To Tame A Beast

A Chance Encounter

         What would life be like if we had no courage to attempt anything?
    -Vincent van Gogh
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     Brush strokes flew across the canvas furiously as Lana painted a portrait of the young couple who posed before her. She gathered they had newly begun courting with how engrossed in the other they seemed to be. The salty breeze of the island kicked up, blowing the woman's hair, whose strands mimicked the golden rays of the run; she gasped, moving to push her hair down.

"Don't move!" Lana barked, filled with new inspiration. She quickly changed course, painting the woman's wild hair that was wind blown behind her. Her eyes and hands darted so fast that the gathered crowd had difficulty following her movements with their eyes. Finally, Lana signed her name at the bottom right corner of the canvas. With a huff, she set her paintbrush down, wiping the sweat that beaded her forehead with the back of her hand. She picked up the canvas inspecting her work, nodding, impressed with her creation. Lana turned the canvas around to show the couple; the woman gasped, taking it from her tenderly as if cradling an infant.

"It's beautiful, Miss! Oh, look, Dear! It feels as if you can see the wind blowing!" She squealed with excitement. 

            It warmed Lana's heart to provide a piece of art they would cherish for a long time, and she had made sure to pay special attention to mirroring the affection he held for his new bride in his eyes on the canvas.

"Here you are. I know you were only charging 18,000 berries initially, but considering how happy my love is, here's 22,000." The man announced, slapping a stack of bills in her hand."Sir! You are too kind, thank you!" She smiled, stuffing the money in her bag quickly before he came to his senses.

       She smiled, watching the two of them walk away as the woman continued to gush over the painting; Lana wished them a long and happy life together. She felt a twinge of pain in her chest as the memory of her parents flashed in her mind; her father used to look at her mother the same way. She pushed the sad memory from her mind moving to pack up her supplies, she had been sitting there since sunrise, and her stomach protested loudly.

"Hey, girl!" A tall, husky man whistled at her from across the road, stomping towards her; his clothes were disheveled and dirty. Tagging behind him were two lanky men dressed in similar attire; when he stopped in front of her, she noticed he towered over her.

"Yes?" She asked hesitantly, nervous about how they seemed to circle her.

"You see, I'm the Captain of a ship over at the docks," he jammed his thumb behind him in the direction he referred to, "I wouldn't mind a portrait of myself to hang in my quarters." He explained, pulling a flask from under his vest, taking a large swig, and letting out an obnoxious belch. Lana grimaced, wiping his spit from her face, trying to hide her look of disgust.

"I see; well, I'm closed for lunch now. I apologize." She said to him, not feeling sorry at all.

"No matter, We'll come back later then." He chuckled, turning on his heel to walk away.He looked back at her over his shoulder, inspecting her body. 

       He then leaned toward one of the men accompanying him and whispered something she couldn't hear. Lana shivered, his gaze sending a shiver up her spine; something felt off about him. Slinging her backpack easel over her shoulder, she picked up the bag with her art supplies with her other hand making her way towards her favorite place to dine. The cobblestone roads were bustling with people today, and stalls selling various goods lined the streets. During the warm months, they received a lot of visitors since they were a safe midpoint from one island to the next. In addition, the Navy frequented here quite often, so pirates attempting to stir up trouble were few and far between. Rounding the corner, she inhaled the familiar scent of cooked meat, signaling she was approaching the tavern.