Silver Spirits

Scarlett wasn't sure what to make of all she'd purchased, but was lucky enough to have a new recruit that knew how to use the technology well enough to install it and teach the others how to use it. On short notice, most of the ones she could get were inexperienced, but they were loyal. That's all that mattered to Scarlett. She released them onto the deck for her more experienced crew members to deal with while Percy slipped away to follow her and Ben. He could tell she was distracted, considering she hadn't sent Ben down to the brig yet. He easily could have snuck away, and Scarlett wouldn't have even noticed. And in the navy officer's hand... Was that a gun?

Percy walked up and snatched the firearm away from Ben, who defensively held up both his hands in surrender. It was only then that Scarlett snapped back into reality, turning her attention away from the new crew and eyeing Percy's bewildered expression as he held up the weapon. She then looked to Ben, who seemed unsure of what to do or say in the situation. Percy was the one to finally break the silence.

"What happened?" he asked slowly. "Where is your mind?"

Scarlett glared at him and snatched the weapon away, though she wasn't quite sure how to answer him when she didn't even know what was wrong with her. Could this feeling have been fear or intimidation? No, those emotions didn't exist within Scarlett. She looked over her shoulder, the first person she spotted being that awful gap-toothed man she didn't even bother to learn the name of. He'd been in the crew for years, but Scarlett always called him Nosebleed, because his teeth looked as if they'd been smashed in with a fist. That, and he caused Scarlett so much stress that at times, she'd get a nosebleed herself if she didn't give someone else one first. She waved him over, the shoved Ben towards the man with the bad teeth.

"You're going to help him polish my silver until I find out what I'm going to do with you," she told Ben, dismissing the two of them to get to work.

Ben seemed alright. For the first three seconds or so. Then, the grimace that had appeared on his face showed Scarlett that he'd found out exactly why this particular man gave her nosebleeds. She smirked and walked towards her quarters with Percy following close behind, still anxious to hear about what was distracting Scarlett so much.

"Abram knows I'm up to something," she finally explained.

"I thought you were avoiding him," Percy frowned.

"I am avoiding him," Scarlett said. "He caught me when I had my hands full, and he knows something is happening."

"What makes you say that?" asked Percy.

"For one, I was very obviously recruiting," Scarlett sighed, thinking back. "He knows I wouldn't be doing so unless there was a specific journey ahead of me. Secondly, I was with a man. And that man wasn't you."

"What does that have to do anything?" Percy asked, brow furrowing.

"Abram knows you," Scarlett shrugged. "He knows that you're my first mate, and he knows that it's not uncommon for us to be seen together. But I wasn't with you, Percy. I was with someone else. A stranger. He knows how stubborn I am, and seeing that I'm putting my trust in anyone else is a sign that I'm making sacrifices to get to something."

"Do you trust the officer?" Percy asked quietly.

"Of course not," Scarlett said a little too quickly. "I do, however, trust his knowledge of my map. All we need him for is the first corner. Then, we can get rid of them all and move on with our lives."

Percy seemed hesitant to just leave it there, but shrugged. "What's next, then?"

Scarlett paused, then left the room to go to the lower deck, where Nosebleed and Ben were polishing silver. Nosebleed was blabbing on about nothing in particular, and Ben was looking a little bit sick from whatever he was talking about. Scarlett had never seen him look so happy to see her.

"Get up, Griffith, it's time to tell us which way to go," she ordered. "Nosebleed, you keep polishing. And face the wall."

The gap-toothed man reluctantly turned around to face the wall as Ben leapt up to follow Scarlett out.

"You might find this a rather moronic and unimportant question," Ben said quietly, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear, "But, ah, did you personally recruit that gentleman I was working with?"

"Nosebleed?" Scarlett asked, raising an eyebrow. "Go on, you can say it. He's awful. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one who brought him aboard. He's been here since the last captain of the Spirit, and apparently, he never intends on getting off."

"Has he shown you that, ah, thing on his stomach?" Ben asked hesitantly. "Has he gotten medical attention for it?"

Scarlett didn't answer him this time, just rolling her eyes. "You're my map. Do what a map is meant to do."

Ben redirected his attention back to the reality of his situation and shook his head lightly, which greatly annoyed Scarlett.

"Really, Captain, you've done an absolutely lovely job of making sure I have no clue as to where I am," he said. "If I don't know where I am, I don't know where to take you. I need a navigator."

"Percy is our navigator," Scarlett said, nodding towards Percy.

"One that I know how to work with," Ben added. "I know a good man, actually. Unfortunately, he's locked up in your brig, and is of no use to either of us."

Scarlett sighed, grabbing Percy's arm and dragging him down to the brig with her, where all of their prisoners suddenly lifted their heads to see if Ben was with them. To their surprise, Ben wasn't shoved in. Rather, Simon Tully was pulled out. The rest looked hopeful to get out themselves, but they had no such luck.

Scarlett found that Simon didn't bother hiding his disdain for her, though he complied with everything she made him do without question. He stuck close to Ben if he could, and from what Scarlett could tell, wasn't exactly friendly towards Percy either as he loomed over them. Of course, Percy was just as unfriendly. He didn't like the competition. He kept his eyes elsewhere as Scarlett led Simon and Ben back up on the top deck, where she let them work together to get the ship going again. Percy stayed back in the brig to lock the empty cell doors, glancing up only when he felt a pair of eyes staring at him.

The girl was bruised up from how he'd handled her in the storm, but she didn't seem resentful towards him in the least. She just looked blank, and it almost bothered Percy.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I'll remove your eyeballs," he grumbled.

Percy didn't expect an answer, but he got one anyways, in a meek, hesitant, and slightly frightened voice.

"No you won't."

Percy's head snapped up to look at her again, and she cringed at the sudden movement, though she didn't draw back or look away. He pursed his lips into a tight line and locked the cell completely, slamming the cell bars hard with his fist as on his way out to give the remaining prisoners within a good jolt before he left. When he emerged on the top deck, he spotted Scarlett listening in as Ben and Simon gave her the directions she needed, which she told Percy to pass on to the rest of the crew.

Scarlett looked back at her captives. Ben just stared out to sea like he was at home, but Simon was definitely keeping an eye on Scarlett.

"Well boys, it's your lucky day," she said, slipping a hand through her messy curls. "I won't be sending either of you to those damp cells. Not yet, at least. I need you up here. You'll get to stretch your legs. Don't, however, get any funny ideas while I turn my back. You're hopelessly outnumbered with nowhere to run. Good night, gentlemen."

She smiled and nodded to them before turning on her heel and walking away. There was a long way to go, but she was just glad she was on her way.