I'm on a roll!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 4 - Nothing ventured, nothing gained
"Not good enough, mon chéri!" Francis chuckled as he now stood with his sword against Matthew's throat, forcing the younger male to drop his own weapon. "So, seems like we're even once more. Best out of 200 perhaps?" He fired off his usual charming smile, something that didn't bite on Matthew anymore and so his cheeks stayed their usual colour.
"Well, I did come up in 100 wins first so wouldn't that make me better than you?" He raised an eyebrow slightly before he backed away from the tip of the rapier Francis still pointed towards him. "But if it would make you feel better I guess we can make it best out of 200." He fished up his own sword and put it back in its scabbard, ignoring the pouting Frenchman behind him.
The two were always equal when fighting, the winning blow often being dealt after one small mistake the other made. At the most Matthew had been three fights ahead of Francis but the French always caught up with him.
"Oy, you two! Make yourself useful and truss the clew-lines instead." The brunette standing by the helm glared slightly at the two with his emerald eyes, Francis just huffing quietly as a response.
"I didn't know you had gone and become captain, Antonio," Francis said mockingly as he put his rapier on his hip. "You don't have enough eyebrows for that job." As much as Antonio wanted to jab back he had to choke a laugh, the picture of Arthur's eyebrows appearing in his head.
"Fair enough but I'm the helmsman, meaning I got the first say in what you should do and if Arthur doesn't agree, I guess he would be here and say so, no?" He tipped his head a bit to the side, smirking towards the French before he glanced over at Matthew, the blonde already having gone to do his job. "You should learn a thing or two from Matthew, other than just how to properly use a sword. He seems to actually want our ship to reach shore." The comment about Matthew teaching him how to fight seemed to strike a nerve as Francis directed his sharp blue eyes towards the helmsman.
"Oh? Want to come down here and say that?"
"Nope, you would cut me in pieces," Antonio simply replied with a shrug before sighing. "Just fix the clew-line." Francis still grumbled, a hand on his rapier as he walked towards the clew to get his job done. He wanted to put Matthew in his place after his comment earlier before Antonio interrupted them and now he also felt the need to prove the bloody Spaniard wrong. When he had tied down the line he turned, noticing now that Matt was gone and he let out another huff.
"Merde…"
Matthew had already walked beneath deck, haven taken the chance when Francis was distracted to not have to come up with an excuse to get away. He walked through the dark hallway, the wooden walls decorated by paintings stolen from different ships and mansions from around the world. Arthur was quite proud of his collection while the other crewmates made fun of him for not having one single painting from England. After all, if you didn't have any culture of your own, you had to steal it from others. Or at least that's what Francis always said.
The blonde youngling stopped in front of one of the larger, more decorated doors, staring into the wooden surface for a moment. Arthur was probably taking a nap for the moment; he usually did at this time of the day before waking up for a cup of tea.
For a moment he wondered if he perhaps should enter. They hadn't spent the night together for a couple of weeks now and he somehow missed the warmth. Despite that he just sighed and turned back, heading for the crew's quarters instead where he had his own hammock to sleep in. Sure, there was no skin to skin but at least he wouldn't wake up if Arthur thrashed around.
Soon he was on his back in the hammock, stretching out his body as much as he could before curling together. It wasn't the most comfortable bed he had slept on but it was not the worst either. Though it did smell of sweat and dirt in there. Despite that he could slowly drift off for a little while, needing the rest after having been up from early in the morning to take the helm while the others still were snoring.
It had barely passed 30 minutes before a strange yet familiar feeling moved through Matthew's body, causing him to wake up with a flinch. It felt like static moving through his every limb, the hair on his arms standing straight up and an incipient headache was taking place.
Quickly the blonde got up from the hammock, practically jumping onto the floor before he rushed out of the crew's quarters, almost running straight into Arthur. Their eyes met for a second, the captain's quite wondering while Matthew's were frightened. The younger male didn't stop, just quickly passing him by and up on deck and turning to the helmsman.
"Antonio! You need to go hard port; we're heading straight into a storm!" He made his way up to the Spaniard, Antonio looking at him in disbelief.
"But the sky is all blue and…"
"Just turn, trust me." Matthew's pleading eyes seemed to have the desired effect, Antonio sighing as he turned the helm, going hard to port as the blonde had ordered him. Fifteen minutes later dark clouds started to roll in over the blue sky, blocking out any sunlight. Another ten minutes later a full-blown storm was raging where they would have been, had Matthew not told Antonio to change course.
Antonio just stared at the storm, seeing waves that would have easily broken a ship into bits and pieces. Then he turned to Matthew, the boy seemingly a bit reluctant to meet his eyes since he felt how the man was staring at him.
"While I am grateful for your gift it also scares the hell out of me," he muttered, scratching the back of his head. "Like you made a pact with the devil or something." Matthew just smiled slightly at the remark, soon turning his violet eyes up towards the sky.
"Seems like it will rain on us as well. At least no lightning." As if he had ordered the rain to start pouring, droplets soon fell on their faces, escalating quickly into a downpour. The brunette glared slightly at the shorter male before the two flinched from a lightening strike not too far away from the ship, earning Matthew another glare.
"Hey, I'm not perfect. Guess I missed a lightning strike…" Another bolt of light filled the air followed by a loud roar. "…or two."
The Spaniard sighed quietly, soon glancing up at Arthur that climbed the stairs to the quarterdeck. He stayed quiet, just stepping up beside them and looking out over the now dark ocean. The rain was slowly filling the big hat that was crowning his head, causing Antonio and Matthew to exchange glances between each other.
"Bloody bad weather, this," Arthur muttered with a little sigh, still not turning against his crew. "You should get below deck and warm up a bit, I'll take the helm." His voice didn't really leave any room for arguing and so Antonio let go, letting Arthur take his place and the brunette soon dragged Matthew with him below deck.
"What was that all about?" Matt asked, glancing up at the older male.
"Not sure," Antonio replied with a little shrug as he headed towards the wash room, still dragging the blonde behind him. "He gets like that every now and then, especially when it rains." Finally he let go of the blonde but it was first when they were inside the wash room. "Get a fire going and we'll wash up a bit. Some rain water won't be enough to get all that salt and dirt out of your hair." He winked teasingly at the blonde, ruffling his already messy, slightly stale hair.
"Yeah, yeah," Matthew murmured, moving his head away from Antonio's hand before he walked over to the metal tank, starting a fire beneath to warm up the water. Once the flames were going Matthew backed away slightly and started to undress. He pulled the V-necked, cotton shirt over his head, leaving his slightly tanned skin bare. Scars were scattered over his body, showing his otherwise pale skin colour. His body was still quite thin yet toned, showing he put in many hours of work a day but perhaps didn't eat as much as he should.
While the blonde took his time the Spaniard was already naked, impatiently standing by the tank of water and every now and then emptying some water into a bucket to see if it was warm enough yet. Matthew glanced over at him with a slightly amused smile before he removed his big, leather boots and black, knee long pants. All his clothes were hand-me-downs from Francis, meaning they were a bit too big for him but they were expensive and well made.
"Antonio," Matthew soon said, his voice for a moment hardly being heard, an old habit of his. Still, the brunette seemed to hear it, turning towards him with a raised eyebrow. "Haven't you done a bunch of tattoos on some of the crew?" The blonde turned towards him before walking over, filling one of the buckets with lukewarm water. "I wondered if you could make one for me."
"Sure, it will cost you though." Antonio shrugged, emptying some more water into a bucket yet still not being pleased with the temperature. He wanted it warmer.
"As long as it's not money, it's fine." Matthew started to wet his hair with the water, ignoring Antonio's sceptical glance. "And no, I'm not trying to offer my body if that's what you're wondering."
"Good, you're a bit too flat for my taste." Matthew rolled his eyes slightly, something Antonio didn't seem to notice as he continued to glare at the water as if wanting to warm it up with just his frustration.
"You can have my whole ration of booze and half of my food for a week." The blonde massaged his scalp, shivering slightly from the pleasant feeling of getting dirt out of his hair. "I don't want a big piece, just on my wrist."
"Hm…" Antonio seemed to think about it, soon not wanting to wait any longer for the water and so he settled with only almost boiling temperature. "Half your food and half your booze for a week. You're funnier when you're drunk. Besides, the others can never keep tune when singing and it hurts my lovely guitar to play with those brutes."
Matthew raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing over at the other that now had sat down beside him but he soon smiled faintly.
"Deal. Starting tomorrow though, I'm planning on getting drunk tonight." He stretched out his body before he poured all the water over himself. The blonde shook his head a bit, almost like a dog, causing Antonio to grunt slightly as he got the cold water droplets on his naked skin.
"Hey!" He glared at the blonde before he sighed and turned to his own water, starting to wash up. "Fine but you owe me so many songs tonight you won't be able to speak tomorrow and my fingers will be so sore I will barely be able to hold the helm."
Matthew smiled at him without saying anything, Antonio already having started to sing for himself some Spanish sea shanty and so the blonde decided he would retreat.
After getting dressed in his clothes once more he walked out of the washing room, pulling his fingers once through the wet, half-long hair to get it out of his eyes the best he could. Soon he stood in front of a closed door, softly knocking on it before entering.
"Ah, Matthew." The older man inside looked up at the blonde, smiling softly. His thick, Scottish accent was as strong as ever. "You're just in time, I could need your help." The young male nodded as he closed the door behind him and walked over to the ship's doctor. He was sitting beside a man sleeping deeply, the man's chest wrapped up heavily in bandages that were starting to get bloody once more.
"Are you going to change them?" Matthew asked as he sat down on the other side of the man, looking over his pale face and hearing the jagged breaths. "He seems more at peace now than yesterday. Is the medication working?"
"The bandages need to be changed again, yes. And I am praying for this medication to work. We've seen an improvement in just a couple of days so I'm staying hopeful." Matthew nodded, glancing up at the man before he took a damp cloth, wetting it in some water and putting it on the man's forehead. His fever had gone down but it was still present.
"Creel, have you premedicated him already?" The man nodded as he removed some of the covers from the man's body, soon putting one big hand on the sedated man's back to help him sit up so Matthew could remove the bandages. "Opium?"
"Indeed. Knocks you right out if you use enough." Creel chuckled, not taking his dim, grey eyes away from the man's face though, watching for signs of pain. "Still, poor John here has quite the nasty wound and is in a lot of pain. For a moment I wasn't sure if it would be enough."
Matthew continued to unwrap John's torso, soon putting the dirty bandages in a bucket while Creel slowly put the man down onto the bed. The wound was indeed nasty, having spread over half the abdomen by now and having parts of necrotic tissue. Most of the dead tissue had been removed but some stubborn parts still remained that Creel hadn't been able to remove successfully without opening up the wound even more.
John had been unfortunate enough to get hit in the stomach by a burning torch, his shirt having caught fire and burnt into his skin. The man responsible for carrying the torch had been drunk and as a punishment for the incident he had lost his booze rations. Probably he didn't mind though, he hadn't wanted to drink a drop since that night and had been visiting John regularly to try and help any way he could.
"Wash it properly Matthew, try and remove as much of the necrotic tissue and yellow fibrin as possible." The young man nodded, quickly getting to work. He carefully cleaned the wound, managing to remove some more of the dead tissue but unfortunately not all of it. Pained whimpers could be heard from John despite him being knocked out, Matthew not wanting to think about how much pain he must be in.
As the wound was cleaned properly Creel used some ointment around the edges of the wound to protect it. Matthew then put some protective fabric that was drenched in a chilling gel that would stop the bandages from sticking to the wound, reducing the risk that they would pull off scabs and healing skin when removed. Creel once more put his hand on John's back, sitting him up so Matthew could wrap new, clean bandages around his torso and soon they were done.
"Time for him to rest, thank you for the help." Creel smiled as he started to sort dirty instruments and materials from the clean ones. "I'll admit I didn't think much of you when you first walked in here offering to help but, I've been surprised. You're knowledgeable for a kid."
"Not a kid," Matthew murmured as he took the bucket with dirty bandages and carried it over to a cauldron with boiling water.
"Sorry," Creel chuckled. "But to me you're all kids on this ship." He shrugged as he started to wash up his instruments, Matthew meanwhile pouring some of the boiling water over the bandages to kill anything that could fester there.
"Just because you're older than the ocean itself." That earned him a hearty laugh from the doctor, Creel removing his bandana and showing the balding head, grey hairs clinging desperately to his tanned skin.
"I guess I am." The rest of the time cleaning was spent in silence, both men seemingly content with that. Soon enough everything was clean once more, the boiling water being used on everything that had been in contact with the wound. Matthew hung the now dripping wet bandages on a wire that was tied up between the two long walls, looking them over one last time to make sure none were overlapping and he then headed towards the door.
"Are you joining the feast tonight?" Matthew glanced at Creel curiously, knowing the man had spent way too much time down in the dark by now. He needed some fresh air. "John won't die because you take a break, you know."
"I actually might. Now when his fever is going down. I might give him an extra dose opium though to make sure he sleeps while I'm gone." The man smirked slightly before he waved Matthew away. "Now go, I got things to do."
Matthew raised an eyebrow slightly but just rolled his eyes, exiting the medical bay before heading towards the deck. Perhaps Arthur's weird fit was over now and they could start the feast. Francis was probably slaving away in the kitchen already, coming up with something that would still the hunger of the crew. He usually complained about them all being dogs though, eating everything and anything without appreciating his fine art.
As the youngling walked up on deck he was met by the sun setting beyond the horizon, colouring the sky in warm colours of orange and yellow. The deck was still wet from the downpour earlier but at least the sky was clear now and he could not feel any unpleasant feelings telling him of any other incoming storms.
"How's John doing?" Matt turned towards the captain, Arthur leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, looking out over the ocean that was mirroring the sun. "I heard from Creel he was doing better."
"He is." Matthew moved over to the railing as well, putting his hands on top of the soft, wooden surface while enjoying the warmth on his face from the sun. "Fever is going down; wound is slowly healing. He might not be on his feet in a couple of weeks but he should at least be able to be awake soon without passing out from the pain."
"That's good to hear." Arthur glanced over at the younger blonde, his emerald green eyes seemingly affectionate for a moment or two before they returned to his normal, bored expression. "I bet Creel is glad to have a capable assistant. He's had to deal with us by himself for way too long."
"Oh, was that an actual compliment I heard?" Matthew raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the other, Arthur sternly glaring over the sunset and not meeting his eyes. "I guess I'll just take it as that and feel honoured." He pushed himself off the railing before he walked to help some of the others that were taking out tables and chairs on deck. They all wanted some fresh night air and so, it was worth the extra labour to carry everything outside.
Once everything was put in place they spread out, some getting booze, others getting the food, and Matthew was igniting the torches to give them some light other than the moon that was slowly taking its place on the sky. The torches were spread out around the ship, most of them being on the deck but some also in the masts. The young male loved swinging around in the masts if he had the chance, the height offering some adrenaline while he had the feeling of flying which was quite relaxing.
For now he was standing at the top of the main mast, just enjoying the wind blowing through his hair and clothes. By now the sky was dark and filled with stars. The moon was almost full, shining brightly and spreading some more light than just the torches, mixing cold and warm tones on the faces of the now drinking and eating crew.
Matthew decided it was time to join them, simply grabbing one of the ropes and letting the gravity do the rest. At least he had been smart enough to put leather gloves on, protecting his skin from the burn of the rope as he slid down, soon landing safely on the deck.
The blonde quickly got a place by the table between one already tipsy Antonio and one of the cabin boys, probably just 13 years of age. He did try to claim he was 23 though.
"About time, Mattie," Antonio said with a smile, taking another gulp of his ale before he pushed some rum towards the blonde. "Weren't you going to get drunk tonight?"
"I am, was just enjoying the fresh air up there where I didn't have to smell you lot." He smiled as he got complaints from everyone around him before he grabbed the flask of rum, letting the liquid run down his throat. He had never enjoyed the taste but it was something soothing with feeling the heat fill his body. Besides, the alcohol always seemed to be able to relax him more than anything else could.
Soon enough the crew was singing loudly, some of their voices probably able to cut through glass if they weren't careful. Still, horrible drunken song was to be expected and it could hardly be seen as a proper feast without it. The air was reeking of alcohol by now, the men and women still happily boozing away into the night.
As usual it took Antonio three pints of ale before he ran to get his guitar, soon happily playing every sea shanty he could think of for the crew. Some others joined with instruments of their own. One of the men had a flute he played skilfully except for a sour note every now and then due to his drunken state. One woman had a banjo, plucking the strings with ease as Antonio's guitar guided the melody. A large man was drumming away in rhythm to the rest of the instruments, happily moving his hips to the sound.
Matthew had by now joined as well, singing with Antonio to the shanties that were less known and new to the others in the crew. The ones now not able to sing instead happily, and drunkenly, joined in a jig to the music. The clapping, laughter and music was continuing late into the night, most of them already knowing that by tomorrow at least half of the crew would have a big gap in their memory.
oOoOo
Matthew woke up slowly, feeling his head pulsating badly which made him groan. Last thing he remembered was him and Antonio deciding on sharing another bottle of rum and then everything was dark. He could already guess what had happened though as he felt silken sheets against his naked skin and could hear heavy breaths behind him.
His relationship with Arthur had been a bit strained lately without him really knowing why. Probably the Brit didn't know why either. They seemed to have their ups and downs and most ups seemed alcohol induced, like this one.
Slowly he turned around, ending up face to face with his sleeping captain. The older man seemed content, cheeks still slightly flushed from the alcohol. His arm was wrapped around the slimmer male, pulling him in a bit closer when Matthew moved.
For a moment they both just lied there, Arthur sleeping heavily while Matthew tried to fall asleep once more. He was restless though despite his head seemingly wanting to explode. He nuzzled in a little bit closer, feeling the warmth from the other. It was relaxing enough for his itching body to calm down from the restlessness and he closed his eyes once more. Sleep didn't come for him anymore that night though and so he was painfully aware when the sun started to shine through the small window in the captain's cabin, seemingly aiming for his face.
Matthew opened one eye, glaring slightly at the rays of light before he turned towards Arthur. The drunk was still sleeping and didn't seem like he was about to wake up anytime soon. The young man moved from beneath the arm that was holding him, making his way out of the bed and getting dressed without making any sounds. That was one skill he still had from the orphanage, the ability to seemingly make no sounds and turn invisible. It didn't come as natural now though as it had before, the blonde having been forced to grow up quickly and put up a façade of attitude and confidence to survive.
Once outside the cabin Matthew sighed and moved towards the kitchen, needing to find something to drink since his mouth felt like a desert now. He just hoped no one else would be there, especially not Francis. He had no energy to deal with his flirting and bantering. The French just never seemed to get hungover and had no regards for others' misery.
Luckily for him no one was in the kitchen and he managed to find some water from yesterday and eagerly he drank two mugs full of the lukewarm liquid. With a relieved sigh he took one mug more before slowly making his way up on deck and squinting slightly from the direct light of the sun.
Some of the crewmembers were sleeping on deck, having taken whatever they could find as a pillow or blanket. Sometimes that meant each other while others had been more creative using buckets, ropes, and mops in a try to get some warmth or support under their head.
"Morning." Matthew turned towards the helm, seeing Antonio up bright and early. He seemed cheekily peppy for having been drinking all night long. "You look as I feel. Had a pleasant night?" The blonde shivered slightly from the tone Antonio used, guessing everybody in the crew knew where he had ended up last night.
"No idea, last thing I remember is you coming with one more bottle of rum." He shrugged slightly with a sigh as he slowly walked up the stairs, joining the Spaniard on the quarterdeck. "Perhaps that's for the best." He ignored the wondering glance he got from the brunette, deciding to just sit down on the deck and then fall flat on his back.
"Then you didn't hear about our next destination, I take it." Antonio glanced down at the blonde before he turned his glance back over the ocean, skilfully working the helm to catch the right winds. "We're going to the capital. Arthur has decided that John should be with his family and get proper treatment, something he can't really get on a ship."
Matthew propped up on his arms before slowly sitting up. The capital was where that girl lived that had bought Kumajirou. His heart seemed to pound with new found vigour as he got up on his feet once more, his violetblue eyes looking out over the ocean.
"John's from the capital? I didn't know." His voice seemed quieter than usual, the blonde crossing his arms over his stomach and lettings his hands grip the shirt fabric tightly. "I guess we won't be able to dock at the harbour."
"No, we'll dock far away and then send a messenger to the family that they can come and get him. He should be in good enough shape to survive that journey on a cart if he has survived on this ship." Antonio glanced over at the shorter male, wondering exactly what Matt was thinking about.
"I can be the messenger. I've not been with you long enough for anyone to recognize me from this crew so we won't have to worry about having the marine after us." Matthew still wasn't meeting the Spaniard's glance, stubbornly staring out towards the horizon. If he was in the capital he could sneak over to the mansion where his friend was held and just see how he was doing.
"Like the captain would agree to that," Antonio said with a small snort. "You don't know the way to the city in the first place and when you're there, how are you going to find John's family? Ask for directions from the marine soldiers perhaps?"
"Well, send someone else then but I'm still going." His voice became a bit stronger once more but it was still not quite as he usually sounded. "If I don't come back in time, just leave without me. Then you get all my rations instead of just half."
"What the hell are you talking about? You sound like you're planning something troublesome."
"Something troublesome? Well, doesn't that sound exciting." Both males turned towards the lower deck, seeing Arthur up and about. He didn't seem affected by the hangover but Matthew knew better by now. The older male just had one hell of a poker face. "If we're expecting trouble in the city I guess I have to come with you. Can't have my crewmates running around and perhaps giving away our location after all."
Matthew looked at Arthur in disbelief, wondering if the captain suddenly had developed a sense of humour and had made a joke. No, he seemed to be as serious as ever.
"No offence, captain, but that has to be the dumbest idea I've ever heard." Antonio glared slightly at the blonde, not sure if the man was actually serious or not. "You know what beef one of the captains has with you and by now I think everyone recognizes your face."
"So, I'll be disguised. No one would expect that I'm dumb enough to go into the capital so if I do, I'm actually outsmarting them." Both Antonio and Matthew glanced at each other, half worried, half sceptical.
"There is no need for…" Arthur's stern glance quickly made Matt go silent, swallowing slightly. He almost felt like a kid in that moment.
"If you're going to the city to cause trouble, I'm coming with you. There is nothing to discuss, captain's orders." Then Arthur simply turned on his heel and headed below deck. Once more the remaining two glanced at each other before Matthew broke the silence with a sigh.
"When will we reach our destination?"
"A week perhaps, depends on if the weather is with or against us." Antonio shrugged slightly before he turned towards the ocean once more.
"Plenty of time then for you to make that tattoo for me." A small smile once more took place on his lips, the blonde studying his left wrist. "I want it here, a rose. It's for my mother and brother." He decided to just say it right away because he knew Antonio would either ask or come to his own conclusions. He knew some in the crew would probably laugh, a rose not being the manliest thing to get tattooed but he was sure that the Spanish helmsman wouldn't judge
"No problem, I can do that." Antonio just nodded slightly before he turned to Matthew. "Here, take over the helm for a bit and I will get to sketching it." Matt smiled in return, quickly stepping in to grab the helm as the brunette disappeared to get his pens and papers. Soon he would finally have a memento that would always be with him.
oOoOo
One week later the ship had docked not far from a small, hidden beach. It was still early in the morning, the sun slowly rising from beyond the horizon as the two pirates row towards land in a dingy. Of course Matthew did the work while Arthur stood in the front, the brown cape swirling around his legs from the chilly wind.
When the little boat hit sand Arthur jumped out, starting to pull the dingy onto the beach while Matthew tied down the oars to make sure no curious animal made off with them. He had a dark grey cape like the one Arthur was wearing, the big hood easily cloaking half his face in shadow. Beneath it he had a pair of dark brown pants that had been ripped off just below the knees and his usual, leather boots. On his upper body was an off-white shirt, V-necked and hanging slightly down on his shoulders with some gold embroidery along the neckline and sleeves. Francis old clothes were quite a lot fancier than the rest of the crew's. Poking out just beneath the sleeve one could see a tattoo on his left wrist.
Arthur had to tone it down from how he usually was dressed. The red coat and big hat were left in his cabin, leaving him in a pair of sleek, black pants and big, black knee-high boots. His upper body was dressed in a surprisingly clean, white button-up shirt with some ruffles in the neck and of course, the brown cloak that was meant to be their disguise. Beneath the flowy fabric both males had a sword on their hip just in case things turned out for the worst.
"I wasn't really planning on making trouble, you know." Matthew glanced over his shoulder one last time to watch the ship before he turned forward and followed his captain through the forest that surrounded the small beach. "I just…planned on seeing an old friend of mine. I want to know he's doing well."
"I don't really care, Matthew." It was said with his usual, almost bored voice but it was still slightly more energetic than usual. "You wanted to go and you don't know the way. Besides, the people in the capital would eat you alive if you were on your own."
Matthew sent a small glare towards Arthur's back before he turned forward. As if he hadn't dealt with people trying to eat him alive for six years now, what harm would one more night do?
"While I almost appreciate your concern, I still think this is a dumb idea. If anyone sees your face the whole city will know we're here and it won't be pretty." That Arthur didn't want to respond to and Matt huffed quietly as he shook his head. "Just…show the way quietly."
The two of them continued to walk, having exited the forest and now they moved along a big dirt road. They saw a lot of traffic, no one seemingly caring about the travellers. One farmer on his way to the city was nice enough to offer them a lift on his cart, something Matthew happily accepted and it cut their trip by probably four hours.
Still it was midday when they arrived in front of the huge, white wall that surrounded the capital. The sun seemed to make the white stone glitter and it was quite the beautiful view. Arthur seemed less impressed than Matthew though, having been there before and already seen it many times.
"First time in the capital?" the farmer asked with a little laugh as he saw Matthew's admiring expression and the blonde youngling blushed slightly, realizing how he must look.
"That obvious? It is, yes." Matt smiled slightly, having pulled down his hood by now since no one would know his face there. That made it possible for him to look around on the stone houses that seemed meticulously put together. The houses were built in an inclination, the land tilting downwards towards the harbour where small fishing boats were anchored. Further along the harbour bigger ships started to appear, flying the marine's blue and white colours.
"It's quite the sight. Just wait until you see the marine base, it's even grander than the king's palace." The older man smiled and started to share all possible, interesting facts about the capital and what you could find in the different alleys and corners of the city.
Soon Arthur pulled a bit on Matthew's cape, gesturing for him that it was time to jump off. Matt thanked the farmer for the ride and for his tips, wishing him a good day with lots of sales before the two males jumped off the cart. They moved into one of the alleys between two houses, escaping the people for now.
"Put your hood up again," Arthur hissed, not even waiting for the younger blonde to do it as he pulled it up himself, covering Matthew's face once more. "You never know what kind of people you meet here." He then started to walk, ignoring the youngling's small glare. "We're close to John's house; we should hurry up so we spend as little time here as possible."
While a bit disappointed at not being able to stay and explore Matthew also understood why Arthur was so keen on getting out of there and so he followed his captain without protests. The taller man moved through the different alleys, only crossing streets when it was necessary and soon enough they stood in one of the less wealthy parts of the city. It was still beautiful compared to many other cities but now the houses were made of wood instead of stone and were obviously not as well tended to.
Arthur moved to the backside of one of the houses and up to one of the old, wooden doors. He knocked on it with a specific rhythm, probably to signal to the ones inside exactly what they could expect when opening the door.
Voices could be heard from inside, excited children whispering something between each other before being drowned out by footsteps. The door opened, a young, dark-haired woman standing in the opening with a big smile on her rose-coloured lips. The smile died down slightly though as she saw Arthur and the other blonde she didn't recognize.
"Captain…" Her eyes quickly started to tear up, probably expecting the worst and it seemed to now enter Arthur's thick skull what this had to look like.
"Ah, wait! He's not dead!" Arthur whispered the words to not draw attention, giving the woman an apologetic glance for having scared her. "Might we come in?" He gestured towards himself and Matthew, the woman quickly nodding and stepping out of the way for the two to enter. Once they were inside she looked around to make sure no one had seen them and she then shut the door.
"What…has happened to my husband?" She glanced over at the two, her voice shaking slightly. Arthur sighed quietly before he softly put a hand on her back, guiding her towards the kitchen table where two young boys were waiting.
"Captain!" The two boys smiled widely, almost throwing themselves off the chairs to move up to Arthur. "Where's dad? You're not our dad." They both looked a bit suspiciously at Matthew that felt a bit uncomfortable beneath their judging stares.
"Your dad is still on the ship," Arthur replied, chuckling as one of them started to hang in his arm, swinging slightly. "As lively as ever, huh?" Their mother managed to smile vaguely, still looking worried though and Arthur cleared his throat. "Now boys, why don't you go and get some water from the well? I could certainly need a cup of tea." The kids nodded happily as they rushed out of the house, leaving the three in silence. Arthur gestured towards the woman to sit down before he did the same, Matthew being quick to pull out one chair for her since it seemed like she would just sit down on the floor otherwise.
"Is he…?"
"He is hurt, yes," Arthur said with a sigh, now pulling his hood off properly. "But he is doing better. Much thanks to Matthew here and Creel." He nodded towards the younger blonde, Matthew feeling his cheeks flush slightly from the praise. "He was burnt and has had an infection going and a fever. He is doing better each day though but I want him to come home to you in case that would start to change."
The woman swallowed slightly but nodded, gripping the fabric of her dress tightly. She seemed to have calmed down now though, her shoulders having moved away from her ears at least.
"Then…I thank you, Matthew." She managed to smile towards him, a couple of tears still visible in her eyes but she blinked them away. "My husband is a dork and a klutz but I love him and want him to come home again." Matthew glanced a bit to the side, not knowing at all how to deal with someone being grateful towards him but in the end he just nodded slightly.
"Anne, could you get a cart and go to the ship and get him? Perhaps your brother can help." Arthur smiled slightly, the dark-haired woman glancing up at him and nodding. "Sadly, we can't afford to grab that kind of attention but I can give you directions so you can go and pick him up and bring him home."
Anne nodded with a small smile, mostly being relieved that her husband was alive. Soon they could hear the voices of her two boys outside and it didn't take long for them to storm the kitchen once more with two buckets of water.
While the boys quickly busied themselves with asking for stories from Arthur, Anne started to boil some water in a kettle to make her guests some tea. Matthew joined her, watching curiously as she seemed to make her own blend of different leaves and flowers.
"Are you a doctor?" she asked with a smile towards him, taking her time to mix the blend just to make sure he got to see what she was doing.
"Assistant," Matthew replied quietly, leaning slightly against one of the wooden beams in the kitchen. "Creel is the genius and I'm helping and learning at the same time. John's wounds are much better now than they were before, much thanks to a new medication Creel managed to get his hands on." Anne nodded, soon putting the blend inside the kettle to let the tea brew for a bit.
"I see. I still owe you my gratitude though, doctor's assistant Matthew." She glanced over at him, seeing his cheeks turn slightly pink once more and she couldn't help but giggle. "Never met a pirate so easy to faze." That earned her a small huff from the young blonde but no reply.
As the tea was done she poured three cups and put them on the table, Arthur managing to pull away from the curious boys as he leaned in to feel the fragrance.
"Heavenly as always. While I'm here I'd like to buy some of your blends for the ship. God knows I'm tired of nettle tea by now." Anne just smiled and nodded, sipping her own brew carefully.
"Of course, captain. You know I would happily give it to you though." That just earned her a disapproving huff from the Brit, Arthur not wanting to take from an already poor family. "But I know by now it's best to just accept the money." She shook her head slightly, a bit amused. "I will talk to my brother and he will be able to help me. I'll bring the boys as well. Feel free to stay here for as long as you need, you are always welcome."
"That is much appreciated, Anne. You have done a lot for my crew over the years. John will be missed but he knows he is welcomed back if he would want it. The same goes for you and the boys."
"I might be a pirate's wife, captain, but I'm still an honest woman. I will accept my husband's way of living and he will always be welcomed back into my arms when he returns but… the pirate's life is not for me." Arthur just nodded slightly with a little smile before he let the tea silence him, sipping it happily.
Once the darkness started to fall the two pirates had been alone for some hours. Arthur had taken the liberty to make more tea but had left some coins on the counter for Anne when she returned with John and their boys.
"We should take our chance now when it's dark to go and visit your friend. Where does he live?"
"I don't know." Matthew calmly sipped his cup of tea, completely ignoring the dumbfounded expression on Arthur's face. "He was sold to a rich family some years ago. The Faintree family. Can't be that many of them around, now can it?"
"And you call me stupid," the captain muttered, putting his fingers on his forehead with an exasperated sigh. "Okay, fine. The Faintrees. Sounds like a noble name so they should be in the Camellia district. That's where the nobles live, with a few exceptions of course but it's a good place to start." Matthew glanced up at the older male, nodding slightly. He was grateful for having Arthur there even if he didn't show it. This night would have been much, much longer otherwise.
"Then let's get going. We don't have all night." Matt got up from his chair, downing the last of his now lukewarm tea before he put his cape back over his shoulders and pulling the hood up. Arthur did the same, making sure to leave some more coins on the counter before the two of them walked out into the darkness.
The streets were lit by metal posts with burning fires at the top, spreading a warm light over the cobblestone streets that slithered through the entire city. The two of them kept to the shadows though, moving silently through the dark alleys as they came closer and closer to the more well-guarded parts of the capital.
Soon they stood outside another white but smaller wall that wanted to keep the poor people out from the Camellia district. It did little though as Arthur and Matthew with ease could find enough grip to climb, soon landing on the other side.
The mansions in this part of the city were a whole different class from the ones outside the wall. They were made from stone like the ones close to the harbour but these were much bigger and well decorated. Gold details, marble statues, luscious gardens and of course, a fence around each estate. Luckily for the two of them, each estate had the family name and crest at the entrance so now they just had to look for the right one.
Matthew had always been grateful to his former crew's doctor that had taught him to read while also teaching him about medicine. He was fairly sure Arthur could read as well so they both moved silently in-between the big mansions, soon finally finding the one they were looking for.
"Faintree…" Matthew whispered the name, hardly being able to hide the hate he felt towards the family. Still, he had to remind himself that he was only there to see Kumajirou and make sure he was taken care of. Of course a noble family could offer him more than Matt ever could so he wouldn't be selfish and steal him back, at least not now.
The youngling quickly entered the garden, still keeping to the shadows to avoid any detection. There seemed to be a party on the lower floor and he just hoped Kumajirou wasn't the main attraction for the guests. He tried to listen, hearing anything else than the soft piano music from the soiree. A soft whine could be heard from one of the open windows above him and the blonde quickly stopped, looking up.
"Kumajirou?" he whispered, trying to put some more strength in his voice and the whine could be heard again. A smile spread over his lips, a genuinely happy one that he hadn't had since his friend had been taken away. He didn't even care about waiting for Arthur before he started to climb the wall, avoiding any windows where someone could see him and soon his head poked up over the frame, looking straight into the bright, frilly room of a noble girl. Laces, stuffed animals, paintings, and decorations could be seen everywhere and it was almost intense to look at.
Soon though his violetblue eyes landed on a small cage by the foot of the queen-sized bed, a little white figure being seen behind the bars. For a moment he almost felt like tears would run down his cheeks from the sight, his friend confined like that with only a hard, metal floor to lie on.
Without hesitating for a second he pushed himself up over the window frame and landed on the carpet clad floor, not even caring if the girl owning the room would be there. With long steps he moved over to the cage, falling onto his knees in front of it and looking at Kumajirou through the tears that started to well up. The little polar bear was quick with pressing against the bars, spinning in little circles and whining.
"Oh, what have they done to you…?" Matthew could barely get the words out before he put his hands through the bars, pulling the furry little creature close to himself and burying his face in the soft fur. "Like hell I will let you stay here…" Reluctantly he pulled his hands away before he looked around for a key of some sorts to the cage but none could be seen. He huffed, simply pulling out his sword and putting the tip of it in the lock. With a sharp motion he broke the lock, the door opening as Kumajirou jumped out of the cage and towards Matthew's arms.
He dropped his sword, catching his friend quickly and holding him close to his body. Their hearts seemed to beat at the same speed, both of them snuggling in close and never wanting to let go again. Matthew soon managed to pull himself together though, quickly picking his sword up and putting it at his hip once more.
"You're safe now, I'll never let you end up in a cage again." He smiled down at the little bear before he moved towards the window, only to stop beside a lit candle that was sitting on one of the tables. He knew he shouldn't but before he was able to stop himself he had hit the candle off the table, waiting just long enough to watch the carpet slowly catch fire before he moved once more to the window. "Oops…"
He put Kumajirou inside his shirt, feeling the furry little body against his own skin which was as comforting as it had been the last day they had spent together. The blonde climbed down the wall, glancing up one last time as he saw some smoke starting to come out from the window.
Once on the ground he quickly grabbed Arthur's arm and pulled him with them, not listening to his protests or questions for now as he knew they needed to get away from there quickly. They managed to avoid any patrolling guards that were out, soon making their way over the wall and out from the Camellia district. It was now Arthur actually saw the fluffy, white head that was poking out from Matthew's shirt and he almost jumped back from the shock.
"W-what the..?!" Matthew quickly put a hand over his mouth, glancing around to make sure no one was around. When he was sure his captain had calmed down a bit he removed his hand, slowly lifting Kumajirou out from his shirt and holding the little polar bear in his arms.
"This is my friend, Kujahiro. He was sold by my old captain. I…wasn't planning on taking him back but…they had locked him in a cage and…" He glanced down at his little friend, letting one finger move along the bear's neck where they had put a collar on him. The fur was thinner there, as if it had been abraded.
Arthur still seemed a bit hesitant about the wild animal now in Matthew's arms but he nodded slowly, trusting the younger man enough that the bear wouldn't become a problem.
"Well then… We should head back towards the ship. We've been here long enough already." Matthew just nodded, hugging Kumajirou close to his chest and feeling the soft fragrance of fur in his nose. He almost felt like crying from relief and joy because he had his friend in his arms once more.
Arthur glanced over at him slightly, never having seen Matthew this relaxed and content before and while he was happy for him it did sting a little. The pirate captain started to walk towards the harbour, deciding that it was one of the safer routes since no one would be heading in or out of the docks this hour. Matthew just walked beside him, smiling softly at the little tongue lapping his chin and at that moment it felt like nothing else mattered.
The walk along the elevated wharf seemed to go smoothly. The few guards out patrolling seemed to have no interest in stopping them and no marine soldiers were to be seen. The night was peaceful and the only thing that could be heard was the soft blowing of the wind and some distant buzz from the heart of the city.
Soon though the two pirates became aware of something that sounded anything but peaceful. Loud voices that were shouting and a child crying. Matthew glanced up from below the hooded cloak, slowly putting Kumajirou inside his shirt once more to have his hands free in case of trouble.
As they got closer they could see two marine soldiers towering three children, one of them on the ground with a bleeding nose while one of the others were crying.
"Little rats like you shouldn't be around here. Eyeing our beautiful ships with your ugly little eyes, it's disgusting." One of the men laughed slightly and poked the boy on the ground with his foot, seemingly threatening to step on his head if the boy moved. Matthew could feel his jaw tensing up as he put one hand on the sword on his hip, squeezing it slightly.
"Don't…" Arthur leaned down slightly to whisper in Matthew's ear. "They wouldn't hurt kids for real, just a couple of bruises. Let's get out of here." The younger blonde glanced up towards him before nodding, trying to relax as they passed by the little group of people.
"W-we just wanted to look at the big ship… We would never do anything!" The boy on the ground moved away slightly and got up on his feet, standing in front of the two smaller children to protect them. "You…h-have no right to bully us… We haven't done anything wrong."
"Perhaps not. Still, dirty little orphans shouldn't be where they don't belong." The taller of the two men smirked, pulling out his rapier and watching the moon glimmer in the spotless blade. "No one would miss you if you disappeared, you know. Cause no one cares about orphans."
Arthur stopped in his step, glancing down to where Matthew had been but he was too late. The blonde had already moved, quick enough for no one to notice before his blade suddenly slashed right through the marine's chest.
"Guess you were wrong on that last part," he said coldly, drying off the blood on the now dead man's white uniform. He then turned towards the other man that had just pulled out his pistol. The soldier aimed and shot, Matthew being too quick for the trembling man and he soon sliced through him as well. The gun shot echoed between the walls and it felt like the whole city could hear that. Matthew turned to the children, realizing that if they got caught in this they risked being killed in the crossfire. "Run!"
The boy in the front swallowed hard before he nodded, barely being able to whisper a small 'thank you' before he took the other two and ran for their lives. Matthew spun on his heel, heading back towards Arthur but they could already hear running that came closer and closer. The two of them weren't even able to start running before they were surrounded. Arthur was still able to think quickly as he drew his sword and attacked, knowing that if he was close to the soldiers their friends wouldn't want to use any firearms.
Matthew seemed to catch on quickly as he did the same, managing to cut down another soldier before the man was able to react. There were eleven soldiers left against the two of them; the odds weren't in their favour.
Despite them both being skilled in swordplay the situation became more and more dire as the soldiers tightened their circle around them and Arthur was just able to dodge one quick attack. His hood slid off, baring his blonde hair and the by now very well-known face to the soldiers.
"It's Kirkland!" Suddenly the soldiers seemed to fight with renewed vigour from the discovery and by now they could hear more steps coming closer and closer. Matthew realized their situation was getting worse and worse by the second and so he saw only one way out of it.
He managed to push the closest soldiers away with a wide attack before he quickly turned his back towards them, facing Arthur. His free hand grabbed Kumajirou and pushed the bear into the chest of his captain before he met Arthur's emerald green eyes.
"Take care of him for me." He then pushed Arthur over the edge of the wharf, down into the water three metres below. He had managed one last, sad smile towards his furry little friend and captain before they were gone and he turned back towards the soldiers, once again raising his sword. "I'll cut you all down before you get to my captain." Now he didn't have to worry about Kumajirou getting hurt when being in his shirt either, leaving the blonde no reasons to hold back.
He swung his sword, feeling it meet metal and so he quickly swung it again, not letting the soldier recover and soon the blade cut through flesh instead. Another soldier fell from Matthew's second attack and soon a third man hit the ground. He was much more skilled than these low-ranked soldiers but he guessed the back-up wouldn't be quite as easy to beat. Still, his only goal now was to let Arthur flee the harbour and get back to the ship. He would die here either way.
He felt the movements of someone behind him, quickly turning to fend off an attack. He was able to see a pair of surprised, ruby eyes before he pushed the man back to then go in for an attack himself. At least this man seemed to know a bit more what he was doing but he was still not good enough. Matthew was just about to deal a killing blow before another sword moved towards him, the blonde barely being able to jump out of the way for the attack.
He turned towards his new attacker instead, without hesitation leaping on top of the man and pointing his sword towards his throat while his knees kept the soldier's hands down to the ground. The young pirate was just about to strike before he stopped as if a bullet had gone straight through him.
"What are you waiting for?!" The blonde soldier glared up towards the cloaked figure, the blue eyes seemingly burning with rage.
Matthew couldn't move, his body was completely frozen and it felt like time stood still for a moment. That was until the sound of his own sword falling to the ground woke him up and he realized he had God knows how many swords now pointed towards him. He swallowed slightly, trying to demand his body to move but it didn't want to obey him.
"Alfred…" The blonde soldier beneath him froze now as well, staring up towards the shadowed face with a voice that sounded so familiar. Alfred managed to pull one of his arms free, a trembling hand moving up towards the hood before pulling it back, revealing the face of his twin brother.
"M-Mattie?" A surprised murmur went through the group of soldiers as they watched the two almost identical men in front of them. Before Alfred was able to react further someone had gripped Matthew's cape, pulling him back and pushing a gun towards his temple. "W-wait, don't shoot him!"
Alfred quickly crawled up on his feet, his hands moving to his brother's face, as if needing to feel if it was real. His lower lip was trembling and it was obvious to Matthew there were so many things his brother wanted to say right this moment and because of that, nothing came out.
A couple of hands grabbed Alfred's shoulders and pulled him away, Gilbert turning towards the man holding Matthew.
"Take him away. He's part of the Kirkland crew. He is more valuable to us alive than dead." The man nodded, now aiming his pistol towards Matthew's neck instead, forcing him to start walking. "I'll…take care of my fellow officer." The other soldiers followed to make sure their prisoner arrived at the base, leaving Gilbert and Alfred behind.
Gil looked out over the water, already knowing Arthur would be nowhere to be seen now but they would search for him. He wouldn't be able to swim too far. He then turned his ruby gaze towards Alfred instead, now letting go of his shoulders.
"So… I guess I have to take back every time I've said I would defeat your brother… He almost killed me." Gilbert didn't really know how he should handle the situation so he did whatever came naturally to him, joking.
"He's alive… And a pirate…" Alfred felt his knees buckle and before he knew it he was sitting on the cold stone, tears now streaming down his cheeks. "A bloody pirate…" His nails dug into the cracks in the stone as he clenched his jaw.
"We shouldn't stay here for too long, Alfred… You have to talk to Ludwig before he decides that you are a traitor for being related to a pirate." Gilbert sighed quietly before he grabbed Alfred's arm, pulling him up on his feet once more. "Perhaps…you can convince him to not hurt your brother too much. But for that you should hurry. He is probably already at the base by now."
Alfred nodded slightly, feeling how his head was spinning but he started to move, walking over the dead bodies of his fallen friends, cut down by his own brother. He had to hold back the urge to puke as he made his way towards the marine base, ignoring the looks he got from the soldiers that were heading out. Some of them to take care of the fallen soldiers but most of them out to hunt for Arthur.
Soon he stood in front of a broad, metal door that led into the office of Ludwig. He took a deep breath before he knocked and then opened, walking straight into the lion's den.
"Captain. I… Please, let me see my brother."