Victory Goddess: Oh you have no idea ;) Muahaha! I like to torture people XD I hope this chapter is up to standards, and thank you for reviewing!
DeerRobin12: Yeah I'm aware of this. For Khan's name, I was looking for an authentic name but I couldn't find any, only a few words for common objects and it really annoyed me. But really, it meaks "by the rapids?" I saw somewhere that it meant "people of the flint" or something like that. And for Nakoma, I know it's not, it's actually Pocahontas' best friend's name (please don't hit me for that! It's stupid really, but her character inspired mine a little) But she isnt a Kanienkeha, she's actually from the west coast of America and I think those tribes have different traditions/names, don't they? I'm sorry about this, I hope it doesn't offend you. I would have loved more appropriate names but I have very little knowledge of those communities, and the internet doesn't seem to want to help much =/ But thank you for pointing it out :)
AssassinsGurl2012: My tumblr name is dream-countess. The link is on my profile page! But yes, Khan is perfect like he always is. But yes, it's like Connor or Ezio, when they kill an enemy they still respect them in death. It's the Assassin philosophy :)
DanAlaya: He's back in the next chapter, promise! I can't stay away from him too long, I love him too much XD But don't worry, Nakoma is good! Hope this chapter shows it :)
TAyukii: Oh don't worry about it, it's okay! I'm glad I surprised you. It surprised me as well when I thought of it XD Thank you so much, I love hearing from you :3 And no I don't mind about that!
LurkingLady: YAY I love to surprise people! :D You have no idea how happy I am to know this is one of your favorite chapters, I was SO SCARED about this one because there's no evidence at all that it's part of the AC universe. But I know, I love 18th century ships, it's been a life long fascination. (So AC4 is looking GOOOOD :D
hp772222: That really makes me happy! I'm so glad I could make you fall in love with Haytham! He's such a brilliant character, I wish everyone could know how deep a character he is. A lot of people think he's just a sarcastic, cold hearted Templar. BUT NO! Grrr XD Thank you so much for reviewing :)
I decided not to spend too long on these years of Eleanor's life because it would get repetitive and boring after a while. There's only so much you can say about people living on a ship! And I also want to get back to Haytham quickly, so he'll be back in the next chapter! Thank you to everyone for your continuous support, I love you all :)
1760
It was early May when we docked at Bordeaux, France. I looked out towards the bustling city feeling miserable as I remembered the last time I had been here. I had been on my way back to New York with Haytham, both of us saddened - him by the suicide of his only friend Holden, and me because I had lost Duchateau. Back then I had been naïve, a silly young woman thinking a relationship with the enemy would work out alright. Back then, I took orders from Achilles, and only did what I had to do. But now, I was free from that life, and I could do as I wanted. How ironic it was for me to feel imprisoned by an order which fights for freedom and liberty.
I refused to set foot on the ground and preferred to watch the city from my ship. Khan went to investigate, never having been to France, and Charlie and Catherine took Nora into the city for her to experience another culture, another language. It was a good idea, and I was grateful to the elder couple for their loving nature towards the young girl. Together we would forge her mind and intellect, and I was happy that her future seemed to be a fine one. I held baby Mary in my arms, humming to her as I rocked her backwards and forwards, watching the busy life at the port as my crew came and went from the ship, stocking up on supplies and preparing themselves for several nights in the city where they would celebrate with alcohol and women. The good, simple life of a sailor, one that I was beginning to cherish from afar. They had a good life, even if it was hard work.
Nora, Catherine and Charlie returned soon before evening meal, which I had cooked myself as the cook had asked for a night off. But Khan was nowhere to be seen, and I grew worried when the sun set and I imagined him alone in an alleyway being beaten into slavery. But thankfully he showed up just as I had put Nora to bed, whilst I was feeding Mary out by the helm, looking out at the dark sea. I heard his footsteps before he called out to me, and I turned to see him striding towards me, flanked by a dark copper skinned woman and I instinctively held Mary closer against my chest.
" Where have you seen? " I scolded him. " Who's blood is that? " I worried when I noticed the plashes of crimson upon his once white shirt.
" A slaver's. " He waved his hand in the air, dismissing my worry as the woman came to stand by his side. " This is Nakoma. " He told me. " She comes from a native village in western America. "
I looked her up and down, my eyes narrowing. Her hair was the same straight black heavy mane as Khan's, falling down to her waist and flying around the wind in the same way that Khan's was. She had much darker skin than he though, but had similar dark brown eyes. Her large lips were set in a hard-line as she examined me just as I was her. I decided she was a few years younger than I was, and wore a traditional native top, brown with orange jewels around the neckline, dark brown tights underneath a short, tattered and torn beige skirt that was shorter at the front than at the back. I was weary of her, not because of her appearance but because of the way she flanked my best friend, almost as if he were marking her territory. " Good evening. " I greeted her.
" You are the captain of this ship? " She asked in a heavily accented voice. " I expected someone harsher looking. " She frowned.
My eyes widened and I looked over to Khan, appalled. Who the hell did she think she was? " Nakoma was a slave until this afternoon. " He said, stepping forward when he senses the growing tension. " I was passing by a farm on the outskirt of the city when I heard fighting. I approached and found her in a small building facing three guards. She informed me that she was leading a rebellion - "
" I was simply claiming back my freedom. " She interrupted him, crossing her arms.
" Yes, and the freedom of thirty other slaves. " Khan frowned, not appreciating the interruption. " So I helped them escape, but we had to hide from the city guards who soon found out. "
I raised my eyebrows, looking from Khan to Nakoma, then back to Khan. " So you're telling me that the entire city is after the two of you and you're standing on my ship, endangering my daughter. " I said darkly.
" Yes. " Nakoma nodded, not afraid of me.
" Forgive me. " Khan breathed, taking another step towards me to put a hand on my shoulder. " I did not think - I only thought - I " he stopped stuttering when he noticed me smiling.
" It doesn't matter, you did what you thought was right. " I smiled, rocking Mary in my arms when she started to fuss. " But why are you here? " I asked more seriously, turning to Nakoma.
" I wish to lead the freed slaves to safety. If you would be kind enough to give us passage - "
" To where? " I interrupted her. " Nowhere in Europe will you be free. You risk capture in Africa and imprisonment in America. And Asia will probably lead to execution. " I told her.
Her mouth opened as she went to protest but closed it again when she realised I was right. " What do you propose? " She frowned unhappily.
" My ship needs more men to set the sails and man the cannons. Are your men able enough to do these jobs? " I asked, feeling more commanding than ever. It felt good.
" I am not sure they will agree to this. " She mumbled.
" Tell them I offer them freedom, food and protection, in exchange for their workmanship. " I bargained, deciding that it was a good opportunity.
" That's slavery! " She protested.
" It's employment. " I countered, noticing Khan smirk as he stood next to her.
She considered my offer for a moment then nodded. " I shall relay the message and return in the morning with their answer. " She decided, taking her leave.
" Until then. " I smiled, deciding she probably wasn't as bad as I had first feared. She was only defending her men, which was good.
The next morning, Nakoma returned to my ship, followed by a fair number of coloured people. Some were native Americans, others were darker skinned people from Africa, and there were two yellow-skinned men from the land of the setting sun, with narrow eyes and jet black hair. There were nearly as men as there were women, which surprised me, but I decided it could be quite a good thing having women on board. Safety in numbers.
Nakoma stepped in front of the rebel slaves. " We accept you proposition on one condition - Kahnawà:ke is our leader, not you. " The group of rebels watched me as I thought about it briefly.
" As you wish. " I decided, seeing no harm in it. If it made them feel safer being under Khan's protection, then so be it - he was on my side anyway.
" But ma'am, " one of the British sailors argued upon heading the conversation. " I will not stand to work as the equal to these savages. "
" These savages " I spat " are your new crewmates. " I warned him. " If that displeases you, please leave my ship. " He seemed to hesitate and I looked up over at the other British sailors who were watching. " The same goes to every sailor here. If you cannot work alongside these people, you are free to go. "
Thankfully only three left, all the other narrow-minded sailors having already left after the Amsterdam voyage. Nakoma seemed grateful, and we soon set off back to London in search of a new naval mission. But we never made it that far. After a week, we found ourselves in the middle of a violent storm and the waves sent us miles off course, heading towards the Americas. I managed to stay on the top deck with Kevin Roux, shouting orders at my crew to try to stay afloat, and when the waves started to die down, a pirate ship appeared out of nowhere and boarded us without a single cannon-shot. We fought hard, protecting my cabin where Nora and Mary were being hidden, and managed to push-off the attack, killing the pirate captain and most of the crew. Kevin proposed we raid their supplies to keep ourselves going, and I quickly agreed to it. It was hardly how I had imagined us living, but it seemed a good idea. After all, they had only stolen it themselves.
After that, my crew voices the wish to wonder the ocean for a time. Several slaves wished to see their homeland one last time so we set sail for South Africa. It took several months to get there and as time passed, the liberated slaves and the British sailors grew closer, several couples emerging and friendship forming during the evening dances that were often held either on the top deck or below. Nakoma showed herself a strong faithful ally, and quickly formed a bond with both Khan and Nora. I began to appreciate her as well, though I was often too busy commanding the ship and raising Mary to devote a lot of time to making friends.
We docked in south Africa in November. For once, we were to spend the winter months in a warm country, and it was nice to escape the snow for a year. Nora and I would set out on long walks in the barren countryside, accompanied by Paki and Xolani, two men who had grown up in the area. They showed us the wildlife, from snakes to scorpions, moneys to lions and even the most unusual animals called giraffes. Both Mary and Nora celebrated their first and sixth birthdays in the country, around a camp fire with African tribal music and the large, happy crew around them.
" I must admit, capitaine, I never expected us to lead such a life. " Kevin told me one night as we sat under the stars by the camp fire while some African women danced to music. " You are one tough lady. "
" I have you to thank. " I smiled to the cheerful Frenchman. " I wouldn't even have a ship without you. " Kevin and I had become very close since leaving London. He had always been by my side, guiding me and teaching me everything he knew without once patronising me.
" Ah but madame, I only aim to please. " He winked, patting my knee with his hand.
" Kevin, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested? " I laughed, brushing his hand away. That was the only problem with him - he was constantly flirting with me. I knew he didn't mean any harm and that he didn't love me of anything, it was only a bit of fun. He enjoyed toying with me that way and I admit it made me laugh, but I could never let myself flirt back, not whilst my heart still belonged to Haytham. And I knew it would always belong to Haytham, not matter how long we were apart from each other.
1761
It wasn't until march that the crew tired of Africa. Two women chose to stay behind but five others - a young Spanish boy, three African men and an Italian woman - chose to join us. Before leaving, I held a meeting, asking the men and women of my crew what they desired. None wished to go home, deciding that a naval life was better than risking either slavery or rotting on the streets, so we decided to head further east, towards India and China. On the way, our paths crossed several pirate ships and we tested my ship's war capacity.
Though I worried about Mary and Nora, I wouldn't deny that maritime war had a certain thrill and exhilaration that I grew to adore. I must have been out of my mind, but I enjoyed being at the helm, shouting out orders to the sailors, telling them when to fire. Kevin and Charlie would say that my sailing tactics were beyond crazy, as I would never sail in a straight line and often ram into the enemy ship. Either way, it proved itself effective and we would either raid or sink the pirates with hardly any damage taken to my precious Warrior Princess.
" Why do we keep getting attacked? " Nora asked one evening. " We haven't been bad. "
" They a re pirates. They want to steal what we have so they can sell it. " I explained.
" But why do they want to kill us? " She frowned. " Can't they just ask? "
" We would say no. " I sighed. " They are killers, princess. "
" Like the men who killed mummy and daddy? " She blurted out, voicing for the first time her understanding of the situation. " Were they pirates as well? "
" Sort of, yes. " I nodded, saddened by the look in her eyes. " But land pirates instead of sea pirates. " It broke my heart that such a young girl had to bear such a heavy load.
" I want to fight them. " She said harshly, her voice completely different from it's usual happy, loving child's voice. No, this was the demanding voice of a girl who sought revenge and who understood perfectly what had happened to her.
" You're too young. " I shook my head. " You're only six years old. "
" I can wait. " She decided. " Until Mary is older, than I can fight just like you. " She said, heading for bed before I could answer.
I worried a lot about her after that. She would run around the ship, friendly with the youngest crew members who were two African boys of 10 and 13 - children of a slave couple who had escaped with Nakoma. I told Khan about what she had said, and he promised to keep an eye on her. She seemed happy, laughing as she played with the boys, learning to climb up onto the lowest level of the centre mast, but I was beginning to wonder if I had done the right thing, brining her into the harsh life of a sailor. Would Mary be the same when she grew up? I hated to think so. Her small, one year old face was so soft and elegant that I couldn't imagine her being harsh enough to be a fighter. She looked more and more like Haytham every day and I would often find myself wanting to go back to him. I missed him so much that it physically hurt, and I would sometimes lock myself up while I cried, wishing he were there with me. Mary seemed to sense my sadness and would curl up in my arms, wrapping her small arms around my neck. I loved her with such a fierce passion that I thought it might kill me. She was perfect beyond words. I was lucky enough to be able to rely on Catherine and Charlie to look after the girls whilst Khan and I sailed the ship. The two acted like grandparents to them, and I wouldn't have been able to juggle being a mother and a captain without their help. They were saints, truly.
A normal day would start off with my dressing the girls and feeding them before handing them over to Catherine and Charlie. I would then dress myself and head out to grab the helm where Kevin would inform me of the weather and the navigating conditions. Then until late afternoon I would captain the ship, ordering any repairs that needed doing or getting the men to clean the ship and keep it in running order. Kevin and I would study maps together to make sure we were on the right course and then I would head back into my cabin to find my daughters again. I would then spend a few hours with them, reading them stories or just playing with them, and then put them to bed. I would then go down and spend a couple of hours with my crew, often playing violin while others would play the flute or some type of chorded instruments from Africa, or I would dance - most often with Khan. And then he and I would stumble into bed and sleep like babies, tired from the hard work.
We finally arrived in China in July 1761. Again, the cultural shock was immense as we investigated the green valleys, the pink blossom trees and large wet fields of rice. As only two of my crew came from the region, the men - Jian and Gui - would tell stories of dragons and tiger warriors, the emperor Quianlong and other local folklore which fascinated many of my crew. We were a family now, a large family with no real home. But I felt wonderful, proud to be the leader of such a large, happy, accepting and friendly bunch of people. From the British, the French, the Spanish and Italians, to the Africans, Americans and Chinese. The men and the women, the adults and the few children. I loved them all.
On a warm sunny afternoon, I was sitting under a tree with Mary and Catherine, enjoying the shade from the hot sun. Mary was crawling around happily as she watched the people around her. " She's a very curious baby. " Catherine smiled as she watched my daughter. " Her eyes are always scanning everything around her. "
" Rather like her father. " I chuckled sadly. I couldn't look at Mary without thinking of Haytham. I missed him terribly. " Mary, come here sweetie! " I called her, wanting to put a hat on her head to protect her from the sun.
" Mama! " She smiled to me. " Mama! " It was her first word and I grinned with pride as I went to pick her up while she sat on her bum and extended her arms out to me. " Mama! "
" That's right sweetie, I'm your mama! " I held her close to me, enjoying how warm she felt in my arms. She was the most precious thing I had ever held in my arms and I loved her more than I thought myself capable of loving anyone. At the same time, Nora ran over to us, having heard Mary talking, and stared up at us with a large grin as she wore a black bandana in her hair and over one eye, gripping a wooden sword.
" She spoke! " She giggled. " Mary spoke! " The little blonde girl grinned, holding her sister's hand in hers.
" She did. " I smiled. " Where did you get that bandana? " I asked her.
" Kevin. " She grinned proudly. " He says I look like a real pirate now. " She then ran off when two boys came running towards her, also brandishing wooden swords, shouting that she surrender herself to them. " In your dreams you smelly goats! " Nora shouted back at them, making me frown. I definitely needed to talk to Kevin about his influence on the girl.
That evening, I was sat at my desk on the ship ploughing through maps when there was a faint knock at the door. " Come in! " I called, not paying much attention as the door creaked open.
" Could I have a word? " I heard Nakoma ask, making me look up. Her usual confident appearance was gone as she attentively walked towards me, biting her bottom lip.
" Of course. What's wrong? " I asked, standing to join her. We were still rather distant, the both of us having a hard time appreciating each other. It seemed we were always saying witty remarks to the other, trying to out do each other. And poor Khan was always in the middle of it all.
" I wanted to propose a truce. " She started. " I know you and Khan are… Close. And I know he wants us to be friends, so… " She hesitated.
" Yes, he and I have been best friends for over fifteen years. " I nodded, trying to figure her out. " He seems to enjoy your company. " In truth, the two were getting along wonderfully, always laughing with each other and I could tell that Khan truly cared for her.
" Yes, he is a good man. " Nakoma agreed. " I've never met anyone like him. " She had a small smile on her lips as she spoke about the native and I softened at it.
" Nor I. " I smiled, extending a hand. " A truce then, and to a future friendship. "
" I hope so. " She smiled, shaking my hand. " He speaks very highly of you. "
Somehow after that conversation, Nakoma turned from an untrusting, cold and distant fighter to a warm and loving friend. After a few weeks, she would teach me how to dance, wrapping her arms around my neck as she moved her hips to the music, a warm smile on her face. At first I had felt awkward, dancing like that with another woman in front of everyone, but with the alcohol Charlie made us all drink, I soon begun enjoying it like crazy. I would also grab hold of Khan's hands, place them on my hips and dance in between the two native Americans whose friendship continued to blossom everyday. But more than a friend, Nakoma became almost a confident and I found myself telling her things I only ever told Khan. I told her about the Assassins and Templars, about Haytham and how Mary had been conceived, and I told her about Nora's parents. She sympathised greatly and would hug me when I needed to cry. It was nice to be able to talk to someone other than Khan, because though he was my rock, I sometimes felt like I was taking him for granted. She in turn shared her story, which was rather grim as well. She was born in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, in a rather large native village. She quickly became a fighter, following in the footsteps of her three older brothers. When she was fifteen, the village was raided, her family enslaved and deported around the world. While she and her mother were sent to France, her brothers stayed behind in America and her father was sold to a Scotsman. Her mother had passed away after three years of slavery, too old to do the work. She was now twenty eight and finally free again, after thirteen years of slavery.
Catherine continued to take care of both Nora and Mary. She was far stricter than I, teaching them manners and eloquence, and she even taught Nora how to read and write and all things intellectual, whilst I taught her how to think for herself, how to climb, and I taught her the ways of the world. She acted far older than she really was, and it scared me sometimes. " The lass'll be fine. " Charlie reassured me. " At her age I was already fightin' and thievin'! " He chuckled.
" Oui, because that is what we want our little girl to do. " Kevin said sarcastically.
" Oh shut it, Frenchy! " Charlie retorted, raising his cup of ale in the air.
" Fais de même, sale Anglais! " Kevin laughed, joining Charlie with the drinking. I had learnt a decent amount of French and smirked. The two men always bantered with each other. I looked around the table and realised we were all so much older than I thought - I was now thirty-three, Khan was thirty-four. Nakoma was twenty-eight, and Kevin was twenty-nine, whereas Charlie was now forty-two and Catherine was thirty-nine. And apart from Nakoma, I had known them all for years, but never had I expected us to live together like this, forming a family. A multicultural, multilingual family. It was crazy.
1762
We left China soon before Christmas and headed further East still, stopping at several towns in various counties - China, Japan, Australia… We never stayed longer than a couple of weeks, long enough to stock up on supplies and experience the local life. I found it wonderfully enriching, experiencing so many different cultures and languages, the people always looking different, wearing different clothing, eating different foods, living in different ways. And every time we managed to befriend them, either by exchanging produce or by helping them in small ways, like rebuilding houses after a violent storm, pushing away pirates or fighting off raiders. My crew was more than happy to help people in exchange for a warm meal and comfortable bed.
We also started to attract unwanted attention from pirates. Apparently, the Warrior Princess had a growing reputation among them and they decided that we were a good target. So the attacks became more frequent, but our experience grew and we always managed to push them off, sustaining minimal damage to the ship - which we repaired as soon as we could - and had only lost two men since we had left Bordeaux two years before. Of course, there were always at least half a dozen people in the sick bay - either will illness or injured after battle - but we had three doctors on the ship, all of whom were competent.
I liked to think we sailed the high seas fighting for justice, helping people all over the world, saving lives and righting wrongs. It was a childish view of things but it helped me sleep at night. Mary had started talking, and at barely two years old she was already holding conversations with Nora, who pushed her to grow up faster. I think Nora just wanted another girl to play with, because though the two African boys she played with were young, she wanted a girl friend, someone she would be feminine with. Because though she wore trousers and lived among men, Nora remained a girl. Seven years old and she knew what it meant to be a woman, knew that in a few years she would have powers that would woo men with barely a few words and a seductive smile. But Mary was different. Of course, she was only two years old so nothing was set it stone, but she was much quieter, much more reserved. She was constantly drawing and ploughing through picture books, asking philosophical questions that I had no answer to. She would ask why people had different coloured skin, why men were stronger than women, why a ship didn't sink, why the sun set at the same time every day.
" Where is dada? " She asked me one night when I put her to bed.
" He's in America sweetie. " I answered softly, nervous about breaching the subject I had hoped would stay untouched for a while longer. I felt extremely guilty for having left without a word but it was too late now, I couldn't turn my ship around and run back to him. I was responsible for my crew now, and the lives of every man and woman on board.
" Is Haytham her father? " Nora perked up front her bed across the room.
" Yes. " I nodded.
" I liked him. " She smiled. " He seemed fun. "
" You know dada? " Mary sat up, looking at her older sister.
" He's big and dark and very posh. " Nora said. " He's like a prince working in the dark to save the poor and protect the innocent! " She waved her arms in the air, starting a new story. She loved to tell stories, and Mary loved to hear them.
" Now, now. " I warned her. " This is not a time for stories, it's time for bed. "
" Mama! " Mary protested, pouting heavily.
" Go to sleep sweetie. You will meet your father one day, I promise. " I kissed her on her forehead as she lay down again.
" He like me? " She whispered when I blew the candle out so that only the moonlight shone into the cabin they slept in.
" He would have to be stupid not to. And he is far from stupid. " I reassured her. " Goodnight sweetie. Goodnight princess. " I bid the girls goodnight as I stepped out of their cabin and back into my office, where Khan was sitting at my desk ploughing over maps. I pulled out a chair and sat next to him, sighing as I did so. " Mary asked about Haytham. " I whispered so the girls didn't hear us.
" Oh? " He asked, sitting up to look at me.
" Nora interrupted and tried to turn him into a hero. " I rolled my eyes. She turned everything into a story, making heroes out of people who didn't always earn the title.
" She would. " He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. " What did Mary say? "
" Not much really. She asked if he would like her… As if anyone wouldn't. " I scoffed. Mary was perfect. She was sweet, innocent, interested in everything around her and always sought the truth. Where Nora liked to fantasise and imagine epic stories, Mary would stay down to earth and demand facts and proof. They were complete opposites, evident even in their appearances - Nora's pale blonde hair, tanned skin and angular face was very different from Mary's shiny black hair, pale skin and round face. Yet the two girls acted as one, depending on the other and loved each other like sisters. They were, I suppose, as I considered both of them as my daughters. But Nora never called me 'mother', always Ella. And I was glad, because I refused to let her forget her parents.
" When is she going to meet Haytham? " Khan asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I shrugged. " I don't know. I don't know what to do about it. How is Haytham going to react when he finds out that I had his child and decided to take her onto a battleship and travel the world? He'll probably hate me for it. " I groaned, burying my face in my hands.
" But she is his daughter. " He reminded me. " He deserves to know her, as much as she deserves to know him. " Khan had always supported my decisions, never said that I was wrong. But he knew how much the situation weighed on my shoulders and knew as well as I that Haytham needed to know about our daughter.
" I know… " I whispered. " She's so much like him that it's scary. "
" But she has your kindness, your strength. " He pointed out, rubbing his hand on my back. " And she has the same shaped face as yours, and your eyes. "
" Her eyes are the same blue as Haytham's. " I disagreed.
" But they are the exact same shape as yours. " He smirked.
In September we docked in the unclaimed lands in western America. We had thought about docking in the Spanish lands further south, but decided the unclaimed lands would offer more freedom. I spoke to Nakoma about the decision, in case she wished to return to her village in the Spanish territory, but she waved her hand in the air and dismissed the idea.
" That was a long time ago Ella. I've changed now, and my village has too. " She smiled. " Best leave the past in the past, and look to the future. "
" Are you sure? " I asked her, not wanting her to be a martyr.
" It would hurt me too much for no reason. " She nodded. " Besides, I have a new family now. I have you, Nora and Mary. And I have Khan. " She smiled when she mentioned my best friend and I raised an eyebrow, smirking. " What is it? " She frowned.
" Nothing. " I chuckled, just as Khan opened the door to my cabin, humming to himself as he brushed his fingers through his long black hair, his baggy white shirt soaking wet and clinging to his muscular chest underneath. I noticed Nakoma staring at him, and I grinned. She may be one of the most outgoing women I had ever met, but she was extremely nervous and shy about trying anything with Khan. And Khan was far too much of a gentleman to take the first step. In fact I doubted he even realised that she fancied him. Two and a half years and they were still only friends. Extremely good, close friends, friends that often slept in each others arms and always needed to be touching the other, but friends nonetheless.
Yes I suppose I was often hugging Khan, but he was my brother, it had always been clear to the both of us. Our embraces were hard and bold, deliberate and sudden, the sign of two childhood friends unable to live without the other. But when Khan and Nakoma embraced, it was soft and slow, much more intimate and delicate. Their hands would skim over the other's skin, discovering all the scars and bumps. And it felt unusual for me to see Khan as the most light-skinned of the two, as he had always been much darker skinned than I. Either way, I decided that I would have to push them together or else they would forever remain friends.