Not in the way they envisioned.

Johanna in her arms, Elara dropped effortlessly to the forest floor. Johanna planted her boots firmly on the ground and nodded to Elara. Elara smiled back and leaped away, a blur of motion disappearing into the thick jungle treetops.

The pair had decided to not-quite split up this morning, with Johanna carving a path on the ground while Elara circled her position from above. Hopefully, Johanna figured, Bone would catch sight of Johanna first, which should give Elara a good opportunity to get the drop on the pirate, and prevent him from ambushing Johanna.

Johanna fumbled with the pouch of sand as she walked. Yesterday, the search for Bone had proved fruitless, but he couldn’t stay in hiding forever. Sooner or later, Johanna knew, he would show up, and when he did, she would be waiting for him.

Sooner or later didn’t come very soon at all. Around noon, Johanna paused in her search to lean against a tree and catch her breath. She briefly considered calling the search off for another day, when she heard the sound of a snapping twig behind her, she decided to panic instead.

Johanna was not in the mood to let Bone get the drop on her, and opening the pouch stealthily, she whirled around and loosed the dust in one fluid, elegant motion...

Straight into Elara’s surprised face.

A look of horror crossed Johanna’s face, as Elara collapsed to her knees in a coughing fit. It had been a direct hit, and whatever was in that powder seemed as effective against Elara as it was supposed to be against Bone. “Oh fuck,” Johanna said, tossing aside the pouch and kneeling down next to Elara, “Are you okay?”

“Nuh, ah, beeehiiinju, Jonah,” Elara slurred out, blinking and sputtering. By the time Johanna realized that Elara was cautioning her to turn around, a pair of firm hands hauled Johanna up from the ground, and her back was pressed against a large, familiar body.

“Good job, there, Stern. I think you took the bitch out of commission,” Bone complimented, before wrenching Johanna’s arms behind her back and tying them together. Johanna did her best to struggle against the pirate, but he was simply too large and too strong to overcome, and he soon had her effectively restrained. Tossing her to the side, he moved towards Elara, next.

“Fuck you, Bone, you black-hearted rat of a pirate bastard,” Johanna hissed from the ground where she landed. Bone chuckled at the insult, before eventually stepping away from Elara. The naked woman was now wearing the iron collar she had planned to affix Bone with, and had a strange symbol painted in red ink, or perhaps blood, on her forehead.

“You’re a shit tracker, Johanna. I was following you all day, waiting for your friend to show herself. Then, when she does show up, you **** her and leave yourself open to me. If you were a member of my crew, I’d have you flogged for that kind of incompetence.” He gloated freely, and Johanna couldn’t help but agree with his evaluation.

“I get it. You got lucky and now you’re going to do horrible things to us because you’re an evil pirate,” Johanna said, trying to sound confident despite her position. Bone just laughed, and reached down to haul her up to his shoulder.

“If she hadn’t shown up, you would love me right now. And soon you'll be worshiping my cock like the whore you’re meant to be.” He reached up and snapped the cord that held Elara’s bead around Johanna's neck, tossing it to the ground, “Same with her,” He said, reaching down and hauling Elara up to his second shoulder in a display of strength that Johanna couldn’t help but find impressive, “Two little sluts who each thought they could contain me. Two little sluts who are about to learn some valuable lessons.” He laughed loudly, and began walking, carrying a woman on each shoulder, into the jungle.