As A Stranger Or A Friend?: The Swallow And The Drowned Sailor

Fay - 16 Morning Star, 1246 A.D.

"Wilkes, you're crushing me—!" I wheezed as I struggled to push him off me.

He mumbled something in his sleep and rolled off the bed, landing on the ground of the captain's quarters with a painful groan.

I chuckled softly and got to my feet, plucking my discarded nightdress from the ground. I walked across the room with it in hand, stopping to grimace at the state of my hips in the mirror.

"You're always such a brute with me..." I grumbled.

"I can't help it..." He sighed as he got on his feet, stretching and this time letting out a satisfied groan as the bones from the tip of his tail to the top of his spine popped.

I shuddered. "What are you?"

"Yours. Regrettably." He said with a sly wink.

I laughed as I dressed. "Aren't you supposed to be minding the wheel or something, Quartermaster?"

"I was busy minding your wheels on your command, sir. I am a man of many talents, but even I cannot be in two places at once." He snickered as he approached me in a state of half-dress.

"Enough." I said with a playful frown, pushing his face away from mine.

"Aye, aye, Captain." He said with a mock salute, then swooped in quickly to kiss the side of my head.

I shoved him once more, and with that, he took his leave, shutting the door behind him.

"Aye, aye, Captain..." I mocked quietly to myself as I laced up my trousers and stepped into my boots.

"I just love watchin' ye do yer walk o' shame, Quartermaster. Give us a turn. Go on." I heard Fostra's muffled voice say to him from somewhere further down the corridor.

I rolled my eyes and smiled, listening to her and Nanit catcall him as he presumably gave them some show. Unfortunately, he was all too aware of his own aesthetics and took every opportunity to put himself on display.

"Captain, be ye decent, or will ye be givin' us a show too?" Nanit called from the other side of the door.

"Very funny!" I called back as I finished tucking in my shirt and securing my belt.

I opened the door to see both women standing there with Wilkes not too far off.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked him.

"Come now. You like looking at me." He said with a wink before dutifully departing.

"Why did I marry him?" I mused with a deflated sigh.

"Because ye be weak in the knees for a pretty face?" Mila called out as she made her way down the corridor towards us, trailed by Cherry Pie, who wore a sly smile.

"Tread lightly." I warned goodnaturedly, to which they snickered but became a touch more composed, "Where is the First Mate?"

"Be 'ere right soon. She been seein' ta matters o' liferaft repair." Cherry Pie responded.

"Well, there might not be anyone worth saving if everyone turns up as smart as the lot of you have this morning." I said with a frown before further opening the door to let them in.

They all became markedly more serious and filed in past me to take their seats around my desk.

"Where are we with tracking Mar-Dur? I gave him bodies, and he owes me gold. I'm getting tired of waiting on him." I asked as I shut the door and took my seat.

"'Haps we end 'im an' 'is an' take it all, 'stead o' waitin' on 'im." Mila suggested as she cleaned her nails with a small knife.

I frowned. "That's not what I asked. Anyone else?"