Well well well, we meet again;)
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3300 words, so without further adieu...
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Shipshape: a managed and clean ship

Poop Deck: part of the ship above the captains headquarters at the farthest point back

Caspian

I never considered myself to be a pacer.

In fact, there wasn't enough emphasis I placed on living to create such distress.

And yet, with each passing moment Alistair stayed on that damn ship, I grew more and more restless.

His crew had continued their work as they usually did, yet I noticed soon that the sun had long since set, and not one man had returned to their quarters.

They all remained on the main deck of the ship, some choosing to create a space to rest their eyes that still gave them a clear view of the enemy's vessel. I hadn't meant to join them this night, however my feet couldn't bring me to return to Alistair and I's otherwise empty chambers. It didn't feel right.

Some men carried light conversation to keep their spirits high, however most pirates sat in silence, their eyes fixated on that ship, and ready to move at any given moment should an opportunity present itself.

Snips and I sat next to each other with our backs leaning against the side of the ship farthest from the enemies, so we too had a clear viewing of anything that might happen, and at any given moment.

He was sipping a bottle of rum while I alternated between sitting beside him, and getting up to walk the length of the ship itself. Sleep was struggling to find any of us, her efforts falling upon unwilling souls...

Including my own.

By the time I finally found a sliver of it, the sun was already beginning her ascent again, pushing past the horizon, and bringing with it daylight. My joints felt like sandpaper wedged between them when I moved, but I forced myself to stand. Snips had already started his rounds, much earlier than we usually had. And I understood his restless energy.

"He's been there longer than he predicted." I heard the shorter man say as he passed me a full canteen of water. I gratefully took it, taking a long swig that felt like oil rubbing into rusting metal as it slid down my dry throat.

"Aye." I nodded before handing the now almost empty canteen back to him. In exchange for it, he pasted me a pot of hot wax, and we made our way towards the first set of knotted ropes holding the tall wooden beams in place.

"It's making me uneasy." He admitted honestly, yet those words could be echoed as sentiments throughout this entire ship. Even Cael had joined us for our rounds, refusing to allow Gaelick's vessel to leave his sight.

I had thought I understood the extent of Alistair's relationship with his men, but watching this all unfold had clearly taught me otherwise. They loved this man. Dearly.

"I say we ready our cannons." Snips continued, but Hobbs interjected, appearing from the tail end of the ship to join us around the left side.

"Alistair will have our necks if we engage now. All we can do is wait."

My eyes glanced over to the main deck of the enemy. Their own men filtering onto that very deck in hoards as they too began their rounds for the day. I didn't understand what ship could possibly need this many men, and perhaps that was what troubled me more. I knew that Alistair could hold his own, but there was no telling the condition he was in now.

The day quickly grew hot, almost brutally so, which was vastly different from just a day ago. It felt like everything about where we were now, anchored in place next to this ship, had somehow shifted. Like something was starting to almost brew here both below and above the sea, and yet I didn't know what. It was difficult to explain.

The men had still remained on the main deck, some finally finding a bit of sleep with the setting sun, whilst most worked harder than I had possibly ever seen before. With the infatuation Alistair had about these floorboards, I knew he'd be proud of his men for how utterly spotless they were now. Apparently we all operated the same once our emotions were tested, and that was to throw ourselves into our work. Yet that didn't negate from the shipshape we now found this vessel in.

I had taken it so far, that I soon found myself cleaning Alistair and I's private quarters. It was when my hand reached again for the damp rag to clean the shelves of the book cases, that I finally stopped myself.

Through the light feeding in to this now spotless open room, I knew it wouldn't be long before night befell us again, bringing Alistair's estimated time of return to an end, with still no Alistair in sight.

And what had been nagging away at my soul throughout the day, finally snapped somewhere inside me.

Alistair had made very irrational decisions right from when the first time my eyes found his on that merchant boat. I thought he was a mad man, especially once he had refused to kill me. Understanding him now was understanding that your enemy could never find their footing if you were constantly pulling the rug out from underneath them. He was the right amount of jarring, just enough to confuse his enemies.

And maybe that was what fueled me to make this decision. A decision so utterly insane, that if it didn't get me killed, Alistair would more than likely finish the job. And he'd do so with glee in his heart.

But I couldn't just wait here. I couldn't sit and be still knowing Alistair had boarded a ship with this many men. Even he must have his limits, aye?

I moved quickly from the open room, to Alistair's. It felt familiar now once I entered, and as longing a gaze my eyes held when I glanced to his bed, I knew sleep could never find me while my mind was still so active that it willed my body to move.

In Alistair's amour, I found what I was looking for. A thin white shirt with material that was more water resistant than the cotton and linen I owned. My hands moved with urgency as I quickly dressed, pulling the larger shirt over my smaller frame before taking my leave. This time, however, I didn't walk down the main deck the more common way, instead my feet carried me along the back end of the ship which Snips had called the poop deck, and slightly around the left side that was still left unattended.

No man of Alistair's would allow me to do what I was going to, and yet the voice I heard from a man who came the same way I had, startled me completely. I hadn't even heard Cael approach, his feet practically as light as Alistair's as he made himself known.

"Do you think you're strong enough?" He asked quietly, forcing me to turn towards him almost immediately. He was still in the attire he had been in for the day, which was something he didn't usually wear, because work on the ship was something he didn't usually do. Alistair had claimed his as his Navigator, and a Navigator only. This day had actually quite surprised me by how well Cael knew the others work, and could lend a very generous helping hand.

"I'll have to be," I found myself responding with. "Otherwise I'll die in the midst of my efforts."

Cael brought his thumb to his dark, full bottom lip, his mind more than likely racing and yet his demeanor remained as calm as it always had.

"I would help you if I could." He spoke with more honesty laced into his tone than I expected. His voice was still hushed in efforts the other men wouldn't hear. Luckily the main hulk of the ship concealed us some.

"You must remain here with the crew." I replied, though all I had done was vocalize what was otherwise known, but not said by Cael himself. "Besides... I'm the only one here willing to welcome death with open arms."

That brought a slight smile out of Cael. Maybe the first smile any pirate had displayed since Alistair waived the flag of surrender. Besides Alistair himself, of course.

"I suppose so." He nodded. "I've seen you fight... but that ship... it's filled to capacity with pirates."

We had both glanced over in the direction of the ship, catching just the tail end from our position at the back of our own.

"The sea is calm this evening. Not an echo of a wind in sight, so you should be able to swim across with ease. If this is to work, they cannot know of your position until your feet touch that main deck, and even then, you won't have much time before the cannons are readied in retaliation. Do you understand?"

I glanced back out to the now darkening waters, its color reflected only by the darkening of the sky itself. "Aye." I nodded, returning my gaze to Cael. I didn't have the time to explain to him that these waters couldn't kill me. Not if I jumped of my own accord...

For I had already tried that countless times.

"I'll do what I can to conceal much of you with the darkness above, but I can only do so much. Once you board that ship, you're on your own."

I nodded again, but this time I had lowered myself to a knee to tightly lace the boots I was wearing. I made sure they were both secure before straightening myself upright and walking towards the very edge of the ship.

"And Cas?" Cael added, beckoning my gaze to him for the final time. This time, there was more of a smile playing at his lips. "Do what you can to live, before you choose to die. Alistair would never forgive me for this otherwise."

I gave the man a final nod, digesting his words best I could before I hoisted myself up into the ledge of the ship. I had stared down into the waters from a position much like this one, too many times to count, praying to anything listening to take my life from me. I found nothing but irony in Cael's words now when I realized for the first time since the burning of my home, I was going to attempt something utterly fatal in hopes that I live.

And that was the last thing I thought before I dove head first into the bone chilling water.

As soon as my body hit the sea, it felt like falling from the highest beam, straight onto the deck, but that feeling was all too familiar by now. It didn't even phase me once my bones snapped themselves back into place almost immediately, forcing my arms to start the long, treacherously chilling strides around the end of the boat and towards Gaelick's.

The water felt like ice, its unforgiving temperatures causing my body to shake as I swam, but it didn't take long for me to reach the side of the ship that not even Alistair's men could see.

I had since determined that would be the best place to climb from, considering Gaelick's men were paying us every bit of attention that we were, them.

My hands shivered at my sides, but I was able to call upon my weapons with ease, and I felt as the daggers found their way to each hand even while they were fully submerged in water.

By the time I managed to pierce that first dagger through the bottom of this now clearly massive vessel, the regret was immediate.

I hadn't regretted what I decided to do, no... I regretted using so much of my energy to clean Alistair's fucking ship.

The second dagger pierced through slightly higher above the first, and I used it to pull my once almost fully submerged body, up. Then I continued this process again with the first dagger held in my right hand, reaching to pierce higher than the last, before using the distance to hoist my body up further.

The deafening sounds of the crashing waves masked this otherwise loud process well, and since I had started my decent from the back left of Gaelick's ship, I wasn't at risk of wandering eyes. What I was at risk of however, was possibly falling from how much strength it was taking me to climb.

From Alistair's ship, this distance didn't seem all that great. As I now looked up at the wall of a ship that seemed to stretch as high as the heavens itself, it took very little time for me to calculate what strength I would be left with when I finally pulled myself aboard.

"You're capable." I found myself whispering. Those words of affirmations had given me at least somewhat of a resurgence to continue, yet the thought of wanting to fall back into this sea and let the current sweep my body away, never left.

Not when I reached halfway point.

Not even when I passed it.

And surely not once I noticed I only had a few more steps before I reached the ledge. At that point, I had pulled both my own body weight, and the weight of these drenched clothes, up hundreds of feet. My heart was hammering against my chest, almost begging me to lay this outrageous mission to rest... and yet I couldn't.

As I peered my head above the ledge, scanning the main deck of this ship for any pirates making rounds, I quickly determined I was in the clear. And if I were to be truthful, it took practically the last of my energy to hoist myself up onto, and over that ledge.

I had the gods to thank for the moment of rest I received once my feet touched the first flat and leveled piece of floor. It was the first I had felt since I pushed the balls of my feet off the ledge of Alistair's ship.

It almost moved me to tears... but there was no time for emotions. Instead, I kept my body close to the ledge as I slowly approached the massive group of pirates still working above deck. The first thing I noticed was that they were not carrying on with usual rounds. The amount of weapons hauled to and from different stations on the main deck immediately alerted me.

Gaelick's ship was getting ready to either board, or be boarded. They were in the preparations for battle.

I kept the daggers gripped tight in the palms of my wet hands, my body forcing my own heart beat to slow as I slowly approached these men. There was no turning back now, and as Cael had said. I had a very finite amount of time to kill as many as I could, before they'd soon prepare for their own retaliation.

And maybe this was the heat of adrenaline forcing these thoughts upon me, but I wasn't worried about the repercussions Alistair would enact over my own choices if they were to ready the cannons.

I instead found myself attached to his ship in a way. Ol' Bess. Now that I had heard her heartbeat, I almost felt it with every step upon her floorboards. I now understood Alistair's attachment- or rather, his love for his vessel. And I wouldn't forgive myself if I brought her any harm.

And as I approached the unreasonable large gathering of pirates, my white hair drenched and molded against my body from the cold water, whilst the wet clothing I wore only mirrored its color, I watched as the very first pirate who was now bringing weapons towards the far end of the ship and moving towards me, dropped everything he was holding immediately.

His golden eyes widened, those same hands now dropping to the floorboards as he reached for one of the weapons he had so carelessly let go of, any weapon really, but he wasn't quick enough.

My right hand immediately launched forward, sending the once held dagger through both him, and the other man right behind this one who had his back towards us.

The ear piercing scream was somewhat immediate, yet it didn't come until after that recoil. Until after my dagger pierced through their rib cages, puncturing each heart before bringing the bloody organs towards me. I immediately dislodged them with my hand, watching something once beating, hit the floorboards with ease.

Those screams alerted the next surrounding group of pirates, however by then it was too late. I had already sent my daggers forward once again, shifting the weight of my feet from my left to my right, as that same foot pushed back behind me.

This gave me enough of an anchor to cut through the next three men's throats, and dislodge their heads from their bodies in one quick jerk of my right hand.

I had cleared five pirates so far in the matter of seconds, and yet I knew it wouldn't be enough. I knew that this strength, whatever was left in me, could not be enough. It simply wouldn't. Gaelick's men were large. Strong. I had to anchor myself firmly in order to rip through the stockiness of their necks, and even then, one of those three pirates almost arose again from the deck even after his head had been slit off.

This... this wasn't going to be enough, I settled on finally, watching as more pirates began to charge towards me.

What will be? I heard a voice answer. Whisper.

It had propositioned my simple answer with a question of its own.

And the sound of it...

The recognition of what it was...

I felt my whole body still.

This was... this had been...

The first thing I remembered was the look in my mother's eyes. The sheer pain, when her eyes found mine through the thickening smoke.

Is this what you need most? The voice asked. What your heart is willing to overlook to appease your need?

There was no beating of my heart that could mirror what it was doing now... for even for just a moment, I felt the agony of what had happened all those years ago... and I felt the imprint of the blood it stained my soul with.

However, what I wanted most was somewhere on this ship. And if I listened close enough, I thought, allowing these daggers to pierce straight into the floorboards of Gaelick's ship. If I listened closely, I could hear his heartbeat.

For it only beat in rhythm to one thing. Ol' Bess.

And I was growing to learn the sound of both their hearts. The beauty of their circadian rhythms.

The last thing I could remember from this fight was that same burning feeling. The glow of my veins through this otherwise porcelain skin as the power of my bloodline, the imprint of my ancestors coursed through these once dormant veins.

I felt my eyes close a moment, feeling those irises morph into something I both recognized, but also did not. And closing those very eyes would otherwise be considered outrageous a choice whilst Gaelick's men now nearly reached me...

But when I opened them again, I saw it.

I saw it all.

And these now stronger chains recoiled back to the palms of my hands with an entirely new purpose.

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