Chapter 36

The days passed with ease and time was happy for Kairi. She would watch the sunset every night and then go to sleep in her hammock. She enjoyed the hammock very much with all the rocking it had from the ship. It soothed her the way a rocking baby crib would soothe a baby.

Leon was above her on his hammock and it was comforting knowing her brother was there. For some reason she had a natural love for the ship, but something just wasn't right. Not even something wrong about this particular ship, but ships in general. Maybe that was because the last place her parents were alive was on a ship.

When she confronted him about the fear he hugged her and told her he'd always be there to protect her. She smiled and felt more at ease.

Phreterik on the other hand was jumpy around Leon. Every time he saw him he wanted to go hide. Kairi wouldn't let him but he would behave awkwardly. He was openly scared of him and Kairi easily got fed up with it. She knew Leon wouldn't attack him, but she couldn't convince him otherwise.

Soon though, the total time spent on the ship had been a long time, about one or two weeks. It was fun, life on the ship. She'd wake up in the morning and go eat breakfast. The food was nasty, and always the same. But after that, she relaxed, watched the waves, and rode under the bowsprit, in the netting.

Phreterik would join her in the netting, that was meant to catch falling sailors, but that never happened-the sailors were all very experienced. So they would lie on the netting and the ship, from its rocking, would splash them under the water and then they'd come up spluttering. The ship would toss them in the see and if there were dolphins and you opened your eyes under water, you could see them swimming next to you. It was kind of freaky, seeing these almost monsters under water staring at you, but when they jumped out of the water, they were so friendly, you'd forget that they were horrible under the water.

They had lots of fun there, laughing and splashing each other. No one could hear them above the roar of the water and no one could see them, except for the men in the crow's nest. It was their own seclusion from the world and they loved it. They had no one to bother them, and Kairi felt free away from Leon.

xxxx

Climbing out of the bowsprit netting, soaked, Kairi exclaimed at the sudden change in wind. She shivered and cried out above the roar, "It's so cold!"

"It's getting late; the water's cooling. Let's go inside!"

Kairi agreed and Phreterik led the way down the companionway and to their rooms.

Once Kairi was changed into warmer clothes, she went back on deck to go watch the sunset. She stood up on the top of the bowsprit, riding the waves, losing herself to the freedom of the sea, once again. It was currently her favorite pastime. She would miss the feel of the wind through her hair when she left, the glare of the dying sun, but mostly, the salty smell that hung in the air, and inhabited every region of her days.

Kairi left the bowsprit and snuck quietly into her cabin. She dressed silently into her nightclothes, not wishing to disturb her brother.

As she climbed in her hammock, she let out a peaceful happy sigh and fell asleep.

Leon, didn't stir as she walked in the room, preferring to keep his back to the door and not let her know he'd been awake the whole time. As he heard her ragged breathes and sighs turn into one solid even sound, he too drifted off to sleep.

xxxx

The following days had been light for Kairi. Leon had finally relaxed his grip on Kairi and he let her do her own thing. At mealtimes though, it was obvious he did not enjoy the company present, but he made no move to announce it.

During the rest of the day, Kairi and Phreterik would laugh giggle, watch other sailors as they were yelled at by the captain, and shriek at the cold water that hit them as they sat in the bowsprit netting.

They almost behaved like children until such times when they got out of hand. Once, Kairi was being chased by Phreterik and they went all over the ship. She ran into sailors trying to work, as she would barrel through the companion ways, up to the poop deck, and back down again. They caused most of the noise that lasted in through the ship, behaving ten years minor.

The first mate had narrowed his eyes as he watched them misbehave. But as paying customers, he didn't say anything. Only when they hadn't stopped for a few hours did he finally snap.

He stalked over to the captain, who was busy yelling at a cabin boy who had apparently iron the captains underwear so much it was stiff as a board. After the scolding, the captain heard out what the first mate said.

"Well, Mister Breeseth, as I too have heard them raising a hell storm, with only two people, causing more chaos than all of my men drunk, I give you full permission to yell at them so much they never come back up on deck.

"Yell the crap out of them." And the captain left, to go watch from a distance and unobtrusively.

Kairi ducked around the fore mast and hurtled down the stairs, bringing Phreterik around. They ran and ran, not fully understanding why they themselves hadn't been tiring yet.

"I'm sick and tired of you two being so obnoxious! Stop it!" The mate stepped in front of Kairi who skidded to a stop with her eyes wide open in surprise. Phreterik tried stopping, but being naturally bigger than Kairi, his momentum was so great, that he couldn't stop himself from slamming into her, causing her to fall over.

"Get up off the floor you selfish firebrands!"

Phreterik got up and hearing the word firebrand, let out a snort of laughter. He hastily turned it into a cough as he realized the mate wouldn't like it.

"Can you keep yourselves intact, at a reasonable age?! Or are you so much a baby that you need a babysitter?!"

Phreterik didn't like being called babyish so he sneered back and claimed they weren't babys.

"Not babies, eh? Then you can do time in the BRIG! Shut your running and yelling, and getting in peoples way! STOP IT or we will put in the brig!"

"But we're-"

"I DON'T CARE IF YOUR PAYING CUSTOMERS OR NOT!" and he stalked away, his face red, and the captain laughing.

From the distance, the pair heard the mate yell at a sailor in anger.

"You! Basens! Mop the deck! Who cares your doing this job?! Now you'll do it alone! The whole deck! By tonight! NOW!"

They winced at his anger, pitying the poor sailor. Even still, they shrugged and went downstairs, to go find Leon and perhaps taunt ever so slightly, the right temple vein would pop out.

A/N:: Long time for an update. maybe I'll write more...who knows. I'm trying though. This ship segment of Kairi's story has been difficult for me so i'm ending it very soon. Maybe next chapter. I don't know...Lana's story is quite far along, a good five chapters ahead. I haven't stopped with her story. I'm almost done with it. I have two more parts left to do; it's not much. Reviews are nice! though I dont know why I bother... my own thoughts.