Raw Winter

Chapter 40: Bed's Made

Rawintr knew the brig on the Red Liar was one big cell meant to hold as many captives as possible, and the last thing she wanted was leaving them there together. That was the only reasons she sent the girl to her room instead. Rawintr was the only one with a key and she imagined Yulsylus had access also, but she wouldn't bring it up to him. As it was, it was secure, and she didn't have to worry about her crew getting any ideas. She didn't think any of them would go against her directly, but she didn't want to risk it.

As she accompanied Whistle and Kircan down the stairs to deliver Varnett Catinol to his cell, he told her, "You can't do this to me. You shouldn't treat me like this just because I'm the son of the man that hurt you and your mother. Isn't that redundant and a little hypocritical of you? You should try to change things, right?"

Rawintr didn't react and acted like she didn't hear him, but the moment they were down to the cell and Kircan had the door unlocked and wide open she dragged Varnett in close and hissed in his ear, "I'm not the little girl your father hurt. I'm a pirate captain and I don't have to play fair or play nice with a boy like you." She practically threw him in the cell, grunting as he stumbled and fell to the floor. She didn't wait for another word before turning and heading back upstairs, the two with her walking alongside her.

Once she was sure they were out of earshot, she told the two, "What I said extends to him as well. I don't want any of you touching or hurting him."

"You're merciful after all?" Whistle asked, tilting his head to get a better look at her.

"I never said that. If I'm going to hurt him, I'm going to do it on my own time and I want to be there for it. I don't want to come back and hear he's already been messed with or someone did something to him I don't approve of. I want to make sure he has all his fingers and toes by the time I get to him, understand?" Rawintr said.

"There're some things we can do to him without leaving marks," Kircan said, grinning, but Rawintr wasn't in the mood for playing.

She turned and swung her hand as if to uppercut him, but it went under his chin and lifted him from the ground, her blue eye glinting in the torch's light. All that was left was the darkness of her actual eye as she said, "I don't appreciate when men I trust talk of going behind my back."

Kircan squirmed and tried to get free. She smiled, knowing if she wasn't holding him up by his throat this would be the time he would argue he was only joking.

She told him, "I don't like to imagine any of my crew may consider betraying me even in disobedience. My word is as good as law and I swear you will not escape me if you go against it."

She dropped him and hurried up the stairs as the smile dropped from her face, hearing him gasping behind her. Whistle had frozen where he stood, somewhere between following and waiting to see if Kircan was alright. She didn't slam the door for his sake, and it wasn't long before he was running after her. She glanced at him, expecting him to say something about what happened, but he didn't.

She said, "I know I have nothing to fear from any of you, that you respect me, but I want that respect to be shown. I don't have the energy to guess at whether someone is joking with me if it's about something that could hurt me or my plan, and especially not now. You wanted me to give you all a chance to go with me, but what will I do if one of you goes against my orders and I don't get my revenge? I would rather die failing alone than because of someone I brought along."

Whistle still didn't respond, and Rawintr felt a twinge of unease. She kept her eyes forward and didn't look at him. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Mesmar appeared in front of her. His eyes were red, and he smelled of alcohol.