~ Brianna ~
Brianna watched Mor leave, exasperated and anger in her golden eyes. It took every ounce of self-control not to immediately follow her. It was not lost on Brianna that her first response was to run after the faerie, and she also recognised that she hated upsetting her. She rolled her shoulders and faced the Captain of the ship, whose brows were furrowed; the sudden tightness of the expression seemed to anger the scar across her face.
"Don't," she exclaimed as she folded her arms over her chest, "don't talk to me about our past. Don't ask me about my life", she heard her voice in her own ears and she barely recognised the blunt tone. Elle merely sighed and pulled the cork from another bottle with her teeth.
"Brianna…" she took a long, deliberate swig from the bottle, its contents sloshing "you seem...happy" she finished and Brie couldn't fathom the sentiment. Of all the speeches she had prepared throughout her years of solitude and of all the responses she thought she'd get from Eleanor. A half-hearted, potentially drunken 'you seem happy', was most decidedly, not, what was expected.
"You think that boat lead me to, to what? Happiness? To romance and adventure…" she might be sick; Elle took another long swig "unbelievable" she muttered. Brianna crossed the small space and swiped the bottle from her, taking a swig of the pungent liquid and enjoying the burning sensation moving down her throat. "Will this ship stop at Hybern?" she asked, taking another sharp sip.
"We'll be stopping at a very small isle near to stock up and drop some cargo off, change some of the crew" she said, folding her arms over her chest, "and then, weather permitting, to Hybern". She glanced at some maps on her desk, papers strewn around and covering most of the surface, but that didn't seem to bother the young Captain.
"I'll fill that spot on your crew, work for you " she said, "until we reach Hybern". Elle laughed, the sound reverberating from her stomach.
"You've not changed much have you?" She stood quickly, and looked her up and down. Slowly. "Except you're more beautiful, if that was possible" she whispered, liqueur on her breath, "There's nothing there for you Brianna, save yourself the heartache and go home". Brianna rolled her eyes at the audacity of the woman.
"I have matters to attend to which, being candid, have nothing to do with you. Either way, I'll get there with or without your ship". Elle sighed and nodded mumbling something under her breath before thrusting a dagger into the desk. It bobbed for a few seconds before settling, the noise of it filled the otherwise quiet space.
"Fine, there's a cabin free, take your faerie and keep her out of the way of the crew" she handed her a key and gave her directions on how to get to the cabin, she turned to leave. "Report to the deck at sunrise, we'll see if you can be of us" Brianna nodded and took the key, the Captain pulled it back, adding "But the faerie stays away as much as possible. I don't want the crew seeing her, causing trouble. I mean it Brianna". Brianna snatched the key.
"Fine," she grumbled, and grabbed the bottle "but I'm keeping this" and before Elle could respond, she was already leaving.
There was so much unsaid and the words were desperate to escape, she took a quick swig. How had everything got so damned fucked? She thought to herself. She couldn't really blame Mor, although her life was rather dull before the faerie crashed into it. But her past was always chasing her; it was merely a matter of time before it finally caught her.
She wanted to shout at Elle, she wanted to tell her every single heartache she'd felt since her betrayal. She half expected her to at the very least apologise for what she'd done those years ago, sending her to a foreign land in the midst of a certain war. Alone. Scared. It was for the good of everyone on the ship that they didn't have that conversation.
She had bigger problems than hashing those events out with Eleanor, like a promise she'd made to a golden eyed faerie.
Brianna heard the crew shouting, beginning to get the ship moving. The gangplank had already been removed and the main masts raising. It really was an impressive ship; it was one of the first she'd ever sailed during her lessons with Christophe and his father. The irony that the ship was now owned by her prior friend and the main cause for her sleepless nights was not lost on her.
"Mor" she whispered, her eyes scanned the upper and lower decks and she moved to the upper deck where members of the crew continued to race around; pulling ropes, shouting at one another, loading barrels. It was a hum of purposeful movement, and the crew completely ignored her except for grunting when they needed her to move or give them some space.
The sun was bright in the sky, a rich yellow and orange hanging right above. The wind seemed to pick up, and the sea beneath them was crashing against the nearby rocks. She missed the sea and its unrelenting unpredictability. She held her palm up towards the sun, shading her eyes while she continued to move, climbing stairs to the very upper deck.
She found Mor leaning against the ship, a gentle glow danced around her as she faced the sun, head slightly tilted back. Even from behind her, Brianna felt her heart speed at the sight of the beautiful woman. She looked peaceful. Brianna smiled and placed the bottle on the deck, she knew Mor would probably have a lot to say about her behaviour, and she didn't blame her.
When she turned to face her, Brianna knew two things:
One, Mor was definitely the most beautiful, mesmerising, intriguing and powerful creature she'd ever met.
And two, the woman, as she'd suspected was pissed at her.
Mor cocked her head to the side in that cursed adorable way and the sun seemed to catch her hair making it appear like it was glowing. Her mother used to tell her bedtime storied about the fallen ones, a silly human tale about creatures who'd served the gods.
They'd betrayed them and the gods had forced the majestic creatures to leave their home, clipped their wings and cursed them to walk the surface, without being able to fly home but always able to see how close they were to it. It had always seemed like the cruellest form of torture to a small Brianna, but her mother had assured her it was a simple story that mothers told their children.
The way she'd described them were not unlike how the fae looked to her, when she really thought about it. Perhaps the story was a primitive way for humanity to understand their otherworldly neighbours. Brianna wasn't sure, what she was certain of however, was that story or not, when the sun glided across her friends soft, female features, contrasted with the blades at her sides and the sheer strength she emanated. Mor could have walked straight from those children's stories.
Brianna cleared her throat, "follow me," Mor rose her brow but didn't move "please". Mor sighed and reluctantly followed.
The cabin Elle had gifted to them was small; enough room for two or three, if one passenger were a child. There were two bunks; there was a small round window and a wooden cabinet to hold luggage. Brianna guessed this might have been a higher ranking crew members' bunk, given how nice it was and its proximity to the Captains private rooms and main deck.
Brianna dropped her baggage and watched as Mor surveyed the small room, her scent already filling Brie's senses and that voice inside her seemed to melt away.
"You can pick whichever one you like" Brianna said while rubbing at her still healing hand. Mor was waiting; either for Brie to explain or to collect her own thoughts before she spoke, Brianna didn't know which, but the silence was unnerving her, she hated it.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly and Mor finally met her eyes, "I made you a promise and I was careless, I've no excuse other than Elle…"
She started to pace; breaking eye contact with her "the Captain" she clarified "she…well, it's complicated and I…" she slumped onto the bed and glanced out of the small window, mesmerised by the blue waves. "I wanted to hurt her" she laughed, feeling pathetic, "I suppose I failed at even that" she smiled incredulously.
She shifted as Mor sat beside her; they were so close she could clearly see the specs of caramel in Mor's eyes. She froze as Mor tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear, she hoped to all the gods and stars that Mor couldn't hear how fast her heart hammered in her chest.
"Everyone has a past Brianna" the way her name sounded as Mor said it, with a hint of her accent along with the deeper, husky tone, it sent literal shivers down her spine.
"But you made me a promise, it was careless to attack that woman, regardless of who she is or was to you" Brianna flinched, but she didn't respond, Mor had every right to be upset. "That carelessness could have cost you your life, and certainly some lives of her crew". Mor sighed loudly; her warm breath caressed her as she glanced out of the window.
"I'm guessing since we were given a cabin that all was forgiven and she'll take us to the Island?"
"We're making a stop on a nearby small island and then to Hybern" She said, meeting Mor's gaze. "I know I owe you a proper explanation for earlier…"
"You don't need to explain to me, I just wanted to be clear again…" she flinched slightly as Mor placed a delicate, callused hand on her shoulder "there are lives relying on us Brianna, no one can afford another war, more death and pain – I don't think we'd survive it".
"I know my actions speak to the contrary, but I don't want that either" she lightly punched Mor's arm and the faerie smiled, swatting her away. Gods this woman was stunning, being so close to her was torture. She really did want to help Mor and her cause, besides the sooner she helped Mor, the sooner she could return to her life, where lovers were for one night, never to be seen again.
Not that she regarded Mor as a potential lover, but she'd only be lying to herself if she didn't acknowledge how the faerie made her body ache in places. It made her miss the taverns she frequented once in a while.
"Is everything okay?" Mor whispered with a glint in her eyes; her head slightly cocked. Her tanned skin looks so soft, how could she seem so powerful, calluses and all yet have softness too? What was stopping her from having a little fun with the faerie, besides the one night rule? Nothing, she realised and a warmth spread throughout her body.
Her heart stopped. What if Mor didn't like women like that? She was angry with herself for taking so long to have that thought. It was beyond insensitive. But nothing Mor did told her that she didn't have those…urges herself. She wasn't blind, and for some reason she was always seemed tuned in to the bodies of others. Mor's body told her that she might not exclusively like men.
She wanted to rattle her head against an iron bar, what did any of it matter? They were on a ship with her former friend headed to her homeland, that she'd not seen since she'd left it before the recent war.
And yet, as she quickly drank in Mor's curves and sultry confident smile. Those facts didn't seem to take up much room in her mind. She sucked on her bottom lip, biting it gently.
"There's one tiny issue…" she said, her tone laced with humour and guilt, Mor's brow rose and her stomach flipped, she really hoped the faerie didn't realise the affect she had on her, even after only a few short weeks of knowing her. "Elle, the Captain...she asked you to stay away from her crew, she said she didn't want you to distract them". Because the faerie was most certainly, distracting. With her pointed ears, powerful body and soft smile.
"That's…" she straightened, "sensible". Her smile was dazzling, she realised. What in the cursed hell was wrong with her? She'd normally been able to handle herself; Mor was apparently a different game altogether.
Brianna leant forward and cautiously shifted a strand of Mor's hair from her eyes, allowing it slip between her fingers. She knew it was a dangerous game to play, with a faerie especially, but her body ached with the proximity of the tall warrior. It was enough to ignite her brain to urge her to run, but on a ship in the middle of the sea…
"I'm sure the man you left at home misses you" she whispered, not so subtly leaning into Mor's ear, and she could have sworn she heard a quiet, barely audible moan escape the faerie. All rational thoughts about their journey, where they were and everything else died in her mind.
She felt her whole body, every inch of it was on fire and the tiny hairs on her neck seemed to stand. Every intake of breath was filled with Mor's sweet cinnamon scent. Her hand gripped the course sheets, and she crossed her leg over the other as she subtly shifted closer to her.
Mor shook her head softly, her mouth curved up into a wicked smile. She moved closer so they were side by side, the space between them forgotten and their legs brushed.
"I don't have a mate, or male to go home to" Mor said with a sultry tone.
"What about a female?" Brianna whispered, nerves attacking her heart as it sped, and Mor shook her head. Brianna tightened her grip on the sheets in her hand.
Their gazes met and locked. Brianna stared as both of their chests raised and fell quicker. That dark voice in her mind was alert and eager. She was both terrified and impatient, but she enjoyed the playful side to Mor, a lot. Too much.
Brianna inched closer, until their mouths were mere inches apart, she paused and smiled as she noticed Mor's eyes had lowered and were intently studying her mouth. She wanted this too!
"I'm glad," she admitted and closed the remaining inches until their mouths met…
As Brianna began slowly exploring Mor's mouth. She felt every inch of her body; it was as though she were hyper alert, and yet completely lost at the same time. She parted her mouth slightly and Mor gently entered with her tongue. Brianna groaned into Mor's mouth. Her centre throbbed, yet it was her emotions that terrified her.
It felt as though she were exactly where she needed to be. Nothing else really mattered; it had all led her to this moment. To those tender lips.
"Fuck it" she whispered into Mor's mouth and the faerie grinned against her lips.
She repositioned herself on her lap and kissed a slightly shocked Mor with the ferocity that her body craved. The golden hair draped over Mor's shoulder a she gripped her waist and kissed Brianna's neck. Brianna leaned her head back slightly and moaned, which earned a gentle hum from Mor.
She wanted nothing more than to get Mor's strange armour off her body and drink it all in, and her fingers began playing with the laces of her bodice, when a loud knock reverberated through the room.
Brianna swiftly jumped up, bumping her head hard on the top bunk. She growled at the door like some kind of animal.
"Captain needs all crew on deck," shouted a muffled voice. Fiorello.
She rubbed her head and glanced at Mor who was frozen in her spot, with a lazy grin plastered on her slightly swollen lips. Brie fanned her face and glared at the door, hoping Fiorello would leave.
"She said I had to stay here until you left" she felt the urge to growl again and shook her head, shaking her hands and smiling apologetically at Mor.
"We'll need to talk about that when you return" Mor smiled and lay on her side on the cot. Brianna sighed at the timing. She knew they would need to talk about it all but, being honest, she really wanted to avoid that conversation.
"Talking is not what I had in mind when I returned, Mor" she grunted as she struggled to pull out a warmer hooded piece of clothing from her luggage. Mor used her elbows on the cot so her hands could rest on her chin, and her eyes said they wanted that too. "Fine, we'll talk" she groaned.
But she felt those golden brown eyes on her as she yanked open the door and long after she had closed it behind her.
As she followed Fiorello to the main deck and was greeted with some slight raindrops, her mind sobered. What was she thinking, going after Mor like that? It was irresponsible, stupid…
Had she ruined her working relationship with her? And what did her body and hearts reaction mean – it had scared her. She'd never felt a pull or need like it before.
She looked up into the darkening sky, and cursed to herself.
"Get the riggers up there, I want crows appointed and on lookout at all times. Start a shift. I don't want a repeat of last time" Elle shouted to the crew, people were hurrying in all directions.
"Ah, Brie, follow me" Fiorello glared at her as she walked past him. She tried fixing her hair and hoped the flush on her skin could be written off as her being slightly cold from the chill growing in the air.
"It's getting darker already," she said to no one in particular.
"Well observed Brianna" said Elle, "the nights come quicker now autumn is here, it took us a little longer to get the ship ready than I anticipated but I didn't have a licence to stay docked for any longer so we had to leave". She huffed as she took the stairs two at a time to the ships steering point.
"Look" she grunted as she took the wheel and steadied it, "I need to know what you can do to better suit the ship."
"I can sail, steer, shoot, cook you name it, I'm stronger than I look" she said sheepishly.
"Fantastic" Elle said, "I'll start you as a filler, you can cover some men while they rest". Brianna nodded curtly, the heat dying down in her stomach. But the throb between her legs didn't seem to calm just yet. She was making sure to avoid thinking about the gorgeous golden haired faerie in her bunk.
"I won't lie to you, this journey is dangerous" Elle's sharp tone brought her back to the present, and the rain started to fall freely. She hugged her clothes closer, oblivious Elle continued, "not many are brave enough to risk it. The seas are choppy, storms unpredictable and the area is still patrolled by human and non-human ships". Brianna scowled at that, she knew the dangers of the seas, especially following the war.
"Pirates lurking in the caves, desperate people, they'll take every life on this vessel for a scrap of bread and gold" she barked more orders at the crew, tightening her grip on the wheel. "Fiorello will get you some additional clothes and weaponry. Stay alert, Brianna" she grinned, showing her straight teeth and the scar down her face pulled. Brianna scowled at the woman; different emotions battled inside of her, and it all felt a bit overwhelming but she dutifully took the clothes and weapons from Fiorello.
What hell awaited her on this journey, she was uncertain, but she did know she had a lovely woman in her bunk with a dazzling smile and addictive body waiting for her.
She pulled the clothes over her body, leathers mostly and they hugged her form nicely. She strapped the weapons to hips and ankle in practised, swift motions. She'd not argue about or deny the extra clothes and weaponry that would have been ridiculous.
She stood as she tied her hair in a tight bun and glanced back toward her bunk, and she swore she could feel Mor's eyes on her as she faced the main deck in search of her first task.
~ Morrigan ~
Morrigan's heart hammered against her chest as she watched Brianna leave the room. The low growl had been odd, for a human anyway, but it had awoken her need further and it had taken everything in her to hold back from pulling the female back to the bed.
It was a strange development, and certainly one that her court would not welcome too kindly. For one, she thought as she hopped up and began moving her luggage into compartments, ignoring her shaking hands.
For the most part, they didn't know she liked females, the High Lady excluded. And for two, this was an important task given to her by Rhys and Feyre, she didn't believe they'd be too happy with her taking liberties with the female she'd been instructed was 'key' to the desired goal. She understood the ramifications of failing, and she'd meant what she'd said to Brianna, she do anything she could and within her power to stop any further losses or potential wars.
When she'd left, the Court of Dreams were trying to gain some semblance of order, rebuilding what was lost from the ashes of the war. But the healing process was long and the Court of Nightmares seemed to relish the disorder. They'd had to spare a handful of Illiryian troops to keep them in check, and she'd agreed with Kier a very tenuous truce. One she'd later told Rhys, was not going to hold. Especially now, the Court of Nightmares knew of Valaris and other courts had also suffered high losses in their leadership.
When Azriel's spies heard of discord amongst the humans, worsened by their genuine terror that the wall was no longer protecting them from their fae neighbours. Certain radical factions were rising in influence and power, and it was dangerous. Feyre had asked her sisters to be emissaries for the humans and asked each court to appoint their own, so they could begin conversations about the world they wanted to live in. Laws were passed to begin to protect humans, but Morrigan knew it wouldn't be enough to deter the more adventures fae who loved the chaos.
When Azrial had said Kier had allied with a particularly dangerous human faction of rebels, who wanted a more powerful and irreversible wall to replace the one they'd lost, Morrigan hadn't been shocked at her fathers involvement in such an act.
Az had said he gathered they needed something left behind in Hybern to begin the process and resurrecting whatever it was that heinous, evil creature had hidden in his den of mother knew what, was not an option.
And here she was. In a small cabin, rooted in the centre with little else to do but wait. She wished she'd convinced Rhys that she could have winnowed straight to Hybern, but he'd insisted on getting there quietly and with a guided hand. She knew he was withholding information as he usually did, it had angered her but Amren had convinced her to do it this way and that she'd watch over her family and both Courts.
She caught site of Brianna's large bag she carried her possessions in and wondered over to where she'd haphazardly stuffed it into a wooden drawer.
She gripped it and ran her hands over its entrance before she placed it back and took her weapons off her body to hide away. She didn't really need them anyway, Rhys had convinced her to take them.
Morrigan turned the door handle and slipped out into the dark corridor, smelling rain in the air she tugged her cloak over her head and swept away following Brianna's scent, which made her stomach churn. The scent unnerved her and stirred feelings she'd long forgotten, she'd had lovers, she thought as she rounded a sharp corner and climbed some stairs with ease, but her heart and body had never, ever reacted the way it had when Brianna had kissed her.
She perched on a high point, covered by the wooden beams and sails. The crew darted around, and she'd no doubt she was partially invisible to them in this spot, nevertheless they were too busy to really pay her much attention.
She'd thought she might very well die if they'd gone further and she was aware that she couldn't jeopardise the task by going too far with Brianna. In the short time she'd known her, she'd felt different. She couldn't let her libido ruin it all.
She followed her scent and somehow she'd simply known it was Brianna before the female stood, flexed her arms and shook out her hands. She wore a body conforming long coat, it looked almost like a military uniform, with swirls of reds, whites and black, weapons hung from her hip, the female blew out a breath and rolled her shoulders before confidently glancing up at the rigging. She looked…powerful. Beautiful.
Morrigan leaned her head against a wooden beam and sighed, her breath fogging in front of her as she realised with sudden clarity that it was her uncontrollably fast beating heart that she feared most.