Elissa managed to give Ray one last good kick before the men pulled him away. While she didn’t say it, Elissa was glad Joseph was holding onto her, she feared she’d fall if he didn’t. She was already losing color in her face. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” She tried to reassure him. “This isn’t the worst injury I’ve received in my life. I doubt it will be the last.” She wobbled on her feet, sure to collapse the moment Joseph let go of her arm.

“Let me go!” Rat growled. “She deserved it. She humiliated me, she don’t deserve to live. The captain can negotiate for his ship without her being alive so long as her pa don’t know it. She’s trouble, no woman should know how to fight like that.” He struggled to break free if the men holding him down.

William raced off to get the surgeon when Joseph called for him.The surgeon came running from below deck not long after. “What on earth happened here?” He demanded, looking from Elissa to his captain. “Bring her to my quarters, now. Quickly, she looks faint.”

Elissa frowned. “I’m fine. I’m not about to faint.” She scowled. “I’m not as delicate as you treat me.” She looked to Joseph. “I can walk myself, don’t get any ideas of carrying me.” She pulled her arm away from him and made it two steps before blacking out and falling to the deck.

The surgeon on Joseph’s crew really was a rare find, an Oxford graduate the physician had found a place to carry out his curiosities; that’s not to say he didn’t do a good job, nor that he needlessly experimented on any of the sailors, but there was greater.. flexibility in trial and error when your patients hadn’t too many family or ties to answer to. In times where the classical theory of the human body and medicine in general were giving way to more modern, scientific ideas, he was certainly ahead of his time - too much so for his colleagues and mentors in the field, who regarded him with some trepidation.

By God this girl is stubborn, Joseph could feel Elissa shudder as she turned pale, and yet refused to be tended to; she slipped her arm from Joseph’s grasp but collapsed after a moment. Joseph was close enough to hand to wrap his arms around her waist as she crumpled, he held her tight to his body before he scooped her up. “It’s a gunshot, to her shoulder” he informed the surgeon, he looked over to Rat being subdued by the crew, “search him and lock him up lads, I’ll deal with that later” he instructed, then followed briskly after the surgeon.

What a nightmare, Joseph had never intended for any of this to happen of course, for one he didn’t want to lose his valuable bargaining asset but more-so, he did have some regret that Elissa got hurt, he just wasn’t in that business.

The man lead his captain down to his cabin and opened the door. He stepped back for Joseph to take Elissa in. “Set her down on the bed.” He instructed, following him. “You can move her back to her cabin once I’m tending to her.” He began to gather supplies that he would need to extract the bullet from her shoulder. “Am I to take it that this is the captive that will be your bargaining tool to get the ship back?” He asked trying to make conversation. He hated working in silence. “Are you staying or waiting outside while I tend to her?” He asked once he had gathered everything that he would need to tend to the young woman.

“I was doing him a favor!” Rat yelled angrily. “She’s a menace! She will find a way to ruin all of us on this ship. She is a monster!” He fought against the men even though he didn’t stand a chance of getting away from them. “She’s a siren. She will doom us all. A woman of high standing like her should not know how to fight. Someone taught her. He should be thanking me for what I did!” He continued to fight as the men began to drag him towards the brig.

As much as he’d hate to admit it, Joseph knew Rat wasn’t entirely wrong; Elissa shouldn’t be able to fight. These high society girls were placid, composed and delicate, they needed to be tended to, and that didn’t seem to be Elissa - she’d lied perhaps, to save herself. Probably. She was dressed the part, but that didn’t necessarily mean a thing, perhaps she was a maid protecting the real Miss Bishop? That didn’t explain enough, though. In any case, Joseph had no clue how she had escaped her room - had Rat gotten in? Did Peter give him the keys? The boatswain had only just caught the captain’s attention when they heard the gunshot. He’d follow up with Peter later to find out exactly what transpired.

Joseph lay Elissa on the bed, she was still unconscious; his own clothes were stained with her blood. The Captain grabbed a surgical rag from the stack and pressed it against her wound. He observed as the surgeon prepared his kit, Joseph nodded solemnly as he enquired about Elissa’s purpose. “I’ll stay” Joseph replied, “you might need an extra pair of hands for this one” he expressed - if Elissa awoke whilst the surgeon was treating her, he’d need someone to restrain her.

“and she’ll need to stay with me” he sighed, “I can’t risk this a second time”, he wasn’t pleased about it, Elissa seemed to know him and that made him uncomfortable. This day was shaping up to be particularly stressful; they’d stop off somewhere soon, and once he’d figured what was what, he could cut Elissa loose there too if she was no use to him.

The surgeon, Adam, nodded when Joseph said he would stay. “I’m sure if you keep Rat locked up it won’t happen a second time. We both know that he isn’t entirely there, he tends to do whatever he thinks is right. If we were on land, I’d say that he needed to be put in Bedlam. He’s crazy.” He shook his head. “She’s an odd one too.” He noted. Adam cut away the material so he could get to the wound. “She was right about this not being her worst wound, look at her back, Captain.” Elissa’s back was covered with scars, some similar to her current injury, others looking to be from a blade, and a few to be scars from a whip. “It seems she’s a fighter.” He cleaned the wound, removed the bullet, and began to stitch it up. “What do you make of this?” He’d moved her hair out of the way to reveal a mark at the base of her neck. It had been branded into her skin. “If I’m not mistaken that’s the mark given to those who are enemies of the crown in Spain. You sure you picked up an heiress to a shipping company and not a criminal? Not that we are ones to judge.” He gave a small laugh. “It only looks to be a year or so old. In fact, none of these wounds are very old.” Adam wrapped the wound before turning to face his captain. “I’ve done all I can for her. It wasn’t that bad of an injury, she will survive. It’d be best to have her rest for a day or two, just to make sure she doesn’t tear my stitching open. I’d question her about her injuries if I were you.”

Something was odd about the girl, but he couldn’t figure out what. She didn’t fit the mold of a business heiress and yet she didn’t fit the mold of most women either. It seemed this one had stories to tell, stories that could fill several books. “You can take her back to her room now. Shall I check on Rat? His nose looked a little out of place and he had a cut on his forehead. It’s probably nothing serious and I can’t do anything for a broken nose, but I’ll check on him if you’d like, sir.”

The Captain folded his arms as the surgeon worked, “Aye, too right you are” he remarked with a half grin as Adam passed his comments about Rat. He cast his eyes over Elissa’s scars and the fresh brand on her neck as the surgeon revealed them, he grumbled agreeably, musing as Adam made his observations - the surgeon was sharp and knowledgeable, and Joseph was always careful to listen to him. Elissa had lost enough blood to render her weak, but she was lucky to survive. Her shirt was sticky with clotted blood and of course, had been cut.

“I suppose you’d better tend to him Adam if you feel rightly that you should” Joseph nodded, “although if you’d keep Miss Bishop company just a little while longer, I will fetch for her some fresh garments”; he darted to Elissa’s cabin and returned in a short time with a clean shirt and a thick woollen blanket.

Elissa’s cabin below deck was habitable, but chilly, the sea had a tendency to soak warmth from the ship, and of course, it was always difficult to keep the general mustiness at bay. Joseph considered reluctantly that the comparative warmth, dryness and safety of his own accommodation would prove more suitable for her recovery.

Adam nodded that he’d stay with her while Joseph got her a clean shirt. He took it from the captain when he returned and quickly changed her shirt. “She May get a small fever, but that’s nothing to worry about. The body often does that while healing, it helps to rid the body of ailments.” He said, wrapping the blanket around Elissa. “She’s coming to. I’ll leave you two to talk and I’ll check on Rat. I’m sure he’s fine, but I’d hate for him to pass before he faces your wrath.” He laughed as he walked out of the room.

Elissa was fighting to wake up. “I’m fine, it’s nothing.” She muttered as she slowly opened her eyes. She frowned when she saw Joseph. “Where’s that Rat of yours? I wasn’t finished teaching him a lesson.” She slowly sat up, opening and closing her hand, glad that she had feeling back in it again. “He shot me.” She looked up at Joseph as if wanting to know what he was going to do about it.

There had been an argument, a slight? A transgression? Or was it just something somebody had, and some else didn’t like that? Joseph knew his father was in some kind of trouble, but he hadn’t know what or with whom exactly; they were reasonably well-off and his father had many connections, but now they were having to leave. His mother had passed away from disease, so it was only the two of them. The night before they were due to leave, there was an altercation, Joseph had tried to intervene and defend his father when a blunt instrument - the butt of a sword, or rifle, struck him in the head.

Then, all he knew was drowning.

He still has nightmares about the drowning, which is the only thing he knows to be true on the account of the pirates who retrieved him. He doesn’t really remember, not the night nor incident in question, not his father, or mother - say for his earliest memories of them. It is a haze, it took several weeks for him to remember even himself, or at least, some of himself. Sometimes he dreams about being pulled up through the water, which is the better of the two to rouse him from sleep. The scar on his temple tells of some kind of accident or assault, but his rescuers couldn’t say exactly what happened.

…

Joseph averted his eyes as the surgeon dressed Elissa; he could be a bit of a scoundrel but he wasn’t quite that bad. “I understand, thank you, Adam” the Captain nodded, giving him a clap on the arm as he departed, he grinned at the surgeon’s remark.

Joseph descended to sit on his haunches so that he was eye-level with Elissa in her recumbent position on the bed, he remained there as she sat up. “You punched him…a lot” Joseph half smiled, then frowned and stood up before he removed his coat from across his shoulders, he draped it over Elissa - she was still pale, and would be cold from not only the blood loss and shock, but the chill and damp from the ship. It was heavy, and warm from Joseph’s body. “You can stay with me, or you can go back to your room - what do you want?” he questioned.

“I kicked him too and would have done worse if your men hadn’t dragged him away. I was trying to knock some sense into him though I think that is a lost cause.” She said with a weak smile. Elissa muttered a quiet thanks when he draped his coat around her shoulders. She was cold and was fighting to not shiver. “What do I want?” The shock in her voice wasn’t hidden. It surprised her that he was giving her a choice, she’d figured that, as a captive, she would get no choices.

“I suppose you’d prefer I stay with you so you don’t have to lose a man to guard me since I escaped once.” She confessed. “I had to escape, that Rat was going to shoot me, he did but didn’t succeed at his original goal. I heard him talking to the man you had guarding me. He told him you wanted to speak with him about me, Rat tried to get the keys from him but he wouldn’t hand them over.” Elissa fell silent waiting for what Joseph would say about her escaping. “Pete, I think that’s his name, he wouldn’t have let Rat harm me. I think he suspected something was foul.”

The Captain folded his arms and listened intently as Elissa described her account, he raised his eyebrows and nodded as she confessed her escape. Joseph puffed his cheeks and breathed out slowly to reveal a broad smile, he shook his head as Elissa concluded her story, “well that’s quite an ordeal I’d agree”, he began “I’ll see to Rat” he affirmed, “in any case, Miss Bishop we need to talk, I’d see to it that you perhaps feel a little better first, but I have a feeling I don’t have to worry about the British Navy, is that right?” he questioned, “and what I prefer Miss doesn’t come into it” he concluded. He reached out his hand to help her to her feet.

Elissa took his hand and stood on wobbly legs. “I would prefer to stay with you, so long as your room has windows. That’s another reason I escaped, the room you put me in had no windows, not even a tiny one. I don’t do well in rooms like that.” She said, a troubled look coming to her face as a hated memory resurfaced. Elissa gave a shudder and shook her head. “I need to be able to know if it is day or night. I can’t be locked up without a window, not again.”

Elissa looked up at him, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as he called out her lie. “No, you don’t have to worry about them, but you might have to worry about my crew.” She admitted. “There’s only five of them, but they’d move mountains to save me. You can’t find a more loyal bunch. I know they don’t stand a chance against you and your men, but I don’t think that would stop them from trying to save me. I’m the only one that can stop them. If you promise not to harm them, then if they try to come to my rescue I’ll tell them to back off and I’ll stay to help you get your ship back. You aren’t the only one who has a score to settle with my father.”

Joseph stifled a laugh but pulled a half-grin, he had a snaggletooth canine on his left side which was more obvious when he did so, “the Navy struggle to find and pursue us Miss” he shrugged, he wasn’t quite sure where one lie ended and the other began with this one.. “we will discuss your.. father in due course” he acknowledged, “..and don’t worry, I have windows, this way”.

Joseph escorted Elissa to the main deck, the midday sun was high and the ship had come to a standstill, though it rocked and bobbed on the tide peacefully. The crew had resumed their duties on the ship, the sailingmaster, Rhea observed from the upper deck as Joseph walked with Elissa to his quarters - the girl looked pale and was bundled in a couple of layers including Joseph’s coat - huh, charmer, she mused and grinned to herself. He was one of the good ones, as far as pirates went, though she was careful to assume that even Joseph had his own agendas most of the time. Rhea had long, tight black curls tied and pinned under her hat, and an olive complexion tanned deeper by her exposure out at sea. The sea was home, and freedom to her - freedom and respect, hard earned.

The Captain’s quarters were fairly modest, but a comparable luxury to the rest of the ship. He had a few articles of furniture including an ornate, albeit compact wooden bed with mattress nestled to the wall, and desk and chair at which to write, or examine maps. There were four tall windows to the back of the room facing out towards the rear of the ship and out to the waves in her wake, and a window on each side of the room. It was well kept and tidy. A few candles in lanterns were hung up around the room, they swung gently with the movement of the ship.

“You can rest there” he indicated to the bed, which he rarely used himself, he’d spent too many nights in the past curled up in small spaces, floors and hammocks that it was just unusual for him now, he preferred the couch.

“My men care about me a little more than the Navy. None of them know who I am except by name.” She said. Elissa walked unsteadily beside Joseph to his cabin. She nearly stumbled a few times but managed to catch herself and keep her balance. Her stomach grumbled slightly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since the night before. As they entered the room Elissa looked around, a relieved look coming to her face as she observed the multiple windows in the cabin. She’d spent a year in the mental asylum,Bedlam and in that year had spent an uncertain amount of time locked away from light. It was a year that haunted her and a year that she’d never forgive her father for. He had admitted her believing that she was crazy. She’d only been fourteen years old. She wondered over to the windows, looking out of them as if this were her first time seeing the ocean. For a brief moment there was a look of pure joy and contentment on her face. Like many on the ship she found freedom and home on the sea.

Elissa whirled around to look to him in shock when he pointed to the bed. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose, I just can’t be locked away in the dark again. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch or even the floor. I just need a pillow and a blanket. I could sleep outside in a hammock and be perfectly happy,” She told him. “I’m used to sleeping on a ship, one has been my home for the last three years.” She looked around the room as if comparing it to what she was used to. It was neater than her cabin, her’s had always been a mess, it was more comfortable that way. She’d been raised mostly by servants and nannies, her father being gone on business most of the time, and they demanded neatness. It had always made her feel like she was a guest in someone’s house and not living in her own home. “So what did you want to talk about?” Elissa turned to face him, still holding his coat tightly around her. The fever that Adam had warned Joseph about had set in. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that it wouldn’t just be about her father. He’d been in the room when she had woken, meaning he must have stayed while the doctor tended to her. He would have seen her multitude of wounds and surely there would be questions.

Elissa wasn’t like most high society women, in fact high society practically shunned her due to her choice in life style and her father’s occupation. They had money from working for it, not from an inherited birth. Most people did not consider them to be part of true proper high society, not that Elissa cared. She preferred sailing, fighting, bargaining, and living a life outside of the confines of high society. She hated being told how to behave, she just wanted to be herself. Even if being herself had gotten her into some trouble in the past.

Whatever, whoever, Elissa believed would pursue her, Joseph was confident they’d have a fair struggle in doing so, in any case, they were equipped for combat should the need arise - but Joseph would really rather reach port in peace; get some nice lass to work out those kinks in his shoulders, and lose a couple of days in whatever inn, tavern or ale-house that hadn’t already barred him.. They had a fair amount of loot to flog, too.

“It’s fine” Joseph affirmed as he turned the robust wooden chair at the desk to face the bedside, he began unbuckling the thick leather straps across his chest and waist releasing the heavy weaponry, he placed them on the desk, he removed his hat and placed it there too, ruffling a hand through his curls.
He felt about the fabric at his waist, a confused frown creeped upon his face - the dagger? He looked up at Elissa, pouting slightly and narrowing his eyes as she posed her question, “everything” he scowled.

“Everything?” That wasn’t good. She sat down on the bed once her assured her it was fine for her to sleep there. Elissa sighed. “Alright, lets get this inquisition over with. What is your first question?” She wondered if he’d let her ask questions as well, she doubted it. She noticed his small search for the dagger but made no sign of it. Elissa could feel where her dagger was safely hidden, glad that the doctor hadn’t noticed it.

“I’m guessing I won’t be allowed to ask you any questions, am I right?” She asked tucking a curl behind her ear. She moved to sit cross legged on the bed, waiting for the barrage of questions that was sure to come. She was tired and her shoulder hurt, she hoped this wouldn’t take long or she feared she’d fall asleep.

Joseph glared at Elissa for a few moments where he stood, examining her face for any indication she may be concealing the dagger, he smirked at her remarks; even still with not a penny to bargain with this girl was arrogant.. he sat down, slouching back only slightly to work his shoulder blades into the back of the chair, crossing his arms and tilting his head to relax only a little, he looked down his nose at Elissa, “Do you want to give me that dagger, or do I have to search you myself?” he grinned, it wasn’t an empty threat, and either way he’d know fairly quickly if she’d stolen the item or not.

So he was looking for the dagger. “You took the dagger from me,” she stated calmly. Elissa was used to not giving away clues to her feelings during a negotiation. She’d made many a good deal in her ability to keep a straight face. “If I did have it, don’t you think your surgeon would have found it when he tended to my wound?” Her calm voice hid the pounding of her heart. She hadn’t planned on him realizing it was gone so soon. She wouldn’t give it up without a fight, especially when it was clear he didn’t remember her. It broke her heart to think that her best and only friend didn’t remember her, especially after all they had been through as kids. Elissa knew that she wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight against Joseph. He’d win. He had been the one to teach her how to fight. Growing up the local nobleman’s son had bullied her. Bullied her for her hair, her multitude of freckles, her father’s job and how she’d never be part of real high society since they were only rich from him working a commoner’s job. He teased her for her love of the ocean and how she always hung out with commoners and weirdos like Joseph. It would always make her cry, or at least it did until Joseph had taught her to fight.

She had been awkward looking as a kid, taller than other girls her age, thin and freckles. Elissa was still tall and not quite as thin as when she was younger. The freckles remained, dotting her face and arms like confetti, they became more prominent the more time she spent in the sun.

Elissa gave a shrug of her shoulders. “If you believe I have it, search me.” She leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees, a mischievous smirk on her face. It was almost a dare, as if she believed he wouldn’t search her. She’d find a way to make him remember her, he had to remember her, her life depended on it. He was the only one that could save her.

The Captain expelled a puff of air from his nose in an expression of disbelief, it confirmed to him at least, that the girl wasn’t Miss Bishop, the very thought of even being frisked would make any high society girl flush. Elissa leaned forward with a smirk, almost playfully to Joseph’s regard - particularly in light of the circumstances - there was something familiar with the gesture he couldn’t quite place.

He flexed out his arms with fingers interlaced to stretch them and crack his fingers, then placed his interlocked hands behind his neck with elbows raised, he held this position for a few moments, “alright, we’ll leave the best ‘til last then shall we”, Joseph cleared his throat and sat up, casting his eyes to a dark glass bottle, half filled with liquid, he stretched himself across the desk to grab hold of it, and the silver beaker next to it. He decanted for himself a cupful of a deep golden brandy from the bottle, tipped it back to drink the lot, he sniffed and drew the sleeve of his shirt across his lips - there were smears of Elissa’s blood dried into it. He refilled the beaker and handed it to Elissa. She would be thirsty, and hungry - he’d see to it soon.

“I want to know who you are. You’ve been about ships - you have a crew, you know how to fight. You’re dressed like a Miss Bishop but you ain’t a Miss Bishop” he began, “and, ..that” he gestured by tapping on himself where the fresh brand had been placed on Elissa’s neck.

“I am Elissa Bishop,” she assured him. “Just not the Elissa Bishop you remember and not the one everyone thinks I am. I’ve grown up, Joseph, I’m not the scared quiet little thing I was when you knew me. I’m not a child anymore.” Elissa stood for a moment, ignoring the offered beaker and instead took the bottle from him before sitting back down on the bed. “I have been sailing for my father’s company since I was fifteen. I just turned nineteen yesterday.” Elissa took a long drink from the bottle before continuing. “As for fighting, you taught me almost everything I know, granted I learned more after you left. If you don’t believe me on that fight me now. I’ll guarantee that you’ll win, I was never able to beat you. You never went easy on me, telling me that if I was to really know how to fight I couldn’t have someone pull punches just to let me win. I’d have to win on my own.”

A smile came to her face as she remembered the lessons, taught to her at dusk down on the beach. Her father hadn’t known about them, which was probably best. He wanted her to learn to be a lady. She wanted to be a sailor. He wanted to pawn her off to some lower nobleman so that she would be someone else’s problem. She just wanted to be with Joseph. Even at a young age she was smitten with him. He was everything she had needed at the time, a friend, a protector, and was kinder to her than anyone else in her life.

The smile vanished when he mentioned the brand on her neck. Of course they would have seen that. He probably already knew what it was so there was no use lying about it. “I’m wanted in Spain. It’s a long story, I’m sure you aren’t really that interested in it.” At least she hoped he wasn’t that interested in it. Aside from Bedlam it was one of the darker points in her life, one that made her stronger but also one that she wanted to forget. “I have a bounty on my head there, so I would appreciate it if we didn’t go to Spain.” Maybe with him being a pirate he’d understand her desire to stay away from Spain, of course on the other hand he could use this new knowledge against her.

Joseph sat back in his chair as Elissa grabbed the bottle, he raised his eyebrows in response then downed the drink before he settled his right arm on the arm rest. He proceeded to play with the cup tapping it on the wood, he bit the knuckle of his first finger of his left hand with his front teeth as he scanned Elissa whilst she continued.

“Bounty? Well now I’m interested” he laughed, his expression dropped as he considered how she claimed to know him, however, and looked at his own tattood hand gripping the cup - he didn’t quite remember much, so perhaps she was telling the truth, but what did it matter now? Whoever she knew, that was a long time ago, Joseph had been in this business for almost a decade. It was possible she could shed some light on his past, but he’d have to trust her a little first. She couldn’t have someone pull punches just to let her win… sounds like something he’d say, maybe… this made him smile slightly as he looked back up to lock eyes with Elissa. He continued chewing his knuckle. Joseph wasn’t particularly interested in going to Spain, he was no bounty hunter, and from what he’d heard (or hadn’t, particularly) he doubted making the voyage would be worth his time. “So what are you worth to me exactly?” he enquired, “you sailed for your father, you’re not an asset to him?” he pressed.