Chapter 3
By the time Elizabeth woke up, the sun was radiating in from the porthole, bathing the room in light. She squinted her eyes as she sat up in the bed, covering her mouth with a hand as she yawned, her other arm stretching out above her head. She could feel the distinct movement of the swaying of the ship, and the sound of waves slapping against the hull as Saoirse pushed forward through the sea. Reluctantly, she slipped her body out from beneath the thick silken bedding, her feet hitting the chilled wooden boards beneath her.
Elizabeth took a look around the room, noticing that her night gown, robe, and slippers were sitting on the chair in front of the desk, grime removed and silks shining once again. She smiled for a moment before gasping suddenly. She didn't have any clothes! How could she walk about the ship with nothing to wear but her night clothes? She thought perhaps Kenyon would let her borrow something again, though she wasn't looking forward to adjusting to the itchy wool and cotton clothes that pirates wore. Even Kenyon was no exception from them. Just as she contemplated rummaging through a few drawers, hoping that Kenyon wouldn't mind, the door opened and in stepped the captain herself.
"Ah, look who's finally up. I take it ye slept well, love?" Kenyon asked, moving towards the desk and pulling a drawer open, searching through the contents.
"Yes, very well, thank you." Elizabeth had been prepared to jump back in the bed to cover herself, but when she realized who it was, she relaxed. While not wholly comfortable being so exposed to Kenyon, she felt it much more understandable with it being another woman. After all, she had lady's maids to help her dress, so surely it couldn't be quite so different with Kenyon. Although, she still felt as if she should have some modesty. She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something... Off about the captain. She wasn't so certain she wanted to find out, though. As Kenyon pulled a scroll of paper from the drawer, Elizabeth took a step closer, trying to catch a peek at what was on the stained and cracking paper roll. The captain looked to her, a brow raised, "Curious, are ye?"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I wasn't trying to pry." She stepped back again, wrapping her arms around her body. The room was a bit chilly. Had the porthole not been there, letting the sunlight in, it would have been nearly unbearable. Kenyon waved her hand towards her body, silently telling the woman to come over. Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before joining the captain at the desk.
"I'm jus' checkin' the map here, love. Tha winds are so far in our favour, so I'd like to take tha time to mark down some alternative routes in case we get taken by a storm." Kenyon touched the small of Elizabeth's back, pulling her closer to the desk to see the map. She used her other hand to point to a mark on the map that looked like a rectangle, "That there is Port Raschel, where we'll be makin' port next. It's abou' a week of sailin' if the wind keeps up."
"If the wind is doing so well, why are you worried about it taking a bad turn?" Elizabeth asked, unsure of why the captain would take time to mark other routes. She assumed most captains judged where to go after figuring out where they were when their ship was knocked off course.
"There's always a calm before tha storm, love." Kenyon replied, pointed to a spot on the map where there was nothing but water. Not far from it was another rectangle, marked as Port Royal, the one near her home, where they had just left the night before. "We're about here. We've been out of port for abou' five hours or so. We left jus' before daybreak, to avoid a ruckus when the guards find tha mess we made."
Whether from the chill in the air or from the recollection of the night before, Elizabeth shivered again, so gently that she was surprised when Kenyon noticed and stepped back from her, grabbing the robe from the chair and holding it out for Elizabeth to slip it on. "Ye should keep warm, love. We don' want ye catchin' cold on board. It ain't good conditions for a lady in good health, nonetheless a sickly one."
Elizabeth slipped her arms into the robe and shook her head softly, "Oh, no. You have a lovely ship, Captain.. From what I've seen so far, you must keep it in great order. It has been much more comfortable that I have experienced before now."
Kenyon gave a toothy grin to the woman, "I gather ye've been on more luxurious ships before. Ye don' seem tha type to grace many pirate ships, M'lady." The captain chuckled as Elizabeth's cheeks turned a soft pink.
"Well, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.. And call me Elizabeth, please. You need not be so formal." Elizabeth latched the buttons on her robe as she spoke, taking the moment to cover her cold feet with her slippers. It felt good to be in her own clothes now, but she still wondered what she would wear on board, or if she would just stay in the cabin in her bed clothes over the next week. "I wonder... Do you have a dress I might borrow?" She asked, somewhat timid about asking to wear someone else's clothes.
Kenyon frowned slightly, "I'm afraid I haven' got any dresses, my dear.. Pirate an' all, don' have much need for 'em." The captain could see Elizabeth's shoulders fall a bit, though keeping her ladylike posture. She moved towards a set of drawers, nodding for Elizabeth to sit in the chair. While the woman did so, Kenyon opened up one of the middle drawers, digging through until she could find a small but concealing shirt, then looked through the next drawer down for a pair of pants. After closing both drawers, she handed them to the lady. "This is really the best I've got, love. Perhaps when we make port we can find ye a few dresses, eh?"
Elizabeth took the clothing, thankful though clearly wishing she could wear a dress instead. Despite the itchiness, at least pirate clothes were looser and more comfortable in general than dresses. But she had been so used to dresses, and even to have one without a corset would be a great luxury she would like to indulge in right about now. "Thank you, Captain." She said gratefully. At least she would be able to go on board without being embarrassed about being seen in her night clothes. For that she was thankful. "I haven't any money with me for any new dresses." She didn't carry a coin purse beneath her night gown, after all.
Kenyon gave the woman another grin, this time a bit more jesting. "Oi, I'd be glad to get ye a few dresses, love. I've got enough coin gatherin' dust that's just itchin' ta be spent on somethin' fancy." She adjusted her coat and the hat on her head before heading towards the door, not allowing Elizabeth a chance to protest. "Now ye get yerself dressed and come aboard whenever ye're ready. My crew won' give ye any trouble, an' if they do, ye just tell me an' I'll put 'em in their place."
Elizabeth stepped out of the cabin, adjusting the shirt she wore, leaving it loose around the pants. The clothes fit relatively well, though she didn't expect for all the captain's clothes to be so fitted. She expected the usual clothes that most men wore, not the modified clothing that Kenyon had. All of her shirts were sewn to fit the shape of a woman, and very well at that. Even the ones that appeared loose on her were still made to fit her body. She almost wondered how the captain could fight in them, but as she walked forward, the clothes moved with her. They deceived one on first appearances, as they looked tight to the body. But rather, they were properly fitted but the shoulders and sleeves were extended to allow full movement of the body.
As Elizabeth looked around the ship, she was impressed. There were two men scrubbing the deck, which already seemed spotless. The wood was a deep, rich colour, while the outside was painted in an almost emerald green colour. While seemingly an average ship, the Saoirse was much more detailed when one was up close and personal with it. Every piece of wood looked like it was oiled regularly, and the tops of each mast were carved into mermaids. The door frames around both the captain's cabin and the steps towards the bunks below were carved to look like rope. Each detail carved into the ship was left a paler wood than the rest, making it stand out as if it were golden embellishments on a simple piece of jewelry.
Making her way past the crew members working on board, she stepped towards the front of the ship. She leaned against the railing, looking down to see the front of the ship better. There was a beautiful mermaid carving on the front, a pale wood like the others. Though this one had an eery look to it, as it didn't have a face. It was odd to see, like a masterpiece never completed. While she mulled this over, a figure leaned against the railing next to her. She looked over to see the captain, facing the rest of the ship and leaning back on her elbows. "It isn' nearly as much as I'd like ta do, but I suppose it'll do fer now." The captain said, eyes watching the crew members as they worked about. The first mate stood at the helm, keeping an eye on the compass as well as stealing the occasional glance at the new lady on board.
"Do you mean the ship?" Elizabeth asked, curious about the story behind the ship. It clearly held great value to the captain. The way her eyes scanned over every detail, and the fire of pride hiding behind the icy blue pools of her eyes. She clearly loved her ship, and Elizabeth was interested in knowing why she was proud of it. It seemed a very nice ship, but it was most definitely the only ship for this captain.
The woman adjusted her hat as the wind picked up some. "Aye. All tha things ye're eyein'.. I'm responsible. I always intended ta have this thing carved to tha hilt, but I haven't bothered much with it lately." She looked over to the lady, eyes softening slightly as she looked into the blonde's eyes.
Elizabeth's head tilted to the side, questioningly, "You mean you carved all those details?" The captain nodded in reply. "They're beautiful. Why have you not continued? It seems a shame to waste all that talent."
Kenyon shrugged, "Not sure, really. I guess I jus' haven' got tha time to anymore." Being a pirate came with many advantages, and one of them was being able to lie very easily. The lady nodded once, looking back out to the ocean. Kenyon looked over to her, the faintest of smiles evident on her lips, "There's a sense of bein' free when ye're out on open waters, isn' there?"
Elizabeth looked back over to the captain, a full smile forming, "It's as if I can breathe again. I never thought I would find the sea to be such... An escape. I love my father, but..." She trailed off, catching herself before she spoke too much. This pirate didn't want to hear her wealthy child sob story.
"But?" The captain edged her on. She had a feeling of what she was going to say, and it would help the woman greatly to get it off of her chest. Although Kenyon wasn't the type to sit and comfort another, she knew that perhaps this lady could benefit from it. Since Kenyon was a few years younger than her when she left home, it wasn't so hard for her to remove most of the 'lady' in her. But Elizabeth was a different story. It was obvious that she enjoyed many of the luxuries her family's wealth had brought her, and she didn't seem to have been through things quite the same way as Kenyon had.
"I wouldn't want to bore you. It's nothing important." Elizabeth replied. She only got a a raise of the brow and a tip of the hat from the captain, a silent request to continue anyway. She sighed and straightened her back out, hands falling in front of her. The clothes she wore were a bit too loose on her, as she didn't have the bulk that the captain did. "He has been trying to have me agree to an arranged marriage. I know it must seem so petty to you-"
The captain stopped her by placing a hand on her arm, "Not at all, love. We've all our own problems. Jus' because yers is that of a wealthy woman doesn' mean it's petty in tha eyes of a pirate." The captain's words were oddly comforting, giving Elizabeth an emotional breath of fresh air. "I take it ye don' love tha man?" The lady nodded in return. "Well, love, ye seem a smart lass. I'm sure ye can come up with a way ta keep from it an' still love yer father." There would never be a question of how much Elizabeth loved her father, but he very clearly frustrated her. Elizabeth seemed at first like any other woman in high society. But she was quickly proving to be much different. Perhaps not a woman meant for piracy, but clearly not for all high society either. Maybe if she returned home anytime soon, Elizabeth would have a plan set out for how to approach her father about it. In the meantime, she was safe from an arranged marriage, and her father was in no danger. That was all that mattered right now.
Trying to change the subject, Elizabeth glanced back out to the roaring ocean ahead of her. "What made you name your ship Saoirse?" She pronounced it a bit more like a Frenchman would, causing Kenyon to huff out a chuckle.
"I was born in Ireland. Saoirse means 'freedom' in the Gaelic tongue. This ship was my freedom from all that kep' me from tha sea." Kenyon replied proudly, turning around to look at the ocean, her hands settling on the railing as she leaned against it once again.
Elizabeth smiled, "The 'call of the sea' as so many say?" Pirates always heard the call of the sea. It was their first and only love. That was evident in all pirate captains, and Kenyon was no different in that aspect. Out of all her differences, in her heart, she loved the sea just as any other pirate did. It was where she belonged, and no one would tell her otherwise.
"Cap'n! Clouds a'brewin'!" Feng called from the crow's nest, still looking through the spyglass at the distant dark clouds. While unseen by the naked eye, with the spyglass and at his height, Feng could see the gentle grey clouds beginning to pull together, slowly forming full, almost black clouds. Kenyon looked to Elizabeth, who had turned to Feng as well. She set a hand on Elizabeth's lower back, leading her quickly to the cabin. "Ye should wait inside, love. This may get messy.. Here comes the storm after that calm."
Elizabeth wanted to protest, but the door was very abruptly shut before she could say anything. She sighed heavily, "Why must she keep doing that?"