Wanted - A Pirate Tale

6 ~ Rusty

OK, so I never thought I'd be basing the title of this chapter after a DOG movie. But I am! Here it is if you want to check it out: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120044/  AND as usual, the soundtrack is from it too. This is where I kind of regretted taking a dog movie because let's be honest - the soundtrack is LA-AME!! But that's what you get from a 1998 movie. I couldn't even find the soundtrack anywhere, so you'll have to pause the movie to keep it from playing. Hopefully the wonderful words and meaning in this chapter will make up for the song. :P  Oh, and please excuse the language. I can't bring myself to write swear words - however, I am aware that most pirates most usually would have sworn.

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It's a dog, I finally realize. A dog that looks like a mutt crossed with a mutt. For the minute, the howling's stopped. I slowly slip fully past the door until I'm standing outside the cell. A gnawed at bone is in the corner, lying next to a pile of straw. The dog's still growling, and suddenly he lets loose another long, howl. I turn around to leave in a hurry and bump into someone. 

I get such a fright that I start to scream. But I don't get past the long intake of breath before something presses around my mouth, hard.

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"What the bl**** heck?! Shhh!" A voice hisses. "You'll wake the whole blasted crew! Can ye be quiet?" 

I nod frantically, because I almost can't breathe, and the hand looses itself. Air rushes into my lungs. I take a step backwards, gasping for breath. "You should... know better than to do that to people."

"Aye." Hook says softly, waving his hook around. A flash of silver beams around the room. "I wasn't expecting company. What the heck are you doing down here anyway?" 

"The dog... it was... moaning. And I didn't know what it was." I say. Hook untangles another bone and throws it into the dog's cell. The dog leaps on it with vigor, tearing the meat off.

"What was that for?" I wrap my coat tighter, wishing it wasn't so threadbare.

"Only way to shut 'im up." Hook says. "Seeing you're awake, you may as well come and hear the tale of old Rusty. You cold?"

I blink a few times, then look at the jacket. He takes off his coat and throws it at me. "You're cold, put it on. The fire's not going in the dining room. I might as well let the crew explain as well." 

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As we enter the dining room I'm surprised to find the whole crew there, a candle shining amongst them.

"Can no one sleep?" Hook sits down, pulling me down too.

"Only Doc." Arthur chuckles. "'E could sleep through anything."

There's a round of laughter. "So the dog..." I say. "He howls like that all the time?"

"Singing. 'E's singing." Arthur says while everyone laughs quietly. "He doesn't do it every night, only when the moon's full.

"That... doesn't sound like singing to me." I shiver.

"He's howling at the moon." Hook looks out to the sky. "It's a full one. Night Crawlers do their hunting on full moons."

My eyes widen as I think of the ghostly figures. "Stop it, you're scaring her." Beefy laughs. "Don't worry, lass, no one can hurt us here. Not so long as the ship is protected. 

"Who protects it?" I ask with a shiver.

"The Captain, of course. He long ago made a deal with the Night Crawlers - a deal that nigh well saved our lives. We've seen them float past with their vacant eyes, searching... searching... searching..."