6.
Pierce the Valley
.
And my mind and my gun they comfort me,
Because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come.
Shawn James, Through the Valley
The day Alaric died, a terrible storm flooded the port.
It was as if the heavens themselves were angry at the young man's death; barely in his twenty-ninth year and his skin was turning gray, body unmoving and eyes unstaring.
Percy could hear his momma wailing for papa to come back to her, to not leave her; that she loved him, that a boy needed his father; a wife needed her husband.
The boy looked away from the crack in the door and focused on the darkness through the window. The trees bent under the force of the wind as the house rattled from the thunder. Lightning blinked across the sky. It was a terrifying sight, but it enraptured the young child all the same. Percy thought—hoped—that this storm would take them all.
He heard footsteps approaching from behind, but his eyes stayed glued to the storm outside. Pawpaw settled beside him, knees popping as he sat on the floor. Percy glanced at the man's face and his face contorted, struggling to hold back his own grief at the sight of Pawpaw's expression. Fat tears rolled right after the other and his Pawpaw held a handkerchief to his runny nose. His lips were pressed firmly together, but Percy could see them quivering.
The small eight-year-old climbed into his Pawpaw's lap and cried silently into his chest. Pawpaw held tightly to him; as if he would be gone just as quick as his son.
"I love you, Pawpaw," he croaked.
"I love you too, Percy," Pawpaw replied just as quickly. "Your papa loved you so much, sweet child."
"Why'd he hafta… go?"
"I don't know, son, I don't know, but I'm right here, alright?"
When the storm settled, Claudine left her husband's deathbed and found Percy asleep and curled against her father-in-law's chest, the older man leaning against the wall. At the sight, her composure shattered and she collapsed next to them, enveloping them into a hug. Gustave, still awake, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her in closer.
The three stayed on the floor as the storm raged on through the night.
"You got it, Perc?"
Percy's face turned red from the exertion from wrangling the hogget to the ground. He was not prepared for the job that would be to tackle an adolescent, nor the fear of another ram hammering into his side and sending him off its companion. Explicits he had heard his Pawpaw say fly from his mouth before he gathered the sense to not say them.
"Watch yer mouth, are you alright?" Gustave knelt to check over his grandson, helping the ten year old up and beating the dirt from his pants. "Dust yerself off, there ya go. Now, let's try that again."
Percy gripped his rawhide lasso once more, ignoring the torn blisters as he set his shoulders. The hogget had joined with the rest once more, about ten or twelve feet from Percy. The young boy lined his feet with his shoulders and slowly began to swing the rope above his head. He's slow, though this was only his third time handling a lasso—and his second time trying to catch a live creature with it—but soon he picked up speed, keeping his wrist relaxed and flexible.
The pounding in his heart is loud, as if this was the most important event of his life. The first success had been pure luck as the hogget tripped over its own companion, but Percy felt it down to his soles that the second would prove his usefulness to his Pawpaw.
The loop is flat and parallel to the ground above his head and he concentrated intently on the ram's neck, waiting patiently for… just… the right… now!
The rawhide flew through the air and when it landed around the ram's neck, Percy yanked as hard as he could, wrapping the excess rope around his wrist to strengthen his hold.
As soon as the lasso had slipped over his head, the hogget started off, spooked, then irritated as it tightened. He pulled against it, stomping wildly. He glared at the boy on the other end of the rope and a new, angry fire motivated him toward his aggravation.
Percy felt the slack and saw the ram change course. He readied himself, still gripping tightly to the rawhide. When the hogget was close enough, Percy grabbed the beginnings of the creature's horns and shoved down with all his strength. He brought the hogget down as Pawpaw closed in, tagging the ram's ear before he wrangled free. The green tag contrasted against the white of the ram's soft wool.
"Let 'em go now." At Pawpaw's command, Percy did as he said and Pawpaw pulled him closer to his side. The ram shook his head angrily, giving a bleat of annoyance. The older man released the lasso from the hogget's neck and the ram was free to trot away, now donning a new accessory that matched a hundred or so of its brethren.
"Good job, Percy. Think you got another one in ya?"
Percy grinned as he looked upward at his Pawpaw. He grabbed the lasso from the old man and Gustave hooted.
"I'm old enough to go, ain't I, Pawpaw?"
Gustave's face twitched as he looked at the thirteen year old before him. Percy had entered his young teenage years hard and fast, so unlike his father. Alaric had been much easier to contend with as an adolescent, whereas Percy lived quick and looked toward the sun setting so that he turned a day older.
Gustave prayed for the opposite, for obvious reasons. He missed the days where he could throw his grandson over his shoulder and counter a bull's buck; yet, those days were long gone. Now he was lucky when he could wrangle a dozen ornery rams to the ground to tag them.
The wizened man looked at Percy for a long moment; so long in fact, that Percy repeated his question, thinking that his Pawpaw had found himself in a trance.
He sniffed and stuffed more tobacco in his mouth. "Naw, yer too young. You can't come."
Percy pressed his lips tight into a straight line and crossed his arms. "I ain't too young to shear the rams, or lasso 'em, so why am I suddenly too young to go with you to Loguetown?"
Gustave gave him a raised brow. "The sea ain't no place for a child."
"But we live in the East Blue! Momma says the East Blue is peaceful!"
A scoff. "Uh, no, it's more calm compared to the other three, but that don't mean there still ain't any dangers. Yer too young and the sea ain't no place for a child—I ain't sayin' it again."
The boy looked away. Gustave noticed the angry red flaring on Percy's cheeks. The older man let him simmer—it was only natural. There was nothing wrong in Percy being mad that he won't be able to sail with him to Loguetown. Gustave would let him go when Percy was older, and the year would be here before the boy even knew it himself. He just hoped that Percy will learn to appreciate the years before they passed him too quickly.
It was a gift being young; Gustave missed it dearly.
"So what makes our wool so special that you sell it in Loguetown anyway?"
The boy had calmed and Gustave smiled. "This island is the only island on this side of the Red Line that can grow silkgrass, have animals that can successfully digest it, and for those animals to produce a physical attribute caused by silkgrass. See, when the rams eat it, it makes their wool soft and the yarn produced is highly sought. My grandfather once told me that the Celestial Dragons even couldn't resist our silkwool."
"Celestial what?"
"Ah, I guess I haven't really told you about them, have I? Another time, Percy. We gotta get in a few more tags in before dark. I promised yer ma I'd have you home before sundown."
Percy followed after his grandfather dutifully and they were not home before sundown as agreed upon. Percy couldn't help but to laugh as his mother scolded his Pawpaw.
"How long will you be gone?"
Percy hummed, chewing the tobacco thoughtfully. He looked over at his sweetheart beside him and smiled. "Paw said it'd take a week to git there and a week back, but we hafta to take in account for storms or any other hiccups along the way. So, give us three weeks, just to be safe."
Tallulah pursed her lips and glanced away. "Three weeks? When you get back, I might just have found someone else to love."
He laughed and brought her close to his side. He turned briefly to spit the tobacco from his mouth and waited before kissing the white hair girl. Their lips slanted together, melding with one another and they fell into the grass together. He hugged her tight to him, cradling the nape of her neck and massaging it.
He released her lips and kissed the tip of her nose, the peaks of her cheeks, and the bridge of her brow. No bare skin was left unturned as his lips blazed a path across her face.
She sighed. "I don't want you to go." Tallulah grasped at his shirt, as if he was going to disappear right then and there. "You'll take one look at all the pretty women in that town and won't come back to me."
He laughed. "I'll be comparing every one of those women to you, Tallie. I'll be thinking about you the entire time I'm gone." He paused, twirling a piece of her hair between his fingers. "Hell, yer all I think about now."
She blushed a bright red and scowled. "You do not! The devil's gonna git you if you keep lyin'."
"I ain't lyin'," he said and she must have heard the sincerity in his tone as they sat up. "Tallulah, I love you, and all I ever think about is our future. I know we're too young to be thinkin' 'bout stuff like that, and I know yer pop don't like me all that well, but I'm gonna ask you to marry me one day, and I hope you say yes."
If her face was red before, no shade of crimson or scarlet could have described the shade that blotted her cheeks at his confession. "Yer right, we are too young. How can you be sure? We haven't even been together long enough for you to decide that so quickly."
"I've loved you since I was nine, and I've been sure since I was ten. There ain't anybody like you. My heart sings your name." He pulled a small leather box from his pocket. He smiled at her worried expression. "I'll marry you one day, but I'll wait when yer ready. Think of this as a promise." He opened the box and the silver ring shimmered.
He gave her time to admire the small ring, taking in the detail. It wouldn't fit her ring finger, that she was sure, but it was big enough for her pinky. Instead of the two ends meeting to create a circle, they passed each other in a spiral. The ring itself looked like ivy and as Percy placed it on her pinky, it as if the ivy grew on her finger and they casted it in silver to preserve the form.
It was perfect.
"Ivy represents marriage and eternal life," he said. Tallulah looked up at him through white lashes, pink lips parted. Her face had calmed, but pink still dusted her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Percy cradled her face between his hands, his blue eyes staring assuredly into her brown.
He kissed her sweetly then, so slow were his movements. She welcomed him wholeheartedly, her hands resting against his.
He broke their kiss, but still their foreheads remained connected. "In this life and the next, I'll love you. I'll follow you to the ends of this world and beyond, Tallie."
She smiled and kissed him, dragging him back to the ground.
The two young teens laid there long after the sun dipped into the sea, kissing and whispering plans for the future.
The world was right when young love abounded.
"Come back to me."
"I will."
Percy's lips tingled at the memory of his and Tallulah's embrace before he departed Boisclair with his grandfather and six other men. The goodbye was all the young man could think about as the days on the sea passed slowly. The journey to Loguetown had only taken six days instead of the seven Gustave and the navigator, Nam, had predicted.
It was because of the mild weather paired with medium to high winds. Miraculously, no storms or high waves had accompanied the winds—the boatswain (and local clergyman), Adão, had fell to his knees and praised God when Loguetown came into sight and continued to pray for continuous protection as they anchored and tied the ship to the harbor.
Percy hadn't been spiritual since the death of his father, but even he could appreciated the concern Adão held for him and the other men. He allowed the clergyman to anoint the crown of his head with holy oil with whispering prayers as all the other men had done. Gustave murmured his own back to Adão. After everyone had been prayed over, the men broke into their respective roles. Percy shadowed his grandfather's heels alongside Otto, acting first mate, to alert the merchant of their arrival before they began unloading the silkwool.
Along the way, Percy tried to stay focused on the task ahead of him, but he couldn't help his eyes from trying to take everything in. The town was just so different from his village. Where Boisclair was nothing but rolling hills, green grass, golden wheat, and homes miles apart, Loguetown was the complete opposite. The buildings were so close together that they touched. While it was apparent what was shop and house in Boisclair, it was not so obvious in Loguetown.
He saw one woman watering plants upon her balcony, but just below were people coming and going through doors of a restaurant. It wasn't like this for every building, but Percy would tell Tallulah that it was over half.
When they reached the merchant, the pot bellied man grinned wide at the sight of Gustave and the two men shook hands.
"Finnick, this here's my grandson, Percival. It's his first time in Loguetown." Percy shook Finnick's hand as Gustave had done. They exchanged pleasantries and he thanked Finnick when he told him that he turned out to be a strapping lad, and that Gustave bragged about him every year—that had caused Gustave's cheeks to redden, but he quickly gained control of his expression and commenced the exchange.
Percy watched with raised brows as the two began to haggle with one another. It started with Gustave naming a ridiculous price—one that Percy knew would have affected Finnick's business negatively, but he watched as Finnick's eyes glinted at the price before he voiced his own outrageous price—"One beri."
"ONE BERI?! Yer've lost yer damn mind if you think I'd even waste my breath on one beri!"
"Stop all that yelling. As if your price wasn't as crazy, you loon!"
"Who're you calling a loon, you old fart? I know the kind of money you make when it comes to our silkwool. You forget that I know what kind of clientele you cater to."
Finnick spluttered. "I still have to leave enough for me and my workers."
"I have men to pay as well, as well as a whole year's worth of supplies for my ram's alone, not to mention a year's worth of living."
"Psh, stop acting like you're some dirt poor farmer I'm taking advantage of—"
"—I am covered in dirt—"
"—I know you work during the year besides just tending to those rams—"
"—very much poor, you see my tattered clothes?—"
"—You own a whole peach orchard for gods' sake—"
"—and a farmer, thank you—"
"—Stop being ridiculous, Gustave."
"I will once you stop being ridiculous, Finnick."
The two men glared at one another so hard that Percy swore he saw sparks ignite between them. The adolescent exchanged a look with Otto. The yellow haired man just rolled his eyes, gesturing to the two arguing men, as if to say 'they do this all the time, don't pay them any mind'.
It was a tense moment before it broke and the two began to laugh. "Truce?" Gustave called, holding his hand out for Finnick to clasp it. He did and echoed Gustave's words. "We'll start unloading now."
"And I'll have your money ready when you get back."
They nod and turn at the same time, going about their business as if they didn't just make a huge stink about nothing. Percy shook his head at his grandfather's antics and Gustave patted his shoulder. "If I ever pass, it will be your job to give him a hard time, alright?"
"Yessir."
"Good boy."
When they arrived back to the ship, the other five men had already prepared the silkwool onto carts and appropriated some Marines to escort them to the merchant store. Percy, Gustave, and Otto had their own carts they were in charge of, so there was truly no man with idle hands. The deal came to fruition as soon as all the silkwool was in Finnick's storage and a check was given. Gustave grabbed one of the Marine officers before he could leave with the rest of his comrades to attend to him, Otto, and Percy as they made the trek to the bank.
The check was given to the teller when they arrived. She left and brought another man with her dressed in a dark navy suit and striped tie. Gustave was escorted to one of the back offices by said man. He wasn't in there long before returning with a message for the Marine to take back to his superior. The officer left the bank with the three men, but broke from the group to follow out his orders.
"Alright, we've still got the rest of the day to louse around, we'll stay the night on the ship and we'll be off by mornin'."
"You don't want to stay another day since we're early, Gustave?"
"Excuse my French, Otto, but I'd rather have lemon juice be poured over rattler bites on my ass than to stay another day here."
Otto and Percy cackled.
When they reunited with the rest of the men, Gustave allowed them to do their own thing until seven (in the morning, of course) sharp tomorrow. They were even given permission to find alternative sleeping accommodations for the night if they wanted. Gustave gave Percy a look that told him, 'not you, though. You stick with me, and we're sticking on the ship'. Percy certainly had no qualms.
Despite his desire to explore Loguetown, he was still nervous at the thought of being completely alone in such a large town—especially one where all kinds of sailors, Marines and pirates alike, came, did their business and left. For most travelers, Loguetwon was the last town they stopped at before they entered the Grand Line. Excitement and apprehension ran deep along the harbor and streets of Loguetown—not to mention that this was where the former Pirate King was born and where he was ceremoniously executed.
This was where the Golden Age of Piracy began.
It was enough to make Percy anxious as he explored the stalls, stores, and restaurants that lined the streets. He made sure to keep an eye out for stray hands, for anyone who may get too close to him and Gustave, or how close he may be to someone else. He was just a passerby; he didn't want to start anything with anyone, whether they were a normal citizen, Marine officer, or pirate.
Gustave stopped at a food stall to order him and Percy a late lunch after spending an hour and a half walking and sightseeing. Percy had turned his head to the side, still unable to keep his eyes from getting ahead of him, and saw through the crowd a young woman's face, brow furrowed and lip quivering. Percy narrowed his eyes and walked through the crowd, catching glimpses of the woman's face as it grew more worried by the second.
He broke through and saw that three men stood at this woman's food stall. Each man was grungy looking, like they hadn't properly bathed in a week. All three were placed on each side of the vegetable stall, essentially surrounding the young woman (which Percy could see now that she wasn't much older than he was).
He looked around, confused as to why no one was helping her.
He's struck by the complete disregard the other shopkeepers and citizens show for the vegetable stall. Others went out of their way to not go near the three grungy men. He could see some older women were looking on in empathy, and Percy could see it in their expressions that they too had gone through the same thing not too long ago, but the men around them kept them by their side.
I have to do something, they're gonna hurt her. Percy approached. "'Scuse me?" All four heads whipped towards him, surprised that there was anyone brave enough to interrupt them. "I don't know what's goin' on, but I suggest y'all leave this woman alone."
One of the men broke from his stupor and grinned nastily at the boy, revealing three golden teeth. His ears were pierced with a matching golden hoop in each ear and there was an ugly scar that ran over the tops of his cheeks and bridge of his nose. "You suggest?" He asked, and Percy can see the threat of a dagger just peeking over top of his britches. The man chuckled. "I suggest you leave us alone before you get hurt."
"Or do you want our lil bird here gettin' a broken wing or two because of you?" Another chimed. This one had his long oily hair tied into a low braid and went without a shirt.
Percy clenched his jaw tight, not knowing what to do. He had hoped that when he intervened, someone else would have stood alongside him. But now, he saw another difference between Loguetown and Boisclair: there was no love amongst neighbors.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and he saw his grandfather, and behind his grandfather stood four Marines. He felt relief flood through him as the officers stepped in.
"What seems to be the problem?" One of the officers asked, causing the criminals to splutter and make a hasty retreat. The officers pursued the three through the crowd as Gustave pulled at his grandson's bicep.
"Leave trouble to the professionals, Percy."
He decided not to fight against the grip on his arm or his grandfather's unspoken demand; stop looking for trouble .
The two sat and ate their late lunch in peace. When the two stood to leave to explore more of the city, Percy exchanged a smile to the woman he helped and he glanced away, embarrassed, when she blushed.
She is pretty, Percy thought, but his stomach warmed at the thought of his Tallulah back home. There was not one woman that had Percy craning his neck to peer at, nor one that made him look twice. Tthat wasn't to say they weren't pretty, because they were, but that was all that they were. They were nothing more than the daisies he passed in the pasture; none matched the ethereality or rareness of a tiger lily like his Tallulah. He smiled to himself knowing that none would ever hold a candle to his sweetheart.
Gustave, Otto and Percy were escorted back to the ship by four Marine officers that morning, right before they were set to leave. The rest of the crew prepared the ship for departure as the three had gone to the bank to retrieve the money. The three thanked the Marines and boarded the ship. It was only a matter of minutes before they were sailing once more, this time, toward home.
Percy could clearly see on the other men's faces that they would be glad to be back with their families. City life, clearly, was not meant for any of them. He knew that he had enough of Loguetown for the rest of his life, but this was his life; least he only had to deal with Loguetown once out of three-hundred and sixty-five days.
The first day passed without incident. There had been light showers, but all the men and Percy had donned raincoats, and before long, they had shed them as the rains passed over. Gustave found Percy in the crow's nest, monocular in hand as he searched incessantly for Boisclair to come into view. The old man teased him later during dinner.
The second started just as uneventfully as the first.
Until another ship was spotted.
"It's probably just another cargo ship."
"You don't think it's too big?"
"Big cargo?"
Nam shrugged. "It could be a Marine vessel. Even in the East Blue, they have to make their rounds for pirates."
Another man, Henrik, agreed. The others dispersed. Percy looked back to see that Gustave had not moved, so he went back to stand beside him again. "Are you okay, Pawpaw?"
Gustave tried to give a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes fully. "No matter how many times I've crossed paths with another ship, I suppose I can never truly let go of the fear of them being pirates."
"Otto didn't see a jolly roger though—surely we'd see one by now, right?"
Gustave hummed, but chose not to say anything more on the matter. He suddenly looked up at his grandson and raised a brow. "Speakin' of worries, when did you become so tall? I never thought the day would come that I would be looking up at you."
Percy smirked. "You better get used to it, Pawpaw. Yer only gonna get shorter from here on out."
He rolled his eyes to the heavens. "Don't speak down on the old, boy. Someday, you'll be right where I'm standing, askin' the same damned questions."
"No, I think I'll break the cycle. I'm gonna be the first grandpa in history to never question my grandson when he became taller than me."
Gustave chuckled. "It's inevitable, Percival. It's our nature to question the obvious. You'll understand it more when you grow to be my age."
The two were silent for a moment, both still staring out at the ship in the distance. Percy began to pray that it was gone by tomorrow.
Tomorrow never truly came. The ship that had appeared showed its true colors before night fell. Black flags with a skull and crossbones flapped in the wind, waving triumphantly down at the eight bound men.
Percy watched as the pirates took everything their small ship had to offer—from the briefcases filled with beri to the very last loaf of bread that their cook, Samson, had made the day prior. The pirates then turned their greedy gazes to the captured men and began to search their hands, pockets, and shoes.
Percy watched in horror and pain as one pirate opened Nam's mouth, having spotted the gold filling, and shredded his gums to yank the filling from his mouth. Nam passed out from the pain, blood pouring from his mouth as he collapsed against the deck; at least, Percy hoped that Nam was just unconscious.
"Lookie here, boys! It's our lil inquisitor from Loguetown!"
Percy pursed his lips as the three familiar goons from before appeared, smiling wide at him. The one with gold fillings made his stomach churn, as the thought of Nam screaming echoed in his mind. He was the one to lift Percy by the front of his shirt, and the long-haired one stabbed him in his side.
He heard his grandfather protest as he cried out, but it all fell on deaf ears when the third man, a brunet with a red bandana tied around his head, stabbed him in his other side. The three laughed as Percy's vision began to grow dark around the edges. His body slammed to the ground, and the three men began to kick the teen in the side, digging the toes of their boots into the wounds whenever they got the chance. Then he felt someone's knuckles hammering into his face. His nose broke, as did one of his cheekbones. Another landed a hit in his eye. Kicks were still being dealt to his torso, and someone started cutting his legs.
He could hear someone screaming and crying, but he believed it to be him.
Then all fell silent. His assailants stopped their attack, and Percy opened his one good eye to see them board their own ship.
The one with golden teeth grinned at him again and threw a revolver on the deck.
"A bullet just for you." Then Percy blinked, and the pirates were gone.
The teen looked toward his grandfather. At the sight of his empty eyes and pale skin, Percy sobbed.
Percival's keen eyes barely struggled against the dark as he watched Redrum leave the kitchen, speak with the blond on the deck, and trudged her way up towards (presumably) the owner's quarters. She and the cook, the one who came to her aid at Percival's reappearance and stared him down today, exchanged words on the brink of an argument, which was apparent by the long inhales of tobacco from the blond and the stiffness in the woman's shoulders.
He watched as the cook finished his cigarette, his eye searching the horizon, as if looking for an answer to the strange change in Redrum's behavior.
When the cook doesn't find it, he turned to look up at the stairs where Redrum ascended. Percival could see the wanting, could practically smell the desperation of needing to know the unknown.
It's no use, kid. She doesn't care. It's her nature. Percival watched as the boy finally decided to turn in to his own quarters for the night, a slump in his shoulders and his head hanging just a bit lower than before. Percival's concentration is soon back on the door the redhead disappeared into, preparing the rifle against his shoulder, cheek resting against the stock and eye peering through the scope.
He waited patiently, and it's not long before his target appeared once more. Redrum paused, but only for a brief, almost imperceptible moment, and Percival held his breath. Fleetingly, he feared that she had somehow grasped that he was there; however, his fears are unwarranted in the end. She descended to the main deck, arms reaching above her head as she stretched.
Percival was struck with a memory of ten-year-old him letting the lasso go.
He pulled the trigger.
Hey, it's really late (3:14 am to be precised) and I know this chapter is riddled with mistakes, but I literally couldn't help myself. I got a wild hair to go in this direction and I couldn't help but follow it. I know it's been a long ride so far considering Aurora hasn't even joined the crew and now I'm writing about another character that I didn't even plan to be as fully fledged out as he is—does it feel like we'll never get there? Trust me, we will!
Hopefully, it'll be exciting when we reach that point of Aurora meeting Luffy again (I know the exact moment it will happen and it honestly gives me goosebumps every time—I just need to write it).
Again, I know this chapter is a mess, but I'll go back and edit it later. Something I forgot to mention in the last chapter after I edited it, is that Percival Colt is modeled after a young Tom Selleck, and I think that's why I had to give him a tragic backstory. Again, I'm sorry to the ones that feel like I'm just wasting time, but I hope you stick around because it won't be long before Aurora is reunited with Luffy and the rest! Trust the process! I know I have to sometimes!
Edit: So, I edited it, and why didn't y'all tell me I spelled Tallulah's name wrong five thousand times? (╥﹏╥)
