The Pirate's Legacy: New Beginnings

Chapter 7: A Tale of Two Gods

A shadow eclipsed Em's sun-warmed back. She was on all fours scrubbing the main deck. She'd been reintroduced to the tedious deckhand chore shortly after the last strand of her stitches dissolved. At least she wasn't the lone swabbie anymore. The Jolly Roger was a much larger vessel, and therefore it needed more care. There were others, such as the Twins, doing the same job so that there was less of a chance for her to overtax herself. Although by now, Em felt thoroughly annoyed with the constant maintenance. The ship would always be dirty in her opinion.

Em looked over her shoulder and saw Michael standing behind her. They hadn't spoken since she knocked him to the floor in the mess hall, not even when he was mocked in front of her by his crewmates thereafter. She stood up and faced him. The wet rag in her hand shook.

"What do you want?"

The young man rubbed the back of his neck. "Look," he began, choosing his words with care. "I think we got on the wrong foot after I saved you from Pontius." Em shivered as if the name contained a curse. "I apologize if what I said before gave you the wrong impression."

Michael took a deep breath. "I was a slave once, too."

For the first time since he'd approached her, Em met his eyes, or at least tried to. "You...were?"

"A long time ago."

The furrow in his brow and the brightness in his blue eyes was proof that what he said was true. And it still caused him pain to remember.

Em rapidly blinked away a familiar sting in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Michael waved it away. He had a kind nature and didn't tend to dwell on his past for long. He held out his hand to her. "Can we start over on a new page?" he asked, giving her a small smile.

There was a long, tense pause. Em took a deep breath and grabbed his hand with her free one. She didn't return his smile but felt inwardly relieved that she finally found someone who could relate to her past two months' hellish ordeal. She still hated that he was a pirate, but at least she felt a little less alone than she'd been since her kidnapping. Her eyes traveled awkwardly to the ear with which her fist had contacted. He'd been slightly deaf on that side for a few days after. The captain had grilled his first mate about the injury, but Michael had balked at giving up Em as the source.

He touched his ear when he saw her eyes upon it. "It's fine now. But just in case, I wouldn't brag about getting one on me in front of the captain or else he'll be after your head for ruining my lovely matching pair of ears."

Em let a faint smile touch the corners of her lips. She looked at his face again but noticed his blue eyes were looking past her head.

"Leave her alone," Michael warned suddenly.

Em felt hands on her waist, and then she was grabbed from behind and yanked backward. Her back hit a broad chest. She screamed. The rag splattered on the floor.

"Let her down!" ordered the first mate.

The pirate holding Em was hairy. He was one of the more undisciplined men that the Pirate King had picked up during his travels since losing sailors to the sea goddess Calypso was very common among pirate crews. Michael drew his cutlass and pointed the sharp end at the man's head.

"Why ye gotta be pointin' that, eh?" the subordinate said. "I be just havin' a bit o' fun! I miss the feel o' a woman."

"Let her down," repeated Michael.

With a shrug that bobbed the girl up and down, Em was placed back on her feet. Michael grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. His cutlass was still trained on the subordinate.