The very next morning, at a rather unbearable hour, Cassie wound up in Uma's shoppe. Apparently, when the captain told the pirates they'd re-group in the morning to discuss everything that'd happened the evening before, Cassie was also included, much to the little cat's annoyance.
Cassie's first night on the pirate ship hadn't been a smooth one. Unfamiliar with her surroundings, she'd tossed and turned in her bed for the majority of the evening. Having spent most of her time in the inner Isle, Cassie was used to silence and stillness. In the attic of the castle, there hadn't been too much noise, although she had been forced to adjust to Maleficent's squawk's if she wanted to get a sliver of rest. In Helena's salon, the back room she'd stayed in was similar. Thankfully, her room had been separated from the dining room with a hefty wooden door, muffling any voices that came through when Helena opened up the salon. Uma's ship, unfortunately, greatly differed. Naturally, Cassie wasn't familiar with the swaying motions that came with sleeping on water, and the sensation of it had set her nerves on edge. To add to this, the porthole in her new bedroom was slightly rusted and refused to close completely, allowing the soft murmur of waves to travel into the room. Cassie could accept that this was just something she was going to have to get used to, and she hoped it would eventually become as soothing to her as the noises in the middle of the Isle.
Due to Cassie's previous nightly 'excursions', she was accustomed to sleeping when the sun was up. After only a few hours of sleep, she'd be ready to take on the day or night, depending on what time she awoke. Instead of a long night, or day, of sleep, the little cat only required a few naps here and there to stay functional. Helena's salon and the Witch School had been the perfect locations for a quick sleep. Unfortunately for her, the Witch School was now a no-go zone thanks to Maddy and her insane crush. Helena's salon was still an option, or at least she hoped it was. With her best friend's boyfriend fighting to bind Cassie to Maddy in only a week, it left the little cat to wonder how her relationship with Helena could continue after.
At first, the loud thumping at her bedroom door jolted Cassie. Helena had never bothered to knock, having seen Cassie in multiple states of undress or vulnerability during their time together. So when the noise came, Cassie immediately darted beneath the bed, hiding in the dark space. When the door opened, and a known voice called out for her, Cassie's worries had diminished.
And now here she was, resting above Uma's countertop with a cracked saucer of fish paste placed next to her.
Initially, Cassie had been extremely doubtful when Starla brought her into Uma's shoppe. The moment they'd arrived, more than a handful of Uma's pirates had gathered at the sight of her. Many congratulated Starla on her ability to tame a feline, while others were content to scratch behind Cassie's ear or underneath her chin. Obviously, it had taken her by surprise. At least until Starla was kind enough to explain their fascination.
The pirate set Cassie down on the countertop and started to explain, "A lot of us are pretty superstitious. My daddy's crazy about things like that! So I know everything. Cats are good luck charms, well, most of the time. If a cat comes to a pirate, it means good fortune. But if a cat turns its back on a pirate, it means something bad's gonna happen to him. They say cats hold magic in their tails, and they can bring storms around if they're unhappy." Starla gestured to another pirate, who'd brought over a dish of fish paste. "So we like to keep them happy."
Cassie was, understandably, baffled. She'd known the witches had a great fondness for felines, likely because cats and witches went hand in hand. Still, it was utterly fascinating. Plus, Harry's little tantrums after she stole her treasure back from him had insinuated otherwise. She'd forgotten just how many cats he'd killed in his attempts to draw her out of hiding, but what she did know with certainty was that it'd been one too many. While she wasn't one to lean too much on superstition, Cassie had to wonder if she'd survived him for so long purely because his pirate gods had gotten pissed with him.
When Uma came in from the kitchen with a dirty white apron tied around her waist, the shoppe went quiet. Silently, she walked up onto the platform on the other side of the room, and sat down on the 'throne'. "Okay, I know you have questions. Time to ask."
For a moment, it was quiet. From where she was, Cassie could see the pirates turning to whoever was next to them, like they were waiting and hoping for someone else to break first. In the end, it was Starla.
"Why didn't you tell us it was Cassie that hurt boss-man?"
Cassie startled, bringing her tongue back into her mouth. Instinctively, her yellow eyes wandered to the exit. The pirates weren't guarding the doors like they did last night. Not that it mattered, of course. In her current state, getting away from them now would be as easy as catching fish in a barrel. She was much faster in her feline form, and her size would allow her to slip in between their legs before they could even think to reach for her.
Feeling a gentle hand stroking along her back, Cassie prayed her fears were unwarranted. Starla's touch was almost a reassurance, despite her being the one to ask that question. The little cat had to remind herself of how Starla had been with her up until this point. There hadn't been any animosity; if anything, the pirate was incredibly excited to have her around. Nothing Starla had done so far had caused Cassie to worry about her life—their duel aside, of course. Starla was simply curious to know why Uma hadn't told them who really attacked Harry.
"Look, I get it," assured Uma. "A lot of you are here because of Harry. Some of you owe him a lot. When I figured it out, it hurt me too." The captain seemed genuine, as far as Cassie could tell. There was even a flicker of sadness in her eyes—momentary, of course. "But you guys know the rules around here. We never take another villain's revenge. If Harry wanted her dead, she'd be dead."
"Then why isn't she?" asked another pirate, from somewhere near the front.
Uma chuckled. "I think you guys already know the answer to that." This earned her a few snickers or whistles from the crew and a slow blink of confusion from Cassie. "Point is, Harry got over it. So you guys can too."
The little cat was stunned. If she were in Uma's place and someone had tried to kill Helena, there was no way in Hades she'd even entertain the idea of having that person around. Cassie was grateful they took her in, but in all fairness, they kind of owed her that. They'd blacklisted her, after all. If Uma hadn't done that, Cassie would've wound up with another group on the Isle, far away from Harry. It was kind of odd, really, when she thought about it further. Well, when it came to Harry, it made perfect sense. He wanted a way to get her under his thumb, and bringing her onto the crew was the best way to do that. But in regards to Uma, Cassie had absolutely no idea what was going on. Forgiving someone for trying to kill your best friend wasn't that easy, was it?
"Where is she, then?" asked one of the crew. "Is she too scared to come and face us herself?" This rallied the crew, drawing outraged cries from many.
Cassie straightened when Uma's eyes looked in her direction. "C'mere, pussycat."
After a moment of hesitation, Cassie leaped down from the countertop. Weaving between chair legs and feet, the little cat made her way up onto the platform. She sat down near Uma's legs, mainly to avoid being grabbed by one of the crew when they realised who she was.
"Guys, meet Cassie. Cassie, this is the crew."
There was silence. Then came the whispers. Cassie had expected as much, though. Like the captain and first mate before them, the crew were almost unnerved and overly curious as to how she was a cat. Similarly to Uma, they came to the same assumption: someone on the Isle had magic. It had gotten rather tedious at this point, and Cassie couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Calm down," the captain said loudly when the whispers grew noisy. "She doesn't have magic."
"Then how is she doing it?" asked one of the pirates, eyeing Cassie cautiously.
"Cassie, here, is cursed," announced Uma rather casually. "When the sun sets, she turns into a human. When it rises, she turns into a cat." This earned mumbles of confusion from the crew. "Someone in Auradon cursed her dad. When Cassie was born, she inherited the curse."
Cassie had always loathed her curse. It was understandable for her to hate it, but the deafening reaction Uma pulled from her pirates was, well, insane. It was almost unbelievable to see so many people overwhelmingly angered by something that had happened to her, and it provoked a teary response from Cassie.
"This is why we've been working so damn hard," yelled Uma, raising her voice to be heard over their outrage. "Auradon isn't the happy place they make it out to be! And the Core Four abandoned us for them!" This brought forth cheers from the crew. "We're going to take over the Isle! And when they come back, and trust me they will. We'll make them regret leaving us here!"
The crew howled and hollered, having been riled up by their captain. Meanwhile, Cassie turned her head to face Uma, her eyes widening as much as she could allow them to in this form. Had the captain seriously used her shitty curse to encourage their efforts to rule over the Isle? When Uma gave her a shrug in response, Cassie was given her answer: Yes, she had.
That evening, after spending the day with the pirates in Uma's shoppe, Cassie journeyed to Helena's.
Her day had been rather peculiar. After Uma's spirit-raising speech that morning, the pirates had all but forgotten about Cassie's attempts to take Harry's life. This might've been purely because she was in her feline state, and it was tricky for them to associate her as the same person who'd been tormenting the first mate, but she wasn't one to complain. To the little cat's relief, Starla had stayed close to her. Now, though, Cassie knew the pirate girl's presence hadn't been necessary. Being in the shoppe was similar to hanging around the witches. The pirates were a lot busier, of course. Most stopped by for a meal or a conversation before departing, only to be replaced shortly after by someone else. Since Cassie hadn't remained in any indoor establishment since her incident in the Slop Shop, she was obviously wary to linger around Uma's place. Having never been there when the sun was up, Cassie hadn't imagined just how active the place could be. It was also a glaring example of how many pirates lived on the Isle. The shoppe had been bustling since Uma opened the doors, with occupants pouring in and out throughout the day. All, fortunately for Cassie, had been quite pleased with her presence. Many had been more than happy to share a few scraps here and there. For Cassie, who counted herself lucky to be given even one full meal a day, this was both a blessing and a curse. She was bloated now, but if the pirates kept this up, she'd gain weight before her initiation came around.
When Cassie arrived at the edge of the alleyway that would take her to Helena's, she paused. Peering around the corner, her lips pressed together when she noticed someone standing just outside of Helena's place. Thanks to the tealights nailed to the wall, she recognised them as one of the Gaston twins.
At any other time, Cassie wouldn't have given it a second thought. After all, there hadn't ever been bad blood between herself and the twins. She couldn't say she liked them all that much, since they were a part of Maddy's gang, but she could tolerate them for Helena's sake. But things were different now. Cassie was a part of Uma's pirates, and so the Fearsome Five were, technically, her enemies. Sure, there was a fight coming up, but that didn't mean there wasn't a chance for retaliation before then. Especially since they believed Harry was responsible for Ginny getting hurt.
With a huff of frustration, Cassie surveyed the area. He was leaning against the wall directly beside the salon door, but he didn't seem too interested in anything going on elsewhere. Cassie's eyes swayed a little further down the building, hopeful when she realised the window to Helena's bedroom was wide open. If she could get to the drain pipe, she'd be able to climb in without issue.
With a roll of her eyes, Cassie turned to walk back down the alley. Following a smaller path to her right, she travelled to the other side, coming out near the house beside Helena's salon. Carefully, she rushed over to the gap between the buildings when the twin turned his head, putting her back against the wall. For a second, she stayed there, listening out for any sign of him coming close. When nothing reached her ears, Cassie looked around the side. He was still standing in the same place, right leg crossed over the left as he leaned back, his arms crossed beneath his chest. Cassie's brows furrowed when she noticed his chin was resting on his upper chest.
Then she heard a snort, and her nose wrinkled judgmentally. The idiot had fallen asleep.
Now that she knew there was no reason to worry, Cassie came out from behind the building. Grasping one of the rings along the pipe, Cassie pulled herself up and climbed to the window. She peered cautiously into the room before making her way inside. Aside from the glowing candle beside the bed, there were no signs of anyone hanging out in the room. With this in mind, Cassie crawled over the ledge and inside the building.
Cassie crossed the floorboards gently and headed for the door. Like all the other places on the Isle, the flooring was uneven and creaky in some areas, and the last thing she wanted to do was alert the other twin that there was an intruder.
Slowly, Cassie opened the door that led to the stairs. One by one, she crept down, wincing when a faint 'squeak' came from below her foot. When she came to the end, right before the opening, Cassie waited. The other Gaston was around here somewhere, and she needed to know exactly where before she went traipsing into the salon.
And then there was a 'smash'.
"Wow." Cassie heard the twin drone. "Great, baby, nice to see your temper's still sky-high."
"Yeah, well, you bring out the worst," spat Helena.
Cassie grimaced. She'd only come here to talk to her friend; she hadn't anticipated she'd walk in on an argument.
"Why are you so fucking mad?" the twin hissed.
There was silence. And then Helena spoke up. "She's my best friend." Desperation had taken the place of the earlier anger. "She'd be miserable with Maddy, and you know that! So why are you doing this?"
"Because I have to!" exclaimed the twin slowly. "We've been here before, remember? I had to fight for you once."
Cassie's eyes widened. Then again, it didn't come as too much of a shock. Helena was gorgeous, it was only natural that someone else on the Isle would've wanted her.
"That was different," the queen groaned. "I wanted you back! Cassie doesn't want Maddy; she wants-" Helena's voice paused abruptly. Overwhelmed by curiosity, Cassie leaned in, as if it would somehow grant her better hearing abilities.
"Who? Who does she want?"
Cassie nodded frantically. Who did she want?
"She doesn't want Maddy, and that should be enough." Was Helena's reply.
It went quiet again. Cassie lowered herself to sit on the step, careful not to make too much noise. Was it shitty of her to hang around and listen to her friend fight with her boyfriend? Maybe. But she was also the topic, so that should grant her a little understanding.
"What's this really about, baby?" asked the twin.
"He might kill you."
For this, Cassie refused to hang around. Deep inside her chest, she felt a sting. In these fights, one either yielded or died. While Cassie didn't know the twin very well, she'd been unfortunate enough to figure out what kind of guy Harry was. There was no way in Hades he'd tap out during her fight—his attack in Maleficent's old castle said as much. They'd cut him up for hours, and he still hadn't sworn to leave Cassie alone. The moron would've died rather than shown weakness to them. Maybe, or hopefully, Gaston Jr. had more sense than that.
Straightening up, Cassie went back the way she'd come. She could always talk to Helena tomorrow night.
Back in pirate territory, Cassie went looking for Starla. She soon found her in Uma's shoppe, chattering away with Gil near the countertop. Upon entering, Cassie was curious to know where the other pirates were. The shoppe didn't close for another hour, but there were only a handful of pirates inside.
"Cassie, hey!" Starla beamed, hand waving wildly once she noticed the little cat.
"Hi," greeted Cassie, coming to stand beside her. "Where is everyone?"
"Training," the pirate responded, as if it were the most obvious thing.
Cassie's head tilted to the side. "Huh?"
Starla's eyes went comically wide. "Oh, sorry, I forgot you're still a newbie. They're training for the big fight."
Still, Cassie was clueless. "O-kay?"
"The fight," said Starla pointedly. "The one that decides if you stay or not."
Cassie paused. "You mean Harry's fight?"
"Uh-huh."
"You need to say more," muttered Cassie, lightly shaking her head. There was clearly something she was supposed to know, but no one had bothered to clue her in.
"Harry's training for the fight with Maddy's guy," said Uma, coming in from the kitchen.
"Ah," the little cat mumbled in understanding. Then she looked around the shoppe, and her intrigue was sparked. "Why does he need everyone?"
Uma grinned. "You haven't seen him fight, huh?"
Cassie lowered her eyes. "Not against someone else."
The smile fell from Uma's face. Her lips pursed, and she rested her arms on the countertop. "You need to let go of it, pussycat."
Cassie frowned. "Let go of what?" She had a rather vague idea of what Uma was talking about, but she'd had a lot of bad moments with Harry. Which one was Uma picking out today?
"All of it," the captain said firmly. "You're one of us now. He can't hurt you anymore." Uma said it like it was the easiest thing, when it was everything but.
"You're kidding?" Cassie deadpanned. Leaning back from the counter, she ran a hand through her hair. "Everything?" she whined, incredulous.
Uma's eyes rolled. "Yes. Everything. If he can get over himself and let you into the crew, then you can forget everything he did to you."
The memories Cassie shared with Harry passed through her mind in flashes. Their first night where he chased her through the maze, then when he knocked her out and shoved her in the cell. Their game of 'Red Hands'—even now, she felt the ghost of his fingers around her throat. That awful night where he'd almost killed her. All those times when Helena came back from the market to tell her they'd found another poor cat. He'd done so much to her, and now Uma was telling her to forget it all.
"Don't look at me like that," warned Uma. "Think about what you did to him."
Truthfully, Cassie didn't want to. But she did it anyway. She recalled the night when she took his watch, and then the following evening when she scratched up his face. How awfully upset he was when she took Uma's pendant after their 'game', and the way his hand trembled when he gave her his hook. Knocking him out and tying him up in her attic, knowing full well he was terrified of heights and would have to endure it again to get down from her room. Last, but not least, was that particular evening she locked away in the back of her mind. In all honesty, she'd blocked out most of it when it was happening. It was blurry to her even now. Every now and then, it would force itself to the forefront of her memory, a smell of copper filling her nose and her right hand's fingers tensing around a knife that was no longer there.
Briefly, Cassie wondered if it was the same for him as it was for her. There were certain moments that triggered her terrible memory of when he'd caught her in Maleficent's castle. Having her back to open space usually did the trick; without fail, if she stood there for too long, the hairs would raise up along the back of her neck. Did his mind ever bring him back to when she'd had him in that same room? Could he still feel the sharp blade dragging along his skin if he thought about it for too long?
Then Cassie shook her head, wrapped up in her own thoughts. There was no way he did.
Looking back at Uma, she allowed a sigh to move through her lips. "I'll give it a try," she mumbled, reluctant.
"That's all I'm asking," said the captain, backing towards the kitchen.
"Anyway," breathed Starla, turning to face Cassie. "You wanna go watch?" The pirate bounced on her feet fervently, dancing around the little cat to head for the exit.
Cassie paused, allowing the idea to sit in her mind for a moment. Would it not be slightly masochistic to go and see how well the pirate who'd been trying to kill her for weeks fought? Then again, maybe seeing it would stroke her ego a little. After all, she'd gotten the upper hand many times, and she was still alive to tell the tale.
"Sure," she acquiesced.
Starla released a squeal of happiness and grabbed Cassie's hand, almost pulling the little cat out of the shoppe.
When they soon arrived near the ship, Cassie could hear the sounds. The most noticeable was the roaring encouragement of the pirates, accompanied by whistles and howls of a cheering nature. Once Cassie and Starla turned onto the wooden planks leading towards the ship, the little cat was scarily overwhelmed by the number of pirates in the area. After meeting them this morning, Cassie knew with certainty that Uma didn't have this many pirates under her rule. Scattered across the wooden structure, it seemed the majority of this side of the Isle had gathered to watch Harry's training with the crew. Some had even climbed up onto the precarious rooftops to see everything better, while others found a perch on one of the many railings surrounding the pathway.
Unbothered by the surrounding pirates, Starla shoved her way through the suffocating crowd, yanking Cassie along with her. There were a few harsh remarks or growls when Starla shouldered her way through, but they were thankfully left alone.
"Perks of being one of us," Starla shouted, looking back over her shoulder at Cassie. "Front row seat."
Following Starla onto the ship, it was hard for Cassie to believe they'd duelled here the night before. With the pirates squeezed against the sides of the ship to make enough room for the fight in the middle, it was unbearably overcrowded. Plus, having so many people around clogging up the exits set Cassie's kitty nerves on fire.
"Over here." Starla held tight to Cassie's hand, curling her fingers around Cassie's to ensure she didn't lose her in the excitement. Tracking down a slight gap in the pile, Starla pulled herself up to sit on the railing and twirled Cassie around to rest between her legs. "Look, over there." Stretching her arm over Cassie's shoulder, Starla pointed to the area just ahead.
Looking past the multitude of ropes stretched across most of the ship, Cassie quickly found Harry. Stepping around the ship, he was in the midst of a battle with a pirate she didn't know the name of. Cassie guessed this 'training' must've started well before she arrived, since the hook-wielding pirate had tossed his coat and hat somewhere off to the side. Under lantern-light, Cassie could see a faint glisten along his skin, though it gathered heavily near his hairline. Beads of perspiration fell down the sides of his face, and in between heavy strikes, he took a moment to wipe them away with the back of his arm.
Cassie tilted her head back. "No swords?" she inquired, having realised the two were battling only with their fists.
"Not with outsiders," replied Starla, resting her chin on Cassie's shoulder so she could hear her better. "Maddy's guys aren't pirates. When they fight this week, they'll only get one weapon, but it has to be something they both know how to use. Usually a knife."
Cassie fidgeted in discomfort. "They're not using knives now," she pointed out. On further inspection, she found Harry wasn't even holding his hook.
"Well, yeah. If this was a gang war, it'd be different. But it's a one-on-one fight this time." A laugh passed through Starla's lips. "Honestly? Maddy should be the one fighting him."
"Shouldn't Maddy be fighting Uma?" wondered Cassie, glancing back at Starla. The little cat understood the concept of having their best fighters battle each other. But if this was a battle regarding ownership of a new member, then surely the leaders of said groups would be the ones to fight?
Starla nodded. "Yeah, usually. But this is more than that." An impish smile stretched her lips. "I saw a fight like this a few years back, actually."
"Really?" asked Cassie. "A fight over a newbie?"
The corner of Starla's mouth twitched. "Kind'a." Her reply was vague, but she continued before Cassie could call her out on it. "It was a pretty big deal. I mean, if there's a fight going down on the inside, and we hear about it," She gestured to the pirates around them. "It's big."
"There was this... kid. Like you, I guess. Started running with this gang on the Isle. The Core Four were still around then, but this group was vicious, almost as bad as them. They started taking over another part of the Isle. Anyway, this kid starts making a name for herself, and catches someone's attention."
By this point, Cassie had completely turned away from the fight. Her attention was hooked on Starla's tale. "Who was it?"
"His name was Saint; I think his dad had some sick kind of irony in mind. Tall guy, with muscles for days." Starla's voice took a slightly breathless spin as she recalled him. "And his face? Hades, you don't find guys like that around here."
Cassie couldn't help but giggle. "C'mon, tell me the story," she urged.
"Okay, okay. So, that kid I mentioned? So not a kid. She was fucking beautiful—no other way for me to say it. She was ruthless, too. The guys around here go crazy for girls like that. So, this guy, Saint, he wants her on his team." Starla bounced her eyebrows. "If you catch my drift. He didn't run in a gang; it was just him and his brothers, and his dad too. They have their little neck of the Isle, but they don't come out of there much."
Sensing the pirate girl drifting away from the matter at hand, Cassie gently smacked Starla's leg. "C'mon," she whinged.
"So, this girl tells him 'no'. And if you haven't noticed by now, people around here don't like hearing that word. He goes crazy, can't understand why she doesn't want him. He thinks he has to prove himself, so he tells her to choose anyone on the Isle for him to fight."
Cassie stared up at Starla, eyes wide with complete intrigue. "Who did she choose?"
"Turns out, she didn't want Saint 'cause she already had someone she wanted. And that guy wanted her back, so he was all for it. Fight comes around, they start hashing it out. It was fucking insane. It was all fists and kicks, and there was so much goddamn blood." Starla's eyes misted as she thought back on it.
"Who won?" whispered Cassie.
Starla's smile dimmed slightly. "Saint had her guy on the floor. You gotta understand, Wildcat, the way this guy could fight—well, I've never seen anything like it. Don't get me wrong, her guy was a good fighter too, but Saint was something different. So, he has her guy down, and he's about to pull off the finishing blow-" Starla paused for what Cassie assumed was a dramatic pause, and it ruffled the little cat's annoyance. "And she jumped in."
Cassie gaped. "You're kidding?"
"Nope," said Starla, shaking her head. "She took a big hit to the side of the head." The pirate tapped the left side of her face with her finger, somewhere between the temple and forehead. "Scared the damn shit outta me. We thought she was a gonner for sure."
"What happened after?" pleaded Cassie. "Was she okay?"
"Oh yeah, she was fine. Got a real bad cut on her head though; he hit her so hard he broke skin."
"So he won the fight?" mumbled Cassie.
Starla shrugged. "Pretty much. But, this girl wasn't having it. So she gets up and whispers something to Saint. No one knows what she said; I like to think she said she'd cut his dick off if he tried to take her away. But after that he just, well, he went home. No one saw him around here again after."
Cassie's brows furrowed in curiosity. There was so much she wanted to know. Who was the girl? Was she still alive now? Why did Saint agree to leave her alone even though he won that fight? So many questions flew around in her mind at a rapid pace. In the end, all Cassie could truly make sense of was her disappointment. All that fighting, and for what? They might as well have not fought at all. Then Cassie fully acknowledged what Starla had told her, and her confusion doubled.
"How is that fight like this one?" she asked.
There was an odd glimmer in Starla's eyes, something akin to delight. "Two guys fighting over one girl? It's not ringing a bell?"
At that, Cassie's eyes rolled in annoyance. "It's different," she insisted. "Those two have no interest in me; they're only doing this to prove something. Besides, Maddy isn't fighting Harry; Gaston Jr. is."
"Look." Starla grasped Cassie's shoulders and forcefully turned her around. "Just watch for a sec'."
Tapping out of this tiff for only a moment, Cassie allowed herself to observe the fight just ahead. Quietly, she watched as the pirates traded blows. The pirate who'd been fighting Harry before was gone; another was in his place. It was obvious there were no rules to this duel; it was all well-aimed punches and hard kicks or shoves to disorient the other. Then again, she did have to remind herself that this was training. They weren't fighting to kill here. However, that didn't mean they were walking away from this unscathed. Even from where she was standing, she could see many, many welts scattered across their skin, and she was sure the bruising would be incredibly painful the next morning. On top of this, Cassie noticed the occasional smear of red near a nose, an eyebrow, or even a lip. This might've only been training, but they were really putting their all into the hits.
When Harry brought back his head to smash it down onto the pirate's nose, Cassie winced and turned back to Starla. "Are they gonna be okay?"
Starla was quick to turn her around again. "He's gonna be fine! Boss-man won't hurt them too bad, and everyone knows what they're getting into when they fight him. Just, keep watching. I'm waiting for something."
Cassie huffed, but stayed where she was, crossing her arms like a scolded child. The pirate, cradling a pouring nose at this point, stumbled away to the side-lines, and another tapped in. Meanwhile, Harry pushed back a few dripping strands from his forehead, his chest moving rapidly as he took a moment to breathe. One of the many surrounding pirates offered him a large cup of something, which he was quick to knock back.
"Starla-" Cassie began, only to be rudely shushed by the pirate.
"Wait for it." Starla was practically on the edge of the railing, anticipation forcing her leg to bounce wildly.
After passing the cup back to one of the crew, Harry's gaze roamed about the ship. His gaze swept over Cassie, and she couldn't help but stiffen. She barely had time to unwind, though, before he quickly backtracked. Cassie's fear was subdued by her stubbornness, and she didn't shift her gaze. Her nose crinkled, and the corners of her lips twitched downward, almost instinctively. It was almost as natural as breathing—the way her body reacted negatively to any attention he was paying her. But then something happened—well, something entirely under his control. The unwavering focus she'd noticed in his eyes when he fought was soon swept away, a playful or taunting glimmer taking its place. His head cocked to the side, and he let his eyes drop, moving slowly down her length before raising them again to meet her gaze.
Cassie wouldn't ever admit it to anyone else, but she couldn't ignore the momentary falter in her expression. It'd been a while since he'd looked at her like that. For however long, she would deny that the air caught in her throat or that there was a brief flicker of something other than disgust building beneath her skin. And she was sure she'd forget it when her four months were done and he wanted her dead again. Right now, though, she was willing to accept it.
"Ding, ding," sang Starla from behind her, breaking whatever was drawing Cassie into him.
Cassie sucked in a breath. "What?" she mumbled, dragging her eyes to the girl behind her.
"Poor Murphy," remarked Starla, though the laughter in her voice was a clear indication she was far from sympathetic. "Watch him fight now."
The little cat paused when Harry waved a hand to one of the crew, and another pirate came forward, this time placing himself behind the first mate. "What the fuck is he doing?"
"Making me some money, I hope."
Before Cassie could even think to ask what the hell that meant, the fight had already begun. Now that he was battling two pirates instead of one, the odds were significantly stacked against him. Or, at least, they should have been.
It was a good thing Cassie was able to pick up on quicker movements, or she'd have missed the majority of what was going on. It involved a great deal of swift dodges and quick ducks, with no shortage of clever tricks. There didn't seem to be much rhythm to the fight, not like when Starla was aiming for Cassie with a sword. It was a simple two-vs.-one brawl, which the crewmates should have been winning. But they weren't. Sure, they'd gotten a few in on Harry, but their fists hardly staggered him. Even with a trickle of blood coming down the side of his face, missing his eye by an inch, the pirate didn't let up. He just kept coming back up, and his swings were far more lethal than theirs. Cassie had seen him fight before—well, it'd been more of a scuffle, but a fight nonetheless. He wasn't trying to hurt his crewmates, but the sound of his knuckles cracking against their skin was almost unbearable.
"Is there something I'm supposed to be seeing?" wondered Cassie, tilting her head towards Starla.
"Don't act like an idiot, Wildcat," the pirate gently reprimanded.
"Hey," squeaked Cassie, sparing a quick glare at Starla. "I'm not an idiot; I just don't get what you want me to see."
"Oh, gods above," groaned Starla. "Am I gonna have to spell it out?"
The words were on the tip of Cassie's tongue, and she was about to beg her friend to explain exactly what she was talking about—until the fight came to an end. All three were in various states of disarray, clutching different areas of their bodies that must've taken the worst hits. They were bruised and beaten to shit, but they still exchanged joyful laughter and boyish handshakes. And then, to stir Cassie's nerves, they looked to her.
"What the fuck?" muttered Cassie, looking to Starla for some kind of explanation.
Starla chuckled. "You're the one he's fighting for, Wildcat. Uma's captain, so her opinion comes before anyone else's, but it comes down to you now. So, are you satisfied with your fighter's abilities?"
A part of Cassie wishes she could turn into a cat right about now. "What am I supposed to do?" she seethed, almost begging Starla to get her out of this situation. Then something in her mind clicked. "Is this why you brought me here?!"
Starla's grin was devilish. "C'mon, Wildcat. If you don't show them you're happy," She nodded towards the crew. "Then someone else is gonna take Harry's place in the fight. It'll be a real knock on his confidence, too."
"How the hell do I do that?" Cassie could feel the weight of the crew's waiting eyes, and it churned her stomach. She hated having this much attention on her.
"Figure it out." Starla ended her incredibly short and barely-advice by lightly shoving Cassie forward.
With nothing else for her to do—aside from gun it out of there, of course—Cassie steadily approached the three. When she stood a foot away, the two crewmates Harry had been fighting took a step back, almost as if presenting him to her. Tilting back her head, Cassie stared up at the hook-wielding pirate, doing her best to ignore the hundreds of eyes observing her every move.
"So, Kitty, do ye' accept?"
The commotion around them had faded by this point. Now, all were eager to hear whether or not Cassie was going to accept Harry as her 'fighter'. It was entirely unfair of Starla to bring her here without telling her what her presence would mean, but there was no way to turn back the clock now.
And so Cassie pulled the length of her sleeve over her knuckles and lifted her arm, and gently, she wiped the trail of blood away from his cheek. It was almost painful to be acting like this with him of all people, but if this was pirate tradition, then who was she to ignore it?
"I accept." There was a slight tremor in her voice, but it was still loud enough for the surrounding pirates to hear.
The sudden cheers and whistles were almost deafening. Cassie jolted when Harry's arm came around her waist, and he arched down to place his head on her shoulder. The fire in her veins turned to ice, however, when he spoke low and into her ear.
"This is what ye' get for underminin' me in front of 'em."
Firmly held in his tightening grasp, Cassie could only allow his ominous words to drift around in her mind. With her head against his chest, she was oblivious to the cunning grin he gave Starla behind her, or the swift upturn of Starla's lips when she caught the gold coin in her hands.
AN;
Hi guys! I'm sorry this chapter's so short. It's more of a filler, since the fight will probably be in the next. But I hope you liked it!
Reviews;
CallMeDella; Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying the little tid-bits thrown in every now and again. It means a lot that you like it :)