It had been a cold night and the dawn didn't exactly bring any warmth with it. Silently, I cursed the sun as it rose, almost cruelly, into the sky. Spreading its light but not its warmth to those who needed it most. My gaze traveled down to the sleeping lump next to me. Farley had taken to using my side as both a pillow and a shelter. I nuzzled her lovingly, feeling her stir beneath my muzzle. I saw her green eyes and smiled. "Morning sleepyhead." She offered a lopsided smile, pressing her muzzle into my shoulder in reply. I sighed. Sometimes Farley was talkative, sometimes she was quiet. It all depended upon how she was feeling on a particular day and it was when she was quiet that I knew she was hurting. I licked behind her ear. "I'll get us some breakfast and then you can have an Oxyprozone okay?" I asked and she nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back." Another nod and I was off, scouting for a quick snack at least. Any kind of fish was becoming rarer and rarer in these waters and I blamed my "friends" in the Department of Fisheries for that. "Damn them all to hell!" She thought. "Let the Ancients smite them!" I hadn't forgiven them for what they had allowed to be done to Farley and I never would. My darling mate was growing weaker by the day and I knew the day would come when I would be forced to say goodbye.
Returning with a pair of salmon I gave her one, watching her until she'd eaten every bit, bones included (marrow is incredibly nutritious!) before handing her the yellow painkiller, hidden within a chunk of meat. She took it, downing it in a swift gulp. Her eyes glittered and I leaned down, gently cleaning the scraps off her muzzle. It was a habit I'd gotten into since that first day. I hadn't quite learned how to stop yet. Farley leaned into it, purring with more zeal than I'd heard from her in recent times. Finishing, I pressed my muzzle beneath hers, my hot breath warming her neck. She licked behind my ear in thanks. "You feeling any better?" I asked. "A bit." Her voice was raspy and grating as it usually was in the morning. Briefly I wondered what it'd be like if she was still with Sea Shepherd then I pushed the thought from my mind. From what Westra had told me, Ady and Bridgett would've been terrors for her! I chuckled at the thought and a questioning noise from Farley drew me out of it. I looked down to meet her questioning gaze. "Oh just stuff." I answered to her unspoken question. She snorted and I had to agree with her, that wasn't much of an answer. But it was the best I could formulate. Just looking at her now took words away from me. Her hull was beautiful, paint spotless. My efforts there had certainly paid off. She'd regained a lot of weight but very little of that was muscle. Her inability to move anywhere was costing her dearly and not for the first time I wondered how long we'd have.
A worrisome sound reached my ears and I looked down again to see Farley struggling. A small trickle of blood ran from her mouth. Instead of being alarmed, I merely sighed and lifted her head slightly, holding it in a way that allowed for the fluids to drain while being supportive at the same time. She coughed blood far more often these days and for me, it was just another reminder that our time together was limited. Her coughs became more intense and her struggles matched that. I placed the bucket down in front of her and did what I could to ease the pain as she heaved. I could tell she was finished when she leaned against me, shivering. Her tears stained my hull. I held her as gently and as lovingly as I could, my grip firm but not overbearing. "It's alright darling. Shh, it's alright." But it wasn't alright. And looking down into her tear filled eyes I could see she knew that just as well if not more so than I did. "My sweet..." I couldn't speak anymore as my voice choked. I looked down, feeling my hot tears work their way down my cheeks to the water below. I felt Farley's cold muzzle press against my neck. Her muzzle may've been cold but her breath was warm and I could feel it against my hull. It was shallow and far quicker than I'd like it to be but she was still there and despite her agony, was comforting me. Here she was, a wounded, dying ship and she was comforting me?! Why?! I looked at her, my eyes asking that silent question without me even needing to say anything. Which was just as well. I wasn't sure if I could even use my voice just then. "You are my mate." She replied. It was a simple answer but its one that broke the damn. I don't know how many tears I cried that day all I remember is Farley soothing me as best she could, some kisses, whispered prayers. It was all a blur really. All I knew was how cruel the world truly was and I cried my anguish for my mate. For her pain. For the years I had missed as she lie here at this wretched dock. For all the days that she would never get to see.
...
DECEMBER 2, 2015
Taking one look at Farley that afternoon I knew she would not live to see the next morning. She'd become so weak and despondent most days she could barely eat, never mind speak to me. She'd just lay there on her side, eyes always fixed on me or some part of my hull. Even when I left the berth, her radar bar, which had so defiantly continued to rotate despite the damage, tracked me while I was away. Beyond that, she never said a word and hadn't for several days. Any kind of movement caused her pain so I was very surprised when I heard her speak. "Audmenson, I want you to grant me something?" "Yes, anything?" I turned to her, ready to offer her whatever her last desire was. What I heard next was not what I expected. "I want you to make your claim official." I moved back, stunned. I had claimed Farley as my mate several months ago in fact but it was not official unless we actually mated. For Farley to ask this of me now when it was clear she would not live past nightfall... "Farley do you realize the position you're in?" I asked, somehow managing to find my voice. "I am only too aware." She rasped. "And I want this to be the last thing I feel. I want this for us, please Audmenson." She begged. I could not refuse her. I never could anyways why could anyone think I could refuse her now when she was begging, pleading for me to give her this one thing.
I leaned down, my eyes locked to hers. She'd become so good at tracking me that even if I looked away I'd still find myself staring into that green gaze. She stretched her muzzle as far as she was able and I met her halfway. Unlike the other times in which we've kissed, Farley melted under my touch, rolling away from the dock to put her weight against me. It also had the added affect of exposing her keel. I reached out to began rubbing the smooth red plates and was rewarded with a soft moan. "Don't expect me to mount you. You're too fragile for that." I told her. "I will not live far beyond this Audmenson, don't be afraid to do as you wish." She replied. What I wished was not to cause her any unnecessary pain. Even though I wouldn't put my weight on her just the wrong sort of touch in the wrong place would hurt her, didn't have to be hard. But Farley wanted this and I would give it to her, but I would do my utmost to keep the pain to a minimum.
As gently as I could I gave her a nudge to let her know I meant business. Farley got the hint and rolled on her back. It was a suicidal position for any ship to show their belly but I could see nothing but trust in Farley's green gaze. She knew I would never hurt her. I traced my tongue along the edge of her slit, satisfied to see the outer lips swelling as she aroused. Good, that part of her chemical makeup wasn't dead enough yet to respond to my commands. I took the right one in my mouth, letting my teeth lightly nip its rubbery surface before letting it go and doing the same to the left. I let that one go and turned my attention to the object of my and her desires and shoved my tongue as far as it would let me go. As I rammed against her clit, she unexpectedly humped against my face. I could hear her cry of pain at the unexpected result. Briefly, I pulled back to look at her. "We don't have to do this." I reminded her. That glare told me all I needed to know so back to work I went, determined to give my mate the best last few minutes of her life. I didn't know for certain how long Farley might've had if we didn't do this but I did know that the stress of an orgasm would most certainly kill her. She was just too fragile now to take much. I felt some regret but I was also relieved. Farley would die feeling the last strings of ecxtesy caused by the efforts of her mate. I felt the first strings of the bond forming between us, a low hum in the back of my mind. I could've forced it back, resisted the urge to join with her but I didn't. I knew the pain it would cause me but a small and selfish part of me wanted this. Maybe I could give Farley my own strength, give her enough to live a little longer. At least long enough for us to be proper mates. Even now I could feel her weakening. Just as the strings of the bond formed, so they were tearing away and I worked to keep ahead of it. "Come on Farley, just a bit more." I begged. I gave her everything I had in my last go, touching as many places as I could reach with my single tongue. It was enough and I tasted sweet success seconds later, Farley's loud cry echoing in my ears. I pulled back, and swiped my tongue once around my jaws, the taste of my mate lingering.
I lowered myself down next to her, seeing the joy and pain warring in her eyes. I felt more than heard a low hum, indicating that the bond had been established, our mating cycle was complete. I had never had a bond like this before and uncertain on how to proceed, I opened my end. Farley's response was instantaneous. Her body may've been weak but her mind and most certainly her emotions were not. Her love was intense and overpowering and I savored every bit of it. For however long it lasted, Farley was my mate and nothing would change that. I took her against me and she buried her nose in my shoulder or tried to but I pulled her head back. Confusion entered her eyes for a second before I mashed my lips against hers. She purred, weakly responding to my demands. Her eyes slipped close but I kept mine open, seeing as the rapid rise and fall of her flanks began to falter. Thinking fast, I reached out with a wire. Farley clasped it in one of her own, her grip surprisingly strong despite her imminent death. Looking at her now I felt nothing but guilt and sorrow. "I never should've..." Never should've mated her. Never should've ignored her. Forgotten her all these years? How much time could I have bought her had I bothered to come here once since she was brought here? If I'd just come a day earlier? A week earlier? A year earlier? Farley pressed a second wire to my lips. "Shh." She whispered and I fell silent, gazing into her deep green eyes. "I wanted this." She rasped. "I. Wanted. You." She struggled for every breath now. "I love you." I half sobbed. "And I love you. You shall always have my love Audmenson." It was that which broke me. For it was more than a simple profession. At the same time she was forgiving me. Forgiving me for all the things I never did and wished so badly I could've fulfilled. "My love, forever." Swallowing hard, Farley offered not more than a simple nod. She was too far gone to speak now but I know she heard and understood me. She was aware of her surroundings entirely until the moment she wasn't. I saw the spark in her eyes fade, her flanks going still the same moment. And I could feel the strings of the bond, so recently formed it was more like cables, snapping. And I screamed. I couldn't help it. I just tipped my head back and screamed. It was pure agony, nothing like anything I'd ever felt before. They say love hurts, this was more than hurt or heartbreak. This was a fate worse than death itself.
"Farley, Farley. Oh Farley!" I whispered her name over and over, somehow managing to get a word through my relentless sobs, cradling her lifeless body and feeling the chill of it against my hull. The other ships, they knew. Even if they hadn't heard my cry or known my sympathies they would've seen how I held my mate and known. The pain of a broken bond is something only few ships know and fewer still have survived its terrible pain. After the burial, it was weeks before I left my berth again. I stayed in the spot where my mate had died and refused to budge. The few ships who could know my pain stayed with me, ensuring I had enough to eat and that I didn't try to kill myself as the one who is left behind often tries to do. But once those weeks had passed and the frayed ends of the bond began to heal over, I could pull myself from the dark caysm that had risen up to consume me after Farley's demise and rebuilt what was left of my own life.
2016
The large coast guard cutter was unexpected, especially sense it appeared to resemble US design. She shouldn't be this far north unless something was wrong but curiosity took me in for a closer look. As she got closer I could see the design of an Island-class USCG cutter but little else was shared. The colors were wrong. Where there should've been orange on the bow and sides there was black. She flew a Dutch flag at her stern but it was clearly meant for registration purposes only and not the most important to the ship if the purple and black flags flying from the main mast were anything to go by. And something seemed familiar about that setup, perhaps the purple flag... then it hit me. The Iraqous, native to parts of Canada as well as the US, were not recognized as a sovereign nation by international agreements but I would know that flag anywhere. I sounded my horn and flashed my lights expecting the same response that I'd gotten in the past, namely nothing. This ship came about, showing her stern to me as a rooster tail flashed up. The sound of her engines kicking into gear could be heard clearly and she flicked her stern flag in a rude gesture as she departed the area for open waters. "Cheeky." I decided, not put off in the least by the insult. I was well aware that ships like this one could and would use more violent measures against me. My hull still bore the scars from my first encounter 10 years ago. "Well deserved scars at that. I had it coming. We all did." Regret mingled with anger as I recalled the memories but I had no time for that, pushing it out of my mind for now. I had another ship to catch after all.
We were 12 miles out from shore and I hit the breaks, unable to stray outside my sovereign territory. The other ship halted just on the other side of the line, stern still facing me. "You do know I could arrest you for trespassing in Canadian territorial waters?" I asked. The other ship didn't reply for a minute, instead she just sat there, seeming to gather her thoughts. I was about to repeat my question when the other ship replied "Go ahead then." I did nothing. Unless the other ship came over the boundary back into my waters there was nothing I could do and the Sea Shepherd knew it. There was something about that voice, I had to know... "State your name?" I ordered. The other ship shifted and slowly, she turned around, still not crossing the boundary line but she came close enough to practically straddle it. A nicely raked cutter bow that I knew I would feel harshly against my side if I put a propeller out of line, faced me. And upon that bow were a pair of dark green eyes, currently narrowed. Not hostile, but interested. I lost my words for a moment, lost all manner of speech. I was sure if I tried to say something now all that would come out would be a stutter. It was impossible! She couldn't be here. I had seen her die! I'd been right next to her when she took her last breath. But my eyes were not deceiving me. She was here, right in front of me.
At last I managed to whisper "Farley?" A warm, gentle smile graced the American's lips, full and deliciously moist just as I chose to remember. Not the dry and blood caked wisps of skin they were 6 months ago. My tongue traced the edges of my mouth, wanting nothing more than to taste Farley's but I didn't move. "You know if you come over this line, I'll have to arrest you." I meant to say this as a threat but instead what came out was a sultry purr and Farley's eyes lit up. "As I said before, Audmenson." She purred back and I suppressed a shudder at the way she said my name. "If you believe what you always say about me and my fleetmates, go ahead and arrest me." She stradled the line now, half in and half out of Canadian territory and I took that as my cue to move. Unable to resist any longer, I lunged, smashing my lips against hers. My tongue flickered out, eager to catch the sweetness of my lover's mouth before my own actions suppressed it. Farley made a sound like a grunt and in an instant she was pushing back, just as eager as I was. As the kisses deepened, I made to put more weight on my companion to tip her over. I'd always been the dominant one and Farley never had problems with it, content to rest on her back while I gave her the best Canada had to offer. But Farley wasn't having it this time. Instead, in an instant and with a move that my eyes had a hard time tracking, Farley was resting on my belly, positioned perfectly to work my slit in whatever way she chose. "This new body is cheeky." I commented and Farley laughed. "Coming into Canadian waters and subduing an official is a Federal offense you know. It would mean jail time." I said. "Could be exciting, especially with you as my gate keeper." Farley purred. "Sure you can handle that?" I asked. "My engines tend to whine coming into port." "Oh hush." Farley grinned as she pressed our keels together.
The bond sang, renewed by the presence of both partners. I sensed Farley's joy long before she opened her end. "Music to my ears." I thought to her. She took me in her grasp and our hulls glowed and dissolved with pure joy, the bond singing the song of our reunion in both our minds.
