"Miss Ella...if you ever listen to anything I ask of you...I beg it is now..."
"What do you need of me?"
"I need you to act as if you are angry at me. Cause a scene...You appear to be gifted in that-"
Her expression changed to nearly offended. He put his hands up to show surrender. She nodded before he assisted her off the horse, landing aligned with his gaze before a voice broken them apart.
"If it isn't the boy who believed he was better than the rest of us..." The man teased as he was followed by two other men. Both quite lean and full of muscle. Ella's gaze shot to Carver as she felt uneasy on trying anything untruthful. But as his eyes fell harsh on her, she channeled the inner anger she felt towards him.
"Apparently I am not the only one who sees through your arrogance!" She shouted as she went to move to the tavern ahead, but he pulled her back. "I am not one of your typical women, Carver! You promised me your name, and I give you the best nights of my life to be left for a girl two years younger!" Her hand met with his cheek as the men watched with amusement.
"You got yourself a real flare...." the main man teased as he moved from the deck of the tavern, down to the dirt ground as townspeople gathered the show.
"And another thing..." She said as her finger was in front of his face. "Six is normal..." She teased as she held her hands out to show length. His expression showed true embarrassment as he glared to her.
"Fine. I was done with you anyway!"
She moved into the bar, keeping to the front before the men moved towards him.
"Perhaps you have not changed as much as I had thought..." He came to him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, bringing him into the tavern before seating himself towards the back. Acting more arrogant and cocky than normal, Carver leaned back in his chair and eyed the prostitutes that walked passed as the men had their attention on him. But when he was not being surveyed, his eyes shot to Ella as she was sitting at the edge of the bar, talking to the barmaid.
"Do you remember the job we did in Haxton, Skander?"
He nodded before taking a drink. "I don't think I have had anyone call me that in nearly half a decade!" He said as the men crushed their mugs together. Suddenly the main guy rose and pointed to Ella who was being eyed by one of the more formal men in uniform. Skander grew anxious as he was unsure if she was trying to escape once more. It would be easy in this instance, yet, she appeared with no strain. Instead, she appeared light.
"Where did you pick her up?"
"A bar outside of Red Haven."
"You went back there?!"
He nodded before taking another swig, finishing off his mug. "I had stopped before going to see Benny."
"Ah...is he still-"
Skander nodded before his eyes shifted back to Ella as she was being led from the pub. He shot up as the man followed him.
"Milo-" Skander began, "Do you have any more liquor?" He turned and was handed a small pouch before chugging it. Wiping his mouth, he purposely started a fight with the man who had shown interest in Ella. With Milo and his goons at his back, he waited until they were unconscious and stole a map from his jacket along with a photograph before then finding a compass.
"What was that for?" Ella asked before he tugged her towards the docks.
"That man is the brother to the man I wish to take my vengeance upon. This map will lead directly to my destination. But it is a long and trying journey. Do you think you can handle it?" He teased.
"I just handled a bar of men..." She paused. "Speaking of which...how did you know he was going to lead me outside?"
He paused before turning to not allow her the chance to see his smile.
"Because your are not the most hideous creature on the face of the earth."
"I think that is the closest you have come to compliment me."
Suddenly as the ship made it further in the ocean, a noise was heard below deck. Skander went to search it before grunting was heard below deck. Out of curiosity, Ella made her way below to see that Skander had tied the man up. He was dressed in nice clothes that had stains only from the recently ceased fight below deck. He tied him then to a nearby mast before searching the cabins below for the grandest one before claiming it as his own. As he did this, Ella made sure the man tied up did not go without food or water.
As the stars filled the sky, she saw how he had grown hot with fever. Growing worried, she examined him from afar to see a shard of wood had been in his side, under his arm. The pressing of his arms behind his back was the only pressure keeping him from dying.
"If I untie you, you must not try anything...or he will harm you..." She begged. Although riddled high with fever, he nodded and she untied his hands as he winced and fell hard on deck. She begged for his silence as she assisted with his shirt. Suddenly she felt hot with fever as well. His body had been in impeccable shape as hair was placed sporadically upon his body; slightly above his navel and on his chest between his pectorals. Her distraction ended to his wince and she aided the wound by removing the wood and wrapping a part of her dress around his arm and redressing him so it would not go noticed by Skander.
By morning, his fever had broken, and she sheltered little sleep. Instead, she was visited by the visions of the mysterious man's body. Such filthy thoughts made her sleepless and nearly sick as she kept her distance from him.
"How did you learn to aid?" He asked her as Skander was turning the ship to follow his map. In her attempts to ignore him, she found it impossible in this moment. His emerald eyes and dark skin made her swoon as his full lips seemed to speak to her.
"My mother....' She said as her eyes met with the ground. "She taught me a long time ago."
"She must have been an amazing woman...to have raised someone so caring as you." she smiled as her heart began to race.
"Thank you."
"You can thank me by speaking your name..."
"Ella."
"Just Ella?"
She nodded. "Hello just Ella. I am Hendricks. Liam Hendricks...I would properly greet you..." He shrugged his shoulders before wincing, feeling the pain of the almost impalement.
"Thank you again. Perhaps I can make it up to you someday..."
"perhaps..." She said with a blush as she turned and his eyes locked on her. A moment not unseen by Skander.
