The Pirate's Treasure (#Wattys2017)

18. Blossoming (Revised)

Throughout the night the storm had ceased, leaving the waves calm and the wind brisk. As I walk on to the deck, ignoring the many glares from the crew, my legs carry me to the front of the vessel. Looking out upon the endless waves brought a feeling of loneliness to emerge within the pit of my stomach. I can't help but imagine what my family must be thinking, or worse, what the imagine has become of me. The colors of the rising sun left its mirror image upon the ever-changing waves. The sunrise seems to ease my restless thoughts, reminding me that today is another day, and that perhaps I will one day be reunited with my loved ones.

Captain Wolfe's boots harshly collide with the creaking floorboards as the crew mumbles words upon his presence on deck. My body turns to face his figure which appears different in some sense in the morning light. Leaning my back against the railing, Captain Wolfe stands before me, suspicion traced upon the lines of his face.

"Good morning, Captain."

"No sarcastic tone associated with my title?" The suspicion seems to vanish as a look of pride tugs at the corners of his mouth. "Well then, this is quite the morning."

Letting out a disapproving grunt, I turn my body back to face the sea. Captain Wolfe stands beside me as we both gaze at the waves colliding with the vessel. The silence seems almost comfortable between the two of us as we both share the look of longing.

I look up at the profile of his face, admiring the way his features are even more pronounced by the morning rays. "I'm ready for my first lesson." My pleading eyes are now met with the sternness of his own.

"No, I'm not teaching you how to fight."

The glimmer in my eyes disappears as my mouth falls slightly agape. "What do you mean? You told me that you would." My arms cross themselves over my body as my stance demands an explanation.

"You forgot to mention when I would have to teach you the basics." His eyes seems to flash with anger for a moment as I could sense the change in his body language. "I'm not the one to blame— blame your hope in striking a fair deal with a pirate."

"You deceived me." He says nothing as I try to make sense of what has caused him to do such a thing. "Why? Are you afraid that I'm going to learn how to properly defend myself and run off on you? Is that why you won't teach me?"

His eyes flicker with that of a provoked beast. Captain Wolfe glares down at me, causing me to take a timid step back. He says nothing but the look within his eyes says it all. Whatever I thought I saw in him, the good that I believed was within, seems to vanish. I am once again fearful for my life as I was the night he attacked The Black Diamond. My body language switches as I stand tall, my shoulders back and broad, while my eyes narrow themselves towards him.

"This deception was brought upon yourself. You can never trust the word of a scoundrel, sweetheart. I'm not afraid of you running off because you wouldn't last one day on your own. You'd come crawling back to this ship after realizing what the world is like beyond your pampered palace lifestyle."

My ears ring with fury. I've heard enough of his blabbering to realize he isn't going to help me any time soon. I walk away from him, turning my back on him and what I thought I believed. I know where I'm going to go, because even if he doesn't help, it will no doubt drive Captain Wolfe to his limit. My legs quickly travel down the steps of the ship as I walk down one of the cramped hallways. The loud clashing of Captain Wolfe's thunderous strides following quickly behind in pursuit allow me to take full control of my plan.

"Where are you going?"

"To consult the one person who will surely train me for his freedom." I sneer while walking down another flight of steps to the lower deck. "I'm not afraid of you, but I know you're afraid of what he'll do if he's released."

Once I reach the door to which Captain Marco resides behind, Captain Wolfe's eyes fill with anger. He walks over and stands between me and the door, glaring down upon me.

"Admit it, you need me, but so does he." I stand on my toes to give me an extra bit of height as I watch Captain Wolfe's eyes dilate. "Apprenticeship for his freedom, I think he would take that bait, don't you?"

"That's the first way to get yourself killed." Captain Wolfe scowls, closing the space between us. "Just for that thought alone I should send you right back to your cell." He threatens.

"Why do you think teaching me to fight is a bad idea? Are you worried you won't be the hero anymore if I can fend for myself?" I question while I can feel the coldness of his stare. "You saved me from Marco once before, let me learn how to save you."

Something in his gaze seems to soften as he leans against the door. His eyes seem to cover every inch of my face as mine hungrily search for a response from him. It is now his turn to cross his arms.

"I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"I don't need your saving." He growls. "Especially since you can't save yourself from even the slightest bit of danger. You couldn't save me even if you were my last chance at life."

"Well, perhaps if you instructed me..."

"You don't need to learn how to handle combat and that's the end of it." He places a hand firmly on my shoulder that I immediately shimmy free from. "Let's go."

"Why? What are you so afraid of?"

"Because you'll never be in the position where you need to fend for yourself. I've made a pledge to protect you from every danger, and though you can never trust a pirates word, I never go back on my own."

"Are you implying I'm too weak to be the hero?"

Captain Wolfe gives a devilishly low chuckle that sends a shiver down my spine. "Your obliviousness at what I'm trying to imply is quite amusing."

"Because a pirates life is hilariously easy to understand."

Captain Wolfe stops his chuckling and gazes  down at me with a surprisingly kind smile on his face. I step back in a sort of confusion before his hands gently cup each side of my face. Instead giving any further explanation of the meaning behind his cryptic statements, he meets me at eye level and kisses me.