The Golden Tether

Chapter 24: Out at sea

The sun was bearing down hard on the sailors busy working around the deck of the Dreamcatcher on various tasks. There was a bustling but jovial air to the activities, the tasks accompanied by good natured laughing, stories shared, and shanties being chanted. To one side of the main deck, close to the Captain's quarters, a more comfortable setup was allocated for the captain and her guests, with seats and pillows and rugs. This was where captain Fay had spent most of the day thus far entertaining the women she had picked up the previous night. After Freen and Becky failed to show up for dinner, food was saved for them all to enjoy at breakfast, which afterwards resolved to drinking and enjoying the company.

"So, no regrets yet?" Fay lifted her brows when her gaze shifted to Freen, who was lounging amongst some pillows against the cabin wall for shade. The two of them along with Ling had been reclining while watching Becky, Orm and May hanging over the side of the ship to catch the breeze and admire the view. They seemed alive with excitable chatter, and the beautiful sight set more than one swarm of butterflies free.

"Never." Freen gave her simple answer with a wide grin, focused on Becky with the wind in her hair. Freen had never seen anything more stunning than Becky in all of her natural and comfortable glory. Her chest swelled with pride, knowing Becky was hers for all to know and see. Freen knew a time would come where they would have to face the music, one way or another, but there was no way that included her giving up Becky. "I'd fight tooth and nail for her."

Fay snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well good, because I'd hate to find out I'm harbouring escapees for some frivolous physical relationship." This time it was Ling chuckling, seemingly having relaxed a considerable amount from the previous day. "I was there. Freen is definitely whipped..." She teased and her and Fay clinked their beer bottles together, giggling at Freen's expense.

"Hey hey now!" Freen protested and quickly tried to shift the spotlight from herself, immediately pointing at Ling. "I'd much rather know what happened last night with you two..." Freen gave Ling a devilish smirk, making sure the ex guard understood exactly what she was insinuating. Fay was fast to back Freen up with an encouraging whoop noise.

"What..uhh.. geez!" Ling spluttered, taken off guard at the swing in momentum. "You two are being such dudes right now..." She blushed a bright red, almost giving the impression of an intense sunburn on her cheeks. "So? Don't spoil the fun! At least give me something juicy in exchange for my hospitality!" Fay encouraged Ling to say more. At dinner the previous evening, Ling had caught Fay and May up on the broad details of how they came to board their ship and why. They had shared a few suggestive jokes about Freen and Becky's absence, but when Ling and Orm turned in for the evening, Fay and May had shared some knowing glances.

"I don't... I don't know... There's not much to say..." Ling sighed as she dipped her head down bashfully. "We just...hugged. Well...we held each other, for a long while..." Ling paused and took a few sips from her bottle, then her eyes settled back on Orm in the distance. "Then I gave her the bed and I slept on the chaise." Ling shrugged, but both Fay and Freen's jaws dropped and were quick to cry out in disbelief, accidentally drawing attention from the other three women who quickly glanced their way.

"Oh, wonder what that's about!" Orm chirped to her two companions, though they both held the same bemused expression, quickly having understood that the women were no doubt talking about something sexual. "Probably you or me." Becky quipped as she rolled her eyes and turned back to face the water, the other two soon following. "Speaking of... Spill." Becky nudged Orm with her shoulder and a teasing grin. "Did it finally happen?"

Orm blinked like a deer caught in headlights, then frowned in slight confusion. "Did what finally happen?" She laughed nervously and felt the heat creep up her neck when both sets of eyes drilled into either sides of her head, silently waiting for her to explain. "No...well, just..." Orm paused and sighed, unsure of how to formulate what she felt inside. "We just spent a few minutes holding each other. It was...magical, somehow. We just breathed, together... I could feel her heart beat against me...it was going so fast, just like mine..."