Moment of Reprieve (Finn)

    Finn took the pipe with a muttered 'thanks', pulling in a lung full of the burnt leaves until he couldn't draw any longer. He passed it back to his newfound companion on the sidelines, the smoke billowing from the wolf's mouth and nose as he let out a bit of air then took in a deep breath, letting the smoke calm the endings of his nerves before it trickled back out across his lips like a waterfall made from wisps.
He'd needed that.
Badly.
Taking in the words of the man at his side and nodding to show he was listening, a knuckle rapped the edge of his hat to get an unobscured look at his friend in the sand. He could see the amount of inspiration the King inspired in his men, smiling fondly at the sight of it all even though he still felt all riled up. The smoke had surely helped a great deal. Though the thought of this uptight world of theirs suffocating the Warlord who clearly did not belong in this place of false civils and fake smiles.
One so genuine as Aurelius probably had no idea what kind of messed up realm he'd found himself stumbling through. Finn wasn't born to this life either, but he was clever enough to play the game from outside the board. A Foreign King had no such luxury of toeing the line quite so carelessly as the Pirate did.

"Aur's too good for this kingdom," Finn stated, frowning at the thought of it all.
Too kind. Too honest. This chess game built from lies was no place for such a man.
He couldn't help but grin, though, the way Stroud spoke of how Aurelius had made him out to be some fantastical Pirate like from the books lining the Wolf's shelves. He felt honored to know anyone felt that way about him.
He'd not have guessed such fantastical tales would reach so many ears and briefly pictured stories passed through campfire years from now on the lips of the men from Yhavastus. He doubted that much, but it was a pleasant thought. The only way to truly be immortalized was by becoming a legend, after all.
He'd always dreamed of being a Legendary Great someday.
Like Blackbeard or Kidd.
Was the only dream a Pirate truly ever dreamed.
"I'm not all that," Finn assured the warrior he was speaking with, waving the idea away with a waft of his hand.
"M'just a Pirate who thinks laws are more like- guidelines, really. Your King though. Now there's a man worth his weight in gold. And then some. Not met a more honest or big hearted man in all my life."
Pausing to check the sky as he drew up to his feet.
"Tell him I said to find me again sometime, willya? He seems a bit- preoccupied with his Kingly-ness at the moment. Should be gettin' back to my ship. No good woman deserves to be kept waiting, aye?"
Offering a tip of his hat towards Stroud as his hands found their way into his pockets and he offered a drawn out look toward the direction of Aurelius, the fondness for his friend written blatantly across Finn's face.