Waves of Ruin

Chapter 15

We are a day from Greystone. The crew prepares to go up north after this stop. It's not uncommon for merchant ships to go up that way, but it's very unusual for a strange man to do choose to do so. We have gone up there a couple time, taking the necessities to the families that live there, but then we immediately leave. There is nothing to do but freeze to death. Those who live there are few and far between. However they still need supplies, so we make the journey.

I push the thought of Atlas from my head. The thoughts of him choosing to live where the sun barley shines and the snow never melts. Not wanting to ruin my first moments of calm these last few days.

When I arrive to the deck my crew is lined up near the edge. Then I hear a boom. My heart drops. But no one around me seems to care. I rush past everyone and see what caused the noise. Cianna has shot one of the cannons, her guns ready to be used.

My heart starts beating again, breathes coming back to a normal rhythm. Cianna loves target practice, and because we are still a day from port, she is clear to do so. I'm not quite sure why I assumed something different.

I walk over to her, but don't attract her attention. She fires again, shoot at something they threw in the ocean. She hits her target perfectly, the crowd that is gathered cheers and yells. I even clap for her. This is when she sees me. Her face blushes a bit and she rushes over.

"Captain I'm so sorry, normally I would ask but Atlas said I couldn't shoot a small piece of wood 50 paces off, so of course I had to prove him wrong." She says, triumph still in her tone.

"No it's okay. However, if you have failed to prove him wrong" I say with a smile, "Then we will have a problem."

Her smile beams. "Of course I won, who do you think I am, I never lose." She assures me, though after hearing the cheers of the crowd, I already knew the outcome.

Atlas comes up to us. He looks from me to Cianna, then must decide on her. "Job well done. Though it was a little off... but there is always time to improve that." He smirks at her.

She punches his arm and laughs. "I would like to see you try to do better."

He quirks his head at her. "Well, I'm sure that could be arranged, however I don't think I would be allowed to." He finally looks to me.

I'm not sure why, but my chest heats. Watching them talk this way, flirt, it make me feel something I didn't know was there. I thought I was the only one he talked to that way. Atlas coughs. Damn, I forgot he asked me something. "Uh...oh um no you can't. Only the gunner can, sorry." I say, stumbling back into reality and away from my distracting thoughts.

He looks at her again and shrugs, completely forgetting about me. And there is that feeling again. Like a machine is squeezing my heart, sending messages in my brain that I should be angry or outraged by this change in attention. However, my brain fights back. Deciding I can't watch this anymore for my own sanity, I leave to go sit by the opposite railing.

The breeze has a cold bite to it, chilling my warmed heart. Calming me down. Truth is I don't think I have ever felt jealous before, at least not in terms of a guy, not even with Nathene who was always flirting with other girls. The waves leap up to touch my dangling feet. Slamming against the boat in hopes of disrupting the intruder that is my ship in it's vast home.

Cas sits next to me. Settling down and staring into the horizon, it's still pretty early but the sun has risen to a blazing height above us. He nudges me, asking me to look at him without having to actually say it.

"You know brooding by yourself isn't going to stop your feelings." He says.

In defense I cross my arms. "What feelings? I don't have feelings for Atlas."