The Captain's Journal (Shay Cormac x OC Fanfic)

Chapter 6

Elizabythe's POV

After a long nap, I asked the Finnegans if there was any bookstore or library nearby I could go to get some new material to read. She recommended a little placed called Fins and Tales. Run by a lovely, young lady with long, flowing golden hair. The name alone intrigued me; it may have been my sister's bookstore and library. Only one way to find out....

Barry escorted me down to the bookstore while I tried my best to limp with my father's walking stick down to the bank, get some funds from my father's inheritance and head down to Fins and Tales.

A mermaid on the door welcomed me as I walked through the door, hearing a bell clatter and ring against the handle. The small, quaint and spacious. The bookshelves were all around the outside with a fireplace on the right wall, and several seating arrangements around it with tables, a few candles and some plants to brighten up the room.

There were a doors in in the back along with a work area for library books, a log and a few supplies. The front desk was vacant with a small bell on top. My sister was always good at redecorating and setting up rooms for a bunch of people; hell, my father had her the main party planner for his dinners with his associates of the Templar Order.

As I was about to ring the bell, I heard a cheerful, but loud voice call out to me. "Give me a moment. I'll be right with you!"

As I turned around, trying the find the person that called out to me, a slim orange-haired woman in a dark-green dress came out from behind one of the smaller bookshelves. She had my blue eyes, mother's hair color, high-heeled boots and a mermaid tail comb in her hair.

She gasped, dropped her 3 books in her right arm and took out in flat-out sprint. "Lizzy!!!! You found me!"

"Easy, easy there, young lady," Barry said as he stopped her from crashing into me. "Jus' take it easy."

"Hi, Seraphine." I said, trying to hold back my painful groans. "You're a sight for sore eyes. Haven't seen you in a long time."

Sera sighed and covered her mouth, trying to hold back some emotion in her voice. "I heard what happened to Father....I miss him alot."

"Me, too, sister--Hey!" I cut myself off when I realized what she just told me. "How do you know what happened to father?"

"Artemis gave me a message from one of Father's men on the Siren."

My face slowly stretched with my mouth wide open and my breath hitched in my throat. "Artie's...alive?!"

"See for yourself." Sera slipped on a thick, leather glove and I saw my beautiful bald eagle, stepping up on Sera's hand. "Artemis, look...it's Ellie."

The huge bird stared at me bobbed her head a few times and quickly flew in my direction as I caught her on my gloved hand.

"Artie, honey," I cooed at him. "You made it, girl."

Artemis chattered at me and hovered her head near my free head, so I gave her a gentle headrub and put her back on her perch.

"That's your bird, young lady?" Barry asked me.

"My Father found Artie as a young chick. Fell out of her nest in a tree and was found in some leaves. It was being stalked by a wolf, so my Father shot it and brought Artemis home. She's been with us since summer of 1752. Helped us hunt, send messages, she learns quickly."

"Right smart bird you got there." Barry complimented.

"Hey, Sera, I don't mean to bother you, but do you have any of my favorite books I could borrow?"

After giving Artemis a piece of meat from his bowl, she turned back to me. "I should hope so. Let me see what I can dig up here...."

After a few minutes of resting by the fireplace, Sera came back with a small stack of books for me. "I got your Robinson Crusoe here and your Mythology favorites."

I frowned slightly. "Hmmm, no Shakespeare today?"

Sera shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I have my library copies lent out already. Some man came in here not too long ago and bought my last few Shakespeare books and mythical tales I had left. Seemed determined to start reading them, said it was 'to take and read to a lovely lass who was in her sickbed."

My voice got hoarse again from catching my breath. "You don't say. Y'know what the man looked like?"

"Fairly white skin, black ponytail and a black and red coat with a hood."

There was only one thing to check for..."Did he have a scar over one of his eyes?"

"Yes, his left one. Why?"

I felt my face get warmer and warmer until I saw my entire face flushed in the stand-up mirror next to the fireplace. "Shay Cormac...."

"Sounds like someone's comin' to see 'ya after all," Barry smiled.

"How did you even know who---"

"The same man you call Shay came into my store just yesterday." Sera said. "He did not mention his name to me, but he asked me if I had any suggestions for good stories to read someone whilst they're sick. And I told him, 'You can never go wrong with some romantic tales by Shakespeare and epic stories of monsters and heroes and gods from mythology. My sister enjoys these ones very much,' and I showed him what I had for sale. He went and bought all of them, sat down and had me make some refreshments while he sat and read for a whole day."

"You're not pulling my leg, are you, Seraphine?"

"No, I'm serious." Sera replied. "He asked me questions about the material he was reading, as if I were his personal storyteller..."

"Did he do anything to you...Y'know, anything bad?"

"NO, of course not." Sera barked. "He was a perfectly courteous, young man. Very kind-hearted, too. Anyway, he finished about half his books before the sunset. Finished his coffee and scones I had made for him and even left me something extra for all the trouble."

"Well, I'll be damned. The man that rescued me sounds almost too good to be true..."

"You are one lucky beauty, Lizzy."

"Don't. Call. Me. LIZZY."

So be it...Lizzy." UGH, Sera what a brazen pain in my arse....