Shimmering Sands O Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO @Lynford @Kingsley @Latoya @Hawkes @Vulcan

(tag for visibility: @Reyes @Erzulie)

Everyone gets one post in before 11/6!

Eartha did not expect to return to this land quickly. She had wanted to be secure in her victory, then to gather her strength and revenge herself on Alizarin's allies when she was ready, not to be thrust back onto this unfamiliar shore once again chasing after this boy. Though there was more than the thought of punishing him bringing her here; the scars from the odd-eyed woman and the half-faced man had long been covered by fur, but the rage she felt sunk deep into her being. The very idea that the little bastard had allies — perhaps a whole pack on his side — infuriated her. Eartha's anger had bubbled out beyond her normally cool facade. She felt pain in her teeth most days — she spent too much of her time gritting her teeth together if she wasn't talking.

Of course, she could not bring a crew here on a white whale hunt. She could not let herself become a tyrant. She'd promise raiding — loot, whatever that meant to the ones who followed her. She'd use their greed to fuel her revenge.

The shore here on the far west reaches of this foreign land was flat, featureless. A poor place to stay even in fair weather; the fall and winter winds would batter them long before they found Rusalka. She leads them far from the waves, towards the trees that stretched out towards the ocean. We'll make camp here, she commands, sitting under one of the salt-beaten trees.

let's fucken goooooooo

It was greed that brought him here. Hawkes had always been part of this life, for as long as he could remember. Fighting, stealing, lying, cheating, all for himself. The self-proclaimed best navigator in all of the land - the validity of that statement was up to debate, but he sure as hell wasn't bad at it. Else Eartha wouldn't've selected him to accompany her group of merry misfits as the lead navigator. 

Of course, he didn't give a shit about the boy they were looking for. Alizarin. He hardly remembered the guy anyway, if they had ever even met at all. That was not the reason he was here. 

Nor did he care for Eartha's revenge. So the woman had been beat - there wasn't much shame in that. Hawkes wasn't proud enough to say he'd never been beaten, and he certainly didn't care about the wolves who'd bested him. Eartha was a smart woman, so he didn't quite understand why she cared this much about things that seemed so trivial. 

So why was he here? Simple. 

Escape. 

Back in Tortuga, there was nothing for him. Just a bunch of assholes who only cared about themselves. And Hawkes was aware that he fit into that category as well, but he hadn't wanted to die under the rule of his previous leader. Eartha, even with her revenge and unbending nature, was probably better than Hanz had been.

So this was his life now. Leaving Hanz's group was nigh on impossible, but he'd managed - whether he would be hunted down later was yet to be seen. But for now, he was at least mostly safe, with the mob boss and her lackeys. 

The trees provided decent shelter from the wind, he supposed, coming to a halt a few meters away and looking around. Always watching, always on alert. "You've been here before, right?" he questioned their captain, piercing yellow eyes locking onto Eartha's gold. His own expression kept neutral, careful and precise. He was aware that his age, along with the fact that he hadn't been with the crew for very long, likely put him under more intense scrutiny. It was in his best interests not to fuck up.

He liked Eartha. He'd follow her most places. Probably not into hell, but that was a pretty extreme example, and this beach was far from hell. 

Vulcan stood off to the side, the near winter wind ruffling his already disheveled, salt-crusted coat. His eyes were glacial but not unfriendly, stark only in color. He was ready. The hunt was on. 

If it hadn't been for Eartha, he'd still be that mouthy boy who'd brought Tortugan pirates to their wits' end. He'd be dead, his ass punted into the sun by whoever he'd pissed off last. She had given Vulcan a semblance of discipline and poise. Under her leadership, he had grown up. 

But the boy emerged, at least for a moment, to roll happily in the pale sand, relishing in the feel, the sea smell. His tongue lolled; he lay on his back, taking a much needed respite from the journey. 

I can stand guard tonight, Vulcan offered, knowing full well he'd regret it in the wee hours.

With a raised brow the woman watch her captain head in from shore. She was tired but, also surprised they would be staying here tonight. Slowly, Latoya followed, as sand turned into a fine soil. This placed seemed nice enough for now. And the land surrounding the beach looked lush and flourishing. The packs around her should be strong. Excitement fueled her steadily beating heart, they would put up most of a challenge. 

As she settled, sitting and leaning gracefully onto a fallen log, Latoya couldn't help but grumble at Hawkes words. "She  already said she has. The captain has spoken." There was no room for questioning, Latoya knew that. Eartha held her crew to a strict standard, Midnight had seen it before. There was no need to question facts that you already knew. She didn't trust him yet. Hawkes was new, and new didn't always mean better. He would have to prove himself with this mission before she would consider him part of her circle. 

Vulcan's enthusiasm rose a small smile on Latoya's lips. She liked the young gunner so far, she enjoyed his boldness. Casting an eye on Kingsley to share a look over his young gunner. Her steely grey eyes found Vulcan once more and offered him a slightly bigger smile. "Ill join you, kid." She didn't sleep that much anyway, her nickname was earned for more then just the colour of her pelt. 

They had eaten not to long ago, but Latoya would go out hunting soon to ensure they all stayed in tip top shape. As was her duty as Quartermaster. She'd have to scout the area for potential prey first, maybe it was the perfect opportunity to get to know Hawkes better, and for him to test his scouting skills. Regardless, the midnight mistress waited to hear what orders her captain or first mate had to give.

It was good to be back, in a way. Kingsley had grown kind of fond of the Wilds and the wolves he had encountered the first time 'round; it had been a shame they had had to cut the trip so short. Alas, they had found Alizarin and brought him back as was promised, yet the slippery little scoundrel had escaped their grasp yet again. He didn't blame anyone in particular for the boy's second disappearing act, though was more than happy to tag along with Eartha to go round him up again.

The woman had a mighty large chip on her shoulder. Not only did she seem to be personally offended by Alizarin's abandonment, there was also the issue of getting back at that shoreside pack that had roughed her up all those months ago. Ah, revenge, an age old motive. Kingsley was all for it. Not only for the chance to crack some skulls, but also because of the fact that she was their Captain. Part of the ship, part of the crew, and all that. The gunner was still in debt to Lynford, of course, but their surgeon had deferred leadership to the grizzled, once-princess. So, it was she in turn that he yielded to. She made a fine Captain, after all.

And this time, their hunt would hopefully go far smoother. They had picked up some other crew mates during their time back at Tortuga. Some of the younger members Kingsley had yet to form a solid opinion on, but they had all pulled their weight so far.

Ah, there one volunteered now. Kingsley looked over to Vulcan as he spoke, offering to stand first guard. He caught Latoya's gunmetal gaze and let his lips quirk into an approving smile. Atta boy. He had been whipped into shape some by Eartha, proving to be a promising young gunner, though Kingsley knew he would have his work cut out for him if Vulcan had any greater aspirations than simply being a mercenary-in-training.

Latoya then also volunteered to forgo sleep in favour of keeping watch, and Kingsley gave a huff of appreciation to their quartermaster. 'Least someone would have an eye on the rowdy kid. The man then turned to Hawkes and Eartha, adding onto Latoya's previous comment. "Aye lad, we've been here before." Not that they had the chance to scout out much of the land, but some landmarks were familiar, at least. "Got some memories 'round here we ain't too fond of, 'ey, Eartha?" he said, casting a twisted grin at his Captain. He couldn't help himself, it was far too easy to get under her skin.

sorry for the late reply!

He had stayed back a little longer, a certain plant catching his eye as they made their way long the beach to what would be their camp for the night. He couldn't resist stopping to collect it—it was rare yet important, and he would be foolish to pass it up simply to stay close to the group. Many of them, he did not know very well yet, and although he viewed them as bothersome, he never let them know that. He might need them for something at some point, so best to keep them believing he gave two shits about them. 

He arrived with a mouthful of plants, dropping them near the rear of the group as he joined them. Walking forward, he moved to stand at Eartha's side, his deep voice spilling out as he moved. Oh, Kingsley, it's not nice to tease your captain. His voice was light and playful, but there was a threat hidden there, solidified with a challenging raise of his eyebrow. It would probably be imperceptible to the others, but he was sure Kingsley would understand. He turned to the group, not really caring about what had been discussed in his absence. If it was important, Latoya would fill him in, ever the reliable one, at least for him. It seemed the meeting was well on the way, so he dipped his head respectfully to Eartha and waited for her to continue.

@Lynford @Kingsley @Latoya @Hawkes @Vulcan

She fixed Hawkes with a cold gaze, hoping that the younger man would understand that she was not in the mood for such talk. Why was it so hard for him to just follow her orders? Kingsley chipped in, his words niggling into her skin as he yapped on. He'd proven his loyalty, sure, but that had done little to smooth out the cracks and faults she found with him. She was grateful for those in her crew who understood her best — Latoya and Vulcan, who got to work setting things up, and Lynford, her right hand, who without prompting chided the Master Gunner.

Eartha let out a long suffering sigh. Make camp first, she said, her words pointed at Kingsley and Hawkes in particular. Then we can discuss our business here.

Apparently small talk wasn't appreciated here. Hawkes quirked a brow at Latoya's rebuke, yellow eyes scanning her over. He understood that they were supposed to follow Eartha, no matter what, but sometimes he had questions. The boy didn't think it was unreasonable to want to have more information. 

Kingsley, he was grateful for. At least the older man didn't make him feel like he was a total outcast.

"I can scout out around a bit. Make sure nothin's gonna eat us," he offered, figuring that'd be the best usage of his skills at the moment. He was fast, he could traverse their surroundings quicker than most here, he'd wager. Still, he waited, wanting to make sure Eartha approved of his decision.