Closed for Curtailed Ambrosia
Captain Simon Idris sank into his chair at his desk. It was still hours before dawn and his pale blue eyes were hooded with drowsiness from having been awoken. He poured himself a measure of grog into a wooden mug and regarded the pair who had disturbed his slumber.
First Mate Sneed was a towering brute of a man. Iron gray tinged his temples and the lines around his mouth gave him a semi-permanent scowl as a default expression. One of his massive hands clutched the shoulder of a young boy, who barely reached the first mate's chest. The boy had been recently taken on, so Idris didn't even know his name.
What drew the captain's attention was the splash of crimson coating the boy's shirt. Idris had seen battle well enough to recognize fresh blood. But while the occasional fistfight amongst the crew was an acceptable means of resolving tension and grievances, the the quantity on the boy and the absence of bruised knuckles strongly indicated a blade. "Knife fight?" Idris inquired with a scowl.
"Knife it were, Cap'n," Sneed rumbled. "But weren't much of a fight. This bugger up and stabbed Petey. Patched him up, but he's still plenty pale. He'll be be flat on his back for a week, I reckon."
Idris scowled. Petey could be an annoying shit, but he was a capable crewman. Their journey ahead would be that much harder with a hand short. "What the hell was this about."
Sneed uncharacteristically hesitated before speaking. "Uh, seems this one had a secret and Petey found out and threatened to tell, so this one stabbed him." Sneed paused again, prompting a hard stare from his captain. "Uh, Cap'n, this one here ain't no boy. It's a girl."
Captain Idris' hand paused in midair. His eyes blinked twice, the sleepy haze falling away like morning mist before a rising sun. The wooden mug creaked slightly as his fingers reflexively squeezed. "What?"
First Mate Sneed felt his throat tighten. After nearly twenty years on the high seas, he was by nature a hard man, inured to the dangers of his chosen life. Very little in this world gave him pause. But that quiet tone in his captain's voice was one.
"Uh," the big man began, his booming voice unusually muted. "I said, Cap'n, that this here boy ain't no boy. He's a girl."
Idris leaned forward in his chair and set the mug down on the table. His pale blue gaze swept to the diminutive figure in front of his first mate. The youth stared at the wooden planks, long black hair shielding the face.
Idris thought back three days to when he'd boarded the Spanish ship. The small craft wasn't designed for blue water navigation, but an unexpected squall had forced them many miles from shore and into Idris' hands. The experienced crew of the Zephyrhad made short work of the token resistance. The vessel had the look of a nobleman's pleasure craft , but they found little on board worth taking. Idris had conscripted a handful of the dark-haired crew as compensation. Their current journey would be difficult, so a few more young backs would be useful. The younger ones would bear up better and be easier to keep in line. So two barely old enough to shave and the young cabin boy. The boy . . . .
But on closer inspection, he wasn't so sure. The soft, unlined features weren't just youthful. They had a feminine quality. Pretty even.
His gaze shifted to the torso. Narrow shoulders, but a full chest for a lad. Except perhaps not. Idris rose from his seat and closed upon the youth. His hand gripped the shirt and pulled it aside.
Somehow, he knew what he'd find even before it was revealed. The torso had been tightly bound with strips of cloth . Despite this effort, two subtly round hills were discernible high on the chest. Where Petey's blood had soaked through on the right, Idris could make out a plump nipple atop the compressed swell. "Rather bosomy for a cabin boy," Idris snarled.
His hands reached for the pants next. The high-pitched shriek of protest was itself proof enough, but he wrestled the trousers off the hips to put it beyond question. Undoubtedly female. "Gods be damned," he cursed.
The captain released her harshly enough to send her to her knees. She clambered up, tugging her clothing back into place as he settled back into his seat.
"Small craft," he muttered aloud, staring at her darkly. "One female. Dressed like a boy. Why? Hide from the pirates. Pirates rape the women, so hide amongst the crew. Safer. Pirates steal the little bit of gold and good and rum, then gone. But didn't expect us to take a few crew for ourselves. Hmmph."
"But why a woman aboard? Not crew, so passenger. But nobleman's yacht. No nobleman." His blue eyes narrowed. "But you. Nobleman's wife? No. Daughter, more like. Daughter takes father's yacht out in the bay, storm pushes out to sea, hides from pirates amongst crew. Yes? Yes."
Idris swore. He did not know the ins and outs of the Spanish nobility, but he knew these lands belonged to some very wealthy, very powerful houses. Whomever she belonged to would have the gold and influence to see her returned. Forcefully.
" Sneed, post a watch to the stern. I have a suspicion someone is looking for us." The first mate nodded and left the cabin.
Idris turned his attention to the girl. "Very well, poppet. Just who are you?"
Captain Simon Idris sank into his chair at his desk. It was still hours before dawn and his pale blue eyes were hooded with drowsiness from having been awoken. He poured himself a measure of grog into a wooden mug and regarded the pair who had disturbed his slumber.
First Mate Sneed was a towering brute of a man. Iron gray tinged his temples and the lines around his mouth gave him a semi-permanent scowl as a default expression. One of his massive hands clutched the shoulder of a young boy, who barely reached the first mate's chest. The boy had been recently taken on, so Idris didn't even know his name.
What drew the captain's attention was the splash of crimson coating the boy's shirt. Idris had seen battle well enough to recognize fresh blood. But while the occasional fistfight amongst the crew was an acceptable means of resolving tension and grievances, the the quantity on the boy and the absence of bruised knuckles strongly indicated a blade. "Knife fight?" Idris inquired with a scowl.
"Knife it were, Cap'n," Sneed rumbled. "But weren't much of a fight. This bugger up and stabbed Petey. Patched him up, but he's still plenty pale. He'll be be flat on his back for a week, I reckon."
Idris scowled. Petey could be an annoying shit, but he was a capable crewman. Their journey ahead would be that much harder with a hand short. "What the hell was this about."
Sneed uncharacteristically hesitated before speaking. "Uh, seems this one had a secret and Petey found out and threatened to tell, so this one stabbed him." Sneed paused again, prompting a hard stare from his captain. "Uh, Cap'n, this one here ain't no boy. It's a girl."
Captain Idris' hand paused in midair. His eyes blinked twice, the sleepy haze falling away like morning mist before a rising sun. The wooden mug creaked slightly as his fingers reflexively squeezed. "What?"
First Mate Sneed felt his throat tighten. After nearly twenty years on the high seas, he was by nature a hard man, inured to the dangers of his chosen life. Very little in this world gave him pause. But that quiet tone in his captain's voice was one.
"Uh," the big man began, his booming voice unusually muted. "I said, Cap'n, that this here boy ain't no boy. He's a girl."
Idris leaned forward in his chair and set the mug down on the table. His pale blue gaze swept to the diminutive figure in front of his first mate. The youth stared at the wooden planks, long black hair shielding the face.
Idris thought back three days to when he'd boarded the Spanish ship. The small craft wasn't designed for blue water navigation, but an unexpected squall had forced them many miles from shore and into Idris' hands. The experienced crew of the Zephyrhad made short work of the token resistance. The vessel had the look of a nobleman's pleasure craft , but they found little on board worth taking. Idris had conscripted a handful of the dark-haired crew as compensation. Their current journey would be difficult, so a few more young backs would be useful. The younger ones would bear up better and be easier to keep in line. So two barely old enough to shave and the young cabin boy. The boy . . . .
But on closer inspection, he wasn't so sure. The soft, unlined features weren't just youthful. They had a feminine quality. Pretty even.
His gaze shifted to the torso. Narrow shoulders, but a full chest for a lad. Except perhaps not. Idris rose from his seat and closed upon the youth. His hand gripped the shirt and pulled it aside.
Somehow, he knew what he'd find even before it was revealed. The torso had been tightly bound with strips of cloth . Despite this effort, two subtly round hills were discernible high on the chest. Where Petey's blood had soaked through on the right, Idris could make out a plump nipple atop the compressed swell. "Rather bosomy for a cabin boy," Idris snarled.
His hands reached for the pants next. The high-pitched shriek of protest was itself proof enough, but he wrestled the trousers off the hips to put it beyond question. Undoubtedly female. "Gods be damned," he cursed.
The captain released her harshly enough to send her to her knees. She clambered up, tugging her clothing back into place as he settled back into his seat.
"Small craft," he muttered aloud, staring at her darkly. "One female. Dressed like a boy. Why? Hide from the pirates. Pirates rape the women, so hide amongst the crew. Safer. Pirates steal the little bit of gold and good and rum, then gone. But didn't expect us to take a few crew for ourselves. Hmmph."
"But why a woman aboard? Not crew, so passenger. But nobleman's yacht. No nobleman." His blue eyes narrowed. "But you. Nobleman's wife? No. Daughter, more like. Daughter takes father's yacht out in the bay, storm pushes out to sea, hides from pirates amongst crew. Yes? Yes."
Idris swore. He did not know the ins and outs of the Spanish nobility, but he knew these lands belonged to some very wealthy, very powerful houses. Whomever she belonged to would have the gold and influence to see her returned. Forcefully.
" Sneed, post a watch to the stern. I have a suspicion someone is looking for us." The first mate nodded and left the cabin.
Idris turned his attention to the girl. "Very well, poppet. Just who are you?"
