The Traitor's Wish

27. The Jolly's Captain

(So I published the wrong version of this like six times! Sorry! This is the right one! Enjoy, and comment your thoughts!)

TTW Ch27

Time was a blur on The Jolly Roger. Ever since the Serpent leapt back to hell with Killian the crew had been passed out on the deck. The oxygen slowly filtered back into their lungs as the ship sailed away from the spot of his death. A few of them began to stir as the cold air nipped at their skin. The coast of Fulvadore was only a tiny speck on the horizon behind them, as they left behind the small town of Braxton.

The first to wake was Judson, the old navy cook. He stood shakily to his feet and went to the side of the ship. He had known Killian since the boy was in his teens. He watched him grow up with Liam. He'd seen him become Captain, and now he had watched him die.

He pressed his cold fist to his chest, just above his heart, and muttered, "Godspeed to you, Killian."

Darb got to his feet and stood beside him, pressing a hand to his heart as well. They would mourn this loss while they could, and then they would do what their Captain would have wanted, and sail on.

Pearson stood wearily by the mast, gazing out with uncertain eyes. What would happen with Killian gone? They were pirates after all, even though they'd been landed for quite some time. Someone would take over the ship, and get the treasures on board.

When Brinley awoke, it felt as if The Jolly had life again. He went straight to Emma, lifted her into his arms, and carried her towards the captain's cabin.

"So the girl just gets passed down to him?" Baelfire, the stowaway, remarked with a quick tongue.

Wallace jumped at him, swinging his fist until it came clenched against his jaw. "Never dishonor the Captain's lady!" He spat in his face.

Baelfire grabbed his throbbing jaw, and got back on his feet, staring at Wallace. "The Captain is dead. By pirate code, all of his belongings are passed on to the Quatermaster." He said, swaying around the deck as if he now owned the ship.

"She is not property." Wallace said through a clenched grimace. He'd grown fond of the lass as many of them had. Her love for their captain was so pure and fresh. To see it ripped away left a dark curse over them all.

"Is she a member of the crew?" Baelfire asked rhetorically.

"No, I thought not. She was his belonging, and now, she's Brinley's. Unless.. someone is willing to challenge him." Baelfire answered his own question with a sarcastic tone and grin.

The men eyed each other wearily. A mutiny was always one of the biggest fears while at sea. The Jolly had many problems with mutiny when Denson had been part of the crew, luckily they had failed at their attempt to murder Killian, and he had marooned them all on an island, until their reappearance and Emma's kidnapping. Ever since then, the crew had been fiercely loyal, but with Killian dead, what held them back from turning on each other?

Wallace eyed Smee cautiously. He was first mate, however Brin was Quartermaster. On a pirates' ship he would be the next captain, but because he was given his position under Liam's command, during the navy, that meant he wasn't awarded the position with that in mind. More often than not, the Quatermaster picked a first mate to be his second, but Killian chose Smee, not Brinley. Someone could argue that because Killian gave Smee First Mate, he held power over Brinley. The two men often worked together, never ordering he other to do a deed. They shared the power under Killian.

With him gone before able to clear up this confusion, an argument was sure to break out. Wallace did not peg Smee as the kind to fight Brinley, but with the right persuasion, anything could happen. If Killian had died before they reduced the crew, there would have surely been many fights over Captain.