Adeline (Watty Awards Finalist 2013)

Sword Fighting

Picture to your right is Argo

“It’s going to be hard Addie. The obstacles you will have to overcome to win his cold heart are going to be treacherous” she said softly.

I nodded.

“But it will be worth it” she added.

Sara and I stared on as Loki told Flynn the story animatedly while Argo stood by quietly. My heart immediately went out to him. I would’ve frozen up too had I been in his situation. He was being entirely too hard on himself. I made a mental note to talk to him as soon as possible to ease whatever worries and guilt he had.

I knew Loki had gotten to the part of the story when he had stabbed the serpent in the eye when he pulled out his sword and began to reenact the entire situation. A small smile broke out onto my face as he added exaggerated vigor to his tale.

Flynn just stood there listening, his face blank of all emotion. His strong jaw clenched as Loki got to the part of Argo failing in their plan. Argo’s winced slightly as Loki retold the tale. I wanted to thump Loki on the head. Was he trying to make Argo feel even more terrible?

Finally the story was told and Flynn answered with a nod of his head before calling the crew’s attention, “Men! We must make haste out of this area. The beast will be back, and avoiding it at all costs will be our goal. Now onward to our destination and pray to the gods that we don’t run into any more troubles such as the one that came to pass here today” he said grimly before turning on his black boot heel and making his way below deck surely to deal with Big William.

The grief suffering crew ambled about quickly moving to their stations. Loki began assigning new jobs to men who did very little since we were short manned. Even I was told to do my work more vigorously seeing as how there was no longer anyone to pick up my slack. I gasped at Loki’s bluntness.

“All I do is clean the deck, how much more vigorously do you want me to do that?” I huffed.

Loki smirked, “Well it looks as if you’ve been slacking off” he said motioning to the bloody deck.

I felt bile climbing my throat, “Surely you don’t think I have the stomach to clean this?” I exclaimed in horror. I’d probably bring up last night’s meal within minutes of delving into such a repulsing chore. Blood and my stomach had never gone well together. I was surprised that I hadn’t upchucked when I had been showered in the vile liquid. Now Loki expected me to practically roll around in it.

“Come on Adeline. We’re all stepping up a bit until Flynn gets some new crew members. Even Sara” he said swinging his eyes over to her. Sara nodded in response.

I sighed in defeat, “I’ll get a bucket.”

Cleaning the blood soaked deck was probably the worst thing I’d ever had to endure other than being felt up by that man in front of my father. It took longer than expected. It seemed as if whenever I cleaned one spot, other puddles would appear.

After a grueling two hours, the deck was “satisfactory” according to Loki. I nodded thankfully and made my way to the kitchen to eat. I was so hungry that not even cleaning up all of that gore could sway my growling stomach.

I quickly swallowed two helpings of soup and fixed my bunk for the night paying no mind to the fact that Sara was not asleep beside me. Dreams quickly claimed my mind; thoughts of serpents, unrequited love, and a missing bunkmate were the last things on my mind.

******

“Addie? Adeline?” I opened my eyes slowly to stare up into beautiful blue ones.

“Flynn?” I breathed.