Raw Winter

Chapter 31: My Captain

Rawintr wasn't sure what her plan was. Her cutlass was in her hand one moment and returned to her hip the next. She touched the pistol—the one she had used to kill Hades—and considered doing the same to Captain Derevi. She could expect his crew would riddle her with holes if she dared to try. She had to be fair about this if she wanted to seal the respect of her crew. She wanted to be angry but knew she wasn't. Whistle had reacted in the same way she would have. There was no question about that. She had to earn their favor—being violent and unfeeling compared to their former captain, as passionate as he was, would not cut it.

Her hearing was sharp, honed by paranoia and training. She could tell there were men on the verge of her sight, but she wasn't sure if they knew she was approaching yet. She figured they didn't or else they would be ready to intercept her. They were positioning themselves around the pub where the rest of her crew were where she last was, and she considered that both good and bad.

If they caught her crew off guard, they may not have a fighting chance, especially with how many had left because of her transition as captain. On the other hand, she knew she wouldn't be facing them alone. She pressed against the nearest wall and peeked around the corner to see the entrance of the pub and Captain Derevi himself. He was as big as Hades or bigger, and his dirty blond hair was braided in over five places and spilled down his back like serpents. He wore a bright red coat that looked far too clean for a pirate captain of his regard, but she imagined he was raring to stain it with her blood.

There were at least two men on either side of him, and she knew they outnumbered her, especially if her men didn't take the signal and come to assist her. She hadn't talked to them much about signals or what this or that might mean, but she hoped they might guess. She crossed the street quickly, to flank them, and by the time the men standing beside Captain Derevi took notice she was standing directly behind the huge and imposing man. She said nothing, only let out a loud, baying howl.

She took a few meaningful steps back as Derevi jumped and whirled around, his hand on his cutlass. She shuddered when she recalled what it was like to lock blades with Hades and wasn't looking forward to doing it again with someone of similar build. His crystal blue eyes danced with delight at the sight of her.

"Ah, ye must be the girly I've been looking for. I came here looking for a woman and tramp, and here we are with a little girl. Don't mean me and the boys won't have what we came here for with ye just the same," he said.

"What business do you have with the captain of the Red Liar?" She hissed, having no idea what Whistle told him about her, but not liking the way he was looking at her. She tried to keep her eye on him and not look past him to where she knew her crew was.

"Are you implying you're the Red Liar's captain? Is that what you're telling me?" He scoffed, looking around at his boys, and they laughed and jeered, reaching for their blades. They moved as if they intended to surround her and would spring with a single word. "Come off it and tell me where ol' Hades is and I'll go easy on ye, alright? I might even spare ye if the bastard says so fast enough."

Captain Derevi took a step towards her, but she didn't move an inch, though she very much wanted to. Her blood was boiling, and her head was ringing with both anger and fear at the idea of this man touching her as if she already knew what he intended. She snarled at him and said, "Have you not heard? I faced Captain Hades as his second in command in a duel and won fair and square. If you don't get out of my way and out of this port, I'm going to do the same to you, but it's not going to be nearly as neat and tidy. You'll wish you were never born or else never set foot on a ship."

He paused, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised. Rawintr's voice had been deeper, louder and heavier than he had ever expected, and privately it was more than she expected herself. He locked eyes with her, his viewing glass eyes dancing as his soul twanged with something he hadn't expected, and a smile played on his face.