Chapter 6 - The Call of Hearts
The life was good. Sailing with the song of soft wind in the ears, fresh breeze on the skin, the warm rays of the sun during the day and in the evening being free to express all the desires.
Nevertheless the sea can be full of surprises especially during the influence of moon. Even though it was past bed time, the crew sat all together telling stories and enjoying the calm sea with big shining orb enlightening the night. Oliver's smiley face turned into a pensive one as he looked behind himself over the board, staring into the night. "Do you hear that?" he asked.
Gail looked at her partner who shook her head and shrugged her shoulder. "Nope," she answered slowly with raised eyebrows.
The older man stood up and went to the right side of the ship. "I definitely hear something, like some music."
"You are right, Buddy," noted Sam and went to join his friend.
The female sailor frowned and looked around. Traci and Jerry had the same doubtful look; nevertheless with the rest of the crew they joined the two men at the side of the vessel. Intensively looking into the rocky shore, the blonde could not find a thing which would evoke the supposed music, nor did she see a living soul there.
The superintendent left her cabin, as predicted fully clothed in her uniform. "I believe you are correct, Oliver, indeed a beautiful chore can be heard. We should get closer and explore."
Jerry tapped the captain's daughter on the shoulder. "I am not sure what they all are seeing or hearing, but I don't like it a bit. We may get stuck on the rocks over there."
"You are right," nodded the younger woman. "Mum, turn back! We will hit the rocks!"
"Do not worry, my dear, it will be alright!" nodded the superintendent with a fascinated expression.
Holly slipped her hand into her wife's, looking around worriedly. "I may be the child of the land; however I heard rumours about creatures called Sirens."
Traci nodded. "Yep, but they are supposed to lure men." She looked again at her fascinated colleagues. "Chloe and Superintendent are hearing them too obviously."
"We don't know much about Chloe and my mum never showed any interest into women, well, not even men, I heard only about my father," commented Gail and rapidly glanced around to check on the others. "Jerry is not lured obviously."
"I am not seeking another woman," he shrugged. "I found my love." Traci was about to kiss him if they did not hit something. "Gail, take the helm now!"
The said woman rushed to her parent. "Mum, stop!" she called.
"Oh no, we cannot stop," the older woman replied with glazed eyes navigating the vessel straight to the rocks.
Gail took her the captain's hands in hers and stood between her and the helm. "Mum, listen to me, we have hit the rock, if we get any closer, we will destroy the ship. It is night; we can explore the shore in the morning."
"By then the chore may stop," protested the other sailor stubbornly.
The younger of them sighed and summoned all her patience. The hard head ran in the family, she would not be swung from her mission of saving the 15th Division. "Then we will stay the day at the shore and wait for the night, but right now it is risky to continue."
Instead of an actual verbal answer the daughter was shown away roughly as the captain took the wheel back. "Oh dear Poseidon, please help us," she murmured her prayer and grabbed her mother by the shoulder and turned her around. "Just stop, please." Again she was roughly moved away. It would be a long and dangerous night.
Gail pushed her mother hard sending her down to the wooden floor of the deck. "Mum, I am sorry, but you are leading us into a death-trap." She turned the ship and signalled Holly to re-set the sails.
The older woman slapped her child hard in the face. The blonde winced but her parent got angrier with every second. "How dare you? I taught you to show respect."
"Not when we are about to die!" she yelled standing up quickly. She was determined to take the captain down and not to get closer any knot. Her attacks were mostly pushing Elaine away than actual fighting; the redhead on the other hand was not going any easy. Fortunately there were no weapons involved. Gail dodged the right hook and left hand grip, trying to look around what could help her to stop the older woman. A kick knocked her on her butt and the parent was hovering over her. Please, Uncle Poseidon, help us, she prayed for help again.
A powerful sea wave hit the ship from the side. Not only it caused the vessel to move the way Holly set the sails, but also took the superintendent off her balance and she stumbled. The blond sailor used this opportunity to jump on her mother, sending them both down to the floor again. She turned Elaine on her stomach and grabbed both her arms behind her back pulling them high in painful twists to avoid any counter attack. "I am really sorry, I have to do this." She stood them both up and dragged the captain to her cabin when she heard a shriek.
Holly noticed her wife's signal and took care of the sails, manipulating them so gently with the most finesse possible to get the ship away from the danger. She was breathing heavily and sweating from running here and there on the board. The sea wave was quite a blessing to finally get the ship moving. To her pleasant surprise it was not only one wave but the sea was getting alive. With a relief and a newfound power she started hoisting the sails so they could get away from the cursed place as soon as possible. Finally the vessel was slowly going back to the open sea. The healer looked at the rest of the crew, most of them were disappointed that they were sailing away. She noticed her childhood friend in a heated discussion with Traci and then he jumped into the sea. "CHRIS!" she shrieked and rushed down.
"Man over the board!" called Jerry while his girlfriend was tying a rope around her waist and jumped after the unexperienced sailor. "Woman over the board!" he called again and took the rope in his hands making sure his partner would get back safe.
Holly ran to his side to help him how ever she could while other crew members were running around shouting at Chris to come back. Traci seemed to be very skilful in swimming and the physician understood while Jerry gave up his chivalrous self and let the better swimmer go for rescue.
The brunette panicked when she saw her oldest friend disappearing under the surface when another wave was approaching fast. The former farm boy just managed to swim up and take a quick breath before the water rolled over him and took him in again followed by the dark skinned rescuer.
There was a heavy silent.
"Jerry?" asked the healer tentatively. The man stood frozen not moving a muscle. So she reached for the rope to save at least one crew member. Just then the older man slapped her hand away and shook his head. Holly noticed he was counting. What is he waiting for?
Before he reached fifty-seven, the water surface was broken revealing Traci gasping for air. She pulled out the charmed lad who was not moving at all. Suddenly everybody rushed for the rope and pulled with all their strength to get the two sailors back on the board the soonest possible. The rescuer retied the rope around Chris so Sam could bend in to pull him out of the sea while Jerry kept pulling the rope. Oliver reached for Traci when she was climbing the ladder. Chloe and Dov fetched for thick blankets to warm up the soaked team. Holly immediately knelt next to her friend, released the airways and breathed in a few deep breaths, she checked his pulse which was barely noticeable but it was there, therefore she repeated the breathing. "Come on, Chris, don't leave me," she murmured. "You are no food for sharks, not yet. Come on."
After several more forced breaths the dark haired guy started coughing and vomiting the salty water. Everyone let out their own breaths which they were not aware of holding. Dov wrapped another blanket around his cabin mate patting his back. "Let it out, Bro."
The physician sat back on her butt looking at the man she considered a little brother with rapidly pounding heart as the adrenaline was still rushing in her veins. "What a stupid idea."
"What happened?" he asked confused.
"You decided to swim to the arms of Sirens," commented Jerry dryly folding the rope.
"Sirens?" he frowned. "Are they for real? Aren't they supposed to be a myth?"
"You tell us, Mate."
Gail let down the anchor when they were away enough from the rocky shore and joined the group, she sat behind her spouse hugging her tightly, she put her head on the healer's shoulder humming into her ear to calm her down. They were at the safe distance; nobody seemed to hear anything anymore, even the sea calmed down.
"Where is the superintendent?" asked the brunette when her heart rate returned back to normal. She was more tired than scared now.
"I locked mum in her cabin before she could break any of my bones."
Holly looked at her and noticed a red spot on her partner's face and a few bruises on her hands. "Honey," she sighed and watched how the clear blue eyes soften. She gently ran her fingertips along the beautiful pale jaw.
"I will be fine. Better than drinking the sea water," she looked at the two swimmers and nodded to Traci silently asking if she was alright. Funny how well they knew each other and simple gestures expressed more than words. The rescuer smiled in agreement.
"You should get changed before you catch hypothermia," suggested the physician.
"I am going to prepare some grog," said Oliver. "Dionysus knows we need it, especially these two," he pointed at his soaked comrades who started shaking from the cold and stress. Nevertheless they listened to both ideas and did as they were recommended.
The young healer knocked on the captain's cabin door balancing the tray with food in her other hand.
"It is locked from the outside!" called the superintendent.
Holly noticed the key, turned it around and opened the door. "Madam, how are you feeling?" she asked tentatively looking at the older woman sitting at the table with a candle lit on. In the dim light she looked so much older yet it could be the tiredness showing.
"Like I have been drinking too much rum," the red head replied dryly. "Holly?"
"Yes, Madam?" the healer looked up quickly taking the appearance of her mother-in-law checking for any physical damage which could be obtained earlier. Maybe there was some inner pain the captain was feeling and the younger of them was ready for her duties.
"How long are you married to my daughter?"
"Seven months," she replied suspiciously and a bit confused. That was no question about physical hurt.
"Are you happy?"
"Yes, very." Alright, it seemed they were switching to emotional pain, hence the brunette quickly ran every possible scenario in her head when she could hurt her special person.
"Do you have any intentions of leaving her?"
"No," the brunette had to wonder where those questions were heading, because she could not think of anything than happiness with this woman's child.
"Then I believe it is high time you start using my name."
For a moment Holly was taken aback with the offer. She did not count on anything like that at the time of rush to avoid collision with sirens, however accepted it gratefully. "Thank you… Elaine," she smiled and bowed slightly.
"Now, is there something you want or were you just checking on me?"
"Both honestly. You may need some food and sleep it off," she pushed the meal closer to the older woman. "Also may I borrow one of your journals? I believe I read about sirens somewhere. I always considered the siren's song to be an echo of the sea on the cliffs, but maybe there is a bit more into it. Four of us did not hear anything else than soft waves while the rest of the crew went cra-" she stopped herself and quickly glanced at her mother-in-law realising she was one of the influenced people as well, "while the others heard a luring music," she finished with a blush.
The experienced sailor kept her stoic expression, yet there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Suit yourself," she nodded to her chest where books and journals were kept.
Holly quickly scanned two diaries before she found the correct one. She left the cabin with Elaine right behind her.
Meantime on the deck there was prepared some more snack, steaming tea pot and of course a bottle of rum. Gail moved aside to make space for her wife while Jerry being the gentleman and without any headache, he stood up from his barrel stool and offered it to the captain who accepted it with a nod of thanks.
"How are you feeling, Superintendent?" asked Oliver with a cup of tea handing over to the female sailor.
"Let's say I had better days," she replied tiredly. "Thank you."
Gail looked over her partner's shoulder peeking into the book. "Have you found anything?"
"Hm, not much. Mostly it is about this wondrous siren's song which leads sailors to their damnation, ships were wracked and men drowned. It is described as mysterious music of a charming female voice attracting men to come and mate."
"With a fish lady?" asked Sam doubtfully. "Now it doesn't sound so attractive anymore."
"But after last night we know it does not attractonly men, unless…" not for the first time Dov was either courageous or foolish enough to voice out what most of the crew was silently wondering. He must have a guardian angel full of luck because he never got challenged for this unwisely spoke up thoughts.
"Well, some women are more attractive than men indeed," Chloe took it upon herself and replied promptly. Her English got much better by now and it turned out she had a bone for languages. "Anyway the tribe used to call it 'A Song of Broken Hearts'. I think incomplete is a better expression, because stories tell that not all men heard the music, they were those mated and loved their spouses. Unfortunately I don't know about women."
"Well, most of the sailors are men," explained Traci. "So I believe men may be just a generic expression for humans or sailors."
"So you are saying that those who are happily involved with someone are saved and the rest is doomed," summarised Gail. Truth to be told the only people who did not hear anything were coupled. "So is it like a true love test or something?" Some of the crew members were frowning thinking hard about that statement and some were nodding, accepting this possible deduction. The blonde looked up at Jerry. "Hey, Mate, we passed," she grinned and offered her fist to bump. The man reciprocated the action and mirrored the grin. The captain's daughter was slapped lightly on her arm by the physician who tilted her head, nevertheless she was amused with the gesture and Traci only rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the childish behaviour of her friend and boyfriend.
"Well, I believe we all deserve a good sleep," said the superintendent. She set the empty cup aside and stood up. "Have a good rest."
"Mum," Gail rose on her feet and followed her parent. She weighted her next sentence carefully to cover for what she really wondered yet did not want praying ears to hear. "I want to apologise for the fight." It was a good thing that the cabin was so close and therefore there was no need for long sentences to fill the space. She closed the door and looked at the mother. "Also, erm, have you ever been in love with a woman?" she asked directly.
The older woman looked at her child seriously. "Gail, I assure you I was never attracted to any woman. There was only one person, your father. He was my… true love if you want to put it this way."
"Then how come you heard the song if you don't want to mate with a mermaid?" she asked curiously.
"I like good music," she deadpanned. "Now if you excuse me, I would like to lie down."
The blonde left the cabin and saw the deck to be clean an empty except Holly waiting for her. "What a night, huh?" the healer smiled and wrapped her arms around her wife's waist but kept the distance to be able to see her face.
"Tell me about it," she replied tiredly and leant in, placing her head on the brunette's shoulder. "At least I don't have to worry about my mother trying seducing you and showing you who the better Peck is. I know she has a thing for you; good to know it's just platonic."
Holly chuckled at that comment. "You have nothing to worry about, plus you are a Stewart now."
"Stewart-Peck. She would never let go of the Peck part."
"Well," the slightly taller woman pulled out and ran her fingers through the side of the fair coloured mane. "I would never let you go, whatever name you decide to use." She closed the distance between their lips in a tender kiss.
It was a rough night. Again the ship may need some repair, but fortunately all the people were alive and hopefully healthy. Well, with the amount of alcohol Oliver poured in the cups of the two swimmers, they were warmed up for sure and sleeping like logs in no time.
Thank you (: