Flints crew were the first to get to the sister.
Whereas the crew of The Ranger were all occupying themselves in the tavern or the brothel, the men of The Walrus were making their way back to their own ship. They were familiar with Amadeo and his crew, as Amadeo and Flint had been good friends and often spent time in the tavern laughing over old tales with a cup full of rum.
But neither of them knew about the brother and his sister and their four cloaked friends.
Flint had found it strange. Strange that Amadeo, a man who had apparently fought a wolf with his bare hands and survived many a circumstance that should have saw him dead, had so carelessly allowed a venomous snake to slip onto his ship and take his life.
He found it stranger still that the brother of the newcomers had assumed captaincy, especially when Amadeo had talked of his quartermaster filling the role when the time came. Or had it been part of the old man's plan to let everyone assume such a thing and then surprise them with something completely different?
Was Amadeo even dead? The Dream Thief hadn't even brought back a body, was he hiding away in some little town on a secret island planning something? The captain of The Dream Thief had always been one for elaborate schemes after all.
Whatever was going on, the sister and her brother were the ones centre to it all.
Since Eleanor had the brother cooped up in her office, the sister was there best source for information, and so he sent Billy Bones to suss her out. He was the best candidate for the role, people couldn't help but want to trust Billy; but unknown to them as of yet, the girl didn't trust anyone, and she didn't need to.
Billy watched her as she navigated crewmates with baskets and boxes and barrels to the different wagons that were going to be sent off to the Guthries. She hid herself from his sight for a moment, barricaded by the 4 men in cloaks and then she was suddenly visible, handing out a bottle for the men around her to share.
She suddenly turned and Billy froze wondering if he had been noticed through the throngs of pirates and women walking up and down the beach, but if she had seen him she made no move to indicate so, instead slinking through the sand to reach The Dream Thief's quartermaster.
Her voice was such a quiet whisper that Billy didn't hear as she spoke.
"Don't look away from me Alaric. It appears i'm being watched."
She tapped on the crate beside them with her clawed hand and flicked a finger subtly in Billy's direction.
"Tell me who is watching won't you?"
He looked uncertain but nodded, hoisting up the crate in his arms and crossing past Billy as he loaded onto a wagon. He stopped briefly to accept a bottle of rum from one of Noonan's girls before returning back to the captain's sister who was pretending to read a page of a book from one of the piles. She set the book down, walking through the cloaked members of the crew and taking the bottle of rum from Alaric as he handed it to her.
Billy frowned, straining his ears to try and listen to their conversation, but The Dream Thief crew suddenly interrupted into loud laughter making it impossible for him to do so.
"It's Billy Bones, of the Walrus."
The girl nodded, her expression thoughtful as she took a swig from the bottle, swirling the rum around in her mouth before swallowing.
"What about the other one? Is he one of Flint's dogs too or have I got a Ranger watching?"
At this the man looked bewildered. There was another?
Seeing the question in his eyes, the girl rolled hers.
"The man stood next to the whore you were talking to. His gaze keeps trailing over here."
She moved on not waiting for Alaric to take the time to remember who was beside the woman, approaching two other of her crewmates and suggesting that they start to pitch tents. When she turned away from them Alaric was beside her again.
"It was the cook, Flint's cook."
The girl nodded, waving him off and then they were back to work with idle chatter whilst she stayed silent, immersed in her thoughts. Why send two people to watch her? Was Flint that overly curious or was it because he had an inclination as to what they were here for?
She lifted her head, calling over one of her cloaked friends stood by a wagon, side-eyeing the cook as she did. She caught his look of curiosity, noticing it wasn't cautious but more surprised, intrigued.
She realised he hadn't been ordered by any Captain to keep watch over her, his curiosity had brought him to her of it's own volition. She took note of it and decided to deal with the other one instead, she'd find a use for him some other time.
Billy started to overhear chatter from The Dream Thief crew. They had almost finished loading up their haul and were eager to enjoy Nassau's pleasures, already muttering stories to the locals and the whores that had drifted to the sands to begin to pluck them away.
He heard how they boasted about escaping a naval fleet. Heard them tell that the Captain's sister had summoned a storm and set their enemy aflame with a simple gaze. He also heard their fear. She had quite the gentle appearance, soft features that would never make you think she would be capable of even swatting away a fly. But of course from her stories she was obviously a force to be reckoned with. Despite that, he couldn't help but jump forward to aid the lithe girl as she made to lift a barrel, worrying that her small lithe figure might break with the effort.
He realised what he had done as soon as he had moved; they had all seen him and they all knew he was watching. The four cloaked figures were suddenly surrounding the girl, who looked between Billy and then the four.
" I have this." She said, her tone casual but commanding, and he noticed as she lifted a hand and then lowered it, then the four dispersed. She resumed picking up the barrel. Hauling it up with hardly any effort at all, surprising Billy with her deceptive strength.
"I'm sure your Captain sent you over here to do more than stare at me for over an hour."
She hadn't even looked at him but she knew he had his attention from the grumble she heard.
"So you did see me." He muttered under his breath, folding his arms over his chest as she set the barrel down on the wagon and spun around, walking over to him with her hands clasped behind her back. Although she was much smaller than him, he couldn't help but notice how her presence seemed to tower over him, and he understood why her crewmates seemed to be so uneasy around her.
"You have honest eyes Billy Bones, I suppose that's why Flint sent you, most people seek to tell their deep dark secrets to someone whose soul speaks true. Unfortunately for you, I am not most people and my secrets I dare not let out."
His brow furrowed, mouth half open as if to speak, but he could find no words to respond with.
"Perhaps i'll tell you some small thing though, not a secret but a name."
Unlacing her fingers she lifted a hand in front of him.
"Durrani."
She allowed him to shake it with his features twisted into a confused expression, then swiftly slid her hand from his and took a step back, tilting her chin to meet his eyes with a warning.
"Do make sure you spy on me more discreetly next time, or else you won't find me so friendly."
Then she retired back to her crew, and Billy decided so should he, getting the feeling that there wouldn't be anything else he'd be getting from the girl.
John Silver had been watching the exchange between the girl and his crewmate with fascination. Upon hearing the arrival of a new crew, he had immediately set out on his own to familiarise himself with the faces and names of the people his captain had spoke of to determine who would prove themselves to be an ally or enemy. That and he was also as intrigued as anyone else about the brother and the sister. And the sister was certainly something. Such a something that he couldn't be quite sure whether he wanted to get closer or run further.
He saw her send a quick glance his way and knew she had seen him, seen Billy too. He had been debating on whether to give up his pretenses and just head over to her and speak to girl, when she had made her way over to Billy instead. Nevermind that then.
As he watched the encounter though, he realised that she hadn't approached Billy because she wanted his attention, but more so because she wanted to get rid of it, get rid of him and she did it in such a manner that was remarkably threatening but not so threatening all at the same time.
Because of this John Silver decided it was probably better to not approach the woman, at least not now in such an unguarded setting when she had all of her men around her and he had just himself, the tavern would be best fit to make conversation.
But as it seemed he wouldn't get a say in the matter as she started walking across the beach, hands clasped behind her back again, only this time she was walking straight towards him. He knew he should probably have made a quick exit, but didn't.
"Hello." He grinned, flashing an infectious white teethed smile as she stopped before him.
Her unsmiling features allowed them self to turn the corner of her lip upwards ever so slightly. Then she spoke.
"Do you know of anywhere I can get some candles?"
John Silver reared back blinking in bewilderment.
"Candles? You wish to talk to me about candles?"
The disappointment in his tone was so evident that it amused her, turning her smirk into a full flourished smile. She lifted a shoulder in a slight gesture and shrugged.
"I like candles. Now can you help me or not?" She had asked with a slightly quirked brow, though he hadn't noticed, his mind was still reeling from the unexpected request. He didn't know what he had expected her to say when she had decided to approach him, he had had several thoughts but had certainly not thought of candles.
"Candles?" He shook his head trying to make sense of it, was there something between the lines to be read perhaps?
It seemed she had lost patience waiting for an answer for him, as he suddenly became aware that she was walking towards one of the islands other inhabitants and started to ask them the same question. He wasn't about to let her go so simply though.
Slipping between the space between the woman and the Nassau resident, he slung an arm over her shoulder and steered her away, smiling brightly as she stiffened and rolled her shoulders back so his arm rolled off of her and fell back into place at his side.
"Ah candles yes, there's this old woman named Bertha in the marketplace, sells them along with incense and perfumes."
She regarded him with nod and a thank you, and he smiled again happily. Then he noticed some of her crew were carrying loads of candles and became exceedingly confused.
"Might I ask what it is you need so much candles for? Seems you have plenty already."
Her eyes danced dangerously, a glittering crystal colour under the bright sun, which made him immediate regret asking.
"Hardly, those candles are for the tents, I need some for my sundown blood sacrifice."
As Silvers' features dropped in horror and slight abhorrence, she laughed a pretty sound that stopped too soon as she made to leave him again.
"It was a joke." She threw the words over her shoulder as she walked, at the same time signalling Alaric who was holding a sheathed weapon in his hands.
Silver let out a relieved breath and followed after her trail.
She was unsheathing the weapon when he slid to her side, doing so dramatically in a sharp and aggressive movement so that the machete sliced through the air, then curled it around and through her fingers, preforming a show off fancy armwork, before spinning around and lifting up Silvers chin with the flat side of the word.
He gulped and she smiled innocently, as if she weren't holding a weapon uncomfortably close to his face and had just noticed his company.
"What is your name?" She asked lowering the machete to allow him to settle, then handed it to Alaric who sheathed the sword.
"i'll take it." She told him, dismissing him quickly with a tilt of her head, gesturing to another direction. Then she turned back to Silver who was watching her with one of his ever present smiles.
"John Silver, it's a pleasure." He introduced, grasping her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.
Any other woman would have giggled or swooned over the gesture, but of course she didn't, pulling back, folding her arms behind her back and then regarding him with a pursed pout.
"You're quite charming aren't you." She spoke, more like she was making a statement of observation rather than a compliment, but not to be deterred he took it as the latter.
"I'd like to think so." He said with a wink and a lopsided grin.
"Much like a stray dog."
At her words his smile dropped and hers lifted up into a smirk. Then she left him standing alone in the sand, plucking a coat out of a cloaked crew members hand and informing the men that she was going to see her brother.
John Silver was stunned with a mixture of amusement and awe.
"Can't say a woman's used that one before."
a/n: Thanks to those who have reviewed, followed, favourited and read, you guys are the best!
what did you think of this chapter? I hope I give you a little more insight into Duranni's personality and i hope you like her interactions with Billy and Silver. I tried my best to keep Silver in character so i hope that was conveyed too.
We'll see The Ranger crew next chapter, i wonder if Vane finds Durrani as delightful as Silver does ;)