Prizes, Plunder, and Adventure

Chapter Six: The Shine of Gold

A cheer went up as the Diligente turned tail and ran for the second time that week, pursued by a volley of cannon fire. Captain Wyldstyle approached Metalbeard, pulling off her hat and wiping a sleeve across her brow. Callaghan was every bit as much of a handful as she remembered. "Sorry about what they did to your ship, Da," she said.

"It be alright, lass, it can be fixed." He frowned thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "Might take a bit, though. We best be findin' someplace to berth her in the meantime. Alright, lads! Let's be gettin' that stump cleaned up for repairs!"

"LUCY!"

"Oof!" she wheezed as Benny raced up to her and threw his arms around her, lifting her off her feet in a bear hug.

"Stars, I wish I could have seen the look on Callaghan's face when you sailed right up alongside us! You sure gave the prince a fright!"

"Speaking of, I still can't believe you lot actually kidnapped the Prince of Octan. That was either an insanely bold move, or an insanely stupid one. And considering who you've got hounding your arses, I'm leaning more towards stupid."

"Aww, come on now Lucy, don't be like that," Benny pouted. "It'll be worth it, once Octan pays up. You wanna see him?"

"...Aye, sure." She followed him down to the brig, pausing when she spotted the young man locked in a cell, sitting on the cot and staring despondently at the floor. "...He doesn't look much like a prince," she remarked. "I'd ask if you're sure you even got the right guy, but I guess the proof is in Callaghan's persistence."

Emmet glanced up at the sound of her voice, eyes going wide at the sight of her. His breath caught in his throat.

"Aww," Benny cooed, and grinned. "Lookit that, Lucy, he think you're pretty!" She rolled her eyes at him and pushed past him, heading back up the stairs. "Leaving already?"

"I've got better things to do than get stared at by some pampered palace brat." Emmet turned a deep red at her words, gaze falling back to the floor. "Besides, Da needs help getting that mast fixed."

"Don't feel too bad," Benny told Emmet once she was out of earshot. "She's just too used to getting stared at for the wrong reasons."

"Because of the- the patches? Like yours?"

"Yeah." Benny leaned back against a support beam, folding his arms across his chest.

"She is pretty, though..."

The pirate laughed at that. "Yeah, I know that look pretty well. I see it on the others' faces every time a pretty lady crosses their path, when we make port."

Emmet kept his gaze down, picking at a loose thread on his shirt. "I don't see what it could hurt to tell me, you know."

Benny tilted his head. "Tell you what?"

"Why you're so determined to keep me until Father meets your demands. What my life is worth to you. What it is you want so badly that you're willing to risk death and destruction at the hands of my father's favored officers to get it."

Benny stared at him for a long moment, then shrugged. "Guess it can't hurt anything. I've been sailing under Captain Metalbeard for a long time now. He's my best friend, but I'm ready to strike out on my own. I want to build my own ship, and materials aren't exactly cheap."

Emmet looked back up at him. "You know how to build ships?" He was clearly impressed by the notion.

"Ah... Well, not yet. Cap'n does, but like I said, materials aren't cheap. He's willing to teach me, but we need supplies for it first."