Chapter Text
"Captain." Margot said audibly as she ascended the stairs leading up to the stern castle deck of the ship. She stopped once she stood level and settled her green eyes on the man she'd been seeking out where he stood at the banister of the high deck with his back to her and his head tilted slightly back. She couldn't see his face, but she immediately knew what he was doing, that his eyes would be closed and expression concentrated and predatory.
He was scenting the air, scenting the water, as he often did, for blood and flesh, as was his way. And she waited patiently and quietly for him to acknowledge her, not daring to interrupt.
Alana stood at the helm, leaning her arms through the handles of the wheel, the ship sailing along at an even, steady pace by her navigation, and she spared Margot a brief glance of greeting, much as Margot did for her.
Margot waited at least a minute before the Captain finally acknowledged her, raising a slender, elegant hand, all leather and gold adorned fingers curled but his index and middle, which he gestured with for her to go ahead and speak.
"Captain," she addressed again, "Tobias has spotted Hudson Bay Company trade ships, they're flying the red ensign and look to be headed cross seas, south westerly, likely enroute to Port Royal." she paused, glancing out at the ocean in the mentioned direction before looking at the Captain again, "Orders to let them pass or to seize their vessels, Captain?" she asked evenly, the wind lightly ruffling the loose strands of her long sun bleached, braided and tied back hair.
The Captain then inhaled deeply of the sea breeze that moved over them, the wind catching the black crow feathers and fine bone charms on the one side of his black wide brim hat, on the other end of which sat a decorative, shrunken human skull, held in place by red silk ribbon and fine gut stitching.
Alana glanced at the Captain after hearing Margot's announcement, her bright red painted lips twitching into something of a smile as she and Margot both wondered what their Captain smelled in the air right then.
They knew that if the ships were heading to Port Royal or New Providence, then it would not only have something valuable and worth stealing on board, but it would also have English government and noble passengers, the sort that the Captain of the Baltic Ripper had a specific culinary taste for.
The Captain turned around to face them, a small smile curving his lips up just so on one side of his angular face, his carmine red eyes filled with mirth as he looked from Alana, his sailing master, to Margot, his boatswain,
"We should most certainly say hello, yes? After all, it's only good manners." he absently ran a hand down his laced and embroidered black leather waistcoat, worn over a blood red silk shirt, stitched up to fold below his elbows at the sleeves, with leather pants and buckled knee high, black cavalier boots, "Seize, plunder and purge, kill who you must…and anyone else as well." he finished with a dark rumbling tone, a pleased lilt to his accented voice and a grin full of sharp teeth.
"Aye', Captain." Margot nodded with a smirk, the next gust of sea wind whipping her loose hair across her face.
"Aye' Captain." Alana echoed, and then she nodded at Margot, who turned to face the rest of the ship and visible crew on the main deck below,
"Stand ready, crew, sails ho!" she said loudly, her voice carrying, "We're taking the Hudson ships!"
There were audible cheers of agreement before Alana voiced commands to the general infantry of the ship,
"Steady course and full sails, by the wind." she demanded, intent to get the four-masted ship up to full speed in pursuit of their soon to be victims, and the crew on the ratlines and on the main deck immediately rushed to carry out her order, seeing to the rigging and the sails while the rest of the crew ran about retrieving weapons and preparing for the fun –and slaughter- ahead.
Before Margot descended the stairs to the quarter deck, she had one further question,
"Captain Lecter," she waited as the man paused in unsheathing his spyglass to look at her, "orders to signal the rest of the fleet, or do we proceed forward alone?"
Lecter smirked sharply and turned to glance beyond the aft of the ship, to the four other Baltic fleet ships that sailed under his black and red Ripper flagship colors, the Baltic's; Dragon, Shrike, Muskrat and Mongoose.
"How many company ships are there?" he enquired as he clicked the spyglass out the rest of the way.
"Two, Captain."
"Only two…hm." he considered, wetting his lips slowly before he raised the spyglass to his eye and looked out in the direction of the distant white company ship sails. After a moment he said, "Signal them all the same," and he kept smirking as he watched the ships in the distance, "I wouldn't want them to miss out on the fun."
Margot chuckled, raising her eyebrows,
"Of course, Captain." she nodded and then descended the stairs, crossing the deck and heading in the direction of the halyard, where she would raise the flag to signal the rest of the fleet that they were sailing with purpose.
Once across the deck and with a smirk, Margot attached the blood soaked devil tongue cut piece of cloth to the halyard and raised it up by its rope pulley, and she watched the fleet ships in the distance until she saw their blood flags go up as well.
When William Graham, the eighteen year old son of an English nobleman, the Duke of Lincolnshire, was standing on the poop deck of the Hudson Bay Company ship, on which he was travelling to Port Royal in order to visit with his mother there, he was distracted from the pleasant cool sea air ruffling his dark chocolate curls and irritatingly flicking back the pages of his book, by a dark shape seen in his peripheral, just a short distance aft of the large ship.
It didn't alarm him, though wondering what it was made him curious enough to look away from his book…
…and then alarm did creep up his spine when he squinted at the dark shape on the water, when he saw it properly and clearly for what it was, his breath hitching and his heart rate speeding up in shock.
And while he distantly knew that it was only partly fear he was experiencing at the sight of five red and black sail pirate ships heading straight for them, another side of his senses was flooded with adrenalin and excitement.
Will dropped his book from his lax fingers, as it was now the least interesting thing to him, and it hit the wooden deck with a thud. His dry mouth opened and closed in stunned wonder as he watched with wide sea-green eyes as the five ship fleet came upon them quickly, so quickly, at a speed he'd only heard legends tell of, and only legends of very specific pirate vessels.
But despite knowing all the tales, short and tall, Will had never yet seen a pirate vessel in real life, in fact, his father kept him so busy, educating and guiding him every day for his eventual duties of a Duke, that this was only the second time Will had ever even been at sea in his life.
But he'd always loved the ocean, he loved sailing…and he'd always been fascinated by pirates…
That being said though, his heart rate still spiked even higher and he let out a soft noise of worry as his excitement ebbed away and panic settled in, because pirates were dangerous and pirates killed people like him, noblemen and the like, and he was on an obvious government vessel with only very few armed soldiers of the company onboard.
And certainly Will knew that despite his –above average- swordsmanship, he couldn't kill very many seasoned and murderous pirates on his own, maybe one or two…but…
"PIRATES!"
Will flinched, his thoughts scattered horribly when he heard the lookout yell the warning. His reverie of fear and intrigue broken, Will glanced back and looked at the rest of the crew on the deck below, watching with wide eyes as everyone onboard became frenzied, looking out over the banisters fretfully at the oncoming fleet as the commodore yelled out orders to his few men, the helmsman immediately taking direction to get the ship turned around so that they were starboard.
Will could hear orders yelled to prepare the canons, even as there were more orders to try and outrun the ships.
Lost and purposeless aboard a vessel he was only a passenger on, Will turned back to look at the approaching pirate vessels, and as he did a quick calculation of how fast they were coming up, he knew instinctually that it would be futile to try and outrun them. The narrow, long pirate ships with massive blood red and black sails were cutting through the water at incredible speeds, and they'd be upon the company's ship in minutes.
With a shaking hand, Will reached under the back of his midnight blue shirt, confirming that his knife was there, sheathed and strapped to his black breeches.
As the shouting increased onboard the ship, Will quickly removed his knee length coat and tossed it on the floor, wanting as much mobility as he could have, should he need to fight because he…was…
"Gods." he breathed out in amazement and fear when he looked back out over the water at the pirate ships again.
He could see them far more clearly now, and he saw now that the foremost pirate ship, the flagship, was near enough that he could make out what adorned the prow of it.
Morbidly enrapt, Will walked nearer to the banister of the high deck, setting his hands on the polished wood as his gaze fixated on the figurehead of the flagship, and his breath stuttered from his mouth…
…because what he saw was terrifying…and beautiful.
Painted black, like the rest of the main pirate ship, the figurehead looked to be a black bone and skin, wooden carved demon-like creature, with empty eye sockets, sharp bared teeth, long sharp talon like fingers and massive crooked antlers that stretched out intimidatingly from the prow over the water.
Will swallowed with a tense click and exhaled shakily, having broken out in a cold sweat as he blinked rapidly at the main ship, his knees beginning to feel weak with more prominent, tangible fear…because he recognized what he was seeing.
He'd heard tales as a boy and as a man, about the Demon of the Northern Seas, about Captain Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, Captain of the Baltic Ripper who led a legion of blood-lusting pirates, the feared Captain whose flag bore the visage of a horrific mythical Demon. And true enough, amidst the massive plain and stark blood red sails of the flagship, Will saw –with increasingly spastic breathing- the horned demon flag flying in the wind.
He was so distracted with staring up…and up, at the ever nearing massive sails, that Will only belatedly realized that there was now a group of soldiers and crewmen who'd come up onto the poop deck and were arguing behind him. He turned around with a deep frown to look at them, out of breath and slightly disoriented by the lingering image of the demon coming alive in his mind's eye, and when he focused on what they were saying, he realized the crewmen were arguing about him.
They wanted to get him to safety, onto a long boat with the rest of the crew that were not armed or soldiers. But one of the admirals was arguing that it wasn't safe to flee in a smaller vessel that had no weapons or means of defense, arguing that the main ship had cannons and that it was far safer to stay onboard.
Will ran a hand over his face, wondering whether he should weigh in, or whether they'd even listen to him, but he didn't get a chance to say anything, because when one of the frightened regular crewmen shoved a soldier out of his way in a sudden panic, things went suddenly very wrong.
A struggle ensued between the men on the deck before him, a gunshot went off, fists were thrown…and then the last thing Will remembered was taking a misdirected elbow to the face before he was knocked backwards and right off balance...
…flipped backwards over the banister, and with pain shooting through his face, Will fell into the sea mere seconds before the flagship pirate vessel sailed up on the attack.
Will came to with something prodding painfully into his side, and he groaned at the dull soreness of it, as well as for the throbbing pain in his face. His consciousness returned to him slowly, increasing as he heard sounds of laughter, harsh voices, booted steps on wood, people talking in snippets and foreign languages and the familiar sound of water lapping against the sides of a ship.
For a moment he kept his eyes closed, breathing heavily in disorientation, he assumed that he was still on the company ship, remembering having been hit in the face, a sharp headache inducing pain having gone through his head at the time, making him black out suddenly.
But then that dull thing jabbed his side sorely again and Will grunted softly and was forced to open his rolling, burning eyes, forced to take in deeper breaths as he hurt in several places from scrapes, which stung from the salt water. And realizing that he was wet from the sea forced Will to acknowledge that the people standing over him, where he was lying on the floor, on the black deck of a ship, with an aching face, were not company men or soldiers, and so he knew that he'd gone overboard at some point in the chaos.
He could only swallow dryly and frown as he tried to sit up,
"What…w-wher-…?"
"Finally, the boy's awake." a raspy male accented voice spoke, an accent Will didn't recognize, but when Will cut his squinting gaze to him, the look of the skinny man with scraggly short hair and haphazardly thrown together clothing of cloth and leather and non-uniform weapons, immediately visually informed Will that he was in fact a pirate. Probably a foreign pirate at that…
'Oh…n-no…' he immediately thought as it all flooded back into his memory; the pirate ships attacking and specifically which pirate ships they'd been.
And then all of the accents of the pirates talking above and around him made more sense, and Will frantically scrambled to sit up, looking up and from side to side at the people standing over him, his dangerous predicament starting to become clearer.
They were northern European pirates, Baltic pirates…Captain Hannibal Lecter's pirates.
The pirates were laughing at him, staring at him with sneers, men and women alike as he trembled lightly, more from nerves than the clinging, cool ocean water. Will curled up against the gunwale of the ship, absently making sure all of his limbs were accounted for as he discreetly slipped a hand behind his back and under his shirt in hopes of finding his knife still there. They laughed some more at him when he realized his knife was no longer in its sheath and his eyes darted up to glare at them, and then his gaze drifted further up to take in the stark blood red and black sails looming overhead, seemingly even more intimidating now against the darkening sky than they had been in the early day…
'Oh Gods, how much time…has passed?' Will panicked even more and averted his eyes back down, keeping his gaze on the dark wooden deck so that he didn't have to look at anyone, hoping they wouldn't see his distress. He tried to keep his breathing calm and his expression flat as he remembered that it'd been early in the day when the pirates had attacked, but right then sunset was already passing, and from that, Will felt it was realistic to assume that the company ships had been overrun, looted and likely destroyed, easily sunk.
And of course they had, going up against a fleet of superior ships like the Baltics', but then, did that mean there were hostages? Or was it just him-…?
"We should just cut his throat and throw him overboard! What would the captain want with a scrawny thing like him?" someone asked to the group at large and there was harsh laugher from several of the pirates before another person spoke, a male voice younger and lacking a distinctive accent, he sounded vaguely English,
"The captain will likely put him to work, or perhaps sell him back home as a slave." he commented, sounding awfully flippant about it.
"No," a woman's voice cut through the laughter, making Will tense up and everyone fall silent, "he is nobility." the woman announced, her accent was vastly different from the others, far more pronounced and definitely not European. Will kept his eyes down as she went on, "See his expensive clothes?" she asked the group, her tone calm and articulation precise yet not crisply understandable, "Remember how the men aboard the company ship called out the name of a man that they couldn't find. How they scrambled, worried, armed, wanting to find and protect him…" she sounded as though she was giving a lesson to everyone listening to her, and Will hated that she knew what, if not who, he was, "…he is the man they were looking for. Someone…important to them, to their Lords and Ladies, Governors and Dukes." she fell silent, all of the pirates quiet too, and Will held his breath.
He clenched his jaw, body tensing when someone stepped closer, likely the authoritative female, and now that she stood close enough, Will could see her black low heeled, suede boots just a few feet away,
"Am I correct, Mister Graham?" her voice had a questioning lilt on his last name specifically and even though it sounded like she was asking, her tone was demanding and Will knew that ignoring her would be a bad idea. So slowly, he tracked his eyes up over her long, lean pant covered legs and dark cloth wrapped torso until he was looking into her severe, sharp, unsmiling face and dark slanted eyes.
His gaze locked with the narrow eyes of the striking Asian woman standing over him. She was wearing a captain's hat on her head, with a long black coat over her well-fitting black and gold intricately embroidered cloth clothes, looking down at him with effortless condescension. As he held her gaze, Will could imagine what she'd seen after he'd been knocked overboard from being hit the face; he could see how everyone would have scrambled to find him, yelling his name, looking for him so that they could try and protect him and get him to safety as the pirates laid siege to the ship.
They'd have been calling his name clearly for anyone to hear…the fools.
"You intend to hold me for ransom?" he asked her plainly, voice a little rough from swallowed salt water, and he was secretly amused at the useless idea of the pirates asking his cold, stingy father for money to turn him over.
They'd get exactly nowhere with that plan of action.
He was thinking clearer now, the initial shock of being a hostage to the Baltic pirates, the most feared pirates on many seas across the world, fading fast as reality set in around him. He got his feet underneath him, using the gunwale to assist him as he moved to stand up. In an instant, several –no doubt sharp and well used- swords were half unsheathed and others fully before he was even standing completely upright, and two of them were raised and pointed to either side of his vulnerable neck threateningly. Will trembled as the blades glinted so closely, but he steeled himself and stood up to his full height, keeping his chin raised slightly as the swords followed.
Standing up properly, he was easily taller than the female captain, but shorter than most of the other pirates, the majority of which, Will noted, were men of various nations and races.
The female captain shifted her stance casually, adjusting her hold on the long musket she was holding,
"Not I, no." she shook her head once, dismissively, unconcerned, "And perhaps not even Captain Lecter." she glanced to the side when she said that, and Will did then as well. His eyes widened and his blood rushed when he saw there, some distance away, beyond the bow of the ship he was presently on, there was a much larger black ship with completely blood red sails and the Demon figurehead on its prow, floating on the dark water. "But it is his decision to make of what will become of you, not mine." she added, giving Will a slow once over when he looked back at her.
Will swallowed tensely, feeling the cool sharp steel of one of the blades resting just barely an inch from his bobbing adam's apple. He regarded the female captain again, belatedly becoming aware that he was not on the flagship, and from his years of reading up and being told about pirate attacks and legends and stories, as he took in the appearance of the severe Asian female captain, Will realized something,
"You…you're Captain Murasaki, of the Baltic Mongoose?" he asked surely, knowing there were four sub-captains in Lecter's fleet, two men and two women. And since he'd heard tell that the female captain of the Baltic Shrike, Abigail Hobbes, had empty, cold blue eyes and a deceptively innocent appearance, it stood to reason that the woman before him right then was Captain Chiyoh Murasaki.
She raised her eyebrow, appearing bored with him,
"Yes." was all she said, and then she turned to address a large man standing just behind her, "Prepare a boat, we'll take him to the Ripper within the half hour." she ordered. Then she looked to the two men holding swords to Will's throat, "Don't let him out of your sight, and if he tries to run…" she looked at Will and smirked, "…cut his throat and throw him to the Blood Current."
Will watched numbly as she gracefully turned on her heel and walked away, her boots clipping along as her pirates gave her a clear berth to pass, before the excess crew departed as well.
Will felt his stomach shake and his heart beat fast and sorely in his chest, but he was relatively calm on the outside, not wanting anyone to know that he was afraid.
Especially after what she'd just said…
…Will knew what the Blood Current was by its myth, which, now he realized, maybe wasn't a myth at all.
The Blood Current was the supposed power held by Captain Hannibal Lecter, the dark power that he wielded like the demon that he –allegedly- was, which enabled him to smell blood spilled in or over the ocean water for miles, like some sort of super shark or advanced superior predator.
Will clenched his eyes shut and banished the frightening –and vividly alluring- imaginings he had of blood blooming in vast bodies of water, of a dark skinned demonic being, slick with liquid red, breaking the surface.
He abruptly opened his eyes and took several deep breaths in through his nose, glancing around at the lingering pirates watching him, and seeing that they were all larger than him and substantially armed, he decided that he wasn't going to do anything stupid to get himself in any more trouble. Despite being uncertain of whether he'd rather die before meeting the feared Captain Lecter or waiting it out to see where fate landed him during or after, he wasn't going to act irrationally, if an opportunity to escape presented itself, he'd take it, but he wouldn't be hasty or impulsive.
If he could acquire a weapon, Will was relatively certain he could take the two pirates holding swords to him, after all, he was a trained swordsman of no small talent. It would just be a matter of careful planning…or at least, that's what he'd thought. But then Will heard the sound of heavy steel manacles dragging across the deck and he saw a pirate approaching him with the restraints, grinning at him, he knew then that he would not be making any quick escapes, let alone any painless ones.
Will was left on his own to struggle up the rope ladder with the heavy manacles on his wrists, up the side of the ship and then onto the black, almost too clean, deck of the Baltic Ripper. And his entire awkward struggle had been much to the amusement of the two pirates accompanying Captain Murasaki and escorting himself.
It was pitch dark by that point, the sky a cloudless and inky black over the dark open ocean, filled with bright stars and brighter moonlight, and the massive red sails that were presently being hoisted by the pirate crew of the Ripper, preparing to make sail, looked near black as well in the shadows, making the vessel almost invisible against the backdrop. When they'd been crossing the water, Will had been unable to help staring at how ominous and darkly picturesque it looked, macabrely thinking that it wasn't a half-bad image to die inside of.
Presently, they were on the main deck of the Ripper, and Will was being manhandled by either arm to walk across the deck toward the stern castle, until they were intercepted by a young slender woman with long dark multi-tonal hair, which was plaited and tied to one side of her face with wisps and loose strands dangling in her face,
"Captain Murasaki." she greeted Chiyoh evenly, even as she looked at Will with curious big green eyes.
"Margot, I need to speak to Hannibal." Chiyoh stated flatly, the name said with easy familiarity.
And hearing it made Will look from Margot to Chiyoh in surprise, trying to gauge their reactions because he'd honestly believed that no one would speak so informally of Captain Hannibal Lecter, but was apparently wrong.
Margot smiled mildly, looking equable and confident as she placed a hand on her hip,
"He's in his quarters," she raised an eyebrow slowly, "and it's dinner time." Something told Will that the latter half of her statement was some kind of heads up for Chiyoh, and immediately the thought of that warning coupled with the fact that Captain Lecter was a known 'cannibal', sent a shiver down Will's spine…
…although, he noted with a light frown, that the nature of the shiver felt very slippery, obscure and inappropriate to him. It was something like fear, but was also born of morbid and dangerous allure and curiosity, the sensational shiver repeating itself through his nerves and over his skin when Will imagined vividly, the scene of Hannibal Lecter eating someone alive behind his closed cabin doors, with teeth much like that of the figurehead demon at the prow of his ship, long and sharp, fine and shark-like.
Will swallowed thickly when it occurred to him that it might even be one of his own former guardsmen that would be clinging to Lecter's teeth right at that moment, and he felt terribly warm, tense and vaguely shocked by his own morbid amusement at that idea. He had to force himself not to smile, snort or laugh like a total loon in front of his captors.
"I'll be sure to request his pardon for the interruption." Chiyoh commented evenly to Margot, without a hint of telling inflection in her voice or expression on her face, before she turned to look at Will and her crewmen, "Wait here." she said firmly to them and then walked away, past Margot and toward the back of the ship's deck, to where the doors to the Captain's quarters were located.
They all watched her go for a moment, before Margot turned to him and looked him over slowly and with open curiosity. And Will thought of many things that she might be about to say; an insult or a question of who he was, but what he hadn't expected was a congenially offered statement of,
"If you're going to meet Captain Lecter, remember to mind your manners," she smiled almost kindly, "or he may just have your tongue right from your mouth before you can use it to properly offend him." she added calmly, and then walked away with a light step and natural sway, leaving Will blinking rapidly after her.
He swallowed tensely and closed his eyes against the vivid imaginings of the shadowed, faceless form of Hannibal the 'Cannibal: in his mind, leaning in close, sealing his open mouth over Will's own in a mockery of a kiss and then biting his tongue out, breathless, bloody, wet and warm…violent and intimate.
Will shivered again, feeling hot and cold and paling as well because that time he was certainly as afraid of the possibility as he was intrigued.
Sadomasochistic or just disturbingly twisted; Will was both anticipating and dreading meeting Hannibal Lecter.
At least though, not all was lost, because he still felt the urge to fight and flee, but when he opened his eyes again on a tense exhale, Will glanced at the two pirates flanking him and then at the chains around his wrists, weighing his arms down at his front, he saw no way out of his predicament. Because while his legs weren't chained, he knew that trying to escape with the weighty manacles would be futile as an option when the only place that he could run to was the open water, and that would mean a certain, sinking, drowning, cold death.
No, that was not to be his plan of action.
Deciding to actually take note of his present surroundings, Will glanced around and watched the organized bustling going on, on the large ship's main deck, the bright moonlight illuminating the fairly well put together pirates on board the Ripper as they carried out their various duties.
Will had heard stories relaying that Captain Lecter was cold and cruel, but that he was fair to his crewmen, fleet members and countrymen, and Will had heard that he apparently had undying loyalty amongst his people, from the pirates he commanded, to the average men of the lands that he hailed from.
According to what Will knew from hearing soldiers, fellow nobles and governmental people talk over the years, the Baltic Sea and its surrounding countries of Sweden, Polish-Lithuania, Prussia and Denmark, were all partly governed by Captain Lecter, his total dominion over his home seas and partial leadership on land set in place and honored because of a treaty that Lecter had long ago signed with the leaders of the Baltic countries. And as per their agreement, they left Lecter to do as he saw fit on sea and in certain places on land, and he did likewise with them, never interfering with the Baltic countries business, merchant ships or unrelated politics. It was something of a mutually beneficial agreement.
But while Lecter only reigned with actual lawful power in his own small part of the greater seas and land, he made up for his lack of political sway in every other ocean by striking fear and respect into any and every one he came across. It was one of the main reasons that while Lecter was loathed in the greater, dominant lands, he was not actively hunted by other governments, because he was dangerous and was said to have more pirates in his full-fledged fleet than any other pirates –and some small governments -on the seas, and so countries feared going to war with him.
Yes, Lecter was hated and revered and his name was known across most of the known world, from the Dutch East Indies, to Ile Sainte-Marie, as far as Port Royal and to the East Ocean to the West, people and pirates everywhere feared him. Certainly, the Caribbean pirates were dangerous too, some violent, some mystical, some treacherous, but mostly they were considered a nuisance and were disdained, because many were just drunken fools when they weren't thieving, or were just simple every day criminals seeking refuge and freedom in becoming pirates.
The various Berber pirates were feared too, but the worst of them were from the southernmost countries. Will had heard gory tales about the tribal pirates actually, as they were mostly ritualistic people who were savage and knew only violence, generally making blood sacrifices of anyone they abducted from the ships they'd loot, any and all hostages offered up to their many disturbing Gods for various reasons and in various, torturous ways.
And the Asian dynasty pirates were well known, but mostly as being dishonorable and traitorous to any deals they made with foreign pirates, only trusting their own kind, while the aboriginal pirates trusted no one, not even one another, always fighting amongst themselves and never managing to sail very far because of their conflicts.
Of all the pirate stories and legends Will knew of though, he'd always found tales of the Baltic pirates to be as fascinating as he had frightening, having spent many moments in his life wondering what such a fearsome and dangerous man –or 'demon'- such as Lecter, might look like. Will had often imagined that the infamous Captain Lecter would be severe, harsh and possibly grotesque in some way, perhaps something like the rumors Will had heard of the way Davy Jones looked…something like a real, cursed monster.
But Will knew that Lecter had to be intelligent and cunning and persuasive along with being intimidating and terrifying, because how else had the Baltic pirate Captain struck such a deal that led to him becoming the only pirate ever who was considered equal with official lawmakers?
He was a pirate, a criminal, a murderer and so calledvcannibal, but also a ruler, with a resume' that was unheard of anywhere else in the world. In fact, Captain Hannibal Lecter was a ruler of rulers, and really, Will found it hard to believe that he wasn't something entirely other to have established such strong agency and infamy in a world that condemned pirates. And as awful as it was to be intrigued and fascinated and impressed by it, Will honestly found himself feeling all of those things.
Will had always wondered about the Baltic pirates, about Hannibal Lecter specifically…he had always wondered if he truly was a demon in a man's skin or if he was just so evil that that's what people had come to see him as.
And he was even more curious about what the man was like now that he'd heard Murasaki refer to Lecter so informally by his first name. Will had never thought he'd ever be in a position to actually meet the man though…
And he should have been more afraid of the reality he was facing in meeting such a dangerous pirate, but Will never had been normal or conventional in his thinking, feeling and behavior. That was actually one of the reasons that his father had kept him mostly isolated growing up and had been so adamant about keeping Will occupied with work and duties when he'd come of age…
…ever since that one noble Lady, at that one social function had called him 'creepy' –at twelve years old- when he'd pointed out that her perfume reminded him of funeral incense, the way that his diseased uncle's embalmed body had smelled when he'd been to the man's funeral as a boy. He'd smiled when he'd told her that.
And his lips curled into a queer smile right then at the memory of the woman's affronted expression. He was staring absently across the deck as he smiled, but he blinked out of his distant thoughts when the doors to the Captain's quarters beneath the stern castle deck opened, the doors through which Chiyoh had disappeared earlier and presently, she was reemerging from. Will settled back into the there and then, swallowing tensely and standing up straighter as he watched Murasaki shut the door behind her before she began approaching.
His daydream completely shattered now and seeing the serious expression on Murasaki's face, Will focused again on what his possible options were to survive whatever awaited him. First and foremost, he needed to escape at least one manacle so that he could have a free hand, but he'd have to do it at exactly the right moment if it was going to be of any use to him. And then he'd be able to use the heavy chain and cuff as a weapon to gain the upper hand, maybe to strike someone unconscious, or choke them out.
Although, honestly, Will wasn't sure whether he'd stand a better chance against Captain Murasaki and her two crewmen, or against just Captain Lecter by himself, but he doubted it'd be the latter. And glancing at the two pirates flanking him with renewed consideration, Will quickly determined that neither idea would end in his favor.
When she was close enough, Chiyoh stopped in front of Will and grabbed the chain that was between the manacles on his wrists, tugging him forward roughly to walk with her, the crewmen following as well as they all headed in the direction of the Captain's cabin.
Will felt himself start to tremble slightly again with each step, once again he was both afraid and anticipating what awaited him. When they arrived at the doors, Will was expecting that they'd go inside and that he would then be the subject of conversation between Murasaki and Lecter, while he would just be standing aside, ignored hopefully long enough to slip the manacles. But what actually happened, was Chiyoh opened the door to Lecter's cabin and then shoved him through the door…inside. alone.
The door was closed behind him with finality and Will froze, standing rigid and shaken just inside the moderately warm, large and very neat personal space of one Captain Lecter. Will didn't move away from where he stood, choosing rather to cast his wide eyed gaze around the lavish, spacious quarters as he inhaled the smell of a rich, distinctly male musk blended in with the scents of books, food, smoke, leather, wood, metal and salt water that permeated the room. There were two small windows open, which Will knew likely overlooked the ocean view from the aft of the ship, suspended a high distance above the water, and through the windows a slight breeze let in some cool evening air, making the fire lamps set up around the space flicker softly.
On one side of the room Will saw a large berth covered with fur pelts, cottons covers and pillows of red and black silks. There were rugs on the floor by the bed, and the curved walls of the quarters were lined with exotic decoration pieces and well stocked bookshelves, the contents of which were probably mostly stolen. Across from where Will stood were more stocked bookshelves set behind a large ornate desk, atop which were scrolls, laid out blueprints of plans, maps and beautiful detailed drawings of foreign places. There were also varied inkwells and quills with elaborate feathers of birds Will likely would never see in his lifetime, along with drawing charcoals and graphite pieces, an unrolled map of the Spanish Main with ship markers set upon it and a few more expensive decorative objects filling the space.
And finally, despite being nervous and reluctant to look, he was also far too curious, so Will trailed his eyes to the other side of the quarters, his gaze passing over the paintings and sketches pinned to the wooden walls, over the large wine barrel with an Avignon, France merchant shipping stamp on its side. At that point, Will sensed that he was being watched, so after a tense swallow, he held his breath and turned his head to look over at the dining table, which was laid out with decadently prepared and delicious looking and smelling dishes; bowls and plates of food and glass decanters of alcohol. And there at the table, sitting near the far back wall in the head seat of the six chair dining table, Will's eyes inevitably fell on the man whose quarters he was standing in; Captain Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter himself.
The man was reclining back in his seat and sitting slightly more to one side, his long, black leather clad legs crossed one over the other at the knee. He had one arm rested on the table beside a half empty plate of rarely cooked sliced meats, and in his other he held a crystal wine goblet which he was lightly tilting from side to side.
Will let out a short tense breath and inhaled slowly as he unblinkingly took in the sight of the man he'd spent much time in his youth trying to imagine, finding himself both relieved and enrapt by the fact that Lecter appeared to be so absolutely human. The man was lean and broad shouldered, likely solid and fit in musculature beneath his clothes. He wore a dark red silk shirt, the shiny texture of which softly reflected the candle light, and the sleeves of which were folded up so that the loose laced cuffs sat just below his elbows decorously, showing off the fair skin and strong lines of his faintly veined forearms, which were adorned with leather ties, bone wrist jewelry, amber stone charms and unusual rings.
Will swallowed with a soft click as he tracked his eyes back up to the Captain's face from the tips of the man's boots. He'd been avoiding eye contact until now, but when he gave in and looked, Will found eyes the color of rich burgundy wine placidly regarding him. He only held that intense yet calm gaze for all of a second before he had to look away, and he instead tracked his eyes over Lecter's angular face and up to his hair, which appeared to be a dark blonde-brown in the shadowy lighting, and the straight fall of which was haphazardly brushed back from his face, leaving it to fall untidily on his head and in pieces around his damnably attractive face.
And dammit, but the man was gorgeous. Will had not been expecting that after hearing tales told of an evil, psychopathic cannibal who hunted people by their blood scent in the water and sometimes on the wind.
It was disconcerting to see him now, to find him so handsome and human, especially for Will who had for the longest time kept his frowned upon sexual proclivities for the same sex to himself, and had intended to continue to do so for the rest of his life.
Except it was hard to hide it right then, because he felt too warm, more than a little flush, his natural, carnal sexual interests piqued and stirred up at the sight of an impressive man who was unlike anyone he'd ever encountered before. And it was beyond inappropriate to be thinking and feeling that way about Lecter considering his precarious situation, but he really couldn't help it…
…and there was no way that he was imagining the slowly forming, curved and handsome smirk on Captain Lecter's face as the man watched him with amusement, convincing Will instantly that the pirate somehow just knew what he was thinking. Because hell, if Lecter could smell blood in the water and air, then surely he could smell the heated blood in Will's veins, coursing in a rush and deviating specifically south.
Will clenched his fists so hard that his nails pinched his palms, trying to bring himself out of the heady stupor of overwhelming sexual masculine energy in the room, and when the manacles clanked on his wrists, the fog over his mind and senses cleared somewhat and he felt more grounded, reminded that he was a hostage and his situation was distinctly hostile. He needed to keep that in mind first and foremost, he needed to stay focused and stay in the moment and-...
"It's incredibly rude of you," Lecter spoke, startling Will out of his panicked thoughts with his lilting, smooth foreign accent, his English clear and understandable all the same, "to step inside my cabin and gawk at me as you are," his smirk became sharper, "without even having the decency to greet me first." Lecter informed evenly, swirling the liquid in his goblet before drinking from it.
Will distractedly watched the man's adam's bob as he swallowed, before he shook his head and frowned, blinking nonplussed. Then he registered what the pirate had just admonished him for, and he recalled Margot's words of warning and Will decided quickly that a little self-preservation strategy might keep him alive long enough to attempt an escape, so politely he said,
"My apologies, Captain Lecter," he exhaled a bit loudly and quite shaken, "good evening to you." and he tried not to sound like he was clenching his teeth in between words, but he was, so he did.
Lecter continued to smirk and Will remained standing by the doors, too warm and very tense, as the man slid his eyes over him slowly and appraisingly from head to toe and back up again.
And that time, when Lecter's wine red eyes met Will's sea green, their gazes held,
"Your name?" the pirate Captain enquired conversationally.
"I'm certain you already know." Will answered unthinkingly, too curtly, and then he literally gulped when Lecter's smirk fell away and his red eyes darkened almost unnaturally.
No, actually, it was definitely unnatural, since his eyes appeared black now.
The only comparison Will could make was that Lecter's eyes resembled that of a shark's, and Will felt his stomach drop out and his skin prickle with very real fear.
So…right, okay, if he was truly in the company of a demon of some kind, then perhaps he should watch his mouth?
Yes, indeed, that would be wise.
"Will…Will Graham." he answered as calmly as he could with a tight, strained tone, averting his gaze from the Captain's unsettling black eyes.
"Just Will, or William?" Lecter asked without missing a beat, and Will heard the soft sound of the goblet being set down on the table.
He took a deep breath before answering in a steadier voice,
"William, but I…I prefer Will." he said honestly, not that it mattered anyway.
There was a moment of quiet, filled with the noise of the ocean and creak of the ship, and then Lecter asked,
"What is your noble title, where are you from, where were you headed onboard the Hudson Company Ship?" he asked all of the questions sounding rather bored. And Will suspected that he knew the answers, because he'd raided the company ship and likely had all of its sailing log and passenger information.
Still, he was being asked questions and it was polite to answer, so, staring at the floor and thinking it was probably a test of his honesty, thinking that Lecter might know if he was lying, Will didn't attempt to when he answered,
"I am Earl Graham, son of The Duke of Lincolnshire, and I was sailing from England to Port Royal."
"Business, pleasure or education?"
Will shifted on his feet, his gaze still down on the floor, the manacles were weighing heavy on his arms and making his back ache and his wrists burn from the beginnings of chafing,
"Leisure, actually," he said softly, "to spend two months in Port Royal, visiting with my mother and aunt."
"Do you have any relations within the Royal Navy?" Lecter asked in a curious but firm tone.
And Will didn't dare look up, feeling dread set into his gut at Lecter's inquiry, because that was the important question. The answer to which only Will could provide, and would determine Will's true worth to the pirates.
Because technically, Will was an important person, being not only the lone son of a wealthy, influential nobleman in England, heir to a substantial fortune, but he also had family in the Royal Navy, an uncle and cousins.
Will's father had had aspirations for him to one day become a member of the Royal Navy Marines too, but it was something that Will had never had an interest in, another thing that he'd disappointed his father in. Because while he loved the open water, Will was not fond of law enforcement, even just the idea of living so regimented and under such scrutiny made him feel trapped and suffocated.
"Do I have to repeat myself?" Lecter asked in a tone that suggested Will would regret making him do so.
"Yes…" he said immediately, unthinkingly, and then realized how it sounded and he snapped his head up to meet Lecter's black eyes and deathly still gaze, "…I m-mean, yes, to your previous question." Will rushed to clarify, "Yes, I have an uncle, Admiral Frederick Chilton Graham and two cousins, Captain Matthew Brown and Commander Brian Zeller, all in the Royal Navy." he answered honestly.
Lecter regarded him for a silent moment then and Will felt unable to look away from his unsettling eyes, even as the firelight cast further unsettling shadows over his angular face and the breeze filtering in through the windows ruffled both of their hair, all the while Will barely managed to blink, and Lecter didn't even seem to need to.
As he stood stock still though, Will was aware of the itch on his skin from the dried salt water, and also his legs felt weak and his breath shorter the longer Lecter sat watching him, looking into him with lightless black eyes, and Will's fate dawned on him miserably with every passing second.
Will couldn't know what Lecter was thinking, but he suspected the pirate Captain would want to hold him for ransom as he'd originally assumed. And Will knew that his father wouldn't pay, his public reasons would be that he would never negotiate with pirates, so he'd call on their relations and contacts in the navy, and whatever ships could be spared would be set out in search of the Baltic pirate ships in order to attempt a rescue and attack on the pirates, and people would inevitably die when it happened, the majority of which would not be pirates.
Honestly, the Royal Navy had trouble keeping the Caribbean pirates in check, so Will knew that there was no way that they could hope to take down Lecter and his fleet. Will knew from the many tales he'd heard, that while Lecter sailed with only his main ships, back on his home seas, he had many, many more ships and loyal pirates who followed him. Rumors and stories had often terrified listeners with tales of the Baltic pirate fleet being more than a thousand ships strong, all of which sailed seamlessly through the northern frozen seas like blades in the water.
And if the stories were true, and they probably were since Will saw now that Lecter was more than a man, then the Royal Navy didn't stand a chance in war if Lecter decided to meet their violence with his own…which he would.
"You seem deep in thought," Will started at the spoken words and then back stepped in shock, refocusing quickly to find that Lecter was standing just a foot away from him now, "do share?" he prompted.
And Will panicked –because he hadn't heard the man move- and with the sudden close proximity, his instincts to protect himself reared up unbidden. Without a second thought, Will forcefully dislocated his thumb –painfully- and slipped his hand free from the manacle.
He had intended to swing the manacle up to strike the pirate Captain, but it was not to be…
The second Will slipped his hand from the cuff, Lecter moved whiplash quick, snatching the chain and forcefully yanking it up, spinning Will around with the momentum and then wrapping the chain length around his throat as if it required no effort at all to manhandle him like a ragdoll.
Will was stuck then; his back pressed to Lecter's chest, chain wrapped once around his neck just tightly enough to pinch sorely and threaten strangulation, his still cuffed hand was pulled up uncomfortably to twitch uselessly beside his own face while his –aching- freed hand was caught at the wrist, held across his own middle by Lecter's firm grip, his warm hand clenched tight enough to bruise Will's skin there.
It was almost bizarrely like an embrace. A violent embrace. And yes, Will was very, very twisted to think so.
But with the length of Lecter's body hard and firm and hot against his back…with the gorgeous, dangerous man smelling so good, scents of that deep musk mixed with a coppery blood, metallic tang and leather and the heat all together, it assaulted Will's senses and he shivered bodily, wetting and pursing his lips in anger at himself and against the burn of yearning. Of course he was afraid and panicked…but he was also quickly becoming aroused.
Will began to tremble in earnest then, unable to help the feelings now, he was scared, turned on and ashamed.
Lecter held him fast, Will knew that he could not move an inch and if he attempted to kick backwards, Will was certain the chain around his neck would pull taught enough to crush and kill. He was at Lecter's mercy, and yet his blood careened through his veins like fire…having never felt so alive as he did right then, on the cusp of death, in the arms of danger.
"I do admire your violent instincts to protect yourself, Will," Lecter spoke in a low rumble, rolling the L's in Will's name with distracting sensuality. And being as he was slightly taller than Will, the pirate's breath ghosted over the shell of his ear and down along his cheek, over his salt sticky skin, clinging, "not hardly the fragile little thing one would expect you might be as a result of a noble rearing." Lecter sounded amused.
Will shivered as all of the sensations of Lecter's closeness infiltrated his mind and heated his core, and he clenched both of his fists at the awkward angles they were trapped in, trying to clear his head as he breathed heavily and shaken, his smooth cheeks red with blush, his arched nostrils flaring with every harsh inhale.
Lecter licked his lips, Will heard the soft wet click of it and felt the sliver of moisture against his ear and he made a noise somewhere between dismay and breathlessness as his body reacted to it with more traitorous warmth.
"Curious thing, young Will, that in this moment…you smell potently of desire." he pointed out silkily, confirming that Will had assumed correctly; Captain Lecter could smell his blood and its current concentration perfectly well.
All the same,
"I do not." he denied it because he had to, his breath stuttering and his stomach churning with shame.
"I wonder though," Lecter spoke on as if Will hadn't said a word, "whether it's because of the threat of violence I represent, the vulnerability you are experiencing under the weight of that threat, or perhaps," he pressed himself more firmly against Will's back, "it's just because of me, as a man who appeals to your reticent sexual inclinations." Lecter spoke quietly, just short of mocking. And Will felt it when the man smiled with his teeth, because the smooth ridges grazed over the cartilage of his ear, "Or perhaps, it's all three." he said with a voice like gravel and sex, sounding quite certain of his assumptions.
And Will tensed at the truth of it and tried not to focus on the firm press of Lecter's hips and chest and lips.
Lecter chuckled, soft and darkly, the sound moving around the room like the flickering candlelight shadows.
Will needed to say something, needed to be more than a mess of repressed hormones and dark urges in that moment, he needed to say something coherent,
"H-he won't pay…my father…" Will forced out, as good a place to start as any, even though his tone was far from steady. He glanced to the side, but he could only see licks of Lecter's fine hair in his peripheral, "…he'd never make a deal with a pirate, any pirate, even you…especially you." Will clenched his teeth, breathing harshly, the skin of his neck aching sorely where it was pinched between the chain links, "He'll set the Royal Navy upon your fleet before he even bothers to determine whether or not I've been harmed…whether or not I'm actually still alive." he said honestly, uncaring of how bitter his tone was and how much of his poor relationship with his father was revealed in his words.
When Lecter said nothing, apparently listening to what Will had to say, he went on,
"My father can make another heir, he is young at 39 years and my mother younger still at 36. I'm only 18 and I've already disappointed my father more times than he can sincerely forgive," he paused, swallowed tensely, "I've become more of burden to him than a source of pride by this point, so losing me would be of no great consequence." he admitted with a raspy break in his voice, remembering all the times his father had looked at him with irritation or indifference, and he closed his eyes against the ugly hurtful truth of his own words.
It wasn't a life he'd miss...now that he thought about it.
Lecter hummed, low and long, and the soft vibration of it raised goosebumps on Will's sticky skin,
"I would take great pleasure in devastating the Royal Navy's ships, should they set an attack upon my fleet," the pirate Captain admitted openly, a smile in his voice, "but then…perhaps you are not worthy of the trouble." he added placidly, the humor, sensuality and teasing gone from his voice, replaced with a crisp, clear-cut seriousness.
Will's breath hitched and he felt a tug of hurt in his stomach, because really, while it was mostly true, it wasn't nice to hear it, especially not from the mouth of a powerful, important, complete stranger like Hannibal Lecter, someone who didn't even know him but still saw him as worthless. It made Will both angry and resigned.
He remained silent then, having nothing more to say, he waited for Lecter to decide his fate.
Will felt Lecter nudge his nose into his sticky mess of dark curls and he heard the pirate inhale lightly, making Will shiver again and exhale shakily. When Lecter spoke again, his tone was silky and thoughtful,
"My options then are; I can take the gamble of requesting payment for your life from your wealthy family and enjoy the subsequent compensation or the bloodbath that will ensue." another grin then, which Will again felt against his ear, "Or, I could spare myself the trouble and let them assume you are dead, in which case, I'll just kill you here and now…" Will's audible and sore swallow at the threat made Lecter chuckle, "…I'm certain you've a healthy, meaty heart that would taste nothing short of divine, when ripped from your chest, eaten raw and still warm with blood." Lecter's voice was somehow simultaneously sexy and horrifying when he said those last words.
And Will made an embarrassing noise, blushing darker as he was rushed with feelings of both fear and fascination, manifesting on his skin as sweat and within his loins as torrid arousal. Lecter tightened his hold then and inhaled more obviously against the pulse point of Will's throat before eliciting a strange and pleased noise followed by a tense silence in which Will nearly sobbed from the suspense.
"Or perhaps…a third option." Lecter unexpectedly said in a low tone, and Will frowned. He was tense and confused, breathing uncontrollably loud and hyperaware of Lecter's body and breath and voice and likeliness to kill him at any second without hesitation, "Yes…I could let them assume you died at sea when the ship sunk…" he sounded almost distant with thought, "…and then I could keep you, here, aboard my ship…"
"…wha-…" Will breathed out, baffled by the sudden change in ideas.
"…and I'll teach you how to let go, to embrace the darkness that lurks within you." Lecter said more clearly now, no longer distant or distracted, his voice lowering to a sharp whisper when he continued, "You'll die a nobleman's son at sea, and be reborn a pirate," Will felt short of breath, frowning deeply, "you'll become more under my guidance, than anything you might have imagined yourself capable of, young Will. I'll make you a predator among prey." Lecter said it like a promise, and Will's heart was thunderously loud in his ears.
He didn't even realize that he'd leaned back into Lecter's embrace until the man shifted so that his pelvis pressed once firmly to Will's buttocks and Will's mouth fell open slightly on a hot breath as his cock stirred in earnest at the suggestive sensation,
"Indeed, Will," Lecter said sensually, "I think that fresh blood spilled from the veins of men by your hand, would smell exquisite on your sweet skin." he finished huskily.
Will only barely suppressed a moan, losing whatever composure he'd been holding onto more and more with every breath and touch and sensual word from the pirate Captain. Will had never been with anyone sexually, least of all a man –which was actually the very thing that he wanted, the truth which his father suspected and likely loathed most about him-, and aside from a clumsy kiss with a maid girl when he'd been 15, he had no experience to speak of, and he was so sexually pent up as a result, that it was really the farthest thing from funny.
Especially right then, being in that situation, having Hannibal Lecter's body pressed against his and the man's breath in his ear and on his skin, Lecter being so attractive and dangerous and sexy an-
"What say you, Earl Graham?" Lecter asked hotly against his ear.
The Lord of the Baltic Pirates, Captain Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, the Demon of the Northern seas who navigated the Blood Current, was asking such a weighted question of Will, with an air of light amusement as his long fingers stroked lightly over the back of Will's hand where it was being held against his side.
Lecter was asking Will if he wanted to forsake his family and former life, to join his crew and become a pirate...
…a feared pirate, someone significant and dangerous and with a purpose…and freedom.
And hadn't all of those things been dreams that Will had spent many years thinking about as a boy, before his father had isolated him away from the world within their estate, insisting upon Will career interests and work and lessons and talk of betrothals and future political obligations day after day?
Yes…yes they had…Will had always wanted to be free…to be powerful and feared and in control…yes…
"Yes…" Will breathed out, closing his eyes slowly, only to open them again with more determination burning in the seawater color of them, "…yes, I want to join your crew, Captain Lecter." he leaned back just a little more into the man's firm hold, "Yes, please." and he meant it, Will wanted it.
"Excellent." Lecter said in a smooth, devilish voice, no doubt wearing a smile of teeth to match his tone.
There was barely a moment to take another breath then, before all at once, the chain was unraveled from around Will's throat and he was abruptly spun around and gently pushed a step back from Lecter's presence, his warmth, his hard body. In half a daze, Will blinked slowly and shifted on his feet for better balance, and then he felt a tug on his still manacled wrist, followed by a 'click' and a 'clank' and when he looked down, his wrists were now both unfettered, the manacles lying on the floor at his shoe clad feet.
He noted irritably that he felt cold without Lecter's body against his…
Lecter.
Will looked up at the man standing a foot or so away from him, seeing that Lecter's expression was inscrutable, his eyes a dark red now, no longer shark-like, the shadows settling over parts of his face eerily, cast by the candlelight over his angular bone structure. His posture was intimidating, the long line of his body revealing that while he was lean, he was also undoubtedly dangerous. In that moment, Lecter appeared to be every bit the feared man that he was rumored to be, unapproachable and cold and other. And Will knew that he was technically free to leave the cabin then, and yet he didn't make any move to do so.
Until Lecter gestured to the manacles lying at his feet, a wordless instruction to pick them up,
"Go now," he said curtly, "find Bedelia and inform her of your choice to join the ranks, you'll be properly suited and set to work aboard the ship." he instructed in the tone of man long used to giving orders and being obeyed without question. He was all business, the persuasive, silky tone completely absent, leaving Will wondering how much of everything that had just occurred may have been part of his imagination…perhaps he was concussed?
When Lecter turned around and walked back to his seat at the dining table, snagging a bright unrecognizable fruit from a bowl and biting into it as he sat down, Will knew instinctively that he'd been dismissed.
Feeling twitchy and uncertain and inexplicably unmoored, Will crouched down to pick up the manacles, and as he carried them out with him they clanked noisily, masking the sound of his tense breathing. Once he was outside the Captain's cabin and Will had closed the door behind him, he leaned against the stern castle staircase, took in a long breath with a deep frown on his face…and he trembled.
He felt too young all of a sudden, lost and confused, not sure what had just transpired…had he really just-…was he now-…did he still have a soul? If Lecter was a demon, had Will just made some irrevocable deal with him?
He shivered as the cool sea air moved over his sticky, hot skin,
'What the hell just happe-…'
"Not dead, ey…?" Margot's voice interrupted Will's train of thought and he turned around quickly to face her, nearly dropping the manacles from his shaking hands. She smiled placidly when he looked at her and then she tracked her eyes down to his unbound hands and cocked an eyebrow, "I see." she said wispily and met his eyes again, "Well, don't just stand around uselessly, sailor." her tone became firmer then, "Bedelia is below deck, she's the Quartermaster, she'll tell you where to, when to, if, how and why to." Margot stated, and it was clearly an instruction, "Go on." she added when Will didn't immediately move.
Will wondered then just what her rank was on The Ripper.
He didn't ask though, too tired and wary to bother right then, he simply nodded. And then, still carrying the manacles, Will walked across the deck to the doors that led down into the lower levels of the ship to find whoever Bedelia was so that he could begin his life as a pirate.