Pirate's Promise

Chapter 6

Charlie held the sobbing bundle in his arms tightly, leaning up against a tree away from the body of the dead bandit. Taking your first life was always the hardest. He remembered the first time he'd run a man through and it felt like someone had also torn a hole in his soul. It's something one could never repair. A tear inside of them that felt empty for the rest of eternity.

Every death after wouldn't be so grave.

He'd hoped to spare Alice of this but he rather she killed, than be killed. Tilting his head up, he looked at the canopy above him. Birds chirped happily as though something horrible hadn't just happened here. It was almost as if the horrors of below could not reach the beauty and sunlight up there. Charlie wished he could bring Alice up there.

It was clear that she was attempting to quiet herself because she stopped breathing for a while and then sobbed loudly again, and again. "Cry it out, little one."

At his words, she clung to his neck and buried her face there. He could smell the metallic scent of blood on her sweet skin. If only he knew what to say...

After some time, she quieted and wiggled in his arms.

"Please put me down, Charlie," her words came out soft. Embarrassed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Charlie placed her gently on her feet and watched as she rubbed her nose with the side of her arm. Her eyes and lips were red and swollen and somehow, it made her all the more lovely. He wanted to kiss those lips and never let her go but that was impossible.

She locked eyes with him for a brief moment before dropping her gaze to the ground.

"Do you still wish to continue your quest?" Charlie asked quietly.

She hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Yes."

"As you wish."

She took a fortifying breath and headed off toward the road. He followed behind, beyond thankful that the blade had not ended up in her.

Alice wanted to be sick again. The stench of the man's warm blood on her face and hands was enough to roll her stomach over and over. It had taken all of her willpower not to wipe fiercely at her face to get it off. Now, after crying and getting snot and blood all over Charlie, how could she ever look him in the eyes again? Somehow she'd managed to make a complete fool of herself.

Maybe she was a fool to try and take such an undertaking on with little to no planning. But sitting around waiting, while her father grew steadily more ill seemed so much worse than jumping into a murder plot with no plan.

Alice stepped back onto the road, eyes forward, fearing that she would lapse into a fit again if she looked at the blood on her hands. The bright glint of gold in the sun caught her attention and Alice looked at a woman about the same age as she, standing outside of the carriage wringing her white gloved hands nervously. Their gaze collided and the icy blue of the woman's eyes nearly froze Alice on the spot.

There was no friendly look in the woman's eyes. However, the man that had fought with Charlie, came forward. "Are you alright, my dear? Is that your blood?"

Alice wanted to roll her eyes, instead she nodded. "It is not mine. I'm fine, thank you."

"We feared the worst when we saw that knave carry you away."

Alice wasn't sure who the "we" was, considering the woman was still glaring daggers at her for some unknown reason.

He pulled out a clean handkerchief and handed to it Alice. She stared at it a moment trying to figure out why he was giving it to her.