Post by Jason Thornvaald on Oct 28, 2008 2:19:19 GMT -5
Three days later Thorn sighed as he moved down the hallway in the back of the Treasure Trove, a plate of food in one hand. The giant Pirate Captain came to the third door on the left and then carefully unlocked it, ducking inside.
He found his 'prisoner' much as he had the past two days, sitting near the window and staring out at the stars beyond. No doubt waiting for her imminent rescue. Thorn had had her cleaned up after arriving back on the Cove, having his good friend--the owner of the Treasure Trove--Walker's wife see to her few minor scrapes and fetch her a fresh set of clothes besides the prison issues she'd been wearing. Andromeda was dressed neatly in the modest flower-print dress, her dark hair hanging down her slender back from where she currently faced away from him, refusing to acknowledge his presence.
Thorn heaved a sigh. His brilliant plan of recompense from Hart and possible seduction of Andromeda Reyes was looking more doomed the more time wore on. Either he had misread the faint blushes and nervous stares she had given him every other time he'd been near her, or there was a very important piece to the puzzle that he was missing that had altered her perception of things.
Thorn wondered if it had anything to do with Hart's somewhat surprising surge of emotion at his coup, and frowned. He would not come out second best to that bastard in everything, by God.
"I brought you some dinner," he murmured, closing the door behind him.
"You might as well take it back," Andromeda answered cooly, still refusing to face him. The woman could freeze a furnace with the chilly displeasure rolling off the tone of her voice. "I won't be eating it."
"You need to eat," he returned stubbornly, stepping closer.
"I need to be back on board the Plunder's Heart," she returned blandly. "Dane was badly wounded, he needs my medical attention." She finally turned around then, pinning him to the spot with her angry, disapproving golden stare. "You need to stop being a selfish, unsufferable ass and let me go."
"Sorry, dearling," he sighed. "Not gonna happen any time soon. Best you come over here and eat up, in the mean time."
"I'm not hungry," she snapped bitterly.
Thorn, his patience waning, put his free hand on the butt of his side-arm and gave her a stern smile. "I'm afraid I have to insist, doctor. Eat."
She eyed him for a minute, weighing the pros and cons of defying him before sighing loudly and reaching out to snatch the food out of his hands. Thorn stood in the room and watched her eat, ignoring her eye-rolling grumbles in the meantime. Once she'd finished, he took the plate from her and turned to go.
She suddenly grabbed his arm, though, halting him. Surprised, Thorn turned back to the delicate female, his eyes widening even further at the imploring, desperate look on her face. "What do you want from me, Thorn? Just tell me so I can give it to you and be done with this mess!"
That floored him, causing him to blink for a minute before he managed to recover. He reached up to gently push a tendril of her inky hair from her eyes, causing her to flinch a little with the unexpected action. And then her golden eyes rounded slightly, gasping. As if she had just figured it out. He gave her a somewhat pained smirk.
"I've never been accused of being a subtle man, dearling." Andromeda just stared at him in shock. Then,
"You kidnapped me so you . . . so you could try and woo me?" she blurted, looking utterly stunned and sounding worse. Thorn cursed a little as he felt a hint of heat steal into his cheeks.
"Well hell, it worked for my old man, why not?" Her pretty face turned a dull pink.
"I . . . well, I . . . I'm flattered," she finally managed, and Thorn winced.
"Flattered isn't exactly the reaction I'm after, dearling." Andromeda blushed a darker shade, but suddenly firmed her chin.
"Thorn, please. I'm begging you. Let me go back to the Plunder."
The silly wench would probably never fully realize just how much power that golden-eyed stare suddenly had over his insides. Thorn felt himself softening like a weak-kneed teenager, especially when those impossibly wide orbs suddenly grew glassy with emotion.
"My sister, she . . . she was taken by the government. She's a Magi, like you. They . . . they tortured her, for over a week before the Captain was able to rescue her. Please, I have to see her with my own eyes. I have to know that she's okay."
The Viking Pirate felt like someone had just kicked him in the teeth, for a moment unable to catch his breath. Both from the eerily familiar circumstances she'd just spouted--which sounded just a little too close to his own mother for comfort--and from the uncomfortable revelation he'd just had. He'd thought it was a mere physical attraction. He would get her in his bed, exorcise the demons she'd planted there, and then go on about the rest of his life. Yet, as he felt her wind him right around her little finger with just a few softly whimpered words, Thorn Scarsgard realized that things were just a little more serious than a simple lusting.
Damn him to hell if he wasn't falling in love.
Thorn sighed heavily, shaking his head. "You drive a hard bargain, Doctor," he growled. She blinked at him, and the sudden spark of hope in their depths made him want to grin like a damned fool. "My men aren't going to like missing out on a little compensation from our last botched job, but I think I can convince them to cope."
Andromeda started to smile, soft and hesitant. "You . . . you're letting me go?"
Something wicked in Thorn couldn't help himself. "Ah, but I'd be ruining my reputation if I let you walk out of here without demanding at least something in compensation."
Her smile faltered, blinking in confusion and the beginnings of suspicion. "And just what would that be, pray tell?"
Thorn smiled, slow and hot. "Nothing major, dearling. Just a kiss."
"A what?" she blurted, shocked, her cheeks going pink again. Thorn chuckled, reaching up to play with a tendril of her hair again.
"Just a kiss, Andromeda. One kiss, and you have your freedom."
The lovely doctor stared up at him, looking a little mind-broken at the thought. And not entirely against the idea, if he read the look in her brown eyes right. Taking that as his cue, Thorn gently hooked his knuckle beneath her chin, and started to lean in closer to her. Her eyelids fluttered a little, breath stuttering.
And then the door to the bedroom burst open and smashed off it's hinges. Thorn whirled, shoving Andromeda behind him in order to shield her from the threat. He registered Jonah Hart's furious countenance and the deadly glowing-white rapier in his fist about a half a second too late.
The next thing he knew, the cross-guard on the extremely expensive and deadly sword was smashing into his face, full tilt. Andromeda let out a slight cry, half in dismay, half in surprise, as Thorn was thrown back off his feet and hit the floor hard. He half rolled up onto his elbow, but had to stop at the glowing white blade pointed at his nose. He lifted his hands in surrender, slowly looking up from the blade to Hart's one burning blue eye not covered by a patch, for the moment ignoring the blood leaking out of the side of his mouth.
"Alright," he sighed heavily. "I admit, I might've made a slight miscalculation in my plan."
Hart didn't twitch, his sword remaining leveled at Thorn's throat, his face deadly calm and deadly furious. "There are few things in this life that you want to fuck with me on, Scarsgard," he spoke at last, voice trembling faintly with emotion. "Unfortunately for you, you just found one."
Thorn held the other Captain's stare, his own expression never wavering. He had seen and done far too much in this life to fear death, after all.
Andromeda suddenly reappeared, running forward and putting her hand on Jonah's sword arm. Her golden-eyed stare was remarkably calm for the amount of tension in the room.
"It's over, Captain," she murmured to the redhead, her voice soft and quiet, soothing. "Please. Let's just go."
Jonah's gaze never left Thorn's, his expression never changed, but very slowly the other man lifted his rapier away and then resheathed his sword.
"Threaten my family again," he murmured, "and I will end you."
Thorn said nothing, merely stayed where he was while Hart took Andromeda by the arm and half-led, half-dragged her out of the room. Alone, the Viking Pirate released a heavy sigh before slowly laying prone on the floor once again, staring at the ceiling.
Second-best again, old boy.
Everything in the room suddenly frosted over, ice gathering on every surface, anything liquid snapping, cracking and shattering within moments, while Thorn Scarsgard continued to brood.
He found his 'prisoner' much as he had the past two days, sitting near the window and staring out at the stars beyond. No doubt waiting for her imminent rescue. Thorn had had her cleaned up after arriving back on the Cove, having his good friend--the owner of the Treasure Trove--Walker's wife see to her few minor scrapes and fetch her a fresh set of clothes besides the prison issues she'd been wearing. Andromeda was dressed neatly in the modest flower-print dress, her dark hair hanging down her slender back from where she currently faced away from him, refusing to acknowledge his presence.
Thorn heaved a sigh. His brilliant plan of recompense from Hart and possible seduction of Andromeda Reyes was looking more doomed the more time wore on. Either he had misread the faint blushes and nervous stares she had given him every other time he'd been near her, or there was a very important piece to the puzzle that he was missing that had altered her perception of things.
Thorn wondered if it had anything to do with Hart's somewhat surprising surge of emotion at his coup, and frowned. He would not come out second best to that bastard in everything, by God.
"I brought you some dinner," he murmured, closing the door behind him.
"You might as well take it back," Andromeda answered cooly, still refusing to face him. The woman could freeze a furnace with the chilly displeasure rolling off the tone of her voice. "I won't be eating it."
"You need to eat," he returned stubbornly, stepping closer.
"I need to be back on board the Plunder's Heart," she returned blandly. "Dane was badly wounded, he needs my medical attention." She finally turned around then, pinning him to the spot with her angry, disapproving golden stare. "You need to stop being a selfish, unsufferable ass and let me go."
"Sorry, dearling," he sighed. "Not gonna happen any time soon. Best you come over here and eat up, in the mean time."
"I'm not hungry," she snapped bitterly.
Thorn, his patience waning, put his free hand on the butt of his side-arm and gave her a stern smile. "I'm afraid I have to insist, doctor. Eat."
She eyed him for a minute, weighing the pros and cons of defying him before sighing loudly and reaching out to snatch the food out of his hands. Thorn stood in the room and watched her eat, ignoring her eye-rolling grumbles in the meantime. Once she'd finished, he took the plate from her and turned to go.
She suddenly grabbed his arm, though, halting him. Surprised, Thorn turned back to the delicate female, his eyes widening even further at the imploring, desperate look on her face. "What do you want from me, Thorn? Just tell me so I can give it to you and be done with this mess!"
That floored him, causing him to blink for a minute before he managed to recover. He reached up to gently push a tendril of her inky hair from her eyes, causing her to flinch a little with the unexpected action. And then her golden eyes rounded slightly, gasping. As if she had just figured it out. He gave her a somewhat pained smirk.
"I've never been accused of being a subtle man, dearling." Andromeda just stared at him in shock. Then,
"You kidnapped me so you . . . so you could try and woo me?" she blurted, looking utterly stunned and sounding worse. Thorn cursed a little as he felt a hint of heat steal into his cheeks.
"Well hell, it worked for my old man, why not?" Her pretty face turned a dull pink.
"I . . . well, I . . . I'm flattered," she finally managed, and Thorn winced.
"Flattered isn't exactly the reaction I'm after, dearling." Andromeda blushed a darker shade, but suddenly firmed her chin.
"Thorn, please. I'm begging you. Let me go back to the Plunder."
The silly wench would probably never fully realize just how much power that golden-eyed stare suddenly had over his insides. Thorn felt himself softening like a weak-kneed teenager, especially when those impossibly wide orbs suddenly grew glassy with emotion.
"My sister, she . . . she was taken by the government. She's a Magi, like you. They . . . they tortured her, for over a week before the Captain was able to rescue her. Please, I have to see her with my own eyes. I have to know that she's okay."
The Viking Pirate felt like someone had just kicked him in the teeth, for a moment unable to catch his breath. Both from the eerily familiar circumstances she'd just spouted--which sounded just a little too close to his own mother for comfort--and from the uncomfortable revelation he'd just had. He'd thought it was a mere physical attraction. He would get her in his bed, exorcise the demons she'd planted there, and then go on about the rest of his life. Yet, as he felt her wind him right around her little finger with just a few softly whimpered words, Thorn Scarsgard realized that things were just a little more serious than a simple lusting.
Damn him to hell if he wasn't falling in love.
Thorn sighed heavily, shaking his head. "You drive a hard bargain, Doctor," he growled. She blinked at him, and the sudden spark of hope in their depths made him want to grin like a damned fool. "My men aren't going to like missing out on a little compensation from our last botched job, but I think I can convince them to cope."
Andromeda started to smile, soft and hesitant. "You . . . you're letting me go?"
Something wicked in Thorn couldn't help himself. "Ah, but I'd be ruining my reputation if I let you walk out of here without demanding at least something in compensation."
Her smile faltered, blinking in confusion and the beginnings of suspicion. "And just what would that be, pray tell?"
Thorn smiled, slow and hot. "Nothing major, dearling. Just a kiss."
"A what?" she blurted, shocked, her cheeks going pink again. Thorn chuckled, reaching up to play with a tendril of her hair again.
"Just a kiss, Andromeda. One kiss, and you have your freedom."
The lovely doctor stared up at him, looking a little mind-broken at the thought. And not entirely against the idea, if he read the look in her brown eyes right. Taking that as his cue, Thorn gently hooked his knuckle beneath her chin, and started to lean in closer to her. Her eyelids fluttered a little, breath stuttering.
And then the door to the bedroom burst open and smashed off it's hinges. Thorn whirled, shoving Andromeda behind him in order to shield her from the threat. He registered Jonah Hart's furious countenance and the deadly glowing-white rapier in his fist about a half a second too late.
The next thing he knew, the cross-guard on the extremely expensive and deadly sword was smashing into his face, full tilt. Andromeda let out a slight cry, half in dismay, half in surprise, as Thorn was thrown back off his feet and hit the floor hard. He half rolled up onto his elbow, but had to stop at the glowing white blade pointed at his nose. He lifted his hands in surrender, slowly looking up from the blade to Hart's one burning blue eye not covered by a patch, for the moment ignoring the blood leaking out of the side of his mouth.
"Alright," he sighed heavily. "I admit, I might've made a slight miscalculation in my plan."
Hart didn't twitch, his sword remaining leveled at Thorn's throat, his face deadly calm and deadly furious. "There are few things in this life that you want to fuck with me on, Scarsgard," he spoke at last, voice trembling faintly with emotion. "Unfortunately for you, you just found one."
Thorn held the other Captain's stare, his own expression never wavering. He had seen and done far too much in this life to fear death, after all.
Andromeda suddenly reappeared, running forward and putting her hand on Jonah's sword arm. Her golden-eyed stare was remarkably calm for the amount of tension in the room.
"It's over, Captain," she murmured to the redhead, her voice soft and quiet, soothing. "Please. Let's just go."
Jonah's gaze never left Thorn's, his expression never changed, but very slowly the other man lifted his rapier away and then resheathed his sword.
"Threaten my family again," he murmured, "and I will end you."
Thorn said nothing, merely stayed where he was while Hart took Andromeda by the arm and half-led, half-dragged her out of the room. Alone, the Viking Pirate released a heavy sigh before slowly laying prone on the floor once again, staring at the ceiling.
Second-best again, old boy.
Everything in the room suddenly frosted over, ice gathering on every surface, anything liquid snapping, cracking and shattering within moments, while Thorn Scarsgard continued to brood.