Revenge So Sweet

Deception and Familiar Faces

Hugo worked quickly he unlocked Rani's chest and pulled out a full bottle of some kind of dark alcohol, and poured it on to the shoulder wounds entrance and exit. And then tore one of Rani's clean shirts into long strips.  He soaked one of the strips with the dark drink and stuffed it into the wound scrubbing at the area.  Then he held the small dagger blade tip over the flame of the candle.
Danielle stood near Rani's head stroking his hair. 
"So is Blackheart finally dead then?"  She asked through gritted teeth as she stared down at Rani's broken body.
"No.  He lives.  I saw his men grab him in the water as we left.  He will not let this insult pass.  He will believe that Rani has stolen his treasure.  And what's more Blackheart was humiliated.  That enculè is no forgiving man."  Hugo explained.
She nodded agreeing with the French swear word that she knew meant cocksucker.
"But it wasn't his treasure to begin with."  She said.
"In the laws of les pirate.  It belonged to him because his men stole it first.  We stole it from them."  Hugo said.
She shook her head in disbelief.
After several minutes the dagger tip glowed red, and Hugo grabbed the bottle and drank then thrust the bottle at Danielle who took a swig of her own.  She coughed and sputtered as liquid fire ran down her throat.  She felt stupid because she should have known it was alcohol, but she wasn't thinking clearly with all that was going on.  Hugo's lips curled up into a grin at her response to the drink.  He lifted Rani so that he could reach the exit of the wound on the back of the shoulder.
"I am going to try to seal the wound.  When I press this to Rani, the captain will wake, shove the bottle down the throat and let the drink numb the pain."  Hugo instructed her.
She nodded.
He counted.
"Un, deux, trois." Hugo pressed the blade firmly onto the opening.  A hissing noise and horrible smell of burning flesh emitted from the area.  Rani screamed, and just as instructed Danielle took the bottle and poured the liquid.  There was a gurgle and gulping until the drink was flowing out the corners of Rani's mouth.  Danielle stopped pouring.  Rani had passed out again.
When the wound was sealed it was an angry red but the blood stopped flowing.
Hugo repeated the process, burning the dagger tip til glowing red and then pressing it to the front shoulder entrance wound.  This time, Rani did not awaken and this worried Danielle.  But the wound was sealed.  Then Danielle remembered that Rani had suffered another wound somewhere on the back and told Hugo.
Hugo turned Rani on to the back, this time using the cooled dagger to cut the binds around the chest area from the back.  The wound was superficial, but Hugo poured more of the drink on to the area and scrubbed just in case.  There would be no need to seal the wound there as he had done the shoulder.
Hugo then turned Rani onto his back and Danielle gasped taking a step back.  Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened in shock.  Rani was no man.  She didn't have large breasts but they were perky and definitely there.  Danielle stared at the face of the woman she had been with for several days now, and wondered how she did not see it before.  The woman's face was soft and free of the typical hardness of most men.  Danielle had originally thought it was because Rani was extremely young.  The large scar was deceptive however, adding an edge to her that would not be found on most women.  She walked and talked and moved with confidence and boldness she hadn't seen in most of the woman at the tavern.   Even Blackheart had called her boy because Rani did not have the hard or largeness of most men.  Even the voice held no bass, it was just low.
Hugo felt Rani's forehead.
"What are you doing?"  Danielle asked.
"She is warm.  I am checking for fever.  You must check again in the morning."  He said promptly.  "As long as she does not break into a fever we may be able to avoid losing her completely."
Danielle relaxed and nodded determined.  She remembered Perra then and hurriedly asked Hugo to help her look at the dogs injuries.
Hugo put the woman into their bed.  He then examined Perra concluding the leg was possibly fractured but not cleanly broken.  He found 2 pieces of wood and used some of Rani's cut up shirt to tightly bind the sticks to the poor dogs leg.  This would help to keep it stable and immobile for a while so she could heal fully.  All the while Danielle held the dogs head to her to keep her from turning and biting at Hugo.  She was not afraid of getting bitten.  She owed the dog her life and would gladly help her in any way.
Hugo was quick.  He then handed her the keys to the room and instructed her to lock the door behind him and not open it to anyone except for him.  When he left Danielle was hesitant to go to the bed.  She checked on Perra.  The dog was sound asleep.  She then wiped the table clean of the blood and picked up the strewn papers and books, stacking them nicely back on the table.
When all was done and the lights blown out, she was growing very tired.  The bed was unavoidable.  She crawled over Rani and laid beside her staring at her face.  Did she even know this woman?  She thought to herself.  She had so many unanswered questions, but she could no longer fight the sleep which claimed her at last.