Wicked Sea

Chapter 5

Besse sat up coughing harshly until water spilled out her mouth. She clutched her chest as she gasped for breath, trying to remember what happened.

When her breathing got under control, she looked around her.

She was laying in the sand, next to a small port. Several ships were docked while getting ready for departure. Or, perhaps, needing a break from the sea.

The sea could drive a man mad if there were no breaks from it.

Feeling completely out of sorts, Besse sat in the sand until her head had cleared and the sun had chased away the last bits of cold that was plaguing her.

That was when her memories finally came back.

Her Sea God had left her in the rising water in the small brig where he and his Kraken had their fun with her.

She knew she should feel betrayed. Hurt. Angry.

But all she felt was determination in seeing him again.

He had called her 'love'. Though the nickname for most was just that, a nickname, to her it felt like more. Especially how he had said with such conviction and such sadness when he had departed. And beyond that, he must have helped get her out of the sinking ship after she lost consciousness. There was no way she would have been able to get out the brig with rising water without help.

Which meant he wanted her to live.

Standing up, Besse remembered her clothes had been torn off, but when she looked down, new clothes adorned her body.

A white tunic, form fitting pants, a sash and a small pouch wrapped around her waist. She felt something against her lower back, so she reached into her pants to pull out Captain Craw's flint pistol.

Ruined from the water, but Besse figured she might be able to restore it.

She shoved it back into her pants and looked inside the pouch.

Many gold doubloons clinked together as she examined the money, too shocked to utter a word.

Besse lifted her head to look out to the sea, half expecting to see her Sea God watching her. But there was nothing other than the dark blue ocean that reminded her so much of his eyes. The eyes that were so full of lust and love that she knew what she had to do.

With new found confidence, she set out to the port.

For how small it was, it was a busy place.

Admirals and their soldiers were coming and going, whores sitting on poles shouting out prices and giving those interested a little peek under their skirt, merchants yelling about their wares, and the small town people walking about to watch the bustle.

Besse was not interested in any of them. She stood on the balls of her feet trying to look over the crowd.

She scanned the people until she spotted what she was looking for.

A dirty lad that was trying to look normal, but was actually quite suspicious. When he thought no one was looking, he pickpocketed a woman overlooking some silks at a stall.

Besse smiled.

She made her way over to the lad, pushing people out of her way so she would not lose him in the growing crowd.

When she reached him, the lad did a double take of her. His eyes wandered over her outfit that was covered in sand, and in some areas still wet, before meeting her eyes.

"Ye know," Besse began, putting her hands on her hips. "Ye be caught if ye 're not careful. I could see ye grab that spoil from a mile away."

The lad lowered his eyes sheepishly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Where yer Cap'n?" She asked, deciding he was too skittish and needed to be upfront with him before he took off.

Raising his eyes, he opened his mouth.

"Finnie! Where ye be? We need ta leave this wretched town! Ta whores 're uglier than me dog's arse!" A guff voice yelled out.

"Hey Fuck ya!" one of the whores yelled out.

Finnie blushed. He lifted his chin in the direction of the man yelling before taking off, not looking back to see if Besse was following.

She was.

As they walked the dock, Besse took in the massive pirate ship that had looked similar to the one she was on before.

Too engrossed in the ship, and feeling an overwhelming sense of deja vu, she did not notice the lad stop until she ran into him.

"Oi!" she yelled out, grabbing Finnie by the shoulder to steady herself and him.

"Who ta fuck be this?"

Besse looked at the man in front of her, and sighed.

Another big bellied, black and gray bearded man with wrinkles and leathery skin.

Just like Captain Craw.

"The name is Besse," she held out her hand.

The man looked at her hands. He saw the calluses and nearly healed wounds on them and nodded in approval before grasping her hand.

"Captain Wycliff. What'd I do fer ye?"

Besse lifted her chin in confidence.

"I want ta join yer crew. I was on Cap'n Craw's crew before it sunk by a nasty storm," She glanced out at the sea before looking back at Captain Wycliff.

"Women are bad omens. That be why Craw's ship sunk. I ain't letting that happen to me ship," he hacked up a loogie and spat it near Besse's feet, then started to turn away. Besse rolled her eyes at the attempted display of male dominance, and quickly grabbed his arm while digging her nails into his skin.

"It be their fault. I called upon the Sea God to save me from their torture. He answered," she let go of his arm. "I have the Sea God on me side. The truth be in the fact I survived and no one else did."

The Captain looked skeptical until she stepped closer to him and leaned up to get closer to his ear.

"So if ye don want yer ship and crew to be sunk, ye best take me with ye," she whispered harshly.

When she leaned back she knew she had him. Pirates and their suppositions always got the best of them. Anger was in his eyes, but a flash of fear was evident to only her as he grinded his teeth.

"Go on. Get on ta ship, I will inform ta crew. Do not expect them to be warm ta ya," He warned.

Besse walked past him and a shocked Finnie.

"Aye. Would never expect it."

When she made it onto the ship, and after the introductions that held many angry outcries, Besse stood at the forecastle deck, staring out at the sea.

She smiled as she saw the waves rise and fall dramatically, as if the Sea God was warning her to stay away.

I will get me kiss, she thought while licking her lips. And, hopefully, more.