PORT ROYAL, DECEMBER 1697
Britannia recovered slowly from her ordeal. Her harsh wracking coughs began to subside and her fever dropped. By the beginning of the following week, she was still on the mend and would still cough is she worked too hard. At the moment, she was resting relatively soundly and Long Shadow set down the cod she had caught. She did a routine check on Britannia, observing her breathing. It was even and there was hardly a wheeze at all.
Opening her end of the bond, Long Shadow still felt a pang of pain in Britannia's lungs but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was before. Touching her nose to her mentor's side, she could still feel the heat coming off Britannia's hull. The old ship was still hot but it wasn't the fire it was previously.
Long Shadow smiled. "Back to your old self then eh?" She purred.
Britannia hummed her agreement. Long Shadow dropped down beside her, nuzzling her side as a soft cough escaped her.
"It's alright." She soothed as Britannia struggled.
The older ship relaxed against her, letting herself go into a full blown coughing fit. While her coughs weren't nearly as deep or as painful sounding as they once were, that didn't mean they had lessened in number. If anything, they'd only gotten worse.
"Oh, Britannia..." Long Shadow whispered as her mentor leaned against her, her coughs wracking her whole body.
Any thoughts of healing left her the instant she saw this. She noticed with a pang of fear that Britannia was gasping for air in between coughs, having difficulty finding it. Swiftly, she gave the old ship a smack on the side.
Britannia lunged forward, coughing harshly before a wad of green phlegm landed on the dock, expelled by her desperate attempts. She collapsed against Long Shadow, her sides heaving, her jaws parted and her eyes half open.
"Thank you." She murmured weakly.
"You're welcome." Long Shadow replied.
Britannia closed her eyes again. Long Shadow remained beside her, content to let her sleep. When Britannia woke again a few hours later she turned her attention to the cod lying on the dock. Snatching it up, she downed it in a few quick gulps.
Long Shadow purred her amusement at this. "I see you have no trouble finding your appetite Britannia." She said.
Britannia swiped her tongue once around her jaws to remove the last scraps of cod before replying "Cod is the best. Thank you Shadow."
Long Shadow nuzzled her, a low purr sounding as she heard her name. Britannia didn't know this but she always enjoyed hearing it. She hadn't been Lang Schadow for years. Her heart was English now but that language's translation was special only when Britannia spoke it.
Britannia leaned forward and Long Shadow could feel her hot breath tickling her ear as the older ship whispered to her. "Long Shadow, my dear Long Shadow." She purred.
Long Shadow quivered at this, her rigging rattling as pleasure coursed through her. Britannia chuckled, knowing she held her heart long before the trackless seas of the mortal and locker realms ever did. Britannia pushed in for a kiss that Long Shadow happily and fully submitted to. She chuckled as her deputy eagerly nibbled on her lower lip.
"Patience Shadow." She purred, amusement rising as she pinned her against the dock, hearing the other ship whimper. Needy, desperate, wanting... Britannia smiled, determined to grant her wish, eventually.
She sank her teeth into Long Shadow's keel, a signal for her to stay put. The younger ship did, grinning up at her mentor in anticipation. "You're getting slow in your old age, Britannia. My patience wears thin."
YOU ARE READING
The Founding Sisters #1 The Damned
General FictionRedoing my original and tying it in with the main series. We go back to the beginning, before the founding of the United States. Several ships were key players in this founding and this is their story.
