Sham of the Sea

Chapter 2

Y/N awoke to the thumps of heavy boots on wooden planks and raucous female voices growing closer. For a long, confused moment, she stayed where she had sprawled on the uncomfortable ground and blinked herself awake.

She remembered getting knocked down; remembered her task and why she came to the merchant ship.

However, she found herself in some cell now, and the ground beneath her swayed precariously. With a silent curse, she turned around to lift her hands to the injury at her head. Her skull hurt upon pressure and dried blood caked her hair, but apart from that, she seemed fine. The hit had been not as powerful as she had expected.

Y/N lifted her head as two women stepped into her vision and halted in front of the iron bars between her and the path outside. Her stomach churned at their sight.

So far, Y/N had hoped there had been some misunderstanding, some accident, and she could go home as soon as she woke up. But these two savage-looking women didn't rouse any trust in her.

One of the two was the fellow who knocked her out. The woman was tall, and her dark eyes exuded a coldness that caused Y/N to lean back from her on instinct.

The women wore a sleeveless grey vest with black singlet underneath, some brownish pants that had been mended countless times and crusty leather boots. Her fiery straight long red hair stood out in the dim darkness of the swaying room.

The other girl disclosed everything about their preoccupation. She had a devious smirk lazily playing around her lips that were adorned with a silver piercing underneath her lower one. The jewellery had the shape of a snake that curled around her lower lip. The sight alone made Y/N incredibly uncomfortable. Her hair was long and done into blonde and black dreadlocks held back by a red hairband, and further pulled up into a ponytail. Her all-black clothing melted into the darkness apart from the mismatched red sash wrapped around her hips. A polished cutlass dangled from the piece of cloth.

Y/N was done for.

"Ahoy, landlubber. Care to explain your sweet visit to us?" The smaller woman with pale skin addressed Y/N. Her hooded eyes glinted with sinister thoughts.

Y/N swallowed. She glanced at the other woman, not knowing what kind of explanation she gave already.

Her hesitance got mistaken for fear. Both women chuckled at Y/N, full of mockery.

"Still cannot believe ye just forgot I'm here. Captain will be angry." Dreadlocks grinned up at the other woman, who just drew her brows together while her eyes never left Y/N's face.

Y/N shifted, not understanding the drawl of the pierced woman's tongue.

"What did ye want on this ship, pretty face? Ye know ye be shark bait soon if ye do not answer. We be the nice ones here."

Y/N's every muscle was clenched in fear, and her panicking brain had difficulties comprehending her. The pirate. They were pirates.

"I wanted... To deliver something. But I got on the wrong ship." Y/N was sweating by now, wracking her head for some way out. She had no possessions to promise them, nothing to keep her alive. Even the truth sounded like a feeble excuse.

The one talking grabbed the bars between them. Her fingers were adorned by heavy rings and clanged noisily against the metal. With rapt attention, she stared at Y/N. Like an animal under that glinting stare in a murderous face, Y/N cowered in her corner.