Chapter Text
// Camille POV//
What was I doing here? I could have easily gotten my gold back, on my own for that matter. Sure, I had a crew who was planning to kill me, half the country has my face on a wanted sign and I can't navigate land for the life of me but I could've done it. I've gotten out of worse situations that's for sure.
This Furnell guy better be worth it or I'm screwed. By the time we catch him he could've already spent my money, and then what would I have? The cowrider would get her reward, she's too determined to not be sure of her prize's whereabouts. I wonder what could be so permanent and valuable that sends her across the country looking for him? Whatever it is must be tied to that Anne person she was muttering about that night. I almost pity Furnell, the cowrider will not show him mercy.
"If I knew all I had to do to shut you up was shove you a bit I'd have done it much sooner"
Lori sat opposite me, the fire between us, and was looking at me expectantly. I should have a witty retort, I should smile and say something light and airy, a passing comment that gets a smirk, I should do that. The words I knew I needed just wouldn't come. Instead, the weight of the day decided to settle in and the best I could do was fake laugh and hope she couldn't tell the difference.
She looked at me for a second then smiled and went into the tent. The fire popped and the wind blew, and it dawned on me: I'm a pirate in the desert. It was almost comedic, I had followed this complete stranger into the middle of the desert for the chance that I might get my money back. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I had nothing, I wanted a drink.
"Want some?"
Lori had come back from the tent, she had a bottle of rum and had poured some in a glass. I smiled despite myself, "Is that even a question?"
As I sipped she pulled out a banjo of all things.
"Now I see, you want to get me drunk so I won't complain about your atrocious cowrider music"
"My music is amazing, just because a stick like you can't appreciate it says more about you than it does about me"
She began to play some diddy about a man getting over a breakup where he just drinks himself to death, then the next one was about drinking on a horse, then after that one about drinking to pass the time. At least we had one thing in common.
"Hold on hold on, where did you learn to play the banjo? That's such a weird instrument to play honestly"
Lori's eyes got cloudy and wistful, "Someone special taught it to me a long time ago"
Someone special? Totally had to be a lover. She could get so bashful sometimes. I could feel I was a bit tipsy but I welcomed the feeling knowing I would promptly pass out soon and remember this night in a haze the next day. Lori disrupted my thoughts.
"How'd you get into the pirate business?"
"My mother always liked the water and we lived by a lake so I just fell in love really"
"Where's your mom now?"
I put down my empty glass, "You want to know about my family when you won't even let me call you by your full name? Answer for an answer. What's your actual name?"
I leaned in, my elbows resting on my knees as my face got closer to the fire, the heat a pleasant change to the bitter wind. She stopped playing the banjo and tipped her hat towards me.
"Loretta Bell Ball, at your service ma'am"
"Loretta Belle Ball," I liked how her name rolled off my tongue, "could you get more southern?"
"Not if I tried," she smiled, proud, "now, about your mom?"
Maybe it was the rum, but if I'm being honest I just wanted someone to talk to so I spilled some of my guts, "My mom is in a town I can never go back to if you want the whole story you need to answer more of my questions and I need more of this rum"
Loretta looked intrigued and I knew exactly what I wanted to ask her.
"Shoot"
"Who's Anne?"
Lori's eyes got wide and her shoulders tensed. We both had our secrets but maybe she would share hers first.
She took a few moments to figure out what to say, I needed to know.
" Anne was my friend. Furnell took her and I've been trying to find her since last fall. "
I looked at her regretfully, "I'm sorry to hear that. She must've been some woman to earn the trust of someone like you."
"She was. She...she could shoot a soda can from 50 feet away while riding a horse and loved cheesy romance novels. Why can't you go back to your hometown?"
I looked away from the fire, the heat feeling too much all of a sudden, "That's a loaded question but-you see you have to understand I wasn't as rich and savvy as I am now...I had five other siblings, I was the oldest, we used to get in so much trouble and my mother, my mother tried...she couldn't...she did what..."
The words clogged my throat filling up like a trash bag with discarded papers waiting to be taken out. Even the alcohol couldn't numb the memory of home, I wanted to go back so badly. The sea mist in my hair, the dirt under my nails, the rosemary bread, hair tangled in branches, catching crabs, it all came rushing back, the memories I had spent so long suppressing were now unleashed at full force.
"You don't have to explain "
This sweet girl, "I know. You deserve to know, you asked, after all. I guess there is no good way to say it, my mother sold me so she could take better care of my siblings. She sold me to Count Trester of the Western Isle, a made-up title to seem like a rich gentleman looking for a permanent housemaid when really he was just another girl smuggling scumbag like the rest. There is no honor in human trafficking, no amount of fake names can replace honor."
I was shocked. I had said that. I had never told anyone what had happened that quickly. There was something freeing about telling a stranger my darkest secrets because I knew I was safe.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you"
Those words meant the world to me. I realized nobody had apologized for what had happened.
"Don't be, besides, when I killed Tyst, that was his real name, I became captain of his ship and it started my career as a pirate. So not all bad."
A painful start to the best thing in my life, I missed the sea more than anything.
"I don't mean to pry but if you killed Tyst why can't you go back?"
"Just because I killed one of them doesn't mean I ended the whole system. I got really damn lucky but eventually, word got around of his death at the hands of me and I was wanted. I changed my appearance, name, all of it. I go everywhere knowing people are hunting me and as much as I want to see my family again I can't risk their safety, not after everything my mother did to ensure they had a good upbringing."
Lori stared off into space, deep in thought.
"This goes without saying but, everything I just told you stays between us. Only us."
"Of course"
I let her sit in the silence for a few more moments but the silence became uncomfortably long, I coughed, and nodded, pulling out the bedroll she had pushed me with earlier.
"I'm gonna go to bed, you can join me if you want"
I walked back into the tent leaving the cowrider to mull over my tale, but what's a good hero without a tragic backstory?