Obey Your Captain

Waving his hand, a basket appeared on the doorstep, something he’d done several, several times before.

Roughly wiping her eyes and concentrating to ensure they were purple before she numbly began throwing liquid fire at the remaining pirates. Part of her wanted to cast a ball of flame so severely she splinter the ship. But she knew that was not a reasonable reaction.

Much.

She’d lost her father, the only man she ever thought would be in her life. Despite her race, he protected her, cared for her. He gave her a home when she was abandoned on his doorstep. He’d given her everything.

Now Baron was gone too.

Would everyone she grew close to be taken by death as soon as she wanted them? She incinerated a lean pirate, not realising it was the last one on the boat. Not realising it scorched the deck forcing Kendrick to throw a bucket of water over the blackened corpse.

Silence.

After so much calamity, the silence was deafening, and eerie. The air was heavy as whispers and murmurs went around. Everyone knew the Captain wasn’t on board. She could only stand there, blank. Her back to the destruction she’d caused. She couldn’t look at what she’d done.

She’d killed her Captain.

Her Baron.

“Come on, girl.” She found her hand encompassed by scarred rough hands. “Come with me.” She let Kendrick tug her gently over the deck. She didn’t really see that the bodies were beginning to be moved. She had no idea how many of their own had fallen.

She stumbled over a leg, only Kendrick stopped her hitting the deck. “Easy there.”

“B-Baron,” she whispered.

“I know. Let’s get you some rum, I think I have a bottle of gin at the bottom of the barrel.”

“I-I-I…” She couldn’t answer, she couldn’t say anything.

“Who the bloody hell thought it was a good idea to let her blast that ship to pieces!” Yes, he probably would say such a thing. It was his voice in her head, she knew it couldn’t be real.

“Captain!”

Kendrick stopped dead in his tracks, forcing Kaliyah to do the same. His hand still tight over hers. She didn’t want to look behind. She dared to even remotely hope what she’d heard was true. She still heard her father even though he’d been dead over a year.

“Get these disgusting rats off my boat,” his growl sent a shiver down her spine and she dared. She turned around to where Kendrick was looking. She wrenched her hand from the cook’s and her boots pounded the deck. Slipping on blood, she righted herself just before launching at the soaking wet half-elf. His freezing clothes stuck to her, soaking her own as she clamped her legs around his waist, her head buried into his dripping hair. His tie must have been lost to the sea.

“Baron,” she sobbed. Clinging onto him, his body was solid, his breath was filling his lungs. Despite his freezing clothes, he was warm. His body was warm with life.

“I need your lips,” his voice still gruff, maybe he’d swallowed seawater.

“You have them. I need you.” She forced her head from his neck only for the arm not supporting her to grasp the nape of her neck securely, dragging her lips to his.

The ship melted away, the catcalls and wolf whistles so distant they barely registered as he plundered her mouth. She had no room to move, every millimetre she tried, he battled back. He was owning her.

She didn’t care, for she knew she owned him.

He pulled away too soon, she frowned stubbornly at his jaw as he turned his head to bark orders while he walked with her still in his arms.

“Quartermaster! You have the helm. I’m not to be disturbed,” he barked as he kicked closed the door to his office.

As soon as she was back on her feet, she ran her hands over him, searching for injury or burn. Finding a cut on his forearm, she rushed to his drawers to find a clean bandage. “Pouco, I’m OK.”

“N-no. You’re hurt.” She began tying the bandage around his arm before pushing at his wet shirt. He whipped it off and she set to work checking every inch of his torso before unbuckling his belt and pushing his breeches down.

“Pouco, I’m not injured. I saw your fire and knew what you were about to do. I jumped overboard.”

She wasn’t really listening, she had to check for herself. Running her thumbs over his hips, his thighs. “Boots off.” She pushed him to sit on his cot before tugging on the wet leather. Wrenching until one boot came loose. She removed it carefully, knowing it would be full of water.

“Is this the treatment I’ll get after every battle?” he chortled.

“I could have killed you,” she breathed as the other boot slid down his leg.

“I don’t die easily.” As soon as she had divested him of his breeches, he hooked her under her arms and dragged her to stand. “The captain was strong, I would not have bested him. You saved my life.” He reached and picked up his sodden shirt, “Now, I do hope all this blood is not yours.”

She shook her head while he used the fabric to clean her face of blood spatter. She gazed at him while he did so. “I’m sorry I was stubborn. You are a good suitor.”

“You’re the one I have only ever wanted. You’ll marry me?”

“Yes.”

“Good, we will marry at Osoway.”

“No. I want my mother there. My sister.”

“Very well. Have you thought of my proposal? To move your family?”

“I… My dowry would be daddy’s ships… without them I have no-”

“I care nought for a dowry. I have no need. I have a ship. If you wish for your father’s ships, I will ensure the tax is-”

“No. I cannot allow you to pay. It-It’s too much.”

“I promised I would if that is what you wish for.”

“The tax is too much. I…”

“How much is it?”

She dropped her head from him, embarrassed. She hadn’t even admitted to her mother the sum. She couldn’t. She should have fought it, she knew it was… ridiculous.

His finger hooked her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“I have almost ten thousand left to pay,” she breathed.

“Silver?”

She could only shake her head.

“Ten thousand… Gold.”

Her head jerked down in agreement.

“Kaliyah,” he breathed in disbelief.

“Th-that doesn’t include the debt… he hadn’t paid off all h-his ships. I thought he had, however…”

“He always bought his ships outright… are you sure?”

“That’s what the city said… showed me papers.”

“The city held his debt?”

“Yes.”

“I think I need to look at these papers. Have you paid any of the debt?”

“Th-that’s what I used what was in his vault. I paid six-thousand… I think there is one left.”

“Oh my Pouco, I’ll look into it for you as soon as we get to Blackwater.” He wrapped his arms around her securely. “You should have told me.”

“I was embarrassed,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“I understand.” Dragging her over him as he lay on the cot, she relaxed against him, her long legs splayed either side of his. “Try not to worry, it will work out whichever path we take. You have had a great burden on your shoulders.”

“I’m sorry I nearly blasted you to kingdom come.”

“If you had meant to do so, you would have done that long ago. Sleep now, you have exerted yourself far beyond what I would wish.”

She wanted to argue, but before she could. She was already asleep.