The French Pirate

Chapter 2 - A Bird's Eye View

Camille tapped his ink pen against the jar, trying desperately to keep his hammock still enough that he could manage at least a few words. He had intended to journal through his trip - something that could keep him grounded through all of the falsehoods he had to tell. He hadn't been able to do much writing, however, as the alone time he had been so grateful for the first day had become practically non-existent. The men worked in shifts of about four hours each, meaning at all times there were sailors both on deck and in the quarters. They left him alone for the most part, which he was grateful for but...

He couldn't help but hear phantom screams among their banter. His time in the coven had marred him more than he could ever imagine and now that he was out he couldn't seem to shake it. The ink fell in blobs on the page and Camille sighed, putting both away. Stepping past the pirates, who were too engaged in their card game to notice, he climbed up through the hatch and out onto the deck. To his surprise twilight had already come and painted the horizon with blush-tones. He stood a moment and took it in, breathing in the salty air. There was something enchanting about being at sea. It had taken him nearly a week to gain his "sea legs", as the first mate called them, but once he had grown accustomed to the rocking and notable lack of luxury he had begun to appreciate the smaller things.

For one; freedom. Of course, he wouldn't be truly free until he reached Spain. Still, the ability to go outside, even, was something the coven would never have afforded him. The expansive sky was marvelous from out here as well - even better than it had been from the castle. It was truly awe-inspiring the way the horizon stretched around them, painting new scenes for them to gawk at every day. The sea reflected the colors of the paintings and the stars themselves. The way the moon's light could make the waves shine, well, Camille went out every night to see it. He couldn't afford to see it in the daylight as much, but the few times he had looked at the ocean during the day he had witnessed the strangest creatures below. They were gone as soon as they could be sighted, but Camille wanted nothing more than to pause time and draw them in all of their frightening glory. Weird, that a vampire should be frightened by lowly sea creatures. He chuckled to himself.

At the moment, the sailors were preparing to change shifts. The captain strolled up and down the deck yelling what seemed like absolute nonsense. As Camille scanned the scene, he found that the only private spot up here were the Captain's quarters - that is, until he looked up and saw the eagle's nest. Eyeing around to make sure no one was watching, he grabbed the rope and pulled to check that it was safe. Though not entirely satisfied by the amount of give the netting had, he pushed one of his boots into it and began ascending. As he climbed higher, the already forceful wind became louder and stronger, forcing him to cling to the mast during particularly strong bursts. Despite that, he eventually pulled himself over the top and stood on the circular platform. The wind blew even more forcefully up here but he didn't mind; he was much more preoccupied with the view before him. It had to be miles upon miles of empty sea stretched out before the ship, waiting to be traversed. He looked up at the stars which had begun to peek out behind them. Did they look brighter from up here? He put his hand on his brow to see them more clearly, admiring the way they twinkled in and out between the clouds.

He rested his hands on the railing and closed his eyes. The smell of sea water washed over him and he felt a smile spread across his lips.

"Misour?"

Camille nearly jumped out of his skin. It's not Antoine, he reminded himself. As he turned to see the man addressing him he watched the first mate pull himself up onto the platform.

"Sorry to scare you, my Lord."

"No, Pierre. It's quite alright."

The man stood beside Camille, looking thoughtfully out into the distance. The thick black locks with which he was adorned blew behind him, exposing his sharp jawline and a few stray freckles that spotted the apples of his cheeks. The light itself shone down on him, as if offering a spotlight. It was only as Pierre turned to look at him that Camille realized he'd been staring.