Seabound

Chapter 4: Eli Davenport

Eli's POV

  I opened my eyes to stare up at the familiar wooden beams, feeling the gentle sway of the ocean below me. For a heartbeat, I lay motionless, wrapped in security. But then I felt the pain, the dull throbbing ache deep in my shoulder. Grunting, I sat up, the thin sheets tumbling down to rest at my waist. Looking down at the bloodied bandages that encased my left side, I gingerly pressed my shoulder. I ground my teeth as I felt the small wound, a bullet hole?
  The memories came back, slowly at first, then faster. We'd been resupplying at the cove...someone had recognized Merrick's face, called the redcoats.... They were shooting..... A kid, there was a kid and....I saved him... I think.
  Grumbling about Merrick's lack of intelligence, I got out of the bed. Whatever had happened, I was back on the ship, nothing else mattered.
  I paused.
No, wait, I thought, There was something else.... I could dimly recall someone else on the beach, a girl. Rubbing my temples I groaned. Who was she? She shot down the redcoats and then dragged me away. She had told me her name, so why couldn't I remember?
   The door swung open with a drawled sigh, revealing Ben, with a stupid grin on his face.
  "You're awake!" He chuckled, "Figures you'd wake up just when the funs starting"
  "Ben, I have no idea what you're talking about, so just go get Merrick." I grumbled, shrugging on a shirt from the desk near me. It was blue, the shirt, and for the life of me I couldn't remember whose shirt it actually was... With the amount of times we'd all stolen each other's clothes, this one had now passed beyond ownership. Ben narrowed his blue-green eyes and puffed a strand of curly brown hair from his brow.
  "Captain's a wee bit busy, sorry mate."  My eyes flicked over as I stood.
  "Busy with what?"  The grin on Benny's face should've warned me enough, but I still asked.
  "Trying to talk to the lady who rescued your butt back at the cove." He chuckled, my eyes widened. She was here?
"Eli, you should've seen it, she just stole the Reddies rifle! Took it right out of his hands!" By this point, Ben was reenacting the drama. "She whacked 'im over the head and fired at the others!" He lifted an imaginary weapon and took aim. "I've never seen a woman do that before. She dragged your heavy bones all the way to the grass, which was impressive enough, you deadweight. But 'en she was trying to fix you up! Me and the boys couldn't believe it-!"
  "Ben-" I began, but the moron hadn't heard me over the sound of his own voice.
"She was sitting there, trying to patch you up, and a bunch of Reddies came up from the back and whacked 'er over the head too."
"Ben."
"She was lucky that we saw it. We got there just aft'ward and saved the two of ya-"
"Ben!" I shouted.
"What?!" He frowned, a puppy dog look that made girls hearts melt, but I was already pulling in my boots.
"Shut your trap and take me to her."

I could almost forget about the wound in my shoulder as I followed Ben through the ship, towards the sound of a crowd. She was here. The thought turned over in my head in a hundred different voices. She was here...She was here? She was here! I shook my head to clear it. I am Eli Aron Davenport, first mate of the Aestus, and chief among those to mock lovelorn lads, I would not act as one towards some skirt I don't even know. Sighing I realized that the girl would probably be cowering in her room, having barricaded the door, or had fainted, or both. That's what most women did in the face of cut throats, thieves and murderers, and with a crew of all three, we were a fearsome lot.
Yet Merrick still would have us known to be gentlemen pirates, I thought disdainfully, but not without affection. But he was the first of us to draw blood back at the Cove. Hypocrite. We ducked under some low hanging rope and wound our way past the cannons, meandering about as the noise grew to an overwhelming clamour, alarm pricked in my gut, and we picked up pace. Ben pushed his way through the congregation, while they stepped aside for me, till we stood at its front.
Had I not been shocked to stillness my jaw would've dropped to the yawning floor.
Merrick had his hands held high in warning as the crew growled and shifted, like one angry being, whilst one of the men, Darren I think, clutched his bloodied hand, cursing under his breath. A girl was standing just outside the door, small and slim, with blonde hair that fell down to her collar bone, wearing a torn nightgown. Her face was still as stone, and her eyes hard in their blue-grey hue. She held a crooked nail, dripping crimson drops.
"Now Madam," The Captain reasoned, trying not to sound impressed. "That wasn't very ladylike."
"Your man shouldn't have touched me." Oh the ice in her voice! Chilling me to the bone. "And I'm not a Madam, I'm not married." I couldn't stop staring. She was talking back to the Captain, most likely to be the most terrifying of all the sea rats here, and he allowed it.
  "Well then, what do we call you, Miss..?" The Captain drawled, waiting for her to finish. She narrowed her eyes before responding.
"Ren SinClaire."
Ren.
It all came flooding back, the chase, the boy, and the beach. She had saved my life, not by some accident or byproduct of being forced to save her own, she had risked life and limb to help me. I remembered her quiet strength as she carried me away from the reach of rifles, her calming voice as she ebbed the bleeding, the stubborn bravery in her gaze.
  And, by the seas, did she glare that stubborn stare at the Captain now.
Straightening, Merrick smiled.
"Miss SinClaire." Our eyes caught, and the Captain grinned maliciously. Turning back to the girl he said, "On behalf of myself and my crew, I would like to offer you our thanks, for saving my first mate." I straightened as her gaze found me, melting slightly from their icy nature, she stared at me, more awe and curiosity than fear in her eyes. "If you'll allow me to introduce my young first mate here, Mister Davenport." I dipped my head to the lady, feeling suddenly sheepish and wanting nothing more than to slink back to my quarters.
Don't be such a coward! I scorned internally. Why are you hiding from a girl? How yellow-bellied can you be!
Stepping forward till I stood at my Captains side, I cleared my throat.
"Thanks, " I paused, feeling her name on the tip of my tongue, but swallowing it for her proper title. "Miss SinClaire."
This seemed to shock her, she flinched, barely a wink of a movement, before her face flushed slightly and she looked away.
"No problem." She muttered quickly. Still averting her silver gaze.
What a strange thing to say.
Merrick quickly took advantage of the situation and ran away with nothing but an order to see that Miss SinClaire was given some food and drink and whatever else she may need. The crew followed suite, slinking off to complete their duties.
  I kept my eyes off her exposed form, clearing my throat to get her attention. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her glance up, a small ray of sunlight from one of the portholes catching in her eyes, making them glow.
"I'll fetch you some proper dresses, Miss SinClaire." I informed her, who -as though she hadn't noticed her state of dress until now- flushed a deep red. "I think it'd be a good idea if you wait inside your quarters, someone will bring you some food and water."
"Mister...Davenport was it?" Her voice changed so much, no longer ice but rather sunlight, warming me.
"That's right." My voice on the other hand, was unwavering and stern, as normal. I thanked the stars that she
couldn't hear how unnerved I was at her beauty. Even though I couldn't decide what specifically about her was anymore pretty than any other girl.
  "Your gunshot wound, are you feeling better?"
"Yes, the Doc did a good number on me." I rolled my shoulder, swallowing a groan, to prove my health. "I'm fit as a fiddle."
  This last remark she laughed at, just slightly.
"I'm very glad to hear that." She said, still smiling. One of the men prowled by, making her freeze, her fingers wrapping tightly around the nail. I grinned, it seemed as brave as she was, she wasn't a fool.
"Mister Shade," I called out, seeing the man's white-blonde hair even with the dim light. As the albino came closer, I noticed that Miss SinClaire wasn't the least bit unnerved by his appearance, where most people would express disgust or awe, she simply watched him, as he moved nimbly through the cargo. "You will go to the Captain's room, and find Miss SinClaire something to wear."
"Aye sir." Shade never did speak without a hint of amusement in his voice. He bowed deeply to Miss SinClaire, who returned the favour with a clumsy curtsy, before he looked up at me with those grinning red eyes. "And what would the lady like to wear?"
I looked down at her, shivering and small.
  "Something warm, and make haste Mister Shade, before she faints." The crewman nodded and slipped away into the shadows of the brig, leaving us to ourselves.
"Once I'm, uh, presentable..." She paused, seeming to choose each of her words with care. Her brow knit together in concentration. "If you'll be so generous as to lend me the use of a rowboat, I'd like to return to shore."
One of the men snickered off in the distance, mocking the lady in her ignorance. She swallowed, but held my gaze, waiting-no, demanding- an answer. I tensed, a small part of me relieved that she could not have what she wanted. I motioned for her to go into her room, but she stood, glaring.  "Mister Davenport?"
"My apologies, Miss SinClaire." I said, taking her by the arm and walking her inside her quarters before stepping out and pausing at the door. Her confused face made my stomach twinge, guilt and some other undefined feeling broiling deep within. "The Aestus is two days out to sea, and if I'm not mistaken, we have His Majesty's Royal Navy on our tail. So no, we will not be lending you a rowboat. You'd die in the heat, and even if we had food or water to spare -- which we don't-- you don't know your way back."
She stared at me, her face twisting in despair. Unnerved I closed the door, waiting until I heard her lock it before turning away.
  Frowning, I took a deep breath.
Time to get back to work.

Ren's POV
  I watched as he closed the door, not saying a word. His words had hit me like a ton of bricks. I stumbled deftly over to the door and slid the stiff bar across the rough wood, barely noticing the scraping sound it made, before turning and collapsing onto the bed.
  "He's right," I whispered, my voice shaking as warm tears spilled over my cheeks. "You don't know your way back."

A/N: so sorry this took so long.... A lot of stuff came up with school and I haven't had enough time... Thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you'll be patient with me as I might not be able to keep regular updates while doing schoolwork. Will definitely write more before long though.
Many thank your
~rhydianstone