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Chapter 3: Lingua Romae
"Dieu! Where did dis storm come fr'm!" Bella shrieked as she shook some rain from her hair. She threw her hair over her head and began to wring the water out when she noticed the couple in the corner.
"Well, if dis isn' a charmin' picture." Bella sneered as she approached the pair and placed a hand on her hip. Rogue lifted her head slightly and looked up to see a very angry Belladonna peering down at her.
Realizing her closeness to the Cajun, Rogue jumped up and suddenly missed the heat of his embrace. Silently cursing the blonde, Rogue asked, "What are ya doin' here Bella?"
"I could ask y' de same t'ing, mon ami." Bella countered.
"We were gettin' out of the rain." Rogue replied stepping a little closer to Remy who was still seated on the dirt floor.
"Well den, y' g't de answer t' y'r own question." Bella replied. "Mind if I take a seat, mon coeur?" Bella implored as she approached Remy and sat down beside him.
"Non, go righ' ahead." Remy replied as he stood and walked away. Bella glared at his back as he sauntered to the other side and then turned her attention to Rogue, who was smirking.
"So, have y' two had any luck locatin' dat map? Or have y' been too busy makin' eyes at one 'nother?"
Remy turned and leaned back against the wall of the cave. "We were jus' bout t' have a lil'… parley, us captains." Remy said as he cast Rogue a quick wink. "Good timin'."
"Wouldn' miss it for de world! Hmph… So, where have y' looked?" Bella asked.
"Well, Remy 'ready looked along de southern coast an' de river banks. How bout y', chere?" Remy turned to Rogue and lifted a knowing eyebrow.
-Damn, think of somethin' quick, girl- "Ah…ummm… checked the forested expanses to the east, but nothin'… caught mah eye." –Well, it's not a complete lie.-
"Really? Nothin', chere? Dat's too bad." Remy suppressed a small laugh as his mouth quirked upward ever so slightly. Rogue caught his reaction and found herself curious as to how much the Swamp Rat might actually know about her accidental delve into voyeurism.
Deciding that ignorance was better in this particular case, Rogue redirected some attention back onto Bella. "Now that ya know where we've been, how 'bout yourself?"
"Dere's some cliffs off t' de west of dese woods, but nothin' close t' what we're lookin' f'r. Otherwise, I've jus' been enjoyin' de scenery." Bella's gaze shifted back towards Remy with that last remark and her lips quirked at the memory. Remy was too preoccupied shuffling his cards, a nervous habit, and missed her change. Rogue did not.
"Ah suppose we're all in the same boat then, huh. A fine buncha pirates we're turnin' out ta be!" Rogue laughed. "Ah sure hope the others are havin' better luck. At least they're not stuck in a cold, dark cave with the Swamp Rat and Bayou Betty!"
"Ahh, chere, Remy can certainly think of worse comp'ny!" He smiled as he lifted his eyes to hers. "Been a while since Remy found h'mself alone in de presence of two such belle femmes."
Bella found a large rock projection and took a seat. Crossing her long legs, she began to slowly braid her hair. "If y' don' like de comp'ny, I'd suggest leavin'. Dere's nothin' holdin y' back, jus' a lil' rain n' dat shouldn't bother a river rat like y'. Aft'r all, I'd like some time alone wit Remy t' catch up. What's it been, cher, 'round two months?" Bella finished her braid with a small golden clasp that she pulled from a leather pouch attached to her black breeches. She spared a glance to Rogue to find that her spur had stuck home. Rogue was livid and her eyes were darkened…just the response she had expected. A movement from Remy drew her attention.
"Oui, Bella." Remy sighed as he walked towards the cave entrance and peered outside. "Jus' ov'r two months. But Remy mus' admit dat he don' remember partin' on de best o' terms."
"Desole, cher, leavin' y' dere alone was terrible. I don' know what came ov'r me." Bella stood and approached Remy swaying her curvaceous hips seductively as she moved closer and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Can y' forgive me, amour?"
Rogue quietly watched this exchange looking pensively at the pair. Her curiosity was peaked. She hadn't heard all the details of their parting, but there were rumors. She knew that something had happened near the port town of Port-au-Prince, and that the Devil's Lust had been held there for a fortnight. Beyond that she could merely speculate.
"Nothin' t' forgive, Bella. Y'are who y' are. No harm done."
"So dat's it…dat's all?" Bella asked taken slightly aback by his coolness.
"Oui," Remy turned to look her in the eyes, "Remy don't dwell on de past, an' dat's where it'll stay… in de past." He turned and walked back into the cave finally sitting opposite Rogue. Bella continued to stand at the entrance attempting to reconcile this unexpected rejection before returning to her previous seat.
"If ya don't mind meh askin', what exactly happened at Port-au-Prince? Ah heard some stories, but…" Rogue trailed off, and awaited a response from either party.
After a few moments when it seemed as though neither would answer, Remy looked to Rogue and their eyes locked. She noticed that the fiery pulse usually present in his eyes was gone and replaced by something else. Was it regret… pain… emptiness? In an instant the emotion faded and was replaced by the usual mask he wore.
"Non, chere, Port-au-Prince was inconsequential, jus' a lil' misunderstandin' 'tween me an' de authorities. Nothin' more." As Remy finished, he glanced back to Bella and then lowered his head, shuffling his cards. Bella uncharacteristically refused to make eye contact with either of the two, and Rogue instantly realized that there was much more to this story than either wanted to reveal. It would have to wait for a later time.
The rain slowed and Remy stood. "Looks like de rain 's ov'r. Remy be headed back t' de ship an' leave y' two femmes t' talk." He took Rogue by the hand and slowly pressed his lips to her palm. "À tout, mon chere."(1) With that, he departed without even a look in Belladonna's direction.
Rogue watched Remy leave. When he was out of sight, she looked at her hand and smiled an honest smile.
Turning back to Bella, who looked a little lost for words at the moment, Rogue said, "Seein' that it's getting' late, we should go our separate ways and continue this little search. Wouldn't ya agree Bella?"
"Oui, be glad t' get away fr'm y'." Bella quickly took the invitation to leave and did just that, walking out and turning in the opposite direction taken by Remy a few moments before.
-Well, that was certainly interestin'- Rogue thought as she looked around the cave and spotted something that had managed to slip her scrutiny before. In the back of the cavern was a small opening that led further into the darkness. Deciding that exploring a small passage would be slightly more bearable than walking aimlessly in the drizzling rain, Rogue began to feel her way down the channel.
Back aboard Neptune's Pearl…
"Oy, mates, let me out. I promise I'll be good! Please! I already apologized! Please let me go!" John pleaded as he attempted to wiggle out of the ropes that tied him securely to the tall backed chair.
"No way! Look at what you did to me! This was my favorite scarf! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find scarves like this!" Kitty screamed as she shoved the offensive scarf under John's nose.
"Ah, sheila, I said I was sorry! How was I supposed to know that the fire would get that high and spread to the napkin! I was trying to put it out! I didn't know!" John begged as he put on his most pathetic, pity inspiring expressions.
"What possibly made you think that grabbing a flaming, cloth napkin and waving it around in the air like a madman would help the situation? Not only did the flying embers singe my favorite scarf, but you nearly caught Wanda's hair on fire! Her hair!" Kitty threw her arms in the air and marched over to Piotr who was busy cleaning up the evidence left by John's latest disaster.
"I can't believe how well you're taking this Wanda. If it would've been my hair, I would've killed him. I'm like totally on the verge, and it was just my scarf." Kitty added as she looked over to a very quiet, restrained Wanda. Wanda shifted and an unintentional shiver ran down Kitty's spine when she caught the look in her friend's eyes. This was not good.
"Don't worry, Kitty. Look… the rain is finally letting up outside. Why don't you, Piotr, and Kurt take a break and commence the search. Leave John to me. I'll give him a proper punishment and then we'll join you." Wanda smiled devilishly at her friend and then pulled a small dagger from her knee-high boot. Spinning around to face John, Wanda began fingering the blade.
"Now, darlin'…gulp… what are ya goin' do with that blade?" John asked nervously as he began to squirm in his bonds.
"What? Oh, you mean this little thing? Hmmm…I'm not sure. Maybe…" Wanda trailed off as she quickly lifted arm and threw the dagger with deadly accuracy. Kurt's mouth became unhinged and Piotr couldn't stifle a small wince as they saw where the dagger had landed.
"WANDA! BLOODY HELL! YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME!" John yelped, having paled considerably.
Wanda slowly stalked over to John and grabbed the hilt of the dagger pulling it from the cushion of the chair where it was lodged nicely between his legs. She then ran her hands through his hair and said, "Don't worry, Johnny boy. No one's a better aim, and you'll do well to remember that the next time you feel the urge to unleash your inner pyro!"
"Ja…umm…perhaps ve should do as Vanda suggested." Kurt proposed having recovered from his initial shock.
"Yeah, I think it would be best if we split up and continue looking for that map. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can leave this island and give John back to Remy. Speaking of which, I wonder where the others are. Do you think they've already found what we're looking for?" Kitty asked.
"I doubt zey've had any success, Katja. Otherwise, we would've heard from zem by now. Would you join Kurt and me on our search, Katja? John and Wanda could search to ze east and we could take ze west, da?" Piotr asked as he took Kitty's hand.
"Sure, that sounds like a good idea. Wanda, you won't kill John will you? I don't think Remy would appreciate losing his first-mate."
"That would depend on John. Will you behave yourself or will another demonstration be in order?" Wanda asked John as she leaned on the back of the chair running her fingers over the ropes.
"No, no, no… I promise I'll be good. Really! Just untie me, please!" John implored.
"Fine." Wanda said as she pulled her dagger out once again and cut the ropes. John jumped from the chair and stretched his arms over his head with a beaming smile on his face.
"Thank you, luv!" John sung out grabbing Wanda by her wrists and proceeded to twirl her around the room.
"John, you better let go of me… NOW!" Wanda ordered. He quickly relinquished his grip and grinned sheepishly. "Uhh…Let's go before I change my mind." Wanda grabbed John by the arm and dragged him out of the room.
"Is it just me, or was that a little creepy? Do you think Wanda will kill him?" Kitty asked looking over to the two men left in the hall.
"It's hard to tell, Kätzchen. She is a hard voman to read, and John can test even the strongest of vills."
"Da, Remy is always telling us of John's 'accidents'. As close as he is to ze Aussie, I do believe it takes all his control at times not to string him to the yardarm." Piotr shook his head as he led the small group towards the deck so they could begin their search once again.
An hour later…
Remy was trudging forward with his exploration of the island. His clothes remained wet from the rain and he was becoming acquainted with some of the smaller inhabitants of San Bartolo, namely mosquitoes. –Dieu, Remy, what did y' get y'rself into?- Remy thought as he cut through some more of the overgrowth along his way.
Finally, the forest thinned and he could see the horizon in the distance. The sun was nearing the ocean's waters casting shadows back along the freshly cut trail. The sky was hung with rosy and apricot silks mingled with amethyst strands. Remy stood there, on the edge of the tree line, taking in the image before him. Soon, night would fall and it would be necessary to return to the safety of the ships.
As Remy watched the last rays cross the horizon, he caught a familiar scent on the evening air. A smell he knew all too well….smoke.
Looking down the beach, he saw smoke billowing from a large bonfire a short distance away. –Dat mus' be John- Remy thought as he spotted a tall figure dancing around the flames.
Over the past few years, Remy had come to know the Australian quite well. They had originally met in a small trading town in Jamaica and John was looking for a job. Angus, Remy's previous first mate, had been killed in a dispute over a card game one week prior, leaving a vacancy in his crew. John was an accomplished sailor and had a fierce spirit. He had just sailed from the recently established penal colony, Brisbane, and was the first Australian Remy had ever met. Needless to say, they hit it off immediately.
Of course, Remy did not discover all of John's idiosyncrasies right away. It quickly became increasingly clear that John had a small fetish for fire. In any other setting, this particular quirk would be no more than an oddity, but on a ship…a highly flammable ship…this obsession became dangerous. Remy found his vessel docked for repairs more times in the first few months of John's employment than he had in over three years of piracy. Anyone who happened to observe John's antics would surely find them highly amusing from a safe distance, but everyone has their limits.
Remy had attempted countless times to break John of his destructive habits, but to no avail. It was a hopeless cause. Eventually, Remy learned ways to control and isolate the damage while keeping John satisfied.
As Remy approached, he started to make out conversation above the crackling sounds of the fire.
"John, I thought you said that you were only going to build a small campfire?" Wanda sighed as she sat down on a nearby log and began cleaning a rabbit that she had killed earlier.
"Isn't it lovely, sheila? Look at the beautiful colors!" John began to laugh deeply as he continued his dance. "I am Lord of the Flame!"
Wanda decided to ignore John's madness and continue preparing their dinner.
"Is dis fool givin' y' problems, chere?" Remy asked as he stepped into view.
"Remy!...No, nothing I can't handle. Care to join us for a bite to eat?" Wanda placed the meat on a makeshift spit and it began to cook.
"Oui, merci. Did y' have any luck findin' de map?" Remy asked.
"No," Wanda said as she shook her head, "How about you? Where have you been all day?"
Remy was about to answer when John leapt down on the sand next to him.
"Oy, mate, am I glad to see ya! You won't believe what they did to me!" John shouted as threw another log into the growing fire.
"Don't y' t'ink dat fire 's high 'nough, John?" Remy raised a dark brow as he titled his head to the side causing a few strands of his auburn hair to fall into his face.
"Naw, I think it's just about right."
Remy and Wanda looked at each other and shook their heads, smiling. –God, love him- John may test their nerves, but neither could deny that life would be far less entertaining without their Aussie.
Wanda pulled the rabbit meat from the fire and divided it among the three of them. They ate by the light of the fire and shared stories of the day's adventures.
Meanwhile…
"I can't even see where de hell I'm goin'!" Bella shouted as she threw her arms up into the air in frustration. "I swear if I never see anot'er tree in my life, I'll die happy!"
Bella continued feeling her way through the trees and overgrowth attempting to find the Dark Ruby. Thoughts of the earlier conversation with Remy plagued her mind. She ran the words over and over again trying to see where she went wrong. –Dieu, dat man can be so stubborn!
"This is very güt, Kätzchen! Vere did you learn to cook like this?"
"Who 's dat?" Bella asked herself as she edged closer to the voices. "Hmmph, I should have known." Kitty, Piotr, and Kurt were seated near a small fire on the beach with Neptune's Pearl in the distance. Each held small bowls in their hands and were enjoying whatever meal Kitty had put together.
As Bella eavesdropped on their conversation, she learned that they had been as unsuccessful as she had been that day. Kurt stoked the fire and turned to take his seat next to his captain, while Kitty was seated comfortably on Piotr's left with her head resting on his broad shoulder. Kurt smiled as he watched Piotr wrap his arm around Kitty, and he thought back to the strange turn of events that brought them all together.
Four years ago, Kurt was sailing aboard the Callisto traveling from Germany back to the familiar waters of the Caribbean. He had just finished school in Austria and was expected to meet his sister in the port town of Bellefontaine. He would then join her on the Anna Marie and serve as the quartermaster. True, he had spent five years becoming an educated man of Europe, but the sea was still in his blood. Like Rogue, he was born and raised on that very same ship and always intended to be a part of that life again.
Kurt was sleeping in his quarters when a roar of volleys boomed and tore threw sections of the ship's mizzenmast. The Callisto was being fired upon. Kurt quickly dressed and went topside only to be met with thick black smoke and falling debris. Off the starboard railing, Kurt spotted the outline of a ship through the haze. He pushed his way towards the quarterdeck and spotted the captain standing near the wheel.
"Vhat is happening!" Kurt yelled over the confusion.
"They're after our cargo! Get back below!" Captain Worthington shouted as he turned to face the young man.
"Can ve hold them off?"
"No, they'll be boarding us soon. We don't have the firepower to match the Neptune's Pearl!" Worthington yelled as he shifted to bellow commands to the crew below.
The fight was short-lived. Piotr easily took control of the smaller ship and claimed the prize he was after. The Callisto was transporting guns and powder to Jamaica. There are few richer cargos to be taken, and now it was his. Piotr's crew lined the surviving passengers and Worthington's crew on the deck. Most of the survivors were taken aboard the Neptune's Pearl and locked away in the hold. A few select men were left aboard the Callisto to help sail the vessel to St. Lucia where they could sell both the ship and cargo.
Kurt was taken to the Neptune's Pearl and was put to work along with a few of the other passengers unfortunate enough to have selected Worthington's ship as their transport. Over the course of the weeks it took to reach their destination, Kurt became well acquainted with the men of the Neptune's Pearl and its captain. He was a truly talented seaman and had a penchant for negations, which were valuable traits to have when dealing with the men who graced the ranks of this crew.
When they finally arrived at their destination, Piotr sold the cargo for a handsome price and released the men. The Callisto was sold to an Elizabeth Braddock, a wealthy British colonist, who eventually returned the vessel to Captain Worthington. Kurt was offered a permanent position in the crew, and he accepted after a day's consideration. He wrote his sister to apprise her of his plans and then began his new life aboard the Neptune's Pearl. Kurt started out as a gunner on the ship, but quickly climbed the ranks to first-mate. It was only a few months after his initial encounter with Captain Rasputin when he finally met up with his sister once again.
Rogue sent an invitation for Kurt to join her at Martinique for the yearly spring festivities, a tradition that was started by their mother years prior. She insisted that the 'pickings' were much too great to be missed. It was agreed, and they set sail for the small island.
It had been five years since he had seen his sister and was anxious to see how she faired. When the ship docked, it didn't take Kurt long to locate the Anna Marie. Rogue was walking the deck inspecting the ship, when she spotted Kurt running along the dock.
"Kurt!" Rogue yelled as she waved her arms in the air.
"Rogue! Can I come aboard?" Kurt asked as he approached the ship.
"Well, let meh think… O' course, get up here!" Rogue barely finished as Kurt ran onto the deck and embraced his sister in a fierce hug.
"Mein schwester, I brought someone vith me. He vould like to meet you." Kurt said as he looked over his shoulder towards the dock.
"Kurt, if ya are tryin' ta settle meh down with a man, Ah'll have ya know that Ah don't need one nor do Ah want one!" Rogue replied as she placed her hands on her hips and glared at her brother.
"No, no, no…" Kurt quickly replied as he shook his head, "He's my captain, the one I told you about. He has heard stories about you, and vhen I asked if I could come to meet you, he wanted to be introduced."
"Ah suppose. Why don't ya bring him ta the ship tonight? We can get ta know each other and ya can tell meh about your time away." Rogue suggested.
"That sounds güt. I'll bring him back here around seven o'clock. Danke!"
Kurt ran off the ship and returned with Piotr later that evening. The three ate, drank, and discussed all manners of things as the hours progressed. It was early in the morning when Wanda and Kitty returned to the ship from their own adventures ashore, and were introduced to the men. Kitty was obviously taken with Piotr immediately.
The five continued talking into the wee hours of the morning. Kurt regaled everyone with tales of his time in Germany and travels throughout Europe, while Piotr and Rogue exchanged stories of their exploits.
At the end of their visit, Kurt promised to stay in touch with Rogue and the two embraced once again. Piotr took Kitty by the hand and placed a small kiss on the back of her palm, a trick he learned from a friend. Before they parted ways, Rogue offered Piotr her aid when needed and he returned the offer. Several friendships and allegiances were made that day stemming from one fated voyage on an unfortunate ship.
Kurt was drawn from his thoughts when Kitty asked him a question.
"Vhat?" Kurt asked.
"Kurt, I think I heard something moving around over there. Did you hear it?" Kitty asked as she pointed to an incline covered with bushes behind Kurt.
"Nein, Kätzchen. I'm sorry, but I didn't hear anything."
Bella had been watching the three for a few minutes. Kitty and Piotr had been conversing privately with each other while Kurt appeared to be in deep thought. After a small interruption, which she could only assume resulted from speculation over noises in the distance, the group continued their conversations.
"Dieu, they're speakin' too softly again." Bella inched her way closer to the group. She wanted to hear any plans they were making since she was certain they wouldn't share that information with her willingly. When this expedition had started, she had hoped that she could form an allegiance with Remy among other things, but that possibility was fading. She would have to find other means to get what she wanted.
The rain from earlier in the day had thoroughly soaked the ground of the island, and the darkness of night made it nearly impossible for Bella to see what was directly in front of her. She inched closer and closer, when suddenly the ground began to slip out from under her feet.
"AAAAAAHH!" A scream pierced the night and Piotr, Kurt, and Kitty jumped to their feet.
"What was that?" Piotr asked, "Kitty, stay here. Kurt and I'll go investigate."
"Okay..." Kitty responded as she took her seat near the small fire.
Kurt and Piotr approached the spot where they felt the scream had originated from. As they got closer, they could hear some colorful French curses. "Fils de pute!"
The men couldn't contain their laughter when they saw an irate Belladonna trying to crawl out of the mud that she managed to slide into from a hillside above.
"Are y' jus' goin' stand dere, or are y' goin' t' help me!" Bella shrieked.
The two men were laughing so hard, they couldn't respond. Kitty heard Kurt and Piotr and ran to see what was so funny. She arrived just in time to see Bella fall back into the mud getting even more mud into her long blonde hair.
"Hey, Bella! When they say mud can be good for your complexion, I don't think that's what they mean!" Kitty exclaimed.
"Va te faire foutre!" Bella shouted as she crawled her way out of the mud and onto the sand of the beach. Now covered in sand and mud, Bella stomped off to find the Dark Ruby refusing to look back at the three snickering fools.
Back in the caverns…
"Why did Ah think this would be a good idea?" Rogue asked herself as she crawled through the dark, wet channel.
She had been working her way slowly through the passage for the past two hours. She imagined that night had arrived not long ago, not that it mattered since there was little light in the tunnel to begin with.
Suddenly the channel opened up into an airy cavern. Rogue looked around her new surroundings and found that the tunnel had led her to a grotto near the water's edge. She could hear the ocean's waves smashing against the rocks outside and smell the salty sea air.
A beam of moonlight illuminated a niche on the far wall drawing Rogue's attention. When she was close enough to inspect the hollow, she saw an inscription in a foreign tongue. -Ah guess this might be what Ah'm lookin' for.- Rogue thought as she ran a finger over the unfamiliar words.
"Well, Ah can't read this, but Ah think Ah know someone who can." Rogue said to herself and took out her journal and scribbled down the words as they appeared in the inscription.
After she double checked the accuracy of her note, Rogue placed the journal back into the inner pocket of her vest. She climbed to the large mouth of the grotto, which opened up onto the water. There was a ship in the distance, the Devil's Lust. She could recognize its formidable outline in the moonlight. –At least Ah'm close ta mah ship.- Rogue thought remembering that she docked nearby as she dived into the water and began to swim towards the shore.
Everyone, save Bella and Rogue, had met back on the Anna Marie. After an unsuccessful day of searching, they were discussing the plans for the next morning and enjoying a few rounds of ale.
All were so caught up in their discussions and drinking, no one noticed a soggy and slightly agitated Rogue standing in the doorway of the cabin.
"Ah'm glad y'all are so concerned for mah wellbein'!" Rogue shouted as she sat in a chair and started to peel off her knee-high boots.
"Rogue!" Kitty and Kurt shouted simultaneously.
"Chere, glad y' decided t' join us." Remy smirked as he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on her table.
"Can it, Swamp Rat, and get yer feet off mah table!" Rogue ordered and then turned to Kurt and the others. "Ah take it that none of ya have had any luck locatin' what we're lookin' for?"
"No, we couldn't find anything on this godforsaken island. John and I looked all over the eastern portions, while Kurt, Piotr, and Kitty took the west." Wanda explained as she began to pour Rogue a drink of brandy.
"Yeah, and Remy looked to the south, but didn't find anything either. We don't know where Bella looked, but we're pretty sure she didn't find anything considering her mood." Kitty added and giggled.
"What's so funny?" Rogue asked lifting a brow.
"Nothing…I'll tell you about it later." Kitty smiled and exchanged glances with Piotr and Kurt, who were also smiling.
"Well, while y'all were enjoyin' yourselves, Ah came up with somethin'." Rogue said as she pulled her small leather journal from her vest. "Ah think this may be what we were lookin' for. It's not a map, but Erik could've been wrong. Ah think this is a clue that will lead us ta the next piece. Kurt, do ya know this language? I can't make it out."
Rogue handed Kurt her journal and pointed to the note she had taken on the inscription.
"Petite lapidem nigriorem quam noctem et prognatum ex igne cum margine acriore quam chalybe. Ibi invenietis ductorem requisitum incasum ab rota Morettiae." Kurt recited the words.
"Well?"
"It's Latin. I think it says 'Seek the stone, dark as night and born from fire with an edge sharp as steel. There you will find the guide you need engraved by Morettian wheel.' Vhere did you find this, schwester?" Kurt asked.
"When the rain came this afternoon, Ah ran into a cave…" Rogue paused and looked over to Remy before continuing, "…and Ah found a passage that led to a grotto near the sea. This inscription was carved into one of the walls. Do ya know what it means?"
"I t'ink I do, chere." Remy stood and placed his drink on the table. Everyone turned to him and waited for an explanation.
"I've seen it before." Remy added.
"Ze inscription?" Piotr asked.
"Non, not de inscription…de stone. Actually, it's a necklace."
"Where did ya see it, and what makes ya think it's the same one?" Rogue asked.
"It's in Port Royal. And t' answer yer second question, I've nev'r seen a stone as black as dat one… obsidian, I t'ink. Y' also mentioned Morettian, right? Well, the artisan dat created dat necklace was Valerio Moretti, a Venetian glass worker." Remy turned and looked out the window of Rogue's cabin.
"Zat makes since, comrade. Obsidian is a volcanic stone and can be extremely sharp. Where in Port Royal did ya see zis?" Piotr asked as he walked over to Remy and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Hmph…" Remy shook his head, "A woman was wearin' it."
"O' course the Swamp Rat remembers it! It has to do with a woman! Ah'm not surprised!" Rogue lowered her glass and glared at Remy.
"Jealous, chere?" Remy smirked.
"Ah don't think so! Keep dreamin', darlin'! How do we even know if this woman lives in Port Royal? She could've been visitin' or she may not even have it anymore!" Rogue exclaimed and started pacing around the room.
"I'm sure she still has it, chere. It was a gift from her père, Professor Conoway. Once somethin' 's in dat family, it stays in de family." Remy explained and moved over to the maps on Rogue's desk. "We're only a day's voyage away from de port."
"I guess that means we're going to Port Royal!" Kitty declared happily and moved to mark their course.
"Guess so, petit."
The captains continued to discuss their plans for the next day, before finally parting ways. Remy and John rowed over to the Devil's Lust using the same dinghy Rogue had brought from the shore earlier. Wanda and Kitty dropped Piotr and Kurt off on the beach so they could make their way back to their ship. The next morning, they all would set sail for Port Royal and try to track down the daughter of Professor Conoway.
1 Literally, "Within the hour, my dear", but is a cute way to say "see you soon".
A/N: Yes, Sekhmet Conoway will be making an appearance in the next chapter. She's a character from the comics, who slightly obsesses over Gambit. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to have the next chapter up shortly!
