Airie

Chapter 22

From the bridge deck, Dusan watched the sailors who bathed on the deck below, using the water that had been gathered in buckets during the latest rain. It probably felt good, rinsing the ever-present salt from their bodies. Dusan had been bathing and washing his clothes only in salty water, which irritated his skin as much as cleaned it, yet allowed him—and Reijo—to wash separately from the others. He could perhaps join the sailors who were now turning the main deck into a big puddle, but then Reijo would demand to join in, too, and that was out of the question. Reijo was too unaware of how he looked naked and what effect it could have on the men around. Amongst the rough, tanned bodies, Reijo's tender skin and slim frame would make him look too much like a woman, and resembling a woman on a ship full of horny sailors was a bad idea.

He could see Reijo at the edge of the crowd now, laughing and making quick escapes when one or another of the sailors sprayed him with water. Dusan didn't like him mingling with the crew, but that couldn't be avoided. Perhaps him making a few friends was a good thing. As much as Dusan tried to keep an eye on him, it was impossible to watch him all the time. Perhaps new friends could protect him when Dusan wasn't around.

Some of the sailors considered Dusan's constant presence next to Reijo amusing, others didn't even try to hide their annoyance. He wondered if he might get ambushed one night and thrown overboard by some of the men, and he tried to not leave the sleeping quarters after dark. He didn't want to even imagine what awaited Reijo without his protection. Together with his sea-sickness, this constant state of high alert had been wearing him off.

"I see your boy is fitting in nicely," Dusan heard, and then Captain Evander stopped next to him, leaning on the deck's railing. "You don't need to watch him so closely."

"I wish you were right," Dusan said.

Below them, one of the sailors now chased Reijo with a soaked sponge. As he caught up with his target, he slapped the sponge across Reijo's back, wetting his shirt, before catching him in a lock. He raised struggling Reijo above the floor. They both laughed, as did the others around them, yet Dusan's fingers tightened .on the railing. If he knew this trip would be like this, he would have found another way to travel.

"What is he?" said Evender.

Dusan gave him a startled glance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what is he to you?" Evander said. "You're too protective of him for just a friend, and you don't look like relatives. Lovers?"

"No," said Dusan.

Evander hummed, looking unconvinced, then returned his gaze to the scene below. Reijo had already been released and stood on the outskirts of the crowd. Another man approached him, and Reijo escaped and began to climb the main mast. He had become quite adept at climbing, performing all kinds of tasks Evander had been giving him that took him high above the deck.

"He is good at predicting weather," Evander said musingly. "Didn't miss once in these two weeks. Makes him... special."

"Yes," Dusan muttered, unsure there the captain was heading with this.