The commodore felt the sun hit his face and groaned softly. He covered his eyes with his arm and tried to go back to sleep. As he felt himself drifting off to sleep something pressed up against his side. He stiffened and his eyes flew open. He saw a head of red hair right next to his shoulder and suddenly remembered everything that had happened from the day before. The woman sleeping next to him was a mermaid. And she had sung him to sleep. Lorelei's breathing was soft and steady as she slept. Her eyelashes brushed her fair cheek and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Perhaps she was dreaming. What did mermaids dream about? Killing men?
James sat up and stretched. The mermaid made a noise as he moved. He watched her for a moment before standing up. Lorelei quickly shifted towards the warm spot he left behind. He had to admit that the mermaid was beautiful while she slept. She seemed completely harmless and innocent. But he knew better. She was capable of luring him to his death if she wished it. He knew that she could do magic and the thought of her cursing him was at the forefront of his mind. There was no telling what she was capable of.
Lorelei sighed and opened her eyes. James stiffened as her blue eyes met his.
"Good morning, commodore," she said with a yawn as she stretched her limbs.
"Good morning," he said curtly as he quickly turned away.
Lorelei frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Why was this man so jittery? She watched him stare at the wall for a few moments before she cleared her throat. He didn't even blink. She sighed and tapped him on the shoulder. He quickly looked towards her and his jaw was rigid.
"I hate to bother you while you're thinking," she said demurely, "but I was wondering if I could trouble you for something to eat?"
James was surprised for a moment. He stared at her and she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Did you seriously think that I didn't need to eat?"
His silence was all the answer she needed. She frowned and sighed. Men were helpless.
"Where's the galley?" she asked.
"Down the stairs on the left," he said monotonously.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed.
"Thank you," she said, "I'll bring something back for you."
He was surprised that she was thinking of him. Why was she thinking of him? Was she trying to gain his trust?
She walked past him and threw one last look at him over her shoulder. Their eyes met and he quickly looked away.
Lorelei shut the door behind her and rolled her eyes. Men! Sometimes she wished that she wasn't attracted to them. She glanced to her left and noticed the stairs leading down into the ship and the wafting aroma of roasted meat. That was obviously the way to the galley. Her stomach growled and Lorelei didn't care if anyone on deck heard it. She hadn't eaten in over a day and was utterly famished. She quietly made her way down the steps and heard the sounds of pans and knives. She was obviously in the right place. Surprisingly, the cook spotted her before she spotted him and already had a knife pointed at her. Lorelei raised an eyebrow and rested a hand on her hip.
"Is this how you treat a lady?" she asked.
The man glared at her and jabbed the knife in the air. He definitely had a rougher appearance compared to the other men she had seen on deck.
"I don't consider mermaids to be ladies," he snapped.
She took a few steps forward and the man kept his knife pointed at her.
"I only want something to eat," she said.
"Mermaids eat the flesh of men," he retorted, "I have nothing here for you!"
She furrowed her eyebrows. Did humans seriously believe that mermaids ate men? They only ate men when they couldn't find anything else to eat! She pointed to the meat cooking over a small fire.
"I actually had something more like this in mind."
His eyes narrowed and they stared at each other pointedly for a few awkward moments. Lorelei wasn't sure who was going to speak or break eye contact first. The man eventually glanced away and Lorelei felt relieved when he reluctantly carved off a piece of meat for her.
"May I have some to take to the commodore as well?"
He glared before carving off another piece. Lorelei gave him a kind smile and quickly snatched two pieces of bread while he was busy.
"Here," the man grumbled as he handed over the slices of meat on a plate.
"Thank you," she said in a sweet voice, which only made his expression seem sourer than before. Lorelei went back up the stairs and quickly slipped back into the commodore's cabin. He was still deep in thought.
James was still trying to mull over Lorelei's intentions when she suddenly appeared before him. She leaned in and gazed into his eyes, trying to get his attention.
"If you're not careful, your face will forever remain like that."
He frowned at her and she grinned. Oh, how she loved making him frown!
"I hope you're hungry," she said, "The cook wasn't the most cooperative man to work with to get breakfast."
He seemed genuinely surprised that she had made due on her promise. Lorelei held out the plate to him and a slice of bread.
"I'm sorry I didn't bring more," she said, "He really didn't want me around, so I took what I could."
He took the plate and bread from her.
"Thank you," he said and was surprised to see Lorelei smile.
"You're welcome," she said, "It's the very least that I could do."
There seemed to be sincerity in her blue eyes and James found himself trusting her despite his better judgment.
Lorelei bit into her slice of bread and her stomach growled loudly in anticipation. The commodore seemed to have heard it judging from how he looked at her.
"It's been a while since I last ate a man," she said sarcastically.
He stared at her without blinking for a moment and she grinned.
"I was just joking," she said, "No need to be worried."
He eyed her hesitantly before returning to his breakfast. Lorelei rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking. It seemed as if British men didn't understand humor.
After finishing his breakfast, James rose from his chair and went to wear his naval jacket was hanging. Lorelei was reclining on the bed. Her eyes followed his every movement and he could feel a tingling sensation on the back of his neck from her gaze. There was something powerful about her eyes that was both impressive and fearsome. He felt like she was trying to cast a spell on him when she stared at him, which only made it more imperative that he leave the cabin.
Lorelei twirled a strand of red hair around her pointer figure as she took in the sight of the commodore in his uniform. She had to admit that he was quite handsome, but she had always admired men in uniforms; especially naval officers. She had done her fair share of guiding a few back to shore after hurricanes destroyed their ships. As the commodore made his way to the door, Lorelei cleared her throat to get his attention. He turned towards with a slightly exasperated look on his face. He had clearly been hoping to avoid another conversation with her.
"Is there anything that I can do to help?" she asked, "I'd rather be useful than sit around and do nothing."
"I'm afraid that the best thing for you to do is to stay here, Miss Lorelei," he replied, which caused the mermaid to frown. He couldn't help but feel a smug sense of satisfaction at causing her to frown after the several times she had made him frown in the past day. He then grabbed his hat, opened the door, and stepped out onto the deck.
"Perkele!"
The wood of the door had muffled Lorelei's exclamation ever so slightly, but James had still heard it well enough to determine that it was definitely foreign. It was probably a word from the language she had sang to him in. The commodore donned his hat and began to bark out orders to his crew.
Lorelei swore once more and pouted on the bed. Why did he always slip out of her grasp?! It seemed like whenever she was making progress with him he always found a way to slink off without her. Well, she would just have to change that. Lorelei rose from the bed and marched towards the door. She could be useful and she would put herself to work. There had to be something that needed to be done on the ship. She opened the door and felt the mist of the waves on her face. She closed her eyes and took in the sensation for a moment.
The sailors immediately looked at her and fear shone in their eyes. She could see fear from a mile away. She was used to it after all. She hoped that eventually the fear would turn into something else. But she knew that it would take time and that she would have to be patient. Lorelei stepped onto the deck and let the door shut behind her. The wind ripped through her red hair and she immediately started searching for her target. She could see the commodore standing near the ship's wheel. Lorelei quietly made her way towards the wheel and dodged the angry glares of the sailors. She couldn't let them get to her. She came to a stop behind the commodore and straightened her back. Her hair blew in front of her eyes and she gazed up at the sky. She had always been fascinated with the sky. Perhaps because it was always the first thing she saw when she reached the water's surface.
"Beautiful sky today," she commented.
James glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the horizon.
"I suppose it is," he replied.
She raised an eyebrow and considered standing right in front of him to distract him. She wanted him to pay attention to her; not the horizon! She took in his profile. She didn't understand why he wore the powdered wig, but she had seen it before on other men, so she had to assume that it was the fashion of the British navy.
"May I ask you a question, commodore?" she asked.
He eyed briefly with suspicion.
"You may."
"Why do you wear a wig?"
He apparently hadn't been expecting her to ask that judging by the surprised look on his face. The sailor manning the wheel snorted at her question; he had obviously been trying to hide his amusement.
"I suppose mermaids aren't aware of current fashion," he said.
Lorelei tilted her head to the side and eyed him with mischief shining in her eyes.
"No, we aren't," she said, "We only see glimpses from our brief encounters with humans."
He eyed her once more and she smiled.
"Why don't you ask me a question?"
He thought for a moment before deciding on what he wanted to ask her.
"When was the last time you encountered a human?"
Lorelei's smile vanished from her face and her expression hardened. James was surprised at her sudden change in mood.
"Three years ago," she said quietly, "in the north. The ground was frozen with snow and ice."
The sailor manning the wheel eyed her curiously as did the commodore.
"It was a small village of reindeer herders," she continued, "but the man I met with lived a ways off from everyone else. Everyone was afraid of him because he was a sorcerer."
The commodore's eyebrows furrowed. Years ago he would've scoffed at the idea of witchcraft or sorcery. However, after battling skeleton pirates, his views on the matter had changed quite drastically.
"He taught me many things," she said, "Like how to stay on land longer."
James hadn't even considered the possibility that Lorelei would have to return to the water. He watched her closely as long repressed emotions shined in her eyes.
"What happened to him?" the sailor abruptly asked.
Lorelei looked at him with a sad smile.
"He drowned," she said softly.
The sailor obviously thought that she had had something to do with the sorcerer's drowning and took a step back from the wheel.
"Get back to your post!" The commodore barked and the sailor reluctantly obeyed.
Lorelei turned her gaze towards the commodore.
"You may ask another if you wish," she said.
He hesitated. He was unsure of what to ask her. He hadn't expected such a response to his previous question.
"Where in the north are you from?" he asked.
Her smiled seemed more genuine and less pained.
"Far in the north, commodore," she said, "I believe you might know it as Finland."
The sailor and James both stared at her in shock. She had come from the Gulf of Finland?!
"You swam all the way from the Gulf of Finland?" James asked in surprise.
Lorelei grinned and seemed to enjoy their disbelief.
"Of course," she said, "how else would I have gotten here?"
"Do you know where you are, miss?" the sailor asked.
"Not exactly," she answered.
"This is the Caribbean," James said, "You swam thousands of miles."
"I'm aware of how far I traveled," she said with a smile, "But now I'm curious about where this ship is headed."
The sailor looked towards the commodore. The commodore decided where the crew went. James glanced out at the horizon and could feel the mermaid's eyes on him.
"Tortuga," he finally said.
The sailor stared at him in shock, but said nothing.
Lorelei glanced out towards the horizon as well and smiled.
"One of my sisters told me about Tortuga," she said, "I've always wanted to see an island from above the water."
James didn't seem keen for any further conversation, so Lorelei took her leave. She went down the steps to the deck below and the sailors made room for her. She could see the sun high in the sky as the sailors worked in the rigging. A young man no older than eighteen was pulling on the sails to lower them. Lorelei smiled as an idea occurred to her. She took a place next to the young man and gripped the rope and began to pull in unison with him. He stopped for a moment in surprise, but resumed when she shot him a dirty look. As they pulled in unison, Lorelei glanced up to see that the commodore was looking in the opposite direction. She frowned. She wanted his attention. She could hear another sailor humming a tune nearby and grinned. She knew how to gain the commodore's attention.
"Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises early in the morning!"
The commodore's head whipped in the direction of Lorelei's voice and he was stunned to see her helping the crew with the sails.
"What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning?"
She continued to sing and tug on the rope.
"Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises early in the morning!"
There was silence as she waited for someone to join her. The boy next to her looked at her nervously, clearly not wanting to be the one to sing with her. A big, burly sailor across the deck glanced up from swabbing the deck. His eyes met with Lorelei's and he grinned at her.
"Put him in the scruppers with a hose-pipe on him! Put him in the scruppers with a hose-pipe on him! Put him in the scruppers with a hose-pipe on him early in the morning!"
Lorelei grinned as other sailors joined in.
"Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises early in the morning!"
James took a few steps towards the railing and watched his crew, plus one mermaid, work below him.
"Put him in the brig until he's sober! Put him in the brig until he's sober! Put him in the brig until he's sober early in the morning! Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises! Weigh heigh and up she rises early in the morning!"
Lorelei grinned as she worked. She was lucky that she had heard several sea shanties from her older sisters of the sea. Perhaps knowing sea shanties was enough to earn some of the crew's trust.
The commodore perused his maps as Lorelei walked into the cabin later that night. He glanced up at her messy hair and her skin that was damp from the evening mist.
"I never asked you to work," he said as she shut the door behind her.
Lorelei shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
"I wanted to," she replied, "I enjoy using my muscles in new ways."
She rubbed her arms as she walked across the cabin. She had never felt pain in her upper arms before! She could feel his eyes on her as she sat down on the bed and crossed her legs. She ran her fingers through her messy hair and sighed. She had rather enjoyed her first full day on the ship.
James glanced back down at his maps, but couldn't focus. He was wondering about why Lorelei had looked so haunted when she spoke about the sorcerer that had drowned. He wanted to ask her, but he felt that it wasn't appropriate to. Lorelei seemed to notice that he wasn't really working and had rested her elbows on her knees.
"Would you like a song to ease your mind, commodore?" she asked.
He glanced at her and was sorely tempted. He had slept like a rock the night before and he would give anything to never have dreams again for the rest of his life. Lorelei gestured for him to come towards her and he found himself pushing his chair back and rising out of his seat. She smiled as he crossed the cabin and sat on the bed next to her.
"Make yourself comfortable," she said and he noticed that her eyes were resting on his powdered wig. Apparently she really was curious about what was underneath. He removed the wig and Lorelei seemed surprised to see his natural hair for the first time. Her hand hovered in the air for a brief moment before she rested on her knee.
"I didn't expect you to have darker hair," she said.
Now it was his turn to grin at her surprise.
"I guess we both have our secrets."
Lorelei smiled and nodded her head in agreement.
"One day I might share them with you, if you care to hear them."
"I will let you know if that day ever comes," he replied as he lay back on the bed.
She leaned over him and her red hair veiled him in shadow. He stared into her eyes and felt himself trapped in their blue depths. Lorelei took a breath and began to sing softly.
"Iđitguovssus girdilit. Hávski lei go iđistit. Vilges dolggiid geigestit. Várrogasat salastit."
The words were alien to his ears, but he didn't care. He felt his mind quieting and relaxing.
"Njukča, njuvččažan. Buokčal, ligge varan. Njukča, njuvččažan. Ovdal iđitroađi."
James closed his eyes as he imagined the home from his childhood. He had always watched the swans on the pond near the green grass.
"Iđitguovssus girdilit. Hávski lei go iđistit. Jaskatvuođain savkalit. Nuorravuođain njávkalit."
He could see his mother and father. His mother had always worn light colors and her blond hair glowed in the sunlight like a halo. His father's hair was almost red.
"Njukča, njuvččažan. Buokčal, ligge varan. Njukča, njuvččažan. Ovdal iđitroađi."
The vision in his mind began to fade as he drifted off into slumber. His limbs were heavy and he felt at peace.
"Riegádahte áibbašeami. Oktovuođa váillaheami."
Lorelei glanced down at the sleeping commodore and couldn't restrain her emotions anymore. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered learning the song. He had taught it to her. Just as he had taught her most of the magic that she knew. Even after three years she couldn't put his death behind her. She wondered if she would ever be able to move on. But when she closed her eyes she knew that his death would haunt her for the rest of her days. She could see his long blonde hair and his blue eyes shining with mischief and knowledge. She would never forget. She could never forget.
(Author's Note): Sorry for the delay in updating! I'm about to graduate, so I've been busy with my classes. Anyways, I'll try to be more regular with updating and writing after the semester is over. The shanty is Assassin's Creed Black Flag's adaption of "Drunken Sailor" and the song that Lorelei sings to James is by the Sami singer Máddji called "Dawn Light."