A week had passed aboard the pirate ship, each day beginning with Smee bringing her a choice between two dresses, followed by the every day experiences that accompany a pirate vessel. Hook ignored her since their dance, and she didn't expect much otherwise. She had no desire to be around him anyway (especially after the weird way he'd affected her that night), so she tried her best to stay out of the way of the crew as they did their daily duties. She learned so much about manning a ship, from washing down the cannons and making sure the gunpowder remained dry to running sails and securing ropes. The whole vessel was fascinating once she knew the intricacies of it, and she even began to help here and there, tying off a rope or helping the cook to wash out his pots after breakfast.
In a strange way, she became a member of the crew without ever trying, but they never expected anything from her. As she grew to know the men, she understood they wouldn't lay a hand on her but had developed a unique respect for her. She may be a pile of gold waiting to be claimed for their captain, but the crew saw her as one of them. When they teased her now, it was in good humor, and they danced with her during their nightly song and dance before bedtime. She never saw Hook dancing among them again, but she noticed him watching them from time to time.
She also observed the way the crew interacted with their master. Hook was clearly the leader, and they actually respected him and wanted to serve him. The loyalty there was astounding, but seeing the honor among thieves was the most surprising of all. She had imagined them all as shallow caricatures of people instead of the complex human beings they were. They had committed murder and pillaged and done innumerable deeds (all recounted around the dinner table or while they messed with the rigging during a day's work), but there were reasons for what they did. They didn't kill or steal for the sake of committing a crime. Red didn't know if she would ever fully understand their motives, but she understood she couldn't judge them only by what she saw.
On the seventh day after Hook had first invited her out of her cell, she was awoken to a loud cry, "Land ho!"
Sitting up groggily, she rubbed her eyes, and as the words sank in, a chill ran through her. This would be her last day alive. Her heart leapt painfully in her chest, and she glanced around as if looking for something that could save her life. There was nothing nearby save for the water and untouched crackers Smee always left for her at night.
A shadow covered the hatch, catching her eye, and her head snapped up to see the first mate descending the stairs, two outfits laid over his arms like every other morning. Rising to her feet, Red swallowed heavily and faced him, determined to wear her pride even to her death. Smee walked toward her, his usual joviality on his face as he offered her two options: a purple dress and a blue one.
"The last outfit I will wear, and I don't even get red as an option," she commented disappointedly.
"Oy, this won't be the last outfit you wear, lassy," Smee corrected. Frowning in confusion, she looked into his round face. "I heard the call for land..."
"Aye, we've reached the Port of No Hope," the first mate confirmed, as if that answered all of her questions.
"Is that... the trading port?" she asked, still confused. Hadn't Hook said the next time they reached land would be her last day?
Smee shook his head vehemently and chuckled at the question. "Not at all. The Port of No Hope is a place the crew likes to... 'let go'. The best grog on dry land, I'd say."
"So I won't be dying."
"You won't be dying," Smee confirmed with a pleasant smile. "A few of the men may get the clap, but that'll be about the worse of it." He smiled broadly, and Red almost laughed.
She was relieved she wouldn't be dying, but why had her death been prolonged? Perhaps the men just needed to be on land for a while. Still, she failed to realize the point of this venture. Why wouldn't Hook just get it over with? He'd been treating her more like a possession, unworthy of his attention, since the dance they had shared than he had before. So why not just end the charade? He clearly cared more about how much gold her pelt would bring him than about her as a human being. She wished he would stop prolonging the inevitable.
Despite her misgivings about this little 'stop', she chose the purple dress since it was as close to red as she seemed able to get and dressed swiftly as the sounds of the men agitating to get ashore spurred her excitement. A wistful desire to see land quickened her pace, and the excitement above board was tangible. She almost skipped as she followed Smee up the staircase into the sunlight, and she began looking around for the shore the moment her head lifted out of the darkness of the hold.
There it was. Sweet, sandy, mountainous land. Her heart swelled at the sight of it, and she hadn't realized how badly she missed having her feet on dry land until this moment. The port remained hidden by a wall of rock which jutted into the ocean, coming into view only as the ship rounded the protrusion. Buildings seemed crammed into the mountainous walls of the bay and ships floated lazily along the many docks in the water against the shore. No country's flag flew over the oceanside port, but the pirate flag waved proudly on its shore. This place remained out of the reaches of the kingdom, made more obvious by the fact she had never heard of this place until today.
"There it is, boys," came Hook's distinctive voice over the silence of the excited crew. The pirates began cheering as she turned to find him, catching sight of him standing in his usual place behind the steering wheel. His eyes were trained on the port, but, as if he felt her gaze on him, he looked down at her. A glint passed through his eyes and he looked away with that smirk on his lips. Frowning slightly, she turned back to admire the town as the ship sailed into the bay.
Dolphins frolicked beside the ship as it turned into the docks, and she actually laughed to herself as they clicked and waved their fins at her. Once she even thought she saw a mermaid, but it could have been a trick of light on the water. Seals sunbathed on the tip of the cove, their barks echoing over the water to the boat as it passed by. Seagulls swooped over the deck, stealing a few scraps of food left over from the night before.
Finally, the ship slid in beside the dock, rocking every other boat on each side from its wake, and the crew tied it down safely. The gangplank lowered to release them, and the men poured off the ship, disappearing into the town beyond. Moving after them, Red was caught short just as her foot touched the board that would release her from the ship.
"Not so fast, love," Hook scolded, his hand grabbing her wrist and pulling her back onto the ship. She almost lost her footing but defiantly caught herself and faced him, confusion and vexation crossing her face.
"What is this?" she asked, glancing pointedly at his restraining hand on her wrist. He released her and smiled sweetly.
"You are far too valuable to get lost on this island," he answered, his point made clear. She belonged to him, and she wasn't allowed to leave the boat.
Rage crested in her chest, her face turning red as her anger grew. "How dare you? Your crew gets to set foot on solid ground, and I'm to be confined on this blasted ship while you go carousing and drinking and having a merry time with yourself."
Hook shrugged and then nodded, "Well... yes. That's exactly it." He smiled pleasantly, which only served to piss her off more.
"You ass. I don't belong to you. Why don't you just kill me now and carry the pelt with you. I never asked to become a prisoner to this... stupid ship or to you!" Her anger would get her nowhere, but it relieved her to yell at him.
"I suppose I can understand your disappointment, but you see..." he stepped toward her, and the unwelcome memory of his arms pulling her tightly against him as their waltz ended returned powerfully to her. The sunlight illuminated his light eyes, reflecting the purple of her dress in their unreadable depths. Setting her jaw, she glared insolently at him as he smiled patronizingly down at her. "...You do belong to me, until I decide otherwise." He reached up and touched the ruby talisman hanging around her neck, lifting it easily where she'd been incapable of moving it even an inch.
He saw the impotent frustration in her eyes as he moved it, and he grinned victoriously. He received a wicked satisfaction by knowing his power over her irritated her so badly. "And if I killed you now, then I run the risk of the pelt not keeping its shape or losing it or... it's just too complicated. So, for now, I wish for you to remain alive."
"Now, my crew and I will busy ourselves 'carousing', as you so distinctly put it," he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "And bedding plenty of wenches, I'm sure, and when we've had our fill, we shall return."
Red rolled her eyes, disgusted by the pirate captain's crass choice of words. Although she knew he'd said it for her benefit, it still heated her to hear it. The thought of him having sex with any woman he wanted chafed her more than she liked to admit. His lack of respect for sex offended her (a woman who had vowed to remain a virgin by her own choice, having never found a man worthy of that prize), and imagining him fucking some random whore irked her. She was unsure why his words rankled her so badly, and she crossed her arms as she moved away from him in stony silence.
"Smee will remain onboard to keep an eye on you until I return," Hook confirmed, checking his sword to be sure it was secured in the scabbard on his hip.
"Don't catch anything from your whores," she remarked sardonically, her green eyes flashing. "The last thing I would want is for you to die of some sexually-transmitted ailment before I got the chance to kill you myself." Hook actually laughed at her words, tipping his head to her and disappearing down the dock into the bustling pirate city.
She watched him until he was swallowed up by the buildings, and then she sat down in a frustrated heap on the deck as Smee approached her, offering her some water. She accepted it without a thank you and leaned her forehead against the railing, watching the land floating in her view, so close yet so far away.
"You don't go ashore?" she asked finally, sensing Smee's presence never too far from her, always keeping watch in case she decided to bolt for the shore.
The first mate shrugged noncommittally and tightened a rope on the rigging. "It's not all it's cracked up to be, lassy. Besides, there are too many bad types looking for the likes of me for me to venture on land."
Red snorted. "And your precious Hook is safe from these types?" She eyed him doubtfully as he smiled innocently.
"His reputation proceeds him in a different way than my own. I was a black market trader before I found occupation on this ship. There are quite a few people who'd fancy me dead outside of the protection of the cap'n."
Red nodded comprehendingly. "There are quite a few people who would enjoy your captain's head on a silver plate for capturing me, I'll tell you. The prince and princess won't stand for it, you know."
Smee smiled excitedly, almost bouncing with enthusiasm. "I'm sure they wouldn't, but the cap'n's not afraid of the likes of them. The ocean is its own world, miss. Even your prince and princess can't reach us here."
A regrettable part of her knew he was right. In the brief time she'd been on board the ship, she felt the difference. The pirates were in their element on the sea. Even Charming wouldn't touch them there. He was headstrong and brave enough to try, she was sure, but she wouldn't want him to do so. Even if it meant the end of her own life, she wouldn't want her friends to risk their own lives against men who were so seasoned on the waves. Perhaps it was selfish, but she would rather lose her own live than lose her friends in the process of a futile rescue mission.
Surely Snow would have already noticed her missing and sent out search parties for her. Granny most definitely would have been searching already. The old woman had many connections in the kingdom, but Red doubted either of them could have tracked her to the pirates. At least not yet. A growing part of her hoped they never would. She didn't want a war starting because of her. She would give Hook his pelt, and her friends would stay safe.
The sun had begun setting, and Killian was tipsy but not drunk. He'd had a few pints of grog, but he took alcohol well. Plus, it wasn't his intention to get drunk tonight. He needed to forget certain things, but he didn't want to let his guard down completely. Wenches clustered around him as he sat with his booted feet up on the rickety wooden table, his hook laid across the chair beside him and his good hand free to pinch girls as they walked past him. Their giggles and trembling bodies took his mind off of the defiant woman he'd left behind on his ship. As his thoughts flitted over her for the umpteenth time that night, he took a deep sip of his grog and laughed at some asinine joke one of his crew made.
He was the dreaded Captain Hook of the high seas; he wasn't about to become undone over some woman. He'd given what he thought he had left of a heart to Milah, and that had tumbled down around him when Rumplestiltskin killed her. Never having thought he would feel that sort of pain, he had closed himself down, turning into the dread landlubbers felt when they heard his name. Since, he had devoted himself to finding that crocodile and destroying him. Then the wolf-girl appeared and distracted him.
Captain Hook hated distractions.
A busty woman leaned over in front of him, pulling him out of his daydreams as her breasts bounced in his line of sight. Looking up at her out of the tops of his dark-rimmed eyes, he smiled his crooked grin and reached up to touch the bottom of her chin with his good hand.
"You wan' a ride, sailor?" she asked, her island accent thick as she squeezed the words out over her full lips. Killian smiled with amusement and pulled his feet off of the table, quickly wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down into his lap.
"What do you think, wench?" he asked teasingly as the woman laughed a lusty laugh. Lifting her and setting her on her feet, he allowed her to lead him to one of the many rooms in the inn.
She pushed him backward onto the poorly built bed which took up most of the room (what use was other furniture when the room was designed for sex?), and he feigned a stumble which took him to his back on the mattress. Hiking her skirts up around her wide waist, she climbed over him, her lipstick having run from kissing too many pirates in one night. Running his hand up her leg, he felt the heat of her skin and, for the first time, was mildly disappointed with how easy this all was. He always enjoyed a challenge, but whores like this one literally threw themselves at him. No matter. He was here for the physical enjoyment of it all, not to criticize the ease of the situation.
Undoing the ties on his black pants, she began pushing them away from his body before sitting up and releasing the strings at the back of her bodice, her massive breasts bouncing jovially in his face as she leaned back over. Her kisses were wet and frantic against his face and neck, and he found himself lost. He wasn't lost in her, however. He was lost in the moment and had moved past it into his daydreams once more.
Without willing it, he closed his eyes and saw her over him. Not the brazen whore who literally shared the bed with him, but the recalcitrant female he'd left behind on his ship. She was thinner but remained busty without being overly endowed. He imagined her skin as a soft thing, like silk and porcelain combined. Her black curls fell around his face as she kissed him, her soft skin pressing into his rougher hide, thickened by the salty air.
He wouldn't have her; couldn't have her. The thought enraged him in a reckless sort of irrational jealousy, and he gripped the whore by her hips, twisting their bodies so he hovered over her. His blue eyes flashed dangerously, and he saw the fear in her eyes. Good. That was what he deserved: a healthy respect. He was in charge in this show.
He took what he needed, not bothering to be gentle. The pirate in him took over completely, and he only barely managed to stay a step above ravaging the woman. She screamed her pleasure, but even as he reached his peak, he knew this wasn't what he wanted. He couldn't get her out of his mind. The whole purpose of this trip to the shore had been to erase his growing interest in the wolf-girl, and he had failed.
His thoughts were interrupted as the door to the dilapidated room swung open wildly, its hinges creaking in protest, revealing a burly man glaring angrily at him. Standing and cinching his pants, Killian offered him a kindly smile, unaffected by the imposing figure who appeared well-able to snap him in half.
"No rush; I'm done with her, mate," he commented with a pleasant grin. The whore cringed in the bed, whispering the man's name in a fearful voice, "Otis..."
Otis growled animalistically at him, and Killian's brow furrowed as he held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Truthfully, I'm finished. No need for dramatics."
He moved to exit the room, but the burly man stepped to the side, blocking his exit. Shit, he thought to himself. The smell of rum and sweat clouded around the bear-like Otis, and Killian imagined this wasn't going to end well.
A minute later he found himself flying down the staircase and landing heavily on one of the many wooden tables in the tavern on the first floor, the air knocked from his lungs as the table split beneath his weight. Coughing, he sat up and shook his head as his crew looked around in confusion and then anger. They rose from their seats as Killian pushed himself to his feet, watching Otis with a dark glint in his blue eyes.
"You pay for whores, pirate," Otis growled. Killian smiled darkly and shook his head. "No, I pay for skill. Your girl had none."
The affront was too much for the ogre, and he roared, lumbering down the stairs after the captain and his crew. "Out, now!" he yelled to his crewmates, urging them out the door of the inn and into the night beyond.
They escaped the hot, sweaty environment and began the race to the ship. Unfortunately, Otis was not alone, and his friends were armed. Equally as unfortunate was the simple fact that weapons were permitted in the Port of No Hope. Hearing a gunshot behind him, Killian stopped to see one of his lagging pirates had been shot through the lower leg by another burly man. Otis thundered out of the inn and joined with his compadres who materialized out of the darkness, advancing on the retreating pirates.
Stopping, Killian returned to the man, pulling his head into his lap and slapping his face to keep him conscious as he reeled with the pain of the gunshot wound. "Stay with me. We're going to get you back to the ship, but I have to deal with a little issue first. Stay awake, okay?" It was more of a request than an order, but the man nodded in agreement.
Looking up at the lumbering giants advancing on him, each with his own firearm or massive wooden club, Killian found himself wishing he hadn't brought a sword to a gunfight.
Red sat leaning against the railing staring wistfully into town as the sun set and plunged her into darkness. It wasn't until she heard a raucous echo from the shore that she sat up and squinted into the night. The crew raced for the ship, most of them drunk and many of them only half-clothed. A notable member of their party was missing, however they all started babbling before she could ask them what had become of their captain.
"The cap'n's been cornered!"
"Smitty got shot!"
"Cap'n stopped and went back for 'im!"
Their comments overlapped one another and became a garbled mess of a tale, but Red gathered the general point of it. Hook had gone back for an injured member of the crew, and the two men had been left behind. Glancing at Smee to assess his reaction, she knew the man was stressed at the thought of his master in danger, and she had to admit (although she had no love for the man) she regretted a crewmate being left behind. The two made eye contact, and a subtle agreement passed between them. She was the only one in any shape to do anything about the situation, and she was free to go.
Leaping down the gangplank, she reveled in the feel of her feet on the dock even if it wasn't quite solid ground. Her purpose to intervene in whatever mess Hook had gotten himself into was firm in her mind, but her elation at seeing the sand overtook her. She leapt gleefully into it, landing on all fours to catch her balance as inertia threw her forward. Tossing it up around her, she reminded herself why she had been allowed to leave the ship in the first place, and she listened to the city.
Off to her right, she heard angry voices and the occasional lilt of a very familiar, and very irritating, pirate. Turning toward the muffled conversation, she glided into the shadows, unsure how to intervene. She wasn't surprised as she rounded the corner of a building to see Hook standing between his crewman and a group of hulking giants. None of them looked terribly pleased, and she would have laughed at his misfortune if she hadn't been worried about the man bleeding on the ground. She may have no affection for the captain, but she'd grown to feel a kindred spirit in his crew, and she knew Smitty as one of the happier, easygoing men. Begrudgingly, she would have to save Hook as well, but she supposed that was little cost to pay in the long run. Perhaps her good deed would even warrant her freedom. Doubtful, but there was no reason to dwell on the negative.
Stepping from the shadows, she walked toward the men, no idea of how to enter the situation other than the bad plan of simply walking toward them. Her presence caught the attention of the lead giant and Hook simultaneously, and neither of them looked terribly thrilled to have her join them. She fumbled for something to say, but the hulking man removed the necessity from her.
"How about I take your whore from you in payment?" the man growled, taking Red by surprise. What was he talking about? Then she remembered the unpleasant conversation she'd shared with the captain before he'd departed for shore. Now, my crew and I will busy ourselves 'carousing', as you so distinctly put it, and bedding plenty of wenches, I'm sure, and when we've had our fill, we shall return. She would have laughed at the absurdity of it all if she wasn't suddenly under the gauntlet due to his negligence below his waistline. Suddenly, one of the men grabbed her in his beefy hands, lifting her partly off the ground even as she kicked and protested.
"Let me down!" she griped. He set her on her feet, but her arms remained pinned behind her back, rendering her helpless and fuming with aggravation. She had been allowed to touch land in order to rectify this situation, and she hadn't gotten a word out before she'd become another casualty in Hook's game.
He watched her with a deep-seated chagrin as one of the gang tagged her up so easily. Memories of his unsatisfactory time with the whore came flooding back to him at the sight of her, her chest rising and falling with irritation at being accosted in such a way. Surely she didn't care for his well-being, and he knew her well enough to know she didn't appreciate being tossed around like someone's puppet. His eyes couldn't resist taking a short assessment of her, and his gaze lingered on the ruby around her neck. An idea sprang to his mind along with numerous other thoughts that were far too obscene to toy with at this particular time and place. As the wolf-girl glared at him and struggled futilely against her captor, Killian smiled kindly up at Otis.
"I will offer a trade then, a form of payment if you will," he proposed with a pleasant smile on his face.
Red's growing irritation flourished as she imagined what this trade would be. Would he skin her now, going against his promise that he would keep her alive a while longer, just to save his own hide? Would he offer her as some whore to these giants of men to get himself out of a petty debt he owed them? Many possible outcomes steeped in her mind, none of them positive, and she wanted to strangle him. That coy smirk on his face disgusted her, and she hoped he would rot in the deepest Hell for using her as a bartering chip.
Showing no fear at all, Hook glided toward the group, seeming to slide across the earth in his smooth gait. His eyebrows rose, and she realized she could smell a mixture of the salty sea and sandalwood on him as he grew closer. He smelled like a ship on the ocean, wild and untameable. A small part of her related to that part of him, recognizing a like spirit for the first time in the man she'd despised from the moment he'd announced she was his prisoner. Despite that, she admired him for boldly standing up to these men, even if she hated him for offering her as his trade.
"What do you have that I would want?" Otis asked, glancing over his shoulder at Red as he spoke. He smiled licentiously and flicked her under her chin, causing her to shrink away from him in disgust. "This one is delicious looking though. I'll bet she's a lynx in the bedroom."
"You have no idea," Hook remarked, garnering a glare from her as he smiled at his own joke. His eyes flashed as he made eye contact with her, and for a moment, she realized he had another plan in mind. Willing to give him the opportunity to redeem himself, she watched intently as he unwound his plan.
"She's not for trade, however," the pirate continued, and Red raised an eyebrow. Of course he wouldn't give away his most important treasure. She should have known better. "I have a better offer for you."
He had reached her now, and turned to look into her green eyes with his blue ones. She saw the spark again, and as he reached his good hand toward her, she instantly knew his plan. She couldn't explain how she knew, but a silent understanding passed between them, and she set her jaw in preparation for the punchline. He took her hand, guiding her away from the man who held her, the man releasing her to allow the seller to show his wares. The touch of his fingers on her wrist was like fire, and adrenaline coursed through her veins as the excitement for the plan blossomed in her mind. Reaching up with his hook, he lifted the ruby talisman from her chest, dangling it in the lamplight so the stone caught the light in every facet. It was mesmerizing, even to her, and she had to focus to keep herself under control.
Seeing her realization and agreement bolstered his confidence, and Killian eased into the deception of the sell. These simpletons would believe they had acquired a great treasure (unwillingly sold by a pirate in a necessary sale to free himself from certain harm), but they would get more than they bargained for. During this time, Smitty had inched across the square into the shadows where Smee had appeared to lift him and carry him as swiftly as possible to the ship. The gang paid this no mind, so enraptured by their soon-to-be-won fortune.
Lifting the ruby from around her neck, he moved her black hair aside and allowed it to fall in bouncing curls down her back as the necklace came free. The men didn't notice the silent showdown happening between the captain and his quarry as he freed her from the spell that controlled her wolf side. He knew giving her this freedom may mean she would run and he would never catch her again. She knew it was a price he had to risk to save himself and his crew. Part of his soul begged her to come back to him for reasons he couldn't understand, and part of him knew she never would.
As the necklace swung free of her hair, Red felt her power course through her veins, a burning sensation that wasn't pleasant and almost caused her to gasp. She was free. She was no longer his prisoner. The elation at the realization was almost too much to bear. Smitty was gone, saved by Smee from the shadows, and she could easily shapeshift and leave Hook to die at the hands of these men. She contemplated it for the briefest of moments before she realized she wouldn't do it. She wasn't like him. She wouldn't betray him that way, even if she hated him.
"I will trade you this for my freedom and the freedom of the lass as well," Hook offered, dangling the magnificent gem in front of the men. He needed to give her enough time to fully regain her powers if this was going to work. "What do you say?"
"What is a girl in the face of the wealth that pretty bauble would give us?" Otis asked, his mates nodding and grunting in agreement. He reached for the necklace, but instead, overreached and grabbed Hook's arm as well. "You, on the other hand, will be fun to kill, and then we'll spend the money we earned from you."
Heat ran through Red's veins as she felt the wolf take over. She stood a foot away from Hook as the fur sprouted over her porcelain skin and her eyes flowed red. Fangs grew in her mouth, and an angry snarl reverberated around the square as the beautiful young woman shapeshifted into a bloodthirsty wolf. The last thing she saw before she lunged for Otis's throat was the ruby talisman fall to the sand beneath their feet.