Golden Waters

Chapter 11

Written by: Fench

Edited by: Toasy

Chapter 11

God it's been so long I'm so so so sorry!
This chapter fought me every step of the way but I was determined to finish it.

I hope you guys are still there-

Psst I recommend listening to the song above during this chapter, especially from the moment Archer leaves the deck >:)

♡ '･ᴗ･ '♡

"How many times have I told you to come straight to me if you're hurt, honey?" Vallora sighed as she applied some sort of medical ointment on his battered hands. "Imagine if they got infected."

"I wanted to give you two some time together." Archer glanced at Seàn, who was still sitting on one of the beds. The man in question shook his head with a small smile on his face. "It wasn't that bad, so I figured it could wait for a little while."

Vallora scoffed and rewrapped his hands in bandages, tugging a little too hard. Archer yelped, then huffed a laugh. "I guess I deserve that." He turned to Seàn, furrowing his eyebrows. "How are you feeling?"

The Quartermaster beamed. "Never better, Cap'n! I bet ya I can run two laps around ta ship, easily!"

"I wouldn't do that just yet love, you need at least a couple of days off." Vallora said sternly, crossing her arms.

"I was just jokin'!"

Archer chuckled, but didn't interject, content to just listen to his friend's banter. He let himself relax, leaning back into his uncomfortable wooden chair. The worries of the last few days, Seàn's injury, the leak, Evera's inability to accept him, they all fell away. The weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter, a little more bearable.

The exhaustion he'd been pushing back so stubbornly seeped into his muscles. Seàn and Vallora's voices became soothing background noises as his eyelids sagged.

Then, quickly as the relaxation had come, it disappeared. A crewmate barreled through the door, skidding to a halt as soon as she took in the scene before him. Archer shot up, reaching for a sword that wasn't on his belt. He shook his head to clear it and blinked, frowning at the woman standing awkwardly in front of the door.

"What's going on?" He asked, slowly piecing his armor back together. He grabbed his sword from where it had slid down onto the floor and hung it back on his belt. The short moment of peace had been nice, but there was work to be done.

"Sorry for interrupting Captain!" She rubbed her neck sheepishly. "But we think the mermaids are back, though we can't figure out what they're warning us about."

He exchanged looks with Seàn and Vallora, seeking confirmation that they'd be alright for now. They both nodded and Vallora got up to usher him out of the room.

Following the woman up the stairs to the deck, he prepared himself for the worst. Once upstairs, he leaned over the railing to get a better look at the mermaids.

Now, Archer usually prided himself on his instincts. It had gotten them out of many bad situations, sometimes with seconds to spare. Years at sea had granted him the ability to see when danger was lurking down in the water or up in the sky. It was, in his opinion, one of his best qualities and had definitely been a factor in his advancement to captain.

And yet, his instincts were strangely absent in this moment. There were no alarm bells ringing in his head to warn him of dangers to come, but, equally, there was no feeling of relative safety either. He had no idea if the mermaids were a good or bad sign, which was in itself a sign.