D4 ☆ CAPTAIN JASPER FINCH [DONE]

It was night, and like it was expected it was dark. A slither of the moon could be seen for a few brief seconds before a cloud slunk in front of it. In those seconds the dock below them was visible, the calm waters lapped at the wooden rungs, the air hissed through the crevices of the wall, echoing eerily against the buildings. Then there was darkness. Shadowy figures crept along the ground, there steps quite, muffled by the clothe that was wrapped around their feet. They darted in and out of the shelter of the various boats that were on the land. They sneaked across the grass, not one of them made a sound. If you were quick enough you could count them, one, two, three… all the way to seven. A tall broad shouldered boy was in the lead. His name was Jasper Finch. Muscles rippled beneath his tight shirt, whispering what could not be spoken, he was dangerous.

His eyes flashed in the darkness, they were a pale grey, like that of the ocean, but his were filled with determination. He crouched down as they neared the dock. The others followed without a spoken command, flattening themselves against the building that housed most of the ships. They pressed onwards, moving in a single file. They weaved their way through the ships, their feet echoing, and the wood creaking as they stepped on the fragile dock.

The water sloshed lazily against the wood, the air smelled salty and it was tinged with the familiar smell of fish. It wasn’t unpleasant, but neither was it comforting. The boy that lead the way towered above the rest, there was an uncertain confidence in his step. It was as if he knew he had power, but he was afraid of it. He was not silly in that way, he had strength, he had followers, but he did not taint his power with hate and anger, snappy decisions and unruly actions.

”Edwin, make sure they stay quiet, I’m going to check the ship, before we all hop on.”There was that lack of confidence, again. He narrowed his eyes against the cool breeze, they were not full of hate or anger, his tone carried no drop of command his voice seemed to lack the authority most held, but it was strong and steady. As were his eyes, they were determined and even though they were warm and friendly they carried a certain steel that made you underestimate him; It made you see him as weak, when really he was dangerous. His indecisive attitude was wrong for a leader and yet they all followed him. And if Edwin seemed to notice the uncertain leader he followed, he acted oblivious to it.

Edwin moved off without a word, with just a silent nod of his head. He ran a hand through his messy dark blonde hair, his stomach twisted with anticipation as he moved away from the others. The long jacket he wore had covered up the silver sword that hung at his side. But as he moved forward the wind caught the jacket, opening it and a flash of silver could be seen through the darkness of the night. The sword never left his side. It had been easy enough to get, he had after all watched and learned from when the Sparrow sister’s had stolen their ship. His strong long legs easily carried him up to the bow of the ship, he hauled himself in gracefully and landed poised on the ground, listening.

Jasper Finch was not brave, he had the crazy belief that he was weak and that power scuttled away from him, fearing that the weakness, and the courage he lacked was not enough for him to lead. And yet he was the bravest boy of them all, he had no clue of the power that he held, he had no idea that it didn’t run from him, but he actually ran from it. He was not a boy who wanted to be in charge, he had no skill in leading and yet his ability to do what was right, to stand by his moral compass and stand strong when everything around him crumbled made him the ideal leader. He just didn’t accept it. Edwin for that matter could see it. Edwin knew Jasper was smart, Edwin in a way understood jasper more then he did himself. And so as it was his hands anxiously rubbed against the hilt of the sword that he clutched, it was comforting and it made his tensed shoulders relax for a brief second, before he went rigid, the echoing sounds of foot on wood making him jump.

He hardly realised that it was his own feet and he let a nervous chuckle escape his lips. His eyes moved swiftly travelling from one side of the deck to the other, searching for anything, any sign of trouble or danger, there wasn’t any. There was no confidence in each step that he talk, he doubted his plan. It was foolish, they couldn’t possibly all hide on a ship, and let it drag them out to see. Some of them were young is, they couldn’t fight off a whole crew and take control of a ship. Jasper was the best fighter, Jasper was the strongest he knew he could fight, but the other’s? They had skill, they had talent, but none of them had ever fought for their lives before. A small frown caressed his face, his brown eyebrows arching downwards, and even when he frowned he still managed to look good.

He was wrong, those children had fought everyday to stay alive, and they did fight everyday to keep their lives. They knew who to fight. He continued forwards banishing the bloodshed that would come from mind. He always second guessed himself, letting the seeds of doubt blossom in his mind, they dragged him down. He had dreamed for years, planning, drawing and creating the perfect plans to escape, but then as the turn tides he would throw the plans away, believing that there was no possible way he could do it. He spent hours at times mulling over drawings, words and pictures, his mind spinning, and a foolish grin plastered on his face as he dreamed. He was a dreamer and reality was not for his dreams. Edwin had disagreed. He had grabbed the ideas of escape with open hands, he had feed the plans to the others and in turn they had turned to him to lead them.

Edwin’s anxious face appeared above the bow of the boat, he spotted Jasper a grin breaking across his lips. His excitement was infectious and Jasper soon found himself smiling in return. He bounded over to him in a few graceful steps. “It’s all good.”

The ship was clear and it was safe, they could all climb aboard and hide, safe and sound. The ocean as always had a calming effect on him, he knew just as long as the tide turned, just as long as the endless waves rolled onto the sure he would be fine. The sea was his him, the salt water, the fresh air, the ship and his brothers, they were everything to him. He stepped back and indicated with a sweeping gesture for them all to board. None of them hesitated. It was rare that they disobeyed him, they knew he was their leader and they knew that when for once he told them to do something they better do it. He wasn't the commanding type, letting words replace emotions, letting hate and rage lace his words as he threatened, or yelled at people, forcing them to obey his will. He would ask them what they wanted to do, he would seek all of their advice, he was a listener. But when he commanded something they all listened to him, they hung to his words and did as he asked without hesitation, they knew he asked for things rarely and because of that, they knew that when he did ask it was because of good reason.

Within a few minutes all of them were standing on the ships deck, it swayed ever so slightly, to the rhythm of the ocean, it was a gentle soothing rock. Jasper stood facing them all, Edwin by his side. His gut told him he was doing what was right for these boy's, for the kids in front of him who had become his family. And yet there was that indecisive nagging in his head that made him bite his lip in worry. A seed of doubt that had begun to flower and grow, blossoming into ideas that made him want to spin around and just walk away from his plan, his dream, leave it all behind just like he always did. He never stuck to his ideas, he never did anything, but dream, he was a dreamer, and dreams are never meant to be reality. He needed someone to push him, prod him and tell him to get his act together. That was what Edwin did, he pushed Jasper, he made him want to keep going, to strive and reach for the goals he never would have thought were possible. The two boys were and would always be brilliant together.

"Alright boys, you know what you need to do, go to the spots that you were allocated and hide, the sun will begin to rise within an hour and I need you to all be ready. Listen to me, when I say not a word. This will be our only chance." He gave them a small smile, telling them what he did not speak, he cared an awful, awful lot for these boys. The boys nodded, all of their eyes gleaming with hope and he just hoped he did not disappoint them before moving off.

So they waited. Jasper did not hide like the rest of them, he sat perched in the Captain's office, his head begging him to turn around and flee, to give up on this silly idea. But their eyes brimming with hope made him hesitate. They all needed to get away from the orphanage. They needed to run from it and leave their pasts behind, to start again and build a new future. He could do it, he hoped.

He sat back, going over the plan again in his head. It was simple. Wait for the crew to board, let them do all the hard work, drag them out to sea and then they would strike. They would push them over board and hijack the ship, claiming it as their own. Of course most of the plan ran on luck, but no one got no where without taking risks. He went over each hiding spot, remembering who was their; Edwin was at the mast, in the crows nest. Jasper already knew that no one went into the crows nest on this ship, they didn't need to. Charlie, the only girl, well, not really, seeing as she would hit you if you ever called her a girl, was up there with Edwin. He loved Charlie the way only a brother could love a sister, she had been in the orphanage almost as long as he had, and to Jasper, Charlie was his little sister, he would protect her with his life and so he knew she was safe with Edwin. Edwin would protect her, and he allowed a grin to spread across his face, Charlie didn't need protecting she was fierce, brave and determined, stubborn as a mule and only fourteen years old. And even at that young age she could take care of herself, she had had to, all her life.

Then there was Roger. He was scared of everything. And yet the boy was always going on, looking and searching, he was always wondering about a new thing. Asking questions and seeking answers. He was hiding with the unruly Hark in two barrels that sat in the open, beside the main mast. The barrels were only there to hold ropes and as such were never used. The two boys were safe in there. And then lastly there was Felix and Henry, and as much as Jasper hated to admit it, they were in the most danger of being found. They were hidden behind a curtain, and inside that was where the anchor was. being at the dock meant that the anchor was not needed, but the place that they hid was rather open and if they weren't careful they would be seen easily... If he could move them, end this plan, he could keep them all safe. He scowled, berating himself for his stupidity. He wasn't going to stop, not now. The boys were all placed in areas that once the fight began they could easily exit, Edwin, although in the crow's nest could easily climb down and join in.

Jasper's job was different from them all. He was going to sit in the Captain's office and wait for him to come in. He would hide and all the other boy's would know to attack when he walked out of the office with the Captain walking in front of him, his sword pressed to his throat. What could go wrong? He slumped down further into the chair, letting it surround him, letting the chair make him relax and he breathed in and out allowing the muscles in his body to relax. He was scared, he could feel it, in the way that his hands shook slightly, the way his heart seemed to beat more rapidly, and the shaky breaths that escaped his lips. He was scared and he didn't like it one little bit. His father use to tell him that fear was what gave a person courage. The fear feed on you, but when you truly needed to be strong you could, you could stand tall and fight. His mother had said the same thing, they had both told him things like that, about corruption and power, control and kindness and the ability to think for yourself and not let others think for you. They had died believing in that.

He could remember little of them, he had been four when they had died. No one had ever told him how. The peacekeepers had just come and dragged him to the orphanage, he hadn't known what to think or what to do. Suddenly he had had no parents, the two people that had cared for him ever since he could remember and then he was battling other children for food. He was fighting for a place to sleep, for blankets to keep him warm. He was fighting himself, he wanted to dream, he wanted to wish upon the stars and hope that life could change. The other kids teased him, they called him names, picked on him, tore his fantasies up and burned them all in front of him. They were all reality, and his life was built on nothing, but dreams.

The sun cracked over the horizon, the tiniest bit of it, scaring off the blackness and turning the sky into a dull grey that did nothing to lighten the mood. It was grim. Jasper heard movement and he sprung up, scrambling over to the closet he had chosen early on, he jumped in, lightly closing the door behind him. Seconds after he had pulled himself away the door opened and a stern Peacekeeper walked in. Jasper froze, he wasn't the same is the one that had been boarding the ship for the last week. This man was bigger, his eyes knitted into a tight scow. Bushy eyebrows drawn low. His arms bulged with muscle and an air of authority followed him. He was a leader, he knew how to command people. This man was dangerous. Jasper swallowed hard. He couldn't back down not now. The Peacekeeper's her was peppered with streaks of grey and his face was hard and worn, his eyes flickered around the room, before he turned and sat in the chair that faced the Captain's desk. The Captain moved around the table, pulling out paper's and flicking through them, and slowly the sun began to rise, the ship slipping into the ocean like a ghost.

The hours slipped past with agonizing slowness. Each time the door to the Captain's quarters would open his heart would scream, believing that one of them would call him out, having found one of his brother's. Each minute meant another minute that the boys could get discovered. Jasper had to act. They were all relying on him. Like a lion stalking its prey he stepped out of the wardrobe, his feet gliding over the ground with the ease of experience. The Captain still sat in his chair, his eyebrow's furrowed forward in concentration. Slowly Jasper drew his sword, the metal making only whispering for a second before it was out. His hand shook slightly and he steadied it, trying to calm down the fear that rose in him, he pushed it away. He stepped forwards.

"I don't mean to alarm you, but I have a sword aimed right at your throat. One sudden movement and off with your head." Jasper held the sword calmly, the Captain froze. His body stiffening, before he slowly spun around. If he was surprised it did not register on his face, instead there was anger, his lips drawn back in a snarl.

"What are you doing, boy? Put the sword down, before I have to. If you do as I say now then maybe I won't beat you up too much." It was something only Edwin had ever noticed, when Jasper changed. When his life, or those he cared for was truly in trouble he became this monster. He did not take to well to idle threats, he did not waver in briefly with the sword. Jasper held this power that no one saw unless he had to use. His eyes narrowed dangerously and he pressed the sword to the Peacekeeper's throat.

"Get up and onto your feet." He snapped, ignoring the comment. The Peacekeeper hesitated and Jasper's sword dug into his neck. He flinched and got to his feet.

"Good doggie. Now you are going to turn around and walk to the door. You are going to tell you mean to step aside and if you don't I will kill you. And knowing the petty little selfish man that you are you will do as I say. Nod if you understand what I just said."

The Peacekeeper opened his mouth to speak. "You-" "I said nod, not speak. I don't want to hear your voice unless I have to."

He shoved him forwards, and suddenly he yanked him into him and he brought the sword right across his neck. The Peacekeeper's back was pressed against him, the sword pulling him tight, biting into his neck. They shuffled awkwardly to the door, it opened with a touch and they walked onto the deck. And jasper pressed the sword in deeper. "All of you. Stop what you are doing. Get yourselves down here now."

The words were slightly distorted. The crew slowly walked down onto the deck, their eyes narrowed in rage as the took in the situation that was in front of them. When they were all there only then did he see the shapes of his boys moving around, their own swords were drawn. And his plan was surprisingly working. He nodded to Edwin, just the slightest indication to tell him that they better get ready.

"Now all of you listen-" Jasper's words were cut off as the men growled. In answer to their anger he pressed the sword deeper into the Peacekeeper's throat and he let out a small whimper as it tore his skin. "Listen to the boy." The man said, his words stained with rage and pain. He was scared.

"All of you listen. You will all jump over-board, and if you don't then you will die. It is your choice, save your own skin or you can die." The words were laced with venom and a promise, he would kill them. Some of them men hesitated, but others glanced around saw the determined teenagers and they jumped. By the end only five men and the Captain remained. A cruel grin flickered across Jasper's lips. "Well, this should be fun."

"I'm a fair man,"he continued, he shoved the peacekeeper he held forwards and he stumbled onto the ground. He turned and faced Jasper, his eyes glittering with malice. "You're pirates and we will kill all of you." He snarled drawing his sword. Jasper in turn raised an eyebrow at the word pirates, until now he had not associated himself with it. He shrugged. "It sure looks that way, come and have a go, if you think you are hard enough." He winked.

His brother's leap forward to the others the Peacekeeper lunged for him and he parried it with an almost casual swipe of his sword. He danced around the Peacekeeper staying a tantalizing distance away. He then shot forward, his sword singing as it raced downwards, towards his shoulder. The Peacekeeper side steeped it, but realised too late that it was a feint, and Jasper yanked the sword sharply to under cut him. It bit into his side and the man cried out with pain.

Jasper didn't even flinch.

He yanked it out and away, twisting the sword in an arc and bringing it down on the Peacekeepers, he spun his underneath , looping it under and over before yanking upwards. The sword slipped from the Peacekeepers grasp. Jasper didn't even hesitate as he stepped forward and his sword plunged into the Peacekeepers chest. The man's eyes flew wide open as his body stiffened and all at once the life fled him. And he was no more.

Jasper turned around to his brother's the boy's he would do anything for. And he smiled. His brother's cheered. The dead peacekeepers blood stained the boat with red and Jasper couldn't help, but think how clearly the blood spread out like a star.

"Lads, I give you The Red Star!"

Face Claim – Garrett Neff

Lyrics – Never Let Me Go by Florence and the Machine

Graphic made by the amazing South <3

And the template is bits and pieces from everywhere.

Codeword – <img src="http://i41.tinypic.com/16h2ibt.png">