"Bane it is then." Daniel muttered before taking notice of the woman.

He turned to observe her, noticing her athletic figure right away. For what skin was exposed it stretched across her muscles, defining them further. She was at ease in this setting but the blade cleaning was a clear warning. Daniel was beginning to understand just how much this crew adored Avery. If they didn't the only other welcoming close to this would have a very fearful undertone to it.

"Good day Miss Iris." He said, striving to match the smooth ease in her voice. "Me name is Daniel Blythe." Shifting, he moved towards the stairs. "I could use a hand wi' getting the room set up. The Cap'n said ye would lead me there?" Daniel intended to grab the supplies he stowed away before venturing to find the room but it was usually a good idea to clear up the communication.

~~~

Amelia beamed, she could just about hug Scarlet for her kindness.

"Thank you." she sighed, truly happy but hesitant at the same time. She certainly wanted to go home and a part of her was already very home sick but, this vessel of good will was filled with a freedom she had never known before. Her mind sired a melting pot of it's own thoughts as she turned back to continue her work chopping carrots. "What would you like me to do when I am done with these Scarlet?" she asked, contented to be helping.

Iris nodded, finishing with her blade as they walked. "Glad to be helpful, scarlet will be a few minutes, she's caring for the little one you and the cap found" they walked in and Iris looked at him. "I'm the weapons master so if your in need of anything tool wise please don't pause"

Scarlet smiled and said "if you could dress that chicken and pork that would be very helpful love"

Daniel hardly remembered the girl. He mostly remembered her wild hair. It was long and everywhere when Avery and himself found her. From the spray of the sea and the assault, it had been around her making her look like a crazed animal.

"Aye." Daniel said, acknowledging Iris's comment on the position she held on the vessel. There really were much more women on this craft than in any other boat he had seen. The sailor in him warned of bad luck, the pirate encouraged both lustful advances and warnings of daggers held to his back. Of one thing he was certain, women were trouble to a man's lifestyle.

He turned to lead Iris to the back corner he had stored his things. Carrying all but a bunch of bandages himself, the two made their way back to where he would reside. Daniel followed closely to Iris, ever being tempted to let his eyes linger on her but not daring to try anything. He respected the woman for what would have undoubtedly been many years of scrimmaging to reach her rank. Still, her exotic look and smooth movements would call to any man that could call himself one. Daniel redirected his mind frequently to the ship and the rest of the crew, trying to take in every nook and cranny. If he was going to be working on this ship, he'd need to get to know her. As he continued to contemplate life on this vessel notions of Avery pushed their way through to his consciousness like gentle waves lapping up on a sandy shoreline.

Iris continued on, unaware of his internal happenings.

~~~~

Dress the chicken and pork? That was something Amelia had never been given the pleasure of attempting on the other vessel. She had just finished cutting up the vegetables and about to switch tasks when a cabin boy came into Scarlet's kitchen and addressed her. He passed on an order to join the doctor in his new quarters to discuss herbs.

"May I come?" Amelia piped up. Wondering if she should be looked at from her ordeal.

Iris started clearing things off the cabinets when she looked over at Daniel and said "You may be quiet but your actions speaks many words..." She faced him and said "You don't need to be so guarded...no one will hurt you here. The crew is not as cut throat as other crews. We may seem uptight only because of concern for our captain...she's been...strange lately" She set a box on one of the beds and watched him.

Scarlet smiled and said "Of course my dear. You should be looked over by the new doctor...your friend from the other ship I believe" She held out her hand for the girl, smiling brightly

Daniel was enjoying the observations the crew members had voiced of him to a strange degree. They seemed just as observant as himself sometimes, while others displaying less and more attention to detail. His natural expression had become that of one pondering over the rough years at sea. His right eyebrow twitched at the end from Iris' comment. A burst of curiosity flared within him, begging to prod her as to what his actions did in fact say. In her statement, she had practically said what she saw; a wound up and over cautious man. Daniel sighed lightly as he pulled materials out of the small crate, setting supplies on the shelf.

"Any good sailor 'as t' keep his whits 'bout h'm." Daniel offered in response. This crew did seem well meshed as well as balanced. They were all very kind to him, to kind to what he had experienced. A slight smile broke across his features as to the irony of the situation. Between Avery, Bane and Iris, the crew was doing their best to make him feel welcome but instead it screamed a warning in his ears. In the pirating world a kind favor here would mean a costly and inconvenient time of payment later.

"What is th' Cap'n's normal behav'er?" Daniel inquired, since apparently he only know her long enough to know her 'unusual' behavior. Normal behaviour would be good for the doctor of the vessel to know so he can treat properly. "Do it 'ave t' do wi'' th' pieces she be after?" He continued to stock the shelves, leaving some medicinal herbs in the crate. He was thankful that he could talk with Scarlet soon about the storage and distribution of such items.

~~~

"Well, I may not call him a friend but he did come to my aid." Amelia commented shyly. She took Scarlet's hand and let herself be lead by the passionate woman towards the doctor's quarters and work area.

Iris shrugged and started putting jars on the shelves. "She's a odd person to be honest...she's a lone wolf...but a mother wolf. She is caring and gentle...but when you go after one of her pack, she will rip your throat out. You saw that today...the Demon of the ShadowStrike. She is a good captain...and a good friend" The door opened and Scarlet and Amelia walked in.

Scarlet smiled and said "Where would you like us, Iris?" Iris smiled and pointed to the boxes. "We unpack and see what supplies the doctor will need to pick up at our next port"

Amelia entered the small quarters just behind Scarlet. She was glad to see that the doctor had a separate sleeping area. Goodness knows that it would not reflect kindly on her if she was ever caught waltzing into a mans quarters, even with two other very capable women.

~~~

Daniel had picked up the crate upon the women's arrival and placed it in the center of the room for the ladies to pull things from. He continued to stock the shelves until the work was done. He surveyed the room and found that within reason most things were where they should be.

"Scarlet," Daniel began, using the name she had told him to for addressing her. "I 'ave some herbs tha' ye could use fer cookin' but i'll need t' keep some 'ere for salves." he said, leaving the statement somewhat open. Of course, it was his way of asking. Despite the siren's screaming in his head a warning he offered an attempt at friendliness. "If ye be interested, I know a recipe or two tha' can help some illnesses."

He was aware of the girls presence but she seemed to shrink behind Scarlet more than not. She was startled when the larger woman moved out of the way, rather enthusiastically accepting Daniel's meager offer. This time, the pirate and playful part of his personality in him won.

"Scarlet, who be yer friend?" he asked, drawing attention to the girl who clearly didn't like it. He enjoyed watching her cheeks flush a pink colour. Iris had told him who she was, he knew how she came to be on the ship but she was rather fun to embarrass, most shy women were.

~~~

Amelia stammered, trying to explain at first. She was caught off guard by the sudden attention that was drawn to her.

"I-i... My name is Amelia." she said, attempting to draw herself upward. Her mother had taught her to do so to hide any fear or embarrassment when out in public. Mother would not have been happy with Amelia's stammering, but then mother would not approve of her current situation regardless. Willingly cooperating with pirates, as it were.

~~~

"Well Miss Amelia, did ye need t' be looked a' after yer ordeal?" Daniel asked, trying to poke her further. He was aware of his company however, and would rather not get into too much trouble. The women on this vessel, he theorized, were not to be trifled with. Done with his moment of fun he wondered how far he could press.

"Iris, would ye be so kind as t' bring any injured t' me so I can do me job?" He asked, clearly lacing it in mild jest but still trying to be polite in his order.

~~~

Amelia answered in a more even tone this time. "Yes." It was a simple statement, but it was also permission giving. She turned to Scarlet, "Will you stay with me?" she asked. Whenever the doctor at home had come by, both of her parents were usually in the room with her.

Scarlet smiled and nodded saying "Of course my dear...I won't go anywhere" Iris smirked slightly and said "I will finish out here Doctor. The back room should be clear enough to use to check her over. I will see if anyone else is in need of your care." She left the room and Scarlet smiled at Daniel and said "DOn't let Iris scare you. She is from the world of Voodoo and magic so she's kinda of different"

*************

Avery was sitting at her desk in her cabin as Bane walked in, sitting in the chair in front of her. "I see you got the piece...how many is that" Avery sighed, leaning back and said "Not enough. I may have half of the bloody thing...its affecting that side of me, Bane...I haven't felt that kind of blood lust since father died..."

*************

Iris spread the word for any injured crew member to go to the doctors cabin to be checked out. Then she returned and went back to work on getting the cabin set up

Frankly, Iris did give Daniel the chills but he did not fear her. His time as a pirate had opened his eyes to many things that the navy could not have done outside of produce a fear of the unknown and unchristian. The key was to stay on the good side of those that tamper with magic and Iris seemed to be rather even-keel.

"-right lass. Where did th' sailor hurt ye?" Daniel asked, prompting Amelia to talk about the experience she had. When Avery and himself had found her, her long skirt was up to her knees... Scandalous for any good man to look upon. Daniel wasn't entirely a good man though and it helped in making sure his patient was alright. Amelia had been shaken but she didn't seem too town up, her virtue may not have been taken. Then again, the man did have his hand up her skirt...

~~~

Amelia began to recount the events to the doctor. It pained her and made her feel ill to her stomach. Still, she told the doctor how he had forced her into a secluded area and pinned her down with his and and knees.

"It seems as though I still have my virtue," Amelia said with a shaky voice. "and only a few bruises."

~~~

Daniel listened carefully to her rememberings.

"I' sounds as though ye will be fine aside fr'm th' scare." he said, his gruff voice teetering on compassionate. He had no need to check her bruising visually unless it was rather bad, she would probably prefer if he didn't... but as a doctor he should check.

"Jus' t' be safe, I'mma 'ave a look see at her bruising." Daniel instructed her on how to shift her skirt so that he could look at her legs and keep herself covered at the same time. She blushed as red as an island dragon-fruit but to his surprise, she obliged. The girl must be incredibly naive then, or far too innocent. The bruising on her arms and legs didn't looks extensive as of yet, nothing tender.

"Ye'll be fine." He said, attempting to assure her. He was about to send her off when a clear bell toned through the ship. The pattern it rang in only described one thing, a ship near by that was not of the friendly sort. Instantly he looked to Iris for direction. Nary a breath passed between the two before bolting out the door.

"Scarlet, 'ide th' girl." Daniel called back over his shoulder, following Iris to the poop deck.

Scarlet nodded and took the girls hand. "Come with me love. I have a spot we can camp till the fighting is over."

Iris was outside the doctors door, waiting for him. "I just heard the bell. We need to get to deck to see what is going on. I hope its not another pirate ship already. We already had enough blood today" The pair headed for the stairs, Iris leading the way.

Avery and Bane looked up as the bell was sounding off, Bane getting up. "Captain..." She nodded and got up, grabbed her jacket and hat. "Looks like we have trouble. Get to the helm, I'll be there in a moment" Bane nodded and left, Avery grabbing her pistol and blade before following him out. She knew another fight was a bad idea. But she was high on the death list of many other captains. She wasn't surprised someone had followed them.

Amelia nodded and followed Scarlet to the hiding place. They traveled below the decks, making Amelia uneasy. If they were to be struck and sunk... Scarlet and herself would have a hard time getting out to the surface.

"This is the best place to hide?" She asked, unsure and scared of what could potentially come.

~~~

Daniel emerged from below decks with Iris just as Bane and Avery burst out of the captains quarters.

The sun hung low in the sky, it had certainly been a day. What should have been a quiet time on the sea was disrupted by impending attack.

"Ship off the port-bow! Captain! It's a Spanish Gallion- They're flying their colours!" The crow shouted from his nest.

"Damn." Daniel scolded. He had known that attaching the navy ship to them was a bad idea. A Gallion was a fast battleship often set to sail in fleets, where there was one there was likely another.

Avery would be a fool to stand and fight... she would be double the fool if she was to not cut the British Man-o-War free. The two countries did not get along, let alone with pirates. The Spanish vessel likely thought that though the Man-o-War was clearly a pirate ship, his old captain enjoyed flying the British flag. His logic was to tease the very country he came from and best as many crews as he could. Up until Avery, he had nary lost a battle.

Moving quickly though the crew, Iris and himself made their way closer to Avery to hear what her orders would be. The bustle of the crew's rushing diminished to silence in wait for their captain's orders.

"They are moving fast with the wind high in their sails!" The crow called down, providing the captain with rather discouraging information.

Scarlet smiled and opened a door to the storage cabin. It was right above the water and she nodded to the porthole. "This is the back door. That porthole can be opened and there's a life boat right under it. Best way to get away fast. We will be safe here. We can hear everything from here and get out if we need to"

Avery was using her scope to watch the ship and she sighed. "Spanish...great. They saw the flag and decided for a fight...Bane, get Dante up here. I will need his Spanish tongue. Iris, I need all your guys ready to move if we need...but I doubt we will. If that's who I think it is...this won't be a blood bath unless that's ships changed captains..." Bane nodded and started yelling orders while Avery turned to Daniel.

"Bane is going to be hidden on the ship with Iris's men so I need you to act as my next in command. Doctor is higher on the list of command on a ship so you're my next best thing. Dante will be our middle man to speak to the captain, but if you know any Spanish it would be very helpful" Bane came back with a dark haired young man with brown eyes, a long scar across his face.

"You asked for me cap? The ship looks like the Lady Sophia. Is it him?" Avery nodded and said "I think is it Captain Ricardo...our friend. We will see if he wants the ship. I don't mind selling it to him."

"A-alright then." Amelia sighed, calmed by the assurance of an escape route. She deeply hoped that the situation would not call for that.

~~~

"Aye Cap'n." Daniel responded, shifting to barely stand at attention. It was so unnatural for a woman to be captain. Not as if they couldn't be, but rather it was a rare business to find such a soft creature in. It also surprised him as to how bold this... swabby was. On either vessel Daniel had been on before, the man would have bit his tongue after reporting to his captain. He did think the scruffy man's suggestion to be a good one though. If they were in fact in such a rush to find all the pieces, having the extra boat to haul across the sea was no help save for the coin gained at it's disposal. Daniel thought many things of this impending encounter. What concerned him most was that the Spanish ship was at a distance that the sails should be trimmed so that the two boats did not collide. The Lady Sophia as it were, did not look as if it was slowing down at all.

Daniel stood straighter in an attempt to get into character as Quartermaster. "Cap'n, their sails..." he breathed, leaning close enough to her that he could smell the salt mix with her sweat. He did not want the crew to hear his words, even if they may suspect what he was thinking. If she was so confident he would not say another word of the matter but he felt that he should bring it up.

The Lady Sophia continued to charge, full speed ahead and right towards them.

Avery nodded, seeing what the doctor said. "Looks like they don't want to meet after all...well then, let's show them how it feels to race the seas..." She whistled and the crew looked up and she said "Change of plans boys! Lower crew to your oars!" Half the crew headed for below decks and Avery turned to Dante and said "Get to your post. I have a feeling our friend isn't feeling friendly..."

Dante nodded and headed back to the helm and Avery turned to the rest of the crew. "Get as much speed as you can men...and cut the rope on the spare...if that's what they want they can have it...but I'm guessing its not..." Then she turned to Daniel and said "This may get messy. if we don't get ahead enough to keep from colliding, a fight will break out...dang it all"

@MegaraFoxfire

"Let's give -em a hell o' a chase then, an' a hell o' a fight." Daniel retorted, smiling at her. She was only a few centimeters shorter than he was, no more than three. Conflict; he didn't like it but he couldn't deny the thrill of a fight. Plus, he had yet to be on the loosing side of a scrimish. He was glad that he kept his affects on him at nearly all times, it came in handy. Unconsciously he brushed his hands over the holsters on his hips. A simple pistol was held tightly to his chest under his billowy shirt, a cutlass at his hip and another pistol rested at his other hip. The guns of course were always loaded.

~~~

Amelia heard some of the crew thunder down the stairs and begin shifting what sounded like wood. She looked to Scarlet to gauge her own reaction, hunkering down with the woman more.

~~~

"After th' ship, are we as light as we can be?" Daniel asked. Fighting was somewhat simple, make the boat light and don't get hit. He was always careful not to take a life if he didn't need to, that didn't mean he hadn't before. There had been a few to test him and each tasted the bite of his bullet or the chill of his steel. He was invited into this crew and though he may not have trusted them before, he was going to have to take a leap of faith with them and fight like he was as much a part of the crew as the rest of them. Daniel began to wonder where Bane was, not to usurp him but rather to see how long he can help call the shots. As the Doctor, he was higher up on the food chain but he was still at odds with the authority at times.

Avery was watching the ship be cut off and float away, then watched the other ship coming at them and muttered "I don't like this...I think I may have to open the trunk..." She turned to the Doctor and said "You run things from here...I'm taking the helm. I know her better then anyone...besides...if the need comes I will need to be up there to take over.,.." She ran up to the helm and Iris appeared by him, shaking her head.

"We have had too much excitment...I hope she won't be needing the Strikes power..."

****

Scarlet smiled at the girl and said "nothing to worry about, love...I hope..." She pulled the girl to her into a hug.

"Aye Cap'n." Daniel agreed. He hardly watched her leave for the stern of the boat where the helm sat. Avery's craft had a mighty fine rudder and was built to easily cut through the water. She was definitely not weighted down to heavily with various kinds of cannons or guns.

"Step lively men! see that anything that we can afford to loose is lost." He bellowed, his chest expanding to a greater degree than one would have expected. The men having heard Avery's command to Daniel responded with a quickness that almost matched that of the old crew he had traveled with.

"Be that her steel?" he asked Iris, already having noted that the blade she carried with her was somewhat simple for a captain. "Or another element o' bad fortune?"

Iris shook her head and said "No...The Shadow Strike has many tricks up her sleeve...as does the captain...I pray you won't have to see those tricks just yet..." Avery was watching the ship catching to them and muttered "I don't like this...I may need you my friend..." She rubbed the wood railing as she spoke. She sighed and looked at Daniel, seeing what his thoughts were on the problem. She watched him very carefully, seeing what he would do. Off of that she would decide her next move.

A large boom could be heard as a singular cannon ball was fired. It fell just short of the Shadow Strike's mightily rudder.

Daniel's head spun back, looking past Avery to the vessel giving chase. He grimaced and called encouragement to the men fro them to move quickly.

"Iris, gimme yer spyglass." He asked before she gave it to him. He moved across the width of the Shadow Strike to look back on the vessel. He noticed silver glinting and organized havoc on their poop deck.

"Men! Prepare for battle!" Daniel called, tossing the telescope back to Iris before speaking to her. "They want a fight on th' decks. Tha' Cap'n is commin' fer th' Shadow Strike." he growled to her, already on his path back down the deck shouting all the way. He hollered orders of motivation and comfort to ignore the cannons. He also motioned to Iris to get involved. They would likely more listen to her than a newcomer like himself.

It was far more likely that they were trying to scare the crew in order to overtake them than it was them sinking this vessel. If the ship and crew were as famous as he had been told by the crew and as special as Iris had mentioned, what Captain wouldn't want to command such a vessel? Setting his hands to work he helped men work the rigging and get the deck ready for a fight.

"Fly the colours men!" he called, making a captain's call and the statement that eventually they would stand and fight. He had yet to be contradicted by either Iris or the captain herself.

Iris started yelling orders as Bane moved next to his captain. "Orders?" Avery was frowning as she said "My patience is up. Bane, pull the oars in...let them come next to the ship...we will let the Strike fight back" Bane nodded and started yelling the new orders. Iris looked up and cursed softly.

"She's not being nice anymore...she will rip them apart..." The other ship started to line up next to the Strike but Avery made no move to board the other ship. Iris moved next to the doctor and said "This isn't good...she's giving her finally parlay...this won't be pretty..."

Avery moved to face the other ship, her hand on the railing as she shouted to the other ship. "I'm giving you one last chance to back off, captain...if you don't take it, none of your crew with escape a watery grave..." Bane stood behind his captain, looking ten times scarier then he had a few moments before.