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

Chapter 8

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!

I was startled awake by something hitting my glass window. Then I heard a chattering bird call. It was Artemis. She was annoyed by the glass; even as a juvenile, she always liked to be near me and my family.

Artemis's tapping got more frantic, but I quickly jumped up to let her in when I heard a tired humming come from Shay next to me.

I quickly opened up the balcony window and Artemis perched on the large desk next to the window where I wrote in my journal and sketched my drawings. My education was mainly taught by my Father and people through the Templar order and their connections. My more recent picture of Shay, Artemis, the Finnegans among other things was in a loose pile on the desk Artemis was resting on.

"Do you have to be so obnoxious, Artie?"

She just tilted her head once and ruffled up her feathers. Then, she started looking down at my large sketchbook and I pitched a fit when she started to peck and lift up the book by its flimsy spine.

"Artemis, NO, you can't have that!" I hissed at her. My scoundrel of a bird hissed back as I went to grab it from her. She quickly moved back, but I got one hand on the other end of my sketchbook and I tugged.

"Give. Me. My. Book!" Artemis tried hopping backwards away from me but how much could a 18-pound bird pull, anyway? Then, she got smart and flapped her wings forcefully.

"You are nothing but an overgrown, rascally rodent with feathers!" I hissed at her; instead of making her let go, she flapped her wings vigorously and ended up slapping me in the face. As I tried blowing the feathers out of my face, she stopped flapping and used her weight to make me off-balance and fall on my back. I let out a pained groan as Artemis flew to the other desk nearest Shay's bedside table.

I tried getting myself up, but putting weight on my legs was still crippling, so I just laid on the wooden floor, cursing. "That little bitch...! Well, well, this is absolutely peachy. I was sleeping like a rock and I wake up to my eagle pinching my sketchbook....UGH!"

I snapped my eyes back open when I heard loud footsteps behind my head. Shay had gotten up from bed and was standing right over me, smirking.

"Having fun, lass?"

"Shut yer gob, Shay; I am in no mood for foolin' 'round."

"Well, Miss Freya, that doesn't sound very ladylike of you."

"Would you shut up an' help me stand, PLEASE?"

"Well, ok, since you said 'please'." He chuckled and helped get me to my feet. "So this beautiful creature over here is yours?"

"My Father's. She's been with us for about 5 years."

"Hmm." Shay was starting to get curious. Aaaahhh, shit! "Looks like your bird's got somethin'."

Shay grabbed the sketchbook with one hand, staring at her as she let out a muffled call. "Sssshhh....Let go, Artie...come on. Be a good girl."

Artemis gently opened her beak and got closer to Shay's other gloved hand. Then, she used her beak and one clawed foot to climb up his arm and stare into his eyes, tilting her head at him, then at me.

"I'll be goddamned." I was shocked. "She is nice with you. She doesn't warm up to men this fast. You're lucky, Shay; anyone else would've been attacked already." Artemis, then, flew back to my writing desk and rested its eyes.

"I am glad that's over." I mumbled.

"So, Elizabythe, what's this?" Shay asked, holding up my sketch of him.