After Orianna had turned her attention from him to look for help, Kirk had slinked into the shadowy depth of the store room planning to maliciously surprise Orianna when she went in for the night.
'If all goes well', Kirk thought snidely to himself, 'then by the morning, the little lass will know whose boss".
A hazy darkness had painted the evening sky, signifying that night was close by. Orianna slowly and tiredly walked out of the crowded and cigar hazed dining hall. The hall was a large room beneath the deck that had three long tables running across its length and it was there that the men sat each morning, afternoon and evening to eat their respective and somewhat bland meals (it was a known rule at meal times that you didn't look too closely at what you were eating).
Orianna continued to walk languidly along the hallway and then advanced up the stairs and onto the deck. A gentle wind beckoned Orianna to the banister and she stood there contentedly, watching the gentle rhythms of the dark oceans water. Letting out a deep sigh, she rubbed her eyes tiredly; the day had taken its heavy toll.
As Orianna stood there in the dark, an out-of-tune song had started up in the dining hall; the men were screaming the words more than they were singing them. It was an old traditional sailor's song, but the tune was strong; someone had brought out an accordion and was now playing alongside the men's coarse voices. Looking around timidly, Orianna didn't see a soul and with a bit of hesitation, she started to gently sway with the music.
Two pairs of eyes were watching her that night; one was of a silvery grey that watched her with hungry fascination and the other was a pair of eyes- black as a moonless night, waiting for that sensuous creature to walk into his trap.
'It feels good to dance', Orianna admitted to herself as she finally stopped moving to the music. Shaking her head, she laughed slightly at herself and felt embarrassed even though no one was around. Her body was now more worn out than ever before…she knew she needed sleep and she needed it now.
Walking slowly over to the storeroom that had become her home away from home, Orianna trailed her fingers along the wooden banister as she went. Whispering a tired goodnight to the crisp winter night, she then turned away and walked over the matchbox sized compartment, formally known as her room.
Turning the doors handle and lazily pushing it open, Orianna barely registered that it hadn't rebounded off the wall. Little did she know that the door had instead rebounded off Kirk - knocking the breath out of him.
Walking down the two steps leading into the room, Orianna closed the door and yawned contentedly. Since there was no candle or lamp in the small room, she had to slowly and carefully manoeuvre her way to the small bed in the corner. Frowning slightly, Orianna stood still in the room…something didn't feel right.
Hearing a slight jostle near the door, Orianna realised the feeling was right…something was off. Reaching out for something to protect herself with, Orianna was relieved to feel her fingers come across the long handle of a broom. Taking a deep breath and calming herself down, she boldly called out to the pitch black room. "What do you want?"
A creepy snicker echoed around the small room and Orianna instinctively gripped the broom tighter in her hands.
"So you're back for more are you?" She jested, sounding more confident than she actually felt. Truth be told, her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she wouldn't have been surprised if the man himself could hear it.
"So you're not going to run from me this time", he snidely observed.
Orianna glared at him in the darkness. "Nah, I decided it would be a lot more fun to knock a little bit of sense into that small mind of yours".
Hearing no reply from the man, Orianna took a step back and felt the cold wall come up against her back.
Although she couldn't see him, she could sense that he was edging closer to her. Having the advantage of being familiar with the room, Orianna knew that the handle of the broom could reach more than halfway across the room. This being the case, Orianna stood tall, gripped the broom by its bristled head and pointed the long handle in front of her.
Kirk, unaware of the broom, walked confidently to where he imagined Orianna was. It was during his next few steps forward that he felt something stab into the area between his ribs. A momentary panic overcame him as he imagined it to be a swords metallic blade, hovering dangerously against his skin. In the darkness he was oblivious that this 'sword' was actually a long piece of shaped wood, but as his hand instinctively made to swipe it away in self defence, he figured out his blunder.
A yellow toothed smile played upon his thin lips. Reaching out and clutching the broom, Kirk pulled it forward, startling Orianna and dragging her closer to him. Orianna had intended to swing the broom at his head relentlessly, distracting him while she edged close enough to reach his body with her leg.
Knowing the advantage now belonged to him; Kirk reached out in the darkness with a lecherous hand and soon enough found the material of Orianna's tunic. Pulling the material callously towards himself, Orianna was helplessly flung against kirks filthy bulk. Landing with a sharp 'oomph', Orianna fervently started to claw and push her body off of him, but he still retained a firm hold.
Letting out a fierce curse that resulted in Kirk clicking his tongue in a chastising way, Orianna decided a different tactic was needed. Leaning all her weight against him, Orianna slammed into his body and forced him backwards until he collided with the shelves on the side wall.
The impact and the sudden shock, made kirks grasp upon Orianna go limp and he crouched forward holding his head in his hands. The pain from the collision between his head and the shelves created a searing blindness that threatened to make him fall to his knees. Orianna, seeing her chance, quickly squatted to the floor and zealously felt with her hands for the broom.
Feeling the wood touch her hand, an exhilarated confidence entered her as she stood up tall and faced Kirk in the darkness. Gripping the broom on the handle, Orianna pointed the bristled end at kirks still recoiled form.
Conjuring feelings of hate and revenge, Orianna started to wildly swing the broom about while stepping forward, making sure to use all the strength she had to whack it about.
Soon enough, it came into contact with the head of the assailant himself and being caught off guard, Kirk swung dangerously on his heels and began to veer unsteadily to one side until, at one last attempt to catch him-self before falling, Kirk twisted his body to one side. This only resulted in his head coming against the corner of Orianna's small yet hard, makeshift bed.
After the loud tumble, Orianna waited silently in the dark. Her body was beginning to tremble from the heightened fear and emotion, leading her to eventually sink to her knees.
"This is the second time in two weeks that I've nearly killed someone", she softly told herself out loud after hearing no sound from the heap on the floor.
Waiting a few more seconds, panic started to rise within her when the man still didn't move or make a sound. Fearing the worst, Orianna decided that the best thing to do would be to find Rebus. Taking one last look at the dark outline of the slumped man, she all but flung herself out of the room.
Walking room to room, hallway to hallway and wringing her hands, Orianna hoped with all her might Tavis wouldn't be the first one she found. But fate decided to be cruel and upon walking into the map room, she was met with the sight of Tavis sitting at the desk with his head in his hands.
"What?", he called out tiredly, not even bothering to look up.
Although Orianna was still slightly jumpy, she couldn't help but smile at the childlike pose Tavis was in. With his hands cupping his face and his hair fanning over his hands, Orianna suspected that she had interrupted what little rest he was allowed during the mayhem filled days.
"Something happened", admitted Orianna awkwardly to the room, she held back telling him more since she didn't quite know how to say it.
Upon hearing her voice, Tavis looked up and found the young woman gently observing him from across the room.
"What did you do now?" He asked curiously, his gaze lazily wandering over her strange clothes. He still wasn't used to seeing a woman in mans clothes, it slightly unnerved him. Looking at her now, Tavis smiled inwardly and decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. The tunic and black breeches somehow gave an unintentional womanly shape to the unaware Orianna.
Although she knew it wasn't the time or place for an argument, Orianna couldn't stop herself from rising to his taunt, not missing either the way his eyes had lingered on her body.
"One day, when we're not on this boat anymore…I swear I'll make you sorry for saying that".
"Really…How?" Tavis asked defiantly, with an edge of teasing in his tired voice.
With her wit deserting her at that precise moment, Orianna was left with no other choice but to shrug, a gesture she hoped meant 'if only you knew'.
Tavis laughed softly and stood up from behind the desk. "Lead the way then"
Upon reaching the top of the stairs and starting the long walk across the deck, Tavis had already been informed of all the details. His mind had already started to formulate numerous ways in which to exact painful revenge upon the loathsome brute of a human being named Kirk.
Every now and again, Orianna would risk a quick glance at Tavis as they walked along in the cool dark night. As usual, his face was dark and impossible to read.
When she had told him of her broom escapade while fighting Kirk, Tavis had only shook his head at her story and called her an ingenious fiend. Not knowing whether to take it as a compliment or offence, Orianna had merely shrugged her shoulders and stayed silent for the rest of the walk.
Upon finally reaching the small box of a storeroom, Orianna let out a soft sigh and waited for Tavis to make the first move.
Tavis understood her hesitation and took the initiative to open the door. As it swung open with a dauntingly slow creak, Orianna unknowingly took a step closer to Tavis. Feeling the warmth of her body against his arm, Tavis had to restrain himself from running his hand along her skin. This reaction startled him somewhat. She was starting to get dangerously close to undermining his self control without even knowing it.
"Where's your broom when you need it", Tavis said teasingly to Orianna as he walked down the two steps leading into the room.
Orianna merely grumbled a sarcastic, "Ha...ha".
"You're not scared are you?" She asked as innocently and naively as possible
In the darkness, Orianna couldn't see Tavis' face darken in her direction.
A slight groan drew their attention away from each other and Tavis, eager to see who the man was, walked into the room with intent. Grabbing the heap on the floor by the legs and dragging him out onto the deck, Tavis instructed Orianna to find Rebus.
Not needing to be asked twice, Orianna swiftly complied, dashing skilfully across the deck and down the stairs. With her heart racing from the exertion of having to run (exercise wasn't what you'd call her favourite pastime), Orianna circled the hallways until she came upon the door she knew was Rebus' (exploration held its benefits after all).
Rapping slightly upon his door, Orianna could hear a bellow from inside the cabin repeating, "I'm coming, I'm coming, hold on would you".
Guessing that he was just getting out of bed, Orianna wanted to avoid a possible and particularly uncomfortable scenario. She had been forewarned previously, that the majority of the men onboard, tended to sleep in the 'bare minimum'.
This being the case, Orianna quickly called out, "Rebus, it's me… Orianna, Tavis needs your help".
"Well in that case, hold on a while m'dear".
A minute or so later, Rebus opened the door, fully clothed and smiling.
"So what was that you were saying?" He asked curiously.
Just as with Tavis, Orianna told Rebus all that had happened as they made their way to the store room. Rebus knew from the way Orianna kept wringing her hands and how she kept trying to walk faster, that she didn't exactly trust Tavis alone with her attacker.
Rebus wanted to ease her fears; Tavis had control over his anger, something some men obviously didn't have. Clearing his throat to voice his confidence in his son, Rebus stopped short when upon reaching the deck, he saw Tavis hovering dangerously over the man on the floor.
Rebus became in an instant, the serious and commanding captain that his reputation beheld. Orianna could sense the change in Rebus and followed him cautiously as he walked sternly over to his son. Standing by his side, Rebus eyed Tavis with vigilance, something in his sons grey eyes made him look dangerous and unnatural.
"Is he awake yet?"
"No", replied Tavis, his anger calming slightly when he saw Orianna's worried expression.
"That unstable creature over there must've knocked him out cold", he remarked slyly, ignoring Rebus' frown.
Orianna, vexed slightly at his reference to her sanity, corrected him as calmly as she could
"No, he knocked himself out cold; remember".
Tavis merely nodded but a small smile crept upon his lips. "You have a habit of knocking people out don't you? First me, now him…who's next I wonder?"
Rebus, fully aware of the tension between his son and Orianna, cut in quickly.
"Now hold on you two, quarrel all you want later, but we've got more pressing matters to attend to"
As if on cue to emphasise Rebus' words, Kirk at that moment decided to slowly rouse, letting out a pain ridden retch as he did so.
"Well, well, look who finally decided to join us…Good evening Mr Doufelle or should I just call you Kirk, since rubbish like you doesn't deserve such a respectable tittle." Rebus said viciously to the still groaning man at his feet.
Morning had finally arrived and Orianna still felt numb and dazed as she snuggled into her blanket, glad to be back in bed at long last. The night had passed by quickly in a blur of heated words and the odd act of violence.
The loud and curse filled voice of Kirk, enhanced by anger and fear had eventually led to the awakening of practically the whole ship. Coming to see what the ruckus was about, a crowd had soon amassed around Rebus, Tavis and the man at their feet and power.
To avoid having to describe the various scenes played out throughout the night… lets just say that the need for justice was felt by all the men present. This eventually led to the majority of men taking justice into their own hands…literally.
By the time Orianna was allowed to return to her little bed in the storeroom, Kirk was barely able to stand. His sad, loathsome, limp form was then callously dragged below deck and thrown rather harshly into a small, cold and dark chamber. It was decided that at the next port the ship sailed to, would be where Kirks fate awaited him…Orianna had no problems with that.
Seeing cracks of light filter around her door, Orianna smiled contentedly in her little bed as her eyes slowly started to close and the cloak of sleep covered her whole.
Okay, I lied. I said this chapter would have romance, but the story line had other ideas, so I'm sorry. But in a way, its even better for youse since now you have one whole chapter (the next one) with romantic parts instead of two chapters with violence and romance side by side in both (it would be a bit awkward to read).
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope the confrontation with Kirk wasn't too simple (if it is, please tell me so I can rewrite it if necessary) please read and review
Thankyou to all that have reviewed, Take care and have a Good Day, Night or suchlike….