Threshing Floor

Black Clouds Gather

It didn't take long for that experiment to sour. Cesar came on board the Siren like a hurricane, a few drops of refreshing rain followed by a chaotic, punishing storm. One moment he could be charming and everyone's friend but the next moment the winds would change direction and no one was safe from his criticism. And, Gods!, the jealousy. The light, easy flirtatious manner that she had always addressed her crew with drove him into moody fits of esuspicion. Besides chilling the camaraderie she enjoyed with the crew, it was just a headache that she really didn't need right now. He had contributed in a meaningful way to the bottom line of the ship's maintenance, he had access to coin that she had been lacking. Unlike the other pirate captains that sailed out of the Bay, Sarah Fortune had morals. She refused to profit from the suffering of others and did not attack the rich merchant vessels that plied the shipping lanes of the Guardian's Sea. That often left her accounts lacking needed funds and even if Cesar was far too willing to risk his coin in risky wagers, he was generous enough when it came to supporting ship and crew. If only he didn't expect more authority on the ship as a result. Sarah was convinced that eventually he would be satisfied with nothing less than full control of the Siren and it's crew, leaving her as First Mate at best. At worst, she would become nothing more than bed warmer to the de facto Captain. It would be her ship....but not her ship. She shivered at the thought. The dark shape in the bed next to her snorted and rolled over next to her just in time to catch the tail end of that shiver and immediately took it for a shiver of anticipation.
"Can't sleep, beautiful?" Cesar purred, his hot breath blew across her cheek, still smelling faintly of the rather large goblet of rum he had enjoyed before bed. "We could take advantage of the last hour left before sunrise,hmm"
She rolled her eyes silently but slid a hand up his abdomen to his chest. "Why not, love," she said. "It's too late for me to go back to sleep anyway." She wasn't really feeling amorous this morning but he was and if she rejected him, he would be uncooperative all day long. There was reason to believe she needed every member of her crew at peak performance today. Besides, it would probably only take 5 minutes anyway and the early morning sun just starting to paint the eastern sky would give her a good excuse to exit the bed gracefully at the first opportunity.
It never ceased to surprise her how little it took from her for him to kick into high gear. He had never forced himself on her but at the first sign of encouragement, he was all hands and hips and heavy breathing. He wasn't exactly unskilled and at least according to him he was definitely not inexperienced but neither was she about to surrender the titles "Shock and Awe" to him. He bit her ear a little harder than was strictly necessary, which she actually kind of liked, and she felt her body starting to respond to his attention.....and then it was over.
"Thanks, love," she whispered in his ear, "I can't think of a better way to start the day. Be a dear and give me 5 minutes in the washroom before you get out of bed. Ok?"
She rolled out of bed as he mumbled something unintelligible and walked across the finely woven rugs to the darkly stained door. Even sated, she could swear she could still feel his gaze follow her as she walked. That always amused her and she turned away slightly so he couldn't see the corners of her mouth raise in a tiny smirk.
"Enough, woman," she scolded herself, "there is business to take care of."
She quickly wiped herself down with the embroidered cloth and perfumed water that was always at hand in the small basin and dried off with a thick, soft towel of the darkest scarlett. It was clean at the moment, but she could remember days when the color had hidden the blood of her enemies after a pitched battle. She couldn't shake the premonition that similar times were fast approaching again. The dark mood deepened as she dressed in a new navy blue and gold waistcoat. The tricorn hat completed the look and the mirror told her it was time to greet the crew for the day.
She tended to stay barefoot while on the ship and relished the feeling of the time worn planks under her feet and this morning was no different. What was different was the sight that greeted her as she turned to survey the horizon. Jet black sails topped with Noxian battle ensigns dotted the view from rocky point to rocky point that framed the entrance to the Bay. She spun around to find the harbor in a storm of activity as some ships were preparing to fight and others were more likely trying to flee. Cesar walked out of the Captains quarters and his jaw dropped for the briefest moment before he began barking orders to the crew to drum general quarters and prepare for battle. Several that were primarily loyal to him lept into action while the rest nervously looked to their actual captain for confirmation. She nodded tersely, simultaneously annoyed at his presumption of her command and gratitude for the quick action that was so obviously needed.
As she stalked across the battle deck, checking the crews preparations and smiling encouragement to her men, she noticed a new face among the crew. He stood out because, unlike everyone else who were frantically tying down loose crates, stacking cannon balls, and bringing up barrels of gunpowder, he was sitting quietly mid deck and staring into the sky as his hands worked at neatly coiling an extra length of rope that wasn't currently being used. She looked at this curiosity for several heartbeats before she realized that the man was blind. She didn't remember recruiting a blind man to her crew. Where had he come from? What did someone think he could contribute to the operation of her ship to bring him on board? What was it about him that seemed so familiar?
And then there was no more time for extraneous thoughts as shots began to thunder into the skies from the invading ships and were answered from the defenders. The gathering menace she had been sensing for months was here.
It was time to fight.