The Queen of the Waves

17: Blood and Bruising

Bas carried the begging, pleading Mara out of the cabin and away from all the blood and loss. He stepped over the snivelling form of Ciaran, because of Mara's expert attack he was unable to walk.

Even though it was still daylight when Bas stepped from the hallway, it felt like the blackness of night had descended on them.

The men fell silent as they saw the blood covered Mara being carried from the Captain's cabin. The noises of the ship had drowned out the all consuming chaos of the day, but the men were about to know the tragedy that had befallen the golden promise.

Because Bas and Mara were the only survivors of the events of the cabin, and Mara was still shaking and unable to speak, Bas knew he had to speak.

"Ciaran, and a dozen other men tried to commit mutiny. I'm sorry to say that he killed our captain."

The sailors fell silent, there were clamours of disbelief, of sadness and finally of revenge.

A large crowd of them began to advance towards the cabin, bloodlust in their eyes. All Bas could think of was Mara and getting her to safety, but he was the captain now and he had to protect his ship.

"I killed all but Ciaran." Bas lied, he had to protect Mara from any rumours that might follow her outburst of surprising battle prowess.

"He's incapacitated and I don't want any of you to touch him beyond throwing him in the cell."

Bas' voice was firm with authority and the men knew it well, they also knew to follow his words; even when he was holding a bloodied, sobbing woman.

He nodded his head and quickly strode through the crowd, he could hear the clamouring as the men surged forwards to recapture Ciaran and, Bas hoped, to prepare Bayen for a respectful burial.

Bas carried Mara towards his cabin, it was much smaller but it would be a safe place for Mara to grieve. When Bas pushed open the door, his chest clogged with emotions.

Bayen and he had been sharing while Mara was in the captain's cabin and all his clothes were packed on his side, his hammock was still strung up and his presence filled the room.

Mara whimpered and Bas broke from his trance. He laid Mara down on his small, single person bed and turned to open the door.

"Doc!" He hollered and within a few seconds the ship's doctor who had been waiting a few feet away appeared in front of Bas.

"I need a bath prepared in this cabin, now!"

The doctor nodded and quickly disappeared to organise enough men and the ship's cook to prepare this bath. The doctor was a man intelligent beyond his years and he sensed that the pristine Bas was not in fact the killer of 12 men, but his blood soaked accomplice was.

He wouldn't tell anyone what he suspected, but Mara was definitely traumatised and a hot bath was probably the best way to start for Bas.

After twenty minutes of hard work for the few unfortunate sailors selected to lug hot water in buckets up to the cabin, and the nail biting time for Bas, the bath was full and covered in a thin layer of soapy foam Bas worked hard to form for Mara.

"Mara," he whispered, stroking her cheek as she shook and stared at her blood covered hands. It was Bayen's blood, he was gone and it was all Mara's fault.

"Mara, can I get you into this bath?"

She didn't move beyond a jerky, shaking head nod but it was all the permission he needed.

Slowly, Bas slipped off the bed to kneeling before Mara so he could slip off her trousers and get her into the bath.

"I'm going to undress you now Mara, ok."

Bas carefully unbuttoned her trousers and then pulled them down along with her underwear without taking his gaze off her pale face. For the first time in his life, Bas had no idea what to do. He had never felt truly powerless before this day and now it seemed like it would never end.

All Mara was wearing on top was one of his shirts, and it was drenched in blood so Bas knew he would burn it as soon as he could, so he picked her up and carefully sat her in the warm water.

The foamy surface to the water prevented Mara from being exposed so as she leant forwards to rest her cheek on her knees, Bas deftly ripped the shirt off her back so he wouldn't have to fuss with buttons.

His shock of the day grew impossibly more as Mara's pale skin was revealed, he had gazed at her beautiful complexion for days so that wasn't what shocked him, what shocked him was the scarring that sat there.

Bas opened his mouth to speak, but Mara had finally stopped shaking as the warm water eased her trembling heart, he snapped it shut again.

He would ask about those marks another day, for now he needed to help Mara breathe and the numerous, burning questions he had would have to wait.

Bas knelt down before her and took one of her hands in his, they were coated in blood, in Bayen's blood so he took a cloth and gently washed away as much pain as he could.

Once Bas was sure that no blood remained on Mara, he stood up to hide away all of Bayen's clothes while Mara kept her eyes closed, he didn't want anything to trigger more distress than necessary.

When he turned back to the small wooden bathtub, he found Mara sitting up and weeping.

"Mara," he cooed as softly as he could with the trapped tears in his throat, "talk to me."

"I-I can't believe he's gone." She choked at, clutching at Bas' offered hand. "And it's my fault..."

"Mara, no." Bas said firmly and he pulled her against his chest as she wailed with guilt.

"It's not your fault, it's Ciaran's fault and we will make him pay for this. Mara, you have to promise me that you aren't blaming yourself for what happened."

It appeared that Bas was far more adapt at keeping his emotions in control and logical, Mara was a ball of tears and Bas knew his words weren't reaching her at this very moment.

Instead of telling Mara that this guilt wasn't rightly placed, he held Mara against his chest until she passed out from crying and the weight of the day.

With Mara finally asleep, Bas allowed his emotions to bubble up and he let the tears fall.

He had lost his captain, and it was his fault.