A Princess, a Knight, and an Assassin Walk Into a Tavern...

Tollie

Tollie was vaguely aware that things were going on around her for the next couple weeks...though even 'vaguely' was kind of a strong word for how aware she actually was of anything beyond that of how many times West managed to breath in and then out and then back in again, like he was supposed to. Like she needed him to.
She kind of knew that they had taken the Drunken Mermaid off the beaten water path and disguised her as best as they could, knowing she was a target now. She kind of knew that Grieg stayed close and that Gov'ner had taken over as Captain. She kind of knew that others had been taking trips up the river in the skippers, getting the information from the people they needed, perhaps even going on missions themselves...
But mostly she was aware of the fact that West took a turn for the worst about the second day, being too far gone with fever for the next week and a half to even know where he was and what was going on around him. Not really a big deal as he was rarely conscious enough to be causing trouble in that department anyways. She knew she rarely slept, staying by his side almost 24/7 despite people's efforts to persuade her to do otherwise; persuasions they eventually gave up on after about a week. Still, even those days began to meld together in a general lack of awareness – until that blessed morning when she woke, having fallen asleep with her top half resting on the edge of his bed, her bottom half still on the bedside stool, to see him smiling down at her.
"Morning." He said in his regular cocky tone, though his voice was still a bit gravely from sleep. Then, after she simply stared at him wide-eyed, her fuzzy worried brain unable to quite grasp the situation yet, he added, dropping his eyebrows and brushing her hair back from her face, "You look terrible Dove, are you ill?"
In one great motion she both laughed and cried, flinging herself around his neck, earning herself an "Owowowowowowow" from him, but she couldn't care. He was going to be alright! Life was going to be alright.
He improved quickly after that, apparently not much of a bed rest person, walking about in spurts beginning the very next day, taking over his role of Captain immediately, though he still conducted most of his business from his day bed.
Not that Tollie was aware of any of this as she had promptly gone to bed once he was up and hadn't moved in two days.
Now that West was awake and somewhat able again, Grieg felt it was time to take his leave, West limping out on deck to bid his goodbyes.
Grieg waited until West had joined him, he still on West's ship, though he was looking out at his own ship across the plank that rested between the two, it busy now with his men readying it to set sail again. Grieg looked over at West sideways when he'd come up beside him, but then both of them looked back at the bustling ship for a time, West knowing it as well as he knew his own, as his nautical adventures had begun as a member of Grieg's crew.
West had risen quickly through the ranks, Grieg recognizing his potential long before he'd even recognized it in himself. And when West was long past ready,
Grieg knowing he was nowhere near retirement,
and also knowing that West was fully capable – if not actually willing – to overthrow him should he choose,
and knowing that West would be a strong ally but a fearsome foe,
he had given their recently acquired Drunken Maiden (though that hadn't been its name at the time) to West on contract that he pay a certain amount of his bounty to Grieg for the next ten years, and also that West never use the ship against himself.
Because of all this, they'd formed a rough sort of attachment to one another, in a Pirate-y sort of way. Grieg having been a sort of father figure for the teenage West...for better and for worse. After a time Grieg lit his pipe, his almost constant companion, then spoke, glancing at West briefly. "You have quite the little nursemaid there." His eyes and voice weighted.
West dropped his head and smiled tenderly, but merely nodded in response; Grieg watching his reaction carefully, seeing in it the answer to that which he'd been wondering about over the last two weeks – whether or not West returned these feelings of affection the girl obviously felt for him.
Had West been loud about the situation, Grieg would have known not to worry, as it would have proved he felt nothing more for the girl than any other unfortunate young thing that fell for his charms...but this uncharacteristic quiet, this almost shy or even protective tight-lipped-ness said more about the truth of his feelings than he ever could have with words.
Sighing heavily Grieg said then, "Have you heard any fairytales about Pirates West?"
Cocking his eyebrow and laughing somewhat, thinking this just another strange rant of the old man's, West answered, "No, can't say that I have."
"No happily ever afters?" The old man probed.
West merely cocked his head in answer, beginning to feel a sense of foreboding.
"That, my friend, is because Pirate love stories always end in tragedy."
And there it was, West dropped his head in response as Grieg continued, "Davy and his locker, Blackbeard...you know the stories as well as I."
"Just fantasy..." West tried, but Grieg interrupted him passionately.
"BASED on TRUTH!" Another sigh as he put his hand on West's shoulder comfortingly, "A truth we all accept when we become who we are. We don't get happily ever afters West, the best you can hope for is to die fighting and that the man who stabs you isn't someone you used to call a friend...Not the kinda ending you drag a sweet thing like her into."
West clenched his jaw a couple times, refusing to look the man in the eye.
"It ends in broken hearts either way...the question is, how broken are you going to let hers get before she loses you...one way or the other."
Grieg put out his pipe in the silence, then said, while stepping up to the plank, "I'll be keeping low over by Brastle. Send word, keep us updated."
West nodded in response, staying where he was and watching as the plank was removed between the two ships and Grieg's began slowly away from his own, staying there and watching until it had made its way far into the horizon.