Tidal Waves

3. Training

The next day was a new start for Raven.

The morning began with her becoming seasick and vomiting for a few hours, but she eventually got over it. What she hated most were the horrible sleeping conditions and the disgusting bathroom routine. Raven would take some time to adapt to the lifestyle on the sea, but she decided that it was worth it if she could reach her destination.

With Maya's help, she ditched the dress and tried to match the crew with new attire. She wore a bandana around her forehead and loose-fitting clothes. Underneath her shirt, she had her chest bind with bandages, which was an upgrade from having to wear a corset constantly. She also put on a spare pair of Maya's cavalier boots. Instead of her hair flowing freely, Maya pulled it back into a braid and tied it together with a ribbon she had lying nearby.

"Now let's go show the boys," Maya said and grabbed Raven's hand.

Raven was pulled effortlessly behind Maya as she made her way towards the main deck of the ship.

"Whatcha think?" Maya asked once they approached the two boys. Suren and Damian both pulled their attention away from the map in their hands and turned their heads to look at the two girls.

Damian raised an eyebrow as he took in Raven's new appearance. Her black hair no longer freely flowed and now remained pulled back with a braid. She wore a puffy long-sleeved white shirt and dark pants that were only being held on to her slim waist by a rope belt. When he met her violet eyes in a watchful gaze, he quickly looked away.

"You may look like one of us, but you still have yet to prove yourself in combat," Damian said unenthusiastically.

"Combat?" Raven questioned. This is where she would fail. She was never exposed to physical violence until recently.

Damian pulled a dagger from his belt and swiftly threw it towards her. Raven instinctively ducked down and covered her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so.

The dagger went straight behind her and struck into a wooden pole. "Good reflexes," he commented.

When she realized that she wasn't harmed, she wore a furious expression. "What if that hit me?" she fumed as she got back to her feet.

Damian made his way over and retrieved the embedded dagger from the wood. "It would've hurt," he responded and put it away.

Raven went to speak, but Damian quickly cut her off. "If you want to be able to stay alive, you're going to need to train," he informed her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Other pirates on the sea are far more ruthless than us. They'll kill you in a heartbeat."

Raven placed her hands on her hips. "Let him teach me then," she said before gesturing towards Suren, "I'm sure he won't try to kill me."

Damian and Suren made brief eye contact before looking back at her. "Fine," Damian said and stepped back, "If that's what you wish."

Suren meekly stepped forward and put his fists up while standing in a fighting stance. "Ready?"

Raven had almost no time to answer before Suren ruthlessly charged at her and knocked her off balance, causing her to stumble backward and fall on her rear. She winced at the pain before getting back on her feet. This boy didn't know how to be easy.

"Sorry," Suren quickly apologized, "I expected your reflexes to have been better."

Damian stood back and held in his laughter. Raven noticed him struggling and shot a glare in his direction. "What's so funny?" she questioned.

"You gettin' your ass kicked," Damian retorted. "I tried to help you, but I guess you can't fix stupid."

Raven narrowed her eyes as she swiftly balled her hand into a fist and swung towards Damian, but this attempted assault quickly failed as Damian caught her fist and twisted her arm painfully behind her back.