My Dearest Julian

The sound of waves crashing against the side of a ship was one Cassius had know well his whole life. Ever since he was just a lad he had been infatuated with the sea. His father was a dock worker so many days he had gone to the docks to help his father. He could hear drunken sailors on the ships singing, the crashing of waves, the commands shouted by captains, and the side talk from all the woman who said they would love to take a sailors hand in marriage. Only four years after those days he can remember so fondly of did he start his beginnings of what his job now was.

By the age of 11, he was already a thief. His lithe body able to move with the graceful steps of a dancer through any crowd of people. His hands as heavy as a feather as he reached into their coin pouches and steal a few bits of gold and silver. Sometimes he could manage rings or bracelets, all which sold well as long as he sold them to the town over.

Sitting in his chair in his quarters, he would find himself often wondering how times like that could lead to him now running his own ship, with the best crew any captain could ask for. This time, he didn't even notice he was going off into one of his thinking spells until his first mate was having to raise his voice at him. "Captain! You're fantasizing once again," Silas sighed and crossed his arms.

"Again? Now when do I, your brave captain, ever  fantasize?" Cassius wore his usual condescending smirk, which always caused Silas to roll his eyes. The man across from him was the only man on the person Cassius had met so far who could ever stand up to and call him out on his rubbish, even if it was just an eye roll.

"When did you last hear me speaking this time?"

"I think you were rambling about that girl Martha from Castin that you lust over ever so much once again," Cassius smiled at Silas flushing cheeks and he relaxed a bit more into his chair. His left leg swinging over the right at the knee while his right leather-clad hand rested against his jaw. The thumb feeling over the flesh as if it could feel the stubble through the glove. Silas shook his head.

"We should be arriving in Southern Ensdale tomorrow afternoon or the day after. Do we still plan to stay the rest of the week there? The crew is wanting to stock back up on rum before we are off again and we have things to sell as well. Not to mention if I have to eat one more meal on this ship with those animals I might have to finally put my sword to use..."

The captain could not help but snarl a bit at the mention of Southern Ensdale. Filled with rich snobs who would laugh at the likes of him and his crew. "Calm Silas. We will be for the rest of the week, I have much to do and the time for rest would be rather enjoyable. I do trust you to be able to watch over them though while I'm out. Can't have my crew getting thrown into the prisons while I'm gone, can we?" A motion of Cassius' hand got Silas to nod and leave the room while the captain went back to his own work before going above deck to take the night shift of steering the ship despite how much he hated staying and watching the nights.

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With the sunrise and the milling crew, having to slowly gather their thoughts before they could do their jobs right, Silas took over Cassius spot on deck so the captain to rest. Sleep was short lived since he woke at noon to do more work and around three the city was on the horizon. Smaller buildings and shops slowly came into view but the closer they got, the easier it was to see into the center of town and beyond. A church was right in the center with some homes and bigger shops,  and if one would look out past the church though, they would see the large homes and the land they didn't deserve. The work these people did was paperwork, and many of them, even the men, acted like getting just a bit of dirt under one's nail would give reason to cut it off, for it had touched soil that people lesser than them had touched.