Flint comes from a line of nobles in close relation to the king. Her family and ancestors hail from the central and western districts of London, mainly in the royal borough of Kensington. The lands, large manor and estate grounds therein were granted to the King's favored cousin, Edmond, who was then granted the title as the Earl of Kensington.
Around his twentieth year, and upon the death of his father, Lord Edmond would honour an arranged marriage to a wealthy Irish Lord’s daughter who had been a friend and colleague of Edmond’s father. The marriage was nothing short of a business arrangement, and in the beginning Edmond treated it as such. It only took a few short months for his wife Julianna to soften his heart and he would grow to love her more fully than he ever knew his heart was capable of. Julianna's charm was almost magical and a couple years into their marriage, Julianna loved and trusted Edmond enough to reveal to him one of her family's oldest secrets; that her family descends from an ancient line of Feary folk.
In the 18th century world, the legend of the Fae had long since past into myth, so Julianna went onto explain that she was the last female survivor of her clan; a Queen of her people. Her union with Edmond was 'meant to be' by her reasoning; that from the moment she laid eyes on him, she knew he was the man she was destined to love. Their father’s were meant to meet, just as she was meant to come here. How else could he explain why a man like him, who had known no other joys beyond title, business and making money, could so easily soften his heart and find a place in it for a woman like her? It hadn't taken much convincing for Edmond to believe her words and this revelation seemed only to strengthen their union.
Two years later would see their lives complete when Julianna gave birth to their first child; a healthy young boy whom they named Edmond Mowbray, Jr. It was a sad but honest fact that only women of Julianna's line could use the gifts of the Fae. So, though Julianna was thrilled to have a son, she had been hoping and praying for a daughter.
Through the course of the next six years, Julianna brought three more sons into the world. The unusually difficult labor of her last son, however, she feared would leave her barren. After two more years of trying, Julianna began to lose all hope that she would ever have the daughter she desired and as such she sank into a heavy bout of melancholy. Edmond feared for his wife and spent nearly every waking moment praying to his and her Gods to grant Julianna her deepest wish.
As if someone were listening, Julianna found herself with child for a fifth time. This fifth pregnancy took its toll on her body, as if the child within was using all of Julianna’s energy to sustain itself. For the majority of her second and third term, Julianna was bed-ridden. Despite this, however, you could never see a more vibrant or happy woman. It was like she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was the miracle she'd been waiting for.
As if someone was listening, Julianna found herself with child for a fifth time. This fifth pregnancy took its toll on her body, as if the child within was using all of Julianna’s energy to sustain itself. For the majority of her second and third term, Julianna was bed-ridden. Despite this, however, you could never see a more vibrant or happy woman. It was like she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was the miracle she'd been waiting for.
Elliandre was born into the world amidst a maelstrom of rain and thunder the likes of which few Britons had ever seen. Twas as if the Gods themselves were loath to let her spirit go. To say this labor was difficult would be a severe understatement; it was as if the babe inside her did not want to leave the security of her mother’s womb. After many long hours that spanned nearly two days, the wailing cry of a babe finally echoed through the halls of the manor, followed by several loud claps of thunder; the Gods that had been fighting so hard to keep her, seemed saddened or angry to let her go.
When Julianna held her miracle child against her breast, she kissed the soft curls of fire upon her head. Julianna knew she could die happy in that moment. Her heart and her soul, if not completely exhausted, were finally at rest to know her legacy would continue. Bringing little Ellie into this world had taken an extensive toll on Julianna's body; it was as if Ellie had taken most of her mother’s spirit with her as she was born. Julianna was more than willing to give this to her child, however. She knew her spirit was leaving this world, so she whispered a loving and tender goodbye to her daughter and her beloved husband before the last threads of life left her body.
~~~~~
Edmond tried his best to raise Ellie like the lady he knew she should be, but such was not an easy task; especially when one had naught but sons before her. Ellie possessed much of her mother's vibrant spirit and her desire to tag along after her father and brothers was overwhelming and stubborn. Whereas most girls of privilege were happy with learning simple things, such as croquet, horseback riding, needlepoint, foreign languages and playing the piano, Ellie was far too adventurous and free-spirited for that. Edmond found he couldn't deny his daughter anything, especially when she used those big baby blues on him. As long as she promised to maintain her finer studies, he allowed her to learn any of the same traits and skills that he taught her brothers.
Ellie was teased mercilessly by her brothers and their friends; they called her names, claimed she'd be an ugly bean sprout her entire life. By their logic, she might as well become a man; for no lord would ever wish to have her as their bride. Ellie usually retaliated from these insults by playing nasty tricks on them; including, but not limited to: putting homemade itching powder in their undergarments while they slept, adding dyes to their soaps, and putting ink in their tea; all without their knowing until it was too late. Even as a child, her roguish skills were uncanny.
The Mowbray’s had the fortune of living next to a Lord Admiral of the Royal Navy and his family. The Norrington’s were a long line of Military officers, and had title and standing in the King’s court. They lived in Chelsea, which was the next borough over from Kensington. Lord Admiral Norrington’s only son James was almost six years older than Ellie. Though usually a quiet and reserved person, he was encouraged by his father to befriend the Mowbrays. Under such encouragement, James had actually become good friends with the Mowbray children, and to an extent this included Ellie as well. When he wasn’t training and preparing with his father for his entrance into the Royal Naval academy, James spent a majority of what little free time he had hanging around the Mowbray manor.
Based solely on how poorly her brothers teased her throughout her entire life, Ellie was often surprised at James’ chivalrousness and gentlemanly ways towards her. Despite how unladylike she could be, he still insisted on propriety, calling her "Miss Ellie" or "Miss Mowbray." Which, of course, only seemed to infuriate her more; for such things only served to remind her that she was a young lady and was
supposed to be doing lady’s things. How dare this attractive young boy keep acting like a gentleman around her and treating her like a lady when she clearly tried so hard to prove that she was much more than that? Still, his treatment of her during this time of rebelliousness, uncertainty and merely trying to find her place in this world, would forever earn him a place in her heart; even if at the time she did not realize it.
~~~~~
When she was nine, the Mowbray family took their private ship for a cruise to the Jamaica’s for the summer; inviting the Lord Admiral and his family to join them for the month long excursion through the Caribbean. They would be at sea for an entire week before making berth at Port Royal in the Jamaicans, where the Mowbray’s had a summer estate. Ellie was the only girl amongst a company of men, excluding Lady Norrington and her attendant. Lady Norrington seemed to take it as a personal vendetta to turn the young Miss Mowbray into a fine young woman; Ellie, however, would seem to have none of it, and whenever Lady Norrington’s impromptu ‘lessons’ were over, Ellie did everything she could to prove that she wasn’t a
lady. The antics she got up to would make all the adults hair turn a little more gray.
The boys helped the crew where they could, however none of them were capable watermen, excluding maybe James, so they spent the majority of the trip playing games to test each others mettle against one another; they had boxing and arm wrestling matches, sword duels, games of chance and dice, darts and other such things. They drank cordial and sherry and sang shanties with the crew. Poor Ellie tried to join in where she could, but more often than not the boys excluded the youngest Mowbray from participating in their revelry and sport. It wasn't until the boys had begun a game of dare that things might have gone too far.
It was late in the evening and there were only a few scant hands on deck; one sailor at the helm, and another at the stern, one or two patrolling the decks, and undoubtedly there'd be one in the crow's nest above. None of them pad much attention to their antics anymore than anyone else on the crew. The boys were challenging each other to stunts all night, but none of them were quite daring enough to take Edmond Jr.'s challenge of climbing to the top of the central mast to wave the lantern from the crow's nest, almost a hundred and fifty feet above. None of the Mowbray brothers had ever spent much of a great deal at sea. James was the only one among them who had spent any time on a ship and had inklings to join after his father. Even then, James wasn't as skilled a seaman to dare climb the riggings that well or that high. The boys were all talk, mostly, none of them would ever go through with it.
From her hiding place behind a couple barrels on deck, Ellie had been listening in on the entire conversation. When none of her brothers now James seemed like they had courage enough to take the challenge, Ellie brashly answered the call. Before they even knew what she was up to, Ellie had already made it to quartermast. The boys immediately started shouting at her to come back down, terrified for their baby sister's life should she proceed. Uncomprehending of just how much danger she was in, Ellie only yelled insults and barbs back down to them, ironically calling them a bunch of 'girls'.
Without even thinking, James immediately ran for the rope ladder and started to climb up after her. Ellie had a lead on him, however, and his efforts only spurred her to climb higher. When she made it to the crow's nest, she pulled herself up and reached for the lantern to wave it out over the side. Once she looked down seeing the deck so very far below, however, her vision swam and the world began spinning violently making her feel felt dizzy, nauseous and delirious. Before she knew it, the lantern dropped from her hand crashing in a burst of oil and sparks on the deck below. A couple deckhands managed to swat it out before it caused any harm or damage. Ellie seemed to cower in on herself, shrinking against the center column and hugging her knees to her chest.
Despite some of the sailor’s telling him to come back down, James would not be deterred; he was a man on a mission; to save his damsel in distress. When he reached the ledge of the crow's nest, he could barely make out the red of Ellie’s hair shining in the moonlight, which was all the light they had now. When she wouldn't budge from her spot, James had to climb atop the platform himself where after several comforting words, and the strength of his arms around her shoulders, he was able to convince Ellie to let him carry her down on his back.
Her brothers had long since called for aid by this point, and a more able seaman was already on his way up the rigging to meet the children. Ellie had a death grip around James’ shoulders and neck, however, and wouldn't release her grip. So instead of carrying her down like he had planned, the older sailor latched a rope around James and Ellie's waists and climbed down next to them, acting as a spotter just in case either should fall. Once they reached the safety of the deck, Lord Mowbray was there to take his daughter, who, upon seeing her ‘papa’ finally released her hold on the boy; albeit reluctantly. James received a dozen or more claps on the shoulders from the Mowbray boys and other sailors. The Mowbray men were forever grateful for how quickly James was willing to risk his own neck to save the jewel of their family.
Relationships among the Mowbray boys and their sister were much lighter after that night. They had a great deal of respect for her and the teasing diminished in severity and frequency. This event helped them settle into a closeness they'd lacked before. The only downfall, was that Ellie now found herself uncertain of how to act around James anymore. In the span of one night he had gone from moderately good looking best friend of her brothers, to the handsome young man who saved her life. She got a funny feeling in her stomach every time she saw him and suddenly, on the days she knew he would be visiting, she found herself actually caring about her appearance; to make sure she looked more presentable and ‘lady like’; as if she
wanted him and everyone to remember that she was a girl. She still went on hunting trips with her father and brothers, and kept up her skill with a blade, however, most of the other activities of boys began to lose their appeal.
Lord Mowbray and Lady Norrington had keen eyes when it came to their children, and they both noticed the changes between Ellie and James. After discussing things over with the Admiral, the adults finalized an arrangement that Edmond Sr. and Lady Norrington had been discussing for quite some years; ever since Ellie and James were very young. They were both families of fine and noble standing in England, and a union between them would be beneficial to all parties involved. The fact that there might even be a love interest and connection between their children, only served to make the arrangement seem even more prudent. However, not wanting to spoil or sully the possibly budding romance between the youngest Mowbray and the Norrington’s only son, they wanted to wait to reveal this accord until their children for a time when they would be more open and willing to accept it.
Besides, James would be entering the academy that fall and Ellie still had a bit of growing up to do. So, at least, they thought they would wait until James had graduated and his career set in stone. When the Autumn came, James was immediately shipped off to the British Naval Academy.
During James's absence, Ellie shortly grew into her own right as a proper young lady. Gone were the breeches and barefeet. In their stead, she wore extravagant gowns and dresses; played the harp and piano; spoke three languages in addition to English; those languages being Chinese, French and German which she chose only so she could impress her father by being able to converse with some of the foreign dignitaries he had dealings with. She played croquette and attended tea with the ladies in court. She attended galas, plays and balls, and quickly became the talk amongst London’s High Society of potentially becoming one of the most prominent ladies of court. Lady Norrington encouraged Ellie and was very proud and almost smug for how perfectly the young girl was turning out. Though she was potentially a noble lady of court, Lord Mowbray never squandered his daughter's desires to pursue her other talents; meaning fencing, chemistry, and any other study she felt like pursuing that wasn't what most people would consider "proper" for a lady.
~~~~~
Nearing her eleventh birthday, however, she also noticed other things about her that were changing, and she didn't mean the effects puberty was having on her height, her body and her bosoms. These changes were more bizarre and worrisome. She had begun having vivid dreams almost the same time she had started her first monthly. Sometimes they were pleasant visions; a man who seemed familiar yet she could never see his entire face. Only his dark eyes gazing at her with the deepest love reflecting therein. A majority of the time however, she was plagued by nightmares; images of dreadful and terrible things that felt all too real to be just a dream.
Edmond was not afraid to talk to his daughter about the changes she would be experiencing as she grew into womanhood, however he did not fail to notice other changes in her as well; she was becoming melancholic and seemed distant and aloof, yet for the life of him he could not get her to open up. She refused to talk about her dreams in fear that she would be deemed a lunatic even by her own father. Edmond knew he was in a bit of a pickle. The more he thought about his daughter and the changes to her personality and her mood and the heavy sweats she awakened to most nights, Edmond was reminded of some of the stories his beloved wife Julianna had told him about when
she was younger and first discovering her gifts. When at a young age, Ellie hadn't shown any signs of having any of her mothers gifts, Edmond had hoped and prayed that his only daughter would never get them. Clearly, he hoped in vain for Ellie was going through a change that Edmond could not possibly understand or explain on his own. It was then that Edmond was overcome with a great sadness for having never told his daughter the stories of her mother’s heritage.
Edmond and Julianna had never been secretive with their boys. Julianna had often regaled them with stories of her family and their ancestors. So, when Edmond asked his eldest son his thoughts on what he could do to remedy the situation, they both agreed that none of them were capable enough to help Ellie through this difficult time. Perhaps, it would be best to send her to those who knew what she was going through firsthand?
After corresponding with his brother in law back in Donegal who supported and agreed with Edmond’s idea, they all decided that some time in Ireland in the home and among the people closest to her mother would be the best thing for her.
Ellie was reluctant at first, even upset that her father was going to send her away, however, when she really thought about it, the idea of being in a place that was so heavily connected to the mother she never knew, the more she wanted to go. In fact, when it came down to the day they would set sail, she even expressed anger at her father for having never let her visit Ireland before. Her brother’s spent the journey to the homeland of their mother regaling Elliandre with stories and tales about their Irish relatives. Even without knowing the true reasons behind her father’s unexpected suggestion, she felt happy and glad to be going; like this was something she
had to do.
Ellie's McCullough uncles and cousins taught her many things, the most memorable being when they revealed to her what her the legend of where she came from. They told her all about the magick that strengthened her blood, and that the same blood flowed in the veins of her mother. They told her all about their Faery ancestry and the ancient days of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Faery court. Ellie found the legend of her ancestors fascinating and absorbed as much information about them as anyone was willing to share with her. She delighted in the stories they told her of her mother and melted every time they told Ellie she looked just like her!
Apart from her lessons and the stories from her uncles and her grandparents, she attended many functions and met more Irish nobles, bureaucrats and aristocrats than she could count. They helped her train as she grew into her Faery gifts. They taught her mental exercises to control her ‘sight’ and to use it for better purposes; to keep the visions from attacking her in her sleep; to help her learn to call and suppress this gift at will. They kept up her training in swordplay that her father and brothers had taught her. They even expounded upon her skills to include hand to hand combat. Being as small and sprightly as her, however, they mostly taught her how to use her natural talents in cunning and evasion. She could very well take on a man twice her size if she knew how to dodge and evade properly.
They did not forget, however, that she was their ‘princess’ and as such they lavished gifts and trinkets upon her. She was their new Faery Princess and made her feel as such. They revealed to her that her gifts would continue to grow; that she could look forward to spending many more summers with them to help train her in these ever expanding talents. Ellie became most excited, though, when they told her that someday she would learn the power to commune with and control an element. Most of them predicted she would be a Water or Earth Fae like her mother before her. As her time in Ireland drew to a close, she felt far closer to her mother and herself than she ever had. As much as she loved spending all that time with her Irish cousins, however, after two years away from her home and her family she was more than ready to go back to London.
~~~~~
When her father's boat arrived to take her back home to England, she was surprised to see James standing with her brothers to greet her at the docks. He was dressed in his full naval uniform and her breath was literally taken away; he looked positively stunning. She had always though he was dashing for a boy, but in his uniform... Well she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of him. They had corresponded over the course of the past four years, but she had never imagined him like this.
When James realized that this vibrant, beautiful and supple young woman before him was the present figure of the lanky tom-boy he’d last seen almost four years ago, a blush coloured his cheeks and he accidentally sputtered over his words. Ellie’s brothers all had a good laugh at Ellie and James’ expense. It took absolutely no time at all for the children to fall back into their familiar camaraderie They spent the majority of the evening in the officer’s mess catching up and sharing stories. Though Ellie had corresponded often with her family and friends during the past two years, even including the fact that her family had come to visit her on several occasions, Ellie didn’t realize until that moment how much she had greatly missed them... And James.
She learned that he was a Lieutenant now, and well on his way to becoming a captain and getting his own ship. She did not doubt that in a few years he would get his wish. Though the two parties involved might not have noticed, Ellie’s brothers did not miss the obvious spark between their sister and their fiend James; the dulcet tones of flirtation in their interaction with each other. When Ellie started yawning, she made her excuses to retire for the night, which is when the Mowbray brothers confronted James with the regulatory ‘if you hurt our sister, we’ll break your legs’ speech that all brothers were required to give potential suitors of their baby sisters. James seemed shocked at this confrontation until they pointed out to him his actions and inclinations towards their sister. James tried to deny these ‘accusations’ but found his argument falling short. Huh. Imagine that... He wondered when exactly he had begun falling for the youngest Mowbray, and how on earth had he failed to realize it for himself? The sons of Mowbray had given him a lot to think on as he saw to his patrol duties on deck that night.
Ellie had gone to sleep that night with a light and happy heart. Therefore, one can imagine how gravely upset she was when she woke up in a deep sweat. She hadn't had a nightmare that she could remember, she simply woke to this overwhelming sense of dread. After throwing off her soaked sheets, she exited her small cabin to make her way above decks in naught but her evening gown, which was clinging in several places; her mind wasn't focused on propriety at the moment.
When she arrived on deck, the air was unexpectedly chill, and a heavy fog had settled on the water all about the ship. That feeling of dread escalated and sweat began to bead on her brow. James was the first to come upon the scene and he was deeply troubled by her appearance; mainly because of her obvious distress and state of dress, or should he say undress; but partly because she had been occupying his thoughts for the majority of the night and he felt awkward in her presence now that he was aware of his feelings for her. He noticed that she was sweating, yet she was shivering terribly. So, doing the gentlemanly thing, he removed his long coat and draped it about her shoulders, unintentionally startling her in the process. When he asked her what was upsetting her, she spoke of a feeling that something bad was about to happen. James tried to talk her down, to ease her worry, however words seemed to fail.
James then remembered how in a similar situation of distress, the calming effect his embrace had, had on her. So, shucking propriety for the moment, he tenderly wrapped his arms around her, and whispered more of calming words in her ear. How is it he always had that effect on her? How was he able to calm her nerves by his mere presence alone? Ellie sighed heavily and deeply breathed in his scent, delighting in the sensation that swept through her as his breath blew across her ear. She was suddenly struck by an epiphany; did she have deeper feelings than friendship for one of her oldest and closest friends? Reflecting back on the course of the night, and even further back at how he had always made her feel, it made perfect sense. She was surprised it had taken her
this long to realize it.
Caught up in the tenderness of the moment, she turned her head to look up at him, his face so close to hers. A swarm of butterflies were wreaking merry havoc on her insides and her throat and lips were suddenly very dry, forcing her to swallow hard and glide her tongue across her lips. By the Gods, was she about to receive her first kiss, and from James of all people?
Seemingly of their own accord, Ellie’s eyes fluttered closed and her mouth parted ever so slightly. Accepting the voiceless invitation, James raised his hand to cup her cheek before meeting her lips halfway, sealing his mouth to hers in a soft kiss; which also happened to be
his first as well. Fireworks exploded behind his eyes, and his heart raced. What Ellie experienced at the tender touch, however, was quite different... Instead of fireworks and stars, she saw blood and death. The ship center mast was lying across the deck and had splintered the bridge and captain’s cabin almost in half. Sailor’s were lying all about the ship in different states of pain. She turned to her right, only to see James sprawled on the stairs with a buccaneer’s sword sticking from his gut. She ran to him, calling his name and throwing herself on top of him. She brought her hand to his cheek and turned his face to look at her, but his eyes were empty and sightless. She could feel the pool of his blood soaking her evening gown. She broke down, sobbing into his chest, until the flames reached the powder magazine and the ship erupted. She was harshly thrown from her vision, only to find James cupping her face, worry etched deeply into his expressive features. He was calling her name.
Tears began to flow like a river down her face, making James think he had made a grievous mistake in kissing her. He even apologized to her for doing so. Ellie shook her head and wrapped him up in a desperate hug. She began to try and explain what she saw, but before she managed to get a full sentence out, a hail of grappling hooks came raining over the port railing. A ten man boarding party of corsairs came swinging onto the deck shortly after. James immediately sounded the call to arms, and engaged the enemy. He did his best to shield and protect Ellie, but after she claimed the blade of a fallen pirate, he was starkly reminded that Ellie Mowbray hardly needed a man's protection in such regards; her skill with a blade could very well match his own.
Somewhere during the maelstrom of the fight, James and Ellie had gotten separated and now she found herself facing off against at least half a dozen men and she was losing ground quickly; they seemed to have no desire to kill her as they were merely wearing her down, playing with her as it were. It took them only a short time to overpower her, where one of them managed to knock her unconscious with the butt of his pistol. He then threw a sack over her and draped her over his shoulder before he grabbed a line and swung back to his ship. Ellie knew no more of James Norrington or her family after that night; she would live the rest of her life thinking and fearing the absolute worst had happened.
A terrible fear came to life, Ellie had been taken by slavers. Their leader felt she alone would fetch a small fortune in the Orient, which was why he dared not lock her up with the rest. Lord knows what those blighters would try to do to her. Ellie’s rebellious nature would see to it that she received more than her fair share of beatings while aboard the slaver ship. Every time their leader touched her she saw glimpses of his past, and his future and she’d use these glimpses against him; further unsettling him with knowledge of things she shouldn’t by all rights know. He didn’t much like her tongue, either, so he punished her to his full extent; starving her and putting her to the lash more than a few times.
Their next stop in Singapore couldn’t come soon enough. Garrison would make sure she was the first on the docket and most talked up; for he would be more than happy to be rid of her once and for all.
~~~~~
The notorious Sao Feng was among Garrison’s buyers, and he had taken almost an immediate shining to the fiery redhead from the British Isles. She intrigued him with her spirit, but even further still when she began vomiting insults at him in his native tongue. Oh yes. She would be a fun one to break. As was expected, Ellie struggled and fought against her captors when Feng went to claim his new property. What was not expected, however, was when he grabbed her by the wrist and she went completely stalk still and her eyes glazed over.
After a long moment where she was literally immovable, Sao Feng shook her gently by the shoulders. When she came to, she warned him against returning to his ship; that someone was there waiting for him; to kill him. Sao Feng did not really believe in fantasy, but neither was he a man to completely write such things off as nonsense. In all of his experiences in life he’d seen people look at him in many different ways; knew how to read a man’s thoughts by what was written on his face. The look this girl was laying on him was haunted, terrified but above all, purely honest. Though he would take the warning with a grain of salt, he believed her. He then proceeded to warn his men to prepare a sneak attack on his own ship. He took no lip or argument from them. If the girl were merely playing them? Well he would see to it that she was properly punished for her games.
When Sao returned to his ship, they did indeed discover a group of men from an opposing clan lying in wait to capture or kill them. The girl had indeed been telling the truth; as such, she had saved his life in a way. Feng didn’t much like what that thought entailed.
Feng was pleasantly surprised to discover that this young thing had quite a few valuable talents that went far beyond her looks. She was still quite young and therefore he doubted she had much experience in the more carnal aspects of life. When it came to the practical ones, she was quite handy. She could handle a blade very well for her age, and she was always willing to learn, anything anyone was willing to teach her. She was sneaky, smart, intelligent, calculating. Shame she was born a girl, for she would have made a fine man; one Sao would be more than happy to have on his crew. She wasn’t a man though, and Captain Feng had to keep face. So, though he would still call her his slave, he would try to be a better master.
Sao Feng wanted to keep her close, so he had her serve aboard his ship as his personal concubine; which was really just a title to protect her from his men. If he didn't claim her in such a way, she would not be safe from their attempted molestations. After only a few months on his ship, Ellie had even taken a liking to the pirate captain. She had proven herself valuable to him, and in the short time she was aboard his ship, they'd already captured a few merchant cargoes partly in thanks to her advice and they'd made a small fortune trading it all in Singapore.
Feng promised that if she served him loyally, did as she was told and helped make him a wealthy man, that he would teach her everything he knew; from martial arts and Chinese swordplay, to star navigation and of course, all the ins and outs of working and sailing on a ship. She even swore her servitude in blood. So... After they anchored off the coast of Hong Kong, Sao dismissed his entire crew, disguised Ellie as a boy named Eli, then he took on an entirely new crew, with her as his cabin boy.
Having Ellie aboard proved quite successful for him and his men. Her will and dedication were stronger than most of the men who'd been sailing their whole lives. After three years on his crew, Ellie was blossoming in several senses of the word. She could very well be called an able seaman, with potential for rank in the near future. The other regard that she was blossoming, however, would dash any hopes she had at continuing to sail under Captain Feng's colours. At seventeen, Ellie's anatomy was becoming unmistakably feminine, and no amount of bosom wraps or baggy shirts could hide her wiles that she had clearly grown into. Feng wasn’t the only one who began to notice, so he found himself in a bit of a quandary. Despite how fond he'd become of her presence and her spirit, he couldn't keep her around for much longer without losing face, loyalty and honour with his men. He was a pirate, and a notorious one at that. If word ever got around that he’d been willingly allowing a girl serve aboard his ship, well, his judgment would be called to question; his crew would start doubting him and then there would be nothing but work all the time.
Sao was left with no other choice. He ‘ousted’ her as a girl himself. He accused her of horrible things and called her slanderous names. He beat her, shackled her then locked her in the brig. Unfortunately, in pirate politics, punishment for this sort of thing tended to be decided by a majority vote; the captain of course having the final say, but should he choose an unpopular vote, he would lose the respect of his crew. So when he put her punishment to vote, it seemed almost all of them were in favor of sixty lashings; twenty for every year she'd lied to them; betrayed them.
Though, it pained him greatly to do so, Feng claimed the ‘honour’ of serving her punishment; if left to any of the other crew, surely they would have tried to rip the flesh from her back with every strike. By offering to fulfill her punishment himself, that was mercy on his part.
Ellie was brought above decks. She never questioned Captain Feng's actions. Not since he locked her in the brig. His betrayal ran deep with her, but she should not have expected any less from a pirate. She struggled against her captors of course, broke more than a few noses and bruised a few groins, but never once did she beg them to stop. There were no cries, or blubbering when they tied her to the mast. She never pleaded with them as they tore open the back of her shirt. Not even when Feng's first strike fell did a protest usher from her mouth. Her outward appearance betrayed the tumult of emotions and fury writhing within. Feng's betrayal infuriated her... And from this fury, Ellie's dormant element finally awoke.
By the time Feng's tenth stroke fell, the air all around Ellie's body seemed to be waving like the air around a flame. The men began to notice the sweat beading on her brow, slicking the hair to her face and neck. The plank boards that were normally soaking wet, were dry and cracking only in the area beneath. By Feng's twentieth lashing, the ropes securing her arms and feet began smoldering. Feng, who was closest to her, was sweating from the heat coming off of her. Don't think he didn't notice either. The men all began to back up slowly from her, as the heated air around her grew. The bloody shirt hanging from her shoulders began to char and blacken, as if someone were holding flame to paper. It got so unbearable that Feng tried to raise his arm to shield his face from the heat. Breathing around her became more difficult. By the time his thirtieth stroke fell he could not bear it anymore, and the lash dropped from his hand as he walked away.
What he saw then would haunt him for the rest of his days. The clothes had literally melted from her body and her skin was alive with tiny flames. The ropes began to burn, and in moments she was free. When she turned to them, all color had faded from her eyes, and were pitch black. Despite their colorless appearance nothing could disguise the clear and evident hatred upon her features. The entire crew gasped and backed away when flames erupted all over her skin, til she was wreathed in them. When she stepped, she left flaming footprints on the deck. A man to their right began screaming as his pants caught fire, another scream followed, and another, and another until a majority of the crew were on fire in one place or another. Several men tried to throw buckets of water on her, but such was the heat of her flame that it all evaporated before getting within a few yards of her. The ship was quickly setting aflame and it did not take long for most of the men to start abandoning ship.
Feng was the last one left on board, with the living fire before him. It was just like watching a burning building, he couldn't look away. He was terrified and in awe at the exact same time at what she'd become. He even expressed as such, and apologized for what he'd done; welcoming the death she would give him. It was these last words that managed to bring part of her mind back to consciousness. Ellie looked down at Feng, whose flesh had already begun blistering under the heat. She gazed around at the flaming ship, the mast almost completely ignited. She looked down at her own body and was terrified. She glanced back at Feng once more, whispered an apology/goodbye, before she ran to port and dove head first into the water; steam rising heavily from where she'd disappeared under the waves.
~~~~~
The next thing Ellie remembered was waking as if from some terrible nightmare, with a face full of sand. The morning sun was blaring down upon her from the beach she'd washed up on. She was disoriented and dehydrated, but to top it all off, her back was on fire; not only from the sting of Feng's lash, but the sun had scorched her flesh a bright red as well. Of all the predicaments she had landed herself in over the years, this one, by far, would take the cake. She was, in essence, marooned of her own doing.
Ellie was nothing if not a resourceful girl, however, even she doubted she would make it off that island alive. She would not surrender to panic, or fear, however, at least not yet... She'd give herself a day or two without food or water before she let herself give up. The first thing she did was to prioritize her needs. The first one her list was food and water. From that line of thinking came a need for a way to catch said food. She'd unfortunately lost the pistol and sword to the sea.
After scouring the beach for hours, she had come upon a wrecked skiff that looked like it had crashed there ages ago. There was nothing useful she could find save for a tattered piece of it's old sail that might do nicely as a blanket or for shelter, so she kept it for later. There were no blades or much of anything that she could use, besides the wood which might also be helpful to create shelter, or she could try to use it for firewood later. Most of it was rotted though, so she doubted it would be good even for that. Still, she tucked the skiff's location away for use later when both necessities presented themselves.
Eventually, after searching the shore for the better part of the day into the afternoon, she had found and collected quite a few pieces of flint which she managed to chip away at and craft into several useful tools; like a small dagger, and an axe and hammer edge that she secured to a stick with some handcrafted 'rope' she'd made by shredding and braiding palm fronds. She couldn't help but think that her new tools were very akin to something her prehistoric ancestors might have used. If it was good enough for them, it would be good enough for her. Plus she could use the flint to start a fire whenever she needed one. At the end of the first day, the crafting of flint tools was the only thing she was able to accomplish. When the sun had long set, the eeriness of being alone on an island with who knew what lurked in its shadows settled all around her. Her hunger and thirst were ignored by a sense of fear that the mysteriousness of the island filled her with. Tried as she might, she was unable to start a fire to ward away some of the overwhelming darkness that even the half moon was unable to lighten. Sleeping out in the open made her feel incredibly vulnerable and unsafe, so she trekked her way back to where she had seen the skiff from earlier and tucked herself away in its ruins; feeling more secure with its 'walls' protecting her.
When she woke the second day, Ellie had tried and failed at catching any of the native birds on the beach, and there seemed to be no shallow fish swimming in the part of the beach she washed up on. So, out of desperation and hunger, she’d dared the jungle within. Though, she failed at catching anything, she did manage to find a small spring of drinkable water. That was pretty much all she was able to accomplish on the second day, and by that night the sickening emptiness of her stomach began to override her fear of the night. She slept in the skiff again, and for the first time in years it seemed, she dreamed of her old life, her home and her family; she was the guest of honour at a huge feast back in her home in Kensington, with her father, brothers, aunts, uncles and even the Jameson's gathered all around.
When she woke the following morning, Ellie was very close to giving up. Though, she was a very long way from that sheltered and privileged little girl she’d once been, the shock of truly being alone, with nothing at her disposal, no hope for rescue, and starving on top of that, were all factors that were quite damaging to her mentality and her spirit.
She tried to explore the jungle some more; mainly in an attempt to keep her mind off of her empty stomach and the sounds of it eating itself. She had began to despair until, seemingly by sheer luck, she found a colorful bush of small black berries. With the discovery, her spirit lightened drastically. In her excitement, she filled the skirt of her ruined tunic and sat down under the shade of a tree with her 'meal'. Just as she was about to pop one of the juicy looking berries into her mouth, however, a red flag went up in her mind. Her hand stopped midway to her mouth, and then lowered back down to her lap. Ellie gazed at the small black berry for along time, almost as if trying to will it to talk to her; to tell her that it was safe to eat. They had looked so good and she was so hungry that it was awfully tempting to just shove a few in her mouth. She had absolutely no way of knowing if they were poisonous or not, though. If she were feeling particularly suicidal she would go ahead and eat them, but unfortunately for her, she had not reached that point yet...Yet.
With a despairing groan, Ellie dumped them all from her lap before collapsing on her back. Such was her distress that for the first time in many years, she wept. Good and truly wept. She cried so hard, for so long that she ended up crying herself into a fitful afternoon sleep. When she woke, she felt even more weak and disoriented than she had before. She knew she would not survive much longer like this, and that knowledge made her feel even weaker.... A funny thing happened then. She happened to look over when movement caught her attention, and she saw a couple of the native island foul munching on her discarded berries. Surely, the ‘natives’ of this island would know what was edible there and what was not.
Startling the birds, Ellie yelped in excitement and began voraciously plucking the small black fruit up from the ground and popping them into her mouth. She realized that eating too much might make her sick, so she managed a bit of self-restraint; only eating a handful of the heavenly ambrosia, before wrapping up the rest in a large banana leaf and hiding them inside a hollow tree stump she managed to find earlier in her stay.
So went several days of similar scenarios. She only ate the fruits and plants that she saw the birds and other animals eating. She drank from the streams she saw them drink from… After a few weeks, however, the taste for meat, iron and protein almost overwhelmed her. She tried to use her flint dagger and axe to catch some of the extravagantly feathered land birds that roamed the island, however the animals proved to fast and elusive for her close-quarters attempts. Which was when she cleverly constructed a set of boleadoras from three rocks she’d found, and more of that palm frond twine she’d become so skilled at braiding.
With her rudimentary bolas, she managed to catch her first water foul, after four attempts. Her overwhelming hunger for meat overrode her unease at killing the creature; after all she'd gone hunting plenty of times in the past with her family, this was little different. It had almost seemed a shame to kill the creature whose plumage was so lovely and extravagant, but kill it she did. She plucked its feathers by hand and skewered it on a stick she'd cleaned and shaved down to a pike. She managed to start a fire, a skill she was becoming more good at as the days and nights went on, and for the first time in weeks, she feasted on meat.
As the days rolled into months, Ellie managed to really settle in amongst the wilderness of the small island. She mostly spent her abounding free time exploring, even so much as trying to map out the island on the smooth back of a large piece of bark, with some of the charred coals of wood from her fires as her pen and parchment. In her seemingly endless exploration, she discovered hidden caves and secret lagoons. The island was rather small, actually; she could walk from one end to the other in less than a day. Over the course of her stay, she even managed to craft a small, one-man dingy of sorts; which made it easier to maneuver around the island where the slopes were to rocky and steep to cross.
In addition to her explorations, she also worked hard at maintaining and improving her known skills. She gave herself lessons everyday in reading, writing, languages and arithmetic. She would have imaginary conversations in French, German and the basic Mandarin she knew with the few animals from the island who had grown accustomed to her presence; her most prominent listeners included an obnoxious toucan she called Talula and a charming little black and white monkey she endearingly called Sunny, after the monkey king, Sun Kung; for her primate companion seemed just as mischievous as the legendary trickster.
~~~~~
Ellie had tried her best to keep track of time, but without a proper calendar to mark the days she was at a bit of a loss. If she had to guess, judging by the passing of the seasons, and the changing hours of the day, she could comfortably say she'd been there for almost a year. All hopes for rescue had long since gone out the window, which was when the crazy notion of trying to make her own boat began to enter her mind. Based upon the stars she saw every night, she could guess that she was somewhere in the Indian Ocean. She hoped if she headed west she might find civilization, which even in its smallest measure was better than this.
With these thoughts and intentions in mind, Ellie shouldn't have been too surprised what happened next. The gods must really have a sense of humour where she was concerned; that or they were keeping an eye on her. Only a few days after she started making plans for her journey, she was looking for the perfect tree to fell to hollow out for her boat when she spotted a boat anchoring just off the eastern shore.
When she saw them launch their long boats filled with crewmen, she stalked their travel and their landing from the hidden places of the jungle. She kept watch for the whole day as they set up a small camp. They weren't merchants, or navy, nor were they pirates. If she had to guess she'd bet they were privateers which, in her mind, were sometimes much worse than any of the aforementioned three. From her watchful guard, she learned that they'd come ashore to bury a wealth of treasure they, no doubt, didn't feel like reporting to their parliament. She even saw where they buried it, which she had no idea at the time, would come very much in handy later on in her life.
When the sun began to set, the men made camp for the night to drink and feast in honour of their spoils. Ellie seized this opportunity while she had the chance. She whispered a good bye to Talula and Sunny, however the little lemur refused to let her go alone. Using the same little wading raft she'd been using around the island, she stealthily made her way to the anchored ship, finding it manned by a skeleton crew of only two. The rest were ashore celebrating. Ellie managed to climb aboard unseen, then evaded and snuck past the few crew members that had been left aboard. She then maneuvered her way through the bowels of the ship where she managed to find a decent hiding spot in the hold; in a large crate in the storage room. She shushed the monkey's small whimpering. After almost a year on the island, she was almost reluctant to leave; it had become home to her she it didn't take long before the gentle and familiar rocking of the waves lulled her to sleep.
Ellie managed to stay hidden from the crew for the remainder of the voyage back to their port of harbour, which she believed might be somewhere in France if their native tongue was any indication. She dared sneak a scrap of food and water when and where she could but for the most part she stayed hidden below decks in the places of the ship that the crew least visited.
When they approached land, her suspicions had been correct. They were privateers based out of Marseilles. When they docked, she squeezed her way out of a port hole, her year on a deserted island doing a helluva number on her waistline, making it possible to fit through such a small opening. Unfortunately, once she reached Marseilles, she was completely on her own. There were times where she wished she was back in the 'safety' of the jungle, for the real wilderness and terror was being a street urchin in France. Starvation and solitude were no strangers to her, neither was their counterpart desperation, however in such a big city such traits were frightening. She stole what she needed to survive; food, shelter... food. She avoided the gendarmes like the plague, and made friends with fellow urchins.
Now, Ellie’s skills at stealth and thievery weren't masterful by any rights at this point in her life, however she did gain the notice of a few particular people who recognized potential when they saw it; people who knew that with the proper training, she may eventually be counted among their best; there was also the possibility that underneath all that dirt and filth, they wouldn't be surprised if the girl was a bit of a looker as well.
~~~~~
One night, after Ellie managed to snag a small purse from a rather wealthy looking fellow, she was caught shortly after by a group of thugs. The men who nabbed her, bound her hands and feet, blindfolded and gagged her before carrying her off. Ellie's kicking and grumbling didn't cease until one of them threatened to cut her throat if she did not shut up and behave. With a deep fear seemingly coming true, she did as he said; she feared they must be Gendarmes coming to take her away, to be tried and hung for stealing and lords know what else they had on her.
When they reached their destination, Ellie was set in a chair and tied to it. A cold steel blade was pressed to her cheek and she stiffened, inhaling sharply. Other than that she showed no other reaction. Leaving the blindfold in place, they removed the gag from her mouth where insults immediately began ushering from her lips. She impressed them all with her boldness, courageousness and her tongue. She took their threats and spit insults back at them, even so much as daring them to fulfill said threats they promised. She was sharp, and even a little bit crazy... Which only meant that she would fit in with them perfectly...
Once they removed her blindfold they revealed to her who they were; The French Chapter of an International Guild of Assassins and Thieves, simply called "The Pythons". They were looking to recruit her into their ranks... It was either join them, or be killed by them... Life? Or Death? Could one blame her for taking their offer?
When they asked her for her name, then Ellie was faced with a real dilemma. If she told them who she really was what would they do? Would they try to ransom her back to her family; that is if they had survived the slaver attack? Would they even know or care who she really was? Would they be a people able to help her find her family? She was then forced to address an issue she hadn't really even thought about since she was captured five years ago; did she even want to go back to that life? Did she want to abandon everything she'd learned and accomplished these past few years, just to forget about everything she'd come to love about her life and herself and become nobility again? To stifle her own nature and take a back seat to men and her own wants and desires? To never again be able to work on a ship or sail the open seas? To go back to living a life where the only thrills she had to look forward to were afternoon luncheons and tea with fellow ladies, hours of useless needlepoint and crosstitch, and being married off to the most eligible bachelor-slash-highest bidder whose needs, rights and desires would always outweigh her own? The answer was no; a sure and definite, no!
Flint had, had a taste of true freedom; the thrill and satisfaction of making her own choices and living her own life. She wanted more... Probably all... So, as far as she was concerned, Elliandre Mowbray of Kensington was dead; she died one night on her father's boat five years ago. So, to address their question, she gave them the first name that jumped to her mind which had decided to remember the flint dagger she had in her belt. Flint. That was all; just Flint. This name would later be extended to Red Flint, due to her hair color and her choice of weapon.
Before she could count herself among them, though, the guild leader brought before her another man bound and gagged similarly to how she had been. By his build alone she could tell that he was close to her age if not a few years older. They told her a story of how he'd betrayed the trust of the guild by stealing treasure and not giving an equal share to the guild. As such, his sentence would normally be death, but they decided to give them all a good sport and use him as Flint's test into their noble ranks of thiefdom. For the boy it would be a chance to earn his life, by taking her's, and for Ellie it was simply a matter of self preservation and survival... She was really good at both...
So the two of them fought, almost equally matched in knife-fighting combat. Ellie, however, had been trained by Sao Feng, in Chinese martial arts and sword and knife-fighting... It was not long before she had the upper hand on the other boy. She ended up on top of him with her knife pressed into his neck, threatening blood but not taking that killing strike. She ordered him to stay still or she'd kill him, and then turned to "her lords" and bartered for the boy's life. He'd learned his lesson and keeping them both in their noble ranks would be valuable and useful to them. So it was, they had their sport, spared the boy, and inducted the girl. But not before the boy, whom Ellie found out was named Michael, swore his life was her's before stealing a heated kiss, where she promptly punched him in the jaw, which seemed to only have the effect of making him admire her more....
Men.Ellie was literally branded into their guild shortly after, and almost immediately thrown into their world. The Pythons tested every skill she possessed, expounded upon the ones she was already good at, and taught her some new ones. They taught her how to use deception and distraction to her advantage; that she could use almost anything and everything as a weapon. Her first human kill was at their behest, and though she might have been good at it, she hated it. From then on, she only ever took assassination contracts if she was forced to. For the most part, it was thieving that she became really good at. She found it slightly ironic that she had traded the life of a slave five years ago, only to end up in a similar predicament; for that was practically all she was to the Pythons. They claimed she could roam free, however she was bound to their guild; should she ever try to run or leave she would be killed. She tried to make the best of it. She was indeed very good at what she did and she made herself and her guild leader quite wealthy; earning honour and favour with him.
~~~~~
Flint and Mick were positively inseparable it seemed. He was the first and only person Ellie had ever trusted with the full extent of her past. Mick watched her back, and she watched his. Out of them both, she was more the leader type despite him being older, but he seemed happy to follow her lead, and to be her protector if she ever needed. The two became near legends among the guild.
Within a few years Ellie, er, Flint completely lost herself in the work. What drove her more than anything, was the near desperate desire to get out; to really be on her own once more; maybe find work aboard a ship. The only way to get out of the Pythons, however, was usually by death... Death or renown... Earn a grand enough reputation and eventually one might be able to favour or buy one's way out. It was out of this desire that forced Ellie to sink so heavily into the world of assassins and thieves.