A Pirate's Tale

The morning was busy as Michael walked the deck, Nathan was busy arranging the repairs for the ship and the little crew left on board were running about following orders. Deciding that he would only get underfoot he left for the town, the morning was fine and warm but Michael couldn't bring himself to feel happy. As he walked past the people trading their wares he knew he had to get away and think for a time. A few moments later he ended up walking the cliff road where he came upon Kate laid still asleep. Kate looked almost dead, so pale was her skin and shallow was her breathing. But at the same time, she looked very peaceful and almost right in that natural setting. "Kate? how did you end up here?" Michael said almost to himself. Kate cracked open and eye, but her breathing was still just as shallow as before. With a sigh, she answered tiredly, "How do you think? I walked."
"Nice place you found to sleep." Michael looked out a the view of the port and cove and thought for a moment he saw a another ship that seemed familiar but dismissed it as illusions of his mind. "Maybe shouldn't you be back on ship?" Kate tried and failed to suppress a cough that sounded rather wet.
"I don't think they will miss me, too much happening on board. Are you well Kate?" A few moments of coughing and she sat up to try and make breathing easier, "Nathan will miss you, I assure you, Michael, do you want what I know you wish to hear or the truth, young Michael?"
"I am your friend Kate though I do not know if you think of me the same. I wish what you tell me to be the truth." He sat beside her, the grass was damp with the morning dew but he barely noticed. Katie cleared her throat with some effort and managed to keep the coughing fit from returning, "I am not well and I may not be well again. Do you remember any of what you saw before you woke up on the ship? The things that were not of this world?"
"I only remember the evil done to me and little else." The lad shuddered.
"You fought to not come back to this world I had to pull you back, I did so knowing full well that I was already weakened." Kate sighed and seemed to be speaking from a far distance away. Her eyes followed something in the air in front of her, but there was nothing there, "My hold here is slipping."
"Kate, hold here and help me, I fear I may never lay with your father again from fear of what was done to me. I love him so and wish I knew truly that he felt the same of me. I seemed destined to be used ill by men and women alike." His voice was bitter and spoke of older wounds than the one given recently. Kate laid down on the grass again, curling tightly and closing her eyes, "I cannot... there is a reason witches in training are not to engage in the pleasures of the body... it ties us here too tightly... but right now... my ties are going." She clutched her head for a moment, "Too many..." Michael sighed and lay down next to her.
"Then use me like so many others have."
"No." She turned away from the boy, "I will not do such to you. I can feel the pain in you as if it was my own, I shall not add to that." Michael wept and laid his head to her shoulder.
"My pain is my own to give and I give it freely without ties." Kate shook with tears of her own from the overload of emotions, but was too weak to pull away from him, "Nathan... will not... be... happy..."
"Damn Nathan, we need you here not lost where you cannot help us." Kate just curled tighter and tried to remember something beyond the hurt she felt from being so out of place. The only thing she found was Michael’s hurt lurking on the edge of her own and she couldn't help but kiss him, trying to take his pain away. Michael pushed a old memory away and took his shirt off, pushing Kate down to the grass he unlaced his crotch and whispered. "May Nathan forgive me."
"You don't deserve this." Her words came breathlessly as she took away his old memories for the moment, giving him a peacefulness, just as she made her own mind more chaotic. "Neither do you, I could have waited for you to heal but you had to be the heroine again." He pulled her breeches down and pushed her legs apart. "This will be rough girl."
"I did it for Nathan and for you." Kate made no move to block or encourage his attention, "Just let it end... father doesn't want me anyway."
"Kate, do you not know him? He loves you well and I wish you could see that which hides itself from your heart and mind." He forced himself on her and gave in to the force of lust and sex. Kate's body responded to him, just as roughly as Michael forced himself on her. What little thought she had left to herself fled with the flood of lust, and she bit at his chin and neck, wildly. Michael thrust hard and quick and came calling Nathan's name. Kate didn't let him go after he came, she thrust on him, cruel though it might have been, until she too came. And thereafter she pulled him down beside her, kissing him gently, and panting, "You... should not.. care... this much."
"After what your father spoke of the night we lay together I could do little else. He told me of the night you were born. Your mother worn out from the long birth slept so Nathan watched over you all night fearing he might lose you as you were so small. He promised that night he would do what he could to protect you from the world and it's horrors." Kate lay her head on Michael’s shoulder, not caring that they were still half dressed, "He always seems so very godlike when he came home mother hated how he would give me something, usually just the thing I had been asking for and just send me off." A small smile played across her lips, "She turned cold on me because of that, I'm sure." Michael nodded sleepily and rested his head on his discarded shirt, Kate drifted to sleep again, in Michael's arms.

Jinadu noticed Kate's absence sometime later when he went to check on the girl. He didn't panic at her absence but told Nathan calmly, "Sir, your daughter woke and left. I shall go track her." Nathan nodded, to busy for any comment and carried on shouting orders. Jinadu didn't have a hard job tracking where the girl had went, a young white woman was a rather unusual find in this port, so when she had roamed through the night before, many had noted her path. It was nearing noon when the African man topped the crest of the cliff and found not only Kate, with her trousers still pulled to her ankles, but also Michael laying with his front lacing undone and dick still hanging partway out. "Michael." The name became a warning on Jinadu's lips. The lad muttered Nathan's name and rolled over clutching at a non-existent blanket. Kate stretched lazily awoken by the spoken word, but not sure yet why she was awake. Jinadu knelt down and pulled up the girl's pants with a deft jerk, and her eyes flew open. He frowned, "Explain." Kate blushed bright red, looked over at Michael guiltily and stated, "I used him to cement my physical ties." It wasn't the complete story, but it was the truth of what had happened. And she wasn't about to fill in the details if they would protect the lad from being blamed for what had happened, "I am sorry, Jin."
"Not me you have to apologise to, Kate. Your father shall be none too happy of this and what of the lad? Did you not think of him?" Kate hoped Michael would not make it known that he was awake, "Yes but I still did what was selfish." Michael gave the very slightest of nods and carried on the pretence of sleep. Jinadu frowned and picked up Kate, "When he returns to the ship, you will talk to him?"
Yes, Jin but you don't have to carry me."
"We are not going to the ship first so I shall save you your strength."
"Nathan is not going to be happy if you are thinking what I suspect."

Kate and Jinadu strolled onto the deck without comment. Many of the crew seemed a bit more friendly since Kate had proven her worth in getting the captain back, but they obviously still felt uncomfortable with a woman on board. Her being a witch was actually a plus to them, made her useful. Jinadu immediately went back to helping with preparations to sale, moving supplies, hauling lines, whatever needed doing. The African knew just where he was needed without even asking.

Kate, on the other hand, hadn't really a place in the chores of the ship, as even if she would want to help, the crew would not wish her to. She felt so tired yet, and feared what Nathan would say when he saw her. She made her way over to the Captain, knowing that if she stuck close to him, at least she'd be out of the way. Nathan's gaze caught on the girl and he seemed on the edge of anger, until he noted her expression, "Kate, ye a'right, lass?"

Kate almost burst into tears at the proof of her father's love and silently thanked Michael for his stubbornness, "I will be, sir, da." She corrected herself with a tired smile, "I wasn't so sure when I left, but Michael talked some sense into me as did Jin." She waved with her left hand, and the gold ring on her second finger caught the sunlight and flashed. That was enough to get any pirate's attention, and Nathan was no exception there.

Nathan caught Kate's hand and looked at the ring, blinking as if he didn't know what to make of it. It was gold and etched in Celtic runes, very fine and expensive work, and where it was sitting told exactly what it was, a wedding band. Kate silently and pointedly removed her hand from her father's grasp and called over to Jinadu, "I am going below, Jin. We can go to the Tavern when you are finished."

Jinadu nodded his understanding and waved her off, "I will find you when it is time." His own gold ring, on the same important finger and matching Kate's. Nathan watched his daughter walk away to rest, words would be had but later when the work was finished for the night. Michael walked up the gangplank, the lad looked tired and a little ill-tempered. Nathan hoped that he would join them later but could not face speaking to him after all they had been through.