- Tales of a little girl-
December 1616
Somewhere beyond the sea
She was a toddler when she learned to run. She loved sneaking between the legs of the crew's men, jumping off the deck, climbing the ladders, and hanging from the sails. An earthquake that drove everyone crazy. Except for her father who acted as if she didn't slept on a pile of blankets by the chimney in her father's cabin. She wore a worn gray shirt tied with a piece of rope, and a boots that weren't her size.
Her head was a tangle of flaxen hair which, when Old Will managed to grasp her, he combed with his fingers.
He used to cook and place her on his lap singing songs and telling old stories about the sea. He was the one who raised her from the ground when she tripped over the ropes.
The sailors called her "The Little Captain" and for some absurd reason everyone had assumed she was a boy. She was the crew's toy. The brat they taught to spit and swear.
And she was happy, growing wild and carefree. However, when she had nightmares, or when the sea was rough and frightened, she never found a father's loving arms assuring her that everything was going to be fine.
Then she hid under the helm, hugging her knees waiting until everything ended. Counting the seconds to know how far away the storm was. And when she was completely paralyzed by fear and her father didn't even bother to look at her. She rushed to Will and got into his jacket. After that he sang and lulled her to sleep.
" Yeah, ho, little fish Don't cry, Don't cry
Yeah, ho, little fish Don't cry, Don't cry
There's a place in my heart For the one I love best
And I still keep her picture tattooed on my chest.
Yeah, ho, little fish Don't cry, Don't cry
Yeah, ho, little fish Don't cry, Don't cry." * (1)
...
January 1620
Xing Waters
The cellar was her favorite place on the ship, it smelled of rum and she always found some little treasure. A forgotten coin, stained glass, shells or a little mouse the cat wouldn't have eaten.
She played among the barrels imagining that she was fighting Blackbeard, the most feared pirate.
Suddenly she heard a weird noise coming from the bottom of the cellar. She firmly picked up her wooden sword and went to look around.
Behind a pile of empty barrels, she noticed a huge bulge under a blanket. Without a shadow of fear, she smack it hard and a painful groan came from it.
"Get out of there," she shouted, sharpening her sword at the bulge, despite trying to sound brave she was scared to death.
"Hi," a boy with raven hair and black eyes answered, his face was stained with soot.
"Who are you?" she asked, pointing her sword at him.
"My name is Roy, Roy Mustang," he said, extending his hand to her. "What about you?
"You don't care," she sharply answered sticking him with the tip of her sword.
"Okay," the boy smiled dropping the piece of cloth and sat silently looking at her with attention.
"What are you doing in my ship?" she asked again, placing her sword aside, placing her hands on her hips.
"Your ship? Ain't you too young to be a captain?" he mocked, standing up, it was a head taller than her, but that didn't scare her at all.
"My father is the captain," she said proudly, crossing her arms and frowning.
"So, what do you and your father the captain do?" he replied in a joking tone, leaning a little over her. Do you fish tuna?
"We are pirates," she replied in the same defiant tone he was employing.
"Wow, pirates, I've chosen an incredible ship," he enthusiastically said clapping his hands.
"The best of ships," she proudly corrected him. "The arrow of the seas is the envy of those who navigate the ocean."
Roy's stomach made a loud noise and he blushed right to his ears, sitting on the ground again. He crossed his legs under his ass and smiled in shame.
"Are you hungry?" she looked at him curiously. "Have you eaten anything since we departed?"
"Not really," he admitted, scratching his head in shame.
"I'll be right back."
She quit the cellar almost running and headed for the kitchens. She greeted the cook and, using her best pickpocketing skills, stole a piece of cheese and a piece of bread. Returned to the cellar, hiding her loot under the shirt. Found him where she had left, he smiled when she saw her arrive and had no choice but to give him another smile.
"Are you going to tell me your name? " he said, filling his mouth with food. "I want to know who my rescuer is."
"Elisabeth," she replied, sitting next to him, tearing the cheese into tiny pieces with her razor.
"Are you a girl?" he replied, choking on a piece of bread he had to spit out.
She gave a disgusted look and turned away from him.
"Are you a carnival monkey?" she looked at him from top to bottom, and he laughed.
His laughter was bright and full of life, when he smiled his eyes lit up and small dimples made in his cheeks.
"Are you a lady or a pirate?" he mocked with a little blow to the shoulder.
"I'll take your food," she grumbles, removing the bread from his reach. " Dummy."
"Don't get angry, Liz," he extended his hand towards her and smiled once more, his smile was quite sweet." Thanks for the food, you're amazing."
She felt the heat light up her cheeks and without knowing what to add sat next to him again to share that frugal meal. And as simple as that, she spent days and hours next to him, sitting on the floor relating things, explaining how a boat worked, how many people were needed to operate it. How wonderful it was to feel the breeze on the face, the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean.
One night she fled from the kitchen with her pockets stuffed of bread and pieces of dried meat, the cook followed her to the cellar. And he discovered them. He made a fuss, shouted and called them everything. He snatched Roy by the arm and pulled him across the boat.
"Stowaway on board," he shouted, bringing him to the deck. "Look what I discovered."
"Overboard!" shouted the crew. " On top of the plank."
Roy looked at her full of panic, he didn't understand anything, everyone shouted and hit the wood with his feet and hands. His father and the helmsman approached to watch what was happening, while a sailor tied his hands and set him on the plank.
"Stowaway to the board!" chanted the crew laughing.
"No, leave him alone," she shouted with tears in her eyes, pulling on the clothes of the pirates who mocked and pushed her. " He has done nothing wrong."
"It's pirate law," said the boatswain, pointing out to Roy who didn't know what to do.
"I want to keep him," she begged with tears in her eyes. "Please... father... I've never demanded anything of you... please... I'll take care of him."
"It's not an abandoned dog, girl," Will interrupted staring at her severely. "It's just another mouth to feed."
"I will feed him of my food, don't hurt him," she begged, clutching Old Will's jacket. "Please, it's not fair. He's a good boy, don't hurt him. "
"We need another cabin boy. The boy seems agile and is quite scrawny he can sneak into every corner. Captain?" The helmsman asked without being able to hide a smile of complicity.
"Do as you please," his father snarled, turning around and going downstairs again.
"Thank you," she said joyfully, giving him a hug as the rest of the crew untied his friend and left him back on deck.
Roy, unaware of everything that had happened, fell to his knees and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Come on, I'll show you the ship," she said, taking the hand of his friend, who hadn't recovered from the fright and started to run around the ship.
She explained what it was everything, what it was for, how it was used, she spoke very fast, but he seemed to understand everything. He nodded, laughing and following her wherever she went. They climbed to the top of the main mast, there was some fear in his eyes, but he smiled delightfully. He filled his lungs with oxygen and let out an exclamation of amazement.
"It's awesome," he whispered almost breathlessly. "I want to do this for the rest of my life. I want to own a boat and discover the world."
She laughed and outstretched her arms and sang at the top of her lungs:
" That is my ship my treasure,
that my god is the freedom,
my law, the force and the wind,
my only homeland the sea." * (2)
"What is it? It's so nice," he said, holding on to the mast, still afraid of the considerable height.
"An old pirate song," she answered without turning around.
"You have to teach it to me," he said full of enthusiasm.
"I have to show you a lot, cabin boy," she said, reaching out her hand to him to release. "Don't be afraid."
Roy squeezed her hand, approached her and without letting go of her hand he looked out at the horizon.
"I'm not afraid."
...
September 1625
High seas
Sometimes she sat gazing at him while she was working on other things. Roy was a restless guy. He couldn't be still. The sun had tanned his skin, and the long hours of work had defined his muscles. But he still kept his great smile and the dimples on his cheeks. And he kept laughing a lot and making her smile.
He pulled the ratchet sail, which for some reason had got stuck on top of the mast. The sweat made his skin shine, his dark eyes were fixed on the rope as he pulled it tightly. He was no longer that gangly little boy.
"Focus," Will gave her a little push."The knots, girlie."
"Yup," answered as red as an eggplant trying to concentrate on what she was doing, or at least trying.
Roy ran up the ladder, Riza sighed, he was really good-looking. The wind disheveled his hair, and the sun made his skin shine. He had taken off his shirt, and you could see the scars of the blows he had received over the years.
Will coughed noisily and she returned to the practice of coastal knots.
"Liz, look," Roy yelled from the heights performing a cabriolet on the main post.
She smiled like an idiot and waved at him.
"That brat is an idiot," grumbled Old Will looking where she was looking." Boy, you're going to break your head! Quit playing the idiot and untie the candle!"he shouted in loud voice." Snotty brat," he grumbled again.
Riza laughed once more, thinking of dimples and black eyes.
...
March 1626
Tortuga.
She was really annoyed. Again she had to stay on the boat, while the rest of the crew had fun. She could never do anything, and nobody seemed to care. She couldn't deal in tobacco because she was too girlish and no one would take her seriously and she couldn't go out drinking in Tortuga because she was fourteen. She wasn't interested in the book she was reading. As a result she watched the wax of the candles melt against the table. Imagining figures in the small white drops.
Until a few knocks on the door startled her.
"Come, kid," her father ordered in a harsh way without barely looking at her from the door frame.
"Aye, captain," she replied, rising from her seat and following him to the cabin.
Her father stood in the middle of the room and looked at her as if he had noticed her for the first time in a long time.
"Are you brave?" he asked in a grave, tense voice.
"Of course," she would achieve anything to demonstrate him that she was a obedient daughter.
"Are you a loyal pirate?" he repeated in the same monotonous tone of voice.
"Certainly, Captain," she was nervous and didn't know what to expect from all this, but she was willing to make anything, to prove to her father that she was worth it.
"Well, prove it. I need to rely on you with my most important secret, I'm asking you as a father not as a captain,"
"Yes, Father," she only desired him to be proud of her. To value her.
"I have to hide the treasure. They want to steal it. Someone is after it," he muttered more to himself than to her. "That bastard..."
"But father... nobody knows..."she stuttered not quite comprehending what she needed from her.
"It's important, will you do it?" he cut her. His eyes were cold, almost paranoid.
"Whatever it is, you can rely on me. I'll do whatever it takes,"
"Very well... I need a piece big enough," he muttered again between his teeth, thoughtful, as if he were thinking over and over again about the same idea. "Take off your shirt."
"Make what?" she asked puzzled, staring at him with her eyes wide open.
"I'm going to hide the code that guides to the treasure, just take off your shirt and stay very still," he said with an authoritative voice.
She obeyed instantly, her father ordered her to sit on the floor. She heard him shuffle through his things, saying nothing. She was terrified. But finally, her father needed her for something, finally she was valuable. Her heart beat very fast and she was so nervous that her whole body trembled.
Her father placed a hand on her neck and forced her against the ground. At that moment she realized that he didn't even see her as a human being. She didn't expect that, the sharp, cold needle against her skin. She screamed in pain.
"Hold on. Are you a pirate or not?" he scolded her, raising his voice on a terrifying level.
The pain was excruciating, but she was shocked even to shake. The room was in total silence just her sobs could be heard. Although she tried to avert it, she implored him to stop, but her father ignored her. The chisel and needle against skin sounded like a melody. A sinister hammering. Her skin was raw, and every minute was more painful than the last. She clenched her fists and bit her lips to avoid screaming. So hard that she made them bleed.
The tears ran down her cheeks. She was tired of begging. She took a breath and began to hum, focused on the song not to think about the pain.
"Sail, my sailboat,
Fearless;
That no enemy ship,
No storm, no good fortune
Your course reaches to twist,
Nor to contain your courage." * (3)
Her father finished and got up without adding a word. He stored the ink and needles in the box again and sat down at the table.
"You can leave, if you tell anything about this... I'll kill him," she didn't need to know who he was referring to, she wasn't naive and Hawkeye was capable of anything. "Do you understand? Nobody can know about the map."
"Roger, Father," she couldn't move, her legs hurt from spending hours in the same posture.
If she made any movement the skin on his back was sore and it was very painful. She leaned over to get her shirt and the pain paralyzed her. Dressing the shirt was hurtful, the friction on the recent wound was upsetting. She also dressed herself with her jacket so that no one would see the blood stains and ask questions that she couldn't answer.
She was scared, hurt, she needed Roy. She nothing but wanted to be with him. Sit next to him and listen to his deep voice telling what he had done that night. Making her laugh. Making her forget that hideous night. She went on deck to wait for the rest of the crew to arrive.
When the men arrived, it was too late. They came back drunk and staggering, Roy wasn't with them.
"He doesn't back yet," Kimblee said as he walked by her side and notice her facing the dock. "He's really busy."
"What do you say?" she asked without looking at him, Kimblee was annoying, and he liked harming others, he constantly came up with the most hurtful way to say things, but he was extremely sincere.
"Your boyfriend," he stood up and smiled mockingly."He doesn't come back."
"He's not my boyfriend," she corrected him red with rage.
"Good, or else he would be cheating on you with a redhead with big tits," Kimblee pinched her cheek and performed a mocking gesture.
"What?" she asked naively without believing what he was relating her.
"Precious, a baby doll, I don't think he'll be back tonight, girl, he's occupied," he made a nasty gesture with his arms and laughed." By making things with true women."
She felt her heart break into pieces, Kimblee smiled evilly again, waiting for her to cry. But she didn't want to. She wasn't going to offer him the pleasure of laughing at her any more than he was already doing. She ran away.
Her back hurt, her heart hurt, the tears burned on her cheeks. She didn't know where to go. She wanted to escape from there and find a place to hide from everything, from pain, from sadness, from the asshole Kimblee, from her evil father.
There was a place on the ship that always been her refuge, a place where she felt safe.
"Little swallow..." Will said, sticking his head out under the helm. "What are you doing hiding there?"
"Nothing," she sobbed wiping her tears.
"One doesn't cry for anything," he said with a cheery smile. "What happened?"
That her heart was broken, that her father considered her a piece of parchment. That no one cared. That she was forced to be on the boat when others were pillaging or having fun. That for the most part of the crew she was nothing more than misfortune personified. And that for the unique person she wanted to be a girl for she wasn't.
"Do you like me?" she asked in bitter sobs.
"Of course, little one," Old Will held out his hand and she clutched him."You've always been my favorite."
"I'm a fool... I thought..." she looked at the floor embarrassed, her shoulders were shaking and she couldn't hold back her tears.
"Did that brat do something to you? If he's done something to you, I'll dangle him from the thumbs on the ratchet pole, he'll be shark meat, I'll eat his guts..."
"No, he did nothing wrong..." she hugged him and sighed in sorrow.
"Cut off his finger?" he clasped her by the shoulders and grimaced her."Without a finger you'll like him the same."
Riza laughed in tears and separated from her old helmsman.
"I'm truly sad," she smiled back with tears in her eyes. "But I'm strong, a pirate."
"That's right, little girl, and you're a better pirate than that ruffian," he gave her a firm grip on her shoulders and they both laughed.
...
April 1629
Tortuga
She was always in a bad mood, everything irritated her. She hated the memory of her father and Bradley because he had taken her home. She hated staying on land while Roy and Maes were hired on any ship. She hated walking around in those stupid dresses if she wanted to work in some tavern or sewing nets in the harbor. She hated stepping into the harbor in stormy nights with her heart in a fist. Looking at the horizon searching for their ship, unsure how skillful the helmsman commanding them would be.
The unique thing that made her happy was to be with her sisters, the Midnight Mama's cats. Spending hours with Catalina playing cards and getting drunk. Explain the girls to fight and defend themselves. So she didn't feel so lonely, neither miss the sea, nor her friend.
She drank more than necessary and tried to feel loved in the arms of strangers. But she couldn't remember her first kiss or her first time, because she was drunk and hated it. As much as she despised herself. And she was incapable of feeling anything other than rage and apathy. Sometimes she regretted the simple fact of being.
She felt a knot in her throat of bitterness and pain and squeezed her glass of rum.
Catalina, without saying a word dropped the cards on the floor and moved closer to her.
"You don't have to be rough in front of me, Do you understand that?" she sighed and put her arms around her. "All that rage is going to consume you up from inside."
"I can't..." she replied, fighting back her tears. "I'm fine."
"I'm here anyway," she hugged her tightly. "Even if you are fine"
"I know," she answered, grabbing her friend's arms.
...
November 1634
Tortuga
They'd been drinking for hours and they were very drunk, she more than anyone. They bet and laughed in a fun game with the locals. Catalina, who had been in business for a couple of months, handed out beers and bottles of rum. Her laughter was cheerful and catchy. Once in a while Jean sat her down on his knees just for hearing her curse.
The Sweet Kattalin had become a second home. They all shouted as they played, laughed and overacted. Arousing the curiosity of all customers.
She rose and threw the cards on the table. Swaying and with the glass still in her hand she headed for the door.
"Do you want to fight, sweetie?" proposed one of her game rivals when she went out to breathe the fresh air of the night.
"Ookey, let's go," she replied rubbing her hands and heading towards him.
"Riza, come here..." Roy clasped her by the arm and pulled her to where he was. He had come out of nowhere.
"He wants to fight with me" pointed to the man who kept laughing, leaning against the wall.
"Are you so drunk that you don't get the sexual hints?" Roy chuckled, placing one arm over her shoulder.
"What? I'm going to punch him," she turned completely but he grasped her arm again.
"I gotta get my money back," she separated from him and walked to the tavern door.
"You've expended all your money, Riza," Roy complained with his hands on his waist.
"I'll fight for him," she cried out in a cheerful mood.
She walked steadily, or at least that's what she believed, straight to the bar, but she stumbled on her own feet.
Before meeting the ground with his teeth, Roy hoist her up in the air and hauled her on his shoulder like a potato bag.
"Are you kidnapping me, Captain?" she asked, smiling, shuffling the words.
"It was necessary," he replied, patting her butt softly.
"What if I scream? I look like a damsel in distress, kidnapped by a rough pirate," despite feeling a little dizzy she giggled softly.
Roy laughed and continued walking towards the ship. When he reached the stairs, he left her on the floor and as straight as she could she went to the cabins.
"That's my room," Roy whispered as he walked behind her.
"I know," walking around the room, she took off her jacket and boots, leaving them lying around without any care.
She jumped on the bed and without turning her eyes off him she began to unbutton her shirt, very slowly, as if each button becomes a challenge. She threw it on the bed. Underneath it, she wore a blue corset, which raised and shaped her breasts.
"That's why they were so..." Roy mumbled, unable to take his eyes off of her. "Can you even breathe with that on?"
"Do you like it?" she whispered, playing with the gold chain between her fingers.
"I like everything about you," Roy smiled, with one hand in his hair, nervous.
She brought her hand to the clip that held her hair, and shaking her head, let it fall on her shoulders. With a small jump she tried to get out of bed, but fell to her knees hitting the floor. She began to laugh, unable to get up.
"It's time for bed, Petty Officer," Roy said, gripping her by the waist and aiding her up.
"Don't you want to play with me?" she muttered, putting her hands around his neck. "I need someone to satisfy my needs."
"Is that supposed to be sexy?" he asked, laughing, trying to keep her on her feet.
She tiptoed, kissing his neck as she tried taking his shirt off.
"You're very drunk," he sentenced holding her hands.
"You're drunk too," she drew near him again to bite the lobe of his ear.
"Is your rule..." he sighed, making an enormous effort to contain himself.
"Disobey," she replied, sliding her hands inside of his shirt.
"No"
She felt Roy's hand on her back trying gently to untie her corset. When she was free, she dropped on the bed and looked at him with a frown.
"You're mean," she grumbled annoyed.
"Whatever you say," He said, lying next to her, smiling and running a hand over her face with tenderness.
"Don't smile like that," she chided him with a crooked nose.
"Why?" he asked, beaming, with the dimples marked on his cheek.
"It's a temptation... I adore your smile," she held his face with both hands. "The touch of your skin," she ran her hand around his neck and brought her face closer to his neck. "Your smell..." tilted her head on his chest and embraced him. "The sound of your voice in my ear, the way your heart beats," her eyes were closing. He was playing with her hair saying nothing, and her voice sounded sleepier every time. "Everything."
Roy's lips on her forehead filled her with warmth and covering them with one of the blankets he hugged her before she fell asleep.
...
April, 1636
Port Tortuga.
With the head between her arms and hands resting on the wall, she tried to recover her breath. She couldn't move and her legs were shaking. She was covered in sweat, exhausted.
Roy with his back to the wall was panting exhausted. He looked at her with an knowing smirk and she smiled, breathing deeply.
"I won't be able to walk in weeks, Captain," she turned around and leaned by his side.
Without saying a word, he picked her up in his arms and carried to bed. She rolled over the sheets, and Roy fell face down beside her.
"Can you talk?" she asked incapable to mask the mocking tone in her voice.
He left up a hand to deny with it, keeping his head above the pillow. She burst into laughter and moved to bite on his shoulder. Roy raised his head and, with an unexpected, sudden movement, caught her in his arms.
"Do I have to grip you to keep you still?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Wanna tie me up?" She laughed, removing his wet bangs from the face. "Sounds funny."
"Aren't you tired?" He glanced at her in disbelief.
"Yeah," said and caressed his cheek passing her hand over the neck and shoulders.
"Thank goodness!," he breathed a sigh of relief, resting his head on her chest. "Because I don't even have the strength to fall asleep."
She slid an arm over his back and hugged him against her. It didn't take long for her to listen to her partner's soft snoring. She kissed his hair and careful to not waken him, picked up the sheets to cover themselves. She fell into sleep right away, too.
When she woke up was alone in bed and almost felt her heart stop. She rose from the bed in search of her clothes, still half asleep.
"Are you going somewhere?" she heard Roy's voice on her back and turned to look at him.
"Where were you?" she grumbled narrowing her eyes and left the boot back on the floor.
"Pissing," he replied, taking off his shoes and getting closer to her. She dropped on the bed and closed her eyes again. "Were you going to take advantage of my absence to run away?" he joked, getting into the bed next to her. "Did you steal my gold? I know where you sleep. Your cabin is on the other side of the wall."
"Shut up," she grunted, hiding herself with the sheets. "I want to sleep."
"I want other things..." He lifted the sheet, stood over her and began nibbling on her neck.
"I want to recover the Arrow," she said suddenly.
Roy, stood up dry, raised his head and looked at her puzzled.
"What did you say?" Roy sat on the bed and rubbed his face to brighten up.
"We can try, we have a good crew, they're young and tough," she also stood up and rested on him." If we plan a good attack..."
"No," he said seriously.
"No? Just like that?" she turned away from him skeptical.
"No, I don't intend risking my ship or the crew for any stupidity," he replied sharply, lying on the bed again.
"Stupid? That's what you think?" She jumped out of bed and started getting dressed.
"It's risky," he extended his arm and gripped her by her wrist.
"Perhaps you're a coward," she shook her hand to break free and Roy sighed tired.
"I am the captain of this ship. I will not jeopardize our mode of existence, Riza," he explained calmly, sitting at the edge of the bed trying to reason with her.
"Is that your final word?" she asked bitterly, hands on her hip, unable to control her frustration.
"Yes"
"Okay, understood, Captain," she spoke in a sarcastic tone turning her back.
"You can't leave like that..." he insisted on moving closer to her.
"Really? Look how I do it, bye-bye," she said, putting on her boots and giving him one last angry look.
She closed the door behind her, and leaning against the wall rubbed the nose-bridge in an attempt to calm her mood. She hated arguing with him. But she was tired of him stalling on something that was important to her.
* NOTES : 1 - (Don't cry little fish : Gus Kahn y Franz Waxman)OST Capitain Courageus. 1936
2-3 ( La canción del pirata : Jose de Espronceda) "The pirate's song" is a poem that all children in Spain have to study at school. ( or at least when I went to school.) It is one of the greatest exponents of Spanish Romanticism poetry. I translated it myself, so it's a free version. XD
Hi!
I think I've cheated a little here, with these little flashbacks, Instead of going straight to the story. I hope you like them.
Gospealoak : I'm glad I surprised you! Thanks for your reviews! Yeah, Riza needed to be honest with Roy once and for all. :D
Thanks for reading!
see you !
pd: Ok sometimes when i save the document some words disapear, i dont know why! Does that happen to you, too?