes...sometimes 'm glad they died.Y'know?Glad they never 'ad te see me like this...stuck in this place..."
It had all started with her parents' deaths two years ago.They'd left the ship to her.And for almost a year,she'd kept it,with her parents' old crew.But there had been a battle with the Navy,and she'd been forced to hire new crew members-ones that didn't have the same respect for the young captain as the old crew did.Within a month,they'd mutinied,marooning Adaryn,taking her ship,and executing the members of the crew still loyal to her.She'd been near death when a ship had picked her up and brought her back to Tortuga.And now she couldn't find work on any ship,thanks to some idiot superstition about women being bad luck.She'd been forced to take this job as a barmaid to fend off starvation.But since her employer only paid her in food and drink,she was no closer to getting her ship or her pride back than ever before.All she had left of her old life were a few mementos her parents had left to her-her mother's black bandanna,her father's coat,and an arrortment of knives and pistols.Her sword had been taken from her along with the ship.
"Adaryn!Are ye still sleeping?Worthless wench,I don't know why I keep ye on...Adaryn,ye've got five minutes to be in 'ere!"She groaned slightly.
"I 'ate my life..."Putting the kitten gently down,she slipped back into her room.Before she went down to the bar,she slipped a knife into her sleeve.It was a matter of habit-she hadn't been in a fight for months,and sometimes wondered if she'd know how to if it came to it.
The owner of the bar approached her."Adaryn!There y'are!Ye'd best get t'work,it's already quite busy in 'ere,and I 'ave to go make a...special delivery for a friend o' mine...ye'll be on yer own this morning..."Patting her on the back,he snatched his hat from by the door and left.
"Bloody idiot..."she glared out the door."I wonder why 'e even bothers makin' excuses,'s easy enough te figure what 'e does all day..."
All morning,Adaryn was busy carrying empty mugs back to the kitchen and bringing fresh drinks to the denizens of the pub,all of whom seemed to have utterly unquenchable thirst.After a few minutes,most of the people were either giddy or unconcious.Adaryn prefered the latter.Less work for her.
As she walked across the room,Adaryn jumped slightly.She whirled around,glaring at the man behind her,who was laughing drunkenly.He winked at her.Her fist clenched for a moment,then she turned back around,storming into the kitchen,hurling the empty mugs into the washbasin,and scrubbing furiously.
You should have done it,whispered a voice inside of her.
No,no....It would get me in trouble.
Mother would have done it.She wouldn't have cared.
Yeah,well...Mother's dead.
At least she died with some pride.She never let anyone shove her around like this.
Stupid bloody voice...just shut up!She ran out of dishes to scrub,picked up a towel,and began drying dishes off in a manner that could only be described as violent.
I won't.Of course you know,she wouldn't even have been here so long.First person who tried something like that on her,she would've slit his throat,taken his sword,and used it to commandeer the next ship she found.
Well...I'm not mother.Besides...she had a reputation.There were people who were scared of her...so jus' back off!Get out'f me bloody head!
All right...but if it were me in charge,I'd take some of that anger and put it where it'll do some good...
Adaryn paused for a moment,then sighed with relief.At least the bloody voice was gone...She dried her hands,resigned to finish her day's work.
Hours later,Adaryn fell back on her bed,exhausted from working all day.She took her knife from its sheath and tossed it into the air,catching it by the hilt.She did this again and again,until finally she caught it,sat up,and flung it at the wall.It hit a knot in the wood dead center,and stayed there quivering.She gave a faint smile.
Over the course of the day,she'd been pinched,pushed,and shouted at,and had all sorts of comments whispered at her.She'd suffered it all silently.But even now,her aim was dead on.
Her parents hadn't raised her to be like this.They hadn't raised her to back down.
And she'd be damned if she'd cower here any more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Adaryn!Adaryn,you stupid girl,get out here,you've got work to do!"
Adaryn glanced at the door,then turned back to the small mirror of her room.She had traded her shift with her bodice and skirts for a loose-fitting white shirt and torn black trousers.She had been wearing her tall black boots under those skirts the whole time anyway...She strapped on a pair of belts,then reverently picked up her father's coat from her bed.She held it close to her for a moment,then put it on.It reached slightly past her knees-she wasn't as tall as Rick had been.She sighed,looking at herself in the mirror,then picked up one more thing from her pillow-a worn out piece of black fabric,really more of a dark grey now from the beating the years had given it,with a faint moon-and-stars pattern still visible on it.
She tied the bandanna on and scrutinized her image again.An echo of Emma's old cocky smirk appeared on her lips.Turning,she put two pistols in her belt and a knife in either sleeve,then tossed the rest of her belongings into a sack,tied it off,and headed out the door.
The owner grabbed her by the shoulder."Where do you think you're going?Why are you dressed like that?"He demanded."Get downstairs,there're people who need to be served!"
The girl looked at him,one eyebrow raised."I quit,"she said simply,and turned to leave again.
"What do you mean,you quit?You won't last a day without me,girl!"The man was red with fury.Adaryn laughed.
"I mean,I'm gettin' out'f this hellhole...by any means necessary."
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Post by Victoria Brighton on Feb 21, 2004 12:29:10 GMT -5
*Jumps up and down and applauds* "Ya know, if I'd have ever known you all had threads going in here, I would've been here to read them an awful lot sooner! Great Jobsies Emma, I luv the story ta bunches!"
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Post by Emma Hawkins/Rick MacKinnon on Mar 11, 2004 22:58:58 GMT -5
A smile spread slowly across Adaryn's face.
She'd been waiting here at the docks for the better part of a week,stealing food when she absolutely needed to.She hadn't slept much,either.She'd just sat here,watching the harbor.
And now her patience had paid off.Really,she was amazed it had come so soon.Ships could be out of the port for months at a time.But sure enough,she'd seen the white sails drawing closer,and then a ship formed around them,and now it was close enough that she could read the name.
The Nemesis was back in Tortuga.
Adaryn had spent most of her time as she waited thinking of a plan.Her mother's brilliance...madness,if you must...had manifested itself quite nicely in the girl,and was made all the more effective by her father's rationality.She had every little detail planned out now.She watched as the ship came slowly up to the dock.
She had drawn heavily on the tales she'd heard of tricks her parents had pulled before she was born.But there was something else,too...something all her own...
As the ship pulled up,Adaryn slipped into a nearby alley,changing quickly into her clothes from her job back at the tavern.Her plan depended on not being recognized until the last moment...and if they saw her in mens' clothes,especially wearing her father's old coat,she would be dead before she had a chance to do anything.
Pulling her long,raven black hair loosely and donning a cap,she emerged back onto the sunlit dock a minute or so before the ship reached it.The ship she'd grown up on,she thought with a sad smile.If she had a home,that ship was it.A tiny room in the back of an inn where the lazy owner took out his frustration at life by beating you did NOT qualify as "home."
The Nemesis docked.Adaryn put on her most sickeningly sweet smile as the sailors,tired from long months at sea,began filing away from the ship,into the dirty streets of Tortuga.She stood,waiting,until the captain came out,in all his ridiculous finery.She restrained the urge to go for his throat,knowing that would ruin her plan.Instead,she walked over to him,not employing her usual cocky swagger,but a slower gait,employing much more swaying of the hips than she was normally comfortable with.
"Have a good time at sea,Cap'?"She forced herself to laugh and smile at the backstabbing bastard.It was taking most of her self control not to whip out her knife and slash his throat right there.Patience...patience...Perhaps she had inherited too much of her mother's fiery spirit,she thought,and the thought brought a genuine smile to her lips.Then she reminded herself to focus on the task at hand.
The Captain was not particularly tall,only an inch or two taller than she,and had grizzled shoulder-length hair.He had grown rather fat since she last saw him-the years had obviously brought bounty to the crew.Frankly,Adaryn wasn't surprised.The Nemesis was designed for speed and durability,and it had been designed well indeed.It didn't take a great crew to get rich on such an amazing vessel.He smiled at her,showing gold teeth."Very,"he said,but sometimes the pleasures to be had at sea...pale in comparison to those one can find at home."
She forced herself to smile again,and batted her eyes coyly.No matter how sick she felt."Pleasures I assume you'd be willing to part with a small portion of that money for?"
He laughed."You've a mind for business,me lass...why don't we go back there and discuss a price?"He wrapped a dirty hand with glimmering gold rings on every finger around her slender waist.She didn't recoil,but smiled at him as he led her back into the alley she'd come out of.
"Ye know,"he said,standing back and looking over the young woman,"You look familiar somehow.Have we...done business before?"
In an instant,her tone changed.She removed her cap and the cord tying her hair,letting it cascade down her back,and fixed him with a glare from unmistakable bluegreen eyes."'N a manner 'f speakin'..."The man's eyes widened,and she knew if she didn't act fast he would run.It brought another smile to her face.Even after years of living in the shadow after they left her with nothing,she still commanded that much fear.A good deal of it came from the reputation her parents had left behind.
She reached behind her,drawing a sword from a pile of wood."Woulda caugh' tha' 'f ye w're more observant,mate...A Cap'n can' afford ta overlook thin's,I of all people oughta know that by now,eh?"She placed the blade to his throat,but he brought his own sword up and knocked it away.She had expected that.She parried his ripost instinctively,then feinted towards hisback shoulder and disengaged to the outside and sliced off his head in one fluid motion."There goes me theory abou' losin' me touch..."
The girl sheathed the blade and wrapped it in a bundle with her pistols, most of her knives,and her other clothes.Then,glancing with satisfaction at the captain's head and the terror frozen forever in his eyes,she headed for the ship.
HER ship.
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Post by Jack Sparrow on Mar 15, 2004 23:40:46 GMT -5
nice posts.........fun stuff.............
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