18.
Wendy's Misadventure
Not Wendy, the crew, or the doctor could keep the captain in bed after that night. He had awakened, feeling refreshed...and invigorated. His shoulder was also damn sore, but he wouldn't have admitted that to Wendy even if she had tortured him.
Another thing he wasn't going to admit was that he was ashamed of having enjoyed her molly-coddling,...just a little. He had also enjoyed her passion, and was reminded of it's fervor when he slipped into the leather harness. The straps sat un-gently on the raw scratches left by her tiny nails...a reminder for the day, of how they had spent the night.
Whereas he himself did not mind them...he had to smugly bite back his amusement when they were noticed by the doctor.The only thing that would have made the rather prim doctor's discomfort more amusing...would have been if Wendy had been there to witness it. Hook was sure that she would still have a blush or two left to spare for the awkward situation!
As it was though...the doctor was the only witness..and after hemming and coughing a moment, he announced that the shoulder wound would be rather close to healed in a week, and that there would be no travel until that week was gone. It would heal much more expeditiously, if it were allowed to rest...un-molested! The doctor was kind enough to stress the words of importance, without actually saying aloud that bed-sport was not entirely therapeutic.
Hook would have argued with him anyway on that point. Physically, he might not have been any better...but mentally, he felt purged and re-born. Instead of being old and pointless, with a fallen enemy, and an overused mistress...he felt alive.
There were plenty of fresh new enemies in the world, to mourn the loss of one! He could find another, ...for a pirate isn't really a pirate without one. And as for his mistress...that was a new adventure in itself! He didn't think that he would be easily tiring of this one. Wendy was a new breath, a new heartbeat...
" Oh my gods! " he exclaimed, to himself, interrupting his own thoughts. " Am I so hopelessly smitten that I am reduced to thinking in poetry? Have my thoughts all turned to prose?" he made a face of disgust at himself, but at the same time he felt...comfortable.
She was brave..without being stupid, and happy without being giddy. In all effects, she would be a gracious lady. He thought to himself.
At just that moment, as he was reading over her log entries, picturing how she always had a small smile curved just at the corner of her mouth...the door burst open, and Wendy stormed through. Her cheeks were very pink and her eyes flashed from behind a veil of disheveled hair. Her suit of pirate clothing was wet...as if the ocean had sprayed her while she stood leaning at the rail.
No...it was saturated with water, leaving a wet trail across the varnished floor. He opened his mouth to ask her how she had gotten so wet, but the question died on his lips as she took his pistol from it's place atop the bureau. she whirled around and for a moment their eyes met, and he felt, for just the briefest second, a twinge of fear. Then she was gone, wetly...with his pistol.
He leaped to his feet as fast as he could and followed her. " Wendy!" he called, at first plaintively...then he bellowed it commandingly. Neither time did she stop. She was fast and smooth, and had not been convalescing for days...this made her quicker, as did her determination to get to her destination a long time before he could get there to stop her.
She broke out into the sunlight of the deck, and looked around, one way, then the other. Seeing her target, she strode forward. Hook arrived, panting a little, just in time to see aim the pistol at one of his crew. The man jeered at Wendy as if he doubted her courage,...then down at the pistol. Her hand was perfectly steady...not a tremor to it
Hook realized that she had every intention of shooting the man, and her aim was perfectly true.
" This is for your manners, you damn dog!" she said, in calm and steady voice. Hook collided with her the instant she pulled the trigger, and the ball...instead of entering the mans heart, hit him just below the navel. It was a fatal wound...but a slow death.
Hook ignored the man's screams, as he pushed the still calm, still wet Wendy to the deck...putting a booted foot on her leg to keep her from rising.
By now Smee was there, as well as a few other's, pistols and swords drawn. The man's two friends...all of whom were new recruits from the town, stood still, not daring to reach for their companion.
Hook was experiencing an emotion somewhere between anger and disbelief. Here was his gallant lady, fuming, on the ships deck, her hair wet, and gnarled with sea weed, and the smoke just clearing from where she had inexplicably shot a man.
" Just what in all of Hell do you think you are doing?" he demanded.
She turned up her eyes at him...still cold, but not half as furious.
" Captain Hook, I believe I was killing a man." she said.
" Yes, I can see that. But damn it girl, you cannot just murder a crew mate without proper justification!" He exclaimed in exasperation.
" I didn't say I wasn't justified."
" You gave no reason."
"You haven't asked."
He clenched his jaw, and made a few mannerisms that said he was perfectly incensed.
" Very well..." he said, tightly." What ...is the reason for this?"
" May I stand?"
" Not yet." he turned to the wounded man. ' And if you don't cease to make those noises instantly, I swear I'll shoot off what you'll miss the most." He turned his attention back to Wendy.
" Well?"
She raised her head up, as she had that day, as child, when he had let her go.
" I was consulting the good doctor about a matter...and he advised me of something that I needed from the kitchens. On my way there, I heard a commotion, and found the victim of it to be Stutter. These ruffians were abusing him, and when they saw me turn to go get help, that one..." she gestured to the wounded man." took me around the waist, and tried to kiss me. Simply put I would have none of it and tried to call out, so he pushed me overboard. "
Her gaze was level...and Hook felt a rage begin boiling in his gut. Not at her...but at the man. Jealousy...creeping up through him.
" Cap'n, it haint true! We thought we ha' caught one of 'em brats, spyin! ' ere comes this ...miss, and starts into railin' us! All I 'uz doin' was defendin' meself! An' before I know hit, she done fell into the sea! " One of the men protested.
" Aye, Cap'n, that's so, t'was accidental she fell," said the second. There was a smooth way to this man's voice, as if he had appeased many people, it was a calmness...the mark, of a perfect liar...or a saint.
" And tis true too, that she did rail after Slayton kissed her., and perhaps Nibley pushed her away a bit too hard. But the important matter here is that she was defending one of those ...boys. " A little truth...to add a flavor to the lie.
Hook narrowed his eyes, at the man, " You say, that ...Slayton? I presume that is him? That he kissed her? "
" Tried to sir, all is good sport, She was showing such a fine temper. and I don't think she minded ...not really." the other man interjected.
" Is that so?" the Captain raised a brow and turned back to Wendy. He pretended to be scrutinizing her as if he had never sen her before.
" And tell me...Nibley? Where is young master Stutter?" his eyes did not leave Wendy's.
" 'Oo sir?"
" Young master Stutter. Miss Darling's adopted son. Perhaps you have seen him about? He is a young boy, no older than six...with red hair, and freckles. He has a nasty stammer too, so I doubt even you three asses could mistakes him?" there was a dangerous tone to his voice...too light.
The men who knew the captain well, began to shift a little...feeling his temper rising, and being contained. A storm, contained behind his eyes...which were beginning to flicker with the occasional hint of red.
An uncomfortable silence surrounded them, broken at last by the moan from the wounded Slayton. " Cap'n I 'm hurt bad. That filthy slut 'as done shot me bad! I need a doctor..."
Hook snatched the pistol from Smee's hand and aimed it the man. " Do I need to use this?" he asked.
The man quieted.
" Good." He handed the pistol back to Smee, before turning back to Wendy.
Ignoring his shoulder, he reached down and pulled her to her feet. Before she realized it, he had his arm about her waist, the hook held against her stomach...blade safely turned away. Despite her own anger, and a little apprehension at his odd behavior, she felt a little warmth as he tucked her back against his body. He ran his hand down her arm, and took hold of her left hand..almost swallowing it in his.
" Do you see this?" he asked the men.
They exchanged a look, and nodded.
" Do you know...what it is?" he drawled.
" A ring, Cap'n. " said the third man.
" Really? And do you know what it means?" Hook asked again.
They shrugged.
" She's a thief? " offered Nibley...apparently the one with the least intellect among the three. The other two winced.
Wendy felt a small hitch in his breathing...as if he had swallowed a laugh.
" This means that Miss Darling...is mine!" he raised his voice for the benefit of the entire ship..." And as such..she has the right to go anywhere and do anything she pleases aboard this ship! I will not tolerate a crew member to insult, molest, or other wise offend her. The punishments will be severe...is that understood? " He released her and leaned toward the man on the ground. He raised his hook, the sunlight gleamed on the blade.
Everyone held their breath...even Wendy, who was entranced with the scene playing before her. But Hook did not strike. He whirled around and took Wendy's arm...barking an order to two of his men.
" Tie them up, lock them below. I am escorting Miss Darling to shore..and I expect matters to be taken care of upon our return. "
He didn't speak to her as he pushed her along in front of him, away from the deck, where the men were getting a sort of perverted joy in rough handling the wounded men.
Once he had Wendy in his cabin and the door bolted, he turned around and faced her. For a long moment they simply stared at each other. He with a sort of glazed curiosity, and she with an unabashed frankness.
Then he smiled. She was just a sight...wet, her clothes kissed against her...the seaweed still tangled in her hair. Her face was composed, but her eyes still flashed a dangerous blue. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breasts rose and fell with the excitement of her adventure. After he smiled,...she frowned.
That only made him chuckle.
" You!" he said.
" Me? And what of me?" she demanded, her face relaxing somewhat.
" Do you understand the concept of the word ' danger ' ?" he asked.
" I believe so. Isn't danger where someone places herself in a very close proximity to a person renowned for being deadly?" she raised a brow at him, as she stepped closer into his " proximity ".
" Is that a no?"
" Yes."
" Do you realizes...that I am about to kiss you for a crime that I usually have men executed for?"
" Do you often have many men who defend their honor against other men?"
" You are becoming unbearably saucy!"
Wendy smiled distractedly as if he had given her a compliment. " Why did you not kill them? " she asked.
He raised his brows at her blunt question. " At first I believed that I was protecting the delicate senses of a lady..., which is odd, considering that this same lady who shot someone in practically cold blood.!"
" Oh, that was sweet!" her tone changed to one of appreciation, and she went to kiss his cheek, but he held her at arms length.
" And are you always going to be so extremely temperamental?"
" I wasn't being temperamental!"
" You cannot shoot a person for humiliating you."
" I thought you said I could do anything I pleased?" she grinned.
" Except annoy me with your irresponsibility."
" I wasn't being irresponsible, I was defending myself!"
" You almost sank the ship!"
" I did not, my shot was well aimed until you shook my arm!"
" Yes but I nearly shot Slayton through the...deck of the ship."
Wendy bit back a smile.
" Well...I believe that was your temper, my dear...not mine." she took his hook and planted a light kiss on the flat side of the blade, causing him to draw in a breath.
There was no fear, and no remorse, as she stroked the blade gently before releasing him. Turning an inquisitive look up to him, she changed the subject.
" Were we really going ashore...or was that a diversion to protect my sensibilities?"
He had lost the argument, and it faded away from his mind...without resolve. Without a word from her though, he knew she understood the point he had been making. Murder was not taken lightly. However...neither was trying to accost the Captains Lady, he thought.
" Yes. I thought perhaps some exotic little souvenir might help to soothe your mother's inevitable wrath...?"
Wendy clapped a hand over her mouth. " Mother! Oh...I forgot about Stutter! Some mother I am! I left him in the kitchens!" she turned and ran from the room, and he found himself once again following her at a deadly pace.
If he survived her...he thought, it would be the best adventure of his life.