A/N- Thanks for the tip about Wokai, sirladyknight, I agree, and I changed it, so I guess I'll say Bazhir from now on! Thanks again!
Aoife found herself asleep sooner than she thought. She just stared at the ceiling until her eyes forced themselves shut.
Aoife was looking around Blue Harbor. She watched, interested, several auctions that sold off Bazhir slaves. She stopped at one, inspecting the proud peoples in chains. She was upset they were forced into shackles like these.
"I'll buy this one for 30 gold crowns," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Why did I just offer that? she thought. I don't need a slave. Some force was pulling her towards him, somehow.
"I'm not a thing, I'm a human being," he remarked.
"Very well," the seller said, ignoring the slave. "Any others on the Bazhir boy?" No one responded. No one would want a small, skinny boy with a nasty tongue.
Aoife took her "prize" and led him away from the others. They went in the shadows, where no one could see them. "What is your name?" she asked, questioning already the deal she made.
"My name is Wokaihwokomas," he said, resigned and quiet.
"Well then, Wokaih...aih...jkopbleh," she struggled with the name, "have you ever wanted to be a pirate?"
"No."
"Too bad. Because now you're one anyway." She took off her tri-cornered hat, revealing a bandana, and placed it on his head. "I hereby dub you Wokai, first mate. You are now a pirate and not a slave, though you must abide to the rules of a pirate. Blah blah blah, and all that other official stuff." She turned away from him and walked back into the sunshine, squinting.
Wokai proved to be a very quiet, observational pirate. He always saw ships approaching before anyone else. He found several gold pieces on the ground when no one else so much as glanced; the glint caught his eye. He even excellent hearing, and prevented a disaster when Aoife almost walked into a very private discussion including the king himself. Wokai was always there for Aoife, and in turn Aoife was there when she could be for Wokai.
One day, though, their relationship changed. Aoife was in her cabin, trying to readjust her breast band. Wokai barged in to inform her of an attack and saw her unprotected chest. Gaping, he closed the door behind him, knowing he would get it later. He was at a complete loss for words.
"What do you want?" Aoife asked him through the door. Her voice shook with rage.
"You're…you're a woman!" he exclaimed.
"Not so loud! You want the world to hear!" she whispered, trembling. "Yes, I know I'm a woman." Should I kill him? she thought. No one can ever know!
"I swear on my life that I will never tell a soul," he murmured. "Never."
"Yes, that's all good and well, but it matters not now," she told him, opening the door as she spoke. She was back in her clothes. "What is it!"
"Oh… uh… we're under attack."
She swore and went up deck. It took several days to wipe away all the blood that accumulated after, with Aoife swinging like a mad woman on a rampage.
Aoife sat up in bed suddenly. She smiled at the recount of Wokai's entering in her life. She glanced at him, curled up in the bed next to hers. He looked not a day older than 10, in his feeble position, though he was really 13 or 14. To her surprise, he was sucking his thumb.
Early the next day she arose and woke the rest of the crew by pounding on their doors until they grumbled something intelligible. They were leaving as the sun rose. "We're bound for Port Caynn, due North," she announced, spinning the wheel.
"Raise the anchors," Wokai said silently. She smiled at him and ordered for the sails to be risen. She looked ahead, the wind blowing her hair to and fro, and grinned.
I'm going to make this more Tamora Pierce-related soon, as well as the crew meeting some new people to bring in the "good" pirate idea. Keep reading and commenting, please! More constructive criticism greatly appreciated and needed!