Fireweed

Two

The Red Saber's cargo hold was packed so tightly with the captain's prisoners that Lilly was forced to stand awkwardly by the steps, bouncing Ryan and singing to him until he stopped screaming.  It was so dark that she could barely see a foot before her.  The smell was so bad that too deep a breath would cause her to gag.  The floor was slick with grime.  Sounds of raspy breathing and the occasional cough or moan was all that filled the silence. Lilly kept her head down. It was so dark, but she felt like every eye was turned towards her.  No one showed any concern for her, still shaking and crying and holding a baby. 

But after a few moments, Lilly heard a few grunts and the patting of feet against the filthy floor, and she looked up.  She could just barely make out the movement of the shadowy figures as one man pushed his way through the crowd.

"Hey, it's okay now," he said, not even bothering with the formality of asking if she was alright.  The smell of his body turned her stomach, but his voice was reassuring and almost soothing.   Lilly felt him lay his hands on her shoulders and take them in a steady grip.  For a moment, the touch was comforting.  But then she realized he had claws that were poking against her back, and she resisted a shudder. 

"I'm sorry," she muttered. These people were already so miserable and had so little room.  The last thing they needed was a woman and a baby, both crying and taking up space.

"Don't be," he told her in a firm tone.  "Just try to calm down."

Lilly nodded, though he couldn't see it.  She tried to take a few deep breaths without coughing or gagging, but the smell was just unbearable.  "I'm Lilly."

"I'm Rome," he told her.

Rome.  Lilly remembered learning of the place when she was young.  What stood out most in her memory then was their violent ideas of entertainment, and she prayed this man didn't live up to his name.  "Pleased to meet you."

"No you're not," he said with a huff of a laugh, and Lilly could hear the smile in his voice.

"But I am," she whispered, her voice almost inaudible, even to her own ears.

"It's alright," Rome said.  "There's nothing pleasing about this place."

 Lilly heard the latch being undone above her and she looked up to see the door of the hold fling open.  The cloaked woman from before, Kit, stood above them.

"Nursemaid," Kit said, "come out."

Lilly swallowed hard and headed up the steps, trying to keep her face down.  But when she got to the last step she glanced up and saw James, her James, standing there on the deck next Kit.  Lilly froze, her mouth hanging open in shock.  She could barely believe what she was seeing.

"Move," Kit said.

"Lilly," James said, and Lilly could hear the love and relief in his words.  The throbbing in her heart eased just a bit.

"I said move," Kit said, reaching out and clutching Lilly's arm.  She yanked her off the last step and onto the deck.  Lilly let out something between a gasp and a yelp and clutched Ryan to her chest.  She stumbled and almost fell, but Kit's grip held her steady until she had her footing.

"What's wrong with you?" James snapped.  "Don't grab her like--"

But before he could finish, Kit had snatched a handful of the back of his shirt and shoved him down into the hold.  He tumbled down the steps with a loud grunt, and many similar sounds followed as he crashed into the others.  Lilly gasped, but before she could even ask if James or anyone else was okay, Kit pulled the hold's door down and knelt to latch it.