You groaned in pain as the enemy violently bound your hands behind your back. Your crew had been slaughtered and what little of them was left had been thrown overboard. You were the last one. You had been at sea since your birth. Your father was the captain of the ship and your mother was part of the crew. When he died of tuberculosis, he had left the ship and its crew to you. Now, you felt as though you had failed them all. Everyone was dead. And you were next.

"Walk the plank, you scurvy dog! Saved the best for last!"

One of them shouted as they all cheered for your fall. Looking down, you could only see the deep bottomless blue ocean. Never had you though that you would dread being on the waters like you were dreading it in that moment.

"You takin' too long!"

One of them, sick of waiting for you to jump off, stomped hard on the plank, causing you lose your balance and fall into the ocean. You felt the sharp coldness of the water envelop you, as you struggled to keep yourself from sinking. It was quite the challenge with your hands tied. You couldn't let the panic set in or it would be the end of you. You calmed yourself, steadying your movements and shot back up using your legs, emerging from the water. As soon as you came in contact with breathing air, you inhaled as much as you could before you sank back into the water. Using your legs and your body, you started moving with skill across the water. When you needed more air, you would shoot back up, breathing it in and you would then continue your swim. You had no idea where you were going or whether this was all worth it. You kept swimming for what felt like hours. Your lungs and your muscles were on fire. Multiple times, you felt so exhausted that you wanted to give up, but your will to survive always pushed you to keep going. You felt your consciousness fade and thought to yourself "is that it?" before your vision went black.

Luckily, you were close enough to shore to catch a few waves that washed you off on unknown lands. Two women were passing by in the area, enjoying the fresh ocean breeze in the early dawn.

"Pocahontas, we should get going soon. We need to start our morning chores."

Nakoma told her friend.

"Don't worry, Nakoma. We'll make it back in time."

Pocahontas answered lightly.

"Ah! Pocahontas! Look!"

Nakoma screamed and yelled out at your motionless body. Pocahontas gasped. She then immediately crouched down next to you, trying to see if you were alive.

"She's still breathing."

Pocahontas stated. They both sighed in relief. The girls then noticed the bindings on your wrists. They tried to undo them, in vain. Neither of them had carried any sharp objects along since they were only planning on walking along the beach for a bit.

"Nakoma, we have to get one of our warriors to carry her back."

Pocahontas stated to her friend.

"But, Pocahontas, we know nothing of her or where she came from."

Nakoma argued, not too convinced about helping a total stranger.

"We still have to help her. Please go back and get someone. I will stay by her side until you return."

Nakoma nodded and took off to their village. Not even an hour after, she was back with one of their tribe's most skilled warriors, Kocoum.

"What do you think you two are doing?"

He reprimanded them after glancing at your motionless body.

"We have to help her, Kocoum. We can't just leave her to her death."

Pocahontas reasoned.

"What if she's dangerous? Her wrists are bound. Someone must've though she deserved that fate."

Kocoum exclaimed, completely against the idea of helping you.

"I know you are thinking of our village's safety, but what can one woman do against the warriors you lead?"

Pocahontas pleaded with Kocoum. He gave out a sharp sigh and roughly carried you over his shoulder. When he did, the sudden movement made you cough out the sea water that was still in your lungs. You finally came to, finding yourself still bound and being carried by a muscular half naked man. Instinctively, you started to struggle to get out. Pocahontas tried to calm you down, but you didn't understand the language she was speaking. Kocoum then dropped you hard on the floor.

"This is not worth the effort. She's alive now, so we don't need to bring her back anymore."

Kocoum said those words before he started walking away. The shock of the fall cut off your breathing for a second. It also reopened a wound on your waist that you had sustained in the altercation with the other pirates. Blood started peeking through your white shirt as you rolled over in pain.

"She's bleeding!"

Nakoma exclaimed. Both women glared at Kocoum.

"That drop wouldn't have caused this, so don't look at me like that."

He defended himself. Since Pocahontas and Nakoma kept glaring at him, he sighed in defeat.

"Fine. We'll take her back to the village. I'll leave the final word to the Chief, however."

As he went to pick you up again, you tried to stand up and get away. You couldn't understand them and you didn't know what they wanted to do with you. Before you could go far however, a pair of strong arms carried you off the ground, more gently this time. Kocoum held you princess style, avoiding to touch your wound. It was still quite uncomfortable considering your hands were still tied behind your back. You looked up at Kocoum, only now realizing how handsome he actually was and how close you were to his bare chest. You would have blushed if your pain didn't constantly distract you.

Arriving at the village, everyone was looking at you weirdly. Some came close and asked either Pocahontas or Nakoma about who you were, to which they tried to explain how you were found.

They brought you first to the chief's tent to get his permission for your entry in the village. As they entered with you still uncomfortably held in Kocoum's arms, Chief Powhatan raised his eyebrows in question.

"I would like to say welcome back, but I need to know who the girl you're carrying with you is first."

You looked around, feeling very disoriented in the unfamiliar environment. The man carrying you was not letting you go either, so that was an added frustration to the fear of the unknown.

"Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas and Nakoma will be able to explain to you more about what happened."

Kocoum bowed his head in respect, before backing away, letting Pocahontas take the lead.

"Father, we found this girl on the verge of death, washed up on the shore. We just couldn't leave her to her fate without helping her."

Pocahontas tried to plead her case. Powhatan sighed. He knew his daughter had always had a kind and generous heart. He looked at your slightly trembling frame and noticed the bindings on your wrists.

"Well, I believe the first step would be to untie her. You will then bring her to Shaman Kekata so that he can heal her wounds. After that, we will keep a close eye on her. We can't fully trust her yet."

Pocahontas smiled and hugged her father. Kocoum put you down and took out a knife. Not understanding what was going on, you started to panic at the sight of the knife. Before you could react, however, Kocoum expertly cut the rope on your wrists. The soreness in your arms transformed into sharp pain as you tried to move them too suddenly. You winced in pain as you slowly moved your arms back to their natural position. As you tried to get up, you stumbled and lost your balance. On reflex, Kocoum caught you by the shoulders, giving you the support you needed to steady yourself.

"Easy... Don't hurt yourself more."

Pocahontas whispered to you. Even though you did not understand what she was saying, you felt the care in her tone and it calmed you down. Maybe you could trust these people. Pocahontas and Kocoum led you to the Shaman's tent. Kekata took a quick look at you and understood what was needed to be done.

"You can leave her in my care; I will take care of her wounds."

Kekata said to them as he started preparing his ointments and remedies.

"With all due respect, Shaman Kekata, I will be staying to keep a close eye on the outsider."

Kocoum retorted, keeping a respectful tone in front of the village Shaman.

"Well, I guess it is your duty to keep the village safe. I don't mind having you there, just make sure to stand a bit behind so that I get things done efficiently."

Kekata smiled at Kocoum while telling him to basically not get in the way. Kocoum bowed in respect and stood as far as possible so that he wouldn't obstruct the process. Pocahontas reluctantly left the tent at the request of the Shaman.

A few weeks into your recovery and you were feeling a lot better. They had also stopped monitoring your every move. The people and the Chief seemed to trust you more. Pocahontas was spending the most time with you, teaching you the language little by little. You were picking up on some words and understood the gist of conversations. Speaking the language was another challenge, though. Still, you felt comfortable and happy with the people of the village. You had nowhere else to go. You were able to talk a bit to Pocahontas and Nakoma about what had happened to you, just saying that you were travelling at sea and that people captured you. You still couldn't really explain the details due to your limited aptitude of the language, but she understood the important bits. You left out the part about being a criminal for now. You kept most of the details really vague.

"That's odd, why would they just throw you in the sea...?"

Nakoma questioned. You avoided her gaze, not ready to share the full story yet.

"But so much adventure you must have had. What is it like to be at sea?"

Pocahontas' eyes sparkled with interest and excitement.

"Very... um... smelly people?"

You said tentatively, still uncertain about speaking the Powhatan language. Yes, the Chief was named after the name of the tribe, which was also the name of the language they spoke.

"Smelly? You mean the people you were with smelled bad?"

Nakoma asked while both the girls giggled at what you said.

"Yes! Very!"

You smiled and laughed too. You were happy that they understood you. You decided to work hard to learn the language better and faster so that you could fully and easily communicate with everyone.

"Once you get better, you'll have to tell us all about it."

Pocahontas told you since she was very excited to learn more about your adventures. You nodded hesitantly, not knowing how she would take the fact that you were a pirate.

A few months went by, and you were now decent at speaking the Powhatan language. The warriors had left to fight another tribe that was threatening their village. Everyone was advised not to venture too far out for their own safety. At that point, you were starting to feel trapped. You were always out on adventures ever since you were a little kid. You felt like your life was at a standstill. Back during your life as a pirate, you had your daggers, your swords, and your trusty blunderbuss hand pistol, called a dragon pistol.

You fought valiantly with it by your side, but it was not enough to fend off the enemy. More than anything, you've been wanting to get back out there and seek revenge on those who destroyed your life. You just needed another crew and you knew that would not happen if you did not venture back out there. The problem was that there were no boats or ships that ever landed on this continent, or any that you knew of.

A few weeks went by and the men of the tribe finally came back. They were all welcomed with great festivities and cheers from everyone. You subconsciously looked around to see if the handsome Kocoum was also back. Needless to say, you found him unscathed, considering he was the strongest warrior in the village. Pocahontas had ventured away, as usual. You were not too into exploring the land; it never interested you. Whenever you went out of the village, you would find yourself at the seashore, looking into the endless blue, regretting and longing for your old life. Powhatan then went ahead to address everyone and was welcomed home by Kekata.

"Ka-ma wingapo Powhatan."

You were much more fluent now in their language so you knew he was welcoming Powhatan back.

"Ay-man-ay-cho, Kekata. It's good to be home. Chesk-cham-ay! The Massawomecks are defeated! With the help of our brothers, our villages are safe again!"

Everyone cheered and you cheered along.

"Your return has brought much joy to the village. Look at all the smiling faces."

Kekata motioned to the people.

"Yes, but there is one smiling face I don't see. Where is my daughter?"

Powhatan started glancing around, trying to find Pocahontas.

"You know Pocahontas. She has her mother's spirit. She goes wherever the wind takes her."

Kekata chuckled. Nakoma then pulled you aside.

"We should go find Pocahontas to tell her of her father's return."

Nakoma whispered to you.

"Yeah, you're right. I think she said she'd be at her usual spot by the riverside."

You replied and both of you went out to find her. When you got there, you found her at the top of the cliff that she usually dived down into the river from.

"Pocahontas! Your father's back! Come down here!"

Nakoma shouted out. Pocahontas, looking excited to see her father again, dove into the river.

"No, not that... way."

Nakoma sighed, exasperated at her friend's recklessness.

"Definitely beats jumping off a plank."

You chuckled.

"You still haven't told us the details about what happened to you back then."

Nakoma said to you as Pocahontas got out of the water to join you.

"I would be so interested to know all that you went through and what adventures led you to our shore."

Pocahontas added as she wrung her hair to get as much water out of it as she could. You wanted to tell them, but you still didn't feel comfortable to talk about it. You werent sure jow they would react if they knew about the details. Would they label you as a criminal and chase you out of the village or worse?

"I promise to tell you soon."

You told them. Nakoma's attention then turned back to Pocahontas.

"What were you doing up there, anyway? Don't you think we're getting a little old for these games?"

Nakoma reprimanded her.

"I was thinking."

She simply replied.

"About the dream again? Oh, have you figured it out yet?"

Nakoma asked. You all started walking back to the village as Pocahontas and Nakoma talked together. It was times like these when you felt like an outsider, which was the case. You knew everyone was very welcoming and kind to you, but there were a lot of things you could not relate to, since it was not part of how you grew up. Their culture and lifestyle were so different from yours.

You got back to the village before Powhatan was done with his speech.

"...faced a determined enemy. The battle lasted from the rising of the sun until the evening shadows fell. Our warriors fought with courage, but none as bravely as Kocoum. He attacked with the fierce strength of the bear. He has proven himself to be the greatest..."

Powhatan said as he motioned to Kocoum, who looked as stoic as ever.

"Oh, he's so handsome."

Nakoma whispered. You gave a little nod, agreeing with Nakoma's opinion.

"I especially love his smile."

Pocahontas replied sarcastically. You giggled at the comment. You did find him physically attractive, but he was so serious all the time and sometimes even straight up rude to you, since you were an outsider, that any attraction you felt was nullified by his behavior. Powhatan announced a feast in honor of Kocoum and dismissed the assembly afterwards. Pocahontas then ran up to her father while you and Nakoma went to help prepare the feast. You stayed behind a little, not really looking forward to the prep. You always made mistakes since you didn't really know how to cook any of their dishes and someone would always tell you off. You overheard some of the conversation between Pocahontas and her father.

"Marry Kocoum?"

She exclaimed. Your eyes widened. You knew very well that she was not interested in him and how they both were so different. You hurried up to catch up to Nakoma, not wanting them to know you eavesdropped. You didn't see Pocahontas for the rest of the day.

The next day there was some buzz going around about how there was a ship that had landed and how the people aboard were strange looking and pale. Since you had been in the sun most of your life, your skin was quite tanned, which was why they did not compare you to the newcomers. Excited about the prospect to be back at sea, you decided to find out where the ship was. You looked around for Nakoma to ask her, since she knew most of what was going on in the village.

"I did hear about the ship and I also heard that Kocoum wanted to gather his men to attack them. If anyone would know where they are, it would probably be him. Why do you want to know though? They look nothing like you from what I've heard."

Nakoma responded.

"Just curious. Maybe I've encountered their ship on one of my expeditions."

You replied to Nakoma, trying to keep your true intentions hidden. You knew that you had to be more careful in asking Kocoum about it, however. Before you decided on how to approach him, you saw Pocahontas sneaking out once more. You decided to go after her, realizing that she would probably know of any changes occurring in the surroundings. As you caught up with her, she stopped running, wondering why you were following her.

"Oh, what is it, (Y/N)? Did you need anything?"

Pocahontas asked you.

"Well... I wanted to ask you something."

You replied. Pocahontas smiled and nodded, waiting to hear what you wanted to say.

"I heard there was a ship that docked nearby. Would you happen to know where it is?"

Pocahontas raised her eyebrows at your question.

"Why do you want to know? Come to think of it, this probably has something to do with your past, right? Would you feel comfortable in telling me more about it?"

You felt torn. You wanted to know where the ship was, but you felt still worried about what she would think of you if she knew the truth. Then again, if your plan succeeds, none of this would even matter anymore, since you would be out of there soon. You looked Pocahontas in the eyes.

"Okay... I think I owe you anyways for saving me, so I'll tell you all the details of what happened."

You started by explaining the fact that you were a pirate and the multitude of pillaging and crimes that you had committed with your crew. As you recounted the events which led you to wash up ashore, you started shaking a bit, but you calmed yourself down.

"So you were a bad person before. I guess Kocoum was right on some level."

Pocahontas joked around, not really too bothered by it. She was much more interested in the fact that you had gone on so many adventures. She longed to one day get out there and explore beyond what she knew. You felt relieved that she did not shun you after learning about your identity.

"Come. I will show you."

Pocahontas led you to where the ship was. You followed her eagerly, knowing that this might be your only chance to regain the life you once had. As you both arrived, hiding behind the trees, you examined the ship. You had heard of it when you were at sea. It was the Susan Constant. It looked so majestic. It was definitely built for long travels. You dreamed of one day commandeering such a beauty. You then noticed the settlement that the crew was building. You saw a lot of valuables that made your eyes glitter with excitement. You needed to raid this camp and you would hatch a plan to do it.

For the next couple of days, Pocahontas would sneak out to meet with John Smith, one of the people from the ship. She had told you a little bit about him and how exciting it was to spend time with him. You had also started sneaking out, observing the operations on the ship and eavesdropping to know when most of the settlers would be scattered. It would make your infiltration much easier if they were not all in the same place. You'd really been feeling out of place back at the village with all this talk and preparation for war. Powhatan had put Kocoum in charge of contacting allied tribes and now there were so many people around that it was suffocating. You wanted to stay out of it as much as possible.

Kocoum had started to notice that you were sneaking out a lot more often. He knew Pocahontas was too but it wasn't out of the norm for her and, even though he did not like it, he was aware of her free-spirited nature. However, when it came to you, it was a different story. You had never left the village that frequently before. You would from time to time but rarely, since you did not know the area well and wasn't that comfortable finding your way on land without your compass. You could always follow the stars but then you would have to wait until nightfall to get back.

He decided to follow you one day to figure out what you were up to. As he kept going after you, he noticed that you were taking the path towards the shore where that enormous ship had docked. When you arrived, you snuck close to one of the settlers who was a bit further from the group, making sure he didn't see you. You then quickly and expertly knocked him out with a rock you had in your hand. You didn't even let him fall to the ground as you dragged him into the bushes to make sure nobody saw you. You checked his breathing and his pulse and confirmed that he was still alive. You had killed before, but you did not want to cause any chaos before executing your plan. That said plan was to infiltrate the boat and leave on it once it left dock. You also wanted to arm yourself and have money on you for when you did reach the English land. That was the main reason why you wanted to raid the encampment. You started going through the man's clothes, feeling for anything valuable. Before you could find anything, someone's hand held your wrist and pulled you back. You looked up to see none other than Kocoum.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Kocoum whispered to you angrily. He did not want your reckless actions to put his tribe in danger. He was also very surprised by your callous actions. He did not expect you to so easily hurt another without an ounce of remorse. Moreover, you were about to rob an unconscious man. Kocoum realized even more how he knew nothing of who you actually were.

"Let go of me. I need to do this."

You tried to loosen his grip, but he was much stronger than you.

"Care to explain what this is all about? Then I will debate whether or not I'll let you go."

He retorted with a deep growl before dragging you away to make sure that nobody saw you.

"Fine! I just want to find a way out of here. I can't stand it anymore. I feel trapped on land. I'm a pirate, for crying out loud! I need to get back out there."

You yelled out, feeling suddenly really emotional about your situation.

"A... pirate?"

Kocoum seemed confused about what you were. You briefly explained what a pirate was and you saw the shock in his face.

"Pocahontas cares way too much for you and now you're telling me you're a criminal? If she knew..."

"She knows."

You interrupted him. This was the longest interaction you've had with him and it was aggravating you. Still he did not see that Pocahontas did not care for him. You did not know if it was blind loyalty or sheer stupidity at that point.

"She knows? And she's fine with it?"

Kocoum was in disbelief.

"I knew it was a bad idea to save you. We brought over a criminal and a murderer in our midst. I should have never agreed to carry you back. It would have been better if you had just died out there. Pocahontas wouldn't have been corrupted by your evil ways!"

He was escalating. You were also feeling very angry and you did not care about anything anymore. He was foiling your plans and was blaming you for who Pocahontas was.

"You're just using me as a scapegoat for what's actually happening. Pocahontas never even wanted to marry you! She thinks you're too safe and too serious. She wants to be with someone who will live all her dreams and adventures with her, not keep her trapped in the same place with no regards to what she actually wants to do. I mean, that's why she keeps leaving the village all the time, even before she met me, don't you think? Wouldn't even be surprised if she was still with him..."

You mumbled that last part, not really intending on saying it. You were too swept up by the hurt and emotions that you forgot to stop yourself from revealing that detail to Kocoum. You instantly regretted it when you saw the confusion and anger in his face.

"Him...?"

His voice almost broke and you were ashamed to make him feel this way. He finally let go of your wrist, quickly leaving. You decided to follow him, to make sure he did not do anything stupid.

Kocoum went back to the village and went straight for Nakoma, knowing that she was probably the one who would have an idea on where Pocahontas was.

"Kocoum..."

Nakoma was also looking for him it seemed. The look in her eyes worried him.

"What is it?"

He asked her.

"It's Pocahontas."

She replied.

"What's wrong? Is she all right? Where is she?"

You bit your lower lip, knowing that this was not going to be good.

"I think she's in trouble."

Nakoma answered. She then told him where Pocahontas had gone. You followed him. He knew you were, but he did not care. He was too preoccupied to care. When you both got there, you saw Pocahontas embracing another man. You figured it was John Smith, since he matched the description that Pocahontas gave you. You looked around and noticed that there was a third person looking onto the scene. You were then startled by the war cry that Kocoum gave as he went to attack John. Pinning the man who was kissing his betrothed to the floor, he was pushing down the knife he was holding to John's neck, who was defending himself as best as he could. Pocahontas then tried to hold him back as well. Your gaze was now fixated on that third person who was bringing up his gun, aiming at Kocoum. You looked back at Kocoum and realized that you would not get to the man holding the gun in time to stop him, but you could get to Kocoum fast enough. Your body acted, without you thinking much. You ran and pushed Kocoum out of the way as the man fired his gun. You felt a warm substance flowing down your back. A sharp pain then shot through your body from your shoulder. You had been hit by the bullet instead of Kocoum. Nobody was moving.

"Thomas!"

John yelled out as he went to see his friend.

"(Y/N)! You hurt her!"

Pocahontas cried out as your legs gave in and you fell on your knees, trying your best not to faint from the pain. You started regulating your breathing. You had been shot and wounded a lot before, so you knew how to handle it, but it still hurt like hell.

"I thought that—"

Thomas gasped, not intending on this to happen. Cold sweat was forming on your body as you gritted your teeth to keep yourself together. With a shaking body, you started trying to get up. That was when you felt a pair of strong arms envelop you. Kocoum held you gently and whispered a few words of apology into your ear. Some people from the tribe came shouting.

"Thomas, get out of here. Get out of here!"

Thomas left as they captured John, believing he was the one who shot you. Kocoum then quickly took you away to Kekata's tent.

"What happened, child?"

Kekata got up and arranged a space for Kocoum to place you.

"The pale demon hurt her with his strange weapon."

Kocoum muttered, his voice shaking with worry and anger.

"Gun..."

You whispered weakly as he put you down.

"Please, don't speak. It will only weaken you further."

Kocoum said softly as he wiped the sweat on your forehead clumsily with his hand. He looked into your eyes for what seemed like the first time to you both. He noticed how beautiful you actually were, how your hair perfectly complimented your skin, and how your lips were so full even though they were losing their colour due to your loss of blood.

"I have to tell Kekata how to deal with this type of wound. I've been shot a few times before, after all."

You replied with a weak smile and proceeded to remove your top slowly. Kekata helped you, since you could not lift your arm. Kocoum stood behind Kekata, facing your back, as to not invade on your privacy too much and to not get in Kekata's way. Both men paused as they saw the amount of scars that you had on your back. There were at least a dozen of different shapes and size. Some were deep, some were lighter, but they all looked like they had hurt you when they occurred. You started telling Kekata about how to remove the bullet. You knew he'd be able to handle the rest by himself, since it would just involve sewing you up and putting some bandages. As he was removing the bullet, you gritted your teeth and groaned in pain. Even though you'd been through this a couple of times before, it never really got easier to handle. Kocoum, noticing your increasing pain, started to look around for any cloth for you to bite on so that you wouldn't hurt yourself while biting down on your own teeth. Finding nothing, he decided to do something else instead. He went and kneeled in front of you, looking you in the eyes.

"(Y/N)... here, bite down."

He told you as he offered you his forearm. You looked back into his eyes and he gave you a reassuring nod. As you bit down on his muscles, he didn't even wince. It also alleviated your pain to be able to sink your teeth into something. Tears started flowing down your cheeks as you sobbed, feeling like you could finally be vulnerable since there was someone who cared and wanted to protect you. You've always been one to hide behind a strong facade, to protect yourself and your crew. But now, it was just you, in a weakened state, and Kocoum, doing his best for you. You sobbed softly into his arm. Seeing this, Kocoum's protective insticts kicked in and he brought your head and his arm closer to his chest. The warmness of his hand on the back of your head calmed you down as you steadied your breathing through the operation.

Kekata was successful in taking out the bullet and started sewing the wound. Once he was done, he cleaned the excess blood and bandaged your shoulder.

"Alright, just relax now. Kocoum, would you be able to gently carry her to another resting area? I will probably be having a lot of visitors with that war brewing..."

Kekata told the warrior.

"Yes, I will take her."

Kocoum replied as he helped you get dressed and then carried you out. He then brought you to his home where he laid you down on his bedding. He then held your hand in his, giving it a light squeeze.

"Rest. I need to go and help my brethren out there."

He told you as he let go of your hand. You were passed out from exhaustion by then. Filled with rage for those who hurt you, Kocoum led the warriors to prepare an attack on the settlers. First, however, there was John Smith's execution that would act as the trigger.

Pocahontas, guided by the spirits, ran to shield John from being executed by her father.

"No! If you kill him you'll have to kill me, too."

She yelled out to her father.

"Daughter, stand back!"

Powhatan commanded her.

"I won't! I love him, father. Look around you. This is where the path of hatred has brought us. This is the path I choose, father. What will yours be?"

The Chief closed his eyes, listening to the spirits as well, pondering his daughter's words.

"My daughter speaks with wisdom beyond her years. We've all come here with anger in our hearts, but she comes with courage and understanding. From this day forward, if there is to be more killing, it will not start with me. Release him."

They undid John's bounds who embraced Pocahontas.

On the other side, the commander of the settlers, Ratcliffe was not having it.

"Now's our chance, fire!"

He commanded his crew.

"No!"

Thomas retorted, challenging his commander's orders.

"What?"

Ratcliffe spat in disbelief.

"They let him go!"

Thomas clarified.

"They don't want to fight!"

Another man, named Ben, added.

"It's a trick, don't you see? Fire!"

He ordered them once more. Seeing that nobody was willing to do it, he took a musket and readied it.

"Fine, I'll settle this myself."

He then aimed at Powhatan, firing his weapon.

"No!"

John, seeing things unfold, shielded Powhatan from the bullet, getting shot instead.

"John! You shot him!"

Thomas accused Ratcliffe.

"He stepped right – right into it! It's his own fault!"

Ratcliffe fumbled with his words, not expecting this outcome.

"Smith was right all along!"

Ben shouted.

"We never should have listened to you!"

Another man added as they closed in on Ratcliffe.

"Get the gun!"

Ben instructed and they grabbed the gun from Ratcliffe.

"Traitors! Unhand me, I say, how dare you!"

Ratcliffe screamed at them.

"Put him in chains!"

Thomas shouted.

"I'll see you all hanged for this!"

Ratcliffe retorted.

"And gag him as well."

Thomas added, getting annoyed with his ex-commander's voice.

Seeing that the war was stopped, Kocoum didn't waste any more time and ran back home to check on you. When he got there, he found you already up and on your way out.

"(Y/N)! Where are you going? You can't be up already, you need to rest."

Kocoum carefully held you by the arm, making sure he didn't hurt you.

"Is the ship still there? What about the war?"

You asked, still fixated on leaving this continent.

"Yes, the ship is still there and the war will not be happening. The ship will be leaving early morning, though, since John is badly wounded. He was hit with the same weapon as you, but it got him in a place that's much closer to is heart."

Kocoum explained to you what he had heard from Pocahontas.

"Then I need to hurry. I need to leave with them."

You said, avoiding eye contact with him. He stood in your way, not understanding why you were acting like this.

"Why do you need to leave? You have a home here and people who care about you."

Kocoum tried to find any way to keep you from going. You looked up at him, tears in your eyes.

"I can't stay in a place where I have no purpose. Nobody actually cares if I'm gone or not. I don't belong here and you've told me that it would have been better if I was not saved. Why would I stay in a place where I'm not wanted when I have the whole sea to explore once more? My calling is out there."

You couldn't control the flow of tears anymore. For some reason, Kocoum just got it out of you. He made you so emotional. He brought his hand up to your face and rubbed your tears away as best as he could. You then felt his warm lips on yours, softly kissing you. Your eyes widened as you realized what had just happened. Kocoum, the guy who only cared about his clan, was now kissing you, an outsider. And his kiss was the most passionate kiss you've ever had. Your pain faded as you lost yourself in his embrace. When he broke away from the kiss, he hugged you.

"I need you, (Y/N). I want to be your purpose. Please stay here with me."

You bury your face in his chest, inhaling his warm scent. After a while, though, you pulled away.

"I didn't think it would make me this happy to hear you say these words. I wish I could just let everything go and be with you but..."

Your voice shook. You did not want to say what you were about to say, but you knew it was necessary.

"I have to go. Just like Pocahontas, I need to live all the adventures out there. I've tasted that freedom and it's impossible for me to let it go. I know it's a lot to ask from you, but... Would you ever consider coming with me? Explore the world?"

You looked expectantly into his eyes. He seemed so conflicted. You knew you put him in a very difficult position. He was so loyal to his tribe that it never even crossed his mind to leave.

"I... I don't know. My whole life I've been dedicated to my village. To just leave like this... I don't know."

He looked away as he tried to sort through his feelings. You closed your eyes, fully expecting this response, but still feeling the pain that it was bringing you.

"I understand, Kocoum. And I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me."

Not able to say more without fully breaking down, you parted ways with the man your heart desired.

The next day you were ready to go and the crew welcomed you aboard with open arms. Thomas was still very apologetic towards you for what he did, but you reassured him that it was all forgiven. You looked at everyone who was there to bid you farewell. You waved at Nakoma and Pocahontas who was looking quite sad, considering she had to part from John. You were hoping to at least spot Kocoum so that you could say your goodbyes, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"So... I guess this is it..."

You breathed to yourself, feeling downcast. You thought that he probably did not care for you as much as you thought he did, which you did not blame him for either. In the end, you were only an outsider. Lost in your thoughts, you did not notice as a pair of familiar arms wrapped around you from the back.

"Ah...!"

You yelped in surprise. You then heard a low chuckle coming from the person holding you.

"I thought I should maybe take a chance for once and venture beyond what I know."

You turned around, overjoyed to hear his voice.

"Kocoum! You came!"

He kissed you with hungry desire.

"I realized that I might regret not taking this chance with you, (Y/N). Thinking about never seeing you again made it unbearable for me. I knew that I needed to be with you... I love you, (Y/N)."

He breathed into your lips.

"Kocoum, I'm so happy you're going to be with me... I love you too."

You were interrupted by another fervent kiss as the Susan Constant sailed into the horizon, setting you off to new adventures.