Ashsib and the Cat Beast

Chapter Four

With one of those terrible throbs, Ashsib's hand caused him to sit up in his bed, yowling.

"Ah," The doctor slapped a hand over Ashsib's mouth, "You're so loud." Elian further messed his dark blond hair with his other hand as he talked sleepily, "Deep breaths, calm down."

Ashsib shoved the doctor's hand away, "Pretty hard to do when someone has a hand over your nose and mouth!" He gasped.

"Feeling okay?" Elian's droopy hazel eyes gave his patient a one over, "You don't seem to have any more injuries."

"Why would I have more injuries?" Ashsib asked, "All I did was fall asleep in the- Wait. Why am I in the infirmary?" He looked around the cabin in surprise. "When did I get here?"

"Ah, there's the typical Ashsib reaction." Elian said.

"No, really, why am I here?" Ashsib had no recollection of recent events, though it was blushing sky through the porthole.

"You really don't remember?" Elian's gaze focused.

"No, I was in the crow's nest and I thought I just fell asleep." Ashsib puzzled, "Now I'm here?"

"Well, you did fall-"

"Yeah, I barely slept, so I fell asleep-"

"No, let me talk," Elian rolled his eyes, putting a hand over Ashsib's mouth once more, "You fell out of the crow's nest, you were not asleep. You fell from the crow's nest to the deck."

"I what?" Ashsib pulled away and began patting himself down, certain he'd find a broken bone or a crack in his skull. But there was nothing. "How is it possible to fall that far and be unhurt?"

"That's the other strange part of the story." Elian sat back in his chair and began.

~~~

"You turned back from the sexy beast quick enough, huh?" Calder spoke up, trying for a reaction and getting it, instead of the stony silence his other comments had garnered.

"Was that supposed to be a joke or are you actually in to bestiality?" Namere wearily responded, not turning to look at him, but conveying distaste all the same.

"Well," Calder hesitated.

"Gross." Namere grunted.

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood, love." Calder said.

"Okay. Sorry. It's sort of a reflexive defense." Namere's tone did not shift as she apologized. She was curled on her side, facing the curve of the ship in the single cell brig.

The brig was a barred room only big enough for one person, and in Namere's case, not even that. They hardly ever used it for its intended purpose, the three most recent reasons being: drunk tank, prank, and drunk tank. Tucked in a dark corner behind the near permanent fixture of three crates of iron, it was mostly wasted space. The hold was the lowest part of the ship, constantly under water, and as such it was quiet and cold. In the dim silence, you could hear the ship breathe and creak. And it did so for a while until the woman continued.

"The P.O.s were only friendly when they were lonely, at least until I outranked them. I do not respond well to such jokes."

"And yet it was you who vilely attacked our dear Ashsib. Pure, and chaste Ashsib." Calder hammed, trying again to make her turn around. He'd been watching her for a few hours now and had yet to catch sight of her face.

"What are you calling me?" Ashsib appeared around the line of huge boxes.

"A virgin." Calder answered swiftly, "And Namere the beast who soiled you."