In the Tremulous Hands of the Sea

-ˋˏ ༻3༺ ˎˊ-

She ushered me into my cabin (which was only accessible after entry to her's), and rushed up to undock the ship. She hadn't lied, there was a doorway to my bed that could easily have been covered by a curtain, but I would still hear her every move. Though, I supposed that I would be approaching many troublesome hills with her, and this one was not fit to die on.

I was no longer tired, so I decided to check out my temporary living space. She hadn't yet lit the sconces in my room, so I finagled a lantern from her desk. Lucky for me, it had been left alight; I wasn't looking to ransack her room for matches that she likely didn't have. But the unattended lantern that was haphazardly placed on the edge of her desk didn't exactly ease my nerves about safety.

The next room (allegedly mine) was small, but truthfully, I had expected worse. I could vouch that it appeared tidy. I had a bed, chest, and a shelved cupboard that had been filled with a great variety of weathered books. It was more like a continuation of her room that stood a step up from the main space. It clearly wasn't meant to be a room, but more of an alcove, and all that reasonably fit were the bed and chest, but I didn't mind. It was also the only part of her room that had windows, so I figured I would awake pretty consistently at sunrise. I always liked it that way. Bouncing on my firm mattress, I decided that I was going to do just fine here.

I found my cat in a small space in between my bed and the wall, whom I immediately untied, and returned to sitting. He greeted me happily, hopping up to sit next to me. I clicked my tongue, and he jumped to my shoulder, purring and nuzzling as I pet him. After he'd gotten his fill of attention, he climbed down to lay at my feet. I took that as a sign that I should settle. I blew out the lantern, placing it on her desk. I decided I would not take advantage of her personal bathroom, for I had readied myself for sleep before they threw me on this boat. All I would have to do is get in bed and drift to sleep...

That was far easier said than done. My head swam with countless anxieties— I don't even have clothes here! How am I going to dress tomorrow? This nightgown is rather revealing, and I told them not to steal from my closet. Kalina had better bring clothes to me before I have to leave my room. And what is up with that lady? Doesn't she have any respect? She is such a tease, it's just aggravating! There's no reason to act the way she does— I dozed off while angrily recalling Kalina's demeanour.
-ˋˏ ༻*༺ ˎˊ-

Her men must have rowed tirelessly through the night because we kept a very good pace. However, I mustn't have been as comfortable with the water as I'd thought, for I soon awoke from a dead sleep ready to throw my guts up.

Nearly falling while climbing the ladder and sprinting up the stairs to the deck, I grabbed the side and spewed all that filled my stomach into the seawater. The captain rushed over from the wall bordering the doorway to the cabins where she'd been drinking. She sat her bottle down carelessly and assumed a hunched position beside me, holding back my hair. Hmm... there was a gentlewoman hidden somewhere in her. I groaned in agony and slid into a curled position against the side wall of the ship. Letting go of my hair, she sank with me, moving her previously occupied hand to my shoulder.

"The seasickness will fade after a while, don't worry," her speech was soothing. She touched me gently with her soft, yet calloused fingers, and her words calmed the ringing in my ears. I still couldn't make out many of her features, but I could feel them. Her hair was fluffy with a curl to it. My hair was obnoxiously thick, but even I felt that she had an unusually large amount. It was rather heavy on my face. I could make out a pair of eyes with light-coloured irises. Even with scarce light, she was a sight to behold. I wouldn't have admitted it, though.

Tired, having been awakened from my slumber, and weak from my sickness, I naturally relaxed against her. With her warmth coaxing me into slumber, I nodded off with my head on her shoulder. I surrendered my weight to her, and she tensed a moment, and then softened and welcomed my contact. She stayed relatively still, merely tilting her head to rest above mine. Her hair tickled a little bit and I repressed a smile.

"You act like an ass, but you're just a big softie, huh?" I teased lazily. She looked yonder in thought.

"I wouldn't say that..." she paused for a moment, looking in the distance, "Are you ready to get back to your bed? This can't possibly be comfortable," she looked down at my slightly kinked neck with concern.

"Just a little longer," I drowsily requested as I reached over and hung onto her opposite shoulder, my head nuzzling closer to the crook of her neck, adjusting to lean a tad more weight on her. She hummed sweetly. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, I never would have done such a thing if I was in my right mind.

"You're really honest when you're tired. I wonder who the real softie is, princess," her smirk was also rather lazy. Only one side of her mouth was quirked and her eyes fluttered. I didn't have the energy to combat her.

After what felt like an eternity yet also a mere few minutes, I opened my eyes, feeling my body resting softly in the woman's arms. She was carrying me bridal style. My head rested on her chest as I muttered dreamy nonsense.