May the Wellerman Come

☆Chapter Eight: Memories Fade☆

*3 Months Later*

September 10, 1650 @ 11:03A

I grab his arm and he shrugs it off. "Rowan, baby, I-" "I what? It's always I, I, I, I. You don't care about nobody really but yourself, Ash. I love you, but I can't keep going like this. You're just too selfish." "Are you...are you breaking up with me?" I ask as he nods "Yeah...I guess I am. I'm tired of having to prove myself to you." He says as he then turns and keeps walking "Rowan! Rowan Grant, get over here!!" I shout but he just keeps walking. Everything turns to black and I scream for help, but no answer comes.

I gasp and open my eyes instantly to see the wooden ceiling above me. I sigh and begin to relax as I look at my stomach; that's grown a bit. I feel an arm cover me just above my breasts and I look over to my right to see a sleeping Rowan, his eyepatch is gone and I can see the closed eye that has a reddish purple scar across the skin.  I blink and hold his hand lightly. That dream...why is it so familiar? I just don't even feel like myself anymore "Madainn mhath, Lassie." Rowan greets sleepily as I look over and smile "Good mornin'." I greet back as he smiles and sits up "We be a-headin' ta Port Royal wit'in thirty days. But we's passin' by England." He says as he stretches and puts his right hand on my belly. "I won't let anyone hurt ya." He says as I smile "Alright, but how will Reid react?" I ask, Rowan now gives me a puzzled look. Did I say something? "Lassie, Reid is fine. He be pretty jolly ta have a child." He says with a cute smile, I blink "But...but he was shocked yesterday." I say, a bit shocked at what I'm hearing "Lassie, maybe dis baby makin' ya lose it. That was a few months ago, Da crew has been pretty prepped up now." He says "A few months?! The heck?!" I ask as I sit up, Rowan chuckles "Ye must have been a-dreamin', Lassie. Now, let's go 'cause I'm sure yous hungry." He says as I sigh and try to stand up; but it's kind of hard when you have a huge belly in the way. Rowan watches me with a boyish grin and I growl at him "Well, help a brother out, will ya?" I snap, Rowan looks taken aback but helps me up gently. He grabs an eyepatch off the shelf next to the bed and puts it on the eye he no longer has. I cradle my belly as he grabs my right hand with his left and we leave the cabin. We walk up from all the hammocks and I see everyone talking and eating what looks to be fish. I feel myself becoming ill and I run from him to "feed the fish" as the crew says. After I get done I see Rowan got me some bread and a carrot "I see I'm vegan today." I say as Rowan arches his brow "Huh?" He asks as I roll my eyes "I don't eat meat." "I know, that's why I gotcha dis." He replies, I shake my head and take the food "So, what all happened these few months? Because apparently I can't remember." I say as I take a bite out of the bread. Rowan leans back against the wood "Well, we was worried about Reid. Reid turned out ta be fine with da baby. And now we's headin' ta Port Royal." He says "What's Port Royal?" I ask with my mouth full; nobody has manners aboard the Night Soul. Rowan looks at me "Port Royal be in Jamaica, Lassie. It be where all us pirates go ta enjoy ourselves." He says as he takes a bite out of the fish in his left hand "I'm not a pirate." I say with my arms crossed, Rowan lets out a small laugh "Lassie, you on a pirate ship, yor wit a pirate, and yor carryin' a pirate's offspring. Yer a pirate, Alice." He retorts cockily as I sigh "Well, what will we do once this baby is born? Will we just stay on the ship?" I ask as he nods "I don't see why not. I'll become a Cap'n an' you'd be wit me." He says as I shake my head "What if the baby's a girl, Rowan? What then?" I ask.

I blink as I look over to see some of the crew beginning to sing. Rowan pays no mind to it "Then she'll still be Cap'n aboard de Night Soul, Lassie. It'll be me heir." He says cheerfully. I sigh "So we're raising a baby on the ship?" I ask as he smiles and nods. I walk from him with my plate and toss it into the ocean below; how I wish I could swim away to back home, wherever that is "Lassie, ya alright?" I turn to my left to see Reid standing next to me with a smile full of rotten teeth. I fake a smile "I couldn't be better." I say as Reid nods "Look, Lassie, I know yer, uh, stirrin' an' uptight. I'm fine wit it, 'sides, I always wanted to be a Seanair." He says with a light chuckle, he now looks up past me and sighs. "At least we ain't goin' there." He says with a shake of his head. Confused, I turn around and see what he is talking about; there are ten corpses hanging from what looks to be a fence above, some already look skeletal, while the others look rotten and slowly decaying in the exposure, there is one fresh one, a female...she is dangling in the middle. At the bottom of these bodies is a sign written in bold letters "PIRATES SHALL HANG". I hear footsteps to the right of me and before I can look away from the macabre scene a hand comes over my eyes "Athair, she don't need ta look at dat." Rowan scolds as I feel us move away from the side of the boat. He uncovers my eyes and gives me a sympathetic look. "It's okay, Lassie. We'll be passin'. I know that be hard ta see." He says, I feel hot tears begin to pour down my cheeks "I just wanna go home." I cry as Rowan puts his left hand on my cheek "Just look at me, Lassie. It'll be alright. We ain't goin' ta dat town." He says quietly as he kisses my forehead gently "Rowan, why...? I'm so scared." I cry before clinging onto him tightly; his body tenses as I begin to sob into his chest. Rowan slowly wraps his arms around me "Why what, Lassie?" He asks slowly as I move away from him and look up at his face; his eye looks down at me with a soft look as my breath hitches "I just...I don't understand why I'm here, I don't belong here at all. My name isn't Alice it's..." I pause before looking away from him. "What was my name...? Oh no, I can't remember! Rowan, I can't remember!" I sob as Rowan's eye widens and he grabs me by the shoulders "Lassie, it's okay!" He exclaims as I breathe heavily "Please...don't leave me again, Rowan." I say, Rowan looks so confused before hugging me tightly "I ain't gon' leave, Lassie. I'm right 'ere wit ya." He says as I look up "How do I know?" I ask as he chuckles "Lassie, I've been a-wantin' ta do this fer ya. Been wantin' it ta be a surprise 'til da babe be born. But, now, here it is." He breathes before grabbing my hands in his own, I look up at him; unaware of what is happening. "Alice, yer the best thing that's eva happened ta me. I, I never thought I'd find a love at all, jus' me an' me crew right. But that day I saw ya, changed my life...will ya join me hand in marriage?" He asks, my eyes widen as I feel the baby kick. What the absolute heck?

~End~

AN: Yes, I know it might be shorter.  But if anyone feels uncomfortable, keep in mind this is 1650, and the legal age of consent and marriage is 12 in girls and 14 in boys. I don't know if anyone is concerned or not but they are of age in this timeline. All it takes is a Google search, and I researched every law from 1650 before even writing this book. I figured I could reassure some people. Have a blessed day!