To Drown a Witch

3

The work on the Siren's Call was grueling, but she enjoyed the familiarity or cleaning and cooking - chores she was used to in Helen's coven. 

The crew seemed to be taking one of three sides: August and Emil enjoyed trying to talk to her,  they wanted to bring her into conversations. Kalil seemed to be content with ignoring her, although she did catch a glance or two in her peripherals. The twins, however, seemed to hate her with a passion. They took any opportunity they could to make her life and her work harder.

"The twins?" Emil asked, when she brought it up one day while the two of them leaned over a cooking pot. "Don't worry about them, they're both arses. Good with pistols, but arses none the less."

"Yeah, but did I ever do anything to upset them?"

"I like to believe that the two of them just generally dislike people. And the world. There aren't many exceptions - they like Kalil and the Captain more than anyone, and that's not really saying much. I think they like me. I hope they like me."

Nomi took a moment to think about that, dropping the carrots she'd diced into the pot out of pure muscle memory. "Can everyone on the crew fight?"

"The twins are only good with pistols, Kalil is good with a sword and okay with really any gun, and August is really good with a sword. Not so much guns."

"What about you?"

Emil looked at her with those wide siren eyes. "Mm... I'm-"

The door slammed open, making the two of them jump. "Nomi," August called, the twins leaning over either of his shoulders, "we need you to settle a bet."

Nomi's eyes drifted back to Emil, but he wasn't looking at her anymore. 

"What kind of bet?" She replied, dropping the knife and moving to grab the book. 

"I said th-"

"He thinks you could beat us in a sword fight," Alex cut in, pushing his captain aside. "I think you're all height and no power." He glared at her with a special kind of ferocity today.

"I told you, you annoying midget, she parried Kalil. There's no way she cou-"

"Ship on the horizon!" Kalil called from outside. 

Whatever argument they were having was dropped as the twins and the captain reared back outside in a rush. Emil passed her a few moments later, hands empty and stew moved away from the fire. 

When she didn't follow, he turned back to mumble, "Time for work," before leaving out the same door.

What're you standing around for? The book questioned. Prove yourself. Push the angry midget overboard.

"Don't tempt me," Nomi answered, following behind the crew. "I'm seriously considering it, at this point."

Over the rail of the ship, Nomi could vaguely make out the shadow of another ship under the dim moonlight. 

"Who's flag does she fly?" August called up to Kalil. 

A moment later, he answered. "Traders with white flags."

Nomi watched August's cocky smirk turn into a bright grin. "Well then, prepare to board, men. Nomi, let's prove those twins wrong."

---

Alex and Arthur, to Nomi's annoyance, were very good at what they did. When they were side-by-side with the traders, she felt the deck rumble when a cannon was fired below her and watched the ship break into parts. She knew it could only be them because Emil, August, and Kalil were all above deck, tending to their own tasks.