A Pirate's Tale

The tavern was filled with smoke, the stench of old booze and sweat, and the clamour of men, mostly pirates. Jinadu and Kate had managed to be earlier than Nathan to the tavern, so they sat together at a table, watching the others around them. Kate snuggled under her husband's arm, playing with her gold ring, and ignoring the ale in front of her.

Jinadu kept his arm around Kate and chuckled at her distraction. It wasn't that he really minded. If she didn't drink her ale, it was more for him, but it probably was not a good thing for the girl to be playing with her ring and making it flash in the light, when that was Nathan and Michael that had just entered the tavern. Jinadu mentally shrugged and took another swill of ale. They had to explain things to Nathan sometime. He just hoped that the captain would not point out how Jinadu was only 5 years younger than his new wife's father. Kate wouldn't appreciate that conversation.

Nathan looked like thunder as he walked to the table, Michael followed quietly. They had barely spoken a word since Michaels time on the Sea Wake. Nathan slammed his fist on the table. "Jinadu, I want word with thee and in private, Michael, take Kate for a walk." Kate looked up lazily, gave Jinadu a quick kiss, and rose to take, Michael's arm, "Do leave him in one piece, Da." Jinadu nodded to Kate's untouched ale,
"Have a drink, sir." Nathan nodded and sat by the man.
"Well, what do you have to say for ye self?" Jinadu took a swill from his tankard,
"Your daughter is a fine woman."
"That much I know Jin, she takes after her parents."
"That she does." Jin smiled and took another drink. Nathan gave a small smile but quickly hid it, he liked Jin, the man took orders well and was loyal unlike some of his crew. "Speak, Captain. I will not answer questions that are not asked." Jin kept drinking with an air of carefree ease. "Ye know what I wish to ask and I'm waiting for ye answers and excuses."
"I've no excuses, Captain. You've a fine girl and she shall be a good wife." Nathan sighed and glared at his pint, Jin was making it damn difficult to be annoyed with him. "Jin, ye have told her how old ye are?"
"No, sir. She told me when I tried to." The African grinned. Nathan laughed and slapped Jin hard on the back. "That's my girl, Jin, I damn well hope you know what you have in store for yourself."
"She fears what others will say to a white wife of a black man." Jin paused and handed his ring to Nathan, "But this was just the formality to show what was already done on your ship."
"Well, in these lands you'll be accepted well enough, no pirate can say he wouldn't trust a black man but in the land of my father you'd be considered a freakish pair. England would be no place for you."
"My tribe would take her if you wish her off ship, sir." Jinadu nodded his understanding, "But she refuses to go."
"Let her stay for now, I wish to know her better and fear this will be my last chance to do so now she is wed."

Kate let go of Michael's arm the moment they were out of the tavern, "Damn it, Michael, you boil under the surface enough to make me feel ill!" Michael turned his head away from Kate for a moment.
"Nathan will not speak with me Kate, I fear he hates me for the things Van Leer did."
"Oh, you are a fool, boy! He loves you dearly and hates himself for causing you such pain. And before you say it, he will be angry over what happened between us, but he will also understand." Kate grinned impishly and brandished her ring, "But let us give him one shock at a time, shall we?" Michael managed a half smile.
"I feel guiltily for both of us Kate and more so for I was the one that offered myself, I thought those days were long past."
"You did what was necessary if you had not, I would have been beyond saving by the time Jin found me. I cannot take away your guilt, Michael, especially about that which is in your past." She paused and sighed, "But I can offer to hear you if you wish to speak of such things. Only you can understand yourself best." Michael nodded and began to related a story similar to the one he had told Nathan. "When my mother died my uncle took me aboard ship and I was given to the crew as a new recruit." He paused for a moment trying to form the words. "That was at least what I was told, my uncle failed to mention that I was the new ships whore. I hated the attention given to me at first but after a time I grew to need the love, however fleeting, the men gave to me." A tear crossed his cheek. "I was but 13 when I was first taken and even when we were in port I was not free. My uncle took me to fine houses and gave me to the fine ladies that lived there as their plaything for a afternoon." Kate looked at the ground at her feet, how did she tell him that she understood, when she herself did not know how she could. "You were never left to be your own person, always someone's pet." The tears carried on but he seemed to not notice. "Yes Kate, so I lived like that for five years Katie until your father rescued me and yet I betray him within the first month. I turn nineteen tomorrow and another birthday shall pass where I do not wish to celebrate."
"Do you really believe that it is a betrayal of the man you love, to have saved his daughter from being lost to him?"
"I wish I knew Kate, I feel so lost and confused, maybe I should confess to him tonight when we are on watch together." Even though the ship was in port Nathan thought it important to keep the watch, too many goods went missing in pirate ports. "I've a better idea..."

Kate took the boy's arm and lead him back to the tavern. Inside she didn't give anyone time to react before she grabbed Nathan's arm in her own and let Michael to follow if he would, "Father a word with you now." Nathan paused from his conversation with Jinadu. "Very well Kate but I shall have you know that Jin is well chosen as a husband." Kate laughed,
"of course he is but we'll get to that later. Now, I'll only say this once, so do listen well. You owe Michael my sanity and maybe even life, but you aren't going to like what he had to do to save it." Nathan paused for a moment his face serious. "Kate, what happened?"
"I almost lost my ties to this world. Michael fucked me to put them back in place." She held her father's gaze, "If he had not, you would have been left with a body whose soul was drifting." Nathan slammed her against the wall. "WHAT! You fucked him and didn't think to mention it to me." He pulled away from her, leaving her stunned, Michael stepped forward. "Stop Nathan, I offered myself to her. I needed her as much as she needed me, you shunned me from your company which I needed so much and you gave me so little attention I feared you did not love me." Nathan stepped toward him but Michael turned away. "I love you Nathan but I fear that you will reject me when you hear of my past." Nathan shook his head wondering what could have happened to make the lad so untrusting. "Nathan, I was a whore for my uncle's ship."
"Michael, Michael." Nathan could think of nothing else to say for a moment, pulling Michael into his arms, he held him tight. "I love you too dear Michael, nothing can prevent that."

Kate winced when she hit the wall, but didn't say a word. After the shock of the impact, it took a few moments for her mind to recover. When she did, Nathan's attention was already elsewhere. Kate took the opportunity when Nathan was distracted to rub her chest where he had pushed her. She gave a shrug and walked away. "Well, not like I'm not used to that." She said to herself under her breath then added to Michael, "I told you he would understand." Kate started to sit down with Jinadu again, but she decided better of it and went for the door.

Jinadu was standing and had her by the forearm in a moment, "Kate, sit." She gave him a frown and he whispered to her, "You knew he would be angry. And you are not hurt, save for pride."

"I know but my pride has taken many beatings of the physical sort." Kate pulled her arm out of Jinadu's grip, "And for once, I would like to be allowed to go be properly upset about it he is my father after all." Jinadu's answer was to pull her down onto his lap and wrap his arms around her to hold Kate in place.

Kate glowered as she sat stiffly on Jin's lap an with his arms around her. Jinadu didn't waver in his determination, but didn't fight with her verbally anymore either. Nathan leaned over to Kate still grasping Michaels hand. "Kate, lass, I shouldn't have done that to you." The sorrow in his eyes told Kate how bad he felt. Kate looked away from the man, and blocked his emotions from herself, "I'm used to it."
"Aye and I'm sorry for that too, I should've been more of a father to ye."
Jinadu's grip slipped just a little and Kate managed to wriggle out, "Please do not bring up my past, or your failings just now, Nathan I do not wish to say something we both would regret." She pointedly sat across from Jinadu and spoke to Michael, "Have a seat, and ale, on me, boy." Michael didn't answer only shivered while he stared away from the table. Jinadu kicked her under the table and she frowned, "Damnit, can't I just be fucking mad for a time, Jin?" Michael shook visibly as Nathan held his hand.
"What the matter lad?" Michael simply pointed towards the bar and whispered.
"Him!" Jin followed the boy's direction and swore at the figure there,
"Kate." She looked as well, and frowned,
"Wonderful, more drama."

Nathan fumed as he looked at the bar, Van Leer stood there as large as life, damn the man. "Van Leer, I want words with thee." The Dutchman turned and smiled without warmth.
"Why Nathan, we meet again so soon. What a unexpected pleasure. I hope I shall have the company of your little cabin boy again." Nathan drew is hand into a fist but Jinadu put a warning hand on his arm.
"Don't do it sir, it's what he wants." Nathan brushed the mans hand away and snarled at Van Leer.
"Ye shall not touch him ever again!" The fist hit the Dutchman before he had time to react throwing him to the floor. Nathan leapt on the prone man and started into him. "Die you Dutch bastard!" Kate reached out without warning and grabbed Nathan's arm, taking his anger, and replacing it with calmness. She forced the anger into a suppressed section of her own mind to deal with later. Nathan glared at Kate when he realised what she had done but backed off from the fight. She didn't speak, just moved toward the door. Jinadu had missed what happened as he had been restraining Michael. The African looked over at the disappearing Kate, and then at the captain, "Sir?"
"Don't ask Jin, she's been playing again." Van Leer glared through his bloody face at Nathan and left with the few men he had with him. Kate disappeared out the door without so much as a glance back, and Jinadu let go of Michael, half throwing the boy at Nathan. Jin frowned, "What was she playing with?"
"My damn emotions!" Jin growled under his breath,
"She took your anger, didn't she?" Nathan nodded and held Michael tight.
"Damn the girl, why did leave without us."

Kate waited outside until Van Leer left the tavern, and silently place a hand on his arm, to make him fall a few steps behind his men. Van Leer turned to face the girl. "Well if isn't the little witch."
"Aye, sir that it is." She pulled him close so his men saw only a woman kissing their captain, before she kneed him in the groin, stomped on his arch, and pulled back to punch him in the other eye. She managed to get the punch in just before one of his men grabbed her. A blow to the back of her head end her fight in darkness.

Jinadu pushed past Nathan, "She's being her usual, difficult self, she got that from you, Nathan." Nathan smiled warmly. "Aye, that she has Jin and no mistake." Jin headed out the door with only a nod at Nathan. He figured she would not have gone far, and was right. He stepped out into the cold night air, just in time to see the show up the street. Nathan followed carrying Michael who was resting his head upon the older mans shoulder almost asleep. "Jin! Damn it he's got Kate." One Van Leer's men spotted them and yelled for the others to take the girl. Jinadu had a look of murder in his eyes as he took off running to try and catch the men. The man left behind leapt on the back on Jin and tried to distract him from the chase. Van Leer's men disappeared down the street farther, and out toward the docks. Nathan sighed, with his arms full of Michael, he could hardly go running after them. "Jin, when you've finished with him back to the ship, we'll grab some men and find his ship."