Swiftcurrent Creek nightmares on wax

Bones went limp, making it as difficult as possible for her mother to tow her along. She shook her head, glaring at the five figures trailing behind Cutlass. She eventually recognized each of them, despite the darkness. There were the twins, Gangplank and Galleon; Killick, the albino who'd looked after her on the occasions when he hadn't gone on raids with her mother; and the vaguely familiar Cutthroat bringing up the rear.

He didn't stay at the rear, however, suddenly pitching forward and shouting for the mob to stop. They acquiesced, likely out of surprise more than any sense of obedience. Cutlass even let go of Bones, though she and Corsair stood on either side of her, preventing escape. She glanced sideways at them, then blinked as Cutthroat argued that they should offer her parley. The youth's heart began to beat rapidly again.

Before Cutlass and her followers could make a reply, two wolves suddenly materialized out of the darkness, one of them catching Killick by surprise and seizing him by the shoulder, the other launching directly at Cutlass. The wily she-wolf snarled, snapping her jaws at her attacker. He managed to grab the loose fur around her neck and yank it, yet she tore herself free a moment later, even as Corsair leaped to defend her leader.

This left Bones unguarded and she jumped to her feet, springing instinctively toward Cutthroat, who seemed to have her best interests at heart. She then spun around, gasping slightly, to ascertain the situation. Despite the darkness, she saw Killick's torn shoulder, the blood bright against his colorless fur. Her green eyes flicked to where Ferdie tousled with her mother and Corsair. Their snarls filled the night and the smell of blood filled Bones's nose.

"STOP!" the child screamed suddenly, hoping to arrest any further attacks. "STOP!" she repeated, causing Cutlass and Corsair to jump away from Ferdie and regroup with the twins. Killick limped swiftly to join them. The five of them now faced Swiftcurrent Creek's wolves, Cutthroat and Bones herself. In fact, the term face-off would have been an incredibly accurate term at the moment.

"Nobody attack," the youth said loudly, ignoring the owl that circled overhead of the dramatic scene. "I don't want anybody getting hurt... not because of me!" Even as she said this, she looked at Killick's wounded shoulder and frowned. Although he was part of the kidnapping party, he was also a member of her former crew, Blackflag... as were the rest of them. And they likely thought they were only doing what was best for her, even if they were sorely mistaken.

"I don't want anybody getting hurt," she repeated after a few deep breaths, "so I'm going to go with them to Tortuga." Bones thought she could make a break for it at the first opportunity, though she would have to consider that. They knew where to find her now, which meant they could continue their assault... perhaps they might even target the place for a raid. Her insides clenched sadly when she recognized the full breadth of this predicament.

"I don't know why you want me back there so bad," she said darkly to Cutlass, her mother, "but I'll go with you peacefully." She took several steps toward the lead raider.