Lying lions 2

Emile and Thorn arrived in Trevin Cove at first light. The sun was rising on the horizon, turning the ocean crimson. Thorn thought it rather ominous, and smiled. Emile handed his reins to Thorne who tethered the horses to a nearby tree. Behind a hedge at the edge of the cliffs, they found the switchback trail that led down to the caves where the pirates had made their home. Emile took the lead down since the pirates knew him and would be less prone to do something rash. The trail was steep, but well-maintained, so the footing was sure.

Towards to end of the path they spotted the first alcoves with archers. It was all too clear that they archers would have spotted them long before they themselves were spotted. Clever, thought Thorn. Emile made no sign that he even noticed the archers, and kept on walking towards the mouth of the cave that was just now visible to them. There were more archers at the entrance to the cave who nodded as Emile and Thorn walked straight past them. Thorn turned around just before they entered and saw the pirates' ship down in the cove. He knew there was a cave further down, hidden at high tide, that the pirates rowed their boats into when they anchored.

Inside they cave were more pirates, dressed in loose-fitting clothes and carrying knives. Weapons were stowed in racks along the walls in easy reach. Emile acknowledges no one and kept walking further in, and Thorn kept following. After a while, they entered a larger chamber where they spotted Red Robert, the flamboyant pirate captain, long curly blonde hair tied back in a sailor's knot, and all dressed in red silks. He smiled his skirt-raising smile when he saw Emile, and came forward with his hand extended. Emile took it and gace him a cold smile that wiped Robert's right off his face.
-What's wrong?
-I'll give you one guess, Robert.
-I really wouldn't know. I thought we was doin' all right here.
-You were. Right until you took that merhant out of Dravan last month.
-Yeah, well, business has been slow the last couple of months, and she was loaded.
-I told you never to touch the Dravanese vessels, Robert. Never!
-Well I'm sorry...
-Not as sorry as I am. You're of much more use to me if you can think for yourself, or so I thought, but I'll take what I can get.
-What are you saying, Lyon?
-You've just been demoted, Robert. Your first mate Henry is now captain of the Sparrow.
-You can't do that!
Robert made a gesture and the dozen or so pirates in the room drew knives and short swords. Henry's hands remained conspicuously empty. Emile's smile turned colder.
-Tell your men to back off. I'm not in the mood to play nice, and the loss of manpower will seriously piss me off.
-Fuck you! Robert said and attacked.
Thorn spun to face the nearest pirate, and wrapped a hand that had suddenly got twice as big, furry and clawed, around his head and squeezed. The pirate's head burst like a melon, and Thorn put his other hand through the next pirate's chest with a wet crunching sound. Two pirate's though to flank Thorn, but he backhanded both and sent them crashing into their comerades. Meanhile, Robert had drawn his sword, but he only made it one step before sinking to his knees before Emile.
-Call your men off, Robert.
-Back down, men, back down.
-There's a good boy, Robert. You've been very naughty, and I'm sorry to say you're of no more use to me. What I'd like now is if you could cut out your eyes and give them to me.
-Sure thing, mister Lyon, I can do that.
With that, Robert drew the knife from his belt and stabbed it into his right eye. Blood poured, but he made no sound. He got the first eye out, but when he tried the left eye, he cut to deep. The chamber had filled with more pirates who had heard sounds of fighting, and they all looked on in horror as their captain cut out his eyes at Emile's request. Henry just smiled, and with his arms crossed he bellowed:
-Get back to work, you fuckin' dawgs! And someone get rid of this here trash afore our guests get real mad!
-Thank you, captain. That's very kind of you. I gather that there will be no more need for me to come down here.
-No, sir. I'm well aware of my orders.
-That I'm sure of. You just need to get yourself one of those pirate names now, and we're all set.
-Sure thing, boss. I'll think of something.
Emile shook his hand, and as Thorn stepped forward to do so, Thorn heard a voice in his head saying Henry the Hand sounds good to me. Thorn gave a little smile and took Henry's hand in his. And then he squeezed. The pirate captain cried out in agony as Thorn crushed his hand. As Thorn turned and followed his master out, he said:
-Henry the Hand sounds good to me.