Ravensblood Forest salt fires

looking to meet more MW members! backdated to feb 17th, put her to work!

a week.
over a week?
she bit a twelfth notch into the stick of yew she had collected, letting it clatter to the floor of where she slept now. kept under close watch, chani had not tried to run for her freedom.
she wanted to bathe, however, and turned her eyes toward the sea. with her mother and aunt, chani spoke only their tongues of creole and french. the pirates received answers to the questions they asked and no more.
crowell thought he owned her, and that she could hardly abide. but she was learning to bite her tongue.
a new need to constantly urinate, a goodly amount of vomiting, and fatigue so harsh it almost kept her lying flat — it seemed he would have his wish after all, chani decided, running a protective paw over the thinning fur of her gently blossoming abdomen.
but they did not belong to him, nor here. never. she would never allow it.

He carried a squirrel today, the creature swinging limply in his jaws as he padded toward the place where they kept their captives. Saw the glint of her eyes in the dim light of the dens and solemnly dropped his head, pushing the prey toward her with his muzzle.

Not the mother. . .but someone younger. This was the fierce one; he'd heard of her tenacity, especially against Crowell, who hung around the woman too often for his comfort. As if he owned her.

Hex didn't own her, either. No one should.

Brought you something, he said, voice a bit gruff. He sat back awkwardly, looking somewhat younger than his age (nearly two years, unbeknownst to him). Please eat. Or share it with the others, if you're not hungry.

He could just vomit, for all the disgust he felt seeing her like this, and knowing he had taken part.

another man's approach pinned chani's ears in a scarlet-mare gesture. he had been present at the raid, she was certain, and on site he was hated by the captive taken from her salt cliffs.
he had brought food. she laughed, a loud, mocking sound. "you want to take your turn den?" chani accused, sending the squirrel into a limp flail with a strike of her paw; the lifeless body flopped back toward the dens.
he was a boy to her, young. chani sensed some other aspect to him, but did not linger to analyze. instead her teeth closed on open air in a resounding snap, and she glowered at him, on her feet now and panting with the stress of her surroundings, the impact of her own malevolence.

My turn? Hex asked, bewildered by her statement. Not sure what you mean by that, but I guess, um, no? I'm just bringing you food.

She was angry, and she had every right to be. 

Look, I'm sorry, he went on. I know you won't believe me, but I thought we were just going to take food from your pack. I had no idea Nox was planning this.

It suddenly occurred to him what she might have been referring to, and a fresh wave of guilty nausea rolled over him. He closed his eyes against the sensation, fought down the bile rising up his throat, and then opened them again. 

What the fuck was he going to do? He couldn't sit idly by while they held pregnant women against their will.

of all the reactions, chani did not expect guilt. it befit his young face, she decided, as he defended with words that almost sounded pleading. "stupid men follow stupid men," came a mocking snarl. but she was cold despite the amusement.
"sorry means not'in'. you were wid dem. you be one of dem. do not apologize to me, little fool." a thought came to her as she was castigating him; chani ran her tongue along the tops of her teeth.
"make de captain improve accommodations for my mot'er an' aunt, an' i will believe you." her eyes burned. "today."

Guilt and goodwill he might have in spades, but her insults cut him deep. Hex's face drew into a scowl, his owlish gaze burning. 

Say what you want about me being here, but I'm not stupid, he spat back. He had half a mind to turn and walk away from her—

But that would be uncharitable, and go against everything he'd thought and said.

What do you need? Hex asked instead, nodding toward the den. I'll take care of whatever it is.

Well, apart from letting them go. He felt as if that could be left unsaid, though. He lingered, waiting for her response. If there was none—or more curses—he'd depart at once.

he was supremely stupid. but likewise it would have been equally foolish to continue by comparing his brain to a smashed coral.
he offered to help. she watched him with a mistrusting light in her eyes. "dey be pregnant also. more weeks along t'en me. dey need softer furs, more light. better dens."
her tail lashed. "t'ere has been no fighting. if you mean to keep us, then treat us wid more care."
the idea of her baby relatives, her brothers and sisters being born here and not home was untenable.
the idea of her own body giving birth here was impossible. never. she simply would not.

Oh. Well, here came the bile again. He barely choked it back this time.

You all are pregnant? Hex asked, eyes rounding into twin suns. There was no mistaking the existential panic in his face, though he tried to keep his breathing steady and his gaze upon hers.

Dear gods. This situation grew more and more untenable.

Okay, I will make it happen, he continued. Empty promises, perhaps, but damned if he wouldn't do his best to fulfill them. Anything else? Herbs?

He knew nothing about the needs of a pregnant woman, and definitely not pregnant women, plural. He had a strange feeling the others wouldn't care, anyway.

But he would try.

her eyes widened now, in shocked rage that quickly sparked her tongue. chani turned away from him, shutting her eyes in pure ire. "ou serye? ki jan ou te siviv lontan sa a?"
the saltwolf gathered herself. "you stole de entire nex' generation of sapphique from its shores," she seethed in a low voice. "an' we are very important. we will be fetched," she declared in a warmer pride, "maman an' matant especially."
he offered more. she stared at him. "i would not take any herbs from you. firs' you be a pirate, second you do not be a woman." glance flicked to where her aunt spoke softly to her mother. "but. i will take food. as much of it as you can bring, for dem."

She spoke an unknown language back to him; he let it roll over him, despite the clear contempt in his voice. He nodded along with her words, raising a brow in her description of him as a "pirate."

A craven opportunist, sure. A pirate? He wasn't sure about that.

Food, Hex echoed. Got it. Will do. For them, and for you.

His thoughts rested upon what she'd said before, though, and he cast a glance into the den before looking back at her. I don't know if you'll be fetched, Hex remarked, looking a bit sheepish. One of your warriors ran right into the sea. I saw it. I'll do my best for you, he said, trailing off.

But springing these women might seal my own fate, as well.

No one was coming for them. No one capable, anyway.

"for dem," chani insisted with a fierce jerk of her head toward the caves. a look of purest hatred twisted her face; "crowell means to make me his wench. so do not spend time worryin' on me."
she did not comment on his claim of an alternate story. the warrior could have meant her brothers or pepper; chani did not want to know of men's cowardice either way.
she saw an opportunity in this one.
"you keep believin' dat. sapphique be connected."
teeth closed in trapping intent. chani backed away from him. "keep your word," a last growled note before she turned away from the pirate and returned to her relatives in the shadowed stone.
heart raced. if she had a chance here, they all had a chance.

Hex shook his head. He didn't know much about Crowell, but what he'd gathered was unsettling, to say the least. And if he'd staked enough of a claim for this woman to voice it. . .

You're no one's wench, Hex said firmly. He doubted everything else—doubted anyone would be coming for them—but he knew for certain these women could fight whatever metaphorical chains these men had cast upon them.

I'll bring you all food, he told her, and turned away for good. He was tempted to look back, but he kept his path onward.