Midnight (DISCONTINUED, INCOMPLETE)

15 || The Pirate's Life for Me

"Willow, I'm really not sure about this."

Willow waved off her protest. They were climbing back up to the floor above them. It was the first time she was able to get the protest out. Ash had only been able to stare in her shocked state as Willow shoved any clothes back into the crates – included the dreaded gown from Sabin – and sheathed her knife. Reason had only started to catch up to her when Willow managed to drag her along to the first wrung of the ladder.

"Well, I am very sure about this. You're on the sea now, Ash, and you're a pirate. You never know when you will need to know how to fight."

Ash groped in her mind for any reason better than I'm not a fighter as they ascended the rest of the way. There was nothing. Willow's statement had a scary amount of accuracy to it, and it left Ash very little room to argue.

You're the bright one who thought joining pirates was a good idea. Ash's inner voice didn't help. All she could think to do what dejectedly follow Willow toward the pirate crew living quarters and hope someone could steer Willow off her mindset.

Willow stepped in front of the right door and knocked. "Any lads indecent?" she called over her knocks.

The door opened in the midst of Willow's knock, and she just barely stopped her knuckles from rapping against someone's smirking face. "Only in dreams, Will," he said.

The young man in the doorway was clearly Carnell. His hair was more on the brown side than red, but he had the same emerald green eyes and high cheekbones as Willow. Both Willow's explanation of the curse and seeing Carnell face-to-face sent a jolt of realization through Ash. He had been the one on the deck with fire burning around his hand.

Willow stepped back from Carnell. "Then perhaps I wish I was dreaming. Just without you here," she said with a grin.

He rolled his eyes and stepped to the side. Willow walked into the men's living quarters. Ash hesitated outside the door. Even if the people in the room were decent, it was still the living area of men. So casually strolling into their quarters bordered on scandalous, especially for a lady soon to be wed.

"Oh, come on in, Ash," Willow said, reaching back into the hall and dragging her in. "It's only Carnell and Haylan in here."

Ash stumbled in. Willow only took a moment to steady her before stepping away. Ash gulped, fighting the need to send an accusatory glare in Willow's direction. Instead, she took in the room around her.

There were hammocks tied up to posts along the walls. Each section of hammocks had three in an upward line. Folded blankets and pillows set within them. A few crates were scattered across the floor, some with names carved into them. It was far cleaner than Ash would have expected.

A second person stood at one of the hammocks folding his blanket. She guessed he had to be Haylan. Whereas most of the guys she had seen on the crew were broad shouldered, muscled, or both, he was scrawny with very little muscle, if any. It was hard for Ash to place her age. He had a sort of baby face, but she had this sense he was older than she was.

Willow pulled Ash out of her observing by saying, "I believe introductions are in order." She gestured to Carnell. "Ash, this is Carnell, my younger brother."

Carnell nodded at her. "Welcome to the crew."

"Thank you," Ash said.

Next, Willow pointed to Haylan, not giving Ash time to say anything else to Carnell. "And that is Haylan, the healer of the ship."

Haylan smiled sheepishly, brushing away a strand of straw-colored hair. When his hand fell back, his shoulders remained hunched inward. "Hello, Ash. It is a pleasure to meet you." His voice had a certain lightness to it that matched his stature.