#gusenitsaa

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he replies firmly. “I made a promise to Mum to look after you and I intend to keep it.”

“Papa made that promise too…” Tears trickle down Killian’s cheeks and the sight of them makes Liam furious for more reasons than one.

“Well, I’m not Papa, am I?” he snaps. “I’m going to keep you safe. Do you understand me?”

Killian nods, but his eyes avert from Liam’s gaze. It hurts far more than it should. Liam’s fingers curl into fists and he isn’t sure who he wants to hurt the most in the moment – his brother for not believing him or the men above for wanting to hurt them.

Both brothers flinch as the hatch bursts open above them and the ladder whines as bodies start to climb down it. They duck their heads in hopes of being undiscovered. Liam automatically places a hand over his younger brother’s mouth to keep him for whimpering too loudly.

“Best come out and face your fate like a man,” a voice calls out. “We can see your foot behind the rum.”

Liam draws a sharp before, glancing down at their feet. It’s then that he notices that Killian’s ratty shoe is visible. He taps down his frustration as tears start rolling down his little brother’s cheek, puddling onto Liam’s hand.

“Come out!” The voice commands again. “You don’t want me to come over there!”

Killian looks up at Liam with a resigned look on his face that belongs to a much older person and has no place on a seven-year old’s face. He shifts to move out from their failed hiding spot. 

“Don’t!” Liam whispers, shaking his head. “They could be buffing!”

For the first time in his life, Killian doesn’t listen to his older brother. He pushes his hands away and crawls out, shaking like a leaf and trying so hard to make a show of bravery he doesn’t have. Liam’s heart hammers in his chest and everything inside him screams as he turns to watch his little brother’s fate. He’s caught between wanting to save his brother from these invading pirates and wanting to save his own skin.

Pirates, unruly and menacing with their sharp swords and snarling faces, seem taken aback by the small child that appears in front of them. They don’t jeer at him like Liam expected, but stare at him with the same fascination Liam had seen on his schoolmates’ faces when they had discovered a litter of kitties newly born behind the schoolhouse. The one that seems to be in charge, a man with silver hair and wearing a brown long coat, sheaths his sword and looks at Killian with a puzzled expression.

“And who are you supposed to be?”

“Killian.”

“Ah, Killian.” The man repeats his name as if he’s testing how it sounds. “A good name for a young man. How old are you, Killian?”

“I’m seven…and a half…”

“That’s quite a young to be at sea,” the man comments, stroking his chin. “And what brings you onto this ship?”

“I…” Killian looks overwhelmed by the question, squirming in his spot and looking down at his shoes. 

The man’s frown deepens, an indent forming between his brows as he regards Liam’s brother with a strange expression.

“Is your father on board, Killian?” he asks, changing tactics.

“No,” he answers immediately. “Papa sold me for a row boat.”

A buzzing of anger emits from the pirates who share looks of disgust. A trickle of fear runs down Liam’s spine and he shifts to get his feet out from underneath. He has a small butter knife in his shoe. It won’t be do much, but Liam wagers if they go for Killian, he could potentially cause some damage to one or two by taking out their eyes.

The man questioning Killian raises his hand to silence the men behind him. It’s quite clear he holds a lot of authority and Liam would wager the rest of his meager possessions that he’s the captain of the sky ship.

“So, you’re a slave?”

“An indentured servant,” Killian corrects hotly, his cheeks coloring as he speaks.

“Ah, sorry, an indentured servant. A rose by a different name,” the man says before digging a hand into one of the various pockets on his coat. “Do you like candy, Killian?”

Killian’s eyes light up as alarm bells go off in Liam’s brain. He’s seen this ploy before, even been at the end of it. It rarely goes well. Men don’t offer things out without wanting something in return; a cruel bit of reality that Liam has done his best to shield his little brother from. 

He can’t allow this to happen.

“No!” he shouts, revealing himself and leaping over the barrels. He takes a position in front of Killian, shoving his younger brother roughly behind him. He holds up the butter knife as it were a real one.

The man looks bewildered by him, eyes darting between Liam’s face and Killian’s.

“And who might you be?”

“That’s Liam!” Killian pipes up.

“Stop talking,” he hisses. 

“You’re brothers, aren’t you?” the man asks, face softening. 

Liam doesn’t respond, only raises the butter knife higher. He tries to keep a brave face despite the violent trembling of his arm.

“Do you really think you can take us all out with that, boy?” 

“No, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try. I would rather die than let you hurt him.”

“Who said anything about hurting anyone?” the man question in surprise, eyebrows raising to his hairline.

“We’re not idiots,” Liam responds. “We know you’ve killed most of the crew to get down here and you’re going to take the rest of our valuables and slaughter us all.”

“You have a very vivid imagination. Has anyone ever told you that?”

He doesn’t answer him, only narrows his eyes in response. He feels Killian move behind him and automatically throws back his arm to keep him from leaving the minute wall of safety offered by Liam’s body.

“You’re a brave young man,” the man says. “Braver than most men. And you’re smart too. It’s hard to find anyone who is both brave and smart these days. You either have brave morons or smart cowards.”

Liam bites back the smartass response he has dying in the back of his throat. 

“You’re smart enough to know there are only two ways out of this,” the man continues gently. “Either you stay here, stranded on a ship with no food and no provisions or you come aboard the Caspertine with us.”

“And be slaves again,” Liam mutters bitterly under his breath.

“No,” the man responds gruffly. “Not slaves. I have no interest in owning anyone.”

“Then what exactly do you want?” 

“To shape the future,” the man responds. “And you’re it.”

Liam doesn’t quite understand what he means by this, but Killian appears to be done with this entire conversation. He shifts out from behind his older brother’s body and eyes the old man questionably.

“Do you really have candy?”

The old man barks out a loud laugh, taking his hand out of his back and revealing small wrapped squares that look a lot like the taffy packages Liam’s seen in stores around various ports.

“Yes, my boy, I have lots of candy. Unfortunately, this old pirate has a sweet tooth that can’t be tamed.”

“Okay, I’ll go with you!”

“Killian! No!” Liam is half-frustrated, half-horrified.

“What? He’s right. It’s either be here with dead people or go with them. And they have candy,” he responds, popping the taffy into his mouth and smiling up at the old man. “What’s your name, mister?”

“Shakespeare. Captain Theodore Johannes Alberic Shakespeare, my boy.”