The Writer's Month madness starts again!
Set mid season 3 but in a pirate AU. The rest of my pirate AU is currently in works for Writer's Month 21 and 22. I intend to part them out at some point!
The wind whispered through the palm leaves above his head, barely audible above the sound of softly lapping waves as they rose and sank against the soft white sand nearby. It brushed against his skin, cooling sun-sore arms and called to mind the caress of the woman waiting for him back in New Paris.
Athos sunk his bare toes deeper into the sand and pulled his hat lower over his eyes.
Getting to lie down and relax in the middle of the day was a rare luxury for the pirate captain. This rare island paradise was such an insignificant little dot on his sea charts, out of the way of the main trading routes, an easy thing to overlook. But it had no population to attack them from the undergrowth, a freshwater stream, even edible plants that had delighted Serge the cook as soon as he had set eyes upon them. The crew had been itching to spend time on land, but for the time being, with Princes Gaston and Feron on the warpath, even New Paris wasn't safe for long.
But right now there was not another ship anywhere on the horizon. They had the island to themselves.
The crew had been busy that morning: the water barrels had been filled from the sparkling stream and been loaded back aboard, Serge had headed an expedition to find fresh food and returned laden with goods, and with all other jobs onboard ship that couldn't be put off until tomorrow completed he had given everyone the afternoon off. There was still a skeleton crew left aboard the Garrison keeping watch but they'd be swapped out later so they could enjoy the island too.
It had taken some persuasion from Porthos and Aramis, aided by d'Artagnan's puppy dog eyes that he still hadn't grown out of, for Athos to acquiesce and allow himself some time ashore. Whilst he couldn't let them know it, he was glad he had joined them, to be able to stop and enjoy himself for once, without the stress that came with captaincy.
His nose detected the faint odour of wood smoke somewhere in the distance, along with the cheers of his happy crew. Porthos had planned a barbeque supper this evening, he distantly remembered. He didn't need to do anything. The others had everything well in hand. Someone would come and get him later when he was needed.
Right now all he needed to do was listen to the wind and the birds and the waves, and doze.