(Day 15 - 1634 Words)
The Captain’s office was far more spacious than Dalleth expected and had a view out thick glass windows that were cantilevered open to catch the breezes up here. It made the room cool. The room was lit with several optical crystals set in the ceiling to direct light in from the outside in the daytime. There were storm lanterns on the walls for the night, he assumed. There was also a small stub of candle burning on the desk, probably for making wax seals, as the captain had a number of papers and ledgers spread out on the sturdy, but well carved desk.
The captain, herself, was a comely elf. Silken blond hair drawn back into a smooth braid was accented by a black ribbon woven through it. She was wearing a white cotton swordsman style shirt, slightly open at the collar, and a fitted blue and gold brocade peplum vest. She had a simple necklace on and four rings on her slender fingers, one of which was a personal seal.
She looked up as she finished writing and signed the paper with a flourish, placing the quill pen back into its stand next to a simple inkwell.
Dalleth stared at her ocean blue eyes, rather than the green of the forest he was anticipating. He felt a shove on his shoulder that caused him to rock enough to have to take a slight side step, and elicited another blush, to have been caught out like that.
“Cap’n, this is a possible new hand that my cousin William brought by. He knows enough that he can start learning, and he’s got a strong back and a keen eye. But, he needs some of the rough edges of the country knocked off him. He’s wanting to go to Victoria City and knows that we’ll be going the round about way, and he’s fine with that.”
The captain looked at Dalleth appraisingly before pushing back from the desk and coming around to the front. She was wearing leather trousers, that were only a shade darker than her face and hands, and were molded close to her long legs, giving the impression that she wasn’t wearing any trousers, which was certainly the intention, Dalleth was sure. Her boots were just as fitted and came up to the knee, though they were black as night. He dragged his eyes back up to her eyes, where he was met with a bit of amusement sparkling in them. Yes, she knew the effect she had on men, and treasured it.
Dalleth gave a forelock tug and a little head nod.
“I’m Dalleth Errien MacNeary, ma’am. I’m pleased to meet you.” He remembered that William had said that the captain was a madam.
“Why are you going to Victoria City?” She asked. Dalleth noticed that she hadn’t given her name in return and wondered at that.
“My Great-Aunt sent me a ticket to join her in the City, as she resides there. But, apparently, my ticket was replaced with a forgery, which left me no way to travel on the ship I was supposed to. William, suggested that you were short a hand and that I might be able to work my passage to my destination. Under the circumstances, I thought that a great idea, especially as he had shown himself to be an honorable fellow.”
“And it doesn’t bother you that I am fey, and that bosun Samuel is half-krag? After all, the majority of my crew are not human, what say you to that?” She stared at him shrewdly.
“No, ma’am, it bother’s me not at all. If a person can do their job and do it well, then what matters what race they hail from? A wolf will attack a herd of sheep just as ferociously if the shepherd is human or fey or dwarf. I figure it’s the same for pirates, being called ‘wolf’s heads’ often.”
She nodded her head, then sat down, leaning back against the desk on her hands, and crossed her ankles in front of her outstretched legs. She was still watching him closely, Dalleth could tell, as he was keeping his eyes on her face now. He thought she was still testing him.
“May I have your name, Captain?”
“Yes, Dalleth, you may. I am Captain Zorellia Brightstar. If my bosun says that you will do for now, then I trust his word. I trust the word of everyone I employ on my vessel, so I will trust their word over yours should something untoward happen.” She stared him straight in the eyes. He held his gaze steady and only blushed slightly at her insinuation.
“I understand Captain Brightstar.” He didn’t say anything else. Sometimes, as his father would say, silence spoke more than any words you could say.
After another minute of just staring at him, she stood gracefully and offered her hand, turned for shaking, rather than to be kissed. He took a chance and instead of gripping her hand in a merchant’s shake, he gripped her wrist in a warrior’s shake. He could feel that she had a wrist blade hidden there. It seemed that she approved, as she gripped his wrist in return and smiled.
“Well, well Dalleth, You are going to be an interesting one. Welcome aboard. We’ll start you out as sailor and bosun’s assistant.” She looked over and nodded at Samuel, who nodded to her in return.
“You will get food, water, drink and a place to sleep on the journey. As you make yourself useful and learn more things, you may get other bonuses. I expect you to follow orders given by the bosun or my first mate, as you would mine, as we have made agreement.”
“I agree, ma’am. Thank you. I am hoping to learn a lot.” Dalleth released her wrist as she released her grip on his forearm.
“Get him settled in, Samuel, I want to cast off before the sun goes down so that we can catch the rising wind and get ahead of those lumbering whales.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Samuel turned smartly and motioned for Dalleth to accompany him. Dalleth gave her one last nod. He didn’t salute, as Samuel hadn’t and preceded Samuel from the room. He waited off to the side of the hall for Samuel to lead. Dalleth noticed that there were some of the calcite crystals in the ceiling out here, too, bringing in a little more light in the close wooden hall.
Samuel strode down the hall and up the stairs, back to the busy deck.
“Pay attention you lazy swabbies!” Samuel’s voice boomed out and everyone on the deck and ramps stopped and looked at Samuel, and by association, Dalleth. “This is a new hand, Dalleth. He’s going to be my Cu, so if there is a problem with him, you bring it to me. Now, back to work, Cap’n wants to cast off in the next two hours.”
Everyone started moving again even faster than before. Dalleth didn’t know how he could stay out of the way, and still get some work done. But Samuel seemed to have the answer for that and motioned Dalleth to follow him. They threaded the chaos again, but this time up two sets of stairs to a deck that was a pool of serenity by comparison.
There was the steering wheel of the ship and a fantastic view. There was also a raven-haired fey who was lounging on a cushioned bench next to the wheel, idly picking out a song on a gittern. Dalleth realized that while the song seemed deceptively simple, that the fingering was exceedingly complex and took very dexterous fingers to keep up the rhythm and not hit any wrong notes. The fellow didn’t stop playing, but looked up at Samuel. His eyes were blue as the sky in summer, very startling in his fine featured, dusky skinned face.
“Here, this is Dalleth, a new hand,” Samuel said.
The fey nodded and spoke.
“Yes, the whole city knows that now, as you have a voice of a fog-horn.”
Dalleth was very surprised at him talking to the bosun that way. So, he just kept his mouth shut. Samuel rolled his eyes and snorted.
“Keep him up here with you until we cast off. I don’t need him in the way and I don’t have time to deal with him right now, since the cap’n moved up the launch time.”
“I heard that,” the fey said without missing a note and still not looking at his fingers.
“You can be a right arse, Ryven.” Samuel turned to Dalleth and spoke.
“Stay here with Ryven, I’ll be back for you in a bit and get you settled into a spot.” Samuel then strode off without waiting for Dalleth’s answer.
Dalleth then turned back to the still lounging fey.
Ryven gestured with his chin over to the cushioned bench opposite him.
“You can put your bags there, Dalleth. Do you go by Dalleth? Or something shorter?”
“No, just Dalleth, though my mother calls me Dall sometimes, I don’t prefer it.”
“I can see how that could become Doll or Dolly far too easy,” Ryven replied. “Very well, then, Dalleth it is for now, until you earn a new moniker. May Luck be on your side and it be a positive one. You can wander around up here if you want. Or you can sit and listen, your choice.”
Dalleth put his bags on the bench and then walked to the railing that surrounded this upper deck. There was a lock for a three pounder cannon it looked like on the back, which would provide some protection, he supposed, for the pilot. The views of the city were spectacular. It was truly starting to feel like an adventure.