The Maiden with a green tail

The Sailmaster and the crew

The flickering orange torchlight illuminated the crew's quarters, inside a hammock, there laid a woman. She was of average height, maybe 175 cm, her hair was long, blonde, and wavy. Her brown eyes appeared more orange in the light, her battle scars were illuminated by the light as well. She was muscular, the definition in her arms was visible through the shirt she was wearing. She was holding a leather-bound book entitled "The diary of Hermia Rosewater." Hermia busily sketched away with a pen, the scratching the only sound heard in the quiet quarters.

     "What'cha drawing there?" asked a voice from the hammock next to her. Hermia sat up, turning the journal to her friend. 

    "You know how we saw those white whales yesterday Jonah? What were they called, belugas?" She answered, Jonah sat up, a soft creak came from the beam where his hammock was hanging, and he adjusted his off-white sleep shirt. 

   "Wow, that's real detailed. Can I see your other sea creature drawings?" He asked. Hermia placed her hand on the back of her head.  "Ah c'mon, you've seen 'em. " She said, shifting in her hammock. Jonah playfully punched her shoulder, "You come on!" He shot back. 

 "Fine, I give in," Hermia replied in mock defeat. She handed over the journal, allowing Jonah to flip through the pages that were littered with different drawings of sea animals. Jonah stopped on a page, turning the journal back to Hermia. Drawings of humanoid fish creatures, long seaweed hair draped down the backs of their heads and over their shoulders littered the two pages.

     "What's this thing?" Jonah asked, he leaned forward a little, now Hermia could make him out more clearly in the torchlight, Jonah was a heavyset man, his long, curly dark brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail, his beard was also tied up, kept close to his face by a small red band. His skin was light brown and covered in scars, the most notable one being that half his right leg was missing. 

    "Merfolk, the ones that Captain Marcus tells stories of. The women who lead pirates to their deaths. " Hermia answered, pushing some of her hair out of her face. Jonah huffed slightly, then spoke,  

"I love the Captain to death-"

 Hermia muttered under her breath,  "Yeah you never shut up about him ." Jonah Punched her in the shoulder again.

 "As I was saying," There was mock competent in his voice, "I love the Captain to death, but he can get a bit wild with his stories of beasts and monsters." Hermia took her journal back, turning back to the page she was drawing on. 

"Personally, I think it's a good thing to keep in mind, just like any other creature." She dipped her pen in the ink again, going back to her drawing. Her left hand, with three fingers on it, held down the page as she sketched, hoping the next mission would show them more amazing creatures.

A loud ringing woke Hermia from her sleep. The quartermaster was up on the deck, shouting about how it was time to get up for breakfast. Hermia stretched, struggling for a second as she got up out of her hammock. Noticing a hammock on the other side of the quarters was still, she carefully moved along, excusing herself among the tired men trying to get dressed. She stopped at the hammock, looking over the side at the small boy inside. She carefully nudged the boy, speaking in a soft tone, "Johnny, it's time to get up." 

Johnny woke up, rubbing his eyes, he sat up and signed, "Good morning Hermia," he stretched, "Is it breakfast yet?" Hermia nodded, helping Johnny up from his hammock so he could get dressed. Now that Johnny was settled, Hermia went back to her hammock, starting to take her clothes off the hooks. 

She pulled on her coat, placing her journal, pen, and ink in her inner pocket. She bolted to the mess hall, finding a place at the table next to Johnny.  She watched as the others filed into the mess hall, Darwin, the quartermaster, coughing after shouting so much. He slumped down at the table, sitting across from Hermia.