Lunars of the Caribbean

The Meeting of No Peace (9)

"So," Thorne began. "Should we start introducing ourselves or what?"

Scarlet sighed, smoke from her raging inner flame puffing out from her ears and nose. "Thorne, for once in your life .. shut your mouth."

Thorne pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. Saying, Well excuse me.

"Scar-" the Captain started.

"I don't want to hear it," Scarlet barked. She focused her heated gaze on the table and perused the maps on it. "We need to get to our destination soon, and you need to let us go to do it. Either that or let us borrow your ship so we can get going."

The Captain watched her with pained eyes. "Scarlet are we going to dance around what hap-"

"I actually prefer Ms. Benoit now," she lied. Though, with her stone faced expression it was hard to glean. The Captain was surprised by this.

"Scarlet-"

"Ms. Benoit," she growled back. The Captain, a Lunar mutant, a soldier with handfuls of scars etched into his skin, cowered back from her in fear. And all Cinder could think is response was, At least he's not stupid.

He released and exasperated sighed. "Alright, Ms. Benoit. My crew and I have spent the last two years searching the Atlantic for you." His eyes projecting hurt and pain. He said it like it had only been him who searched for Scarlet. As he'd been worried sick for her, constantly loosing hair at the idea that she could be in danger.

Yet, the red-headed pirate showed no sympathy for him. "So? You wasted a couple years of your life to check up on me. Big deal," she said sarcastically.

The Captain leaned closer to her over the table. In response, Scarlet took a step back from it. Sending the poor man to grit his teeth. When Cinder first saw him, he'd been intimidating, but not nearly as much as Scarlet was when she was aggravated. Now, with his hunched frame and trembling lips, he was more of a scared pup than a ferocious wolf.

Cinder glanced to Thorne, who was watching the Captain with pity. It was as thought Thorne knew what the man was going through, somehow. Cinder thought the idea of understanding the situation was a mere fantasy. How could anyone comprehend what was going on?

Sure, Cinder was an adult (AN: Yes, since all of the characters are two years older than they are in "Cinder"... because reasons.) of eighteen-years-old. That did not entitle her to the comprehension of all the things that other adults conferred and disagreed about. Yet, one thing was clear to her.

The Captain cared for Scarlet as more than just a former part of his crew. The look in his eyes was of pain and loss, one Cinder had seen many times over on the streets of Port Royal when someone left their partner or spouse. When her guardian – Gareth – passed on, his wife – Adri – had that expression and dimness to her eyes for months.

This reminded Cinder that broken hearts often led to anger. Which is exactly what came next in the Captain's line of talk.

"If that's how it's going to be, then so be it," he announced. Placing two of his fingers in the corners of his lips, the Captain whistled a loud, sharp note into the air. For a moment, nothing happened. That was, until the Solstice lurched forward and the Lone Wolf was no longer visible from the side of the ship.

In outrage, Scarlet bellowed, "What did you just do?" Smoke fizzling out her ear.

The Captain stared at her coldly. "If you're not going to be agreeable, I'm not going to let you get to wherever your destination is."