.:The Dawn of a Revolution:. (1x1)

[Cloudsong]

Deidre watched as the effect of her words seemed to register on Nathaniel's face.  He seemed confused for a moment, and then was very still, as if lost in memories.  And she didn't say anything as he suddenly swung around, abruptly taking a few steps away.  The look on her face was one of pain, and distress, but the anger from before still remained clearly etched on her profile.  

She said nothing as he suddenly murmured that he would be taking his leave, and she didn't really think that he had expected her to do so.  As soon as the door shut behind her, she sank to the ground, hugging her knees up to her chest, her face burying into her white skirts. Rather than crying, as she had done so before, Deidre found that she was unable to conjure tears, and instead simply sat there, her mind playing back the vision of her brother falling into the waves, over and over.... It was an image that would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life; an image that along with the memories from her abusive marriage, would never allow her to live a peaceful life. 

- 

From the distance that he was out, Walden was unable to see who exactly had tossed the rope in his direction. The continuous flow of the ways caused him to go under multiple times, and his arms were beginning to grow weak from the constant struggle of keeping afloat. But as the end of the rope splashed a few feet in front of him, he knew that someone was trying to help him. Couldn't possibly be that one of his men had survived, and had hidden out on the rival ship?  Somehow, he couldn't quite believe this.  But even with his clouded mind, Walden was able to realize that this was his only chance to survive. 

He took a hold of the rope, and with all his strength, he began to pull himself forward. It was agonizing, and after a few pulls he became exhausted, his arms beginning to grow stiff. But he persevered, and after a while, Walden was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Once he reached the ship, it took him all of his remaining effort to reach the railing.  When he finally did, he was so relieved that even the realization that it had been Catherina that had helped him was not enough for him to make a snide remark.  Soaking wet, he nearly fell over onto the deck, completely exhausted as he panted, his eyes closed.  

It took him only a few moments to recover enough to lift his gaze towards the woman.  His eyes were narrowed, and it was clear that he was confused. Why had she saved him?  We're the going to lock him in a cell now?  Would Deidre be locked up with him?  Silently he waited, somewhat curious as to what this woman would say to him.

[Captain Kaycee]

Catherina's eyes widened in complete shock when she realized that it had been Walden whom she had saved. She thought that he would have died with the rest of his crew on the ship, yet here he was hoisting himself up over the railing of the ship. Almost immediately Catherina turned around and grabbed a blanket from one of the crates, placing it over his shoulders and making sure that they weren't in the sight of anybody.

However, her eyes caught the blood-stained shirt that he was wearing, noticing that he was bleeding from his right side. "You're bleeding," she gasped, reaching over to grab his hand. "Follow me, and quickly. We can't let anybody see you. We'll have to hide in the cargo hold, but there I can bandage that wound of yours," Catherina explained, helping him up and quickly racing underneath the deck of the ship. Her brother had been on the top deck, but he had been too lost in his own thoughts to see the two of them make their escape into the lower decks of the ship.

Once Catherina had opened the door to the cargo hold and helped Walden in, she began to scour the crates for any type of first aid. It had only taken her a couple of minutes to find bandages, and ushered Walden to sit on the floor and remove his shirt to wrap bandages around his chest.

"How in the world did you survive...? I thought you... I was afraid that you had died with the rest of the men..." Catherina muttered, beginning to unravel the bandages and lay them on the wooden floor.

[Cloudsong]

Walden didn't care enough to notice if the look on Catherina's face was relief or unhappiness. Had she realized that she was pulling him aboard - the man that her brother detested? Somehow, he couldn't really find an answer for that, as he did not know her well enough to read her. His gaze did not keep for long, and he pulled away as she tried to cover him. The last thing he wanted was help - even though he realized that by grabbing the rope, he had done just that. All he wanted to do now was to find Nathaniel and take back Deidre. To get off this ship as soon as they could.

However, when she suddenly noticed that he was bleeding, he looked down onto his white shirt, seeing that through the sodden cloth, scarlet was bleeding through, from a wound within. It hurt, even if he had not realized before. His entire body ached, and before now he had been unable to pinpoint what exactly had been causing the pain. As he reached down to touch the wound however, he cringed noticeably, as if it hurt.

"I'm not going to hide," he coughed as she forced him onto his feet. Despite his pain, he was trying to seem tough. The last thing he was going to do was hide from Nathaniel - as soon as he was recovered, he planned to kill the man. Perhaps even make him watch as he murdered his entire crew. Perhaps then, the man would understand his feelings.

But he had no other choice but to follow her as she dragged him down the steps, and he scowled noticeably all the way.

Once they reached the room, and the door was closed, he sank to the floor once more, leaning up against the wall with his eyes closed once more. How had he survived, she asked? He was tempted to say that he wished he hadn't, but instead realized that he owed it to her to be civil. "Why would you not want me dead?" he replied with a question, not budging as he watched her motion for her to remove his shirt. He was stubborn by nature, and this wasn't an exception - even with all his pain. "Tell me where your brother is keeping Deidre," he demanded after a moment, crossing his arms across his chest, the determination clear in his eyes. He realized after a moment that this was rude, and he hesitated. "Please," he added, the use of the word seeming forced on his tongue.

[Captain Kaycee]

Catherina let out a sigh of irritation as she continued to listen to Walden's stubbornness. He was so hell-bent on enacting revenge on her brother he didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that he was still bleeding. He wouldn't even remove his shirt just so she could at least stop the bleeding.

"If you're going to try and kill my brother, forget it. Just because I saved you doesn't mean I can't throw you back into that water. Listen, I don't know what my father did to my brother, but he obviously told him things that made him the ruthless killer he is. If you want, I'll get Deidre and bring her down here so you can speak to her. I will not tell you where my brother is though, as I still don't fully trust you."

She paused for a moment, her eyes staring into his for what seemed like ages. Then, after a moment, she began to speak once more. "I didn't want you to die because I care... well, I care about you - no, your sister's health. She would hate to lose somebody so close to her. I know how it feels to lose a family member, and I wouldn't want her to be in that same position."

It took a few seconds for Catherina to correct herself, since her words stuttered in her mouth. She had felt her face grow pink as well, but the light in the cargo hold was dark and only lit by a few lamps on the ceiling.

"Can you please let me bandage you now? Take your damn shirt off..." Catherina ordered, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

[Cloudsong]

Walden listened in silence, his eyes narrowed in confusion as she took so long to come up with a viable answer.  Why was she so conflicted about this?  Was there something that she was hiding?  The survivalist within him didn't want to trust her, as in the past few years he had been let down and betrayed by so many people. But then, why did there seem to pink blush creeping up fair face?  He found himself wondering two things in that moment; whether it was simply the trick of the lighting, or if perhaps there was something deep inside of Catherina that was trying to cover up the fact that she cared for him?  It took him less than a second to decide on the first, as he told himself that there was no way that she could ever care for a man and she scarcely knew. Let alone man of his caliber. 

It took Walden a moment to come up with a reply, as she had momentarily stumped him with her actions. But when he finally found his voice, the words came out slowly and deliberately.  "Deidre thinks I'm dead," he murmured. "The damage is already done."  He seemed strangely appalled by this concept, as if he feared that his sister would try to do something rash in her grief.  

When their gazes met after a moment, Walden allowed them to linger.  He seemed momentarily mystified, I'm look on his face suggested thought, as if he were still thinking about her words. "You say that you care about my sister's state of mind?" he reiterated after a moment.  "Then you will help me escape with her. I only ask that you help me save my sister. She has going on through a lot lately, and I realized that I have been there for her in the way a brother should." There was grief in his words, as if it still paying him to realize what had become of his sister in his absence. "I don't know what interest your brother has with her, but I know that it can't be sincere.  No man would put a gun to a woman's head if they loved them.  And if Nathaniel doesn't love her, and I can't see why he would object to us both leaving."

He fell into a silence after a moment, then decided to oblige to her earlier request. As his shirt slipped up over his shoulder, a large gash was visible on his left rib cage, bleeding steadily.  He grimaced slightly, but the look on his face was still determined one. As if pain could not reach him in his current state.  "What do you think, Devol?" he asked after a moment, the pain in his voice masked with forced amusement has he tried to make a joke. "I'm not going to die here, unloved and alone?"  Despite the pain he was in, he still seemed to find this oddly amusing, and chuckled dryly before grimacing. Laughing hurt in his current state. 

[Captain Kaycee]

Catherina scoffed at his attempts of making a joke, though concentrated more on fixing the damage that had been done to him. It needed to be compressed with cloth to stop the bleeding, and most likely switched with new bandages every few hours or so to make sure an infection didn't develop. Catherina may have not known how to wield a sword, but she knew how to treat wounds. She had taken care of her mother the last few months before her abrupt death that she knew enough on how to care for people.

"I think you're an idiot for thinking that you could swim your way back to the ship with a wound in your side and the rough waves. The blood could have easily made you bait for a shark as it is," Catherina chuckled, pressing down on his wound with a clean cloth and trying to soak up the blood.

"But I do think that you should speak to your sister. I don't think she deserves to be left in the dark when you are down here in the cargo hold. And my brother... I would want to presume that he cares for her, in a way. Nathan has definitely changed, but he cares for people that have been through hell. I think... I think that he does care for Deidre, though it is not my place to say what I believe he thinks."

She finally finished bandaging his wounds, sitting back on her knees and looking back up at his face. "There, all done. And you know that you can call me by my first name, right?" She laughed quietly to herself, leaning up against one of the crates. She placed her hat next to her and ran a hand through her hair, letting out a long sigh. "By god I'm exhausted... it's not everyday that you see your brother after three years, go on a ship out of Boston, nearly get yourself killed by a ship battle, and smuggle an old colleague from the ocean..."

[Cloudsong]

Walden was patient as Catherina tended to his wound. He leaned his head back against the wall behind him, watching her face carefully as she scrunched her nose slightly with effort. It seemed as though she knew what she was doing, though he wasn't really a judge when it came to medical care. He only knew his own moral values, and how to wield a sword. No one had ever taught him how to apply medicine to a wound, and being the impulsive thinker that he was, he had not thought to bring any doctor on their raid of the British ship. It was beginning to dawn on him that perhaps it was his fault that all of this had happened - that his men had died under his own account. But the thought of that hurt him, and he flinched slightly as Catherina's delicate hand brushed against his skin, the pain no longer being fueled by the wound, but by mind.

As she suddenly commented that she was surprised he had made it out alive, Walden couldn't help but shrug. "Perhaps it was destiny for you to find me," he replied cheekily, trying once again to make her laugh. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he somewhat enjoyed it. It was the little light he had left in this situation. "You know what they say about soul mates..." His voice trailed off, and he flinched slightly as she finished tying the knot around his bandages. Had she done that purposefully hard so as to shut him up? Either way, it got the job done, and he fell into a scowling silence.

He seemed to perk up slightly as Catherina spoke of his sister, although he did scowl slightly upon the mention of her brother's name. Rather than picking apart her words to ridicule the man, Walden simply stayed silent, listening. It wasn't Catherina's fault that this had all happened. In fact, she was practically a saint for have even saving him in the first place. It wasn't her fault that her brother was an imbecile. He stayed silent for a moment, as if deep in thought about what she had just said.

She was speaking again after that, and Walden was almost glad that he wasn't given the chance to make a snarky reply - even if he did have one prepared. As she began to pull away, declaring that it was done, he made a move as if he wanted to take her hand before she withdrew, but then thought better of it. "Yeah, I know I can," he responded softly, his gaze still hesitantly set on her as she ran a hand through her hair. How had never noticed until now that she had such pretty hair? It seemed so soft, and he half-wished he could reach over and feel it between his fingertips. But of course, he restrained himself before he could do such a thing, as no doubt she would react violently. And in the back of his mind, he knew that Catherina was not like any of the other girls he had seen - and been with - in his three years of living with the revolutionaries. She was different - a soft, untouched, and innocent girl. At least, that was how he saw her. It almost would feel like a sin to try and touch her, as he knew that he himself was not the untouched being that she was. He didn't want to defile something that had so much light.

"It's funny how things can change so much in so little time," he agreed after a moment, seeming thoughtful as well. It was rare for someone to get so much emotion - or words, for that matter - out of Walden, as he was usually one to scowl on the sidelines, utterly silent. "I've never... well, I don't believe what sister does about God and the Bible.... But sometimes, it almost seems like someone - or something - has a plan for you. And there's nothing you can do - even if you plan endlessly - to change that." His earlier words about destiny played back now, and it felt somewhat odd for him to be opening up to her in this way. After speaking, he seemed very confused, as if there had been a foreign being within him that had forced him to speak. Obviously he was not used to the effect this woman had on him.

[Captain Kaycee]

Catherina couldn't help but laugh as he spoke about destinies. Since when did Walden turn into a man of philosophy? Even three years ago he didn't say anything like that. Why the sudden change of heart?

"Since when did you start thinking about fate and soul mates? Don't tell me you had an epiphany and began to turn into a devote philosopher," Catherina laughed, though it sounded almost nervous. Why was he acting this way? It hadn't been more than a few minutes that he wanted to go and kill her brother and get off the ship with his sister. Now, however, it was like he actually wanted to stay with her.

That thought had disappeared within a few seconds. The sound of the door to the cargo hold opening brought Catherina back to her senses, and she immediately began to crawl up from where she was sitting. She quickly threw the blanket from earlier over Walden, forcing him in between a few crates to hide.

"Stay there! And don't move or speak until I give the all-clear!" she hissed, turning away from him. In front of her was her brother, Captain Nathaniel Devol, staring at her with a confused look on his face.

"Why in the world are you in the cargo hold? I thought you'd be asleep by now..." he asked, an eyebrow raised on his forehead.

"I was... getting a bottle of rum!" Catherina quickly defended herself. She knew that it was a complete lie, however, and that her brother would most likely catch her fib.

Nathaniel folded his arms across his chest and scoffed, moving one hand to poke her in the forehead. "Don't give me that. You don't drink. You never have. Why are you really down here?"

Catherina cursed under her breath, though continued to try and work her way through her lie. "No, I do now! You haven't seen me in three years, and you should know that I do! Besides, everyone else does on the ship, why would I be any different? Look-" She grabbed herself a bottle from one of the crates and poured herself a bit of the alcohol. Not even thinking, she drank it and nearly gagged as it burned her throat. She couldn't let it up though, and drank the rest of the bottle and slammed it down on the wooden crate in front of her.

"See? And you thought I didn't," she snickered, trying to sustain a cough from her throat burning like a wildfire.

"Fine, I believe you! Didn't know my sister was a drinker, though. I'm impressed. Anyway, I'm headed off to my quarters for the night. May you do me a favour tomorrow morning? I'm almost positive that I won't get Deidre to talk to me after what I... well, what I ordered, so I was wondering if you could talk to her for me?" Nathaniel asked, his voice suddenly turning more desperate and concerned than before.

Catherina raised an eyebrow at his tone. "Umm... sure. You okay, Nathan? You almost sound like you care for her!" she chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. However, his eyes grew dark and he shook his head violently.

"Of course not! I'm just wanting to make sure she won't be crying in my room every day! I'll throw her in the brig if that happens -"

"No you won't," Catherina interrupted, suddenly seeing through her brother's emotions. He did care for her, as much as he wanted to jinx himself that he didn't. She knew him long enough to know how he acted.

"You care for her, Nathan, and don't tell me that you don't. I know you, brother. That's why you saved her from her husband, didn't you? And that's why you couldn't stand letting Walden take her away from you? You want her to be with you -"

Catherina suddenly felt a hand slap across her face, causing her to fall onto the ground from the blow. She held her hand over the place where she had been slapped, looking up at her brother with his hand raised in the air.

"Don't you dare say any of that again, sister. While I may allow you on this ship right now because I requested it, I will not hesitate to maroon you on an island when we reach the Caribbean. Do not test me, Catherina. Don't even try." Nathaniel's eyes were like a cat's as he stared at her, and only after a few seconds of glaring down did he walk up the stairs and out of the cargo hold without another word.

Catherina sat on the ground saying nothing, and simply staring at the ground with her eyes wide with fear. Her brother never hurt her; he had been kind and caring, not bloodthirsty and dangerous. What happened to him?

(Oh gosh long reply sorry xD)

[Cloudsong]

Walden seemed to smirk slightly as she called him out for his sudden philosophical mind. "What, you don't believe me?" he said, feigning disappointment as he knit his eyebrows together. "Is it so hard to think that I might actually have more to me than my good looks?" Obviously he was joking there, and it felt somewhat odd for the words to be coming off so easily from his tongue. How could he be acting like this, when he had just lost his entire crew? Had he no respect for the memories, or was he simply too enchanted by this woman that he would never admit to being attracted towards? Questions burned in his mind, and he realizing that moment how out-of-character must sound. The old Walden would never be so light with his words, and never would he enjoy seeing someone's else's laughter so much. Enough to even make jokes.

The smile was almost immediately wiped off of his face as he realized this, and for moment he seemed to scowl, appearing once again confused by the entire situation. To cover up his change in character, he declared rather unceremoniously; "I was only kidding." These words came out dryly, much like the attitude he had had before. The rudeness and bluntness seemed to become him once more.

He felt himself go cold as the sound of footsteps neared the cargo door. Suddenly, his situation seemed to dawn on him - that he was currently not in a state to defend himself - and he felt somewhat panicked. He felt quite vulnerable, given that he had no sword, and was on the enemy's ship. If the man approaching the door was her brother, no doubt Nathaniel would make quick work to finish the job from before - to kill him. As Catherina suddenly threw a blanket over him, he didn't have time to protest. But she pushed him in to a position that was painful, and he was unable to move hardly at all.

If anyone would have pulled back the blanket in that moment, they would have seen the look of pure hatred in his eyes. Although he was unable to draw back the curtain and beat this man up - though it was what he desperately craved to do - he couldn't completely push away the urge that was so strong. He could hear Nathaniel speaking of Deidre, mocking her tears, and threatening to throw her in the brig. And then, Catherina had moved on to tease him about the girl, accusing the captain of having feelings for her. This, although it irritated him greatly, was nothing compared to the sudden anger that surged through him as he heard the slap from his hiding place. The impact of Catherina as she fell to the ground was deafening, though it made little sound.

While he had known that Nathaniel was a monster for having killed all his men with cold blood, never had Walden imagined that he would become abusive with his sister.

It was lucky that Nathaniel left in that moment, for Walden was already beginning to stand up, eager to punch this man in the nose for having struck a woman - Catherina, for the matter that made it so much worse. But the door had slammed before he could pull the blanket off, and Catherina was still sitting on the ground, a look of hurt and shock so clearly imprinted on her features.

He was at her side in a heartbeat, and leaned over her anxiously, the previous thoughts to shut her out having fallen rather abruptly. "Catherina," he said softly, as if trying to call her back from a trance. It was the first time he used her first name, and it felt somewhat foreign in his mouth. But he knelt down beside her, not seeming to register the pain that flooded his body as his chest bent slightly, the wound on his side seeming miles away from the current situation. "Catherina, I swear that I will make him pay for that." His words were dark, but a look of determination shone on his eyes. It was quite clear that he was highly disturbed for having witnessed the abuse.

[Captain Kaycee]

It hadn't dawned on Catherina that Walden had gotten up and knelt next to her until he had suddenly said her name. At the sound of her name off his tongue, she finally glanced up to see that he was determined to make her brother pay for his abuse that he had suddenly enacted upon her. But, to her own surprise, she shook her head.

"No. He's my brother, and I should not have gotten into his personal affairs. I just... I need to rest it off. You wouldn't mind if I slept down here, would you? I don't think I'm permitted in my brother's quarters now, nor do I want to sleep on a hammock with pirates since I'm one of the only women on board. It seems like this is the safest place to be anyway."

Catherina stood up then and began to rummage through other crates, pulling out a few blankets and pillows from one of the crates. It was one of the shipments of trade that her brother had been sending to people in the colonies, but for one night she was going to use it to make herself a bed. She placed the blankets on the ground and puffed up the feathered pillow, before turning back to Walden and subconsciously grabbing his hand.

"Would you like to get some sleep too? It seems like you need it more than I do..."

.:Captain's Quarters on The Revenge:.

Nathaniel headed up onto the main deck where his quarters resided, opening up the doors with a key and heading inside. In all of his life he hadn't expected that he had the guts to even slap his sister. Something burned inside him, however, as he had suddenly hit her. It was like he had grown furious with rage, and slapped her without even thinking twice. He had never done anything like that, however, so why had he done it in the first place?

He quickly shrugged it off, however, as he noticed that Deidre was on the ground with her eyes staring off into space. Was she even conscious? It almost appeared like she was sleeping with her eyes open. Nathaniel crouched down beside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, but made sure that he was being gentle and not forceful on her.

"Hey, Deidre? Come on, it's late at night and you need the rest..." He pointed over towards the corner of is quarters where a full-size bed had been put. His quarters were larger than some ships, but he didn't have much to carry inside.

"I'll let you sleep in the bed. I'll go prop up a hammock with my crew," Nathaniel muttered, adjusting his hat almost as if he was nervous to say anything else to her.